Embrace your material self, together with your soul
Unlike angels, who are entirely spiritual beings, God has made each of you as creatures dwelling in a material world. To be whole, you must worship God both in body, soul, and spirit. This teaching is central to our Christian faith and is an affirmation of the sacramental nature of this material world. Because of this truth icons have played a central role in Christian history, for they proclaim Jesus Christ’s physical reality as God Incarnate.
Our Lord told his disciples that “he who has seen me, has seen the Father”. Icons depicting the Holy Virgin show the Christ Child with bare feet, reminding us that he walked the earth among us. He (the Logos) through Whom all that is was brought into existence, condescended to take on our flesh and walk among us. He joined His divinity to our humanity, that we might become gods.
The Lord Jesus Christ was born, lived, died and rose from the dead in this material world. He broke bread with disciples, ate fish with his friends, and invited His Disciple Thomas to feel the wound in his side, after His holy resurrection. Most of the miracles He performed were in the nature of physical healing.
At the Last Judgment the Lord’s words, “I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you gave me shelter, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came to visit me”, will echo in our minds. It is through your care for others that you will be judged. It is in your demonstrated love for others that you show forth your own personal love for God. The Lord asked the question, “How can you love God Whom you’ve not seen, when you do not love your neighbor?”
Because of the Incarnation, your prayers must not be allowed to be centered in the head. Our use of icons while praying, allows us to behold the beauty of God’s creation, and brings our whole nature, both body and soul, into the material world wherein we were born. This physical nature of prayer is what connects us to our true self, composed of both body and soul. This is where God reaches down to embrace you. Cutting off the physical world, with our eyes closed, does not bring us closer to God.
Icons are wonderful aides in our communion with God because they serve as bridges to Christ and links with the Holy Virgin and the saints. They are by no means necessary, for sitting on the top of a mountain, or walking on the seashore, eyes open, allows you to behold the beauty of God’s creation, and His love for you, His child. The beauty of an icon and the glory of God’s creation can all be windows for us into eternity.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photos: Bishop Theodosy of Seattle, together with clergy from Saint Nicholas Cathedral, celebrated a Bright Monday Hierarchical Liturgy in the monastery’s Protection of the Holy Virgin Church.
Thursday May 2, 2019 / April 19, 2019
Bright Thursday.
Bright Week. Fast-free
Venerable John of the Ancient Caves in Palestine (8th c.).
St. Matrona the Blind of Moscow (1952).
New Hieromartyr Victor, bishop of Glazov (1934).
New Hieromartyr Demetrius priest (1942).
Martyrs Christopher, Theonas, and Antoninus in Nicomedia (303).
Hieromartyr Paphnutius of Jerusalem.
St. George the Confessor, bishop of Antioch in Pisidia (813-820).
St. Tryphon, patriarch of Constantinople (933).
Venerable Nicephorus, abbot of Katabad.
Venerable Symeon the Barefoot of Philotheou Monastery, Mt. Athos.
Finding ofthe relics (1621) of Venerable Joachim, abbot of Opochka (Pskov) (1515).
Venerable Joasaph (Bolotov) of Alaska.
Hieromartyr Alphege, archbishop of Canterbury (1012) (Celtic & British).
New Martyr Agathangelus of Esphigmenou Monastery, Mt. Athos (1819) (Greek).
Martyrs Theodore, his mother Philippa and two soldiers, Socrates and Dionysius at Perge in Pamphylia (2nd c.).
The Scripture Readings
Acts 2:38-43
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
A Vital Church Grows
40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
John 3:1-15
The New Birth
3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Christ is Risen!
First of all, I hope you are doing better in your recovery from the attack. You are in my prayers
I noted that you , several times, mentioned specifically praying with eyes open. As a convert in early 2001, I came with an understandably Protestant view of icons and the saints. Mid way in my orthodox journey, I read from a reliable (elder or saint) orthodox source (since lost in the memory banks) that it is important to NOT pray with eyes open focusing on our icons as this makes it too easy to make the icon itself the focus rather than Christ the person. On the other hand, I also understand in my beginners fashion the meaning and significance of Christ becoming flesh and sanctifying the physical world. I have since become so accustomed to praying with eyes closed when not reading new hymns or other readings appropriate of the day that it is second nature. I carry this into much of the worship in liturgy or other services in church. It helps me remember and say all the prayers/psalms without outside distraction. It often helps me focus on and listen to the homily or other instruction without distraction. (It is also a great help by the way to block out the distraction of those chatty fellow parishioners who come to church to visit rather than worship)!
I would appreciate your instruction or clarification about eyes open or closed. Thank you in advance.
Christ is Risen!
I was not suggesting that we pray while looking at an icon, but rather, stand in awe while beholding the beauty of God’s temple. The idea that we close our eyes during services is a protestant view, which ultimately led to the iconoclastic movement.