Because Orthodox Christianity is a communal and sacramental faith, the Church is THE essential institution
Christianity is a communal faith, one that requires it’s followers to
be actively involved with others. The Church’s worship is communal,
and salvation itself is a corporate act, one that necessitates
interaction with others. One is not “saved” in a vacuum, but as part
of the corporal life of the Church. Your salvation must be as much a
concern to me, as is my own salvation. My relationship with Christ is
not about me, but about us. Our sins are not just against God, but
against the Body of Christ, the Church. Our love of God can not be
salvific if we do not love others, for just as the Lord said, “If
someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for
he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God
whom he has not seen? (1 John 4:20)”.
Given the communal nature of the Church, it is particularly alarming
our City, State, and Federal governments are using this Covid-19
pandemic to bar people from gathering in their temples for common
worship. The importance of social interaction in the central square,
as seen in traditional villages where the cafe life, together with the
communal nature of the Church, were the primary source of fraternal
interaction, demonstrate the danger facing a society that has ordered
her people to remain apart, sequestered in their homes.
Isolated from others, the communal nature that is an important element
in what it means to be human, is lost. As humans, we are meant to be
together, for it is in our lives together that we grow in mind and
spirit. It is in community that we learn to love God, and it is within
the corporate gathering together for the Divine Liturgy, that we
collectively hear the Word of God, and receive the Life-giving Body
and Blood of Our Saviour.
It is high time we clearly let those who’ve decided that liquor
stores, pot shops, and drug stores are by far less essential to the
maintenance of our souls, than the Church. A nation that forbids her
people from participating in corporate worship, is a nation that is
doomed. It is clear that we have need for access to the food we need
for physical sustenance, but the spiritual food needed for a healthy
soul and body, makes the Church THE most essential institution in the
land.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photo: The monastery’s common room.
Wednesday October 7, 2020 / September 24, 2020
18th Week after Pentecost. Tone eight.
Fast. Food with Oil
Holy Protomartyr and Equal-to-the-Apostles Thecla of Iconium (1st c.).
St. Gabriel, of Pskov-Eleazar Monastery and Kazan (1915).
New Hieromartyr Basil deacon (1918).
New Hieromartyrs Andrew and Paul priests, Hieromartyr Vitaly and
Martyrs Basil, Sergius and Spiridon (1937).
New Hieromartyr Nicander priest (1939).
Venerable Nicander, hermit of Pskov (1581).
Martyrdom of St. Galacteon, monk of Vologda (1612).
Venerable Coprius of Palestine (530).
Saint Vladislav of Serbia (1239).
Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos of “Mirozh” and “Of the Myrtle Tree” (1198).
Venerable Abramius, abbot of Mirozh (Pskov) (1158).
Venerables Stephen the First-Crowned (in monasticism Simon) (1224),
David, and Vladislav (1239), of Serbia.
Righteous Euphrosyne, daughter of St. Paphnutius of Egypt.
Venerable Dorothea of Kashin (1629).
Arrival in America of the first Orthodox Mission: Sts. Herman,
Juvenaly, and others (1794).
St. Isarnus of Marseilles (1043)
Scripture Readings
Ephesians 5:25-33
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and
gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with
the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to
Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such
thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands
ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his
wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but
nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For
we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For
this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to
his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great
mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless
let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and
let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Luke 4:1-15
Satan Tempts Jesus
4 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the
Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted
for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and
afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this
stone to become bread.”
4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”
5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the
kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to
Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this
has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7
Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is
written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall
serve.’ ”
9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the
temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself
down from here. 10 For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you,’
11 and,
‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall
not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him
until an opportune time.
Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry
14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news
of Him went out through all the surrounding region. 15 And He taught
in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
Yes, how can an institution that ultimately deals with the eternity of ones soul NOT be essential? By those in authority who shirk the Constitution of the land, whose view is temporal , and whose end is acquisition of more power. Woe to them!
“…. it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
– St.Matthew 18:6
I am so thankful that Father Basil found a way to let us worship together throughout the Covid crisis! We are so privileged to have access to Holy Communion and the Divine Liturgy. And, people who live far from the church have had the opportunity to attend via Facebook (which is, frankly, one of the few benefits of that platform)! We pray together; we suffer together!
Churches are far more important than bars. I think the unwillingness of Conservative evangelicals to wear masks and socially distance has tarred all of us. But, again, we suffer together.
Amen Father. It is worth noting that those in power do not believe and are growing ever more resistant to our Faith. Many do not believe that there is life after death and so see the Church as irrelevant. The Democratic candidate for the Presidency has stated that our traditional views must change or he will force us. The Governor of Virginia has ordered churches to accept the governments morals and ethics or be fined $100,000. It is these that cannot see the truth and the necessity of gathering in communion.
“It is high time we clearly let those who’ve decided that liquor stores, pot shops, and drug stores are by far less essential to the maintenance of our souls, than the Church.” Agreed, but exactly how do we do this in the context of our parish? The parish priests are abiding by the instructions given by their bishops, and the bishops are telling the parishes to abide by the dictates of the Governors. We can’t encourage our parish priests to open up the church more than the Governor allows because of course then we’d be going against our bishop’s direction. (And so many parishioners are still living in terror of this virus because of what the fear-mongers in media has been telling them for seven months now.) In my state (NY) I’ve sent many emails to our governor (Cuomo), but, well, everyone knows where he stands on the importance of opening churches and synagogues. I see the Orthodox Jews in NYC had a massive protest in Brooklyn – burning masks. Not sure that’s the right path, but I sympathize with their frustration and respect their willingness to take a stand.
My father was a local public health officer who as a young boy was part of a homesteading family in the territory of New Mexico (he was 48 when I was born). His public health work was based on the knowledge acquired on the high snd arid plains of eastern New Mexico that all created things are interrelated. Jesus saying that “What you do to the least of these, you do to me” is literal not figurative.
Thus no act of devotion anywhere in the world that does not redound to our good. Still, it is critically important that we gather together around the same cup and share His Body and His Blood. Even masks and “social distancing”, what ever that is, is detrimental to our common life. It reduces us to strangers in some ways who are required to fear each other.
I am not a fan of the government mandates and greatly miss the wise council of my father.
I look it as a penance but I absolutely do not trust the government to do anything in my interest.
We have to rely heavily on God in this dilemma…..
This world will become a very cold and calculating place without God.
Father, bless…..
Dear Abbot,
This post and the previous one are so encouraging! I’ll explain what I mean by that…….during all these months since the pandemic started, I have agonized over the response of the Orthodox church (our church leaders and hierarchs) to the Government imposing restrictions on our gathering to worship God and even going so far as banning the Holy Communion in some countries. I could not wrap my mind over the fact that our bishops bowed to the state without the minimum resistance, or effort to find some “compromise”. So far, I have not heard not one clergy openly denouncing BLM and other Anti-Christian organizations for their violence and destruction in our cities, or SPEAK UP about the fact that the CHURCH is the most ESSENTIAL institution, and being nourished with the Life Giving mysteries is more ESSENTIAL than physical food. “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from of the mouth of God”. On the contrary, I have read disgusting articles written by orthodox clergy discussing how to deal with the “issue” of distributing the Holy Communion in a “safe” way and changing centuries old tradition.
This silence from the church leaders but also from the whole body of the faithful is shameful and disheartening. If the society is gripped by fear, this is also our responsibility, because as Christians we did not shine the light of faith and the love of God during this dark times, the love that dispels all fear. “Perfect love casts out fear”. We cowered in fear like everyone else or at least we’re told to do so by the very bishops who are supposed to lead us even to martyrdom if that would be necessary. This virus has revealed how weak we’ve become in our faith and how shallow our love is. Just as you say, we need a lot of repentance. But not even this has ever been mentioned by our hierarchs and priests. We were told to stay “safe” at home and “watch” the Divine Liturgy from a screen, like it is just another entertainment.
I do not want to cast blame on anyone. I understand and believe that everyone has tried to the best of their abilities to lead the church during this trial. But our actions reveal something about our inner reality. May God forgive us all and have mercy on us.
Glory to God for your enlightenment and courageous stand for the TRUTH. Thank you!
You are right, it is time for us Christians to stand up as the Body of Christ together, and speak up and take a stand for the TRUTH.
The state has never been a “friend” of Christians (save maybe some isolated cases during history); the politicians in general have never fought for what is God pleasing, but what furthers their agendas. We cannot be so naïve to believe that the state will protect the church or agree with our values. We need to wake up and see the situation for what it is.
Thank you again! It was so refreshing to finally hear someone who is among the clergy of the church speak clearly the truth not being afraid and desiring to be “politically correct”.
Forgive me for the long comment.
May God bless you abundantly Abbot! Pray for me.
With love and gratitude,
Sofia
Phil, obedience to our clergy in submission to God not out of fear or shame is the key.
Yes, but my question was about the statement “It is high time we clearly let those who’ve decided that liquor stores, pot shops, and drug stores are by far less essential to the maintenance of our souls, than the Church.” How specifically are we to do that?
It would be different from state to state, and city to city.
Father Abbot: Do you think attending parish services–especially Sunday liturgy–could or should have the parishioners wearing masks in the temple and socially distancing [until receiving the Holy Communion of course]. And of course the serving priest should not be wearing a mask. I would really appreciate your input. We have been going to liturgy on other days such as Sat because on Sunday there is a large number of people and no one wearing a mask. I wonder what they are doing in Russia, Bulgaria, Georgia etc? I would not support banning believers from attending services or priests from serving….in sum, should masks for parishioners be at least encouraged if not mandated?
Because of our state mandate, our archbishop asks that we require masks during the service, along with social distancing. None of the monks wears a mask, nor the clergy and servers in the altar. When people approach the chalice, they receive as normal.