On Homosexual Unions: The Official Orthodox Christian Response in North America

SCOBA: The Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas

8 East 79th Street,

New York, NY 10021

August 27, 2003

SCOBA STATEMENT ON MORAL CRISIS IN OUR NATION

As members of the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), representing more than 5 million Orthodox Christians in the United States, Canada and Mexico, we are deeply concerned about recent developments regarding "same sex unions."

The Orthodox Christian teaching on marriage and sexuality, firmly grounded in Holy Scripture, 2000 years of church tradition, and canon law, holds that marriage consists in the conjugal union of a man and a woman, and that authentic marriage is blessed by God as a sacrament of the Church. Neither Scripture nor Holy Tradition blesses or sanctions such a union between persons of the same sex.

Holy Scripture attests that God creates man and woman in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27-31), that those called to do so might enjoy a conjugal union that ideally leads to procreation. While not every marriage is blessed with the birth of children, every such union exists to create of a man and a woman a new reality of "one flesh." This can only involve a relationship based on gender complementation. "God made them male and female… So they are no longer two but one flesh" (Mark 10:6-8).

The union between a man and a woman in the Sacrament of Marriage reflects the union between Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:21-33). As such, marriage is necessarily monogamous and heterosexual. Within this union, sexual relations between a husband and wife are to be cherished and protected as a sacred expression of their love that has been blessed by God. Such was God’s plan for His human creatures from the very beginning. Today, however, this divine purpose is increasingly questioned, challenged or denied, even within some faith communities, as social and political pressures work to normalize, legalize and even sanctify same-sex unions.

The Orthodox Church cannot and will not bless same-sex unions. Whereas marriage between a man and a woman is a sacred institution ordained by God, homosexual union is not. Like adultery and fornication, homosexual acts are condemned by Scripture (Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:10; 1 Timothy 1:10). This being said, however, we must stress that persons with a homosexual orientation are to be cared for with the same mercy and love that is bestowed by our Lord Jesus Christ upon all of humanity. All persons are called by God to grow spiritually and morally toward holiness.

As heads of the Orthodox Churches in America and members of SCOBA, we speak with one voice in expressing our deep concern over recent developments. And we pray fervently that our nation will honor and preserve the traditional form of marriage as an enduring and committed union only between a man and a woman.

+Archbishop DEMETRIOS, Chairman

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

+Metropolitan PHILIP, Vice Chairman

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

+Metropolitan HERMAN

Orthodox Church in America

  

+Archbishop NICOLAE

Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada

  

+Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER, Secretary

Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada

  

+Metropolitan JOSEPH

Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church

  

+Metropolitan NICHOLAS of Amissos,

American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese in the USA

  

+Metropolitan CONSTANTINE

Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA

  

+Bishop ILIA of Philomelion

Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America

Notes on the Epistle Reading for the Feast of the Nativity of the Forerunner

THE NATIVITY OF THE HONORABLE AND GLORIOUS PROPHET, FORERUNNER AND BAPTIST JOHN

THE PROKEIMENON
(IN TONE VII, PSALM 63:10, 1)
The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord: Hearken unto my voice, O God!

THE EPISTLE READING
(ROMANS 13:11b-14; 14:1-4)
BRETHREN, now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand.  Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.  Let us walk becomingly, as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in chambering and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts.

But as for the one who is weak in faith, receive him, but not for disputes over opinions.  For one believes he may eat anything; but the weak person eats herbs.  Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.  Who are you to be the judge over the servant of a stranger? To his own master he either stands or falls; but he will be made to stand; for God is able to make him stand.

THE ALLELUIA VERSES
(IN TONE I, ST. LUKE 1:68, 76)
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel: And thou, O little child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Most High!

The Prokeimenon of the Epistle sets the stage for our Saint John the Forerunner with two key words, namely, the title of righteous and the noun voice. Righteousness is the title which we, the Church, render for the Forerunner. The classic Troparion of our Saint begins with the words: "The memory of the righteous is celebrated with songs of praise, but as for thee, O Forerunner, the testimony of the Lord sufficeth..." Righteousness/δικαιοσύνη/البر would have been almost extinct in the Old Dispensation, had it not been for a select few, such as (and especially) Abraham, who "believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Yet Abraham, as the Great Apostle remarks in his Galatian Epistle, was before the Law/Νόμος/الناموس was given through Moses. The Law, as the Great Apostle again states in his Roman correspondence, is "Good and perfect" therefore no mortal, no human being, could be deemed righteous concerning the Law (the Great Apostle considers himself, concerning the law, blameless, not righteous, as per his Philippian Epistle). Thus, for the first time since the giving of the Law, in the Sacred Scriptures, we encounter someone righteous in the person of the Forerunner. Keep in mind that the Forerunner is still considered as belonging to the Old Dispensation due to his martyrdom before the completion of the Work of Christ. Thus righteousness in the Old Dispensation, apart from the Law, is almost exclusively circumscribed at both chronological ends with Abraham, before the Law's giving, and the Forerunner, after its giving. Finally, the classic Alleluia Verse for the Epistle Readings for the Forerunner, from Psalms, reads: "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, and like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow." As for the word voice, this is the title which our Saint chose to call himeslf! When asked of his identity, he replied (John 1:23): "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord."

The Alleluia verse for this feast's epistle reading is from the Song of Zacharias the Priest, the father of the Forerunner, as recorded by the Holy Evangelist Luke. Why is the Lord, the God of Israel, blessed? Because "He has visited and redeemed his people" as the verse continues. Because He is the Redeemer known to the community of the Scripture, who did redeem and will redeem, thus His function. The role of Redeemer is the subject, and the people are (nothing but) the object. The action of visiting/פָּקַד/الإفتقاد is significant in many Old Dispensation accounts, especially with Sarah, the true wife of Abraham (again?): "Now the Lord visited Sarah as He said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken" (Genesis 21:1). The English language is lacking when compared to the Biblical Semitic and Greek; it cannot at times express and render the true meaning of the word. To visit in Semitic ( פָּקַד/الإفتقاد ) does not mean as it would in our modern cultural context, such as "visit for a cup of coffee" and so on. Two Actions must precede the resultant Third: First, there must be a yearning, then, there must be a seeking out, then, at last, there is the visitation. This, in essence, is what the Semitic term of visitation implies. Thus, a correct reading would be: "... For [the Lord] has yearned for, sought out, and (finally) visited, and redeemed His people." Only by reading it thusly we can understand the text, and thereby understand the function of the Visiting Redeemer.

In the second portion of the Alleluia verse, the Priest Zacharias calls his future son "the Prophet of the Most High." What kind of a Prophet would John be, or more correctly, what is the true function of a Prophet? The verse continues: "For [John] will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways." To go before/προ-πορευση literally means to fore-run, hence his function, Saint John the Forerunner. Every true Prophet is a forerunner of the One-to-Come, with Saint John being the foremost among the Prophets, having immediately preceded the Work of Christ, he thus becomes the Archetypal Forerunner.

The Epistle Reading for the Feast is none other than that which is set for Forgiveness Sunday (Cheese-fare Sunday, the Day before Great Lent begins). Within the context of the Feast of the Nativity of the Forerunner, and apart from the context of Great Lent, it speaks of the character and person of the Forerunner. Its speaks plainly of his function, mission, and person: He is clad with the armor of light; he is not a drunkard; he made no provisions for his flesh; he fasted from meats all his life; and so on.

As we examine the (whole) Epistle Reading of the Feast of the Nativity of the Forerunner, with its preceding and anteceding verses (i.e. the Prokeimenon & the Alleluia verses), we can learn much about the special position which Saint John the Forerunner holds. We can understand his importance to both, the faith and the liturgical life of the Church. Apart from the Lord Jesus and His Mother, the Theotokos, he is the only saint which is celebrated six times in the Orthodox Liturgical Calendar (in the Russian Orthodox Church, seven times).

Troparion of the Nativity of the Forerunner
Prophet and Forerunner of the coming of Christ, although we cannot praise thee worthily, we honor thee in love at thy nativity, for by it thou didst end thy father's silence and thy mother's barrenness, proclaiming to the world the incarnation of the Son of God.

Wherefore, O Saint John, the Righteous, the Voice, and the Forerunner of the Lord, intercede for us sinners. Amen.

Lectionary Reading courtesy of: The Book of the Epistles ©2010 Self-Ruled Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, Fr. Charles Baz, Ed.

Sunday of All Saints: Who are the Saints?

Each year, on the First Sunday after Pentecost—the Sunday on which the Holy Spirit descended on the Disciples in Jerusalem—the Church commemorates All the Saints who lived in the past, at present, and in the future, hence it calls it the Sunday of All Saints. The word “Catholic” is Greek in origin and is composed of two parts, which literally mean “according (to the) whole”. In simple terms, the word Catholic means “the same (thing) in all times and at all places.” Thus, this feast, the Feast of All Saints, is “Catholic” in every sense of the word, in that on this day we commemorate “all the Saints of the Church, in all times and at all places.” It is a universal feast for all the Saints! Originally, the Church commemorated All the Martyr Saints on this day, because martyrdom was the norm in the Early Church, and eventually this day evolved to include All Saints, whether they died in martyrdom or not. Nonetheless, the word “Martyr” in Greek and Arabic has a double-meaning: Martyr-(&/or)-Witness. The Saints, thus, are all “witnesses” to God’s Holiness.

Who are the Saints? This is a question that begs our attention. Quite often we hear the complaint, or rather, the excuse, from someone saying something to the effect of: “I am unworthy to be a Saint.” This is an escapist attitude concerning our calling. We are all called to be saints, without any distinction! The Saints, after all, were real men and women, with similar challenges and opportunities, similar weaknesses and strengths, and, they were similar to us in every way including sin. The Church sings, quite often on every Sunday Matins Service: “Holy is the Lord our God.” This verse, which is from Psalms, explains everything we need to know about Sainthood: God is the source of the Saints’ holiness, and, He is our Lord and Holy at the same time.

The Saints, as always, are and were a part of the Church.  There never were any Saints-at-Large, meaning, there never was any person canonized a Saint without his or her express Communion with the Church. This is the primary function of the Church, in which God’s Holiness is revealed, and our calling is made real. Each day we sink into sin we make ourselves less worthy and worse yet, we give more room for the Devil. Each day we do not realize our call to be Saints, we lose an opportunity. The Saints, on the other hand, who are also our examples—with the Lord Jesus Christ being the Example of All—strove to resist sin in diverse ways.

We may complain that it is too hard for us to resist evil in our day, yet the Saints resisted evil to the point of death, without being ashamed. We may make excuses by justifying how (badly) we lead our lives, yet we seem to forget that many of the Saints were harlots, murderers, thieves, robbers, and every imaginable evil character that exists. They were despised by the world, or rather as St. Paul put it “of whom the world was not worthy” (Hebrews 11:38). This is the main element to resisting evil, which mainly lies in despising the evil in the world. The longer we grow attached to the world, to its vain possessions, to its mortal pleasures, the more we make “excuses” to our call for Sainthood. Let us, on this great Sunday of All Saints, realize our true calling, making every effort to make it real in the Church, and best of all, let us not make excuses.

ORTHODOX CHURCH ETIQUETTE

Standing vs. Sitting

The traditional posture for prayer and worship in the Orthodox Church has been to stand. In the Orthodox “old countries,” there are usually no pews in the churches. Chairs or benches on the side walls are usually reserved for the elderly and infirm. In North America, we have tended to build our churches with pews, and since we have them, we need to figure out when we may sit and when we should stand. When should you definitely stand? First of all, it is fully acceptable (even preferable) to stand for the entire service. But always during the Gospel reading, the Little and Great Entrances, the Anaphora, the distribution of Holy Communion, whenever the priest gives a blessing, and the Dismissal. It is never wrong to stand in church.

Lighting Candles

Lighting candles is an important part of Orthodox worship. We light them as we pray, making an offering to accompany our prayers. Orthodox typically light candles when coming into the church, and that is usually the best time to light them, but there are times when candles should not be lit. It is not proper to light candles during the Epistle or Gospel readings, during the Little or Great Entrances, and during the sermon.

Entering the Church (Late)

Ideally, the time to arrive at church is before the service starts, but for some unknown reason, it has become the custom, or rather the bad habit, for some to come to church late. If you arrive after the Divine Liturgy begins, try to enter the church quietly, and observe what is happening. If the Epistle or Gospel is being read, or the Little or Great Entrance is taking place, or if the Celebrant is giving the sermon, stay in the back until it is concluded. Try not to interrupt the Liturgy with your entrance. By the way, the best way to avoid this problem is to arrive on time, and then you don’t have to wonder if it’s okay to come in or not. People who come late to the Liturgy should not partake of the Eucharist!

Crossing Those Legs?

In some Orthodox cultures, crossing one’s legs is taboo and considered to be very disrespectful. In our North American culture, while there are no real taboos concerning crossing one’s legs, we tend to cross our legs to get comfortable while sitting. Should we cross our legs in church? No! Not because it is wrong to ever cross legs, but rather because it is too casual, and too relaxed, for being in church. Just think about it, when you get settled in your favorite chair at home, you lean back, cross your legs, and then your mind can wander anywhere it wants. Remember that sitting in church is a concession, not the normative way of prayer. You do not want to get too relaxed and let your mind wander. In fact, when you do sit in church, you should sit attentively, and not too comfortably. When sitting in church, keep those feet on the floor, ready to stand at attention (which is what Let us attend means). Cross yourself with your fingers and hand, but don’t cross your legs!

In and Out

On some Sundays, it seems like we have a revolving door in the back of the church, and it is used by both children and adults. Use the restroom before coming to church. You shouldn’t need to get a drink of water during the service. Come to pray. Taking restless little ones out is a different matter. If a child is disruptive, take him/her quickly and quietly out of church, just long enough to settle him/her down, then return to the Liturgy. Follow the rules for entering late: not during readings, sermons, or Entrances.

Leaving Before Dismissal

Leaving church before the Dismissal, besides being rude, deprives us of a blessing. Worship has a beginning (Blessed is the Kingdom…) and an end (Let us go forth in peace…). To leave immediately after Communion is to treat church like a fast food restaurant where we come and go as we please. We live in a fast-paced world where we seem to be hurrying from place to place. But in God’s presence, we need to make every attempt to fight this pressure to move on to the next thing on the day’s agenda. We deprive ourselves of blessings by not being still and participating in God’s holiness. Stay in church and thank God for his precious gifts.

Lipstick

Have you ever looked at an icon in just the right light and seen the lip prints all over it? It’s disgusting, isn’t it? In fact, it’s downright gross. Lipstick may look fine on lips, but it looks horrible on icons and crosses. Icons have been ruined by lipstick; and even though the cross can usually be cleaned after everyone venerates it, it just isn’t considerate to others to impose your lipstick on them. What is the answer? If you insist on wearing lipstick to church, blot your lips well before venerating an icon or kissing the cross; even better, wait until after church to put it on. After all, God is not impressed with how attractive you look externally, your makeup or clothing, but how attractive you are internally, your adornment with good works and piety.

Talking During Church

Isn’t it great to come to church and see friends and family members? But wait until after the service is over to talk to them. It just is not appropriate to greet people and have a conversation with them during the services. Besides being disrespectful towards God, it is rude towards the other people in the church who are trying to worship. Talk to God while in church through your prayers, hymns, and thanksgiving, and to your friends in the hall afterwards.

Sunday Dress

Remember the time when people put on their “Sunday best” to go to church? In fact, dress clothes were often referred to as Sunday clothes. In some parts of the country, this is not common today. In fact, all too often, dress in church has become too casual. In all areas of our lives, we should offer Christ our best. And the same is true of our dress. We should offer Christ our “Sunday best,” not our everyday or common wear. And we should dress modestly, not in a flashy way that would bring attention to ourselves. Our dress should always be becoming of a Christian, especially at church. Here are some specific guidelines we use in our parishes:

Children

Again, our Sunday best!

Women

Dresses should be modest. No tank tops or dresses with only straps at the shoulders, no short skirts (mini-skirts), and no skintight dresses. Dresses should have backs and not be cut low in the front.

Men

Men should also dress modestly. While coat and tie are not mandatory, shirts should have collars and be buttoned - two or three buttons undone is inappropriate. Slacks should be cleaned and pressed. Jeans (of any color) are usually too casual for church, especially ones with patches or holes. If you’re going somewhere after church where you need to dress casually, bring a change of clothing with you and change after service. Remember: Use your best judgment and good taste when dressing for church. After all, you do not go to be seen by everyone else, you go to meet and worship God.

To Cross or Not To Cross

Anyone who has looked around on a Sunday morning will notice that different people cross themselves at different times (and sometimes in different ways). To a certain extent, when to cross oneself is according to personal piety and not an issue of doctrine. But there are times when it is specifically proper to cross yourself and times when you should not. Here is a brief list of when to cross and when not to cross:

Cross

When you hear one of the variations of the phrase, “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”; at the beginning and end of the liturgical service or your private prayers; entering or exiting the church, or when passing in front of the Holy Altar; before venerating in icon, the cross, or Gospel book.

Do not Cross

At the chalice before or after taking Communion (because you might hit the chalice with your hand); when the Priest or Bishop blesses saying, “Peace be to all,” bow slightly and receive the blessing.

Handling the Blessed Bread

After taking Holy Communion and at the end of the liturgy, it is traditional to eat a piece of blessed bread (called Antidoron in Greek, which means “instead of the Gifts”, the Gifts being those which we receive during Holy Communion). The Antidoron is the bread which was left over after Holy Communion. While the Antidoron is not Holy Communion, it is blessed bread and as such, should be eaten carefully and respectfully, not tossed in the garbage or thrown all over. Monitor your children as they take the Antidoron and teach them to eat it respectfully.

What does Pentecost mean to us?

From a historical/ecclesiological/liturgical perspective, Pentecost, without a doubt, is the Birthday of the Church: Historically, because the Church was founded on this day, ten days after the Ascension of her Lord into Heaven, and on the fiftieth day of His Resurrection from the dead. Ecclesiologically, because simply put, there would be no "church" had there not been Pentecost, the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Promise of the Father, sent by the Son, and, proceeding from the Father "through" (not, "and") the Son. Liturgically, because the annual Weekly and Sunday cycles of Lectionary Readings, are launched with respect to Pentecost (e.g. Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, or, Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week after Pentecost, and so on).

The historical significance, that of typology and allegory, when compared to the Old Testament, cannot be undermined. In the Old Dispensation, after that the Lord, with a Mighty Hand through Moses His Prophet, had delivered the captive Hebrews from bondage, vis-a-vis the Mosaic Passover, the Giving of the Law was inevitably next, and liturgically in the Hebrew tradition it came to be commemorated as the most sacred event, which occurred not in the Land of Promise, but, in the wilderness of Sinai. Typologically, because the Giving of the Law in the Old Dispensation was a Type, to be fulfilled with the Law of the Spirit, in the New Dispensation. Allegorically, from the Greek "allos" which points to "the other", because the written code, the Law, could not be interpreted without the Spirit.

When reading the account of the Day of Pentecost, in the New Testament, some can be tempted to limit their understanding of the event to what is contained in chapter 2 of the Acts of the Holy Apostles. Lightly interpreted, most associate the event with that of "speaking with tongues" and hence the variant and loose interpretations. The Kontakion of Pentecost reasserts the typological/allegorical element of the Feast:

"When the High One descended, confusing the tongues, He divided the nations. And when He distributed the fiery tongues, He called all into unity. Wherefore, in unison, we glorify the Most Holy Spirit."

It is clearly evident that there is a compare/contrast scheme here: In the Old Dispensation, the Descent of the Spirit upon the Tower of Babylon intended to scatter the Nations into disunity, whereas, in the New Dispensation, the role is reversed, thereby calling all into unity. It is a role-reversal, if you wish, under different circumstances and contexts, in simple terms.

The question in the title begs us to pause for one moment, and ask ourselves: What does Pentecost mean to us? It is a valid question which demands an answer. For those of us baptized Orthodox, the quickest answer that comes to mind is our Orthodox Baptism, pointing to when we were chrismated with Holy Chrism; for converts, the Sacrament of Chrismation. Whether viewed ecclesiologically or personally, we are tempted to point to historical sources: In the case of the Church, it was founded on the First Pentecost; in our case, it was on our Baptism/Chrismation. This is a serious temptation which locks us in the past; it renders our faith static.

But our faith is dynamic, and could not be static. It has to be in order for it to be real, changing our lives daily, and helping us and others as we mature spiritually. We have to hold true the fact that we cannot accomplish anything on our own. Before Pentecost, the Apostles were powerless and cowardly, yet after Pentecost, they were filled with power and courage. Before Pentecost, they were simple fishermen, but after Pentecost they became spiritual orators. Before Pentecost, the Church consisted of merely 120 people, but after the Descent of the Holy Spirit "three thousand souls were added to the Church." Pentecost changed their lives, and it ought to do the same for us.

During the Divine Liturgy, when the faithful are in church, many fail to pay attention to the prayer of the Consecration of the Gifts, uttered by the Celebrant: "Wherefore, O Master, send down Thy Holy Spirit upon us, and upon these gifts here spread forth, and make this Bread the Precious Body of Thy Christ, Amen, and that which is in this Cup the Precious Blood of Thy Christ, Amen, changing them by Thy Holy Spirit, Amen, Amen, Amen." Many fail to see that in this most illustrious moment of the Eucharist, we experience a Pentecost!

The Liturgy of the Faithful (Holy Communion) is preceded by the Liturgy of the Word: We are "fed" the Word before we are fed the Gifts. The two liturgies are inseparable, for together they constitute the Divine Liturgy. Some of the faithful (I have seen it in several parishes) may get upset whenever their Priest requires them to be early in attendance in order to be worthy to receive Holy Communion, but there is no reason to be upset. The Priest, in other words, is instructing the flock that they must be a part of the Liturgy of the Word, not only the Liturgy of the Faithful, therefore, they should not be late. The Disciples were fed the Word, from the Living Word Himself for Three Years, prior to being fed His Body and Blood.

In answer to the main question, I believe that only a prayerful life can lead to an ongoing personal Pentecost in each and every one of us. Even Prayer itself is useless without the Holy Spirit. One of the Matins Prayers reads: "...For we know not how we ought to pray, unless guided by Thy Holy Spirit..." A life of prayer is what invites the Holy Spirit into our lives, in a dynamic fashion. Pentecost need not be limited to a historical event, to two thousand years in the case of the Church, or to our infancy or adulthood, depending, to the time of our Chrismation. It cannot be. We cannot be upright, unless we are led by the Holy Spirit, Who is God. The Koinonikon (Communion Hymn) of Pentecost says: "Thy Good Spirit shall lead me in the land of uprightness" Psalm 142:12.

The sayings of the Holy Fathers are important, yet there is one which always resonates in our hearts and minds, from Saint Seraphim of Sarov: "The true goal of our Christian life consists of acquiring God’s Holy Spirit. Fasting and vigil, prayer, mercy, and every other good deed performed for Christ — are means for acquiring the Holy Spirit of God. Only deeds performed for Christ give us the fruit of the Holy Spirit."

Let us not limit, or reduce, Pentecost to a historical event. Graduations, Weddings, Anniversaries, Birthdays, etc. all of these are historical events. Pentecost should not be as one of these. It should be dynamic, having meaning in our daily lives. It should be, as it is, a "fire", as the Forerunner and Baptist John stated: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentence, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" Matthew 3:11. That is why the Great Apostle, in the first document of the New Testament, entreats us: "Do not quench the Spirit" I Thessalonians 5:19, because the Holy Spirit is Fire.

المَجمَعُ المَسكُونِيُّ الأَوَّلُ

للمطران جورج خضر

المَجمَعُ المَسكُونِيُّ الأَوَّلُ المَعرُوفُ بِالنِّيقَاوِي نِسبَةً إلى مدينة نِيقِيَةَ قُرب القُسطَنطِينِيَّة هُو الذي وَضَعَ القِسمَ الأَكبَرَ مِن دُستُورِ الإِيمَان. يَبدَأُ بِذِكرِ الآبِ بِقَولِهِ: "أُومِنُ بِإِلَهٍ وَاحِدٍ آبٍ..." ثُمَّ يَأتِي القِسمُ المُتَعَلِّقُ بِالإِبنِ وَأَصرَح مَا فِيهِ قَولُهُ عَنِ الإبنِ أَنَّهُ "مُسَاوٍ لِلآبِ فِي الجَوهَرِ..." وَالمِعنَى أَنَّهُ لَهُ الجَوهَرُ الوَاحِدُ الذِي لِلآب. ٱنعَقَدَ المَجمَعُ بِدَعوَةٍ مِن القِديسِ قُسطَنطِينَ المَلِكِ لِيَدحَضَ بِدعَةَ آرِيُوسَ الكَاهِنِ الإِسكَندَرِيِّ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ أَنَّ الإبنَ أَوَّلَ المَخلُوقَاتِ وَبِهِ خَلَقَ اللهُ المَخلُوقَاتِ الأُخرَى. فَهِمَتِ الكَنِيسَةُ مِن هَذا المَوقِفِ أَنَّ آرِيُوسَ هَدَمَ الثَّالُوثَ القُدُّوسَ بِإِنكَارِهِ أَنَّ الآبَ وَالإبنَ وَاحِدٌ وَبِأَنَّ الإبنَ أَزَلِيٌّ مَعَ الآبِ مِن حَيثُ أَنَّ كِلَيهِمَا أَزَلِيٌّ أَي إِنَّهُمَا سَابِقَانِ لِلزَّمَانِ.

ٱنتَشَرَت هَذِهِ البِدعَةُ ٱنتِشَارًا رَهِيبًا وَجَدَّدَهَا اليَومُ شُهُودُ يَهوَه. إِنَّهُم فِي الوَاقِعِ آرِيُوسِيُّونَ إِذ يُنكِرُونَ أُلُوهِيَّةَ الإبن. لِتَأكِيدِ صِحَّةَ التَّعلِيمِ الأُرثُوذُكسِيِّ المُشتَرَكِ بَينَنَا وَبَينَ المَسِيحِيِّينَ الآخَرِينَ، قَرَأَتِ الكَنِيسَةُ عَلَينَا أَوَّلاً النَّصَّ مِن أَعمَالِ الرُّسُلِ الذِي يَحتَوِي عَلَى كَلامِ بُولُسَ لِقُسُسِ أَفَسُسَ إِذ قَالَ لَهُم: "إِحذَرُوا لأَنفُسِكُم وَلِجَمِيعِ الرَّعِيَّةِ الَّتِي أََقَامَكُمُ الرُّوحُ القُدُسُ فِيهَا أَسَاقِفَةً لِتَرعَوا كَنِيسَةَ اللهِ التِي ٱقتَنَاهَا بِدَمِهِ". المِعنَى أَنَّ هَذَا الذِي سَكَبَ دَمَهُ يُسَمِّيهِ الرَّسُولُ اللهَ. لَيسَ المَسِيحُ مُجَرَّدَ بَشَرٍ وَلَكِنَّهُ إِلَهٌ وَإِنسَانٌ مَعًا. ثُمَّ قَرَأَتِ الكَنِيسَةُ القِرَاءَةَ الإِنجِيلِيَّةَ القَائِلَةَ بِأَنَّ مَعرِفَتَنَا لِلإلَهِ الحَقِيقِيِّ وَلِيَسُوعَ المَسِيحِ مَعًا تُعطِينَا حَيَاةً أَبَدِيَّةً، فَلا حَيَاةٌ لَكَ أَبَدِيَّةٌ إِلا بِمَعرِفَةِ المَسِيح. الأَمرُ الثَّانِي قَولُ السَّيِّدِ: "مَجِّدنِي يَا أَبَتِ بِالمَجدِ الَّذِي كَانَ لِي عِندَكَ قَبلَ كَونِ العَالَم". وَاضِحٌ مِن هَذَا الكَلامِ أَنَّهُ قَبلَ تَكوِينِ الكَونِ كَانَ المَسِيحُ مَوجُودًا وَلَهُ المَجد نَفسهُ الذِي لِلآب.

كُلُّ الإِيمَانِ المَسِيحِيِّ مُرتَكِزٌ عَلى أَنَّ يَسُوعَ كَانَ مَوجُودًا قَبلَ كَونِ العَالَمِ (بِلا جَسَدٍ) حَتَّى جَاءَ الزَّمَانُ لِيُكَوِّنَ لَهُ الرُّوحُ القُدُسُ جَسَدًا مِن مَريَمَ العَذرَاءِ فَصَارَ لَهُ عِندَئِذٍ طَبِيعَتَانِ، إِلَهِيَّةً (التِي كَانَت دَائِمًا)، وَبَشَرِيَّةَ التي تَكَوَّنَت بِقُوَّةِ الرُّوحِ القُدُسِ مِن أَحشَاءِ مَريَم. ثُمَّ هَذَا الإِلَهُ-الإِنسَانُ هُوَ الَّذِي صُلِبَ عَلَى الصَّلِيبِ وَبَقِيَت أُلُوهِيَّتُهُ كَامِلَةً عَلَى الخَشَبَةِ وَلَكِنَّ المَوتَ لَم يُصِبهَا. مَا تَخَلَّى إِذًا يَسُوعُ عَن بَشَرِيَّتِهِ وَلا مَحَى أُلُوهِيَّتَهُ. بَقِيَتَا مُتَّحِدَتَينِ فِي المَوتِ وَفِي القَبرِ وَقَامَ جَسَدُهُ مِنَ المَوتِ الَّذِي لَم يُصِب أُلُوهِيَّتَهُ. نَحنُ نَعبُدُ إِلَهًا فِي الجَسَدِ وَنَعبُدُهُ حُرًّا بَينَ الأَموَاتِ غَيرَ خَاضِعٍ لِنَامُوسِ المَوتِ وَالنَّتَانَة. وَنَحنُ نَعبُدُ مَعَهُ الآبَ وَالرُّوحَ القُدُسَ، وَلا نَعبُدُ القِدِّيسِينَ وَلَكِنَّا نُكَرِّمُهُم تَكرِيمًا. وَنَحيَا مُتَّحِدِينَ بِيَسُوعَ وَنَأخُذُ مِنهُ كُلَّ نِعمَةٍ وَكُلَّ قَدَاسَةٍ.

المَسِيحُ صَارَ إِنسَانًا بِمَشِيئَةِ الثَّالُوثِ وَبَقِيَ عَلى هَذِهِ الأَرضِ مُتَّحِدًا بِالأُقنُومِ الأَوَّلِ أَيِ الآب وَالأُقنُومِ الثَّانِي (أَيِ الرُّوح القُدُس) فِي كُلِّ لَحظَةٍ عَاشَهَا عَلَى الأَرضِ غَيرَ مُنفَصِلٍ عَنهُمَا وَلَهُ مَعَهُمَا المَجدَ وَالإِكرَامَ وَالسُّجُود.

The Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ

"AND ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN...."

By Fr. Georges Florovsky, D.D.

Originally published in St Vladimir's Seminary Quarterly, Vol. 2 # 3, 1954

“I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God, and Your God” (John 20:17).

In these words the Risen Christ described to Mary Magdalene the mystery of His Resurrection. She had to carry this mysterious message to His disciples, “as they mourned and wept” (Mark 16:10). The disciples listened to these glad tidings with fear and amazement, with doubt and mistrust. It was not Thomas alone who doubted among the Eleven. On the contrary, it appears that only one of the Eleven did not doubt - St John, the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” He alone grasped the mystery of the empty tomb at once: “and he saw, and believed” (John 20:8). Even Peter left the sepulcher in amazement, “wondering at that which was come to pass” (Luke 24:12).

The disciples did not expect the Resurrection. The women did not, either. They were quite certain that Jesus was dead and rested in the grave, and they went to the place “where He was laid,” with the spices they had prepared, “that they might come and anoint Him.” They had but one thought: “Who shall roll away the stone from the door of the sepulcher for us?” (Mark 16:1-3; Luke 24:1). And therefore, on not finding the body, Mary Magdalene was sorrowful and complained: “They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him” (John 20:13). On hearing the good news from the angel, the women fled from the sepulcher in fear and trembling: “Neither said they anything to any man, for they were afraid” (Mark 16:8). And when they spoke no one believed them, in the same way as no one ‘had believed Mary,’ who saw the Lord, or the disciples as they walked on their way into the country, (Mark 16:13), and who recognized Him in the breaking of bread. "And afterward He appeared unto the Eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them who had seen Him after He was risen' (Mark 16:10-14).

From whence comes this “hardness of heart” and hesitation? Why were their eyes so “holden,” why were the disciples so much afraid of the news, and why did the Easter joy so slowly, and with such difficulty, enter the Apostles' hearts? Did not they, who were with Him from the beginning, “from the baptism of John,” see all the signs of power which He performed before the face of the whole people? The lame walked, the blind saw, the dead were raised, and all infirmities were healed. Did they not behold, only a week earlier, how He raised by His word Lazarus from the dead, who had already been in the grave for four days? Why then was it so strange to them that the Master had arisen Himself? How was it that they came to forget that which the Lord used to tell them on many occasions, that after suffering and death He would arise on the third day?

The mystery of the Apostles' “unbelief” is partly disclosed in the narrative of the Gospel: “But we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel,” with disillusionment and complaint said the two disciples to their mysterious Companion on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:21). They meant: He was betrayed, condemned to death and crucified. The news of the Resurrection brought by the women only “astonished” them. They still wait for an earthly triumph, for an external victory. The same temptation possesses their hearts, which first prevented them from accepting "the preaching of the Cross" and made them argue every time the Savior tried to reveal His mystery to them. “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26). It was still difficult to understand this.

He had the power to arise, why did He allow what that had happened to take place at all? Why did He take upon Himself disgrace, blasphemy and wounds? In the eyes of all Jerusalem, amidst the vast crowds assembled for the Great Feast, He was condemned and suffered a shameful death. And now He enters not into the Holy City, neither to the people which beheld His shame and death, nor to the High Priests and elders, nor to Pilate - so that He might make their crime obvious and smite their pride. Instead, He sends His disciples away to remote Galilee and appears to them there. Even much earlier the disciples wondered, “How is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world?” (John 14:22). Their wonder continues, and even on the day of His glorious Ascension the Apostles question the Lord, “Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). They still did not comprehend the meaning of His Resurrection; they did not understand what it meant that He was “ascending” to the Father. Their eyes were opened but later, when “the promise of the Father” had been fulfilled.

In the Ascension resides the meaning and the fullness of Christ's Resurrection.

The Lord did not rise in order to return again to the fleshly order of life, so as to live again and commune with the disciples and the multitudes by means of preaching and miracles. Now he does not even stay with them, but only “appears” to them during the forty days, from time to time, and always in a miraculous and mysterious manner. “He was not always with them now, as He was before the Resurrection,” comments St John Chrysostom. “He came and again disappeared, thus leading them on to higher conceptions. He no longer permitted them to continue in their former relationship toward Him, but took effectual measures to secure these two objects: That the fact of His Resurrection should be believed, and that He Himself should be ever after apprehended to be greater than man.” There was something new and unusual in His person (cf. John 21:1-14). As St John Chrysostom says, “It was not an open presence, but a certain testimony of the fact that He was present.” That is why the disciples were confused and frightened. Christ arose not in the same way as those who were restored to life before Him. Theirs was a resurrection for a time, and they returned to life in the same body, which was subject to death and corruption - returned to the previous mode of life. But Christ arose forever, unto eternity. He arose in a body of glory, immortal and incorruptible. He arose, never to die, for “He clothed the mortal in the splendor of incorruption” (cf. Canon of Pascha). His glorified Body was already exempt from the fleshly order of existence. “It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body” (I Corinthians 15:42-44). This mysterious transformation of human bodies, of which St Paul was speaking in the case of our Lord, had been accomplished in three days. Christ's work on earth was accomplished. He had suffered, was dead and buried, and now rose to a higher mode of existence. By His Resurrection He abolished and destroyed death, abolished the law of corruption, “and raised with Himself the whole race of Adam.” Christ has risen, and now “no dead are left in the grave” (cf. The Paschal Homily of St John Chrysostom). And now He ascends to the Father, yet He does not “go away,” but abides with the faithful for ever (cf. Kontakion of Ascension), for He raises the very earth with Him to heaven, and even higher than any heaven. God's power, in the phrase of St John Chrysostom, “manifests itself not only in the Resurrection, but in something much stronger.” For “He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).

And with Christ, man's nature ascends also.

“We who seemed unworthy of the earth, are now raised to heaven,” says St John Chrysostom. “We who were unworthy of earthly dominion have been raised to the Kingdom on high, have ascended higher than heaven, have come to occupy the King's throne, and the same nature from which the angels guarded Paradise, stopped not until it ascended to the throne of the Lord.” By His Ascension the Lord not only opened to man the entrance to heaven, not only appeared before the face of God on our behalf and for our sake, but likewise “transferred man” to the high places. “He honored those whom He loved by putting them close to the Father.” God quickened and raised us together with Christ, as St Paul says, “and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). Heaven received the inhabitants of the earth. “The First fruits of them that slept” sits now on high, and in Him all creation is summed up and bound together. “The earth rejoices in mystery, and the heavens are filled with joy.”

“The terrible ascent...” Terror-stricken and trembling stand the angelic hosts, contemplating the Ascension of Christ. And trembling they ask each other, “What is this vision? One who is man in appearance ascends in His body higher than the heavens, as God.”

Thus the Office for the Feast of the Ascension depicts the mystery in a poetical language. As on the day of Christ's Nativity the earth was astonished on beholding God in the flesh, so now the Heavens do tremble and cry out. “The Lord of Hosts, Who reigns over all, Who is Himself the head of all, Who is preeminent in all things, Who has reinstated creation in its former order - He is the King of Glory.” And the heavenly doors are opened: “Open, O heavenly gates, and receive God in the flesh.” It is an open allusion to Psalms 24:7-10, now prophetically interpreted. “Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty...” (cf. Rush Service of Pascha). St Chrysostom says, “Now the angels have received that for which they have long waited, the archangels see that for which they have long thirsted. They have seen our nature shining on the King's throne, glistening with glory and eternal beauty. ... Therefore they descend in order to see the unusual and marvelous vision: Man appearing in heaven.”

The Ascension is the token of Pentecost, the sign of its coming, “The Lord has ascended to heaven and will send the Comforter to the world”

For the Holy Spirit was not yet in the world, until Jesus was glorified! And the Lord Himself told the disciples, “If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you” (John 16:7). The gifts of the Spirit are “gifts of reconciliation,” a seal of an accomplished salvation and of the ultimate reunion of the world with God. And this was accomplished only in the Ascension. “And one saw miracles follow miracles,” says St John Chrysostom, “ten days prior to this our nature ascended to the King's throne, while today the Holy Ghost has descended on to our nature.” The joy of the Ascension lies in the ‘promise of the Spirit.’ “Thou didst give joy to Thy disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit” (cf. Troparion of the Feast). The victory of Christ is wrought in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

“On high is His body, here below with us is His Spirit. And so we have His token on high, that is His body, which He received from us, and here below we have His Spirit with us. Heaven received the Holy Body, and the earth accepted the Holy Spirit. Christ came and sent the Spirit. He ascended, and with Him our body ascended also” (St John Chrysostom). The revelation of the Holy Trinity was completed. Now the Spirit Comforter is poured forth on all flesh. “Hence comes foreknowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of what is hidden, distribution of good gifts, the heavenly citizenship, a place in the chorus of angels, joy without end, abiding in God, the being made like to God, and, highest of all, ,the being made God!” (St Basil the Great - On the Holy Spirit, IX). Beginning with the Apostles, and through communion with them - by an unbroken succession - Grace is spread to all believers. Through renewal and glorification in the Ascended Christ, man's nature became receptive of the spirit. “And unto the world He gives quickening forces through His human body,” says Bishop Theophanes. “He holds it completely in Himself and penetrates it with His strength, out of Himself; and He likewise draws the angels to Himself through the spirit of man, giving them space for action and thus making them blessed.” All this is done through the Church, which is “the Body of Christ;” that is, His “fullness” (Ephesians 1:23). “The Church is the fulfillment of Christ,” continues Bishop Theophanes, “perhaps in the same way as the tree is the fulfillment of the seed. That which is contained in the seed in a contracted form receives its development in the tree.”

The very existence of the Church is the fruit of the Ascension. It is in the Church that man's nature is truly ascended to the Divine heights. “And He gave Him to be Head over all things” (Ephesians 1:22). St John Chrysostom comments: “Amazing! Look again; whither He has raised the Church. As though He were lifting it up by some engine, He has raised it up to a vast height, and set it on yonder throne; for where the Head is, there is the body also. There is no interval of separation between the Head and the body; for were there a separation, then would the one no longer be a body, nor would the other any longer be a Head.” The whole race of men is to follow Christ, even in His ultimate exaltation, “to follow in His train.” Within the Church, through an acquisition of the Spirit in the communion of Sacraments, the Ascension continues still, and will continue until the measure is full. “Only then shall the Head be filled up, when the body is rendered perfect, when we are knit together and united,” concludes St John Chrysostom.

The Ascension is a sign and token of the Second Coming: “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

The mystery of God's Providence will be accomplished in the Return of the Risen Lord. In the fulfillment of time, Christ's kingly power will be revealed and spread over the whole of faithful mankind. Christ bequeaths the Kingdom to the whole of the faithful. “And I appoint unto you a Kingdom as My Father has appointed unto me. That ye may eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29-30). Those who followed Him faithfully will sit with Him on their thrones on the day of His coming. “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne” (Revelation 3:21). Salvation will be consummated in the Glory. “Conceive to yourself the throne, the royal throne; conceive the immensity of the privilege. This, at least if we chose, might more avail to startle us, yea, even than hell itself” (St John Chrysostom).

We should tremble more at the thought of that abundant Glory which is appointed unto the redeemed, than at the thought of the eternal darkness. “Think near Whom Thy Head is seated...” Or rather, Who is the Head. In very truth, “wondrous and terrible is Thy divine ascension from the mountain, 0 Giver of Life.” A terrible and wondrous height is the King's throne. In face of this height all flesh stands silent, in awe and trembling. “He has Himself descended to the lowest depths of humiliation, and raised up man to the height of exaltation.”

What then should we do? “If thou art the body of Christ, bear the Cross, for He bore it” (St John Chrysostom). “With the power of Thy Cross, Oh Christ, establish my thoughts, so that I may sing and glorify Thy saving Ascension” (cf. Canon of the Ascension).