Questions and Answers: Baptizing Children

The question of when the Orthodox Church began to baptize children and babies is a simple answer. We have been baptizing children along with their family since the very beginning of the Church. But this week’s “Ask Father Sermon” expands the topic to include WHY we baptize children and makes the case of taking seriously our life in Christ in the Church.

Preparing for Illumination

If you are paying close attention during the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts this evening, you are going to notice something different. For the past few weeks, the Litany for the Catechumens included prayers for their continued learning and growth in the faith. Normally, the Litany for the Catechumens includes the following petitions:

• Catechumens, pray to the Lord.
•  Let us, the faithful, pray for the catechumens.
•  That the Lord will have mercy on them.
•  That He will teach them the word of truth.
•  That He will reveal to them the gospel of righteousness.
•  That He will unite them to His holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
•  Save them, have mercy on them, help them, and protect them, O God, by Your grace.
•  Catechumens, bow your heads to the Lord.

Beginning THIS week, the Church adds additional petitions.  As we approach Great and Holy Pascha, the day of baptism for the Catechumens, the Church includes ADDITIONAL petitions.

• All catechumens depart. Catechumens depart. All who are ready for illumination come forward. Pray all of you who are preparing for illumination. Let us pray to the Lord.
•  Let us the faithful pray to the Lord for our brethren who are preparing for holy illumination and for their salvation.
•  That the Lord our God establish and strengthen them, let us pray to the Lord.
•  That He illumine them with the light of knowledge and piety, let us pray to the Lord.
•  That He may make them worthy in due time of the baptism of regeneration, the remissions of sins, and the robe of incorruption, let us pray to the Lord.
•  That He may regenerate them with water and the Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.
•  That He may grant them the perfection of faith, let us pray to the Lord.
•  That He may number them among His holy and chosen flock, let us pray to the Lord.
•  Those who are preparing for illumination, bow Your heads to the Lord.

It is a good reminder of that our Great Lenten Journey is about preparation for Pascha, and at least in the ancient Church, for Baptism. For those who are already Baptized, it is still more than just preparation for Pascha; it is a period of rededication and recommitment to Christ and His Church. It is for our continual illumination and unification with the Church of Christ. Let’s make the most of it. This week the Church begins to turn up the intensity of our spiritual struggle. Don’t give up, remember the Cross, and if you remain steadfast (see the past couple days) you will be prepared for illumination by Christ and your Pascha candle will shine for all eternity.

Baptism is not mere Pretense

Today’s Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 6:3-11 - Brethren, all who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death.  We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.  We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.  For he who has died is freed from sin.  But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.  For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him.  The death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Living here in the ‘Baptist South’ I am often confronted with the notion that Baptism is merely an outward act of obedience and confession, and that no actual grace is conveyed. Additionally I am told that there is no ontological change in Baptism. We must be baptized, that much is agreed, but what exactly takes place during that Baptism, at least here in the ‘Baptist South’ continues to be a point of contention.

The Orthodox Church takes seriously the call to a New Life In Christ once we are baptized. It is the new life that frees us from the burden of sin and death. If Baptism is merely an outward act of obedience, it is nothing more than pretense. 

Seeing God in 2016

Saint John said in his Gospel, “No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” (John 1.18) That HAD BEEN true until God revealed Himself in His glorious incarnation. Not since Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden had a human being set his eyes upon God. All that changed with the Christ’s Holy Nativity.

Beginning today, the Church celebrates Theophany (God Revealed) and the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ. For just over thirty-three years the world was able to set their eyes upon God in the Flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. For us as Orthodox Christians, this is fully expressed in our Holy Tradition of Icons which depicts Christ, but not the Father nor the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is often (such as the Icon of Theophany) depicted as a dove and the Father as a “ray” from Heaven.

But how do we see God now in 2016? Each human being is created in the image of God so that is one place to start. When you look at your fellow humans – friends, family and foe – consider that you are looking at the image of God. Another way we see God is in the Church. The Church mystically is the Body of Christ present in the world, continuing the work that He began. When you participate in the fullness of the sacramental life of the Church – Holy Water blessings, assisting the poor, worshiping in the Church as a community, receiving the sacraments, and in the love the Church presents to the world.

The world is filled with pain and suffering, and if the work of the Church is to continue the work begun by Christ, then it is also the work of the Church to be a light in the darkness and a refreshment to those who thirst. When the Church DOES this work, the Church allows people to see God, and ALL THIS because the Holy Trinity was revealed to us on Theophany at the Baptism of Christ.

Baptism is just the beginning

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28.16-20)

The Gospel of Matthew ends with the words invoked at every Orthodox Christian Baptism. With these words, the Church BEGAN the work of making disciples of all nations, and each Baptism BEGINS a NEW life in Christ. Saint Paul teaches:

Brethren, do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For he who has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6.3-11)

It is a privilege and great blessing to be allowed by the grace of God and the authority of His Church, to baptize infants and adults into Christ. But the baptism is only the beginning. As with any life, without growth and nourishment life ends in death, spiritual as well as physical. And how do we grow and nourish our NEW LIFE IN CHRIST?

The life of the Church, with her prayers, fasting, almsgiving, sacramental life, house blessings, Holy Scripture readings, Matins, Vespers, Supplications, Anointings, Holy Water blessings, feeding programs, clothing drives, visitations....get the picture? The Orthodox Christian Way of Life IS the nourishment and growth of the soul if we fully embrace the life in Christ that was given to us at our Baptism. Otherwise, baptism is just another “thing” we Orthodox do, rather than the beginning of a “life” we live.

Don’t Allow your Greed to Send Christ Away

After Jesus cast out legion demons from someone, the demons entered a heard of swine. As a reaction to having the demons enter, the entire heard ran off a cliff and drown. The demons were so violent and oppressive, the swine just couldn’t handle the presence of so many demons. Demons have a nasty effect on people, but there is always a limit to their abilities.

During the exorcism prayers of every baptism, the Church recalls this Gospel story, as the demons are cast out of the new infant or adult who is seeking to join themselves to Christ. The demons are obligated to obey the Church and depart, just as they were obligated to depart from the young man in Gospel. So if demons have been cast out of our lives at our baptism, why does the Church offer this Gospel story? In the story, the man from whom the demons were cast out glorified God, but the same cannot be said for the owners of the swine, and the town folk.

“Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.” (Luke 8.37) For the town folk, it was easier for them to witness the young man completely tormented by demons, than to lose the money they had invested in the swine. They had grown comfortable with their fellow citizen being tormented, but could not tolerate losing their investments. They had become so greedy; the presence of God was more of a torment for them than the torment of demons on their fellow human being. 

Courting Jesus

Each year for 48 days every Orthodox Christian experiences Great Lent and Holy Week, but most do not know what it is, let alone how to make the most of it. For many Orthodox Christians, Great Lent and Holy Week is nothing more than several weeks of longer (and more) Church services and a special diet. In fact, for most Orthodox Christians, other than Divine Liturgy being longer on Sundays and the Priest constantly droning on and on about Great Lent in his sermons and the announcements after Church, we would hardly ever notice a difference between Great Lent and the rest of the year. But I am convinced that much of this would change if we had a better understanding of what Great Lent and Holy Week actually was all about, so I wanted to take a few moments to answer this very important question, “What is Great Lent and Holy Week”?

Historically, Great Lent and Holy Week developed in the early centuries of the Church for two main purposes; a few days to prepare for the celebration of Holy and Great Pascha with intense prayer and fasting, and 40 days to prepare for baptism with intense prayer, fasting, and learning. Eventually the two merged together to form a longer period of 48 days we now know as Great Lent and Holy Week. But almost everyone in the Church is already baptized, so why does the Church continue this practice of such a long period of intense fasting and prayer? What are WE preparing for?

The answer rests in the prayers of the services for this period. In the ancient Church, Christians believed that Christ would return immediately, so the few days before Pascha, is a period to prepare to welcome Him back, and therefore prepare for the final judgment and paradise. You will notice in the hymns especially during Holy Week, this idea of being vigilant waiting for the return of Christ is written throughout the services. So Great Lent and Holy Week is a period during which time we prepare ourselves to greet Christ and be forever in paradise with Him.

I might compare it to a courting relationship. We spend several weeks getting to know more about Jesus Christ by praying, fasting, and helping the poor (all things He commanded us to do in life), so that when He returns for us, we will be ready for our marriage to Him. We will know Him, and we will be comfortable in His presence. Can you imagine marrying a person you have never met? Even in past centuries when arranged marriages were common, a bride and groom would spend time courting, to learn about each other.

So this year, during our Great Lent and Holy Week experience, I invite you to spend time “courting Jesus” and getting to know more about Him. You can learn “everything there is to know” about Jesus in His Church – reading His Word, fasting, serving others, attending Church services – otherwise spending time with Him, lest we forget that He has promised to be present in the Church for us to encounter Him.

You may have already been baptized, but do you know everything there is to know about Jesus? Are you prepared to spend all eternity married to Him? Great Lent and Holy Week are for you to get to know Jesus; don’t waste another opportunity!

We Have Seen the Light

During every Divine Liturgy we sing the words, “We have seen the Light,” but it is what we do AFTER the Divine Liturgy with the Light that really matters. Many who have received the Light of Christ, fail to make good use of the Light in their lives. Some even reject it. Just as with any gift we receive or plan we make, it requires more than just good intentions for us to be successful and for the Light of Christ to grow within our hearts. All good intentions aside, if we do not make good use of the Light that has been given to us at our Baptism, Jesus will take it away and give it to someone who desires for it to grow. What have you done with the Light you have received?

We are not Worthy of God’s Love

The first sermon of St John the Baptist, as he was preparing to baptize Jesus Christ, he commanded his followers, “Repent; For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” When he spoke about Jesus directly he admitted he was not worthy even to untie Jesus’ sandals. YET....many of us declare ourselves worthy of every blessing. However unless we admit that are not worthy, and that we must repent, we cannot truly welcome the appearing of Jesus Christ into our lives. Without repentance, there is no Kingdom of Heaven.

The Honor of Baptizing

I was again honored today to celebrate a baptism in which another human soul was forever united to God. As Orthodox we believe quite literally that upon baptism we are not only outwardly affected, but inwardly as well. We believe that we die with Christ and are born new with Him in His Resurrection. But....you probably already knew that.

Today I wanted to share what a honor I consider it to be as a Priest to be the celebrant during any baptism, but today was a bit more special for me. The boy was 9 ½ years old. He wasn’t sick. He wasn’t a pagan. He wasn’t neglected. He was born into a loving Christian family. The reason he was not yet baptized is because his family has been on a journey. For more years than he has been alive, his mother who is a recent convert to Orthodoxy, was searching. Many years ago, through friends, she was introduced to the mystery of Orthodoxy, but it wasn’t until early last year that she deeply in her heart understood what the Orthodox Church was......”what she had been searching for all along.”

Sometimes God allows us to search and long for Him before He fully reveals Himself to us. He allowed the Jews to wander for forty years in the desert. He allowed the gentiles to revel in their various pagan religions for centuries before He revealed Himself to them.  He continues to allow millions of human beings to live in spiritual darkness. Why?

Of course we don’t know why God does everything He does. We are after all His creation. If we understood everything He did we would be God. But sometimes He allows the darkness because we are not ready for His Truth. Remember Moses had to be shielded from His glory for his own safety. Sometimes, which is why I feel so honored when I am allowed to celebrate a baptism, He allows the darkness because some of us choose the darkness. Some of us actually prefer the darkness, and He never forces anyone to accept Him or follow Him.

That is why before the baptism takes place, the candidate must first reject the devil, and then embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and as King. Then through the act of free will we are united to God in Baptism. We are forever joined into union with the Holy Trinity. And being a part of that awesome reality can be really humbling sometimes, especially when it occurs in the life of family in the midst of a great journey. That was the case today. Not every member of this particular family is Orthodox, but they are all believers in Christ. Maybe someday, by God’s grace, they too will choose to follow the Orthodox Way of Life. And maybe, that day, I will again be honored to welcome into God’s Church, freely.

Don’t Lose the Forest through the Trees

Sometimes, when we find ourselves in the midst of a struggle, we lose focus on why we entered the struggle in the first place. This is easy in the forest. From the outside looking in, the forest is nothing more than a bunch of trees clumped together, but from within we notice not just a clump of trees, but hundreds if not thousands of trees, shrubs, grasses, vines, puddles, rocks, and maybe even some wild animals. What should be a quick stroll through a few trees to enjoy the breath-taking lake on the other side, becomes a scary journey of twists and turns surrounded by dangerous obstacles. Once inside the forest, we sometimes forget that we are just using the forest as a path to the lake, or worse, we become engrossed in the details of the forest and forget the lake even exists.

The same danger exists in our spiritual journey. God has given us His Church as the path to heaven. He invites us to enter the Church and walk with Him toward salvation. The Church, like the forest, is much more than just “a” Church. It includes many details that, without them, would no longer be a Church. Just like a forest without trees, shrubs, grass, wild animals, etc., would not be a forest. Rather than trees and shrubs, the Church has a way of life which includes prayer, fasting, almsgiving, the Holy Sacraments, and Divine Services of the Church. Once inside the Church, we can sometimes lose focus on why we entered the Church in the first place. We didn’t enter the Church “just” so that we could fast. We entered the Church so that we could find Christ and live with Him. Along the way we pray, we fast, we help others, we tithe, we confess our sins, we marry, we baptize, we ordain, we anoint, we bury, and we receive Holy Communion.

But if we lose sight of WHY we do these things in the Church, we can lose sight of Christ and heaven all together. How do we know this to be true? Consider the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. It was the Pharisee who lost sight of WHY he was living the life of he chose. He had forgotten that fasting, praying, paying tithes, etc., had a purpose…..to find Christ. As we enter the Triodion Period (also called Pre-Lent) and begin a more intense spiritual journey, let’s try to remember WHY, and not lose sight of the goal….to find Christ. Let’s not lose the forest through the trees.

Why is Theophany So Important?

There is a HUGE difference between God and human beings. He is the creator and we are His creation. It is impossible for us to understand ANYTHING about Him unless He reveals it to us first. It is IMPOSSIBLE, no way, no how, for us to even believe in Him without Him first revealing Himself to us. It is IN NO WAY conceivable that we, mere creatures, can comprehend the purpose of our existence without the Creator first showing Himself to us.

So why is the Theophany so important for the Orthodox to celebrate? For many Christians, Theophany – also called Epiphany – the arrival of the Magi at Christ’s manger, or merely His Baptism in the Jordan River. But for the Orthodox, Theophany is THE APPEARING OF THE UNDIVIDED TRINITY – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – for the first time in human history.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Mark 1.9-11)

So while we are indeed celebrating the baptism of Jesus, the greater gift of God is His divinity revealed as Trinity to those standing by and those of us who “love His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4.8) In the baptism of Jesus, it wasn’t Jesus that was changed, but the entire creation by His presence in the water. By entering the water, Jesus reveals the love of God for every living thing on Earth.

In the ancient Church, this revelation was welcomed with great joy and many believers were baptized. But since we only believe in one baptism, many faithful sought a new way to express the joy of the news of God’s appearing. Immediately after the consecration of the baptismal waters, and prior to baptizing the new believers, the faithful would drink from the Font to express their participation in the Feast and receive a blessing from God. As the Church practice developed over the centuries, rather than baptisms taking place on this day, the Church established the Great Blessing of the Waters, in which we all are blessed to participate.

Today, throughout the Orthodox Christian world, Churches are celebrating the appearing of God with the Great Blessing of the Waters. Some even celebrate with an event called a “Cross Dive” where young men, and sometimes women, dive into the water to retrieve the Cross of Christ. Let’s face it, when God reveals Himself to His creation, it’s worthy of great celebrations.

May God be blessed!

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas – We Could Sure Use Some Pipers Piping

 “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3.1)

As we continue our theme of Theophany, today we hear John the Baptist’s call to us from the wilderness. Many answered this call and went out to John and were baptized, “confessing their sins.” Have you responded yet? Have you gone out into the desert and heard the message of the Kingdom of Heaven? The Feast of Theophany was one of the original days for baptism in the ancient Church, imitating Christ’s baptism. Since baptism is a “once only” event in our Faith, how can we relive that moment when we joined Christ? The Church offers the “Great Blessing of the Waters” as part of our celebration of Theophany. We actually no longer celebrate baptisms on this day, but with the Great Blessing of the Waters, we can each rededicate our lives to Christ. Many of the prayers from the Great Blessing of the Waters are taken from the Baptism service. Once the water has been blessed, we drink it, we sprinkle the Church with it, we sprinkle our homes with it, and we sprinkle our cars, offices, crops, livestock, and anything that is a part of our life with it. In the sprinkling of Holy Water, we ask God to bring the Kingdom of Heaven into our entire life and rescue us from the desert of the world. If only we had eleven pipers piping so more people could hear the call to follow Christ! I know….YOU be the piper!

On the Tenth Day of Christmas – It’s Time to Prepare

Everything worth something requires preparation. I’m sure you can think of something, no matter how small, that you have prepared for in your life. That is, of course, if you considered that “something” important enough, and a priority in your life. Today we begin our liturgical preparations for the Feast of Theophany with a service we call “Royal [or Great] Hours” celebrated on the Eve of Theophany. If Theophany falls on a Sunday of Monday, this service is offered on the Friday before the Feast, since it is NOT to be offered any Saturday or Sunday as these are days reserved for other services. This service, a combination of the First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours, is celebrated also on the Eve of Christmas and on Holy Friday Morning. The prayers, hymns, and readings from the Old and New Testament, are filled with references to the coming Feast of Theophany.

One such hymn, uniquely assigned to the Friday before the Feast if Theophany, speaks of this idea of preparation and anticipation. In this singular hymn, the Church teaches us to prepare ourselves and be ready to receive Christ, Who “appeared, wanting to renew the entire creation. Even the river must prepared itself!

Prepare yourself, Zabulon, and make ready, Naphtali; and you, Jordan river stand still to receive with joy the Master coming to be baptized. Rejoice, Adam, together with the first mother Eve; do not hide yourselves, as you did before in paradise; for having seen you naked, He appeared in order to clothe you with the first raiment. Christ has appeared, wanting to renew the entire creation.

The concept of liturgical preparation is most appropriate for Friday, the Day of Preparation. With the Sabbath  and the Lord’s Day approaching with Liturgy and Great Vespers and, in the case of Theophany, the Great Blessing of the Waters, we cannot afford to leave details to the last minute.

• Is the Holy Water Font cleaned and ready?
• Is the Prosoforo baked for Liturgy?
• Have the Altar covers been changed to reflect the Feast?

These are details, among others, the Church must prepare, but there are details for you to prepare as well.

• Do you have your Holy Water bottle from last year cleaned and ready to fill from the Font?
• Have you prepared for Holy Communion with Prayer and Holy Confession?
• Have you cleaned your home to receive the Priest who will begin house blessings in a few days?
• Have you arranged your family schedule to include attending special services for Theophany?
• Have you looked up your nearest Orthodox Church service schedule to see when the services are?
• Have you “signed up” to have your house blessed by the Priest?
• Sunday is a day of fasting (rare and not strict); have you prepared an appropriate menu for Sunday?

When the Sabbath was more strictly followed (see my prior post on the importance of the Sabbath), Friday (the Day of Preparation) was when all the necessary tasks for the Jewish household had to be accomplished, which is yet another reminder that we must rededicate our lives to focus upon the Lord.

Why not start this year by preparing to celebrate the Feast of Theophany in a truly Orthodox Christian manner? Spend time today reading Holy Scripture and other sources, like this blog, to have a richer understanding of your Faith. It doesn’t have to be a LOT of time, but enough for you to grow in your Faith and LIVE A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.

On the Ninth Day of Christmas – A Great Way to Start the Year

Today the Church begins to look ahead to Theophany, the Baptism of Our Lord. Theophany is one of those Feasts that is significant enough to have celebration “ramp up” over several days. In the Gospel for today, Jesus tells Nicodemus that we must be baptized when He says,

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3.5)

I appreciate how the Church identifies readings which, while not directly associated with a Feast, nonetheless reflect the character of the Feast. Since Theophany is the Feast of the Baptism of Christ, the Church assigns readings associated with Baptism and water. Each day the references become more associated with the Feast itself until, on Monday, we will celebrate and here the Gospel of His Baptism. Then we extend this celebration with the “House Blessing Season” which is the continuation of the Blessing of the Waters INTO each home of the Parish. By the end of January, we have not only celebrated Christ’s Baptism, we have linked our home to the Church.

What a GREAT way to start the year!

YOU'RE the not-yet-perfect one!

2013 New Testament Challenge – Day 18 (Reflections on Galatians and Ephesians)

Every year I participate in a special effort called the New Testament Challenge sponsored by a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He encourages Christians to spend the Christmas Fast, also known as Advent) reading the entire New Testament as a preparation for Christmas. Each year I have done this, it has been blessing to me and I pray this year will be no different. As part of the New Testament Challenge, I endeavor to blog a bit about the reading for that particular day. I may miss a few, but I pray for those who follow this blog (NOW ALSO ON FACEBOOK) it will be a blessing.

As I have already blogged, it is my intent to share some thoughts that stand out to me while I am reading each day for the New Testament Challenge. Today’s readings from Galatians and Ephesians reminded me that, as Christians, we are all in the process of becoming….like Christ.

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2.1-7)

We have BEEN MADE by God that we MIGHT BECOME...We cannot forget that Saint Paul was writing to ALREADY BAPTIZED Christians. They had been made new in their Baptism, but they were not yet complete. The same goes for us. We have been made new in our Baptism, but that doesn’t mean we are not still being made in the image of God. We will not be a complete “work” until Christ returns. This is why the Church uses the expression, “We WERE saved, we ARE saved, and we are BEING saved.” We are still becoming.

If we could only remember that we are not exactly where God wants us! “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? (Galatians 3.3) And if WE are not yet perfect, how can we not be more patient with others? Something to think about…

Until tomorrow…..remember YOU’RE the not-yet’perfect one….don’t be so quick to judge others.

You are “A” Holy of Holies

Today is the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos (Bearer of God) in the Temple. According to the Holy Tradition of the Church, when she was about three years old she was brought to the temple by her aged parents Joachim and Anna to live. You might compare this practice to the Virgin Mary becoming a “Temple Virgin” and living among the other virgins within the Court of Women. Upon entering the Temple, according to the ancient Holy Tradition, she dwelt within the Holy of Holies and was fed by the hand of the Archangel Gabriel. Much of this story is included in the Protoevangelium of James, commonly attributed to Jesus’ half-brother, a son of Joseph. I encourage you to read the whole selection. You will be inspired. Most, including so-called cradle Orthodox, are not totally aware of the depth of the Holy Tradition about the Holy Virgin, most of which, though not Scriptural, helps us better grasp the awesomeness of the “Christmas Story.”

So the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, entered into the place reserved ONLY for the High Priest (and then only once per year) to offer the Atonement Offering. It was within the Holy of Holies that, by the grace and permission of God, humans and God could commune. It was only natural that the Most Holy Virgin, who was chosen by God as the first human to physically commune with God through the mystery of the Divine Incarnation, would be welcomed into the Holy of Holies.

But YOU too are a Holy of Holies of sorts. When you were baptized (if you have been) you became the Temple of the Living God. (2 Corinthians 6.16) Since that moment, God has lived in you through His Holy Spirit. Every time you receive Holy Communion, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, you commune physically with the Incarnate Word of God.

When God commanded Moses to construct His Holy Temple, He commanded that only the finest materials be used. The Temple was the dwelling place of God where humans and God would interact. It was a place of reverence and holiness. You can read about the construction of the Temple in Exodus 25-31.

If God commanded respect and reverence for the Temple made of stone, how much more should we care for the Temple not made with hands? We seem to forget that our bodies ARE temples of God. Would we desecrate the Temple of God with graffiti? Would we use the Temple of God to store tools for cleaning out sewers? Yet, every time we treat our human body with anything but the utmost respect, we are desecrating the Temple of God – the Holy of Holies.

Something to think about…

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1.6

I wonder if you knew that the human gestation period (the time needed for complete development of the human body) is longer than nine months. I wonder if you knew that human babies, if they were in the womb for the entire gestation period, would be more than double their birth size? I KNOW you know that a human baby cannot survive without assistance immediately upon birth. Now you know why…For more information on this topic, please check out this article by Orthodox professor, Dr Daniel Buxhoveden, in which he compares the human gestation to that of the cosmic development.

HOMINID EVOLUTION AND THE BIRTH OF THE SPECIES

But I’m pretty sure this wasn’t what Saint Paul had in mind when he wrote these words to the Church in Philipi. Yet, we ARE still a work in progress, spiritually speaking that is. As I point out at almost every Baptism I am blessed to celebrate, we begin our spiritual journey in Christ at our Baptism, rather than complete our journey. I find too many who consider Baptism the “end of our faith journey” that brings to conclusion a period of study and evaluation (as if we have any right to evaluate the Truth), or at least that completes, for those “born into the Faith” the parents’ responsibilities of bringing the Children to Church. If you don’t believe me, consider the many, too many, after whose baptism takes place, do not allow their new life in Christ to have any affect in their daily life choices.

And yet, we are a work in progress. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4.16) This process of becoming like God, which we call Theosis, BEGINS at our baptism and is perfected by God at His Return.

If we could just remember that, while we are not quite finished becoming like God, that does not mean that we have any power to actually accomplish the work of perfection. St John Chrysostom makes a beautiful point in describing Saint Paul’s words. “See how he also teaches them to be unassuming. For since he had witnessed a great thing in them, that they may not feel as men are apt to do, he presently teaches them to refer both the past and the future to Christ.” (Homily 1 on Philippians)

Remember the process, and remember WHO IT IS who is accomplishing the great task in your perfection….and them let Him accomplish it. Then you can Live a New Life in Christ.