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Virtual Parish
Pray for us here at Saint Philaret's House in Roslindale, Massachusetts U.S.A.
Unworthy,
Priestmonk Theodore & mga
And He became to them deliverance
out of all their affliction:
not an ambassador, nor an angel,
but the Lord Himself saved them,
because He loved them and spared them:
He Himself redeemed them and took them up,
and lifted them up for all the days of eternity.
Esaias 63 vs. 8, 9 (LXX)
O Saviour Save us.
Hieromartyr Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons
Against Knowledge Falsely So-called.
Martyred A.D. 202
For the glory of God is a living man;
and the life of man consists in beholding God.
Book 4:20.7 (Harvey p. 444)
and hear His word and from the hearing of His discourse be glorified
to such an extent that others cannot behold the glory of his countenance, as was said by Daniel:
“Those who do understand, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament,
and many of the righteous as the stars for ever and ever.”
Book 4:26.1 (Harvey p. 461, 2)
Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene save us.
Sunday of Thomas
Matinal Doxasticon
First Tone
As the disciples were going to the mountain, the Lord came to them that He might ascend on high from lowly things, and they worshipped Him, and learned from Him of the power given to Him in every place. And they were sent to every land under heaven to preach the Resurrection from the dead, and the translation to Heaven; He promised them, not lying, that He would be with them forever; for He is Christ God, the Saviour of our souls.
Saint Thomas save us.
SUNDAY OF THE MYRRH-BEARERS
Anatolian Stichera
VERILY, O ye lawless, when ye sealed the stone ye deemed us worthy of a greater miracle. The guards have knowledge of this, and they said: Today He came forth from the tomb. And ye said unto them: Say that while ye were sleeping, the disciples came and stole Him. And who would steal a dead man, especially one naked? He is risen by His own power as God, and hath abandoned His funeral shrouds in the grave. Come behold, O ye Jews, how He that trampled on death brake not the seals; and He doth grant unto the race of men life unending and great mercy.
Holy Myrrh-bearers save us.
SUNDAY OF THE PARALYTIC
Great Vespers
Glory; both now. Plagal of First Tone.
At the Sheep’s Pool, a man lay in illness;
and on seeing Thee, O Lord, he cried:
I have no man that, when the water
is troubled, he might put me therein.
But when I go, another proceedeth me
and receiveth the healing,
and I lie in illness.
And straightway, taking compassion on him,
the Saviour saith unto him:
For thee I became man, for thee I am clothed in flesh,
and sayest thou: I have no man?
Take up thy bed and walk. All things are possible for Thee,
all things are obedient to Thee,
all things are subject to Thee.
Remember us all and have mercy on us, O Holy One,
since Thou art the Friend of man.
O Saviour save us.
The Monks Callistus and Ignatius,
Of Xanthopoulos
Circa A.D. 1360
Directions to hesychasts, in
a hundred chapters
4. The fundamental principle of the directions
With God’s help, the fundamental principle of our directions is briefly reduced to the following proposition: it is necessary to try in all ways and with all effort to live in accordance with the laws laid down in Christ’s Divine Commandments—so that through keeping them we should once more ascend to that perfect refashioned and re-created image freely bestowed on us by the grace of the Spirit in the holy font of baptism. Or if it pleases you so to define this gift —so that, casting away the old Adam with his works and lusts, we should be clothed in a new spiritual man, which is our Lord Jesus Christ, as the divine Paul says: ‘My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you’ (Gal. 4:19); and ‘For as many of you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ’ (Gal. 3:27).
5. The glory of the grace of holy baptism, what dims and what restores it
What this grace is and how we acquire it, what dims and what purifies it, will be explained to you better than all gold by St. John Chrysostom, shining in word and soul, who says: ‘ “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image” (2 Cor. 3:18). This was more clear for believers in the times of the Apostles when miraculous gifts occurred. Still, it is not hard, even now, for a man who has the eyes of faith to understand it. When we are being baptized, our soul, purified by the Spirit, becomes brighter than the sun; not only are we then able to look at the glory of God, but we ourselves take on something of its radiance. As polished silver, illumined by the rays of the sun, radiates light not only from its own nature but also from the radiance of the sun, so a soul, purified by the Divine Spirit, becomes more brilliant than silver; it both receives the ray of Divine glory, and from itself reflects the ray of this same glory. Therefore the Apostle says: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18), that is, from the glory of the Spirit to our own glory, which fills us and which should be “even as by the Spirit of the Lord”.’
A little later he continues: ‘If you wish, I will show you this more clearly and palpably in the Apostles. Think of Paul, whose very garments had a miraculous effect. Remember Peter, whose very shadow manifested miraculous power. Had they not borne within them the image of the King of heaven and their radiance been beyond our attainment, their garments and their shadows would not have had such power: for the garment of the King is terrible even for robbers. Do you wish to see how their inner light penetrates even through their bodies? “And looking steadfastly on Stephen, they saw his face as it had been the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15). But this is as nothing compared with the glory which shone within him. For what Moses showed in his face, they carried in their souls. And much more than that, for what Moses had was more physical, whereas this was spiritual. Just as bodies which can receive and reflect light, when illumined by self-radiant bodies, themselves pour their reflected light on other bodies close to them, so it is with believers. This is why those with this experience become detached from the earthly and think only of heavenly things. —But alas! we ought to groan bitterly; for, though granted such noble rank, we do not even understand what is said about it, because we quickly lose it and incline to the sensory. This ineffable and terrible glory remains in us one or two days, after which we extinguish it, bringing in the storm of worldly affairs and their thick clouds which repulse its rays.’ ([St. John Chrysostom] Seventh discourse, on the 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians.)
In another place he says: ‘The bodies of men who have pleased God will be vested in such glory as our present eyes cannot even see. Certain signs and vague traces of this were graciously given by God both in the Old and the New Testaments. There the face of Moses shone with such glory as the eyes of the Israelites could not bear; while in the New Testament the face of Christ shone with a still greater light’ [Re: The Transfiguration of Christ Mt. 17:1-8; Mk. 9:2-10; Lk. 9:28-36, and The Menaion August 6, The Feast of the Transfiguration. Editor].
Have you heard now the words of the Spirit? Have you realized the power of this sacrament [i.e. the Baptismal mystery. Ed.]? Have you understood the travail of our complete spiritual regeneration after we leave the holy font, its fruits, its fullness and the honours of victory? Do you see how much it lies in our power to increase or to diminish this supernatural grace, that is, to show it forth or to obscure it? What obscures it is the storm of worldly cares, and the ensuing darkness of passions which attack us like a whirlwind, or a wild torrent and, flooding our soul, give it neither rest nor possibility to look at the truly good and blessed things for which it [i.e. the soul Ed.] was created. Instead, it is mauled and tortured by the waves and smoke of sensory lusts, it is plunged into darkness and dissoluteness. Conversely, grace is manifested by that which is reflected from the Divine commandments, in the souls of those who walk not in the flesh, but in the Spirit; for it is said: ‘Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh’ (Gal. 5:16). Grace leads such souls towards salvation and raises them, as by a ladder, to the very summit of perfection, to its very highest degree— love, which is God.
6. In holy baptism we freely receive Divine grace. When we cover it over with passions, we cleanse it again by obedience to commandments.
In the Divine womb, that is, in the holy font, we freely receive perfect Divine grace. If after this we cover it over with the fog of passions, either through abuse of temporal things, or through excess of cares for worldly activities, it is possible, even after this, to regain possession of it, to restore its supernatural brightness and to see quite vividly its manifestation, by repentance and the fulfilment of commandments whose action is Divine [which bear the uncreated divine energy Cf. St. Mark the Ascetic, ‘On Those Who Think that they are Made Righteous by Works’ 92].
Grace manifests [Itself, or to put it another way, God manifests Himself,] in proportion to each man’s zeal in remaining faithful to faith, but above all through the help and benevolence of our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Mark [the Ascetic] says: ‘Christ, as perfect God, gave to those baptised the perfect grace of the Holy Spirit, which receives no increase from us, but merely reveals itself and manifests in us in accordance with our keeping the commandments, and gives us increase in faith, “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).’ [Ed. At the present time, I am unable to locate this text in St. Mark the Ascetic 04/24/07.]
Therefore, whatever we may bring forth after our regeneration in Him [i.e. Holy Baptism Ed.], must previously have been concealed in us by Him and of Him.
O Saviour save us.
The Monks Callistus and Ignatius,
Of Xanthopoulos
Circa A.D. 1360
Directions to hesychasts, in
a hundred chapters
7. A man living in God should follow all the commandments, but devote the greater part of his activity to the foremost of them as the parents of the others.
As we have said, the principal and root of all activity natural to us is to live in accordance with the saving commandments, while the fruit and the end (expected from this) is to recapture the perfect grace of the Holy Spirit, granted us from the first through baptism, which still remains in us (for ‘the gifts and calling of God are without repentance’, as the Apostle says [Rom. 11:29]), although, being buried under passions, it reveals itself only through our fulfilling the commandments given by God. Therefore it behooves us to try with all zeal to fulfil all these commandments, and by this purification to reveal the grace of the Spirit existing in us, making it manifest and clearly seen. ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet’, says the blessed David to God, ‘and a light unto my path’ (Ps. 119:105 LXX), and: ‘The commandment of the Lord is far-shining, enlightening the eyes’ (Ps. 19:8 LXX), and: ‘Therefore I directed myself according to all Thy commandments’ (Ps. 118:128 LXX). He who lay on the Lord’s breast says: ‘He that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him and He in him’ (I Jn. 3:24), and: ‘And His commandments are not grievous’ (I Jn. 5:3). And the Lord Himself teaches: ‘He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him’ (Jn. 14:21), and: ‘If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love Him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with Him’ (Jn. 14:23), and: ‘He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings’ (Jn. 14:24).
Most of all is it necessary to keep the first and original commandments which are, as it were, the mothers of the rest, and to consecrate to them the greater part of one’s activity.[1] For in this way, with God’s help, we shall attain without stumbling both the aim of the right action we have undertaken in the beginning, and the end of our strivings, that is, the manifestation in us of the grace of the Holy Spirit.
[If the reader would like some help with these texts, it may help him to refer to The Conversation of Saint Seraphim with A. N. Motovilov. Thus far Saint Seraphim’s teaching parallels, for all practical purposes, Ss. Callistus and Ignatius’. The only reason for any divergence between the two is not in content, but merely in the emphases the former places on instructions for those who have adopted the hesychastic mode of life as monks, and, in the case of St. Seraphim’s Conversation, those who are in the world.]
[1] Mt. 22:37-40 And Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
By the intercessions of Thy Martyr Photine, O Christ God, have mercy on us.
The Monks Callistus and Ignatius,
Of Xanthopoulos
Circa A.D. 1360
Directions to hesychasts, in
a hundred chapters
8. The beginning of every action pleasing to God is calling with faith on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, together with the peace and love radiating from this.
The beginning of every action pleasing to God is calling with faith on the life-saving name of our Lord Jesus Christ, as He Himself said: ‘Without Me ye can do nothing’ (Jn. 15:5), together with the peace and love which accompany this calling. Peace, for as the Apostle says: ‘I will therefore that men pray…without wrath and doubting’ (I Tim. 2:8); love, for ‘God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him’ (I Jn. 4:16). These two, peace and love, not only make the prayer propitious, but are themselves reborn and shine forth from this prayer, like inseparable Divine rays, increasing and coming to perfection.
9. Each of these three and all three together bestow upon us an abundance of all blessings.
Each of these three and all three together bestow on us and multiply in us an abundance of all blessings. For, by calling on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ with faith, we firmly hope to obtain mercy and the true life concealed in Him, which spring forth from Him as from some Divine and ever-flowing source, when within our hearts we pronounce in purity the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. With boundless peace passing all understanding, we are granted reconciliation with God and with each other. By love, which is above all praise, for it is the end and the beginning of the law and the prophets, since God is called love—we wholly unite with God. Then our sin is abolished by God’s truth, and the sonship of grace acts in us miraculously through love. ‘For charity shall cover the multitude of sins’ (I Peter 4:8). Charity ‘beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth’ (I Cor. 13.7, 8).
By Thy boundless mercy, O Christ our God, Giver of light, have mercy on us. Amen.
The Monks Callistus and Ignatius,
Of Xanthopoulos
Circa A.D. 1360
Directions to hesychasts, in
a hundred chapters
13. The holy fathers and the Holy Spirit living in them have directed us to pray to Lord Jesus Christ and ask His mercy.
Our glorious teachers and preceptors, in whom liveth the Holy Spirit, wisely teach us all, especially those who have wished to embrace the field of Divine silence [hesychia] and concentrate themselves to God, having renounced the world to practise hesychasm [the way of silence] with wisdom, and to prefer prayer to the Lord above any other work or care [e.g. the life of the Elder Joseph the Cavedweller], begging His mercy with undaunted hope. Such men should have, as their constant practice and occupation, the invoking of His holy and most sweet name, bearing it always in the mind, in the heart and on the lips. They should force themselves in every possible way to live, breathe, sleep and wake, walk, eat and drink with Him and in Him, and in general so to do all that they have to do. For as in His absence all harmful things come to us, leaving no room for anything to profit the soul, so in His presence all evil is swept away, no good is ever lacking and everything becomes possible, as the Lord Himself says: ‘He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing’ (John 15:5). Thus, unworthy as we are, we too call with faith on this most terrible and most worshipful name; and with His aid daringly set sail and launch forth on these writings.
The Monks Callistus and Ignatius,
Of Xanthopoulos
Circa A.D. 1360
Directions to hesychasts, in
a hundred chapters
16. A man who sincerely wishes to embrace a life of silence in God should, together with orthodox faith, strive to be filled too with good works, and so forth.
(a) The Saviour says: ‘Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven’ (Matt. 7:21). Therefore you also, well-beloved, if your desire for Divine silence is not just bare words, but you love it in deed and in truth, strive not only to have orthodox faith but also to be filled with good works. (To those who approach it with sincerity, this Divine silence even here brings clear manifestations of the kingdom of heaven, which in the world to come will be still fuller and more perfect.) Moreover, live peaceably with all men, as much as lieth in you (Rom. 12:18); do not get distracted by anything, do not be full of cares, that is, do not allow yourself to be possessed by vain worries, be quiet and sparing of speech, grateful for everything and conscious of your own weakness. Keep an unsleeping eye over all this, wakefully attentive to all the numerous and varied temptations which assail you every day, fighting with patience and an untroubled heart every tribulation and sorrow that may come to you.
As regards the first and the second, that is, orthodox faith and good works, you will find clear teaching on this in the words of the glorious brother of God, who says: ‘Faith without works is dead’ (James 2:26), just as works without faith are dead, and: ‘Show me thy faith without thy works’ (James 2:18). Before him the Teacher and Preceptor of all, our Lord Jesus Christ, said to His disciples: ‘Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you’ (Matt. 28: 19, 20). And St. Gregory the Theologian says: ‘God demands the following three virtues from every man who is baptized: from the soul—true faith; from the body—chastity; from the tongue—truth.’
Editor's note: The Fathers who are being addressed in these remarks are Hesychasts in the strictest of terms. Still, we who live in the world can profit from their lives. We can be as still and as quiet as we can. We can do without so much TV, radio, and CD music at home. We can play CD's with Church music when we are driving; we can do without the blaring noise. Our souls are ready to draw from the graces and living waters imparted to us in our Baptism. Our souls ache to be refreshed by this divine strength. It is so easy to do. We can begin by talking to our Parish Priest. He is ready to help.
O ye light-bearing stars of the spiritual firmament, enlighten my mind with your rays.
Sunday of the God-bearing Fathers
The Monks Callistus and Ignatius,
Of Xanthopoulos
Circa A.D. 1360
Directions to hesychasts, in
a hundred chapters
29. More about prayer and the need to pray always
As when the soul leaves, the body becomes dead and stinking; so the soul not urging itself to prayer is dead, damned and fetid. The great Prophet Daniel, who chose death rather than being without prayer for a single moment (Ch. 9), teaches that we should regard being deprived of prayer as worse than any death. St. John Chrysostom too speaks well on this: ‘Every man’, he says, ‘when praying converses with God. Each of us understands how great a thing it is, being man, to converse with God. But I doubt if anyone can express this honour in words, for it is higher even than the station of the angels.’ And: ‘Prayer is a doing common the angels and men; and no wall divides the two kinds of being in this doing. Prayer separates you from those who lack the Word and unites you with the angels. A man who strives all his life to practise praying and serving God, speedily becomes akin to angels in honour, estate wisdom, and understanding.’ Again: ‘When a devil sees a soul protected by virtues, he dare not come near it, fearing the strength and power given to it by prayer, which feeds the soul more richly than food feeds the body.’ And: ‘Prayers are the nerves of the soul. By nerves the body is kept in order, lives, moves, and remains stable; but when the nerves are cut the whole harmony of the body is destroyed; in the same way souls are kept in order by holy prayers, acquire stability and move smoothly and easily in the way of righteousness. If you deprive yourself of prayer, it is like taking a fish out of water. For as water means life to a fish, so prayer means life to you. As a fish moves through water, so the soul can rise through the air to heaven and stand in the presence of God.’ Again: ‘Prayer and praying make men temples of God. As gold, precious stones and marble adorn the palaces of kings, so do prayers adorn the temples of Christ —the souls of believers. What greater praise can there be for prayer than that it makes us temples of God, and that He Whom the heavens cannot contain yet enters into the living soul in prayers?’[1]
[1] Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart. Tr. from the Russian text, ‘Dobrotolubiye’ by E. Kadloubovsky and G.E.H. Palmer, Faber and Faber 1983. pp.200-201.
By the intercessions of the holy Apostles, O Christ our God, have mercy on us.
The Monks Callistus and Ignatius,
Of Xanthopoulos
Circa A.D. 1360
Directions to hesychasts, in
a hundred chapters
91. On Holy Communion and the blessings brought us by frequent communion with a clear conscience
The greatest help and assistance in purification of the soul, illumination of the mind, sanctification of the body and a Divine transformation of the two, as well as in repulsing passions and demons and, above all, in transubstantial union[1] with God, in joining and merging with Him, is frequent communion in the holy, pure, immortal and life-giving Mysteries— the precious body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, Our God and Saviour—approached with a heart and disposition as pure as is possible for man. Therefore it is necessary to speak specially of this, and then to put an end to our writing.
About the extreme need for communion in the Holy Mysteries of Christ we have very clear words of the fathers; moreover the Life and the Truth Himself speaks most clearly of this, saying: ‘I am that bread of life…this is the bread which cometh down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.’ (John 6: 48, 50, 51). And: ‘Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven…he that eateth of this bread shall live forever’ (John 6: 53-8). And St. Paul says: ‘For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jeus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world’ (I Cor. 11: 23-32).[2]
[1] Our authors now use words taken from the Fathers of the Church. These words not only have a definite formation, they also have a special meaning and intent. They are formed in such a way as to challenge our customary use of language. St. Paul insists that our Orthodox Christian Faith ’should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God’ (I Cor. 2: 5). He does intend to deliver wisdom to men. But he will deliver this ‘wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory’ (I Cor. 2: 6-8). This mystery is ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’ (Col.1:28).
This mystery has to do with our ‘common salvation’ (Jude 3) for we are saved together in the Body of Christ. The ‘you’ in ‘Christ in you’ is plural; we are saved as the members of the Body of Christ. This mystery is the Baptismal mystery in which we are drawn out of the waters of the Baptismal Font enlightened by the Wisdom of Christ and made alive by the Spirit of God.
Our language is new, too. We no longer speak ‘the wisdom of this world’ but ‘our conversation is in heaven’ (Phil. 3:20). We can speak of our union with Christ, and through Christ, with each other, as ‘transubstantial’ as transcending all that we can either know or experience in this life, ‘as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things. Yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. Which things we also speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual’ (I Cor. 2: 9-13).
By our holy Baptism, we, as Orthodox Christians, have been given this knowledge and many other gifts. Our language is neither known nor accepted by the world; that is why our union with God and our language, our conversation, is known to God and to those who willingly unite themselves with Him in the mysteries of the Church. Through prayer, through the Jesus prayer, and frequent Holy Communion, we come, palpably, to know ‘the hope of glory.’ Amen.
[2] The Monks Callistus and Ignatius Directions to Hesychasts Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart tr. From the Russian ‘Dobrotolubiye’ by E. Kadloubovsky and G.E. H. Palmer 1983 Faber and Faber pp. 259-260.
By the coming of the Holy Spirit and the intercessions of Thine Apostles, O Christ God, have mercy on us.
The Monks Callistus and Ignatius,
Of Xanthopoulos
Circa A.D. 1360
Directions to hesychasts, in
a hundred chapters
92. It is necessary to know the miracle of the Holy Mysteries—what they are, why they were given and what profit comes from them
St. John Chrysostom writes: ‘It is necessary to know the miracle of the Holy Mysteries—what it consists of, for what purpose it was given and what profit it brings. “There is one body,” it is said, “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Eph. 4:4; 5:30). Let the initiated hearken to these words! Thus, in order to be members of the body of Christ not only in love but in actual fact, let us unite with this body. This is done through the food which Christ gave as token of His great love for us. For this purpose He joined Himself with us and merged His body with us, so that we should form one with Him, as body and head are joined into one. This is the sign of the greatest love. Job pointed to this in speaking of the men of his tabernacle who loved him so much that they desired to be joined to his flesh: “Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied” (Job 31:31). They spoke thus, wishing to express their great love for him. Christ acted with the same purpose: to lead us to a greater union with Him and show His love for us. He gave to those who wished it not only to see Him, but also to touch, to taste, to bite His flesh, to unite with Him and through Him to satisfy every desire’ (Discourse on John, 46). And: ‘Those who partake of this blood stand together with the angels, the archangels and other high powers, clothed in the kingly garments of Christ and armed with spiritual weapons. But there I have said nothing great enough: they are clothed in the King Himself. Inasmuch as this mystery is great and marvellous, so is it certain that if you approach it in purity, you approach it for your salvation; but if your conscience be evil,[1] you will reap punishment and torment. For it is said: “He that eateth and drinketh unworthily (of the Lord), eateth and drinketh damnation to himself” (I Cor. 11:29). If those who defile the King’s purple have the same punishment as those who rend it, it is not surprising that people who partake of Christ’s body with an impure soul will be subjected to the same punishment as those who tortured Him with nails. See of what terrible punishment St. Paul speaks: “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Heb. 10:28, 29).’ And: ‘In partaking of the body of the Lord and in drinking His blood let us firmly remember that we are partaking of that body which sits on high and which the angels worship, a body which stands nearby the imperishable power— that very body we eat. Oh, how many roads to salvation are open to us! He made us His body, He gave us His body, yet all this does not divert us from evil! O blindness! O insensibility!’ (3rd Discourse on the Epistle to the Ephesians). And again: ‘A certain marvellous elder told me that he had been given to see and hear that if those about to leave this world receive the communion of the Holy Mysteries with a clear conscience, then, after death, because of this communion, the angels receive them and carry them up on high.’
And the divine John of Damascus says (‘On Orthodox Faith’, Vol. IV, Ch.13): ‘Since we are dual and twofold, our birth must also be twofold, and our food complex. Birth is given us by water and Spirit, our food is the bread of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, descended from heaven.’ And, much further on: ‘Just as in baptism, since it is usual for men to wash with water and to anoint themselves with oil, He combined with oil and water the grace of the Spirit and made it the bath of eternal life; in the same way, since it is usual for us to eat bread and drink wine and water, He combined with them His divinity and made them His body and His blood, in order that we should attain a state which is above nature, through that which is usual and natural for us. The body is truly united with the Deity— that body which is of the Holy Virgin, not because the body which ascended to heaven itself comes down, but because bread and wine become transformed into the body and blood of our Lord God. If you wish to know how this happens, it is enough for you to hear: by the Holy Spirit, just as the Lord made His own body by the Holy Spirit from the Holy Virgin for Himself and in Himself. We know nothing more, except that the word of God is true, effective and all-powerful. Of the means we can know nothing.’ And a little further: ‘To those who partake of it worthily and with faith, the Holy Communion is for the remission of sins, and eternal life, and the preservation of soul and body; But to those without faith who partake of it unworthily, it is for damnation, and torment like the Lord’s death. Bread and wine are not merely symbols of the body and blood of Christ. May this never be so! It is His Divine body itself, and His very blood. For He says: “For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed”.’ Still further: ‘The flesh and blood of Christ serve to strengthen our soul and body; but they do not get exhausted and are not subject to corruption, and they are to protect and cleanse us of all filth. Being purified by Him, we unite with Christ’s body and His Spirit and become the body of Christ. This bread is the beginning of that future bread which is supersubstantial. For “supersubstantial” either indicates the bread of the future, that is the bread of future life, or the bread we now receive to preserve our being. For the flesh of the Lord is the life-giving Spirit, since it was conceived from the life-giving Spirit. And what is born of the Spirit is spirit. I say this, not to deny the nature of the body, but in order to show that it is life-giving and Divine.’ And at the end of the chapter: ‘This body and this blood in the mystery are called symbols of those to come, not because they are not truly body and blood of Christ, but because now we participate in Christ’s Divinity through them, whereas in the other life we shall do so mentally, solely by contemplating Him.’
And the divine Macarius says: ‘As wine courses through all the members of the body, so that the wine is in man and man is in the wine; so a man who drinks Christ’s blood is filled with the Spirit of the Deity, Who spreads through the whole soul, so that the soul is totally in Him and, thus sanctified, becomes worthy of Christ our Lord. For the Apostle says: “We have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (I Cor. 12:13). In the same way those who truly partake of bread in the Eucharist are granted participation in the Holy Spirit, and thus worthy souls can have life in the ages. Just as the life of the body does not come from itself but from without, that is from the earth, so God has arranged for the soul to have meat, drink and garments, which truly give life to the soul, not from its own nature but from His Own Divinity, from His Own Spirit and Light. For the Divine Nature contains the Bread of life, Who said: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35) and living water, and joy-giving wine, and the oil of gladness.’
And St. Isidore says: ‘Communion means partaking of the Divine Mysteries, because it gives us union with Christ and makes us participants in His kingdom.’ And St. Nilus: ‘It is impossible for a believer to be saved, to receive remission of sins and be admitted to the kingdom of heaven, unless in fear, faith and love he receives communion of the pure Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ.’— St. Basil the Great writes equally in his letter to the noble Cesarea: ‘It is good and most useful to have communion every day and to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, for Christ Himself says clearly: “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life” (John 6:54). For who can doubt that to participate constantly in life, means to have the most abundant life. We take communion four times every week; On Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, as well as on other days if commemoration of some saint falls on them’ (Vol. 6, letter 89).
I believe that this saint celebrated liturgy on these days, because, being burdened with many cares, he could not do so every day. …
St. John of the Ladder says: ‘If a body coming into contact with another body undergoes a change under its influence, how can a man not change if he touches the body of God with pure hands?’ (Ch. 28). It is also written in the Hierondic: ‘John of Vostros, a holy man, who possessed power over impure spirits, asked the demons who lived raging in some possessed maidens saying: “What are the things you fear in Christians?” They answered: “Truly you possess three great things: the first is what you wear round your neck; the second is what you wash with in Church; the third is what you partake of in community.” Thereupon he asked them: “Of these three which do you fear most?” They answered: “If you guarded well that of which you partake, none of us could ever offend a Christian.” These things which our deadly enemies fear most are: the cross, baptism and communion.’
[1] What is ‘an evil conscience’? With this important question we face a manifest limitation in any printed text; we are not speaking with a Priest face-to-face, or, in our day, as we might, over the phone or by email. Could we raise this question with our spiritual Father, his answer would be, ‘An evil conscience is a soul that has sinned and has not as yet repented and received absolution.’
The way to clear our conscience is to confess to a Priest, ask for forgiveness from the Lord, and to receive the Priest’s counsel and absolution. Confession without absolution leaves us where we were before; we still have an evil conscience.
So, The Virtual Parish has a built-in limitation; we can point out the way to you, but we cannot walk the way with you. That path is yours and your Priest’s to tread together.
We receive the forgiveness of sins in Christ’s resurrection: “If Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain; ye are yet in your sins” (I Cor: 15:17). So, the risen Lord speaks to the disciples who were hiding behind closed doors: “He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit. Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:22, 23). Our Bishops and Priests pray that our sins may be absolved. They read the prayer of Absolution over us.
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