Content:

Decide Now!

"For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:1-10).

These are the words which Jesus spoke to those who began grumbling against His actions. But why did they protest and begin their grumblings? What evil did Jesus do? He never sinned, nor was any bad or evil word found on his lips. What were their motives? Simply because Jesus visited the home of a tax-collector named Zacchaeus. All the people who saw it started grumbling, "This man has gone as a guest to the home of a sinner."

Dear brethren, Socrates, this superb mind of the ancient world, used to say that in order for man to be happy on earth, he should know "virtue". He not only considered true knowledge as an indispensable term of right action, but he believed and insisted that without correct knowledge of virtue, not only perfect virtue, but no virtue of any kind, can exist at all. Correct action is inevitably the outcome of "true knowledge." In other words the canon (rule) of Socrates was knowledge. If man is in a position to know what virtue is, he will be able to exercise it and execute his correct knowledge. It is not our intention to censure the philosophy of Socrates, but we must admit we disagree because experience tells us knowledge is one thing and virtue (the practice) is another. There is a great distance between the two. Many people very well know what is virtuous and right, but they practice what is wrong and unrighteous. Therefore, Socrates' ideal knowledge cannot bring happiness to the world.

Now from Socrates we take a huge leap and come to another philosopher, quite contemporary from the last century, the tragic Nietzsche, a priest's son. What did he say? He wanted to elevate the power of man, to be a superman. Morality does not depend upon nobleness and goodness, but upon the power of the strongest. Thus the final purpose of man and society is not to develop everyone to be happy, but only the chosen few, the strong ones. Love is not a virtue. The manifestation of righteous people is weakness of the weak people. When man loves, he cannot decide and make great and serious decisions because he is influenced by love, which, when examined by itself, will be found to be evil. What is good? To be brave is good. Have one goal to your life, to be hard upon the others in order to reach the final goal. Others will be the means and climax upon which to step in order to climb higher and higher. So Nietzsche hoped that power and supermen would bring about a new world full of happiness and prosperity. The Germanic people were fed and educated in these teachings of Nietzsche at the beginning of this century. They believed that they were the "supermen." That only they had the right to govern and rule other peoples. Some of the results are well known, such as the "Wall of Shame" that separates Berlin. Many centuries will pass in order before the descendants will wash out the shame of their forefathers. The furnaces and the crematories in which millions of people burned like lamps, will remain to testify what the influence and impact of their philosopher, the "Superman," was.

Now we come again to our Teacher, the poor Jesus of Nazareth. He said "Love" will regenerate all of mankind, the whole world. It will make a new generation, a new dough. It will bring the world nearer and closer to God, because God is Love. This is the most perfect and complete definition which John, "the disciple of love," gave. He said, "Children, love each other. God is Love, and whoever lives by love, lives in God, and God lives in him." Love diminishes fear, separations, and hatreds. There is no fear in love: perfect love drives out all fear. So then, love has not been made perfect in the one who fears, because fear has to do with punishment.

Here is the central teaching of the Gospel — Love which begins with God is given to men. God, moved by love, became man in order to reform man into a small God. Here, we think it appropriate to quote the words of St. Gregory the Theologian from his sermon, On the Theophany or Birthday of Christ. "I too will cry the power of this day. He who is not carnal is incarnate, the invisible becomes visible, the untouchable becomes touchable, the timeless comes in time. The Son of God becomes the Son of Man. Jesus Christ yesterday, today and forever."

The holy father admires the mystery of the incarnation and confesses the inability of the human spirit to penetrate into the depths of the mysteries as well as in the knowledge of the divine essence of God: "The Divine Nature then is boundless and hard to understand; and all that we can comprehend of Him is His boundlessness."

The fleshless takes on flesh and the Son of God becomes the Son of Man and descends from the former glory he had with his Father. "O Father! Give me glory in your presence now, the same glory I had with you before the world was made" (John 17:5). Jesus comes down and enters into the house of a sinner, a tax collector Zacchaeus, to break bread with him and to save one soul. Indeed, great is the mystery, and its meaning is beyond the limits of human comprehension. Again we repeat Gregory the Theologian, "What is the riches of His goodness? What is this mystery that is around me? I had a share in the image; I did not keep it; He partakes of my flesh that He may both save the image and make the flesh immortal. Let the Jews be offended, let the Greeks deride, let the heretics talk till their tongues ache. Then shall they believe, when they see Him ascending up into heaven; and if not then, yet when they see Him coming out of heaven and sitting as Judge."

Brethren, Christ is Love, and He passes the front of your walk and wishes to enter your home, which perhaps you broke up, and where family happiness ought to prevail, and where now Satan dances with all his followers. Christ passes over your business places on which you dedicate and devote all your abilities, natural and spiritual. You cannot see anything else higher and more serious than awaiting the hour to open your register to count the money. Christ also approaches all roads and streets, knocks at the doors and begs the people to hear His voice and open it to Him.

In order to secure a view of Christ you should struggle, as Zacchaeus did. He climbed a fig tree in order to see Christ. What are you doing? Maybe you follow the current of the huge masses of our times, as the people before the cataclysm (the Flood) did, about whom Jesus speaks so vividly and characteristically, "Just as in the days before the Flood, people ate and drank, men and women married up to the very day Noah went into the Ark; yet they did not know what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away" (Matt. 24:38-39).

The righteous conscience of Zacchaeus, which was veiled with the ruins of destruction, woke up and with a frank and true voice confessed to Jesus, "Lord, indeed if I stole the property of any one I decided to give double, and if I have cheated anyone I will pay him back four times as much. To the poor people, I promise you, I will give my belongings." Let us say to Christ, "From now on I will become a disciple of your love. I am giving all my belongings. I want one thing in my life and it is You." There are many who have sacrificed their loves, secular dreams, visions, prosperous life, and properties for Christ's love. These are Saints of our church, the Fathers, monks and the clergy including priests, their numbers being countless.

Christ cries out to the people, "Salvation has come to this house today; this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham."

Brethren, you must make a small and quick decision in your life. Taking one step forward, or to the right, or to the left, you will meet Christ. He wants you to open your door and have supper with Him. Will you open the door for Him, or not? Give an answer.

"For the Son of Man came to see and to save the lost."

A certain historian, who was a patron of St. Chrysostom and a great admirer of the saint's virtue, has preserved for us the following account. A statue of the Byzantine Empress Eudoxia was erected outside of the cathedral church of St. Sophia. The people, rather than going to church as usual, remained outside during the Divine Liturgy, dancing around the statue and celebrating its erection in front of their church. Those who were at Divine Liturgy began to leave during the sermon, in order that they might join the crowd that was already outside. Finally, only one old woman remained. St. Chrysostom did not lose his temper; rather, he preached all the more zealously. At the conclusion of the sermon, when he re-entered the holy altar, Chrysostom was asked by one of the priests why he had continued to preach after all the people had left, and whether he thought it worthwhile to concern himself with one old woman. The saint's reply was superb: "Had I achieved the salvation of that woman's soul," he said, "I would be the most fortunate priest in the whole world. For, had she been saved, there would right now be rejoicing in heaven among the angels of God because of that one soul." St. John Chrysostom, who was known as "the golden mouth," preached such fiery sermons that he managed to touch, and to move to tears, even those who hitherto had been so hardened in their sinful ways that nothing could reach them.

If but one soul is touched, is moved, after having read this sermon, it will have served its purpose, and I will be content. I would hasten to add that I would not dream of comparing myself with St. Chrysostom; nor, due to my great unworthiness, would I compare the scope of my mission with his.

My subject is not particularly attractive, nor is it especially contemporary. I wish to speak concerning the Triodion. The Triodion is a part of the movable cycle of our ecclesiastical calendar. This year it begins today, and it will draw to a close with Vespers on Easter Eve, Great Saturday. The hymns of the Triodion are extremely touching. Whoever studies the Triodion carefully immediately senses the great wisdom with which the fathers of the Church composed it. It blends together harmoniously. It is perhaps the best way for Christians to prepare themselves for Easter, not passing the time in mere frivolity, but in worshipful participation in our Lord's passion and resurrection.

It is indeed unfortunate that many of our own people, the Eastern Orthodox, choose to ignore both our Church's great wealth of hymnology and the road which leads to holiness. We who are priests must share the blame for this situation with the laity, for priests are responsible for the abbreviation and gradual "phasing out" of many of our beautiful services of worship, such as Vespers, Orthos, and the canons. Many parishes begin their Sunday worship (and end it) with the Divine Liturgy, omitting its beautiful liturgical introduction, the Matins. When the priest does serve Matins, few people attend, and those who do are generally the elderly. The great majority of the people come only for the Divine Liturgy, and many of them come when it is almost over, in order that they might venerate the cross and receive the blessed bread, the antidoron. Their coming at all is more than likely a mere salve to calm their consciences, and to enable them to say that they have been to church. I am sure that these very people would be highly insulted if they had invited guests for dinner, and most arrived when the meal was nearly concluded, and then refused to eat anything, with the exception of dessert. Yet these people see nothing wrong with treating God in this way. Our divine services are set up in such a way that Christians are to begin their worship on Sunday morning with Matins — the service of morning worship, and then participate in (not just attend) the Holy Eucharist — the Divine Liturgy.

Getting back to our discussion of the Triodion, just what purpose does it serve in Orthodox divine worship? It endeavors to reach the cold heart of unrepentant man, to lead him back to God through sincere repentance, to restore him to his adamic state of innocence. For this cause the Epistle and Gospel Lessons are arranged to further this end. On the first Sunday of the Triodion we hear of the Publican and the Pharisee, a contrast between prideful haughtiness and virtuous humility. On the second Sunday we hear of the Prodigal Son and his sufferings as he separates himself from his loving father. The Gospel Lesson for the third Sunday is both dreadful and beautiful — dreadful for those outside the saving grace of Christ, beautiful for those trusting in Him. It is an account of our Lord's second coming, and the subsequent judgments.

On the Sundays of the Triodion, three very touching hymns are sung at Matins after the reading of the morning Gospel Lesson. The hymnologist addresses himself to the Lord Jesus, whom he calls the Life-Giver, beseeching Him, first of all, to open the doors of repentance to the poor sinner; and secondly, to accept him back, even though both his soul and body are polluted by sin. In spite of his unworthiness he dares to approach Christ, knowing that the Lord is compassionate and merciful: Open to me the doors of repentance, O Life-Giver; for early does my soul betake itself to the temple of Thy holiness, journeying in the temple of my body, wholly polluted. But since Thou art compassionate, purify me by the clemency of Thy mercies.

The second hymn is addressed to the Mother o£ Jesus, who is our Mother as well, the Most Holy Theotokos. Despite her exalted position, the Theotokos does not save. She intercedes, helps, and prepares the way for our salvation. She is not the Lord; she is but a "handmaid of the Lord." She is not the King, but the Throne of the King. She is not the sun, but the moon which reflects the glory of the sun. She is not the fountain, but the source of the fountain. She does not save, but extends a helping hand to those who are seeking salvation.

Prepare for me the way of salvation, O Theotokos; for I have profaned myself with coarse sins, and my whole life is consumed by procrastination. But by thine intercession, purify me from all uncleanness.

The third hymn is equally profound. The hymnologist reviews his past life, and in the light of the awesome day of judgment beholds all his sins. Seeking a plea for mercy, with trembling he remembers the compunction of Kind David, and from the depths of his soul he cries out to God, Kyrie eleison.

When I contemplate the multitude of my transgressions,

I tremble at the fearful day of judgment. But, trusting

the clemency of Thy mercy, I cry to Thee as did David:

have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy.

The purpose of my sermon today is to extend a warm invitation to repentance. I implore you to correct your lives, to amend your ways. This is the season for tears and forgiveness. If in the past we have habitually arrived late for church, let us now make a firm resolution that, at least during this period of the Triodion, we will be present at all of the morning services, in order that they might help us to achieve, with piety, loyalty and hope, our Lord's saving passion and resurrection.

Humility and not Tapinology.

"God, be merciful to me, a sinner" (Luke 18:10-14).

It is a threefold celebration that our Church marks today. First, the Presentation of Our Lord into the Temple, at which time the righteous Simeon accepted Him into his arms. Secondly, it is Sunday, the day of the Resurrection, the beginning of a new world, as the Fathers characterized it. And thirdly, for this particular year, it is the beginning of the Triodion, starting today and ending on Great Saturday night, when the triumph of the Resurrection will be heard — "Christ is Risen." All of the Apostolic writings and the Gospel readings for these Sundays are geared to prepare the Christian for the spiritual struggles of the fast. Four virtues, molded by the divine art, are pictured in these Gospel readings. The first is humility, the humility of the Publican. The second is repentance, the repentance of the Prodigal Son and the forgiveness of his merciful father. The third is mercy, as written in the parable of the Last Judgement: "I was hungry and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger and ye gave me lodging." And the fourth virtue is fasting, the real fast, as St. Basil writes, "the freedom from evils."

In order to stress the importance of humility, our Lord Jesus Christ told the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. Two different men went into the Temple to pray. The Pharisee, traditionally considered by others as a religious person, and the Publican, who because of the nature of his work, was looked down upon as a very sinful person. The former (the Pharisee) boasted and was elated with self-praise, lifting himself higher than the stars. He, of all people, forgot what the wise Solomon had warned: He ignored the admonition of the Prophet Daniel against proud people, and their destiny: "All the proud people will be humbled by the Lord." His attitude about himself was very selfish and egocentric, even while standing in the Temple of God. Instead of praying, he began to list all of his non-existent virtues. He stood and began his conversation with God. An equal to an equal, comparing human virtues with the virtue of God.

Unfortunately, society today has an over-abundance of this type of person, and the Church has more than Her share. Usually we can find them on the Church Board — standing in the back of the Church, talking incessantly, greedily counting the "day's take," and, of course, criticizing the priest's sermon. They are very easy to detect — they know all the parish gossip and are willing to share it "just with you." They "know" all about the Church — especially the priest's responsibilities — and naturally they are very much above the ordinary Church-goer. Always expect little participation from them, however, in Church worship. And never expect a contrite heart or pangs of conscience. For such individuals, the woeful cry that shakes the very foundation of the Church, the prayer of the Publican — "God, be merciful to me, a sinner" — has very little meaning. According to St. John Chrysostom, the proud man is capable of committing any evil. Why? Because pride sets man at a very great distance from God. It falsely uplifts his abilities, exaggerating their true value. A proud man ignores the opinions of his fellows. And most terrible of all, he equates the majesty and power of God according to his own false standards.

Socrates, the father of philosophy, calls the proud and those that boast about themselves, foolish and inflated skins: "skins (hides) are inflated by air, and the foolish man by pride." The philosopher and moralist Diogenes wrote: "that the man ensnared by the passion of pride becomes a slave of it; and as the shepherd leads his flock, in the same way the proud man is lead by his passion." This is exactly what befell the Pharisee in the holy Temple of God. He thanks God not for his health, or for his wealth, but for not being like the rest of the people: "exhortationers, unjust, adulterers." It is amazing that the Pharisee found the Temple of God the proper place to accuse others.

A wise, good and virtuous man never applauds himself, no matter how good he may be. Socrates was a philosopher and a wise man, but he both privately and publically called himself ignorant. He used to say: "The only thing that I know is that I know nothing." A saint, even upon reaching the height of virtue, in the end exclaims: "Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trust not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do." The good man knows and repeats but one thing: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner."

The opposite of pride is humility, i.e., not to exalt one's self above others. As St. Paul says: "not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think." Which is that humility that is accepted by God? It is not simply the tapinology — the study of humility — i.e., humility via lip-service. But it is an internal feeling and consciousness — what I know in comparison with and in relation to what I don't know. Who am I and what am I able to become? We are fed up with tapinology. Especially we, the clergy. We are aware of tapinology and all of its improvisations. For example, we often hear from bishops, priests and clergy in general, especially when about to assume their duties as such, that they are unworthy of any honors or serious responsibilities. However, when they are invested with honors, privileges, and responsibilities, it becomes an impossibility to offer them criticisms or suggestions of any kind. And if you do, your name could very well be eliminated from the Church's diptychs! This, of course, is not humility, but blatant tapinology.

Dear brethren, we do not pretend to offer any answers to the problems raised in today's parable, involving two men, both of them coming down to the city of Jerusalem as righteous. However, we do repeat and urgently stress that the words of our Lord be forever in our hearts and minds as the only norm in maintaining a Christ-like balance, in regards to humility and pride: "For everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Amen.

"It was meet that we should make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost and is found" (Luke 15:11-32)

One of the most beautiful of all the Gospel Lessons in our Church year is this Parable of the Prodigal Son. Only the Lord, who searches and knows the human soul, its every rising and falling, could have delivered such a parabolic masterpiece. No other parable adequately portrays the depth and the mysticism of the goodness of God towards His prodigal sons. The Fathers of the Church purposely appointed that this parable be read the second Sunday of the Lenten Triodion, in order that young people might hear it, and that pastors might explain its significance in their lives. Another scholar of Sacred Scripture and Theology writes that the fathers placed this Gospel Lesson where they did because this is the time of year that many youths left home to seek employment elsewhere, some emigrating to other countries. Let us hear again the words of this beautiful lesson:

We hear of a father with two sons, a wealthy man, a good steward and master of his household. He had great love for and interest in his children, and he tried to give them an appreciation for the finer things in life. But one day he is approached by the younger son, who demanded his freedom. The kind of freedom he wanted is the freedom that the world talks about today: the freedom in whose name crimes may be committed, revolutions conceived, riots incited; in short, license, for which so much blood is spilled today in our streets by those who want their privileges, with no regard for the rights of their neighbors. The younger son foresaw for himself a bright future. In modern terms, he wanted to turn on to narcotics, to engage in lotteries and sexual passions to appease his lust. Today's prodigal son is enticed by the world, with its hippies and yippies, its existentialists, nihilists, and revolutionary anarchists. He wants no part of self-discipline, a prodigal son. He wants his FREEDOM.

So our young man is enticed by the world and all its sinful allurements. He unashamedly stands before his father and demands his "rightful share" of his father's estate, as if his father were already dead. The only time many young men today realize that their fathers exist is when they are in need of money. And the father in our parable, like so many fathers today, could not say no to his son; he gave him all that he asked for. And even then he did not stop loving him. As soon as the young man got what he was after he skipped town — off to the bright lights — to the big city — to wine, women and song, with perhaps a few perversions thrown in for good measure.

Away from the watchful eye of his loving and concerned father, the son could indulge in any type of sin he chose — no matter how depraved. Freedom from father — freedom from moral law; the young man had the freedom he wanted so badly, but he soon found himself enslaved to a dreadful master — sin. Well does St. Paul warn us, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (I Corinthians 10:12)

In a short time, the young man's money was gone, and so were his friends. Meanwhile, the local harlots were quite a bit wealthier, and the young man began to learn about the wages of sin. He had thought himself a slave in his father's home. Was he free now? Was this freedom, starving to death in a cold gutter, laughed to scorn by those who now had his father's money? "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs 14:12)

The young man had discovered that our lives are like a train on a track. As long as the engineer obeys the laws of safety while operating the train, it will reach its destination safely. But the moment that engineer becomes careless, the train can easily be derailed and smashed to pieces before the engineer even realizes what's going on. The same happens when we disregard the immutable moral laws that God set in motion when He created the universe. Broken laws — when they are God's laws — carry their own automatic punishment. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23) But there's a bright side to that picture, because the second half of that same verse reads, "BUT (and someone has called that the most beautiful "but" in the Bible) the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Praise God!

No unrepentant prodigal ever comes into everlasting life, beloved; fortunately for him, our prodigal came to his senses. He grew tired of eating with the hogs he was tending. He decided to return to his father as a bondservant. Yet he was most pleasantly surprised; his father reinstated him as his son. And that is just what happens when we approach God through Jesus Christ. God adopts us as His own children. What a merciful Father! The prodigal in our parable decided it made more sense to return to his father than to continue in sin, which would eventually take his life. What about you? Aren't you tired of rebellion; aren't you sick of torturing yourself? Come to the Lord Jesus Christ. Give your life to Him, and find out what life is all about.

"When the Son of Man shall come" (Matthew 21:31-46)

Today's gospel reading, Dear Brethren, tells us about the Second Coming of Jesus. When Christ came the first time, He came as a very humble infant to the stable of Bethlehem. The second time He will come in His glory and in His dignity. The first time He came many people did not notice His arrival and instead of giving Him a throne to sit on they put Him on the cross. Next time He will come sitting on the throne of His glory to judge the living and the dead. Upon His first arrival angels escorted His entrance into the world. Upon His second coming angels will accompany Him again, "And all the angels with Him." St. Paul more vividly describes the picture of His second coming, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with the cry of command, with the angels' call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first" (I Thessalonians 4:16). Why will He be escorted by the angels? St. Chrysostom answers: "Because the angels brought to men the messages and commandments of God which concern their salvation." In other words, the angels will be present as witnesses to the great court. What will follow thereafter? The resurrection of the dead and the gathering of all peoples of the world, everyone since Adam and Eve. "Before Him will be gathered all the nations."

The resurrection of the dead is a universal hope of all people. Every liturgy we hear, "I wait for the resurrection of the dead" when confessing our faith. The Prophet Isaiah sees with his prophetical eyes the resurrection of the dead and with hopeful voice he cries out, "The dead shall rise and they that are in the tombs shall be raised" (Isaiah 26:19). St. Paul when he visited Athens preached the truth of the resurrection to the Epicurian philosophers who were mostly materialists and atheists, "because He had appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He had ordained; whereof He had given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). Socrates, the philosopher, during the last moments of his earthly life in prison, discussed with his disciples the soul and the life that will continue beyond the grave. The discourse with Phaido is a metaphysical aspect of the other life. St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept" (I Corinthians 15:20). The Prophet Ezekiel received an order from God to preach to the dry human bones, "Ye dry bones hear the word of the Lord." After the sermon the bones began to move and join each other. "So I prophesied as the Lord commandeth me: And it came to pass while I was prophesizing that, behold, there was a shaking and the bones approached each other one to his joint" (Please read the whole 37th chapter).

What will follow the resurrection? The separation of the sheep from the goats. Palestine's sheep were usually white, and the goats usually black. Christ spoke to the people in the language and mentality they were able to grasp easily. The sheep, in their goodness, lack of slyness, gentle disposition, and their unprotesting manner in giving their milk and wool characterize the first group. The goats, because of their undomesticated, ungentle and destructive ways characterize the second group. One of the Church Fathers said, "Goats do not walk straight paths but deviate and walk precipitous ways." The law and basis on which the separation will be based is love — not knowledge, education, science, wealth nor gains — but the love of man to his fellowmen. The first group, the sheep, will hear, "I was hungry and you gave me food," and the second group, the goats, will hear, "I was hungry and you gave me no food … gave me no drink … did not clothe me … did not visit me." Blessed are the first who were full of love, and cursed are the second who did not have any trace of love but lived only for themselves. The first inherit and the second are disinherited from the paternal property. Whatsoever the first and the second sowed, they will reap; the righteous will inherit as children of the heavenly Father, the natural inheritance.

Christ does not demand great and difficult things of us except love and understanding to the needs of others such as extending a piece of bread, a glass of water (considered very important in Palestine due to lack of water), clothing for the naked, visiting the sick and a good word to those jailed. Love as "giving" and as "offering" has no limits either to the higher or lower classes. The former gives of his excess wealth and the latter offers of his inadequate funds. Those who have nothing to give or offer can extend a glass of cold water and offer the sick companionship. Sometimes it happens that this kind of offering is the worthiest, because the offering is like the "two mites" of the widow. "Verily, verily I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast more in than all which have cast into the treasury" (Mark 12:42-43).

The first group protest saying, "Lord, when did we see Thee hungry and feed Thee, or thirsty and gave Thee drink?" The latter also protest saying, "Lord, when did we see Thee hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, imprisoned and did not minister to Thee?" Prophet Isaiah answers this question for us, "For my counsels are not as your counsels, nor are my ways your ways saith the Lord, but as the heaven is distant from the earth, so are my ways distant from your ways, and my thoughts from your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Dear Brethren, Christ in today's lesson solves the problem and gives us an answer that are His counsels and His ways, what we should show our neighbors and any man who is in need and needs our help. Our brother is also the brother of the Lord. How different would the present world be if we Christians observed and practiced things as described in today's gospel. Maybe the welfare and other institutions for the poor people would be unnecessary. They are in reality, an embarrassment to the Christian society. There would be no need for compulsory tax laws to support welfare projects if each Christian would be a treasury for his brother. Justification is needless. We all have some ways and means to help our brothers. If we do not have any material means, at least we have a glass of cold water to extend, a good word to the man who needs it, and be good company to the sick. The Lord does not demand anything which is beyond our powers and means.

Fasting.

Many of the laws and regulations of our Orthodox Church have been greatly misunderstood by our people. Even the educated and the spiritually developed among our membership prefer to ignore many of these laws, in order that they be not burdened with them. Generally speaking, the great masses of our people have little understanding of our Church regulations. Moreover, only a handful of those who actually observe these laws have any sort of understanding of them that goes beyond the letter of the law. One such law of the Church, a law that has been greatly misunderstood and misinterpreted is the law of fasting. To be more precise, most people acknowledge this law merely by abstaining from certain foods on certain days of the year.

The fast was proclaimed and spoken about by our Lord Jesus Christ, but what kind of fasting was He speaking of? He spoke concerning a genuine fast, a fast with a deep spiritual purpose — not the kind of fast with which most of us are probably familiar. He spoke of a fast that was not only abstinence from food, but (and more important) abstinence from sin as well. Fasting is made necessary by the spiritual condition of man. Thus, virtually every religion that has ever been practiced on the face of the earth has embraced some sort of fasting. But "Christian fasting," as it were, is markedly different from the fasting practiced by other faiths.

Fasting, in itself, is not a religious virtue (although it is certainly healthy); rather, it is the means whereby man can achieve virtue. Thus, in today's Gospel Lesson, Jesus insists that fasting be accompanied by two virtues: that of forgiveness, and that of almsgiving.

The Pharisees fasted very strictly and ostentatiously. Their eyes were gloomy, their attitude sorrowful. And, most terrible of all, they put ashes over their heads to show people that their fast was a strong and a difficult one. In the presence of other men they beat their breasts, loudly lamenting their sins. On the other hand, although they boasted of their strict fasting, they continued to oppress the poor — especially widows and orphans. "But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation" (Matt. 23:14). These hypocrites whom Christ was addressing attempted to prove their worthiness not to God, who knows every inner thought of man; rather, they concentrated on impressing their fellowmen with their arrogant and counterfeit righteousness.

Fasting — abstaining from all the forbidden foods — has little value if we persist in gossip, slander, and hating our brother, refusing to be reconciled with our fellow man. The purpose of fasting is, under these conditions, perverted and destroyed. Yet, very unfortunately, many who consider themselves exemplary Orthodox Christians practice just this type of fasting. Of course, even they are better than those who completely ignore the fasting rules, and continue at the same time in their life of sinful pleasures. St. John Chrysostom wrote these eloquent words on the subject of fasting:

The fact is of real value only when it stems from a pure heart; when one is ready to deny wealth, and stand above money; when one is ready to give alms to the poor; when one has love and affection, not only for one's own children, but also for the orphans and the poor. One manifests real fasting when he is ready to deprive himself of food, in order that the hungry and destitute might be fed. One really fasts when he maintains his equilibrium under all stress, never allowing himself to lose his temper and explode like a volcano, destroying everyone around him. A genuine fast involves the willingness to discard all vain ambition, which often results in destruction — not only for those who practice it, but for all who are close to them. One who is actually fasting never manifests covetousness.

The saint hastens to add that he is not condemning the practice of fasting: "God forbid; rather, I extol it!" Yet he insists that, unaccompanied by virtue, fasting is worthless. In the enumeration of virtues, fasting comes last; the first three are love, forbearance and charity. To really fast, we must abstain not only from food, but from sin. Otherwise we dishonor the holy period of Great Lent. What is the use of not eating meat, if we cannot abstain from criticizing our brother behind his back?

Tomorrow, my brethren, Pure Monday, the first day of the Fast, let us begin our spiritual preparations for the great and holy banquet — the passion and resurrection of Christ. During this period, we know that many will completely disregard all that they stand to gain by fervent and active participation in the Fast. For such people, the Church calendar of feasts and fasts is non-existent. I would hope and pray that you are not of such mind. As your spiritual father. I beg you: pray; fast; abstain from sin. Try sincerely during the Fast, and you will gain new strength for the rest of our life. May God bless you.

The following is one of the greatest sermons ever preached on the subject of fasting, from any Christian pulpit anywhere.

Let us not then despair of our safety, but let us pray; let us make invocation; let us supplicate; let us go on embassy to the King that is above with many tears! We have this fast, too, as an ally, and as an assistant in this good intercession. Therefore, as when the winter is over and the summer is appearing, the sailor draws his vessel to the deep; and the soldier burnishes his arms, and makes ready his steed for the battle; and the husbandman sharpens his sickle; and the traveller boldly undertakes a long journey, and the wrestler strips and bares himself for the contest. So too, when Lent makes its appearance, like a kind of spiritual summer, let us as soldiers burnish our weapons; and as husbandmen let us sharpen our sickles; and as sailors let us order our thoughts against the waves of extravagant desires; and as travellers let us set out on the journey towards heaven; and as wrestlers let us strip for the contest. For the believer is at once a husbandman, and a sailor, and a soldier, a wrestler, and a traveller. Hence St. Paul saith, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers. Put on therefore the whole armor of God." Hast thou observed the wrestler? Hast thou observed the soldier? If thou art a wrestler, it is necessary for thee to engage in the conflict naked. If a soldier, it behooves thee to stand in the battle line armed at all points. How then are both these things possible, to be naked, and yet not naked; to be clothed, and yet not clothed? How? I will tell thee. Divest thyself of worldly business, and thou hast become a wrestler. Put on the spiritual armor, and thou hast become a soldier. Strip thyself of worldly cares, for the season is one of wrestling. Clothe thyself with the spiritual armor, for we have a heavy warfare to wage with demons. Therefore also it is needful we should be naked, so as to offer nothing that the Devil may take hold of, while he is wrestling with us; and to be fully armed at all points, so as on no side to receive a deadly blow. Cultivate thy soul. Cut away the thorns. Sow the word of godliness. Propagate and nurse with much care the fair plants of divine wisdom, and thou hast become a husbandman. And Paul will say to thee, "The husbandman that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits." He, too, himself practiced this art. Therefore, writing to the Corinthians, he said, "I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase." Sharpen thy sickle, which thou hast blunted through gluttony — sharpen it by fasting. Lay hold of the pathway which leads towards heaven; rugged and narrow as it is, lay hold of it, and journey on. And how mayest thou be able to do these things? By subduing the body, and bringing it into subjection. For when the way grows narrow, the corpulence that comes of gluttony is a great hindrance. Keep down the waves of inordinate desires. Repel the tempest of evil thoughts. Preserve the bark; display much skill, and thou hast become a pilot. But we shall have the fast for a groundwork and instructor in all these things.

I speak not, indeed, of such a fast as most persons keep, but of real fasting; not merely an abstinence from meats; but from sins, too. For the nature of a fast is such, that it does not suffice to deliver those who practice it, unless it be done according to a suitable law. "For the wrestler," it is said, "is not crowned unless he strive lawfully." To the end then, that when we have gone through the labor of fasting, we forfeit not the crown of fasting, we should understand how, and after what manner, it is necessary to conduct this business; since that Pharisee also fasted, but afterwards went down empty, and destitute of the fruit of fasting. The Publican fasted not; and yet he was accepted in preference to him who had fasted, in order that thou mayest learn that fasting is unprofitable, except all other duties follow with it. The Ninevites fasted, and won favor of God. The Jews fasted, too, and profited nothing, nay, they departed with blame. Since then the danger in fasting is so great to those who do not know how they ought to fast, we should learn the laws of this exercise, in order that we may not "run uncertainly," nor "beat the air," nor while we are fighting contend with a shadow. Fasting is a medicine; but a medicine, though it be never so profitable, becomes frequently useless owing to the unskillfulness of him who employs it. For it is necessary to know, moreover, the time when it should be applied, and the requisite quantity of it; and the corresponding diet; as well as various other particulars; any of which, if one overlooks, he will mar all the rest that have been named.

I have said these things, not that we may disparage fasting, but that we may honor fasting; for the honor of it consists not in abstinence from food, but in withdrawing from sinful practices, since he who limits his fasting only to an abstinence from meats is one who especially disparages it. Does thou fast? Give me proof of it by thy works! Is it said by what kind of works? If thou seest a poor man, take pity on him! If thou seest an enemy, be reconciled to him! If thou seest a friend gaining honor, envy him not! If thou seest a handsome woman, pass her by! For let not the mouth only fast, but also the eye, and the ear, and the feet, and the hands, and all members of our bodies. Let the hands fast, by being pure from plunder and avarice. Let the feet fast, by ceasing from running to the unlawful spectacles. Let the eyes fast, being taught never to fix themselves rudely upon handsome countenances, or to busy themselves with strange beauties. For looking is the food of the eyes, but if this be such as is unlawful or forbidden, it mars the fast; and upsets the whole safety of the soul; but if it be lawful and safe, it adorns fasting. For it would be among things the most absurd to abstain from lawful food because of the fast, but with the eyes to touch even what is forbidden. Dost thou not eat flesh? Feed not upon lasciviousness by means of the eyes. Let the ear fast also. The fasting of the ear consists in refusing to receive evil speakings and calumnies. "Thou shall not receive a false report," it says.

Let the mouth too fast from disgraceful speeches and railing. For what doth it profit if we abstain from birds and fishes; and yet bite and devour our brethren? The evil speaker eateth the flesh of his brother, and biteth the body of his neighbor. Because of this Paul utters the fearful saying, "If ye bite and devour another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another." Thou hast not fixed thy teeth in the flesh, but thou hast fixed the slander in the soul, and inflicted the wound of evil suspicion; thou hast harmed, in a thousand ways, thyself and him, and many others, for in slandering a neighbor thou hast made him who listens to the slander worse; for should he be a wicked man, he becomes more careless when he finds a partner in his wickedness; and should he be a just man, he is lifted up to arrogance, and puffed up, being led on by the sin of others to imagine great things concerning himself. Besides, thou hast struck at the common welfare of the Church; for all those who hear not only accuse the supposed sinner, but the reproach is fastened on the Christian community; neither dost thou hear the unbelievers saying, "Such a person is a fornicator, or a libertine"; but instead of the individual who hath sinned, they accuse all Christians. In addition to this, thou hast caused the glory of God to be blasphemed; for as his name is glorified when we have good report, so when we sin, it is blasphemed and insulted.

In the meanwhile I desire to fix these precepts in your mind, to the end that you may accomplish me these during your fast: to speak ill of no one, and to hold no one for an enemy. As in a given field, the husbandman, digging it all up piecemeal, gradually comes to the end of his task; so we, too, if we make this rule for ourselves, in any wise to reduce to a correct practice these precepts during our present fast, and to commit them to the safe custody of good habit, we shall proceed with greater ease to the rest; and by this means arriving at the summit of spiritual wisdom, we shall both reap the fruit of a favorable hope in the present life; and in the life to come we shall stand before Christ with great confidence, and enjoy those unspeakable blessings; which, God grant, we may all be found worthy of, through the grace and loving kindness of Jesus Christ our Lord, with whom be glory to the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

"Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Come and See" (John 1:44-52).

Philip, full of joy, one day met his friend Nathanael and related to him the joyful message, saying, "Nathanael, we have now found Him, whom for years we have asked. We have found Him of whom Moses wrote about in his God-inspired book, that 'The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken … And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which He shall speak in my name, I will require it of him' (Deut. 18:14,19). Nathanael, we have found Him of whom the Prophet wrote, 'Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Emmanuel' (Isaiah 7:14). We have found Him 'which should have redeemed Israel' (Luke 24:21). We have found Him, Please come to see Him. He is from Nazareth, Jesus, the Son of Joseph."

Nathaneal remained insensitive and unmoved by Philip's message and moreover added the much-used objection, the objection many people to this day give, "can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip insisted, inviting him to come, and with his own eyes to verify the truth. "Come and see. Come, first speak with Him, and you will see that never has any man spoke as he does. Come and you will see the wonderful and extraordinary works of the divine power of this Jesus from Nazareth, the supposed son of Joseph, in that 'the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor fishermen have become preachers, and those who repent receive forgiveness' (Matt. 11:5), any many others that surpass the limits of the competence of human power and authority."

Come and see, and I am very sure that you will cry out with Peter, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel." Come and see, O Man of the twentieth century and inquire to learn about Jesus, with a spirit of humility, with a spirit of humiliation, with the inner desire that you indeed want to learn the truth, and not with the spirit that is selfish and prideful which betrays as one that only seems to know everything, but does not need His teaching. O Man, do not boast because you have accomplished going to the stars. He is above the stars and the whole universe. He is their creator and they are under His authority. "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who has set thy glory above the heavens. When I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou has ordained" (Psalm 8:1-3).

Come and see, and carefully study the historical events; the narration in the gospels, the sayings of the prophets, and the testimonies of the others, His supernatural conception, His birth, the opening of the heavens, the descent of the angels, the veneration of the Wise Men from the Orient, and the massacre of the infants. Come and see the superbness of His doctrinal teaching, the perfectness of His morality He relinquished to us for moralization of the human race, and as such surpasses all human teaching and morality. Come and see those great men; the philosophers, moralists, artists, doctors, mathematicians, architects, and generally speaking the specialists of the spirit and good works who spend all their life studying the divine and human things, they all remained speechless and amazed before the superbness of Christ's teaching and testified with the servants of the high priests and Pharisees. "Then came the servants to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said unto them, 'Why have ye not brought Him (Jesus)?' The servants answered, 'Never man spake like this man' " (John 7:45,46).

Come and see the Church of Christ, which is His presence on earth. How was she established? When was she established and what were the means she used in order to penetrate most of the uncivilized world. Knowing what she experienced during her development, the persecution, the fire and the iron, you will learn her power which is the power of Christ. Listen to what St. Chrysostom says about her. "How many have assailed the Church, and yet the assailants have perished while the Church herself has soared beyond the sky? Such might hath the Church; when she is assailed, she conquers; when snares are laid for her she prevails; when she is insulted, her prosperity increases; she is wounded yet sinks not under her wounds; tossed by waves yet not submerged; vexed by storms yet suffers no shipwreck; she wrestles and is not worsted; fights, but is not vanquished."

So, dear friends, come and see the extraordinary and supernatural events of Christianity, and I am sure that you will testify with Nathanael, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel." Come and see, and you will say with St. Paul, "For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9). Come and see all these with a humble heart, the mind desireful to learn the truth and you will by all means capitulate with John, the beloved disciple of Christ, and will preach, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-14).

Come and see the events which followed after Him, and in His name; the blood of the martyrs, the dedication of many people, the self-denial of the missioners, the influence of Christianity in the building of society, the destruction of slavery, and surely with St. Peter we will say, "Neither is there salvation in any other: For there is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Come and see, and study His Passion, its reason and purpose, and you will understand what the Prophet Isaiah said centuries before concerning Christ, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:4-7).

The modest man always wants to find out and to learn, and as much as he learns, he wants so much to learn more and more and more. He does not boast about his knowledge; rather he knows how to be humble and subordinate to the will of God. He knows it well and testifies to it with the wise Socrates that "one thing that I know well is that I know nothing." The puffed up and presumptuous man who thinks himself above the rest of men, interprets everything heavenly and earthly, divine and human, according to the imagination of his mortal mind and accepts very few, only as well as he can understand.

Dear brothers, in the latter part of the fourth century A.D. the Roman Emperor Julian tried to turn back the clock; he tried to destroy Christianity, to rebuild the ancient pagan temples, to revive the ancient worship, and bring back the ancient gods. For a time it appeared serious for the Christian Church; but on a campaign in Persia, Julian was fatally wounded in battle. The historian tells how, as he was dying, he took a handful of his own blood from his wound and flung it into the air saying, "Thou hast conquered, O Galilaean." A dramatist made him say, "To shoulder Christ from out of the topmost niche of fame was not for me." In the end Christ is victorious, those who seek to destroy Him end by destroying only themselves.

Come and see.

The first Sunday of Lent is dedicated to our Orthodox faith; to the victory of truth over error, of light over darkness. For more than 100 years Christianity had been turned upside down over the question of icons. Leo the Isaurian, a great and patriotic Byzantine Emperor, seeing the enthusiasm of the youth of his era for the monastic life, and witnessing great multitudes of his subjects devoting much of their time to celebrating the feasts of the saints and their icons, felt that he had been chosen by God to enact a great reformation. In the year 726 he issued his first edict, which ordered the elevation of the icons in all churches, so that they might no longer be venerated by the faithful. Three years later another edict followed, ordering the expulsion of the holy icons from all churches. Clergy and laity had been divided. Many of the clergy took the part of the Emperor.

Those whose responsibility it was to enforce the imperial decree were ignorant and rude. They provoked many atrocities. They burned invaluable manuscripts; they destroyed priceless works of art, of which any library or museum would be justifiably proud today. Much blood was shed. Those in favor of the icons suffered many afflictions. The entire nation was divided into two camps, each trying to destroy the other — iconodules versus iconoclasts.

Leo's son followed his father's tactics, as did his sons. Sometimes they even surpassed the crimes of Leo. They gouged out eyes, cut off noses, etc.

In the year 787 the throne was occupied by Irene the Athenian. Being a widow, she was acting regent for her young son. According to historians, she was very clever. She convened a great synod in Nicaea (the Seventh Ecumenical Council). The Council decided to restore the holy icons to the churches. After the decision of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, however, the divisions among the people continued, since some of the Emperors chose to ignore the decrees of the Council. Theodora, wife of Theophilus, convened a great council in 842 at Constantinople. Methodius, a respected and inspired man, was Patriarch. The council restored the decisions of the Seventh Ecumenical Council as obligatory. On the first Sunday of Lent, with pomp and ceremony, and with great reverence, the holy icons were restored to all the churches, as well as public places and private homes of the faithful. Thus that Sunday came to be known as the Sunday of Orthodoxy, and ever since then continues to be panegyrically celebrated. The unity of the nation was once again restored, and the Church regained her much-needed peace. In the end, as always, the Church conquered, and ορθη prevailed.

Therefore, it is most proper on this day to speak briefly concerning the Church. The first thought that comes to mind is, "What is the Church?" In the New Testament, and especially in the epistles of St. Paul, there are many definitions and descriptions for the Church, but the most frequently used expression is "the Body of Christ." Another New Testament expression for the Church is "the pillar and ground of the truth" (I Timothy 3:15). Androutsos, a noted Orthodox theologian, describes the Church as "that holy foundation made by the Incarnate Word of God for the salvation and sanctification of men, bearing His own authority and authenticity, made up of men having one common faith and sharing the same Sacraments, who are divided into laity and clergy … and the latter, who rule the Church, trace their beginning in unbroken succession to the Apostles and through them to the Lord." In this definition lies the whole meaning of the Church: (1) The Church is established by the Lord, and as such is divine. (2) The purpose of the Church is to save and sanctify all those who are led to confess their faith in Christ and participate in the divine grace given through the Church by means of the Sacraments. (3) The Church is composed of both clergy and laity.

Is this definition relevant to us today? Have these dogmas any practical meaning for the common man? We know that today a revolutionary current is blowing, and an impulse to change everything preoccupies modern man. Everything is examined in the same manner; all must conform to the same measure. For today's man, nothing is divine. If divine things do exist, he reasons, they should be modernized to conform to contemporary thought and mores. Many "good Christians" and other honest people view the Church as a completely human institution, one which is good and useful, especially insofar as it keeps the lower elements of society — the common people — in their place, mostly through her teachings of heaven and hell, rewards and punishments. Moreover, the Church is good because she performs useful social functions: caring for orphans, operating homes for the elderly, maintaining parochial schools, etc. Thus, it is wise to invite the Archbishop or priest to civic affairs, since this will almost certainly result in additional votes, more money, and additional popularity with religious people for those who organize such affairs. The Church is viewed as a kind of "service club" which contributes to the overall good of the community, and is therefore socially acceptable.

But, dear brethren, when Christ established His Church, He did not do so with commercial, political or social considerations in mind. The Church exists to fulfill a spiritual and religious function. Certainly there is a social character to the Church; this is undeniable, but it is not all-important. The primary purpose behind the Church's existence is the salvation and sanctification of men. The clergy are neither social workers nor political servants; rather, according to the inspired words of St. Paul, they are "servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." The clergy are ministers of the divine grace of God and of His Gospel. If a priest is excellent in fulfilling his social functions, due to his being gifted in diplomatic language or effective communication, but lags behind in his duty to be a good steward of the mysteries of God, then he is not a priest of Christ, but a mere charlatan.

The Church is not a human institution per se; although she embraces much that is human, she is fundamentally divine. She is vivified by the very Spirit of God, being made continuously alive to every truth. If the continued existence and progress of the Church were dependent upon man, she would long since have disappeared, since we can easily prove that her servants and ministers have often been most unworthy of their calling. Moreover, many enemies of truth have sought to destroy the Church. I think the words of St. Chrysostom are appropriate here: "How many have assailed the Church, and yet the assailants have perished while the Church herself has soared beyond the sky? Such might hath the Church: when she is assailed, she conquers; when snares are laid for her, she prevails; when she is insulted, her prosperity increases; she is wounded yet sinks not under her wounds; tossed by waves yet not submerged; vexed by storms yet suffers no shipwreck; she wrestles and is not worsted; fights but is not vanquished." The Fathers of the Church teach that wherever the Church exists, there also exists the Holy Spirit; wherever the Holy Spirit exists, there also exists the Church, and Divine Grace — "Ubi Ecclesia, ibitet Spiritus Dei; et ubi Spiritus Dei Hie Ecclesia et Dominis Gratia." Furthermore, the Fathers characterize the Church as the Ark of Salvation. Just as the ark saved Noah and those with him from the cataclysm of the flood, in the same way the Church saves those who take refuge under her wing. The question remains — from where does man expect his salvation; from heaven or from earth; in whom or in what does he place his faith; in God through Christ, or in the world? Is man's first love his soul or his body?

It is certainly true that people today are earthly-minded; friends of the flesh and of the world, rather than friends of God. They want nothing beyond their T.V. and recreation. Because we live in the age of automation, we expect the learning of metaphysical truth to be as easy as turning a knob or pressing a button. Yet, in order to comprehend Divine Truth, we have to work; we have to contemplate.

In the Holy Scriptures, the Church is also characterized as the "light of the world," and the "salt of the earth." She is the light of the world, leading men to their spiritual destiny — the Lord Jesus Christ. She also preserves the people from moral decay, just as salt was used in the time of Christ to preserve food. The Church restrains the people who work in factories, among machines, in order that they may not lose their personalities and become machines themselves. She tries to keep those who work in the darkness of the earth, in mines, lest they lose the light of Christ. Thus the Church is indestructible. Jesus Christ said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Fear him rather who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28, New English Bible).

Dear brethren, I think it is most fitting to conclude my sermon with the words of St. Paul: "Be on your guard; do not let your minds be captured by hollow and delusive speculations, based on traditions of man-made teaching and centered on the elemental spirits of the universe and not on Christ." Remain in the Church, not as mere "attenders," nor yet as puerile instruments, but as active members, full of life and action. Participate always in the sacramental life of the Church, in the Mystical Body of Christ. Outside of the sanctified environment of the Church, there is no salvation. In the words of St. Cyprian, "Extra Ecclesiam nula salus." St. Photius said, "Whoever leaves the Church delivers himself up to Satan." And St. Chrysostom, grasping the circumstance of Eutropius, who of his own will abandoned the sanctuary of the Church and was captured and executed by the army: "Abide with the Church, and the Church will not hand you over to the enemy: but if you flee from the Church, the Church is not the cause of your capture. If you are inside the fold, the wolf cannot get you; but if you leave, you are liable to find yourself the prey of the beast."

The Starry Heaven and the Moral Law.

Last week in one of my classes in a theological seminary I taught about the creation of the world. I taught, of course, what the Scriptures say; what the Church says; the tradition of the Fathers, and the position of our Church today. I did not ignore the opinions of men who are specialists in this very heated subject, many of whom do not want to connect scientific results with scriptural sayings.

I entrusted one of the better students to make a brief research about what the geologists and the astronomers say regarding the creation and how the world was derived, and to bring the report to class.

The student zealously and devotedly worked, then brought the report to class and read it. The general conclusion was that none of the geologists and the astronomers agreed concerning the origin and age of this world, because all began from the theoretical hypothetical presuppositions of the most lean kind. Great and famous geologists say that the earth is millions and billions of years old. Kalvin says that the age of the earth is twenty-five million years; Osmpron, one hundred million; Huxley, four hundred million, and another estimate one billion six hundred million years.

They also disagree about the earth's origin. There are as many theories and opinions as there are scientists. The materialists and rationalists say that the world is made of matter that pre-existed. Others say that the earth was created by chance. Neither theory satisfies us.

A wrist watch presupposes a watch-maker. Somewhere there must be a watch-maker. Can we say that by chance all those wheels, levers, jewels, and springs formed themselves? Did they by chance set themselves going? Was it by chance that a wrist watch became an instrument that counts and tells the hours, minutes and seconds? I do not think so, and no logical man does either. The shoe presupposes a shoemaker; the automobile presupposes a factory, and previous to that a man's brain which conceived the shape, design and produced the car; and the airplane which flies above the clouds and is invisible to the human eye presupposes pilots and mechanics.

Many of the geologists, astronomers and philosophers who are geniuses express their opinions, but they do not stop to say and confess that beyond the creation and behind the perfect natural law is the creative and providential hand of God. The great philosopher Kant used to say that two things convinced him of God — "the starry heavens above me, and the moral law within me." Xenophon, in the memorabilia, tells how Socrates argued about the divine pronoia, providence and forethought from the structure of the human body. "Are there not other contrivances which look like the results of forethought? Thus, the eyeballs, being weak, are set behind the eyelids, that open like doors when we want to see, and close when we sleep. On the lids grow lashes through which the very winds filter harmlessly; above the eye is a cropping of brows that let no drops of sweat from the head hurt them …" And Cicero used to say that "the musical harmony of the world would be impossible without a mind behind it." And also says, "the belief in God is only strengthened by the passage of years, and grows more deeply rooted with each successive generation of mankind. Men of all nations have engraved in their minds an innate belief that gods exist."

But why am I relating all these opinions of the philosophers? We have the word of God which speaks; the revelation unhesitatingly and unequivocally lays down its belief in God the Creator. The very first words of the Bible are: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). The Prophet Isaiah describes the Lord as the one "who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it ... and hears God say, 'I made the earth, and created man upon it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens and I commanded all their host' " (Isaiah 42:5, 45:12).

In the New Testament there is a strong line of thought which connects not only the Father but the Son also with the creation. Speaking about the Eternal Word, who as Jesus became flesh, John in the fourth gospel writes, "All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made" (John 1:3). St. Paul, in order to overthrow the teachings of the Gnostic heresies who did not accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God, wrote to the Colossians saying that "in Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities — all things were created through Him and for Him." Finally Paul, in order to point out the unity and the connection of the Old Testament with the New Testament, borrows a passage from the Psalmist in writing to his compatriots that the belief of the New Testament concerning the creation of the world is the same as in the Old Testament, "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the works of thine hands. They shall perish, but Thou remainest: and they all shall wax old as doth a garment" (Heb. 1:10-11).

The Scriptures do not mention the method God used in creating the world; it only states, "And God said … and it was so." Androutsos, a great theologian and philosopher, says that "the Holy Scriptures is not a book on natural science, but presents its content in a form and language agreeable to the ideas and comprehension of those for whom it was written. It has in view the purpose of ascribing the genesis (beginning) of the world to God."

As a conclusion of this sermon, I want to mention the opinion of Dr. Wernher von Braun, a key man behind America's moon trip. "Through a closer look at creation, we ought to gain a better knowledge of the Creator, and a greater sense of man's responsibility to God will come into focus. We must learn to consider God as Creator of the universe and master of everything." He says he now finds it as difficult to understand a scientist who does not acknowledge the presence of a superior rationality behind the existence of the universe as it is to comprehend a theologian who would deny the advances of science.

We are small and unwise. We do not have anything more to add except to confess with King David the Psalmist, "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth: who hast set thy glory above the heavens. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon, and the stars, which thou has ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands: thou hast put all things under his feet: O Lord, Our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth."

The Cross of Christ and the Crosses of the World.

Dear brethren, today is already the Third Sunday in the Holy Lent, the Sunday of the Veneration of the holy life-giving Cross. The priest decorates the Holy Cross with spring flowers and places it out for veneration by the faithful. Respect and reverence for the Cross is as old as Christianity itself. St. Chrysostom writes: "In the middle of the Holy Fast, the Church takes the holy and life-giving Cross and presents it to the people for veneration. Today is the day of veneration of the Holy Cross." Another Father, Cyril of Jerusalem, writes: "While the Fast weakens the body and makes it useless for sin, the pure and spiritual veneration of the Holy Cross lifts up our minds to the Kingdom which is above us." The veneration of the Cross always reminds us of our Lord, and of the hope of the resurrection. The Cross, concerning which our Lord spoke to His disciples so descriptively just prior to His Passion, is for us the symbol of Christian duty. It shows us how to act. Our duty is a cross, and each cross of the Lord is an additional duty for us. Our duty is to follow the exact teaching of our Lord. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." People in our day are not at all willing to bear burdens and crosses. Yet they are more than willing when it comes to rights and demands. In the United Nations, for example, with high-sounding expressions and empty words, men speak about the rights of the people — men who never respected any human right.

But Christianity involves duty. Christ said: "Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." To one who was considering becoming one of the Lord's followers, Christ said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head."

While we can and should sacrifice our rights and privileges, we must never shirk our duties. How often is the opposite the case. Men so easily forget their duties, while remaining so adamantly imperative and demanding concerning their rights. A good example of the case in point is our own children. They inform us, "You must send me to college, I must go away for a vacation, I need a car, I must have money." But let a parent ask something of his child, and the response is almost sure to be, "This is my life; it is none of your business." The word "responsibility" does not exist in the vocabulary of the child. But life is a duty, a cross, the Cross of the Lord. He set us an example to follow. "The Lord ascended His Cross first," writes St. Chrysostom, "leaving us an example, a pattern for all who would follow." And here is the curious thing about man. While he thinks that the Cross of Christ is so heavy, the road so steep, that he invents many excuses as to why he cannot accept the Cross of Christ, and finally rejects it; yet the same man is so eager to accept such secular crosses as smoking, drunkenness, games of chance, and immorality, which totally and catastrophically destroy him.

Christ assures us that His Cross is light, that it elevates all who lift it, all who will accept it. Christ calls all who are weary of their secular crosses to take up His light yoke: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Men do not heed the Lord; they listen to the words of the world, which lead them to believe that our Lord's Cross is so heavy that it is unbearable, that the Lord's commands are too strict, that man loses his freedom in service to Christ. He can no longer enjoy himself. Thus, many deceived people reject the Cross of the Saviour and bear burdens that are heavy indeed.

We do not say that it is easy to be a Christian; the way of the Cross has its difficulties. Yet the way of the Cross leads to the Resurrection, while the way of the world leads to destruction. At first secular crosses offer pleasure, but in the dregs of enjoyment is hidden poison, deceit and pain. Also, we must remember that we are not called upon to travel the way of the Cross alone; our Lord Himself is with us every step of the way. Just as Simon of Gyrene helped Jesus with His Cross, even so does the Lord promise His help to us. Just as Simon helped the Lord, so the Lord helps all who sincerely wish to carry His Cross. Those who bear secular crosses, however, are without help, without grace; they are alone, deserted, with the heavens as brass and the earth as iron.

Dear brethren, the Cross is such an immeasurably precious message, my pen and my language are much too poor to give it. I can only assure you, if you bear the Lord's cross you have nothing to fear; He himself will walk beside you every step of the way. Saint Anthony was suffering much from temptation; when it finally passed, he prayed, "Lord, where were You in my hour of temptation?" And the Lord answered, "Anthony, I was closer to you at that time than ever before." We read in the Acts of the Apostles that when persecution broke out in Jerusalem, and the Christians were scattered all over the Mediterranean world, "the hand of the Lord was with them." Saint Peter adds, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you."

Dear brothers and sisters, if you are struggling to bear some sort of worldly cross, throw it from you quickly; sooner or later it is bound to lead you to catastrophe. Do not be deceived — your end is certain destruction. Venerate with humility and piety the honorable wood of the Cross, asking its protection in all circumstances. He who ascended that Cross will give you the perseverance to bear His cross with joy, and will free you from the cross under which you have been laboring. Learn with St. Chrysostom the meaning of the Holy Cross. He writes, "Through the Cross, redemption and regeneration for all things." We adore Thy Cross O Christ, and Thy Holy Resurrection we praise and glorify. Amen.

What Does the Church Have to Say?

"Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit" (Mark 9:17-31).

Dear brethren, today's gospel reading tells us that a father brought his child to Christ to be cured of his sickness saying, "Master, I have brought you my child. He suffers and is in pain. You are my last hope. Please make him well." Christ inquired how long the child had suffered. The father answered, "paedeothen" — that is, from childhood.

Today's sermon is about our children. The sermon is timely. It is very necessary because our children are, these days, near destruction. They face dangers from all directions. It is not my intention to repeat the events and situations we all know and speak about. After all, as a popular proverb says, "a village in view needs towards it no guide." Everyone now relives the tragedies through the newspapers, periodicals, radio, television, and by other news media.

What does the Church say concerning children? Or rather, does the Church have the right to speak about children? We have received many letters from parents who read this column begging us to write something about children. The time has come to write, not to the children, but to the parents. Regarding the second question, we insist that the Church has all the right to speak about children.

What is the Church? It is the Great Mother of Christians which gives rebirth, feeds, and instructs (or paedagoges) the believer for and to salvation. Basil the Great calls the Church "Mother of all and the nurse." How come? The womb of the Church is the holy font where we regenerate ourselves and through it come into the world of true life. The Church is the nurse — trophos — which feeds us with Holy Communion. The Body and Blood of the Lord is the heavenly manna, the divine food that remains eternal. The divine word — the kerygma — is the "living water" which comes from the Holy Spirit, irrigating and watering the souls of men. It is the affectionate mother, the mother who covers, who loves, who warms, who becomes the consolation and balm for the sick, the naked and those who go astray.

But before the child goes to Church, he first goes home, to his parents. Children are not born like animals. We have two proofs of that. The first is from Scriptures; the difference in the creation of the animals and of man. The animals and the rest of the creatures were created through the order of God. As for man, God being especially concerned paid extraordinary attention in his creation. He first created the body and afterwards blew into him the breath of life. "And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness … and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Gen. 1:26-27). The second proof is from the natural birth. When an animal is born, it is armed or equipped with all the means to face life and natural enemies. Man is born naked and unable to face life alone, thereby in need of protection. Most of the animals live to the age of a young man, that is about twenty years, then they die leaving no trace. Man is born and he looks toward heaven. His life does not end at the gravestone, but continues in the bosom of eternal life. "God created man for incorruption," the Scriptures say. Animals have no meaning of the future and for this reason do not understand death and its meaning. They live for the moment and care for the moment. Man thinks. He remembers the past and from its experience builds the future. Until the infant can think, that is reaches maturity, he needs direct help and assistance. First of all, he needs his mother's help, then afterwards his father's. There is no better picture in life and no more beautiful one than the picture of a mother who embraces her child in her arms and transplants, by her maternal milk, life and immortality to her child. The mother supplies him with food and the father begins to breed, groom and educate him. The Greek word for food is "trophi, and education is "anatrophi." The food — trophi — is concerned with development and bodily health of the child. The breeding — anatrophi — concerning the formation of the soul and the education of character is equally important. If the child lacks in health of his soul and in the formation of his character, having only strong muscles, he becomes the means and tool of destruction. The child becomes a wild beast, who lives not in the forest, but in the city. We have many such young people today, who burn banks, homes, overturn cars, kill and do other evil things. They are healthy in body, but sick in character.

The parents direct their interests only as to how their children will be strong bodily. Therefore, the parents are the initiative sources of the child's progress. This, Gregory of Nyssa, from his personal family experience, had in mind when he said, "From the family's fireplace men take the fire of holiness, and the home is the factory (or the shop) of virtue." St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "You are God's building" (I Cor. 3:9). If all the Christians are the edifice of God, young age is the foundation of the whole building. No architect, engineer or logical man builds a building on a decayed foundation, because with the first rattling, the edifice or building falls; "and great was the fall of it" (Matt. 7:24-27). The foundation of the building is Christ. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Faith to God is first. We must teach our children, not how to become materially rich, but how to become good men — not "efporoi" (rich), but "eftropoi," with good manners. The example of parents is the greatest teacher. The small children not only accept and learn what they hear, but what they see is imprinted in their minds also and they imitate likewise.

After his family life, especially here in America, a child enters church life. We cannot say anything about school life, because even that typical and dry prayer was thrown out from public schools. According to the expression of a moralist, the school has become a focal point of revolution and of anarchy. The student has ceased to be a person, but rather a number. There is no personal interest for the student. Children of the first and second grade smoke without any shame in front of their teachers, that is, teachers who are unbalanced and without moral foundations. For this reason the Church's responsibility is doubled. The priest is a priest, but he is also the teacher of religion. What did the father in today's gospel do? He took his sick child and brought him to Jesus Christ. The parents of today's society should do the same, leading their children to the Church. The Church is a private clinic and a sanitorium without salary. It happens that when a child goes to church a conversion and some kind of an alteration takes place by the right hand of the Highest. A child goes into the Church and leaves as another. The Church is the treasury of divine grace that she grants to her children through her sacraments. The parents who bring their children to the "courts of the Lord" are blessed, while the parents who do not are unfortunate, and their children still more unfortunate. Instead of leading their children to church every Sunday, the parents lead them to other places. Such parents will mourn tomorrow because of their negligence to their children, and their mourning will be too late.

We have to understand once and for all that children without Christ are available or susceptible to any kind of crime. Therefore, it still remains for you to bring your children to the Church, exactly as the father in the gospel brought his child to Jesus Christ. Amen.

Servants First!

"Whoever wants to be first must be the willing slave of all" (Mark 10:32-45).

Dearly beloved in Christ, we have now reached the 5th Sunday of Lent, as we continue to approach the life-giving passion and resurrection of the Lord. The time grows short. The eyes of the enemy of our souls are ceaselessly upon us. It is time to remind ourselves of the words of our Lord to His disciples, "Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may be spared the test" (Luke 22:46). Speaking of the demons who torment our souls, our Lord said, "This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting" (Mark 9:29).

The Lord, taking leave of Galilee and Samaria, crosses the Jordan river, passes by Jericho, and climbs the uphill road that leads from Jericho to Jerusalem, that great city which throughout history killed the prophets of God, and stoned those sent by God to help her. As Jesus walks along, the roads are overflowing with Jews, coming to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. The pilgrims sing the beautiful words of the Psalter: "My heart was glad when they said unto me, let us go up to the house of the Lord." In place of these joyous songs, however, Christ has only this dirge: "Behold, we go to Jerusalem; and the Son of God will be delivered into the hands of men." The disciples cannot comprehend the meaning of these words. They dream. They wonder whether Christ's prophecy of His own passion will actually be fulfilled. One looks at another. No one knows the answer. They had all been looking forward to royal positions, to an earthly kingdom, to secular thrones on which they were to sit judging the twelve tribes of Israel. What a disappointment! St. Chrysostom comments, "The cross still loomed ahead in the future; neither had the grace of the Holy Spirit been granted them. After the crucifixion, after Pentecost, after the advent of the Holy Spirit, they would understand fully the significance of their positions."

But Christ continues His prophecy. He does not stop with the cross. His is a message of hope. For the first time in man's long history, the glimmer of hope appears on the horizon. "Courage!" He proclaims. "On the third day I will rise from the dead!"

In the midst of this prophecy, Jesus is approached by the two sons of Zebedee, James and John, who have a rather unique request to make of the Master. Matthew informs us that their mother aided them in this venture: "Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Him with her sons, bowing down, and making a request of Him" (Matt. 20:20). They ask for two thrones of secular authority, one on the right hand and one on the left hand of Jesus. They did not understand the prophecy of Christ: where, in a few days, two bloody crosses would stand, one on either side of the redemptive cross of our Lord, The two brothers instead pictured two princely thrones. Jesus replies, "You don't know what you are asking." How well these words of Christ apply also to us today, for today's people do not know what they are asking of Christ; neither do they know what He is asking of them. How many times do we ask of Christ those things which are the world's to give us: human glory, wealth, sensual pleasures, power and dominion over others. These things we ask of Christ, and from the world we ask those things which only Christ, through His Church, can give us: genuine life, truth, salvation, grace, redemption, sanctification. In this way, a respected and noted author wisely writes concerning the confusion of our age: Christians use the language of the atheists, and atheists use the vocabulary of Christians.

To speak more concretely, the people in our parishes, in our communities, often expect the wrong things from the Church. The laymen want to exercise the position of the clergy, while the clergy are overly interested in the affairs of the laity. How fitting these words of Christ are for us: "You don't know what you are asking." We wish to get ahead by exerting mastery over others, by grasping the lead with our own powers, whether or not they happen to coincide with the Christian ethic.

How different is Christ's concept of being first. He who would be first must be the voluntary servant of all, expecting nothing in return. Let him who thinks himself superior take the basin and towel of Christ, and let him wash the feet of his brothers. True Christian dignity and glory are based not on the occupation of the highest places at banquets, nor yet on pride or arrogance, but upon the humble, loving service a Christian renders to others. Christ is completely indifferent to the number of high-society friends you have. He cares not to whose exclusive party you were invited. Rather, you are numbered among the first when you visit those who lie alone in hospitals, when you wash their wounds, when you feed the poor, when you lead the blind, when you wash the feet of your brother, placing yourself beneath him. "Not in the brightness of the crown," writes St. Photius, "but in the heroism of the basin in which our Lord washed the disciples' feet, is judged the value and genuineness of a true leader."

Empty barrels make the most noise; those full of oil are quiet, yet firm. Before the harvest, the standing grain in a wheat field stands straight and tall; but when its ears are heavily-laden with golden grain, it is stooped over like an old woman.

St. Paul exhorts us, in I Corinthians 12:31, to earnestly desire the best gifts, the most worthwhile talents and qualifications — not those that bring glory from the lips of men, but those that enable us to serve God and aid man. These gifts we must seek the only moral way — through prayer and inner struggle. If you would be first in our Lord's estimation, you must imitate, not the rulers of this world, but the humble spirit of the Master Himself, who told us, "I am not come to be ministered unto, but to serve."

He Who Is Coming.

"Blessed is the king of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord" (John 12:13).

On Palm Sunday, dearly beloved, our Holy Church commemorates the royal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. This entrance, according to Scripture, took place exactly six days prior to the Jewish Passover: "Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany …" (John 12:1). The triumphal entry of our Lord into Jerusalem was prophesied 745 years in advance by the prophet Zechariah: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass" (Zech. 9:9). There is not one prophet in the entire Old Testament who does not mention, who does not prophesy, at least one event in the life and/or ministry of our Lord.

Christ comes willingly to Jerusalem, his reason being that stated in His High Priestly Prayer: "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee …" (John 17:1). At other times during His public ministry when Jesus had faced death, He had fled. But now He comes to confront His enemies face to face. This should serve as an example for us: let us not cower in fear before the enemies of the Gospel, but stand up to them boldly.

Before the triumphal procession moved towards Jerusalem, Jesus stopped at the home of His friend Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. There were two persons at the supper that distinguished themselves by their behavior: Mary, the sister of Lazarus, and Judas, the disciple of Jesus, whose surname was Iscariot. Mary, sensing somehow that the earthly ministry of Jesus was drawing to a close, takes a pound of pure and expensive alabaster and anoints the feet of Christ, wiping them with her hair. The house was soon permeated by the sweet fragrance of the alabaster. Judas, however, always acutely conscious of the monetary value of everything, censured the pious act of Mary, charging her with the wanton waste of that which "might have been sold for much, and given to the poor" (Matthew 26:9). We then see Jesus in His role as Defender of the poor and the oppressed. Chrysostom remarks that the piety of Judas here is certainly hypocritical, as is his condemnation of Mary. St. Paul tells us that Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. (II Corinthians 11:14). Judas is unsuccessful at hiding his real motive; he would have liked to have stolen the ointment, and sold it for his own personal profit. Many of us today are guilty of this sin of Judas, particularly those that would rob the church of its liturgical appointments, condemning them as luxuries. Not that they would steal from the church; but whenever a new chalice is needed for Holy Communion they will object that the money is being squandered foolishly, and the same with vestments, icons, and even with Bibles for the Sunday School. Any money spent for religious purposes, and especially for bringing others to the saving faith of Christ, is, according to these people, not necessary. It would be superfluous to comment upon the spiritual condition of these avaricious souls.

During the supper, a crowd of people from Jerusalem was congregating outside the house. They wanted to meet our Lord; they also wished to see Lazarus, whom they heard (and correctly) Jesus had raised from the dead. These people were simple and frank in their words and behavior. They were also very easily swayed. For these same people, who greeted our Lord with palm branches, and shouts of "Hosanna to the Son of David," would in a few days' time be screaming for Jesus' blood, and demanding the release of Barabbas in place of Christ. The audacity; The utter depravity! Exchanging a thief for the incarnate Son of God, who had healed their sick and raised their dead. Yet history is full of such examples. The good are condemned; the obscene are glorified. Jesus meekly entered Jerusalem, allowing the crowd to have its way in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Chrysostom contrasts the entry of Christ with that of a conquering military hero, pointing out the supreme humility, the great meekness, of the Son of God. The disciples themselves did not understand these events until they had been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, on the day of Pentecost.

Beloved, how will you receive Christ today? To ignore Him is tantamount to rejecting Him. He does not ask you to hail Him with palm branches; He asks only a contrite heart. He seeks entrance today, not into Jerusalem, but into your soul. Accept Him as your Savior; did He not bear your sins on the cross? Accept Him as the Victor over death, and reign with Him in everlasting life. "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Amen!

Christ Is Risen!

With hearts and faces of radiant joy, dear brethren, we celebrate again this year the Divine Resurrection — the miracle of miracles of our faith, and the greatest event in all of history. The resurrection is simultaneously an historical event and an extraordinary miracle. As an event, it occurred in history, certified by men in the same way as other historical events. As a miracle, it remains beyond time and space, as well as the comprehension of man. It is explicitly a miracle, and naturally inexplicable. For this reason, the Church does not seek to explain the Lord's resurrection; she merely proclaims it in faith. Such metaphysical acts of God cannot be scientifically researched by the believer. Rather, they must be venerated in faith.

The Apostles, as eyewitnesses of the resurrection, presented themselves to the world, not as interpreters of how Christ rose from the dead, but as preachers of the fact that He did rise! With this faith they ended their lives, more often than not with martyrdom, "for we cannot keep from telling what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20).

The resurrection can be demonstrated to be an historical fact; but, as an incomprehensible miracle, it cannot be explained. As an event of history, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basis and foundation of all of the Church's preaching over the centuries. The Church herself is a living testimony to the authenticity of Christ's resurrection. How else could the Church have come into existence? "It is what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes, what we have beheld, what our own hands have touched, about the very message of life — and that life has been unveiled to us, and we have seen it and now testify to it, and we now announce it to you, yea, the eternal life that was with the Father and has been unveiled to us. I repeat, it is what we have seen and heard that we now announce to you, so that you too may share this fellowship with us, for this fellowship that we have is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ" (I John 1: 1-3) And St. Paul penetrates even deeper into the mystery when he writes: "And if Christ didn't rise, our preaching means nothing, and your faith means nothing" (I Corinthians 15:14) Thus we see that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is inseparably linked with the Christian message and its proclamation. Our preaching and faith would be empty indeed, were it not for the life-giving resurrection of our Savior. The preaching of the Apostles was not founded upon clever myths, nor yet upon philosophical ideologies, but upon unquestionable historical fact. "We didn't follow any clever myths when we told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and His coming. No, with our own eyes we saw His majesty" (II Peter 1:16)

The resurrection of Christ, as something that occurred within the limits of time and space, is not only witnessed by the existence of the Church, but by the tremendous influence that the Church has exerted upon the secular world for nearly two thousand years. If the resurrection of Christ can be denied, then so can every other indisputable historical event. This same Jesus "showed Himself alive ... by many infallible proofs" (Act 1:3); for forty days and nights speaking to His Apostles, appearing to them, allowing them to touch Him, eating with them, walking with them, and teaching them. They felt His presence so vibrantly that their hearts were aflame. Who ever saw or heard of a dead man exerting such influence on the living; arming them with such power and wisdom; emboldening and enlightening such simple, uneducated men. St. Chrysostom writes, "A great proof of the resurrection of Christ is the great power He manifested after His death. His resurrection convinced the living to abandon their country, their home, their friends, their relatives, their wives, children and parents, and to take little thought of the danger to their own lives. All these are the achievements, not of a dead man who remained in his grave, but of a resurrected God."

The resurrection of Christ as a miracle, is not only an historical event, but something which we live every day. Not only in apostolic times, but even in our modern epoch, numberless are the people who preferred to die rather than deny their Lord's resurrection. The Gospel proclamation that the Lord is risen is a witness to the historic faith of the Apostles, the martyrs, the righteous; it justifies all of their struggles, even the blood which they shed for the mysteries of the faith. The Apostles knew that their Lord was risen. Out of this faith and conviction was born the Hristos Anesti which the Church so gloriously proclaims for 40 days; and the witness of nearly 2,000 years answers joyously, Alethos Anesti — Indeed, He is risen!

The Objections.

"And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God" (John 20:17-31).

We call today the Sunday of Antepascha, dear brethren, because it is today that the feast of Easter draws to a close, although we continue to sing joyous paschal music until the feast of our Lord's Ascension. We call the week following Easter "Bright Week," from the Latin "Dominica in Albis," for in ancient years the newly baptized wore white robes from the day of their baptism, Great and Holy Saturday, until the Sunday of Antepascha.

This day is also known to us as St. Thomas Sunday, because eight days after Christ's first appearance to His disciples, at which time Thomas was not present and refused to believe, Christ appeared to all of the disciples, and bade Thomas "reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing" (John 20:27).

Christ had nothing to fear from scientific research then, and He has nothing to fear today. Rather, He helps all those who with good intentions and feelings seek to know and learn about Him, and to meet Him. Christ does not attempt to force us to believe in Him. He forces no one, but invites all to follow Him, and as many as follow Him freely, He freely accepts. Jesus respects the freedom of will with which man was created. Many will reject Him, initiating horrible persecutions of all who unconditionally accept Him. Atheists and unbelievers will continue to plan lessons and special courses to contradict His teachings. Scientists will run the words of Jesus through their man-made computers in vain attempts to prove that those words are not authentic. Meetings and conventions will continue to be organized to oppose Christ. The very passions of sinful men will oppose Him. Yet, over and above the voices of the persecutors, the atheists, and the unbelievers, we can still hear the voice of Thomas crying, "My Lord and my God."

Thomas' first attitude of "unless I see I will not believe" is illogical. We don't apply it to everything else; why apply it to religion? How could schools function on this attitude? How could teachers prove to students that Socrates, Plato, Napoleon, Lincoln and even Eisenhower actually lived? How could teachers prove that the conquests of Alexander the Great and the battle of Waterloo took place? And how could a court convict a single criminal, if the entire jury had to see the crime take place in order to give a verdict of "guilty"? How illogical is all this!

We live and are moved by the confidence that others have in us, and that we have in them. Ten of the best friends of Thomas, whom he had known for at least three years, assured him that they had seen the Lord. Their stories all agreed. They were sane men. Yet Thomas refused to believe without seeing. Many people today repeat the words of Thomas, especially those who would destroy the major doctrines of the Christian faith.

If people are going to take this attitude of "I won't believe it unless I see it," one would think that they would at least bother to investigate carefully. Some time back a young man said to me with great arrogance, "Father, I believe that Socrates was greater than Christ." I told him, "If you can back up what you say by concrete proof, I'll believe that too." He began to comment upon the "writings" of Socrates, noting that Christ wrote nothing. How confused he was when I explained to him that Socrates himself wrote nothing, and that all we know of him is what we can glean from the writings of such men as Plato, Xenophon and Plutarch. He refused to believe me until I showed it to him in black and white in an encyclopedia. If careful research and preparation have no part in your studies, you will become like an empty barrel, having no content except for inarticulate sounds.

At a hotel in New York City a person was complaining about business. Someone said, "Don't worry; the rich will die just as we will, and their wealth won't do them any good in the future life." The first man replied, "Do you really believe in such mythical nonsense? Who ever returned from the dead? I believe heaven and hell are right here on this earth." At this point I felt I had to enter the conversation. "Why don't you investigate, and see whether anyone ever returned from the realm of the dead," I suggested. "Do you know what the Bible teaches about heaven and hell, and about One who returned from the dead? Have you ever seriously investigated the Christian religion?" The answer, of course, was no. He knew nothing whatever about religion, yet still expressed his opinion that heaven and hell do not exist as distinct places. How can a person possibly claim the right to an opinion about a subject concerning which he admittedly knows nothing?

Yet such is the concern of Christ for one soul, beloved, that He condescends to the doubting Thomas, permitting him to see and touch Him, thus verifying the truth of the resurrection. "Be not faithless," He says, "but believing."

St. Chrysostom writes, "In beholding the infidelity of the disciples, we see and understand the great love of our Lord, who lowered Himself to the test of a faithless disciple." When Thomas saw the Lord, he instantly believed, crying out, "My Lord and my God!" The reply of Jesus is intended for each of us: "Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:29). "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).

The Myrrh-Bearing Women.

"It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve the tables" (Acts 6:1-7).

I read the other day an article in a newspaper concerning the sermons of contemporary preachers. The title was, "What Is Lacking Today From the Pulpit"? The newspaper columnist expressed a real truth which we the priests often discuss. There doesn't exist a strong sermon which can attract people to the church and inwardly shake them up like an earthquake does. I heard a preacher, on St. Nicholas Day, speak about the life of the saint. Among others, he said that St. Nicholas is honored by the Protestants and Catholics. And the cantor of the church murmured, "Oh the poor priest doesn't know that the Catholic Church excommunicated, by her agiologion, St. Nicholas from the catalogs of the saints. If a powerful sermon is lacking today in the Orthodox churches, are we, the priests, totally responsible? Is it due to our negligence, or due to our work which is many-fold and complicated? Do the priests have time to work and to prepare for a good sermon, or have they not? The answer is given to us in today's epistle reading from the Acts of the Apostles (6:1-7). The text is very instructive and very timely and we have to pay special attention to it. The church, as well as the laymen and board of trustees, very unfortunately expect a priest to do everything. After Pentecost the number of Christians astonishingly increased daily. The first church, along with delivering the sermon, undertook the responsibility of feeding the poor people. That means the apostles, besides their pastoral work, were busy not only with the sermon but also with serving the tables. Complaints started from the first days as always happens to the Church, "And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily administration." The apostles could not give all their attention to the administrating of the tables and to act as waiters. But on the other hand, it was also the obligation of the church. The church cannot ignore and must not ignore the poor, the sick, and the needy. "For I was ahungered and ye gave me meat, I was thirsty and ye gave me drink, I was a stranger and ye took me in, naked and ye clothed me; I was sick and ye visited me, I was in prison and ye came unto me" (Matt. 25:25-36).

When the apostles saw that the work of administering the tables was becoming a failure, they decided to solve the problem differently. They could devote themselves to the tables. The first is first. St. Chrysostom says, "We cannot put the head to the feet or vice versa, the feet to the head." The holy apostles, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, neither neglected the sermon nor were indifferent to the poor. What they did, the Book of the Acts relates to us. "Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, it is not reasonable that we should leave the word of God and serve the tables." Then they entrusted all members of the church to elect seven faithful people with fear of God, modesty, tender heart and delicate feelings with whom they could charge the care of the poor. "Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and Wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business." It is difficult for the priest to do everything in the imminent field of the church. On the other hand, all laymen are not properly qualified for ecclesiastical office administration. The office requires much attention and much prudence on the church's part as well as on the people's part. Many times the people choose the most improper and most indifferent people to serve as co-workers of the priest and servants of the people. Such people have only one purpose, how to counteract the work of the priest and his mission and the mission of the church, and how to perpetuate their own teachings and theories on the administrating of the church. How many such examples do we have? Such people who would probably not be permitted to stay in the courts of the church, due to their immoral life and uncharacteristic social Christian behavior, have offices in the church. Now we need not elaborate more about this subject, because we respect the principles and rules of the sermon.

The many that serve and work in the church should be people with wisdom, prudence and with fear of God, "Full of the Holy Spirit and Wisdom." The priest would not be distracted; instead, he could be occupied with the spiritual works: performing the divine liturgy, preaching the word of God, preparing himself for the extraordinary charisma, confessing the people, visiting the sick and staying with them one, two or three hours and performing spiritual and priestly works that his co-workers cannot do. As the apostles said, "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." Prayer and sermon are the first and most important tasks of the priest. When I say "Prayer" I mean in general the whole worship and the sacramental life of the Church, among which the divine liturgy takes precedence. Unfortunately, many of these important facets of our religion today are of necessity sometimes neglected. We, the priests, in many cases do not have enough time for prayer and the ministry of the word because of the time we must devote to things which are irrelevant to our divine ministry. Many tasks, such as arranging for bazaars, films, dances, banquets, and picnics, can be performed by the laymen without encroaching on the limited time available to the priest.

In a parish where the laymen do not accept their responsibilities regarding these non-priestly activities, a strong and inspired pulpit sermon may be lacking, and other important facets of our religion are sometimes neglected. The first and main purpose of the Church is the saving of souls and not providing recreation for the people. The duty of the priest is to perform the holy worship and to preach the Word of God. He should also take an interest in the poor. We should leave the responsibilities for all other activities in the hands of the priest's co-workers, mainly to the members of the board of trustees. These men must be "men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit, and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business." Efficient co-workers and deacons will see the church as the center of the whole community life, as the ark of salvation, and will regard the priest not as a hired clerk but as the Father of the community and the representative of Christ.

"Lord, I Have No One."

This Sunday, dearly beloved, is known in the Church as the Sunday of the Paralytic, for today's Gospel Lesson refers to the miraculous healing of the paralytic of Bethesda by the Lord Jesus Christ.

St. John the Evangelist tells us that on this particular day (perhaps it was the feast of Pentecost) Jesus was visiting the city of Jerusalem. One of the sites He visited there was the pool of Bethesda, which had five great porticoes, or porches. The pool was located outside of the walls of Jerusalem. Its Hebrew name means "House of Mercy." It was so named because, as our Gospel Lesson informs us, there were always a large number of unfortunate people there such as cripples and blind folk. At certain times an angel would come down to the pool, making small waves in the water. When this occurred, the first person into the water was healed of whatever malady he was afflicted with. Naturally, such a miracle defies the explanations of science, just as do modern miracles, such as those which occur on the island of Tinos, a part of Greece. Although we cannot explain these miracles, we nevertheless believe in them.

Now, had there been at Bethesda a guest register of sorts, we would find recorded therein that the man in our Gospel Lesson this morning had lain there longer than 38 years. The best years of his youth had been spent there, waiting for the rippling of the water in the pool. Yet he had no one — no parent, no relative, no friend, who would help him. Everyone at Bethesda was concerned with his own problems; everyone was selfish. So, the story was always the same, year after year. The water would be troubled, and before the lame man could get there some newcomer was already in the po