Lord open our eyes;that we can see you approaching us in the need of others
Lord open our ears;that we can hear you call out onto us in the grief of others
Lord open our hearts;that we can respond to you in the anguish of others
Lord command us to leap from our comforts; that we may aid those who are hopeless
There comes a point in the life of a true presbyter and Christian that we begin to question NOT the CHURCH as the divine institution/hospital and mystical body, but those who cling to it for the sake of prestige, power and ambition – spiritually dead people who render the life of others as a living hell!
This weekend, I was not sure of what to write, where to start, and quite frankly ‘should I even bother?’ It’s all way too nice that we come to church, listen to grand and well prepared sermons that incorporate all those nice things we want to hear, but does it change us? Does it change the life of the one who delivers the sermon?
Have we truly understood what we are supposed to be doing? Although we constantly raise the banners of what our little clubs and societies want us to be, when are we truly going to live by the faith of those who wholeheartedly spilt their blood for the head of our supposed body the Church: Christ???
The last few weeks I have been in and out of hospitals visiting the sick and not just going through the prescribed rituals but actually making time for the people I go and see and also sitting down with their close relatives. To be honest, all this NICE talk and appearance we tend to pedal does no one any good – it backfires on us and people can see through it!
We are living in an ever Atheistic becoming society and quite frankly, we are giving them ammunition by the way we carry on; this is not good enough and we haven’t learnt from former persecutions especially the great martyrs under Communist and Islamic regimes. Will a repeat be enough to wake us up???
Having stated thus, I went to see a patient who is not of my fold but I tend to all in need, he was walking with his wife and all of the sudden became dizzy and collapsed on the footpath hitting his head. When I went to anoint him, his wife was calling out to him: “Please wake up! Please don’t leave me here all alone! Please don’t do this to me!” All I could to was to hug her and let her cry over my shoulder and tend to her bleeding heart.
She was in so much pain and distress over the fact that the doctors could not wake him up – the love of her life had withdrawn in his mind as he lay in his hospital bed. In such instances the presbyter must use common sense and pastoral awareness, thus, I asked her to take her husbands’ hand whilst I took the other and we prayed the Lord’s Prayer and prayer to the Mother of God. At this I anointed him and also anointed her forehead and pleaded onto the Lord to show his mercy. Within five minutes he opened his eyes and began to slowly communicate.
I’m no saint, I’m as holy as a block of Swiss Cheese; but one thing is for sure, if your heart is in the right place and you go out of your way and love the people the Lord gives you and that may even be by just randomly meeting or overhearing – It’s when your heart is moved to compassion that the Lord comes in your midst and his Spirit takes over and does what is necessary!
Then the man who Jesus gave life to his eyes bowed down and worshiped him saying: “I believe you are Lord!” It is interesting to note that when Jesus spat on the ground to form clay – the original translation is that he formed out of clay eye balls for the lad was not only blind but was born with no eyes. He did this so that we may know that Jesus is the Father Pantocrator - all is possible for him if we ask in faith, and wholeheartedly respond by doing his will, and helping others to see him with the actions that stem from our hearts and minds!
The next time we utter the Lord’s Prayer and bow down and worship him we should ask ourselves: Thy will be done, or I want you to curb your will according to mine? The next time we bow down at the altar when offering the Divine Mysteries or in prayer, we should think to ourselves, am I humbling myself before God so others may be lead to believe how good and holy I am, or will I truly have an authentic Metanoia (transformation of heart) where I begin to see my stupidities and actually learn to be the least among others and servant of God’s servants???
Furthermore, I serve the wider community as a bishop regardless of the denomination of others as Christianity in the West is dead! We think it is alive (the façade still standing) via trying to discover ways of getting people back, but the point is that we are desperately trying to save a sinking ship which has wilfully smashed itself into rocks via the ego of those who are in charge through the constant desire of such that live in a utopia that does not exist in a post Christian society! Let us consider the global phenomena within the extraordinary amount of church buildings that have been sold, are up for sale, or have been made redundant. Why? No congregation and funds to keep going.
People may argue the point (Lk 18:8) where Jesus himself talks about the dwindling numbers of those who have faith towards the promise of his return. I can guarantee you that that time is not yet much to the horror of the fundamentalists! There are various families who have the faith, yet do not go to their supposed faith community because they are no longer nurtured as they should be – people stay at home and try to have a spirituality (however somewhat impeding) in their own way.
How many times have I heard: “Father Bishop, we don’t go because there is nothing there that inspires us and makes us feel wanted and complete as a person!” Let’s not forget the inner club attitude where people become obsessed with a position in the parish and are jealous of letting others contribute - a behaviour that begins to resemble a task master lording over the rest!
In the West, Patrology (the writing of Early Church Fathers) barely exists because it is replaced by whoever’s thought (stray theologians and philosophers) and whatever phase of the moon one wakes up on (the governing of moods) Whilst in the East, people live in the utopia of the past along with a regimented ambiance of thought which clearly is governed by fear and the attitude to despise the cultural mentality of others that must not fit in at all costs within their group!
Let’s consider the recent drama of persons who are innocently thrown out of another culture’s church because of the present climate in the Balkans. Another example of fear and ghettoed thought is present when it comes to fasting and people fall which results in panic because they think they will be punished – although they stuff themselves of carbs and that too is harmful to the body. How about where parishioners ask their priest if they can go to the doctor or take medication at a certain time or even ask permission to go on holidays – I am an eyewitness to such within the years of my Diaconate.
Let’s make no mistake – the Body of Christ which is made up of the Communion of Saints is real and is the Ark of Salvation, yet it is hijacked by fools who are spiritually bankrupt and cannot see their own pharisaic mindsets – the cult of the Sadducees (Mt 3: 7-11) who are remote from the Heart of the Law! (Mt 15: 7-11) There is various concern over coerced agendas seeping into the social platform, yet this is nothing new as the same exists in the Church via the same people who crucify the Lord through his saints – these same people who Anathematize/Ex-communicate and then later on Glorify/Canonise: St. Nektarios of Aegina who died of a broken heart is a prime example of this!
We as a CANONICAL CHURCH are a thorn in the side of many jurisdictions and denominations because as Apostle and bishop in Australia, I do not give a dam about what they say or think! The Church is based on the local needs of the community and the aid of spiritual guidance in the context of time, place, and space we find ourselves in. Numerous people who may practice a form of spirituality may be confused when they see something different which embraces East and West taking place as conferred to us in the Sacred Tomos (Decree) from the Kyivan Church in 1993AD. This much need reality confronts because it raises questions of how and why are people flocking to us!
The answer is simple, I deal with various people on an individual level and will tailor the spirituality of the Church according to needs and welcome them regardless. Curating the masses no longer works as in this day and age – the individual needs spiritual TLC (Tender Loving Care)! There are various families that have abandoned their worship centres because they need a Church which speaks to them and nurtures them according to their needs.
The wonderful aspects of Apostle Andrew of whose linage I and all bishops of our Holy Synod share, is that when he travelled in order to bring the Church to people, he listened to them, understood their customs and beliefs, he was gentle with them and showed interest for them. Yet most importantly, he showed love and they too came to believe that his love is from God who gave them the gift of life! (Jn 13:35)
Let us pray that the blindness of ego, prestige and self-obsession lifts from the body of the Church, so that it may be renewed once again as we come to the conclusion of paschal tide and await the coming of the All Holy Spirit who ushers grace and change once again at Holy Pentecost. May we be reminded that through virtue of Holy Baptism that we are the Lord’s hands and feet in the world – the call to bring presence and be present in the lives of all who cross our path on our pilgrim journey called life!
“I must render the will of the Father with the work of my hands and desire of my heart whilst it is still day; the night hastily approaches in which the work will cease. I came to give light to this darkened world for I am the Light which shone at the first dawn.” (Jn 9: 4-5)
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