COME HOLY SPIRIT AND HEAL YOUR WOUNDED CHURCH
The Lord then spoke onto them saying: “I am the light that illumines the world that revolves in darkness – they who hear my voice and enthrone it in their hearts will never be overcome by the delusion of darkness for they too will glow with the light that I have bestowed on them!” (Jn 8: 12)
Here we are as the Church which has once again accomplished the paschal cycle with the promise of hope and seal of grace after the 50 days (Pentecosti) – the day where the Lord promised to remain with us throughout time.
St Gregory Palamas gives us an insight upon the mystery at hand in his 24th Homily and 10th verse stating: “If from one burning lamp someone lights another, then another from that one, and so on in succession, he has light continuously. In the same way, through the apostles ordaining their successors, and these successors ordaining others, and so on, the grace of the Holy Spirit is handed down through all generations and enlightens all who obey their spiritual shepherds and teachers. Each hierarch (bishop) in HIS turn comes to give the city this grace and gift of God and the enlightenment of the divine Spirit through the Gospel!”
Unfortunately these days this light which we are supposed to carry out to others so they too may not be overcome by darkness has truly been dimmed! First and foremost it has not only dimmed but has been snuffed out via vicious and unforgivable scandals, and via prestige over others. The Lord who is Bishop of his Church says quite boldly in the apostle Luke’s account: “It is better for an offender to place a millstone around his neck and cast himself into the sea than to hurt one of these little ones and impede their growth towards me!” (Lk 17:2)
Furthermore, we the orthodox of the elder tradition (old calendar observance) have been the thorn in the side of the state church which has reformed itself and follows a distorted observance via simony which was the cause of innocent blood spilt (martyrdom) administered by their own people’s forces back in Greece in 1923. “Many clerics were threatened especially with the loss of livelihood for the church in Greece belongs to the state; all baptismal certificates must be verified by the state for this reason– old calendar clerics had secular employment in which their services are voluntary towards their parish!” (Anastasios Hudson)
In the diaspora (outside apostolic lands – missionary countries) we are faced with yet another challenge especially here in the land of the southern cross: the elder tradition is in constant friction with itself due to lay control, greedy synods, ignorance and the cancer of national identity over Christian heritage. Thus, lay (ordinary people) who have cult mentalities want to make a profit and most times that is giving genuine folk hell. Synods (group of bishops) who administer from afar are solely concerned for their bank accounts to be topped. Most clerics and laity who frequent the faith are uneducated, fanatic and when they don’t know or understand they make it up in their minds to fit their delusion. Hence, that leaves us with the icing on the cake: let’s put Greece and its customs before our way of life in Christ and the kingdom/communion he has called us into!
When I was in my third year of diaconate within the Orthodox Church present in Russia whose community has a presence here in Australia – the Russian Orthodox Church; there is no such thing as Russian, Greek, and Serbian Orthodox etc.….It is the Orthodox Church present in Russia, Greece etc. Although there is sacred tradition which is venerable and MUST be transmitted as the following canon exhorts to non-apostolic lands in the context and LANGUAGE that that land uses, but MUST NOT be incomprehensible! Hence, I had enough of the madness these nationals pedal and at the paschal homily/ reflection I boldly stated: “We have just announced the wrong name… especially within the Greek context. We should have sated ALEXANDROS ANESTI (Alexander the great has risen) rather than KRISTOS (Christ) because we are far too concerned with our own identity rather than being part of the Communion of Saints!”
In actual fact, although we in the elder tradition are divided over administrative issues, the state church is in the same box due to the fowl mistake of transgressing a major canon which renders all groups who do not comply illicit: Canon II The bishops are not to go beyond their dioceses to churches lying outside of their bounds, nor bring confusion on the churches; but let the Bishop of Alexandria, according to the canons, alone administer the affairs of Egypt; and let the bishops of the East manage the East alone, the privileges of the Church in Antioch, which are mentioned in the canons of Nice, being preserved; and let the bishops of the Asian Diocese administer the Asian affairs only; and the Pontic bishops only Pontic matters; and the Thracian bishops only Thracian affairs. And let not bishops go beyond their dioceses for ordination or any other ecclesiastical ministrations, unless they be invited. And the aforesaid canon concerning dioceses being observed, it is evident that the synod of every province will administer the affairs of that particular province as was decreed at Nice. But the Churches of God in heathen nations must be governed according to the custom which has prevailed from the times of the Fathers. (I Constantinople 381AD)
As you may observe, we are in a pickle, the whole situation is a mess….although the Kontakion Hymn of today’s feast prays: “When the Highest put to confusions the earths tongues due to their greed and disobedience in the place called Babel – the nations were at odds. At the appointed time when the hearts of those complied too his commands, he rendered them via grace – worshipers in spirit and truth via outpouring his presence upon them via tongues of fire calling his church to unity and perfection in praise of God to be worshiped as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!”
Yet, we tend to go back to day one in all selfishness while holding high the flag of national ego where the babel separated them and each one clung onto their inferiority complex ignoring the Lord’s exhortation: “My kingdom is not of this world, if my kingdom was an earthly empire, my people would of fought for me and I would not be here nor would I have been handed over to the presbyteral college – my kingdom is not earthbound!” (Jn 18:36)
Two days ago, I received a call from a person I know who has been suffering financial hardship and wanted to meet for a coffee…I didn’t think twice, but just agreed to meet immediately and see what was going on. The person was weary and in total distress to the point they could not even talk because tears just rolled down their face; a hug was truly warranted! The person told me that they had reached a brick wall and today was going to be the day where they would end all pain. Yet something happened whilst the person was preparing to carry out the deed. Someone out of the blue who owed them an extraordinary sum came along and paid most of their debt. Yet the person was totally flat/poor in spirit hanging on to past hurts and mistakes – failure mentality in motion. Hence, I by God’s grace began to remind them of the good they have done for others and the community and that it’s ok to cry, it’s fine and normal to reach out and voice your anguish reminding them that THIS IS ONE OF THE PURPOSES I WAS ORDAINED FOR!!!!
Hence, without going into further detail, we as clerics and as Christians MUST take our calling seriously – if we want to be comfortable, revered and not disturbed after hours; take off the riassa/cassock/robe and hand in your resignation! Holy Orders is a 24/7 affair! We must make time for prayer, people, and above all offer the divine services so we may have a spiritual awareness and discernment capacity that renders hazard perception because the truth of the matter is that we are fighting powers unseen and it’s not us but that which has freely been given us (grace) that works in reaching out onto others. Hence like the Apostle Paul, we must reach a level of excellence and thus acclaim: “For through the Law I died to the Law so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not set aside the grace of God.”
Therefore, today is not as people think “the birthday of the Church” for the Lord clearly states in the account of the Apostle Matthew that: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. (Mtt 5:17) Rather, it is the continuing Church that has been given authority to have true epiklesis “calling upon the Holy Spirit” to: mend that which is broken, heal that which is infirm, and bring to completion that which is lacking!
In conclusion, St Gregory Palamas gives us a marvelous testament on the tongues of fire within the same homily in verse 7 where he unveils: “Why did the Holy Spirit appear in the form of tongues? It was to demonstrate that He shared the same nature as the Word of God, for there is no relationship closer than that between word and tongue. It was also because of teaching, since teaching Christ’s gospel needs a tongue full of grace.......although the text runs; “tongues like fire” this is so that we may comprehend that the spirit manifested himself with the glow of fire as prescribed in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Hebrew Church: “Therefore, since we are receiving the kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks via the Anaphora offered onto God as the acceptable worship in all reverence and awe for the Most High is the consuming fire!”
(Heb 12:28-29)
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2: 1-4)
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