Taking Orthodoxy beyond the self-congratulatory
Archbishop Averky of Syracuse, of blessed memory, once said of converts, “they are like envelopes, they have a tendency to come unglued”. Many a convert, once they’ve embraced the Orthodox Faith, mistakenly given themselves over to a zealotry that is without any form of temperance. They, in their excitement at having found “The True Faith”, almost over night take on external formula that seems more “spiritual”, and makes them feel they are on the fast track to sainthood.
They’ll notice when another parishioner seems careless in the making of the sign of the cross, all the while demonstrating for all around them, the proper way. Making sweeping signs of the cross that are done in such a way as to be almost a caricature, they follow up with profound bows, distracting fellow worshipers in the process. They make a production of the fast periods, making sure their non-Orthodox family and friends know the seriousness of the Orthodox fasting periods. Their icon corners can be larger than the pious old woman who has been Orthodox all her life, and who is known for the sanctity of her tender care for others.
These people become spiritual gluttons, while taking their new found faith into a sensuality and pride that is miles from the holiness that comes from years of struggle. Their public displays of Orthodox, often distractions for fellow worshipers, what with all the profound bows, icon kissing, and candle lighting, can actually be diversions from the important confrontation of one’s own personal sin. In their newness to Orthodoxy they throw themselves into the externals and public displays, while preventing themselves from entering into the mystery of faith that comes only with the acquisition of a humble and contrite heart.
Our longing for drama and excitement in our new found faith, can, if we let it, become a distraction, leading to spiritual pride, rather than the holiness that comes with humbly receiving the faith by following the example of holy people whose lives are often hidden from us. If our Orthodoxy is expressed primarily in the externals, we put ourselves on the fast track to becoming followers of the Pharisee, rather than imitating the humility of the Publican.
My own spiritual father, Archimandrite Dimitry of blessed memory, gave me the best of advice, when he said, “little by little”. Taking little steps, with the guidance and direction that comes from one’s priest or spiritual father, or by council with that pious little old lady, whose face radiates the light of Christ, we will be able to enter into the Kingdom, having gained the humility and joy that does not necessitate being extravagant with the externals.
That said, the sight of faithful coming late to Liturgy, and leaving after communion, is sad indeed. The bottom line is that everyone of us needs to personally be converted to Orthodoxy. Converts have a lot to share with those who were raised from birth in Orthodoxy, for the sight of a newly converted Orthodox Christian demonstrating his faith by external witness, should be the catalyst for those raised in the faith to make a greater effort at truly entering into the services with the historic external forms of worship.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Wednesday November 15, 2017 / November 2, 2017
24th Week after Pentecost. Tone six.
Fast. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Martyrs Acindynus, Pegasius, Aphthonius, Elpidephorus, and Anempodistus of Persia (341).
New Hieromartyrs Constantine and Anania priests (1918).
New Hieromartyrs Bishop Victorin and Priest Basil Luzgin of Glazomicha (1918).
Venerable Marcian of Cyrrhus (388).
“Shuiu-Smolensk” Wonderworking Icon of the Mother of God (1654-1655).
Blessed Cyprian of Storozhev, former outlaw (Olonets) (16th c.).
St. Erc, bishop of Slane, Ireland (512) (Celtic & British).
St. Anthony the Confessor, archbishop of Thessalonica (844).
Women-Martyrs Cyriaca, Domnina and Domna (Greek).
Martyrs of senatorial rank beheaded under Marcus Aurelius (Greek).
The Scripture Readings
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
Plea for Purity
4 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given[a] us His Holy Spirit.
A Brotherly and Orderly Life
9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.
Luke 11:42-46
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”
45 Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”
46 And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
Longing for the Lord, may He give us that form of humility, not having a whole life to gain it. Thank you father.
In defense of some of these (my) excesses I would point out that they often come from a heart that has spent its lifetime starved of these expressions of external worship and often they are a result of sincere exuberance and in no way meant to offend. For me to openly sign myself with the cross, even in a subdued manner, is also a means to profess my faith and to overcome many years of denying Christ in the way I lived my life.
Nevertheless point taken on humility and the emphasis on the internal work of our salvation. I now find myself more formal in my prostrations while in my closet of prayer than when in Church now that things have “settled down”.
I’ve seen these comments before regarding what are considered excesses and I cannot help but think that if they are being sincere (and certainly no one should be lecturing others) then perhaps those cradle believers be a little less judgemental.
This is not directed at your observations, Father, but I have to struggle to overlook and not be distracted by the long timers that come in well after liturgy has started and leave as soon as they commune. Sometimes a long term familiarly can be as damaging as a beginners excesses….
Your point about long timers is so true. The sight of faithful coming late to Liturgy, and leaving after communion, is sad indeed. The bottom line is that everyone of us, needs to be converted to Orthodoxy. Converts have a lot to share with those who were raised from birth in Orthodoxy, for the sight of a newly converted Orthodox Christian demonstrating his faith by external witness, should be the catalyst for those raised in the faith, to make a greater effort at truly entering into the services with the historic external forms of worship. Because of your comment, I’m adding an extra paragraph to the article.
This is a really good point by Christopher. Bottom line, I guess, is we all need to hone in on our relationship with Christ and try not to make snap judgments about our fellow believers because we never know what is going on in their lives. In the end, we won’t be called to give an account for them but we will be giving an account for our own actions and attitudes.
Great message Father. Sometimes, those we least expect in this life are the ones who end up being most highly regarded in the next life, like the little old lady described in this post.
Spiritual gluttony is a powerful term, but I understand it because often by the time an adult finds their way to Holy Orthodoxy they are starving. The starving person can’t take in solid food quickly because the body is unprepared for it. I pray that Jesus will help me to be humble, and to grow patiently. I am grateful for the spiritual insight of this article.
This is very poignant for me. My husband and I recently adopted a little boy from an orphanage background and he just crams food until he is sick, with his lips unable to close and food everywhere, unless we remind him to chew and swallow at every bite.
As a recent convert with an enormous icon corner I am very convicted by this article. I have a lot to repent of…
Your little son was obviously food deprived while in the orphanage. This behavior clearly tells me he had to fight to get enough food. Reminds me of my college days, when while living in a dorm, you simply had to eat quickly if you were going to get any seconds. Took me years to slow down. Thank God the two of you have taken this precious little boy as your own.
Regarding that “enormous icon corner”, I will say this: I wish more cradle Orthodox faithful had such a display of Christ’s Lordship over their homes. God bless you.
I feel like we are approaching orthodoxy like our little Stefan approaches food… we cram in as much as we can without waiting to chew or swallow. We need to slow down and realize that orthodoxy is not going anywhere and we can go one bite at a time, so to speak. Thank you for the reminder.
I appreciate this wisdom very much. I have been struggling with our choir director wanting to bring one piece of Protestant music from her past into the service, with the blessing of our Bishop. I have had a bad attitude toward her and toward the Bishop for giving his permission. But I have not thought about what a comfort this may be to her. I don’t know why she needs this, and I do know I am not the only one troubled by it. However, it is His church, His liturgy, and He can handle it. Perhaps it helps others who come from the same specific background. I am from a different Protestant background, so it is not only not familiar, it is certainly not a comfort. For it to be a blessing will be my challenge. I am one of those nasty converts who wants to hold everyone to the high standard as I see it. Argh. Pray for me, sinful Pelagia. Yes, I will need to give an account for my judgementalness, not her need for old, familiar music.
I was a music major and have sung all forms of Spirituals, Old Time and Sacred music. And many of the older hymns are beautiful, profound and speak directly to scripture and relationship with God. Handel’s Messiah being a favorite. The best have lyrics taken from scripture. Coming home to Orthodoxy, from what some would call “High Church” liturgical and sacramental Protestant denominations, I am totally taken with Orthodox hymnody, Byzantine in particular. It is as if I have always known it. Personally I have no need to hear Western Christian music in Orthodox worship, but can still enjoy the best of Western Sacred music at home. I would not be put out if our choir director chose to have the choir sing something from the West occasionally, but there is such wonderful Eastern music from the past and present, that I hope it is forever at the forefront of our worship. Holy Trinity bless you on your journey Pelagia as we all work out our salvation in humility and love.
Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.
I have only known one convert but I can safely say that his extravagant expression of worship was, for him, not a fast track to sainthood, but rather, as Christopher said, a symptom of starvation for external worship. And he never critiqued others for how they chose to cross themselves; he was much too busy bowing and prostrating to notice. As for fasting, young people have always boasted to their non-Orthodox friends about the rigors of Orthodox fasting. It’s what teenagers do.