20080727 The Power to Forgive Sins

20080727 The Power to Forgive Sins

Romans 12: 6-14
St. Matthew 9: 1-8

http://www.stmichaeluoc.org/
http://www.orthoanalytika.org/

Do you believe Jesus Christ has the power to forgive sins?

First you have to believe that there is such a thing as sin. This is not something that comes easily to people. The constant voice of fallen pride whispers in our ear, telling us what good people we are, how we are much better than those around us, that we really have not done anything wrong. Even when we are brought face-to-face with the consequences of our mistakes, that voice whispers that we did what was best at the time, that we are victims of difficult circumstances, and that what we did was not nearly as bad as those things that real criminals do. After all, we have not killed anyone or anything.

That whispering voice is lying to you. You have done something wrong. You are a sinner. Even if you gather the entire world as witness to what a great guy you are; even if you have broken no worldly law; even if you have never brought physical or spiritual harm to anyone; you are a sinner. You are a sinner, and through your sin have separated yourself from Communion with God, and you have separated yourself from real union with your brothers and sisters in this world.

I have come to know you this past year, and that has been a real pleasure. I now know you to be upstanding citizens, friendly neighbors, and trustworthy friends. But my observation stands. To quote the 1st Epistle of St. John (1:8 – 2:1) “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us… And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” St. John says that if you claim not to be a sinner, that you make God a liar. Do you understand things better than he does?

If you remain unconvinced, hear me now: you cannot live in this fallen world without sin. It surrounds us like a disease, a contagious disease that no-one bothers to recognize. It is an epidemic that is destroying the souls and bodies of everyone who draws breath. You can see it in the little compromises you make to get by, compromises that seem natural because everyone makes them. You can see the tragedy of this epidemic in the trail of broken hearts it has left in its wake. You carry this disease in your heart. That little voice that tells you that you have no sin is the voice of madness, the killing of your nerve endings of your conscience so that you do not notice the leprous infections it is spreading there.

Sin is the root of all spiritual sickness and pain. It is how it spreads. The sick man must know he is ill to accept treatment. Christ is our Great Physician, healing all who come to Him. Can you heal yourself? Can the world heal you? You cannot and it cannot. When you believe it can you open your wounds to further infection.

When Christ repaired the body of the paralytic, he did it to demonstrate the greater and more meaningful power He brought to this world: the power to forgive sins. This is more meaningful because He has already given us the treatment to repair our bodies – or have you forgotten that all the saints are Resurrected into eternal health? You may be like the child who complains of the cast, wanting the bone to be mended immediately so that she can play now, but your body is already being healed.

Shouldn’t you be more concerned about the sin that is eating away at your immortal soul? Your Loving God and Father is awaiting your confession. Do not be like the patient who lies about his symptoms and leaves the doctor untreated. You have free will. No one will force medication on you without your consent.

God is not judging you or your sin - He is describing your symptoms so that you can live life fully, free of disease. As St. John says in his Gospel (3:17); "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

So I ask you again “Do you believe that Jesus Christ has the power to forgive sins?” If so, open your heart to Him, the Great Physician, and be healed.

20080720 Culture and its Value

20080720 Culture and its Value

Romans 10: 1-10

St. Matthew 8: 28-9:1

St. Paul wants the God-fearing men of his day to be saved, but he is worried. He says that they have “zeal for God” (which is a good thing), but not according to knowledge (which is a bad thing). He is not talking about people who skip prayers and services, but those have made religion the center of their lives. They have made religion the center of their lives, but, “being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10: 3). To this point, the Jews had managed a remarkable feat: they had maintained their identity through the centuries under difficult circumstances, when the pressure for assimilation was very strong. The Old Testament describes this in some detail, about how the Jews would find themselves living under foreign rulers, and how the ordinary Jewish people and the Jewish leaders were being tempted to modify their beliefs to match those of their new neighbors and rulers; and how the prophets would come and call them back to their uniquely Jewish way of life. How many thousands of unique cultures have come and gone over human history? How have the Jewish people and Jew identity endured?

Part of the answer is lies in ritual: God had given them laws and rituals to teach them about Him and to help them endure against temptation. Rituals are vital for preserving identity. This is why God has ordered our lives in the Orthodox Church with rituals – because He knows that the individualistic intellectual or emotion-based faith found outside Orthodoxy is too subject to the pressures of assimilation. As I said last week, culture is the earthen vessel that contains the Living Water; now I am telling you that ritual makes that vessel strong and beautiful. Without a strong vessel, that is, without ritual, the Living Water cannot be held. A weak vessel breaks too easily, losing its content.

The Jews who obeyed the law had a strong vessel. They had the opposite problem that many Christians today have. Whereas most Christians (at least in America) have the Living Water but no real vessel, the Jews of St. Paul (and Christ’s) time had beautiful vessels but no Living Water! The culture that was created to hold the Faith had become the Faith itself. But one cannot drink from an empty cup, no matter how strong or well crafted it is. Beautiful vessels are made to carry water – but the Jews had turned their vessel into an idol and “righteousness” into worshiping it (i.e. culture and ritual) rather than the God who should fill it. Christ was warning them of their mistake when He said things like: “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. … you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” (Matthew 23: 13 & 15). [Note that Orthodoxy praises the righteousness of the publican without rejecting the ritual of the pharisee.]

In Orthodoxy, we love our cultural and religious rituals. And for good reason. We are the new Israel, and these rituals are the continuation of ones given to the Jews, but now perfected in Christ. God has even taken our secular culture and blessed it, for example, turning the symbol of a pagan God’s authority, the Trident, into a symbol of the Trinity and the authority of Christian government in Ukrainian. We have just finished celebrating and teaching Ukrainian culture to our next generation during our “Heritage Days”. But we celebrate and pass it down not because this culture has any intrinsic value, but because it has been made priceless by what it contains. We pass the cup of our culture to our children – and to all who enter these doors – not so that they might admire the craftsmanship of the cup, but so that they will drink deeply of the water it contains. And we keep our culture strong so that they can share it with others in this thirsty world long after we have gone on to our reward.

Let me end as St. Paul did, as he describes the content of the faith that moves through us and all of our rituals: “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

NOTE: Talk Show Host and Jewish Theologian Dennis Prager was the first person I heard/read about the role ritual plays in maintaining identity. He had a great show where Christians called in to talk about how they were rediscovering ritual. I thought it was kind of funny that they would turn to Judaism for rituals rather than their own Christian traditions (of which they were probably ignorant and/or dismissive for being too Catholic!).

20080713 Pass the Straws!

20080713 Pass the Straws!

A homily on the need to rise above our passions and share the "water of life" with a thirsty world.



Romans 6: 18-23
St. Matthew 8: 5-13

The Lord said of the centurion: “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” What does this mean? What is the lesson for us, today?

The simple meaning of Christ's proclamation should be clear: the centurion had enough faith in Jesus' power to ask Him to heal his servant; moreover, he had enough of faith to believe that Christ did not have to be present with the servant to make it happen any more than a great general needed to be present at a local skirmish to ensure victory. I hope that you all understand this kind of faith in the power of Christ and emulate it yourselves. But this is the “milk” of the message intended for “infants” in the faith – what is the “solid food” intended for those who are already embracing Christ with faith? (1 Corinthians 3: 1-2)?

To get even more out of this reading, we need to look at the context of this meeting between Christ and the centurion. Christ was a Jew. His disciples were Jews, and during his earthly ministry, his primary physical audience was comprised of Jews. The Jews were a people who remembered a time when they had their own kingdom, a kingdom where everything was designed around their faith. But it had been many generations since they had lost their independence, and since that time they had been ruled by various empires. The Jews of Christ's entourage and audience were ruled by the Roman empire, and the relationship was not entirely satisfactory [you can read Maccabees or the works of Josephus to learn more of this]. Their ability to worship in the manner of their ancestors was restricted, and many felt oppressed. You must know that Christ was not the first Jew crucified under the Roman authorities. The strength of the Roman Army was the ultimate guarantuer of Roman rule. The centurion was an officer in the part of the Roman Army that occupied the Jewish land.

Given this context, you must see that what is not written in this Gospel lesson is as powerful as what is [written]: Christ does not reject the centurion. He does not rebuke him for his service in the pagan occupation army. He listens to the man, his love for his servant, and his faith in the power of Jesus. As St. Paul teaches us [Galatians 3: 26 & 28]; , “...you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus... there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Not only doesn't Christ reject the centurion, He grants his request. This despite the ill will this might feed among his more zealous disciples and audience. He was teaching them a fundamental Truth as much as He was healing a young man.

I hope that my description of the situation of the Jews at the time of Christ resonated with you. It should. Those who study Ukrainian history are familiar with the themes. Like the Jews, the Ukrainians “are [at least until quite recently] a people who remember a time when they had their own kingdom, a kingdom where everything was designed around their faith. But it had been many generations since they had lost their independence, and since that time they had been ruled by various empires.” Many of the founders of this parish were fleeing from these “various empires” [the Russians, the Poles, the Nazis, the Communists].

Finally we are to the “meat” of this Gospel. The part that is harder to chew, but also brings greater satisfaction of hunger. The meat of this Gospel that I offer you today is this: we are Christ to this world. We are the Church of which Christ is the head. He is truly “among us” here at St. Michael's. As the Church, we offer healing and salvation to all who confess Christ, no matter what their heritage. Our culture is the blessed “earthly vessel” that contains the “Living Water” (2 Corinthians 4:7). This vessel is attractive for many reasons, but it is holy because of what it contains. Christ's desire is that all drink of this living water. This is a thirsty world, and our vessel is overflowing. We must drink deeply ourselves in emulation of the centurion, but, like Christ, we must share this water with all who recognize its Truth and Power.

20080708 The High Price of Gas and the Lilies of the Field

20080706 The High Price of Gas and the Lilies of the Field

Romans 5: 1-10;

St. Matthew 6: 22-33

Summary of Today's Readings: St. Paul; “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1: 25).

There is much anxiety in the world today. Gas prices have gone up, stressing already tight budgets. The locomotive growth of India and China, with the resultant demand for oil suggests that this trend will continue. Money problems in turn put stress on the family, an institution that has suffered from decades of assault – and is now showing serious signs of weakness. The normalization of pre-marital sex, divorce and illegitimacy is a logical – if misguided – attempt by society to find a new equilibrium. Nor is the problem confined to the family – our churches have also suffered from decades of external assault and internal neglect. So it happens that the very institutions that were designed to support people in their attempt to pursue fulfillment and joy have become completely irrelevant for most people, and for some have even become a source of stress themselves. For many, the very idea that fulfillment and joy are worthy goals is itself foolish: for a variety of psychological/cultural reasons, Americans have largely settled for more attainable dreams. This is tragedy, and the devil must be smiling.

Why should gas prices have anything to do with happiness? Since when is it acceptable to stop dreaming of a perfect life? Since when is it acceptable to give in to an enemy bent on our destruction? Where is the restless spirit of your ancestors, the Ukrainians who, in the face of oppression and against overwhelming odds, carved a new way of life as Cossacks “below the rapids”, as “Orthodox Brotherhoods” in the cities and towns, and as hard-working immigrants here in a New World? Where is the restless spirit of your ancestors, the Americans who founded this country to be a place that enabled all to pursue “life, liberty, and an happiness” and who endured countless sacrifices to protect and extend these rights not just here but throughout the world? Do we really believe that life is harder now than it was for them? Or is it that we are less? If so, it is not due to intelligence, learning, or physical constitution – for in all these measures, our generations are much greater than those that came before. We are less than those before us because we have not centered our hope on Christ, a “hope that [as St. Paul says in today's reading] does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given us”. We are less than our times demand because we are less than Christian; the Christian “glories in tribulation, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” [this, again, from today's reading]

Christ Himself tells us today of our “little faith”, pointing out that God knows what we need, and promising this; that if we “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, [then all the things we need] shall be added to [us].” I am not saying that faith in God, His power, and His love for you will bring down the price of gas or bring high paying jobs to the Blackstone Valley. But it will restore your family and make it the source of support and sanctification it was designed to be. It will not lower the cost of much-needed maintenance to our beloved temple, but it will make your parish home the source of support and sanctification it was designed to be. It may not lead you into the consumer's paradise the world has taught to you desire, but it will lead you to an eternal life of blessedness that is the heart's truest desire. The wisdom of God seems like folly because the world itself is foolish. But who is foolish, the God-Man who died on the cross to make your resurrection into perfection possible, or those who reject this gift in favor of the cares and shallow satisfactions of a fallen world?

God knows you better than the wisest father knows his children. Trust in Him. He has a plan for you, and its glory puts high gas prices and leaky roofs into the context they deserve.

Epilogue at the end of the service.

20080629 Homily on All Saints of Rus'-Ukraine

20080629 Homily on All Saints of Rus'-Ukraine

This homily was given at All Saints Camp (UOC-USA) in Emlenton, PA, during the middle Sunday of the two-week Church School Camp.

Romans 2: 10-16;

St. Matthew 4: 18-23

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

It really is a glorious day to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ; as well as to celebrate the lives of All the Saints of Rus'-Ukraine. Indeed, I cannot imagine a more fitting place to celebrate this feast that here at All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox Camp, along with so many spiritual and literal heirs of these Saints.

This camp is something special – a jewel not just of our own diocese, but of the entire Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This is a place where our faithful offer the best of themselves; their treasure, their time, and especially their dearest children to the Lord. And as with all gifts returned to their Maker and Bestower, these are returned in abundance. It is here that we help to train our children and youth (all or you) in the heritage of their ancestral homeland, Rus'-Ukraine. There are many aspects of this heritage worthy of exposition, but for the sake of brevity, I will expound on two of the greatest: Truth and Freedom. Nor are these separate virtues. As our Lord said to the those Jews who believed in Him; “if you abide in my Word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free.” (St. John 8:31)

“What is the truth?”. The Truth is that we live in a world mired in sin. Where war, disease, and every manner of suffering threatens to overwhelm us. The Truth is that we were made for something more, and that we yearn for something greater. The Truth is that, while the world will try to satisfy this yearning with diverse entertainments, its satisfaction is possible only through Jesus Christ. The Truth is that Jesus Christ is the God-man who bridges the chasm between us and the perfection we yearn for. The Truth is that through Faith in Him as fully God and fully man, and through the concomitant participation in the Sacraments of His Church, we can cross that bridge and become partakers of God's eternal Divinity.

It was this Truth that led St. Andrew, the first called apostle and “founder of Christ's Church in Ukraine”, to give up everything when he found Jesus and recognized Him as Christ and Messiah (St. John 1: 37-41). It was the pursuit of this Truth that led him, during his missionary journeys, to the banks of the Dnieper and to prophesy the establishment of a Christian kingdom there; and that ultimately led him to his martyrdom on the cross. It was this Truth that led St. Volodymyr to risk everything he had – his life and his kingdom - as he converted not just his own soul, but those of his people and land to Holy Orthodoxy. The Truth changed him as it changed Andrew and as it changes you. [You see, pursuit of the Truth demands action.]

Which brings us to the second virtue, freedom. We all know that “freedom is not free”. It requires constant vigilance and sacrifice. Since the time Rus' became Christian, she and her people have known this struggle. Today I would like to focus on three uniquely Ukrainian expressions of this struggle. The first is the Cossacks, the very icon of independence. It is a mistake to think of them as simple anarchists, though. They fought not just for freedom, but for Truth. Their defense of Orthodoxy is as iconic as their fight against tyranny. The second is the brotherhoods. There was a time when Orthodoxy was attacked from every direction – from the West by the Catholic kingdoms, from the North by pagans or Protestants, from the East by a tyrannical Russian Empire, and from the South by the Muslim kingdoms. True worship and teaching was all but exterminated until the Ukrainian people found a way to beat back the darkness. They organized into brotherhoods that published books, supported priests, and taught the people the Truth about Christ. We would not be here today without their bravery and commitment.

Which brings me to the third expression: this camp. It may seem a stretch to include All Saints Camp in the same group as the great Cossack state and the Orthodox brotherhoods, but it belongs there: it is their direct descendant, organized and committed to the same goals: the defense of Truth and Freedom. You may object that such an attitude is unnecessary here. After all, we live in a free land, protected by a democratic tradition and a well-established Constitution. It is correct that America has all but mastered freedom, but I fear that it has forgotten the Truth. And for this reason America needs this Camp. Freedom without Truth descends quickly into anarchy and hedonism (the pursuit of pleasure). It is the necessary union of these two virtues and the manner of their combination that the Ukrainian Orthodox heritage witnesses to America.

[A personal observation: this is one of the many reasons I am so at home in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. I and my family have long been in pursuit of these two virtues. It was the same quest for Truth that led my forefathers to immigrate to America and me first to Orthodoxy and ultimately here, to this camp. It was the same abhorrence of tyranny that led my forefathers to fight against Britain in the Revolutionary War, and for me to enlist to battle both Communism during Cold War and the new breed of totalitarianism than currently threatens our freedom.]

Yes, we have a tremendous heritage that we have received from All the Saints that have gone on before us. Now it is up to us. Because Truth demands action, and Freedom requires vigilance. We ask for the prayers of All the Saints of Rus' Ukraine as we dedicate ourselves to this struggle.

20080622 Sunday of All Saints

20080622 Homily on the Sunday of All Saints

Hebrews 11:33-12:2

St. Matthew 10:32-33;37-38; 19:27-30

Today we celebrate the “great cloud of witnesses” that surround us, encouraging us to ”run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12: 1-2).

The race is the well-lived life, and St. Paul tells us that the prize is the joy that spurred Christ Himself (the very God-man) on, to sit at the right hand of the throne of God. For us that means to bask and grow eternally in beauty, love, and strength. To enjoy a life made perfect, where there is no suffering, no pain, no sorrow. The greatest triumphs and glories of this earthly life are but a shadow or hint of those awaiting those who “lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us” (Hebrews 1:1).

For some of us, this race seems to have gone on too long. The exertion required just to get us to this point has brought all manner of pain; we have, to use a running term, “hit the wall”. Our joints ache. Our minds cannot focus. We can hardly catch our breath. The subtle pull of depression and despondency pulls our focus away from our pace, away from the glory that awaits us at the finish, so that we know nothing but our suffering. We are not the first to get so distracted, to be tempted by the pain life brings. St. Paul gives a list of of some of the sufferings; “they were stoned, sawn in two, tempted, slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented”. So how did they survive? How can we survive a race that has gone on too long for our frail bodies and broken spirits to endure?

There is a phenomenon in racing known as the “second wind”, a strengthening euphoria that comes from nowhere. When it comes, all strength is instantly renewed and pain forgotten. The mind returns to its focus on making strong progress toward the finish line and the reward that awaits. The hopelessness of before is simply washed away. The experienced runner will “gut out” the hard times, knowing (or at least hoping) that this “second wind will come”.

For the Christian, the euphoric wind that strengthens the spirit and body is always available – we celebrated His coming last week on Pentecost. He is the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus Christ, He will wash away our weariness. He will give us the strength to endure through difficulties. He is the Comforter who comforts and alleviates our pain, He is the Spirit of Truth that reminds us that this pain – though very real to us now – will be replaced by eternal joy in the hereafter if we just Trust in Him. He will abide in us and cleanse us from all our sin and suffering.

Does the race seem to have gone on too long? Has the pain drawn your attention away from the joy that awaits? Then renew yourself. Open your heart and let the Holy Spirit refresh and perfect you. The strength is not only enough to make it to the finish line, but to run strong. The promise is not just eternal glory, but a taste of it now. For that cloud of witnesses accomplished great things during the course of their races. They “subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of aliens.”

The same Spirit that strengthened and perfected that “great cloud of witnesses” is waiting to strengthen you. Open your heart to Him, pick up your knees, and run strong.

20080615 Pentecost and the Holy Spirit

20080615 Homily on Pentecost and the Holy Spirit

Acts 2: 1-11

St. John 7:37-52; 8:12

The Holy Spirit is hard to understand – we know and confess that God is “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – One God”. But what is this Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit was present in the beginning, participating in the creation “In the beginning God made heaven and earth. The earth was invisible and unfinished; and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water. Then God said, “let there be light, and there was light.” (Genesis 1: 1-3). When the Triune God created man, he created him in the “Image of God” (“Then God said “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” Genesis 1:26) then “[having formed him] out of dust from the ground, God breathed in his face the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” That is, God made man in the image of the Creator and God-man, Jesus Christ – and breathed grace into him through the Holy Spirit. [footnote- it is in reverence for the “Image of God” in all of us that leads the Orthodox Church to forbid cremation].

Since this time, we have corrupted the image of God and suffered the consequences, to include the loss of the Grace of the Holy Spirit [Then the Lord God said, 'My Spirit shall not remain with these people forever, for they are [sinful]].” and He subsequently decreased their lifespan (Genesis 6:3).

God continued to work through humanity for its salvation. For the Jews, Pentecost was a celebration of the bringing of God's law. But as St. Paul points out in his letter to the Hebrews, the Law cannot perfect a person. In the end, its primary purpose has been and remains to remind us of our inability to be reach the perfection for which we all strive. We all break the law. We fall short of the standard of perfection. We miss the mark. We sin.

It is in this context that today's feast (and the Holy Spirit) can and must be understood. For while we can talk about the historical actions of the Trinity at creation, of how the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets, and even how He worked within the Apostles at the birth of the Church two thousand years ago, what you must understand is what all this means for you and for us today. We are not primarily historians or theologians, but people seeking to “live life in abundance”, to grow the power and wisdom of God within our own lives, this parish, this community, and this world.

Christ came to save each of us from our sin and to deliver us from the sins of this fallen world. As we learned last week, being both fully God and fully man, Christ bridges the chasm that separated man from perfection. This week we learn that it is the Holy Spirit that gives us the strength to work our way across that bridge. The Holy Spirit allows us to obey Christ's command to “be perfect as God is perfect.” Christ stresses this power when He tells His disciples in Acts 1:8 “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” God gives us this power, first at Chrismation, then throughout our lives as we participate in the Mysteries of the Church because He knows that we cannot cross that chasm without it.

There is another part of today's feast that is especially relevant for us today, as we celebrate not just Pentecost, but also the first confessions of [two of our young parishioners]. God wants us to be perfect, and he sent us His Son and the Holy Spirit to make this possible. But God's knowledge and understanding of us is as perfect as His love for us. He knows that we will make mistakes as we cross that bridge. So listen to what else the Holy Spirit does for us, as described in St. John's account of the coming of the Holy Spirit: “[And after Jesus had blessed his disciples], He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. (St. John 20:19-23). It is the Holy Spirit that operates within the Sacrament of Confession – as in all the Sacraments- working through the (unworthy) priest to bring about the forgiveness of sins.

It is God's will that we come to perfection. For this He sent both His only begotten Son and His Holy Spirit. This is the perfection that all yearn for, and it is possible thanks to the grace and love of God.

20080609 Rules, Sin, and Heresy

20080609 Rules, Sin, and Heresy: Homily on the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council

Acts 20: 16-18, 28 – 36;

St. John 17: 1-13

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

Today, on the Sunday before Pentecost, we celebrate the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. Like so many things in our Holy Orthodox Faith, the central place given to this – and all the Ecumenical Councils – places us in direct contrast to the world.

How? Because the world does not speak about sin. More to the point, the world finds the notions of sin and heresy to be close-minded and even bigoted. But if there is something True, then those things that state something else are certainly less true, and those things that state things contrary to the Truth are just plain wrong. Sin is the word for those things that are not in accordance with the Truth. Heresy is the word for those teachings that are contrary to the Truth.

The Fundamental Truth of Salvation is that there Christ was both fully God and fully man, and because of this He bridges the gap between mankind and the perfection that is God. That faith in Jesus Christ and participation in His Mysteries allow us to grow in one another and in God Himself. Teachings contrary to this Truth are heresy. The Church desires that ALL come to perfection in Christ, so it teaches the Truth and opposes heresy.

The First Ecumenical Council was part of this. Like the modern day Jehovah's Witnesses, the priest Arius taught that Christ was something less than God. Knowing Christ as fully God and fully man is central to our salvation. The false-Christ described by Arius could not bridge the chasm between God and man because that false-Christ had no place in the Divinity and Perfection of God. This false Christ is like an unfinished bridge – it can only take people so far across.

The Church does not come up with rules just for fun, or because it has nothing better to do. The Church would prefer to simply proclaim the Good News of salvation in Christ, to worship Him in His fullness – this is much more fulfilling than describing those things that are false and harmful. It would much rather simply worship God in the Fullness of Truth than describe and condemn false teachings. But to lead people to Christ, we must sometimes describe those things that are leading them astray.

Let me give a couple of analogies:

Parents give rules. Why? Isn't it enough to simply model and praise correct behavior? For our children it may be :-), but most parents must also describe those things that are forbidden and dangerous. This is not because they are tyrants or fond of rules, but because they love their children and desire their health and happiness. God is our Father. He models perfect behavior, but He also describes and forbids those things that are dangerous. Do you dislike His rules? You have free will. But His example and His teachings are for our health and happiness. And they are found in their fullness here, in the Orthodox Church.

God's rules.

Analogy of the golf swing. There are fundamentals for hitting the ball well. Path and clubface. If you break these rules, you will not score well. Despite your intent, despite your strength. Do what you want – you have free will – but the rules are True and deviations will cost you.

Christ is the God-Man that offers us the Way to eternal perfection. All other ways, despite their popularity, are unfinished bridges. Accept Him as your master and submit yourself to His Way.

20080603 The ABC's of Orthodoxy

20080603 The ABC's of Orthodoxy and Salvation through Christ


Today is the second of a series of podcasts based on a class we teach here at St. Michael’s, called “Our Faith: Orthodox Christianity at St. Michael’s”. This set of classes is designed to explore Orthodox Christianity as it is practiced at St. Michael Ukrainian Orthodox Church. As such, it will cover the fundamental tenets of our faith as they are lived in our personal lives, our homes, our community, and our parish. The rest of the classes will be published as time permits.

Our Faith: Orthodox Christianity at St. Michael’s

Woonsocket, Rhode Island

Session Two: The ABC’s of Salvation through Christ and His Orthodox Church: why do we have all this stuff?

Opening Prayer: O Heavenly King the Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art ev’rywhere, Treasure of good and Giver of life. Dwell within us, Lord hear our prayer. Cleanse us from ev’ry impurity. Save our souls, God of mercy.

Opening Scripture: Psalm 8; Ephesians 2: 1-10

Summary of Scripture: The Glory, Power, and Love of God for us.

Today’s Lesson: The Basics of Orthodox Christianity

Questions for consideration:

• What is the role of God in your life?

• Are you enjoying life “in abundance”?

The Basics

• God is all powerful (Psalm 18: 1-3). He loves you (John 3:16-17). He has a plan for you (John 10:10 &2 Peter 1:2-4).

• Sin separates man from every good thing (Romans 3:23). There is an impassible chasm between us in our sin and God (Romans 6:23)

• Jesus Christ bridges the chasm between man and God (Ephesians 2:14). He is perfect God and perfect man. God before the ages, He became man so that we might be united with God, one another, and perfection (John 17:22-23). He died for us then rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15: 3-4). Through faith in Him, we become children of God (John 1:12). He is the only bridge (John 14:6).

• We are crossing the chasm in and through Christ. Through Faith (Ephesians 2: 8-10), and a Sacramental life (e.g. John 6: 53-59). He comes to all who invite him (Revelation 3:20) . Continual progression in Christ, eternally (1 John 5:11-15). Trust Him to forgive us and live accordingly.

• Why sacraments? Why all this stuff? Because the BRIDGE IS REAL. CHRIST IS REAL. HE LIVES PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY IN HIS CHURCH (Colossians 1: 16-20). Jesus Christ was more than “idea”. Flesh and blood. The Church is also more than an idea. It is also physical. So are its mysteries (rituals, etc.)

◦ Each of the sacraments/mysteries is a living “symbol”, an incarnation of God’s redeeming love for us.

◦ Icons, too, are part of this continuing incarnation, as is the music, the temple, etc.

To grow in perfection, to have life in abundance, we must accept Christ and make him the center of our lives. Trust Him to “carry you across”. He will satisfy your yearning.

Discussion: What do each of the sacraments do for us?

20080601 The Man Born Blind

20080601 Homily on the Man Born Blind

Acts of the Apostles 16: 16-34

Gospel of St. John 9: 1-38

There is much in this Gospel lesson:

• Clarification of the relationship between sin and physical infirmity. Often indirect- we suffer from the cumulative results of millenia of sin, not just the consequences of our own sin; God does not cause suffering, but reaches through it to comfort and heal.

• The Proper Understanding of the Sabbath. Sinful to ban healing on the Sabbath, even when it requires actions that were prohibited at the time (such as spitting & making mud)

• The Beautiful Testimony of the Man Born Blind. Confesses Christ and worships Him, and assumes that the other Jews will also confess Christ once they hear his witness.

◦ “I told you [how Jesus healed me] already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become His disciples?” St. John (9:27).

◦ My previous careers in academia and the intelligence community (not to mention as an evangelist of God's Word) underscores the simple truth witnessed by the Man Born Blind's interaction with the reluctant Jews: the expectation that people will behave rationally when confronted with clear evidence is often confounded.

Yes, there are many themes, and over the course of our time together we should be able to explore each of them quite thoroughly, but the theme I want to explore today is the one that God presents most strongly here and throughout St. John's Gospel: this is the theme of spiritual blindness.

Spiritual blindness is much more dangerous than physical blindness for at least one obvious reason: if your vision is seriously impaired, you cannot fool yourself into believing that it is not – at least not for long! On the other hand, people whose spiritual vision is impaired can. In fact they can develop all kinds of delusional visions of what the world looks like, especially when they refuse to notice the damage their delusions are doing to themselves and the world around them. They may even buy into a communal delusion, sharing a common vision of the spiritual world looks like and shaping their behavior accordingly. But this is pure madness.

• It is like blind people driving a bus based on their common opinion about which way the road goes.

• Or for a more direct analogy, many people enjoy playing massively multi-person on-line role playing games that create virtual worlds for people to interact in. This may be fine entertainment, but you would still recognize it as madness when it becomes the spiritual center of people's lives; when the fantasy relations formed there, and the deeds done there become the spiritual reality of those playing. The very same point could be made about the on-line world of pornography, although (unlike the gaming world) there is no case where this form of “entertainment” is anything but tragic.

Let me go back to the analogy of the blind people driving again. I do not know if any of you have seen “If You Could See What I Hear”, the biography about blind musician Tom Sullivan. [Describe the scene where he is pulled over for erratic driving]. This scene is funny because it is so ridiculous: blind people do not drive. They cannot simply imagine what the roads look like. No one could. He was able to stay on the road only because he had someone with sight giving him directions.

• The problem with the people of this world is that it is blind but it does not turn to those with sight for directions. Moreover, it likes to drive at excessive speeds!

• When it does ask for directions, they only listen to those who give them directions they want to hear. Again, we are back to the blind people driving their bus based on their common opinion about which way the road goes.

◦ Name the subject and tell me I am wrong: modesty, charity, extra marital sex (to include pre-marital sex). You name it, and people are just making things up on their own. Thank God that sometimes this keeps them on the road, but you don't have to look too far outside these doors to see that more often than not the result is disastrous.

◦ One of the lies of the world is that there is only one truth and that all beliefs are part of it. This relativism is a dangerous lie. Go back to your Plato and read his analogy of the cave. Christ is the light of the world. People who deny him are just describing the shadows of puppets cast on the wall from the firelight.

• Let me share Christ's teaching on this subject, also from the Gospel of St. John. It begins with a teaching you all should know, but people forget what comes next: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.

Do you confess Christ? Do you prefer your own darkness or the darkness of the world to the light of Christ and His Church? When you find your views in conflict with the Gospel or the Teachings of Christ and His Church, which do you chose? If you chose your own, then I fear that Christ is warning you, as am I that you are driving blind.

Do as the Man born blind did but the reluctant Jews did not: reject the darkness and come to the light. Confess Christ as Savior and follow Him.

20080518 Do You want to be Healed?

20080518 "Do you want to be healed?"- A homily on the Sunday of the Paralytic


Acts of the Apostles: 9:32-42
Gospel of St. John: 5: 1-15

Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!

Today we hear once again of Christ’s desire and ability to heal the infirm, and how this desire and ability has been passed on to His Church. The central message of this Gospel - indeed of the entire Gospel - is that Christ loves us and desires that we be made whole.

Do you want to be healed? What is your answer? If you do, then believe in Jesus Christ, repent of your sins, accept his care. But do not stop there - remember that Christ commands the man He healed to “Sin no more;” that is, to change his life. If you do this, blessings will follow in your life and the world around you will be changed.

Are we interested in Church Growth? Then learn from the Scriptures. Listen to what they are saying and then apply it here. When Christ heals people, either himself or through His Apostles, it is not just the patients that are affected. Look at the last words of today’s reading from Acts; after Aeneas is healed, “all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord”. After Tabitha is healed “it became known throughout all Jopa, and many believed.” When Christ heals, others see it and believe. Why did the early Church grow? Because people saw how Christ changed peoples lives. How He healed them and made them whole.

How will others know you have been healed? It is obvious when someone whose physical ailments have been healed: Auneas walks, Tabitha lives, and the paralyzed man took up his bed. But even then, it is only when the miracle of the healing is linked to its source - Jesus Christ - that the full power of the event is unleashed. The paralytic confessed who healed Him so that others would know, believe, and themselves be healed. If we ourselves do not witness of Christ’s healing work in our lives - how can this happen for those around us? All of us who have been healed and saved by Christ are witnesses to His love and power - but only if we acknowledge Him for it. Share how Christ has healed and comforted you in illness - was it a doctor that did it? Thank the Lord for working through her hands.

Of course, not all healings are as obvious as those described in the Gospel. At least until the General Resurrection, the Great Physician is more interested in healing our souls than anything else. He seemed to have healed the sick as much to teach as to actually heal: His main goal was to show us the Truth, to get us to believe in Him as the Son of God (so that we might be saved). Christ has reached out to everyone in this temple, to comfort them in grief, and to save you from your depravity and pain. If you have accepted Him as Savior and turned your life over his loving care, then let people know. First, let them see the changes in your life that Christ has made, how you now live a life of charity, humility, and service dedicated to Him and doing His will in your life.

If you tell me that you cannot do this because Christ has not actually healed you, then first, I applaud your courage, then second I ask you with the words of Christ Himself “Do you want to be healed?” Seriously. “Do you want to be healed?” Perhaps you are comfortable in your sins. Perhaps you are lazy and fear doing the kind of hard work that people who have been made whole are called to do. Perhaps the siren call of this fallen world has convinced you that you have no sins to confess, that your way of life causes no harm to yourself and those around you. Only those who recognize they are sick can come and be healed. If you are not living a perfect life in Christ, then you are sick in sin. And this sin is poison to you and poison to those around you.

God loves all of you. He desires that you live life in abundance. He desires this for you here and now, and for all eternity. But you must want to be healed.

The Physician is in, and He will see you now. Will you come to Him?

20080511 Mothers Day and the Myrrhbearing Women

20080511 Homily on Mothers Day and the Sunday of the Myrrhbearing Women


Acts of the Apostles 6: 1-7
St. Mark 15 43-16:8

Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!

Last week, I spoke on how Christʼs ministry was entrusted to His Apostles and then to their spiritual heirs, the Bishops, and how this Apostolic Succession was the institutional incarnation of Christ Himself, preserving within it the Truth and the means for our salvation. Yesterday, I, along with several other members of this parish, were witnesses as the next link in this chain was forged and joined: the Bishops of the Holy Orthodox Church ordained Archimandrite Daniel to the Episcopate. It was a glorious celebration, overflowing tears of joy and a confirmation of the promise that Christʼs Church would prevail until the end of days.

On a personal note, I must admit that as great as it was to worship and visit with the many dozens of my friends, brother priests, deacons, servants, and leaders of our Holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA; as great as it was to receive communion from the hands of our Metropolitan Constantine and Bishop Daniel, as great as it was to receive the blessing of our hierarchs for myself and this community, as great as it was to see my friend ordained to episcopate - as great and wonderful as all these are - it is no less wonderful to be back home to celebrate the love of Our Risen Lord with you, by dear family, friends, and spiritual children (Yes, I can personally tell you that there is no greater sight than our beautiful golden domes at 3:30 AM at the end of a very long, and tiring - albeit fruitful- roadtrip).

Today we have the coincidence of two celebrations that belong together: Motherʼs Day and the Myrrhbearing Women. And before I go any further, please let me recognize all of our mothers, both physical and spiritual. On behalf of all of the faithful, we thank you for your love and your service. May God grant you all many blessed years.

St. Nikolai Velimirovich wrote some wonderful poetry that builds on these themes of motherhood and myrrhbearing. I would like to paraphrase and build upon them here for you: it is for good reason that “caring for the dead” is recognized as one of the seven bodily acts of mercy: the love that it witnesses is completely altruistic and pure. Is the love of a mother any different? Is there any greater witness to Godʼs love than that of the mother and the one who cares for the dead and their memories?

Memories of the dead are an interesting phenomenon. We are in the midst of the season when we visit and bless the graves of our departed love ones. When we keep the memories of those who have gone on before us, we are struggling to keep the lights of their lives shining against the darkness of this world - to keep their memories alive in a fallen world that would prefer to scatter their ashes to the wind and thus, as it were, send them to oblivion. St. Nikolai points out that this is especially true of Mothers. When a mother through tragic circumstances, outlives her children, her memory and love for that child endures in her heart, continuing to overshadow her love even for

herself. A motherʼs love does not differentiate between her children who remain to walk the earth and those who have gone on to their rest. The same is true of Christʼs love for us. Look at His life described in the Gospels: he first witnessed to save the living, but then went into Hades to witness to and save his beloved children there.

I want to quote St. Nikolai a moment, but before I do, let me point out that what he says is true not just of mothers, but all who care for the departed:

“A mother goes to the graves of her children, as though to raise them to life in her soul, to redeem them by her tears, to have compassion on them by her thoughts. A motherʼs love saves her children from disappearance and annihilation in this world, at least for a time. The Lord. humiliated and spat upon, succeeded, through bowing to His Cross and Tomb, in truly raising the whole human race by his love, and saving it forever from vanishing away and being annihilated. Christʼs act is incomparably greater than the act of any lonely mother in the world, His love for the human race being immeasurably greater than the love of any mother in the world for her children.” (from his homily for this day)

After all, Christ did not just visit the dead to commit their souls to everlasting memory. He suffered His passion and died on the the cross, so that through His Resurrection, all of his children who were dead in sin might believe in Him, and through this have everlasting life in abundance. Death has been defeated - Christ has trampled it down with His death. The Holy Myrrhbearers were the first witnesses to the resulting Resurrection of Christ, and they went on to share this good news with the Apostles, and today, through this Gospel, with us. May we go on now to share it with a world that needs to hear it.

20080507 On Church Growth

20080507 This is a talk I gave on Church Growth

Notes from the Talk:

Opening Prayer

Opening Scripture: Revelations 3: 14 - 22 (warning to the Laodiceans)

Presentation of credentials:

Political Scientist, with research focusing on institutional adaptation (especially political parties and insurgencies) and the sociology of religion. Participated in Orthodox and Protestant committees on church growth. Intensely interested in the subject - evangelism is what we do. Declining numbers means fewer people being touched by the Gospel, deified through the Sacramental Life. Church Growth matters because the Truth matters. It’s not about filling the pews or paying the bills: it is about fulfilling our obligation as Christians and sharing the Light of Christ with a world of shadows and darkness.

Introduction:

Describe declining numbers and commitment, “faith switching”, and how it has affected the Orthodox (Pew Survey on Religion). Describe how this parish has fared.

Three main demographic variables involved with regard to church growth: 1) Immigration 2) Birth Rate 3) Conversion. Describe how we have been losing on all three accounts.

The Bottom Line: We MUST do better. Our salvation as Christians, our future as a parish, and the health of potential communicants DEPEND on it. Some things are out of our control, but we can control many things. This talk provides an Orthodox approach to Church Growth, but it is not abstract theology. I will offer specific things that will improve our lives as individual Christians and as a parish. Following them (which is to say, following Christ) will ensure that we are not “spit out” and (less importantly) contribute to parish growth.

A Caveat: there are circumstances when even parishes that are on fire for the Lord will decrease in size. The most obvious is during times of persecution. In such times, being on fire can actually cause the parish to decrease in size. But this shows a clear lesson: our goal is NOT Church growth. It is following The Path that Christ has set for us. If we have Church growth as our goal, then it can actually lead us off of this Path if we are not careful! Thank God we do not live in such times. We live in times when (more often than not) righteous living is correlated with growth. Most of our parishes are not dying from persecution, but from apathy.

Setting the Stage: Why this Matters

People need Christ. They need the Truth. It is found in its fullness in the Orthodox Church.

Bringing and Keeping People Home: Tales of Conversion and their Motivations

Drawn to Beauty (St. Volodymyr)

Drawn to Authority and Authenticity (Personal Testimony)

Drawn to the Unadulterated Truth (Seekers; Sociological Findings)

We have the Truth. Attracting and keeping people does not require us to change who we are, but rather to become more of who we already are as Orthodox Christians

Practical Tips:

Worship in beauty. Parish upkeep. Music. Chanting.

Submit and witness to authority. This includes priests and bishops.

Share the fullness of the Truth. In ALL aspects of your life. Relations, money, entertainment.

Most of all, witness in love. Think of Christ’s testimony on love (Toward the stranger, the hungry, he thirsty, those in prison, the children, the undesirables, and towards his chosen people.)

The Reward of the Complete Embrace.

We are talking about the most important thing you can control: your own salvation. Through it, the world changes (not just in outlook, but ontologically).

Question and Answer

Benediction