In today's Gospel, we have recounted for us the meeting of Christ and the ruler. What is remarkable about this account is not really what is expressed about the law but rather what is made evident in the ruler's heart. Clearly, the ruler has followed all the Ten Commandments. Therefore, by Jewish standards of the day, it could be argued that he had done everything that would constitute a holy life. However, something is missing, for he asks our Lord and Saviour, "what must I do to inherit eternal life (Luke 18:18)?" It is as if he senses that something is holding him back in his relationship with the All-Holy Trinity! There is something for all of us to consider here.
Oftentimes, it is easy to fall into an attitude of spiritual indifference where one is just going through the motions so as to avoid any harmful consequences. It is easy to think, "if I say this prayer and do this deed, I will not make God angry!" We are all familiar with the concept of Catholic guilt – not a healthy way to build a relationship with the All-Holy Trinity! Moreover, whilst sin is very real, we must remember that if we are like the prodigal son and come back to Him with humility and sorrow in the Mystery of Confession, our Lord and Saviour will forgive us any wrong committed by us.
Additionally, let us not forget that the All-Holy Trinity is relational. He desires that all have a relationship with Him built on the foundation of the Holy Orthodox Church embraced in the protecting walls of the Holy Mysteries of His Church! Man cannot do all by himself – we are not 'gods' unto ourselves as is often proclaimed in our modern secular society. Morality is not merely following a set of proscriptions- it is more!
To truly live a just life, we must turn our focus inward and listen to the All-Holy Trinity's voice. This is why following Christ's example, Holy men and women have entered the desert, for it is in the desert that the voice of the All-Holy Trinity can be heard clearly. This is not to say all men and women must leave everything and go to the desert in such an extreme way as they did! To each, the All-Holy Trinity has given their call - meaning that we are all called to different forms of life! However, all are called to enter the spiritual desert from time to time! Indeed this is why the Church has the Great Fast (Lent) before Holy Pascha (Easter) - it is in this season that all are called to realign their lives to the All-Holy Trinity - in much the same way one might realign a compass to point in the right direction!
Therefore in following the saintly monastics examples, we must find that place free from distraction where we can communicate with the All-Holy Trinity in prayer. Furthermore, this listening is not like the Protestants who believe every feeling is a command from the All-Holy Trinity! This communication with the All-Holy Trinity is done with the guidance of an experienced spiritual father who can guide their spiritual child to accurately hear the voice of the All-Holy Trinity! This is why all monastics have a spiritual father to guide them so that they can accurately discern the voice of the All-Holy Trinity.
With this in mind, we can turn our attention to yesterday's feast, the feast of Saint Anthony the Great, the founder of Christian Monasticism. What is remarkable about this great saint is that he, like the ruler in today's Gospel, could be argued to be outwardly pious, yet he knew that something was missing in his spiritual life. Following the Lord's words, Saint Anthony proceeded to sell all his earthly possessions so that he could render aid to the poor (Luke 18:22). After he had done this, he proceeded to follow the Lord's example (Matthew 1:1-11) and entered the Egyptian desert, where he spent over eighty years of his life. Like our Lord and Saviour who was tempted in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11), he was beset with attacks from the Devil and his demons who wished to tempt him away from the virtuous life. However, through fasting and prayer, he was able to transform his soul so as to have a profound communion with the All-Holy Trinity.
What can Saint Anthony's life teach us? Are we to give away all our possessions to give to the poor? Well, it is clear that money is a necessity in this world; we all have to work to put food on the table and pay the rent or the mortgage. However, it is important to understand that formally obeying commands out of fear does not make one pure before the All-Holy Trinity! Today's Gospel and Saint Anthony’s life teach us that if there is something preventing us from fully committing to Christ than it must be excised.
In the ruler's case, it was his love of wealth, which was preventing him from being open to following Christ in all things. Like the rich man, we are all called to trust Christ and follow Him in all things. Now the heart of today's Gospel is not that it is bad to be wealthy but rather, if one loves one's wealth more than the All-Holy Trinity, then one cannot truly be free to follow Christ! Remember, Christ is clear that we cannot serve two masters, for we will love one and hate the other (Matthew 6:24).
Many people worry about many things, often to the point of harming their health. Christ makes it clear that we are not to worry about anything, for he states:
“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not reap or sow or store in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than them (Matthew 6: 25-26)."
In essence, He is making clear that if we follow Him in faith and seek to do his will in all things, then we will truly be taken care of by the All-Holy Trinity. While it is true that in life, we will often face many challenges that seem to make life difficult but if we truly trust the All-Holy Trinity, our faith will 'move mountains' for us.
I remember many years ago, before I was ordained a priest, I had lost my job, and I was at a crossroads as to what to do next. I had bills and rent to pay, and I was not getting any responses from any job applications that I had put in, but I refused to give up and put my faith in the All-Holy Trinity. Even though there was an element of fear about what was to come next, I kept praying the Small Supplicatory Canon to the All-Holy Theotokos (The Virgin Mary) daily (a prayer rule of supplication). Within a couple of days of commencing the Small Canon, I got a call to come in for an interview, and within a week or so I was offered a job. What I want to communicate here is that even when things seem impossible, if we trust and pray and take actions to bring about what we need, the All-Holy Trinity will assist us!
Finally, let us, as today's Epistle states be people who are joyful, who love others, and forgive others their faults (Colossians 3: 12-16). The world as it is in this day and age is broken, and if we as people can show love to others, then truly, we can be Christ's hands and feet in this world.
Let us not despair as many have over the last few months. Let us refuse to give into the negative messages being promulgated by the media these days, who revel in promoting stories designed to make one fearful and judgemental of others of whom one might not agree - turning the other into inhuman objects to be shunned and feared. Let us be the opposite of these people, for the message of the Gospel is of hope in our risen Saviour who truly is the "Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).
Moreover, let us not forget that the All-Holy Trinity loves us, for He sent us his only Son – Christ, who died and rose so that all may be brought into a profound communion with the All-Holy Trinity (John 3:16). Our Creed is the Creed of love and hope for the transformation of the world via the All-Holy Trinity's grace. Truly let us rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4), for He is our hope and our joy.
Blessed is our God always now and forever and unto the Ages of Ages Amen!
Comments