Arms Open Wide to Persons with Disability, by William Gall

Jesus said, “When you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, and you will be blessed.”(Luke 14:13-14a) St. John Chrysostom had much to say about this in his sermons. And St. Paul also addresses this same call in relation to Church life: “The parts of the body which seem to be weaker are indispensable.” (1 Cor. 12:22) My wife Margaret and I have been houseparents of a Friendship Community group home for four people with developmental disability in Lancaster County, PA since 1991. There have been joys all along the way, but there have also been struggles; sometimes we feel “fed up.” But the call to continue to be there for these four people remains, with the strength from above to do it. Thanks be to God. In 1999, accumulating questions on the variety of ways Protestant churches “stand on the Bible” led me (and Margaret) to visit St. John Chrysostom Antiochian Orthodox Church. In the following year, these questions were put into the perspective of the Apostolic Tradition by Fr. Peter Pier, and we were received into the Church by Chrismation on Lazarus Saturday, 2000. Finishing the Antiochian House of Studies’ St. Stephen’s Course in 2005, the opportunity to pursue the Masters of Arts in Practical Theology beckoned me; I felt that our years in the group home ministry and Orthodox theology intersected in a way that called for expression. And so with God’s help I wrote “St. John Chrysostom and the Socialization of Persons with Developmental Disability: Patristic Inspiration for Contemporary Application.” St. John Chrysostom was, as Fr. Georges Florovsky noted, “the Prophet of Charity,” a champion of the poor, of those who struggle in this world. All the fiery, golden words he preached on this theme have direct application to persons with disability. He emphasized in no uncertain terms that our attention to weak and struggling people is crucial to our life in Christ and our “good defense before [His] fearful judgment seat.” The thesis draws out specific aspects of Church life in respect to persons with developmental disability- liturgical worship, family support, Christian education, and the incorporation of gifts. The words of John Boojrama and other leading lights of our Faith are weighed in light of this specific ministry imperative. The thesis brings out how “the liturgy after the Liturgy,” our continuing sense and practice of Church family life in the hours and days between services, will show the genuineness of our unity in Christ’s Body and Blood. The Lord Jesus indicated in St. Matthew 25:31-46 that how we respond to those who are different or in difficulty- persons with disability being the case in point- is a key to His final evaluation of us. One of my recommendations in the thesis is that an Orthodox Christian website addressing these issues should be developed. Fr. Ted Pulcini, the first reader of the thesis, encouraged me to develop one. Beginning with a prayer, it took shape, and came to be: “Arms Open Wide: Orthodox Christian Disability Resources.” (http://armsopenwide.wordp...) Christ stretched out His loving arms on the Cross for us; His arms are open wide for persons with disabilities and their families. Beyond the list of websites, ministries, and writings are the Inspiration and Posts pages. “Inspiration” consists of select verses from Holy Scripture and quotes from St. John Chrysostom; “Posts” are occasional, short writings, related to the subject for the most part. Comments are very welcome. May the Lord use this site to encourage many to press on toward reflecting the likeness of Christ, with arms open wide to persons with disabilities and to all.

Basil's Search For Miracles

Buy Basil’s Search for Miracles now at
 http://www.conciliarpress.com, http://www.amazon.com and http://www.barnesandnoble.com.

In Basil's Search for Miracles, an ordinary 12-year-old boy named Basil must find and report on true, modern miracles for his school paper, the St. Norbert News. After Basil sees a real weeping icon, meets with people who have been miraculously healed of deadly illnesses, and more, he begins to put the faith he is exploring in motion in his own life, trying to get along better with his single mom and befriending the social outcast of the school, a troubled boy named Anthony. Throughout the rest of his first year at a private parochial school, Basil not only researches a new miracle for each issue of the "News," but learns that everyday miracles can happen even in his own life.

"In the best tradition of Christian children's fiction, Basil's Search for Miracles touches on larger mysteries of life that young people today need to experience through story. Engaging the reader through a young boy's discovery, in contemporary secular America, of early Christian tradition in the Orthodox Church, it is at the same time sensitively accessible for readers of all backgrounds and ages who seek ways to make their lives more meaningful through spiritual encounters with traditional spirituality and community."
    -- Alfred K. Siewers, co-author of Tolkien's Modern Middle Ages and assistant professor of medieval literature at Bucknell University

“Basil’s Search for Miracles is a witty and riveting read. A mystery, supported by the the Great Mystery of God’s continuing Life in the world, it is packed full of wonderful characters and great action. You are sure to enjoy every word and at the end want more.”
    -- Claire Brandenburg, author of The Monk who Grew Prayer and Daniel and the Lion

Buy Basil’s Search for Miracles now at
 http://www.conciliarpress.com, http://www.amazon.com and http://www.barnesandnoble.com.

Learn more at http://www.heatherzydek.com/basil

To bring Orthodoxy to America we need more than Rhetoric

To fulfill Metropolitan PHILIP's prophetic call to bring Orthodoxy to America, the Orthodox laity and clergy in America must be genuine Christians, well educated in the ways of God, and fervant in our witness of Jesus Christ.  We must be Christians who love God and all those that God Himself loves.  We must be servants; obedient to God and willing to do all that God calls us to do, even if He calls us to change or to grow.  Anything short of this would make us disingenious, and if America discerns us to be less than genuine, He will justifiably reject us.  To be authentic, we must be obedient to God and to each other, modeling relationships that reveal the living God in our midst.  We must not live our hierarchical relationships in a secular or business way, but in the way God revealed them.  Obedience in the Church is based on respect, service and love.      To bring Orthodoxy to America, we need to be American in our embrace of freedom, and Orthodox in our correct apostolic faith and worship.  Our worship must be expressive of that which God has revealed though the ages, while palatable to the now indigenous American population.  We must be able to distinguish between that which is of the faith and that which belongs to cultures of other countries where Orthodoxy has taken root.  America has her own culture, deserving of our study and embrace.      If you understand me to say that the Orthodox laity and clergy in the United States have much work to do in order to be really prepared to bring Orthodoxy to America or America to Orthodoxy, you understand me correctly.  We have a sacred responsibility that calls us to personal maturity and growth in our faith and spirituality.  We must embark on a journey that will begin with our loving God and each other, and then calls us to witness to America, changing and transforming this land as leaven in bread dough.  While we Orthodox in America have had trouble loving each other, we are called by God to grow past our short sightedness and to love everyone.  That love from God will transform us, allowing us to share His love.  When America sees our love and how God abides in us, America will notice.  Americans are known for wanting the best of everything.  Those things that are flashy or don't last sometimes fool Americans, but when given the opportunity, Americans want and find the best.  We need to give America the opportunity to know God as He has revealed Himself and is calling her.      After loving one another, we need to learn real obedience.  Such obedience cannot be reduced to blind adherences to every whim of authority figures.  Christian obedience involves church leaders and faithful alike seeking to understand God, and then in a loving and trusting relationship, relate that which will bring the other into a better understanding of God's presence and will.  All in the Church must be accountable to each other.  Spiritual gifts are not reserved for clergy.  God works in all who put Christ on and embrace God.  We Christians must always be first obedient to God, and then seek God's direction for each other.  This is a sacred responsibility shared by the shepherds and the reason-endowed Christians together.      I am not an advocate of reform for the sake of reform.  I even oppose reform for the sake of relevancy; however, we must be sure that our worship and preaching make sense to those that we seek to lead to Christ.  Our language and delivery of worship and God's message must be understandable to the ears that we preach it to.  Our message must be God's message, and not one of an institution or group.  Our language must not only be in English, read, spoken and prayed in understandable ways.      In America, we who seek to bring Orthodoxy to our neighbors face many obstacles from outside our community.  America is rooted in a history rich with her own neurotic fears; including a fear of ritual, foreigners, icons and symbols.  She is also proud, thinking that as the greatest nation in this world, she is self-sufficient and without need of anything.      If we Orthodox are to have a chance in meeting these real obstacles, we need to get our own house in order.  We need to mature to the point of relating to each other, clergy and laity, in symphony.  We also need to know and recognize Orthodox from other jurisdictions as authentic Orthodox with the same mandate from our Savior Jesus Christ to preach the Good News to the entire world.  We Orthodox worship and honor the same God, regardless of ethnic origin or preference of typicon.  We Orthodox in America at every level of Church life need to be even better educated, and we need to be generous, sharing the abundance of gifts and grace that our God has blessed us. by Fr. John Abdalah

Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council

Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council

Read documents from the Council here

The Elevation of the Cross Sep 14

The Elevation of the Cross Sep 14

St. Makarios, Bishop of Jerusalem, is holding the Cross high above the crowd for veneration. Pictured in the crowd are St. Helen and her son, St. Constantine the Great, along with scores of saintly bishops, priests and deacons, and leading citizens of Jerusalem.

Troparion of the Holy Cross

O Lord save thy people, and bless Thine inheritance, And to the faithful people, grant victory over their enemies, And by the power of the Cross, protect all those who follow Thee.

Choir Directors: Download the Liturgical Music :: Kont - Elevation of Cross

Church School Teachers: Download Teaching Material Here for the Feast

Articles on the Elevation of the Cross

September 14, Feast Of the Holy Cross

Each year on September 14 the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of “The Elevation of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross.” This is one of the great feasts of the Church year, and one which has an important historical background. Although one or two of the hymns for the day refer obliquely to the vision of the cross in the heavens, the actual commemoration is not that of Constantine’s vision before his battle with Maxentius on October 28, 312. On that occasion, while he was in doubt about the outcome of the impending battle for Italy, he saw in the heavens the arms of the cross stretching far and wide, and the words. “In This Conquer.”

Read more...

Also Read:

The Cross :: Central Theme of Our Christian Religion

The Elevation of the Precious and Life-Creating Cross of the Lord

Feast of Bishop Raphael Hawaweeny of Brooklyn

Feast of Bishop Raphael Hawaweeny of Brooklyn

Rejoice, O Father Raphael, Adornment of the holy Church! Thou art Champion of the True Faith, Seeker of the lost, Consolation of the oppressed, Father to orphans and Friend of the poor, Peacemaker and good Shepherd, Joy of all the Orthodox, Son of Antioch, Boast of America. Intercede with Christ God for us and for all who honor thee.

Tone Three

KEEPING THE FAITH IN THE HOLY DAYS

KEEPING THE FAITH IN THE HOLY DAYS

 

By Father Joseph Allen

The key to “keeping the Faith in the Holidays (holy days)” is in the understanding of “time.” In the Orthodox East, where we call such days “Feasts” or “Feastdays,” this especially means both the place of time in our lives and our use of time.

First, regarding the place of time, the religious anthropologists have shown us in many ways that the human being, from the beginning, understood that the feastdays and celebrations were an organic and essential component in his whole world-view, in his way of life. They discovered that the homo religiosus, the religious man, lived in the “rhythm of time” — where beginnings and endings, youth and aging, birth and death, were truly acknowledged as real. Thus the feastday was not something extraneous or accidental to his life; his observation of what was happening in the cosmic occurrences all around him kept this rhythm of time central. Neither was the feast a simple “break” from his usual life of hard work. Far more important to his very being, the feast was — as it should be for us today — a “marker” of such times of change and transformation. Indeed, each celebration was its own “rite of passage,” from this point to that point, from this time to that time. And the religious man lived within that cycle, quite naturally.

But when God comes into our world, the Orthodox believe that He takes that which is “natural” to all life, and entering it, infuses it with new meaning. Thus, for example, the early Christians understood that at Christmas, the Nativity of Christ (which was celebrated at a cosmic time of increasing “light” i.e., as a shift to longer days occurred), a radical change occurred in which God Himself now fully enters our natural time and transforms it forever. (Or to use the words of St. Gregory the Theologian: “The Creator bows down to his own creation.”) The same with Epiphany, which in the Orthodox East is also known as Theophany: God “reveals” Himself in the form of the Trinity, and the entire cosmos — now symbolized in the primordial substance of life, water — is infused with God’s presence. At Easter, or Pascha (“passover”), the final transformation, the final “rite of passage,” is realized as we are taken from death to life. And so on.

In each case where such a holy day is celebrated, because God enters it — reveals Himself in it — natural time, which is still important to us, is now celebrated as something that He has transformed, as something new: “Behold I make all things new!”

And so the question: how indeed can we keep our Faith in the feastday, the holy day, without this understanding of time? Do we moderns arrogantly think we are beyond the natural “rhythm of time?” And have we forgotten that a holy day is something which God makes holy when He transforms this natural time into new time? In short, have we lost something that earlier believers held as “critical” to their lives? something they could almost intuit as central to their living?

If one can answer “yes” to any of these questions, we must then ask: What are we to do in order to re­establish the proper place of our Faith in the holy days? The first thing to do is truly to return to this root understanding of “time!” And here we enter our second dimension: our use of time.

The Orthodox Christian continually re-establishes that meaning by placing time with the rhythm of “Fast and Feast.” Before each feast there is a fast, a time which includes abstinence, prayer and almsgiving. What is the meaning of this Fast, this season of fasting?

Never have there been so many misunderstandings and abuses regarding the meaning of fasting, as “new spiritualities,” religious cults based on pop psychology, etc., abound. And yet, if we do not understand the true meaning, we cannot be led to a proper perspective of time leading up to the feast day — and therefore to our task of keeping our Faith in that holy day.

Basically, the purpose of a fast — and a fasting season — is to gain mastery over oneself. It is seeking to liberate oneself from those elements in our world which precisely seek to hold us in bondage: greed, revenge, gluttony, hate, gossip, etc. It is never only about “food,” as if God is pleased when we do not eat. It is never separated from prayer. It is also never about afflicting oneself with suffering and pain. Indeed, in the services of the Orthodox Church, we are reminded that “the devil also never eats!” And when we fast, the Gospel reminds us that we are “to anoint our head and wash our face, that our fast will not be seen by men, but by our Father who sees in secret” (Matthew 6:16-18). Food, of course, has always held its important place in the season of the fast because it is a first-line passion, a temptation, as everyone already knows, which truly does hold us “in bondage.” It takes us immediately to the point simply because we need food to live in this earthly life. Thus, abstinence relative to food is a veritable symbol of the more global task of liberation from dependence on this world, and its ways: eat, eat, eat; violence, violence, violence; consume, consume, consume, etc.!

These — and others like them —militate against our seeking a dimension of life beyond this earthly world. Indeed, we must seek to be free for something, but first we must struggle to be free from something: the earthly passions which seek to possess us.

And that’s the point! We fast not only as an end in itself, but as a means to an end: to enter fully and organically into a holy time with God, and for our present purposes, this means the use of time culminating at the holy day, the sacred feastday.

Therefore, this season of the fast — which leads to the feast — is never a time of “business as usual.” It is indeed a special time, one in which a struggle leads to a goal. It must, however, remain humble and never lead to judgmentalism or arrogance. In the seventh century, St. Dorotheos well-noted this truth: “When one fasts, thinking he is achieving something especially virtuous, he fasts foolishly, for he soon begins to criticize others and to consider himself something greater.” Or to use the words of the Great Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans: “Let him who eats not despise him who abstains, and let him who abstains not judge him who eats for God has welcomed him. Who are you to judge the servant of another?” We see in this way that a fast, and a season of the fast, is never limited to the excesses which may come into our minds and mouths, but which also proceed out of our minds and mouths!

Another critical element which truly belongs to the season preparatory to the holy day is almsgiving. When almsgiving is combined with prayer and fasting, those in the Eastern Christian Tradition believe they are creating the best environment for keeping our Faith in the celebration of a Feastday.

Again, like prayer and fasting, “when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:1-4). Such is the humility needed when almsgiving is practiced. St. John Chrysostom, a great fourth century presbyter and Bishop of the Church, says we simply cannot be saved without giving alms. He reminds us that the wealthy can come closer to God only to the degree that they are charitable. Like Chrysostom, St. Basil the Great is even more specific: A person who has two coats and two pairs of shoes while his neighbor has none, is a “thief.” We must wonder, of course, what this says about the excesses of commercialism which abound during this very same season of preparation for the holy days!

And yet, almsgiving during the preparatory time of the fast is merely reflecting God’s love: “If any one has all the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against that brother, how does God’s love abide in him?” (I John 3:17) Just as in a person’s stewardship for his or her parish, his or her community of Faith, if such giving is to be of any value, it must be a spiritual “offering of sacrifice.” One cannot merely give what is “left over” after all his own needs are satisfied; one must take from the essentials of his own life and offer it. Is this not the meaning of the poor widow in Luke’s Gospel?

Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. And Jesus called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all the rest: for they contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in of her essential living.”

And so, in attempting “to keep our Faith in the holidays (holy days),” understanding both the place of time and our use of time, is essential. Within the “rhythm of time,” natural to all of life, we cannot be passive. We must ourselves “struggle” during the preparatory time of fasting in order to truly arrive at a celebration of our Faith during the Feast Day. Remembering that any holy day is a day when God makes Himself known to us, a day when the doors are thrown open, allowing us to draw near to His presence —that is, precisely to enter into His Kingdom — the struggle on our part to get there is critical. For as Our Lord Himself said: “The Kingdom of God is taken by force.”

Father Joseph, pastor of St. Anthony Orthodox Church in Bergenfield, is the Director of Theological and Pastoral Education in the Archdiocese, and North American Chaplain of the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch, located in Englewood, NJ.

 

Constantine The Great: Roman Emperor, Christian Saint, History's Turning Point

"Tell me the history of Christianity and I can tell you your theology." This is especially true with a controversial figure like Constantine. Where Roman Catholics present him as laying the foundation for the Papacy, Protestants see him as the one responsible for leading the early Church away from the simplicity of the pure gospel and turning it into an institutional Church. However, blaming Constantine for the fall of the Church is a double-edged sword that cuts in both directions. If Protestants accuse Constantine of tampering with the Church, how do they know that Constantine did not tamper with the Bible? The problem with the "fall of the Church" argument is that it opens the possibility of a radical discontinuity between present-day Christianity and the early Church.

This danger can be seen in one of today's most popular bestsellers, The DaVinci Code. In the middle of the book (Chapter 55) Sir Leigh Teabing gives Sophie Neveu a brief synopsis of the "history" of Christianity. In it he makes the following points about Constantine:

• Constantine was a lifelong pagan who was baptized against his will on his deathbed.
• Constantine made Christianity the official Roman religion solely for political gain.
• Christianity is a hybrid religion, the result of Constantine's fusing the pagan cult of Sol Invictus with Christianity.
• This blending can be seen in Constantine's changing the Christian day of worship from Saturday to Sunday.
• Under Constantine's influence, the Council of Nicea, by a small majority, turned a mortal prophet into the divine Son of God.
• Constantine ordered the making of the Bible that would reinforce the Council's decision to make Jesus the divine Son of God, and at the same time ordered the destruction of opposing documents.

Personally, I thought the book was a lot of fun to read, but as church history it was laughable. This is not a criticism of the author, as his bestseller is a work of fiction. The problem comes when people confuse fiction and nonfiction.

It is imperative that Christians, especially Orthodox Christians, have a firm grasp of their faith and of church history. Faith and history go together. We cannot separate church history from what we believe. The Orthodox understanding of truth is grounded in the Incarnation, the Son of God taking on human nature. Because the Son of God entered into human history, truth consists of more than a set of logically consistent concepts. Our faith is grounded in the historical figure Jesus of Nazareth, who asserted: I am the Truth. When Orthodoxy claims that the Christian Faith is the true faith, it is asserting that it is a real faith, based on historical events that actually happened. Because Christianity is grounded in reality, our salvation in Christ is a real salvation that has an impact on both the spiritual and physical realities.

Constantine the Great

Constantine was born at Naissus on February 27, 272 or 273, to Flavius Constantius and his wife Helena. Flavius Constantius was an army officer, and in 289 he divorced Constantine's mother to marry Theodora, the daughter of his commanding officer. Constantine embarked on his own military career, which took him all over the Roman Empire, from Palestine and Asia Minor to Britain, Spain, and Gaul. While crossing the Alps with his army, Constantine had a vision (or dream) of a cross of light shining in front of the sun and the words: In this sign conquer. Shortly after that vision, Constantine defeated his rival, Maxentius, captured Rome, and was acclaimed the next emperor.

History often turns upon certain pivotal events or individuals. Early Christianity faced two significant perils: one external—violent persecution by the Roman government, and one internal—the Arian heresy, which denied Christ's divinity. In a providential twist of events, God raised up an emperor who would play a key role in confronting each of these perils, becoming one of Christianity's greatest defenders. Constantine's rule precipitated an avalanche of events that radically altered the course of the history of Christianity.

External Danger—Persecution

Prior to Constantine's becoming emperor, the early Church was going through one of the fiercest and bloodiest of the persecutions by the Roman government, the Diocletian persecution. During this wave of persecution thousands of Christians lost their lives, churches were destroyed, and scriptures were burned. Then in 313, the situation reversed itself. Constantine (with his co-emperor Licinus) issued the famous Edict of Milan, declaring Christianity to be a legal religion. Christianity was not yet the official religion of the Empire—this would not happen until 380 under Emperor Theodosius. And Constantine's edict of toleration was not the first—Galerius had issued a similar edict in 311. But it marked a major turning point for the Roman government. With the Edict of Milan, the three-centuries-long era of persecution came to an end.

Contrary to popular belief, Constantine did not rescue Christianity from extinction. Even if he had not adopted the Christian cause, the majority of the Roman population was well on its way to becoming Christian. What Constantine did do was hasten the process of evangelizing the Roman Empire. Constantine's conversion marked the climax of a centuries-long process of evangelization that began in an obscure corner of the Roman Empire. For the first time, the entire structure of Roman civilization, from the emperor down to the lowliest slave, shared the Christian faith.

Internal Danger—Heresy

In the early fourth century, a theological controversy broke out that threatened to derail the Christian faith. Arius taught that the Son of God had a beginning and was a created being. The controversy threatened deeply to divide the Christian Church, and in so doing to imperil the unity of the Roman Empire. Concerned for the unity of the empire, Constantine wrote letters to Bishop Alexander and to Arius, urging them to make up their differences and forgive each other. When that failed, he convened an ecumenical council of the entire Church. Previously there had been regional and local synods, but this was the first worldwide gathering of bishops. Constantine aided this historic gathering by covering the travel expenses of bishops coming from the far-flung corners of the empire.

In order to repudiate the Arian heresy, the bishops inserted the word homoousios ("of the same essence") into the baptismal creed. By asserting that Christ was of the same essence as God the Father, the Council decisively affirmed the divinity of Christ. This was approved by an overwhelming majority of the Council (only three persons—including Arius—out of three hundred disagreed). Although Constantine may have suggested that homoousios be inserted into the creed, the word was not invented by him. Even Arius made use of it, albeit in his arguments against the divinity of Christ.

Although he presided over the council, it is an exaggeration to claim that Constantine controlled the direction of the Council of Nicea, as many Protestants argue. Many of the bishops present at the council were survivors of the Diocletian persecution and would have been more than willing to put their lives on the line for the gospel of Christ once more. Another weakness of the Protestant stereotype of Constantine is that it gives short shrift to the theological genius of Athanasius. Anyone who reads Athanasius' theological classic Against the Arians will see that it was Athanasius, not Constantine, who turned the tide against the Arian heresy. Also, the limitations of Constantine's ability to coerce the Church into doing his will can be seen in his earlier failure to resolve the Donatist controversy in 320. As W. H. C. Frend notes in The Rise of Christianity, "The lesson, however, had been learned. Never again did he seek to beat into submission a movement within the church."

Equal-to-the-Apostles

Constantine's legacy can be seen in Christianity's transformation from a private sect into a public church that encompassed the whole of society. He put it on an institutional footing, which enabled the Church to be the leading cultural force in the ancient world. The Christianization of Roman society can be seen as a partial fulfillment of Revelation 21:24: "The nations . . . shall walk in its [New Jerusalem] light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it." The Church is the New Jerusalem—replacing the Jerusalem of the Old Testament—which brings spiritual enlightenment to the pagan nations throughout the Roman Empire. However, a balanced assessment of the historical evidence shows that, as much as Constantine may have contributed to the Christianization of the Roman Empire, he did not originate Holy Tradition as many Protestants believe.

Sunday as the day of worship. Although Sunday was made a public holiday, there is no evidence that it was Constantine who changed the Christians' day of worship from Saturday to Sunday. Two first-century documents—Didache 14.1 and Ignatius' Letter to the Magnesians 9.1—document the fact that Christians worshiped on a different day from the Jewish Sabbath. As emperor, Constantine transformed what was once the private practice of an illegal sect into a public holiday for all Romans.

Constantinople—the New Rome. With his decision to turn the sleepy village of Byzantinum into the Roman Empire's new capital city, Constantine laid the groundwork of what would become a major spiritual center, the Patriarchate of Constantinople. As the New Rome, Constantinople was intended to signal the Roman Empire's break with its pagan past and its embracing of Christianity. Under Constantine's orders, no pagan ceremonies were allowed in this city. While the original Rome and the Latin West entered into the Dark Ages, Constantinople thrived as a spiritual and political capital through the time of Columbus' voyage to America. Constantinople was also the springboard from which the missionary outreach to Russia would take place.

The Council of Nicea and the biblical canon. While Constantine played an important role at the First Ecumenical Council, there is no evidence that he had anything to do with deciding which books would go into the Bible. The Muratorian Canon (from the year 200) provides a list of New Testament documents that closely resembles the list found in today's Bible. Similar lists can be found in the writings of Origen (250) and Eusebius of Caesarea (300). It is true that Constantine ordered the burning of books by Arius, the anti-Christian philosopher Porphyry, the Novatians, the Marcionites, and others. But the fact remains that by the time Constantine became emperor, much of today's biblical canon was already in place.

Constantine a Saint?

Constantine died in 337. Shortly before his death, he was baptized by Eusebius of Nicomedia. Following his baptism, Constantine refused to wear the imperial purple and died wearing the white baptismal robe. He was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles just days after he had dedicated it. The day of his death—May 21—is commemorated in the Orthodox Church as a major feast day.

Skepticism about the sincerity of Constantine's Christianity stems from a number of factors. Constantine did not openly repudiate the pagan gods, but tolerated pagan belief even as he began favoring the Christians. Another source lies in his execution of his son, Crispus, and his wife, Fausta, in 326, a year after the Council of Nicea. A third factor was Constantine's delaying of his baptism until just a few days before his death.

On closer examination, however, the basis for this skeptical attitude becomes problematic. Constantine's participation in the pagan rites most likely stemmed from his obligations as military and political leader. Regarding his execution of his son and wife, it is not clear what the reasons were. Unless the reasons for this drastic action are known, it is not fair to condemn Constantine. Also, modern evangelicalism may frown on deathbed conversions, but in the early Church such delaying of one’s baptism was not uncommon.

Constantine's conversion follows more closely the Orthodox understanding of salvation than the Protestant understanding. Where Protestants, especially evangelicals, tend to see salvation in terms of a one-time conversion experience, Orthodoxy sees salvation as a mystery and as a process that unfolds over time. While Constantine's personal faith may be a matter of debate, his historical contributions to the Church under his reign are undeniable. Frend writes, "The 'Age of the Fathers' would have been impossible without Constantine's conversion. The church's councils under the emperor's guidance became assemblies where the new, binding relationship with the Christian God, on which the safety of the empire depended, was established."

The Orthodox Church sees Constantine as the emperor who assisted the early Church in evangelizing the Roman Empire. For this reason it honors him as Saint Constantine Equal-to-the-Apostles.

Constantine and the Church

For Orthodoxy, Constantine represents an important link to the past. The persecuted underground Church and the official state Church are the same Church. Constantine played a key role in the historic transition from the former to the latter. For Orthodox Christianity, there is no "fall of the Church." The Orthodox Church believes that it stands in unbroken continuity with the Church of the first century.

There is a popular belief among evangelicals that the true Church was the underground Church, which refused to compromise with the worldly state Church, and that this true Church remained in hiding over the following centuries, leaving few records of its existence until it was rediscovered by the Protestants in the sixteenth century. The main problem with this belief is not only the absence of supporting evidence, but the presence of contrary evidence. Eusebius, in Books IV and V of his History of the Church, provides a chronological listing of bishops that goes back to the original apostles. Present-day Orthodox bishops and patriarchs are able to trace their spiritual and historical lineage back to the original apostles, something that Protestants cannot do.

Symphonia—The Harmony of Faith and Politics

Constantine's support for the early Church laid the foundation for the doctrine of symphonia—the ideal of political and religious leaders working in harmony to realize God's will here on earth. This ideal is rooted in the Lord's Prayer: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Symphonia avoids two extremes: the separation of Church from State on the one hand, and the fusion of Church and State on the other. Despite his active participation in the Ecumenical Council, Constantine did not view himself as one of the bishops, but rather as "bishop of those outside." This ideal found concrete expression in the Byzantine Empire, which lasted for a thousand years. Under Constantine's rule began the transformation of Roman culture. Execution by crucifixion ceased, gladiatorial battles as punishment ended.

Symphonia has a number of important implications for Orthodox Christians. One is that the Church is called to pray for those in power, even if they are not Christians. For Orthodoxy, symphonia is the ideal situation, but not the only one. Christianity is not tied to any one particular political structure. Another implication is that there is no separation between the physical and the spiritual (belief in dualism is an early heresy). Orthodoxy is both a personal and a public faith. The Orthodox Church encourages good citizenship, public service along with philanthropy. Its preference for lay involvement in politics helps avoid the dangers of theocratic rule. It is expected that Orthodox Christians will bring the values of the Church into the political and social realms.

Venerating a Great Saint Today

The Orthodox Church today honors the memory of Constantine in several ways. Many Orthodox parishes are named after him. I attend Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Pacific. On Sunday mornings, soon after I enter the church, I see the icon of Christ sitting on the throne. I also see the icon of Constantine and his mother, Helen. Inside the church up in front I see Constantine and Helen on the icon screen. They are now part of the great cloud of witnesses cheering us on to finish the spiritual race (Hebrews 12). During the Sunday Liturgy, just before the scripture readings, the following troparion (hymn) is sung:

Your servant Constantine, O Lord and only Lover of Man,
Beheld the figure of the Cross in the heavens,
And like Paul, not having received his call from men,
But as an apostle among rulers set by Your hand over the royal city,
He preserved lasting peace through the prayers of the Theotokos.

The troparion celebrates God's sovereignty in human history: how God selected a pagan Roman soldier, converted him through a miraculous vision of the Cross, and made him emperor and one of the greatest evangelists in the history of Christianity.

Robert Arakaki has an M.A. in Church History from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He recently earned a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

 

Justice as Asceticism

by Maria Gwyn McDowell

Originally delivered as a part of St. Mary's Lenten Lecture Series 2004
St. Mary Orthodox Church, Cambridge, MA
Friday, March 12, 2004

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Justice as Asceticism: Part 1

I recently spent a week at Project Mexico, where fasting came up a number of times. It started with the effort to find food in the airport which did not contain meat, inspiring a few conversations about the idea of ‘travel mercies,’ the leniency granted to travelers who may not be able to find options which fulfill the fast. The conversation continued at the Orphanage. Due to government regulations imposed by the Mexican government, a certain amount of meat must be served each week at Orphanages. Our host made it clear to us that the primarily Catholic staff of the orphanage would do their best to make Lenten meals for us, but may at times forget, and for us to be gracious. He further pointed out that our presence in building a house was itself a fast, a ‘work of mercy.’

As we discussed the particulars of fasting, I learned, for the first time, that we are supposed to fast from animals which have a back bone. I heard this, thought for a moment, and realized that for the first 16 years of my Orthodox life, the only times my family kept this version of the Lenten fast were the days my mother made spaghetti with Clam Sauce, about the only way you could ever get a clam into me. We survived the rest of lent eating $1/pound whole Tuna that my mother would buy at the coast, fillet, and freeze until lent. Every member of my Russian Orthodox Church ate fish, it was our Lenten food. I had no idea that fish were eliminated from the fast because they have a backbone. I asked why the backbone was the issue, and the answer seems to be that animals without a backbone are a lower form of life. Ironic, given that the economy of Maine is sustained by this $15/pound form of ‘lower life.’

What struck me in these conversations was not the content, but the very fact that we were spending so much time talking about fasting. We pick apart the phrases ‘fast’ and ‘abstain,’ wondering if one means the type of food, the other the amount of food. We wonder whether on Sunday, as a day of Resurrection, we can break the fast, or do we just not abstain. Underlying all of this is a different conversation. What we are really discussing was not whether or not we should eat this or that, how much we should eat, when we should eat and when we should abstain. Rather, we are struggling with what fasting means for us today in a culture of abundant and varied food, where it is not beef or poultry that is the luxury, but those very forms of ‘lower life’ which we are permitted.

Fasting is not meaningless today. Kerry SanChirico pointed out in his talk last year, “Lenten Transformation,” that the money saved on meat both enables almsgiving and reminds us that most of the world survives without meat, not by choice, but by necessity: meat is expensive. Schmemann argues that fasting, the feeling of hunger, is a physical reminder that we ‘do not live by bread alone, but by every word that flows from the mouth of God.’ Fasting as practiced in the monasteries was in part intended to create more time. In certain monastic communities, the weekend fast specified uncooked rather than cooked vegetables. Why? The time saved by not cooking is spent in more prayer. In each of these examples, fasting is never intended as a goal in itself. Fasting is meant to lead to something more.

The question is, what more does this lead to? Fasting saves money, and makes us conscious of the ¾ (no longer 2/3) world which is malnourished; fasting reminds us of our dependence on God; fasting gives time for prayer. We do one thing, which leads to another. Hopefully. I say hopefully, because often fasting may lead us nowhere. I think our debates over various canons, traditions and customs can easily turn into a debate over exactly how much mint and cumin we tithe, without ever addressing the important question, what does fasting lead to?

Prayer, fasting and alms-giving, the three main characteristics of the ascetical life, are understood throughout the tradition of the Church as the means towards our transformation, as our participation in the process of becoming who we are, the image of God. Debates have raged over the centuries in the effort to specify the image of God in humanity. Short cutting all of these debates, and in agreement with particular strands of thought that run through a variety of our Church Fathers, I am going to summarize and say that the image of God in humanity is anything in us which is a reflection of our Creator. When we love, we express the image of God; when we are generous, when we are trustworthy, when we act with fidelity, when we are encouraging, when we are truthful, when we are servants. Notice that all of these require other people. We can only be the image of God in relationship with other people. You must love another person to be loving. You must serve another person to be a servant.

I think there is a real danger that our fasting, our prayer, and even our alms-giving, becomes self-serving. These elements become our own private discipline, focusing on our own inner change, our own ‘salvation’ which may or may not press us to become people of greater love. I have often heard the argument that these disciplines are social because we do them together. We fast together, supporting and encouraging one another to walk past that oddly appealing hot dog. Our time in church increases, adding in Wednesday liturgy as well as the Friday akathist. While the encouragement of the community is crucial to Lent, simply doing things together does not necessarily make us less self-focused, less individualistic. Lent can still be all about me.

This focus on ourselves, this focus on what is good for me, maybe my family, or perhaps (in a generous moment) I extend it to my group, ethnicity, nation, still has me and ‘mine’ at the center. The reality is that we live in a world and a culture that is particularly ‘me’ focused. We all know that, we all experience it. It is a genuine danger. Yet it is not a unique danger; it is not new with the advent of the ‘West.’ The ascetical life of the East, by which I mean the Orthodox East, can run the same danger. Time spent in fasting and prayer, the life of the desert, is often done alone. But if Mary of Egypt had never met Fr. Zossima, would we benefit from her wisdom? If the monks of the desert had not settled themselves at the edges of cities, would we even have the ‘sayings of the desert fathers and mothers’? It is only in the return to one another that whatever we have learned comes to fruition, enabling everyone to experience greater transformation, greater deification. By the return from the desert, the whole community is blessed, and thus the community can bless the world.

But let me complicate this further by pointing out that most of us are not called to a monastic life. We are not called to years of strict fasting and prayer. Monasticism is a calling, but it is not a calling given to everybody. Frankly, it is not a calling given to the vast majority of the members of the Church. Most of us are called to live embedded in this world, embedded in business and chaos, living lives as mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, workers, commuters, students…leaving the world is not an option.

Part 2, where the question is asked,

"So the question is, what does asceticism look like for us?".

Maria Gwyn McDowell is a Doctoral candidate in theological ethics at Boston College.  She has a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. She is a member of St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church in Cambridge, MA.

 

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The Date of Pascha

by Archbishop PETER

(Reprinted from: The Orthodox Church Newspaper, April-May 1994 )

There is among the Orthodox a very widespread belief that the Christian celebration of Easter must necessarily come after the Jewish Passover. This chronological order is considered imperative and bears a symbolic meaning, as it is believed to have been decreed by the First Ecumenical Council held at Nicea in 325. This belief is stated and reaffirmed in the 12th century by the Byzantine canonist Zonaras. Another famous canonist of the later Middle Ages, Matthew Blastaris, in summing up the opinions of his time on the Paschal question, included among the rules for determining the date of Easter that it must not coincide with the Jewish Passover. We find this also in the writing of the learned canonist of the present century, Nicodemus Milash.

Yet, not only is such a stipulation totally absent from the decision taken on the Paschal question at Nicea, but it is foreign and, in a sense, contrary to what was then decreed. How, then, has such an opinion taken shape through the centuries?

In the primitive Church, there was no need for computing the date of Easter independently of that of the Synagogue, by which the Passover was determined. The controversy that brought, toward the end of the second century, the Churches of Asia Minor and the Church of Rome into opposition did not concern this point. The matter in dispute was quite different: the Asians celebrated Easter on the 14th of the month Nisan, whatever the day of the week, while the other Christians waited until the following Sunday. But both parties based their Easter date on the Jewish computation of the Passover. This computation was questioned, however, soon after the Jews changed their mode of calculating their Passover, no longer taking the vernal equinox into account.

The Bible did, indeed, specify the time the Passover should be celebrated, but it made no express reference to the vernal equinox. However, since the prescribed offering consisted of the first fruits of the harvest, a celebration prior to that time would have been inconceivable. But this empirical criterion, relative as it is to the climate conditions of that area, could hardly be preserved once the Jews lost their geographical proximity to Palestine as a result of the Roman crushing of the Bar-Bakhba revolt (approximately 135 AD). A period of uncertainty followed, and then towards the end of the second century, the rabbis established a new system which disregarded the vernal equinox. With the new system, at least once every three years the Passover fell before the equinox.

Then, many Christians wondered why they should celebrate the commemoration of the Passion and Resurrection on the basis of a computation which was no longer the one used at the time of our Lord. They also began to realize that a double anomaly might issue, that is, the Christian Easter might have to be celebrated twice between two vernal equinoxes, or not at all. Thus, there might be years with two Easters and years with no Easter at all.

As early as the third century, then, the Christians began to devise their own calculations of the Easter date. A learned Alexandrian, Anatolius (later bishop of Laodicea in Syria), used for his Easter computation the nineteen-year cycle invented in 432 BC by the Athenian astronomer Meton. However, most Churches in the region of Antioch continued to follow the computation of the Synagogue in spite of the fact that the latter no longer took the equinox into account. This on occasion caused considerable differences in the date of Easter between the Antiochian churches and others; in contrast, variations among the latter were neither frequent nor notable.

These differences promoted the question of the date of Easter before the First General Council at Nicea. This venerable assembly did take a decision on this issue. But though there have been references to a decree (in Greek honos), there does not seem to have been issued a written text of it. Thus, the document to which reference is often made is in fact a compilation of a number of authentic data. According to this kind evidence, we are able to reconstruct the decision of the first General Council on the question of Easter follows:

• Easter must necessarily be celebrated on the same Sunday by all churches
• this Sunday must be the first after the full moon following the vernal equinox
• the Churches that follow the Jewish calculation must abandon it and conform with the general usage

However, there was some resistance to that decision which necessitated new injunctions: the First Canon of the Council of Antioch (around 330 AD), and the Seventh Apostolic Canon (second half of the fourth century). These canons condemned those who celebrated Easter "with the Jews." This did not mean, however, that the dissidents were celebrating Easter on the same day as the Jews; rather, that they were celebrating on a date calculated according to the synagogal computations.

There is clear evidence that it was not a chance coincidence to which the canons referred. Indeed, on several occasions during the fourth century, after the Council of Nicea, the Jewish Passover and the Easter of most Christian churches accidentally occurred on the same day, but nobody was in the least perturbed. Besides, on account of the ever-increasing time delay brought about by the inaccuracies of the Jewish calendar, any chance of coincidence between the Christian Easter and the Jewish Passover disappeared.

As a result, the real cause that had prompted the decision of the First Ecumenical Council came to be forgotten. The belief gradually grew that the phrase "with the Jews" was to be understood literally and that the Holy Fathers at Nicea had decreed that the Christian Easter must not, even accidentally, occur on the same day as the Passover; rather, it must be celebrated later. As a matter of fact, however, such an interpretation was not only inaccurate but contrary to the spirit of what was decreed at Nicea, considering that acceptance of this interpretation necessitates a chronological relationship between the Christian Easter and the Jewish Passover, the very undesirable connection the Great Council sought to abolish.

Archbishop PETER is the bishop of Diocese of New York and New Jersey of the Orthodox Church in America.

This article appeared first in The Orthodox Church newspaper, April/May 1994.
It has also appeared in Solia.

 

Eastern Orthodox Christians and Iconography

by Cindy Egly

Indiana Wesleyan University

There are approximately five million Eastern Orthodox Christians in America (Nabil, 2000). A minority in a nation dominated by Protestants and Roman Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox culture has maintained strong familial and cultural identities. Understanding something about them, being able to lay aside preconceptions and ethnocentricity to view life from the Orthodox Christian’s perspective will allow the onlooker an opportunity to increase in understanding not only of the Eastern Orthodox Christian but of human nature. It is this author’s intent to introduce the reader to an insider’s perspective of iconography in the life of an Orthodox Christian, in the hope that understanding will increase.

A legend passed down for nearly 2000 years describes the first icon. At the time when Christ was traveling to Jerusalem where He would experience the trial and crucifixion, King Abgar of Edessa sent for Jesus. Christ could not go to the King, so instead He sent a linen cloth on which He had dried His face. The story continues that the cloth carried to the King had an impression of Christ’s face on it. The King’s illness was healed when the cloth was taken to him. This first icon, “not made by human hands”, began a tradition of portraying Christ and the saints in pictorial fashion. (Benz, 1963). The entire town of Edessa treasured this first icon, that is the linen cloth with Christ’s face imprinted on it. It was widely acknowledged throughout out the East and still written about in the eighth century (Ouspensky, 1978).

So what is an icon? Webster defines an icon as an image (Webster, 1966). In the Orthodox Church an icon is a sacred image, a window into heaven. An image of another reality, of a person, time and place that is more real than here and now. More than art, icons have an important spiritual role. Michel Quenot says it well in his book, The Icon: Window on the Kingdom, an icon is

“theology in imagery, the icon expresses through color what the Gospel proclaims in words”.

For this reason the rules regarding the creation of an icon are rigorous. The iconographer must prepare himself for the task of painting an icon by following a strict discipline of fasting and prayer. He must quiet his spirit and submit himself to God. The icon he creates will not be signed. He will not expect accolades or applause when the icon is completed. The icon will be created to inspire and lead others into worship. Painting the icon is not a use of imagination. Instead, the icon will be painted using the prescribed regimen and style that has been passed down through the centuries. Everything from the facial expressions to the colors used is predetermined. The following is a prayer recited by an iconographer prior to starting to work:

O Divine Master of all that exists, enlighten and direct the soul, the heart and the mind of your servant: guide my hands so that I might portray worthily and perfectly Your Image, that of Your Holy Mother and of all the Saints, for the glory, the joy, and the beautification of Your Holy Church. ( Quenot, p.13)

The primary purpose of the icon is to aid in worship. Its design follows that purpose. Through lines and color the iconographer conveys the awesomeness of the invisible, divine reality(Evdokimov, 1990). The creation of an icon is defined by tradition. That is a 21 st century iconographer would not decide to change the shape of Christ’s face. It is understood that a person who saw them in the flesh painted the first icon of an individual. St. Luke is accredited with painting the first icons of Christ and Mary the Blessed Virgin. Each subsequent iconographer will use the original icon as a guide. There is room for a small amount of stylistic change but tradition limits the options for that change ( Forest, 1997). Icons are not created to force an emotional response. When portraying historical scenes the faces don’t show emotions but instead portray virtues such as purity, patience in suffering, forgiveness, compassion and love. An example of this would be the portrayal of Christ on the cross. Neither is the icon a sentimental picture. Christ is always shown as God. Even the icons of Christ seated on His mother’s lap show Him with an adult face, revealing that even though Christ lived as a child among us He was also God ( Forest,1997).

Icons depict silence. There are no actions displayed, no open mouths. The icon invites the Christian to enter into contemplation,prayer, and silence (Ware,1979). Space is not defined as three-dimensional and time is insignificant. The story told by the icon precludes time and space. An example would be the icon of the Nativity, which shows the cave where Christ was born in the background with those who came to adore in small vignettes. Lighting proceeds from the character portrayed in the icon. There are never shadows in icons. This shows us that the saint portrayed is “glorified” having completed the race and entered into heaven (Quenot,1991).

Symbolism is used in icons and details are used minimally. For example, when showing John the Baptist baptizing in the river the grown man he baptizes is shown as an infant because the baptism is a rebirth. Colors are also symbolic. Blue reveals heaven and mystery. Green is youth, fertility and the earth’s vegetation. Red, the color of blood, suggests life, vitality and beauty. White is purity, the divine world and innocence. Gold indicates sanctity, splendor, and the glory of God and life in the heavenly kingdom. Purple reveals wealth, power and authority.

First and foremost, icons are a constant reminder of the incarnation of Christ, that is to say, they remind us that God “sent His only begotten Son”(Bible, John 3:16) to rescue us from our sin and death. We cannot see God the Father or God the Holy Spirit, but, because Christ chose to take on human flesh, we can see Him. His face can be portrayed on wood with paint. We can also paint His Mother and other saints who have finished the race and gone on to heaven. The Orthodox believe that surrounding themselves with icons help them to acknowledge the constant presence of Christ and the saints in their lives.

According to Father Nabil, priest of St. George Orthodox Church in Indianapolis, IN, the icon is a representation of the person portrayed upon it. The term used to describe this link is typology. Typology means that an event or item is somehow related to another event or person. An example of this would be the icon buttons on the computer tool bar. When a person uses the tool bar and clicks on the “print” button the user knows that the print button represents something else. That is, the print button will not cause itself to be duplicated on paper with ink but instead the user knows that the print button at that moment is a typology for the item on the screen. By interacting with the “print” icon the user expects the item the button represents to be printed. When an Orthodox Christian gives honor to an icon by kneeling or bowing before it or by kissing the icon the Christian is not paying respect to wood and paint. Instead he acknowledges that the icon represents much more and that the link between the icon and the person in the heaven is real. He believes that in some mystical fashion the veneration given to the icon will be received by the person it portrays.

As a recent convert to the Orthodox Christian faith this author has some experience on which to base an analysis of the use of icons. As a convert ten years ago icons were one of the additions to worship unfamiliar to me. I came from a protestant background and the worship I had been involved in up until this point involved sitting in a pew and repeating prayers, creeds and hymns when appropriate. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the Orthodox utilize all of their senses and beings in their worship. Incense floats through the air representing the prayers ascending into heaven. A bell is rung during the call to worship and at other key times in the worship. Altar boys, deacons and the priest serve in the altar area, chanting prayers and hymns, bowing, performing prostration, acknowledging the heavenly hosts of saints and angels whose worship we are entering into. Parishioners do not sit primly in the pews but may walk throughout the church lighting candles, venerating icons. The hands of parishioners are not quiet and closed but may be raised heavenward to show the lifting of the worshiper’s heart toward God or they may be making the sign of the cross, reminding the one who makes it that Christ loved us enough to die for us. Later communion will be available so that one can even utilize the sense of taste during worship. In those first weeks the activity of worship seemed almost distracting to me but as I have entered into the worship it has became natural. The Orthodox believes worship is ongoing in the heavenly kingdom. They believe heaven is a place where worship doesn’t cease, that those who have gone before and have been faithful are worshiping the Holy Trinity continuously. When earthly Christians join together to worship we join the heavenly throng and begin participating in that worship. For that reason the walls and ceilings of the church are decorated with icons of Christ, Mary the Blessed Virgin, saints and angels. When parishioners stand in the pew during worship they only need to look around to see the saints surrounding them. In this way the icon is a reminder of a larger reality. It reminds us that we have stepped out of one world and into another. It reminds us that though we struggle on a daily basis to remain faithful to our beliefs and our God there are many who have finished this life successfully and now dwell in a place were there is no more sorrow. We are encouraged to persevere, to set our eyes on the finish line, to continue to live a life that is pleasing to God.

Living as we do in a society that demands that our lives be lived at a fast pace and with very little quiet time the icon beckons to us to slow down. The stillness of the icon draws us into the quiet so that we can lay aside the cares of this world and meditate on the splendor of the next. The benefit of the icons is not so much in analyzing the style of painting, the iconographers name or even in knowing the individual representations in the icon. The benefit is in meditation, in quietness and in guiding the heart to prayer.

There are other components of the Eastern Orthodox culture that contribute to the use of the icon. It has been this author’s personal observation that the Orthodox culture values family. Aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, grandparents, cousins and so on worship together, live together and often even work together. A large number of Orthodox are immigrants who have been able to assimilate into the American culture due to a strong work ethic and a respect for the freedoms afforded a democratic society. Many have lived under Communist governments, some have suffered under the authority of anarchists. Strong family ties, even family businesses have helped to sustain these immigrants. This respect for unity and extended family goes beyond the earthly family and makes the recognition of the saints more acceptable. For example, if Aunt Sally prayed for us while she was on earth and we know that she has eternal life now, why would we expect her to stop praying for us now?

Also, I have found that the Orthodox are a very expressive people. If I meet an Orthodox friend at the grocery store or at church I have learned to expect that friend to drop whatever he is doing and come toward me with both arms reaching out. First he will embrace me, then give me a kiss on each check. This is called the kiss of peace. Often a greeting such as “Christ is Risen!” or “Thanks be to God” will accompany the kiss. It should be noted that this kiss of peace is shared among men and women equally. The greeting can be between two men, two women or a man and a women. I have often wanted to follow a single person throughout a Sunday worship to tally the number of such greetings a person offers on such a day. If such a greeting is given to people who are simply acquaintances then the kissing of the icon is in keeping with the cultural practices.

In conclusion, viewing the use of icons from within the Orthodox culture has given the author the opportunity to develop an appreciation for icons. I have found that hanging an icon in my home reminds me that God is present in my home. When I pass the icon I remember that I am to be praying continuously. When life is just speeding by too quickly I know where to go to find some quiet and to pray for the peace that surpasses understanding. It is no longer surprising to me that the God who created humans would realize that sometimes in our crowded lives it is beneficial to have a “window on the kingdom”(Quenot, 1991).

References

 

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Benz, E. (1957). The Eastern Orthodox Church: Its Thought and Life. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books.

Evdokimov,P (1972). The Art of the Icon: a Theology of Beauty. Redondo Beach, CA: Oakwood, Publications.

Nabil, H. (October 4, 2000). personal interview.

Ouspensky,L. (1978). Theology of the Icon. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.

Quenot,M. (1991). The Icon: Window on the Kingdom. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.

Webster, Daniel (Ed.). (1966). Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language (15th ed.). New York: The World Publishing Company.

Holy Icons:Theology in Color

Holy Icons:
Theology in Color

 

by Dennis Bell

 

President, St. John of Damascus Association

 

 

Holy icons cannot be isolated from the rest of liturgical tradition and studied in terms of simple aesthetics. They must remain in the context of liturgy, theology, spirituality, hymnography, and architecture. All these facets of Orthodoxy augment and supplement each other. What the hymn says in words and music, the icon says in pictures .

 

 

 

 

The criteria used in evaluating liturgical art cannot be simply personal taste, pure aesthetics (“does it look nice?”) or even authenticity or age, but rather how well does it convey the TRUTH?; revealed Truth, unchangeable and eternal: that in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity was united to human nature, thus making salvation possible by breaking down the wall of separation between God and man, and “opened to us the doors of Paradise.” As St. Athanasus put it, “God became man, so that man could become God.” As a devotional object, the icon is an integral part of Orthodox Liturgy, and expresses Orthodoxy in its totality.

 

 

 

 

What exactly is an icon? “Icon” is a Greek word meaning image. This word usually invokes a negative response in light of the Second Commandment’s prohibition against idolatry: “You shall not make for yourself a graven image or any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or that is on the earth below,” and again, “All worshippers of images are put to shame who make their boast in worthless idols.” (Ps 97:7) But it was not against His peoples’ making images that God directed this command, but against Idolatry, to which they were prone. God did command the making of various other images, for instance, the images of Cherubim to be placed upon the Ark of the Covenant. Solomon also included images (in pure gold) of Cherubim, palm trees, open flowers, bulls, and lions in his Temple. The faithful did not confuse them with God— these images, were not idols.

 

 

The reason the Old Testament prohibited images of God was that no man had ever seen God. “The Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; you heard the

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1. Normal Perspective

 

 

sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. (Deut 4:12) And, “No man looks on the face of God and lives.” (Ex 33:20). Moses only saw His back, while hiding under a cleft in the rock. (Ex. 33: 21-3)

 

 

 

 

But, with the Incarnation, everything is changed. There occurred a decisive and eternal change in the relationship between God and man—between God and all material creation.

 

 

 

 

The Word became flesh—God robed Himself in the garment of humanity. Jesus Christ became “the icon of the invisible God.” (Col 115) The Old Testament prohi­bition against images is now revoked, as St. John of Damascus explains in his first oration:

 

 

 

 

God, Who has neither body nor form, was never represented in days of old. But now that He has come in the flesh and has lived among men, I (can) represent the appearance of God.

 

 

So we now represent the appearance of God on earth. The Apostles were privi­leged in that they were able to see Christ with their own eyes. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord calls His own disciples blessed:

 

 

 

 

Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

 

 

 

 

We also long to hear, and to see, what is possible for us. We still are able to hear the Lord’s words from listening to Scripture, and we are still able to see His image by gazing at His icon.

 

 

 

 

There are those today who would echo the argument of the eighth century icono­clasts that it is impossible to depict Christ, since either we represent His divine nature (the incarnate Word of God), or we portray His human nature (the man, Jesus) distinct from His divinity. But the Council of Chalcedon makes a very clear distinc­tion between nature (physis) on one hand, and person (hypostasis) on the other. When we represent our Lord, we do not represent His divinity or His humanity, but His Person, which inconceivably unites in itself those two natures, “without division, and without confusion,” as the Chalcedonian dogma defines it.

 

 

 

 

Those outside the Church who observe Orthodox faithful venerating icons would still feel they have claims against us on the grounds of idolatry. We must clarify a few terms. The Greek fathers understood the distinction between proskynesis (veneration, bowing down) and latreia (absolute worship, adoration). Veneration is due to kings, ancestors, elders, and fellow humans. There are many scriptural examples of veneration (Abraham to the sons of Hamor, Jacob to his brother Esau and Joseph, Joshua and Daniel venerated the angel of God). Worship (adoration) is due to God alone. We worship God; we venerate icons .

 

 

 

 

Icons deliberately avoid a realistic natural look, but symbolize the transfigured, resurrected body of Christ and the saints.

 

 

 

An icon, however, is not simply a holy picture; it does not portray a physical reality—a photographic reality—or worse, saccharin sentimentality. It rather portrays a spiritual reality—the transfigured image and likeness of the one portrayed—the deified image of the one who has returned to the original state of man’s nature before the fall—before the distortion of the Image of God in which man was created. But it even goes one step further—the icon depicts humanity deified— become one with God. It reflects the two­fold dispensation of salvation: the Incarnation (the entry of the Holy Spirit into created matter) and Transfiguration (the subsequent sanctification of that matter).

 

 

 

 

Icons deliberately avoid a realistic natural look, but symbolize the transfigured, resurrected body of Christ and the saints. The glorified body, as St. Paul says, is not like the earthly body; it is a “spiritual body.” (1 Cor. 15:44) In this respect, the icons may appear “unnatural” (the nose is too long, the eyes too large, and so on). But if it appears unnatural to us, we are reminded that in God, the order of nature is overthrown: the bush burned, but was not consumed; Israel passed through the Red Sea, but the sea remained impassable; the Virgin gave birth, but remained a virgin (these are all “types” of Biblical figures in scriptural reading, as opposed to literal or figurative interpretations; Adam and Jonah, for example, are “types” of Christ.)

 

 

Just as Moses’ face shown brightly following his encounter with God on Mt. Sinai, and Christ radiated Divine Light on Mt. Tabor during the Transfiguration, so saints depicted on icons also radiate the uncreated light. The challenge for the painter is to illustrate this inner glow – the light source of an icon is internal, not external.

 

The glorified body must glow through the drapery of the figure’s robes. And the hand, in giving a blessing, does not cast a shadow on the area behind it, but actually enlightens this area. There are no shadows in icons.

 

 

 

 

The icon, then, is a window into heaven, allowing us to see the deified state. What is “natural” here, may not be “natural” there. Architectural representa­tions are not always accurate, for instance. Windows, doors, walls, are not always in their proper places, and pillars may land on open areas, appearing to be suspended in space. Architectural scenes indicate that an event has taken place indoors—icons are never “shown” from in­side. And yet the building becomes no boundary for the holy event; it recedes into the background.

 

 

 

 

Another technique used to testify to the reversal of nature is inverse perspective. In normal perspective, the viewer’s eye is drawn to a vanishing point created by a convergence of lines, which tends to give a third dimension to an otherwise two-dimensional surface. In figure 1, our eye is “forced” to travel down the road to the point where it disappears on the horizon a point “within” the frame of the picture. In an icon, the vanishing point is within the spectator himself, in front of the panel (figure 2). The icon, in effect, is looking at us! Not only are icons our windows into heaven, but also serve as heaven’s win­dows to earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 2. Inverse Perspective

 

 

 

An icon, then, has a sense of “other­worldliness,” un-natural, not of this world. We know that in seven out of eleven post-resurrectional appearances, Christ was not immediately recognized: Mary mistook Him for the gardener; the men on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognize Him until the “breaking of the bread” (which of course is interpreted in a eucharistic sense.) He appeared through closed doors, but was not a ghost. He remained flesh and blood, but “deified” flesh and blood.

 

 

 

 

There is some logic to an icon, however. The face, for instance, is proportional, based upon “moduli” measured in nose-lengths. The entire body is based on “face-lengths,” each of which is equal to three “nose-lengths.” An icon conforms to its prototype, and cannot reflect only the imagination of the painter. The iconographer is not an artist who is “expressing himself,” but rather struggles to crucify his own ego to become completely trans­parent to God, through humility becoming an instrument of God’s revelation.

 

 

 

 

There is a tradition that the first icon was made by Christ Himself. According to the History of Evagrius, a king from Edessa, Abgar, a leper, had heard of the healing power of Christ, and sent his ambassador Ananias to him asking for his prayers. Because of the crowd, Ananias was not able to get close to the Lord, and had to content himself with sketching him from a distance. Christ, realizing the poor man’s predicament, took a linen cloth, pressed it to His Face, and gave it to Ananias, promising to send one of His disciples to Edessa after His Ascension. Disappointed, Ananias returned home and presented the linen to the king. The impression of Christ’s Face was clearly visible, and the king was cured from his leprosy. This Shroud is referred to as “the Image-made-without-hands.” A western version often referred to as “Veronica’s Veil” and having been adopted as the Sixth Station of the Way of the Cross, has a maiden wiping the brow of Christ with a veil as He climbs towards Golgatha, and the impression of His Face remained imprinted. Historically, though, we know of no Veronica. The term comes from two words: Vera (true) icona (image). Vera icona. Veronica.

 

 

 

St. Luke is credited with painting the first icon of the Virgin Mary. This achieve­ment was accomplished while Mary was yet living, and Our Lady was said to have stated, “My grace and power are with this image,” obviously enduring to serve future generations of Orthodox faithful.

 

 

 

 

Once a painter leaves the Tradition,... all kinds of problems arise.

 

 

The type of icon of the Theotokos painted by St. Luke is referred to as “Hodighitria,” which means “She Who Points the Way.” Both the Virgin and Child are turned full-face toward the spectator, and her hand, pointing to the Christ Child, emphasizes His divinity.

 

 

 

 

Another image is the type “umilenie,” or “Our Lady of Tenderness,” which repre­sents the mutual caress of Mother and Child, and is the image of a mother who suffers deeply for the inevitable suffering which awaits her Child. The Vladimir Mother of God is perhaps the most famous of this type.

 

 

 

 

Traditions early established important characteristics of saints depicted on icons. We can trace portrayals of St. Peter, for in­stance, back to a fourth century glass from the catacombs, and even earlier to a Ro­man medallion of the second century. In each case, his distinguishing features remain virtually unchanged: curly hair, a forelock, and a rounded white beard. Paul and Andrew have similar early prototypes. Many others, that set the course of ico­nography, have probably been lost to us.

 

 

Colors, poses, and inscriptions are usually dictated by tradition to conform to the original, although it is still possible, to detect eras, periods, places, styles, and even individual hands (although iconog­raphers never sign their work). Bishops are shown in vestments of their office. Martyrs are often shown in red robes, and may carry a cross. (The means of their martyrdom are not depicted—we care not about their particular means of suffering, but their victorious deification.) A white veil denotes chastity. Prophets will usually carry a scroll. Warrior saints will often be shown in armor. (As an aside—St. George rides a white horse, St. Demetrius rides a black one, although often other “unnatural” colors will be used.) Kings, Queens, and Princes are shown wearing crowns.

 

 

 

 

The Church stipulates that icons be painted “as they were painted by the an­cient and holy iconographers.” Imitation is not a bad thing, but is to be desired: Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ,” wrote St. Paul. To be an Image (icon), it must be an image of something, necessarily a copy. The iconographer is literally an “Icon-writer,” and should make the same effort at accuracy as a monk copying the text of the Gospel. There is a close re­lationship between calligraphy and icon-writing.

 

 

 

 

Iconography is one of the Traditions of the Church, as are three immersions in Baptism, praying facing the east (awaiting the dawn of the eighth day, the day of re­creation), the manner of receiving the Holy Eucharist, etc. St. Paul tells us: “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.” (2 Thess 2:15). And again, in I Cor 11:2, “I commend you because you remember me in everything, and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you. (The Traditions he speaks of pre-date his own conversion. He was glad to receive them and pass them on, unchanged.)

 

 

Once a painter leaves the Tradition, and goes off on his own, all kinds of problems arise. If it is possible to distort truth in words, how much easier is it to distort truth through images? One temptation Eastern Christians face is the western, or Italian Renaissance, influence. The danger of accepting western art into the Orthodox Church is that it does not represent deification. The West understands sanctified man as a vessel which contains created grace, much like a glass which contains water. The Orthodox icon presents sanctified man entirely transfigured from within, deified by the grace of God, much like an iron horseshoe which radiates heat and light after being taken from the blacksmith’s furnace. The icon, then illustrates transfigured, or deified, humanity: man in the image of God. Western religious art emphasizes the humanity of Christ, particularly His human suffering, and invokes the emotions and senses of our human nature. The Italian “holy picture” shows­ God in the image of man!

 

 

 

 

Holy icons cannot be isolated from the rest of liturgical tradition and studied in terms of simple aesthetics.

 

 

 

During the 1700s, Peter the Great, and after him, Catherine the Great, attempted to bring Russian social, military, and artis­tic standards up to par with their western counterparts. They sent their most promis­ing artists and musicians abroad to study in Italy and France. Some of this art began to infiltrate the church as painters lost sight of the theological significance of the holy icons. Much of the sacred art brought to America during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries reflected this period of “western captivity,” and it has only been since the middle of this century that the Church has been sincerely seeking to return to its traditional form of iconogra­phy.

 

 

 

 

The Sunday on which we celebrate the “Triumph of Orthodoxy” actually com­memorates, not a military or political vic­tory, but the restoration of the holy icons into the Church, in 843, following a century of struggle against the iconoclast her­esy. This celebration occurs on the first Sunday of Great Lent, as we deny ourselves in order that God may make perfect His image in us. The feast-day hymn clearly expresses the Church’s understanding of icons:

 

 

 

 

O Mother of God, the Indescribable Word of the Father took flesh through you, and therefore became describable; and penetrating with His divine Beauty the impure image of man, He restored it to its pristine state. As we confess our salvation we depict it in word and icons.

 

 

This hymn is addressed to the Theotokos, the Mother of God, who is the icon of the Church. The confessing of the Incarnation is possible only if we also confess Mary to be the Mother of God. And to deny the icon is to deny the Incarnation; to deny the possibility of the Holy Spirit’s dwelling within created matter.

 

 

 

 

If Mary is the icon, or image, of the Church, the Church herself is the icon of the Kingdom of God. The Church, as the Ark of Salvation, is built according to the plans of the Tabernacle of Moses, and the Temple of Solomon. It faces east, towards paradise, awaiting Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, the Orient from on High, and awaiting the dawn of the Day without end.

 

 

 

 

The sanctuary represents Heaven, the “Holy of Holies” reserved for the High Priest (the clergy); the nave, deified earth, represents the “Holy” of the Tabernacle, for the royal priesthood (the laity); and the narthex, or vestibule, represents unredeemed creation, the world.

 

 

 

 

Between the Altar and the Nave, between heaven and earth, is an icon screen called the iconostasis, through which the clergy (representing Christ) pass, uniting heaven and earth. Contrary to popular be­lief, the icon screen is not meant to separate the altar from the nave, but serves as the horizon point which connects heaven and earth. During the Liturgy, the faithful may contemplate these windows into Heaven. The arrangement of icons on the iconostasis is rather standard: On either side of the Royal Doors are icons of Christ and the Theotokos. On the deacons’ doors, either sainted deacons or perhaps archangels.

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond that are icons of St. John the Forerunner (the Baptist) and the patron saint of the church. Above the Royal Doors is an icon of the Mystical Supper. The row of icons above this is called the Deisis (Christ surrounded by interceding saints). If there are additional rows, they may contain festal icons (feast days of the Church, including the Annunciation, Nativity, Transfiguration and Ascension.) Above that, Old Testament prophets, and finally a top row may contain Old Testament Patriarchs.

 

 

 

 

The icons around the Royal Doors are images occupying space, but represent the movement of the present through time: the icon of the Theotokos represents Christ’s first coming as Immanu-El, son of the Virgin (past event in history); the icon of Christ on the right represents His coming in Glory (in the future); while on the Altar table in the middle, between the past and the future, Christ is with us presently, now, in the Eucharist. The icon, like the Eucharist, is a continuous reoccurrence of the Incar­nation—the descent of the Holy Spirit into created matter. So the Theotokos occupies the space immediately above the Altar, re­ceiving the Holy Spirit from above, unit­ing it to human nature from below. Also pictured in the Sanctuary are the Church Fathers, authors of the Liturgies, hier­archs, deacons , concelebrants, and the Communion of the Apostles.

 

 

 

 

Inside the dome, which represents the vault of Heaven, is the Pantocrator (Ruler of the Universe)— the Head of the Church, announced by the prophets, established by the apostles (below the dome) and supported by the four Evangelists, who spread the Good News to the four corners of the earth (in the pendatives). The pil­lars of the Church are the martyrs, hierarchs, and ascetics. The walls depict important events in the New Testament (the Sermon on the Mount, Entry into Jerusa­lem, parables, and miracles). At the back of the Church is depicted the Last Judgement—the beginning of the age to come. The Church is an icon of the Body of Christ. It is the Kingdom of Heaven as it already exists on earth, and an­ticipates its coming in Glory.

 

 

 

 

Humanity was cre­ated in the image of God, and so we are all living icons. We are created in His image, with a free will to choose or reject, to love or ignore, but we are called to transform, that image into His likeness, (2 Cor 3:18), His perfection, realized by effort and sacrifice, fulfilled by grace, but not without the free will of man. When we strive with all our power towards the beauty of the likeness, divine grace enables us to attain it. God desires that we become through grace what He is by nature. This is a dynamic task to be accomplished, not one of passive “faith alone.” One will (God’s) for creation; two wills (ours, with God’s) for deification. Finally, we are challenged to search out and discover the image of God in our fellow man.

 

 

Why do we use icons? The Church does not “use” icons; they are central to its life, a part of its faith. The icon serves as an intermediary: we venerate an icon, and our prayers rise to the prototype depicted; the icon participates in the holiness of its prototype, and through the icon, we do also, through our prayers. The Church rec­ognizes the monastic life as the “ideal” ex­ample of Christian living. The monk, who has given up the vanities and values of the world, represents man’s reaching up to God. The icon represents God’s reaching down to man. So a monk, venerating an icon, exemplifies the closest degree of union between God and man, save for the Eucharist and the Incarnation itself.

 

 

 

 

In Orthodox tradition, every family has a prayer corner, no matter how humble or sublime the residence, where the family gathers for prayer. The family becomes a “miniature church;” as St. Paul says, with the father as head, as Christ is of the Church, but willing to sacrifice Himself for her. (Eph 5:23ff)

 

 

The icon also has a teaching role; it shows theology in color. St. Basil the Great says that icons are the books of the illiterate. “We comprehend through our physical ears, spiritual words. Contempla­tion with our physical eyes likewise leads to spiritual contemplation.” What does an icon tell us? We know that it reveals Di­vine Truth. We can examine other teach­ing aspects of the icon. An icon of a saint, for example, will often have scenes from his life depicted around the border. At no time, however, is a saint depicted in pro­file. Profile is the beginning of absence.

 

 

 

 

Festal icons convey the same theological and dogmatic truths as the liturgical hymns for the feast. Compare an icon of the Nativity with the feast day kontakion:

 

Today the Virgin gives birth to the Tran­scendent One and the earth offers a cave to the

Unapproachable One! Angels, with shep­herds, glorify Him! The wise men journey with a

star! Since for our sake the Eternal God was born as a little child!

 

A verse from the Christmas Stichera gives even greater detail:

What shall we offer Thee, 0 Christ, Who for our sakes hast appeared as man? Every creature

made by Thee offers Thee thanks. The angels offer Thee a hymn; the heavens, a star; the

magi, gifts; the shepherds, their wonder; the earth, its cave; the wild beasts, their manger:

and we offer Thee a virgin mother. 0 Pre-eternal God, have mercy upon us!

 

Further examination and comparison of festal icons with their liturgical hymns would reinforce and demonstrate the consistency and inseparable relationship be­tween iconography, hymnography, and lit­urgy. How is an icon made? First of all, the painter himself undergoes extensive preparation. There is a spiritual discipline to which the iconographer must submit. Once he has received the blessing from the bishop to undertake the ministry (usually only after years of technical and spiritual training icon painting cannot simply be a secular “hobby” with a religious theme. It is a serious calling and vocation within the church, as is ordination to the priesthood.) The iconographer then re­ceives the sacraments of confession and communion, and enters into a period of prayer and fasting, asking prayers of in­tercession from the saints he is about to portray. Even the paints and brushes are customarily blessed before work begins, as are the materials used in the icon.

 

 

 

 

The painter will begin with a non-resinous wood (birch and linden are favorites), and traditionally a groove is cut across the back of the panel, and a strut inserted to prevent warping.

 

 

 

St Luke is credited with painting the first icon of the Virgin Mary.

 

 

The panel is sanded, and perhaps a recessed area is routed out of the middle, leaving a natural “frame.” Loose linen is then glued to the front of the board, and a substance called gesso is applied. Gesso is a mixture of alabaster or chalk and rab­bit skin glue. Several thin layers are nec­essary to cover the grain in the wood. The board is then “wet-sanded” to achieve a perfectly smooth glassy surface to serve as a ground to hold the paint.

 

 

A drawing may be done on a separate sheet of paper, and later transferred to the prepared panel. With a sharp etching tool or scriber, the sketch is “inscribed” into the gesso, so that the lines will still be visible after the base colors are ap­plied. A skilled iconographer may “write” the outline directly on the panel, or may lay out the figure in ochre with a wider brush, then refine the drawing with finer sienna lines. The first colors to go on are all dark “base” colors. An iconographer begins with dark background colors, and works his way to the lighter ones, much like a spiritual pilgrim who begins his journey in the darkness and comes to the light. Flesh tones begin as a dark olive color; even white begins as a shade of tan.

 

 

 

 

The pigments used in iconography originally were colored pigment powders mixed with egg yolk (“egg tempera”), which allows for “layering” of successive translucent coats of brighter colors, one on top of the other, forming a barely perceptible “relief” or sculpture, wherein the highlighted areas (i.e. the tip of the nose) would actually be “higher” than the rest of the area around it. It is interesting to note that even when oil painting was introduced in Western Europe, the Orthodox rejected its use as not being compatible with the aims of iconography—oil paint produced a “sensuous” characteristic, and did not lend itself to the “layering” method.

 

 

 

 

There is a tradition that the first icon was made by Christ himself.

 

 

 

After the iconographer colors in all open areas, he then recreates the lines that were etched in by the scriber, using black, brown, or a dark shade of the base color. Then the painter develops each color by overpainting increasingly lighter values of each hue, concentrating the light to restricted areas in order to achieve the “glow” that indicates theosis, or sanctity. After the flesh tones and clothing has been modeled and highlighted, the back­ground and halo are primed for gilding. Gilding is accomplished by applying an adhesive called sizing (gold size) to the area to be gilded. This is then covered with thin sheets of 23 karat gold leaf. The excess gold is then removed, and the surface burnished (often by rubbing it with a hound’s tooth).

After lettering and label­ing, the icon is varnished and allowed to dry. Originally, olipha (boiled linseed oil) was used to protect the icon and enrich the colors, but its tacky surface would collect dust and carbon from the burnt oil in the vigil lamps, and the surface would become darkened. Today, it is much more efficient to use a polyurethane varnish, which also

 

prevents the colors from fading.

 

 

 

 

And finally the icon is finished, ready to be blessed on the altar, and to assume its role as a channel of divine grace between Heaven, and earth. +

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Icons Explained

Icons Explained is a new area were you can find explainations of various icons. These interactive explainations are used as learning tools.
They have been reviewed by priests within the Archdiocese before being posted for accuracy.

Current Icons Available:

The Nativity Icon	The Theophany Icon (Epiphany)

Pentecost Icon

A Call to Serve

by Fr. Kevin Scherer

 

Today, most of us in the Church are familiar with the old adage that ten percent of the people do ninety percent of the work. The real statistics may be even grimmer. The Church is full of burned-out priests and stressed-out parishioners who regularly make real sacrifices for the good of the local parish, only to find that their personal offerings are met with indifference and criticism. 

Discouragement and even despair run rampant in the Church. Year after year, the Church loses more and more good workers because they simply refuse to put up with the stress anymore. Despite the best strategies and creative ideas of these few, most of the members of the average parish seem comfortable with a passive role and unwilling to change. Who can blame the workers who have given up? Many of them have suffered personal health problems and family strife due to the stress of their commitment. In many cases, priests even feel guilty asking for help, because they know what eventually awaits the eager response of the innocent and naive.

The Workers Are Few

Jesus reminds us, when He laments to His disciples that “the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37), that this is not just a contemporary problem. In fact, we find the very same problem from the beginning of time. In Genesis 3, God Himself has difficulty finding laborers for His new creation. Instead of gratefully and obediently accepting their life and identity as workers in the Garden (Genesis 2:5, 15, 18, 20), Adam and Eve are duped into believing they have been shortchanged of their divine right to be like God. With their newfound attitude of entitlement, they begin to seriously doubt if they can find real life in working for God; so they rebel.

Most of us are more than content to sit back when others step up. Our tendency toward laziness is a very common and real distortion of our true identity and vocation. We are called to work because we are made in the image of the One who works. God the Father creates, begets, heals, raises—He works. And in His Son Jesus Christ, we witness the perfect incarnation of this work on the cross. Jesus comes to do the work of His Father (John 5:36) and calls us to partner in this work, before the night comes and no one can work (John 9:4).

I’ve always been amazed at Jesus’ response to His disciples in Matthew 14, when they urged Him to send the crowds away because of their deserted location and lack of food. Instead of taking personal charge of the situation, Jesus looked at His disciples and said, “You give them something to eat.” Jesus wasn’t passing the buck or skirting responsibility; He was simply challenging His disciples to exercise the ministry, the work, to which He had called them.

This scenario was commonplace in Jesus’ ministry. Time and time again, we find Him entrusting His disciples with the work of the Kingdom. From the very beginning, He told them He was going to train them to “catch men” (Luke 5:10). He modeled for them what it meant to preach and heal, and then He sent them out two by two to do the same (Luke 10). When He taught, He warned His disciples of laziness and the judgment that awaits those who fail to use the talents God has given them (Matthew 25). And in the end, before His Ascension, He commissioned His followers to finish the work of making disciples of all nations.

Jesus was always looking for workers and always seeking to give His ministry away. Sadly, however, both the Scriptures and church history bear witness to the fact that the Kingdom of God has always wrestled with the burden of rebellious indifference and laziness. It is the reality of broken humanity.

A Scriptural Model of Ministry

How should those of us who do work react to this reality? Do we give up and wallow in self-pity, or try harder, hoping to beat the odds? Most of us, if we’re honest, can attest to having tried each. Neither option works, however, and both leave us feeling even more empty and lost than before.

I know countless priests who have given in to the passive culture of their parishes. In a noble effort to exercise their ministry and further the Kingdom of God, they simply take over and do it all. In their minds, it has to be done; and so, if no one else will do it, they must. It seems like the reasonable thing to do.

In reality, it’s the absolute worst thing a pastor can do. St. Peter reminds us that all Christians share in the priesthood of Christ (1 Peter 2:9)—we are a “royal priesthood.” When a pastor assumes the responsibility of all the priests in his parish, he not only assumes an impossible load, but he also trains his parishioners not to exercise their priesthood. In this way, priests unknowingly cripple their own parishes and the Church as a whole. When a father does for his children what they can and should do for themselves and the family, we call it dysfunctional and enabling. Fathers are to nurture healthy independence and maturity in their children.

Much of the Church’s problem is systemic. We have raised immature and lazy spiritual children because we have fallen prey to an overly clericalized model, which praises priests who work themselves to death and unintentionally micromanage their parishes. To my knowledge, the Scriptures never condone any pastoral model that does not emphasize and respect the individual spiritual gifts and priesthood of every believer (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12). An outsider might conclude of the Orthodox Church that holiness, evangelism, service, teaching, and all other aspects of pastoral ministry have only been entrusted to the ordained clergy.

Instead, what we find when we read the Scriptures is something completely different. Note carefully in the following quotations from Ephesians 4 what the Scriptural responsibility of a pastor is: “And [Christ’s] gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry” (vv. 11–12, RSV—emphasis mine).

A pastor’s job is to equip. He’s a trainer, a coach. His work is to train others to do the work. That training will certainly include modeling what it means to work, but it does not include taking personal responsibility for someone else’s work! St. Paul outlines the whole goal of this model in verses 12 and 13: “for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

The goal is maturity—the fullness of Christ in every Christian. Only when a pastor calls his parishioners to their true identity as priests and equips them to use the different spiritual gifts God has given each of them can the Church realize her true identity and calling in this world. St. Paul attests to this in verse 16, when he writes that the body only grows and matures in love when “each part is working properly” (emphasis mine).

As the Church begins to actualize this model, she will also begin to realize its fruits: “we [will] no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (vv. 14–15).

It’s clear that though we profess to be a scriptural Church, we struggle to live it. Most of the pastoral ministry of the Orthodox Church in North America is conducted from the top—the episcopacy—down. Our bishops are seen and experienced as the final word and authority on all things ministerial. We expect our bishops to create, design, and initiate all forms of ministry within our dioceses and jurisdictions.

Once these ministries have been identified, they are passed down to the clergy, who seek to raise the necessary funds and carry them out. Because of the number of duties and responsibilities these ministries demand, the clergy often seek the help of various boards and parish councils. These boards and councils are often charged with the material or financial demands of the ministry, leaving the more spiritual requirements to the clergy.

Finally, the great mass of the people, the parishioners, simply watch the entire ministry take place. In fact, most of the time, they view themselves as the recipients of these ministries. They grow up believing that they come to church primarily to get, and not to give. We train them to be a passive audience who watch the bishop, his clergy, and their respective boards and councils do the work. In this model, it’s no wonder that ten percent of the people do ninety percent of the work.

The model we found in Ephesians 4, however, is the reverse of this. Instead of the bishop being an authoritative dictator, he is, in imitation of Christ, the chief servant. He is the one who gives his life on behalf of all and for all. He selflessly and tirelessly guards the deposit of apostolic truth (2 Timothy 1:14) and then rightly interprets it (2 Timothy 2:15) so that his priests can preach it and use it (2 Timothy 3:16) to equip their parishioners to do the work of Christ (Matthew 5:13–14).

In this scriptural model, the various boards and councils are responsible for creatively assisting the clergy in any way they possibly can to implement the full equipping of every parishioner. In this model, unlike the previous one, everyone is active. There is no passivity because everyone shares in the same priesthood and ministry of Christ.

Putting the Model into Practice

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the Orthodox Church in North America has enumerated many noble goals: administrative unity, education, missions and evangelism, charitable works, and more. But in each of these areas, the Church is barely limping along—and in comparison with some of the other Christian traditions in North America, embarrassingly so. None of our goals will be fully realized unless we become serious about implementing St. Paul’s ministerial model. I believe that any serious attempt at putting this model into practice will include, at the very least, the following resolves:

First, the Church must free its episcopacy to return to its primary function of “handling” (KJV) the apostolic truth. Unfortunately we have tied down our bishops with every burden under the sun except for that which is necessary. Have we forgotten why the Twelve appointed deacons in the first place? In Acts 6:2, the Twelve admitted that “it would not be right for [them] to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.”

The world desperately needs the apostolic truth to be interpreted and applied to its ailing life. The faithful need to hear the collective voice of the episcopacy as it relates to the modern issues of their generation. And the ordained clergy need to hear a cohesive episcopal vision of this life-giving truth that inspires them to action and courage.

As is evidenced in Acts 6, the Church has struggled from the very beginning not to reduce the functionality of its episcopacy to arbitration and social service. The mission and health of the entire Church hinge upon the scriptural ministry of the bishop. If the history of the episcopacy has, at times, been riddled with control, greed, and territorialism, perhaps a great deal of that blame belongs to the faithful, who, like the Grecian and Hebraic Jews in Acts 6, have unknowingly shaped the ministry of the episcopacy by their own petty and sinful desires.

Second, the Church must give more attention and credence to the discovery, development, and exercise of the spiritual gifts outlined by Ss. Peter and Paul in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4. These are the very tools Christ has entrusted us with to exercise our priesthood. Despite what appears to be a clear scriptural truth, these gifts are almost never mentioned in normal church life. When was the last time you heard a sermon or teaching devoted to the explanation and application of these spiritual gifts? It’s clear, at least from St. Paul’s perspective, that without them the Church cannot realize her mission or maturation.

Most Orthodox Christians who have been raised inside the Church understand very little about these gifts and even less about their connection to the Sacraments of Baptism and Chrismation. Each Orthodox Christian must be taught that he or she has a unique impression or thumbprint to leave upon this life—one that no other person, past, present, or future, can leave. The unique combination of each person’s spiritual gifts, abilities, knowledge, experience, and personality cannot be duplicated.

It should be the resolve of every priest to light the fire of these gifts within each of their parishioners. This is how priests equip the faithful. They inspire, educate, and coach their parishioners in how to use these gifts for the edification of the Church and the glory of God.

Third, as these spiritual gifts are being realized by the faithful, the Church must open its ministerial doors to the laity. For too long, ministry has belonged only to those who wear black. Even the very few departmental or organizational ministries that belong to SCOBA or the individual archdioceses, more often than not, are run by the clergy. In some cases, a theological degree is important and even appropriate. However, so many times the Church is simply too fearful to let go of ministerial control. When we fail to let go of our children, they fail to thrive.

Sometimes I wonder whether this fear stems from the need to protect a kind of good-ol’-boys’ club—a secret society of insiders. Maybe some clergy are threatened by the thought that their gifts might be somehow trumped by the remarkable gifts of others within their parish. This kind of insecurity and jealousy, if it exists, will certainly strangle parish ministry.

Instead, the Church must rediscover the spirit of Hagia Sophia in Byzantine Constantinople, where the various spiritual gifts of the faithful were recognized and a variety of major and minor orders existed. I’m not advocating the tonsuring of doorkeepers, exorcists, catechists, and choir members in our present context, but I am suggesting that we begin by not minimizing the various ministries of the Church and by looking for every way possible to open new ministerial opportunities for the laity, especially young people and women.

A couple of years ago, I was incensed when I heard a priest describe the role of a subdeacon as nothing more than a glorified altar boy. That comment and attitude is an absolute travesty of both ministries. How dare anyone minimize the grace and gifts that God has given to an individual. “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are indispensable” (1 Corinthians 12:21–22, RSV).

The clergy must always be looking for ways to give their ministry away and to affirm the priesthood of Christ in others. If priests monopolize parish ministry, the faithful will never develop spiritually or realize their true calling. It should be a priest’s greatest joy to share his ministry with others in the parish. Perhaps this is the reason St. Paul urged Timothy to entrust his ministry to other faithful individuals who could exercise that same ministry (2 Timothy 2:2).

The time has come for the Church to return to a biblical paradigm of ministry wherein the one priesthood of Christ is shared by every baptized Christian. In order to realize this, the clergy must seek to give away their ministries with humility and generosity, and the faithful must obediently embrace the spiritual gifts God has given them through their baptism. When this happens, the Church in North America will finally discover its true identity and become a light to the nations.

Fr. Kevin Scherer is the executive director for both Orthodox Youth Outreach (OYO) and Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF), and the former pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Orinda, CA. He lives with his wife and three daughters in Spokane, WA.

This article originally appeared in AGAIN Vol. 28 No.3, Fall 2006.

The Tragedy of the Vatican's Recent Declaration on the Roman Church

By Fr. George Morelli

July 13, 2007

(The) kingdom (of God), is characterized, as we have shown, by humility and gentleness of heart. It is the combination of these two qualities that constitutes the perfection of the person created according to Christ. For every humble person is invariably gentle and every gentle person is invariably humble (St. Maximus the Confessor, "On the Lord's Prayer," Philokalia II).

With a stroke of the pen and with the full approval of Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Levada, the Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith of the Roman Catholic Church late last month effectively abrogated the spirit of Pope John Paul II Apostolic Letter on the Eastern Churches Orientale Lumen (Light of the East) of May, 1995. The Vatican released Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church that expressed concepts of Roman supremacy in language not heard for years. A spirit of loving dialogue and mutual healing cultivated over the last half century and especially in the last decade is being sorely tested.

From the outset, let me be clear that I am no expert in canon law, church history, dogmatic theology, or patristics. By God's grace I am a clinical psychologist, I coordinate the Chaplain and Pastoral Counseling Department of my Archdiocese, and I help pastor an Orthodox parish. My focus is pastoral theology (Morelli, 2006d). Having said that, I hold to the words of St. Irenaeus of Lyon:

One must follow those presbyters (priests), who are in the Church and who, as we have indicated, have the succession from the Apostles, and who, together with the succession of the episcopacy, by the good disposition of the Father, have received the reliable gift of the truth.

Therefore, in communion with my Bishop by virtue of my calling by God and ordination as a priest, I offer the following comments as pastor and counselor.

Orientale Lumen: The Publican and the Pharisee

Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, "God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector." But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" (Luke 18:10,11,13).

Orientale Lumen is the document that charted a new course of dialogue between the Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Roman) Churches after centuries of estrangement. Written by Pope John Paul II, the document reflects a profound spirit of humility toward the East and a rigorous call to work to overcome historical animosity and ill will. Pope John Paul wrote:

We cannot come before Christ, the Lord of history, as divided as we have unfortunately been in the course of the second millennium. These divisions must give way to rapprochement and harmony; the wounds on the path of Christian unity must be healed ... Going beyond our own frailties, we must turn to him, the one Teacher.

Note Pope John Paul's admission that both Churches have fallen short. He spoke as the Publican did. Note too the commission to move "beyond our own frailties." There is no hint of the pride of the Pharisee who said he was "not like other men"

The willingness of Pope John Paul to declare the words of the Publican "be merciful to me a sinner" is illustrated later on in the document. He wrote:

Among the sins which require a greater commitment to repentance and conversion should certainly be counted those which have been detrimental to the unity willed by God for his People. In the course of the thousand years now drawing to a close, even more than in the first millennium, ecclesial communion has been painfully wounded, a fact for which, often enough, men of both sides were to blame.

Pope John Paul asserted that the healing has to occur in both Churches; a process that requires each to be open to the operation of the Holy Spirit:

It is necessary to make amends for them and earnestly to beseech Christ's forgiveness. The sin of our separation is very
serious: I feel the need to increase our common openness to the Spirit who calls us to conversion, to accept and recognize others with fraternal respect, to make fresh, courageous gestures, able to dispel any temptation to turn back. We feel the need to go beyond the degree of communion we have reached.

From a pastoral perspective, the assertion that healing between the Churches can only take place through the self-acknowledgment of "our own weakness" is very important. It affirms the teaching of the Church Fathers that humility is the primary virtue and no healing of the relationships between people can take place without it. Pope John Paul drew from scripture to amplify this point:

It is significant that Christ said these words precisely at the moment when Peter was about to deny him. It was as if the Master himself wanted to tell Peter: 'Remember that you are weak, that you, too, need endless conversion. You are able to strengthen others only insofar as you are aware of your own weakness. I entrust to you as your responsibility the truth, the great truth of God, meant for man's salvation, but this truth cannot be preached or put into practice
except by loving'. Veritatem facere in caritate (To live the truth in love, cf. Eph 4:15); this is what is always necessary. Today we know that unity can be achieved through the love of God only if the Churches want it together, in full respect for the traditions of each and for necessary autonomy.

These words are pastorally appropriate. They confess infirmity and express the desire for healing. They are not accusatory and certainly not arrogant, and reveal a sense of longing that the Western Church might pray the prayer of the Publican, "Lord have mercy on me a sinner" while inviting Eastern Churches to take up the same prayer.

This has been the spirit informing the dialogue between the Orthodox and Roman Church for nearly a decade. It exists in high level conferences as well as grassroots efforts such as the Orientale Lumen Conferences sponsored by the Society of St. John Chrysostom (www.olconference.com).

Have we forgotten the Publican?

Contrast the charitable words of Pope John-Paul with those in the directive "Aspects on the Doctrine of the Church" released last week:

However, since communion with the Catholic Church, the visible head of which is the Bishop of Rome and the Successor of Peter, is not some external complement to a particular Church but rather one of its internal constitutive principles, these venerable Christian communities lack something in their condition as particular churches.

Clearly something has changed, or so it seems absent any clarification from the Vatican. Most apparent is the definitive tone of Roman supremacy and the lack of any reference to the necessary humility required for constructive dialogue to take place. Healing relationships is always a very sensitive enterprise and when one party points to the other's problems while not confessing his own, dialogue stops.

I recall that at my first Oriental Lumen Conference in 2005 that I was heartened when a member of the Roman Curia acknowledged that the Vatican realized that the Orthodox Churches would only accept the Papacy as it existed in the first century. He also acknowledged that the curia needed to be dismantled and that the jurisdictional functions that originally rested in the dioceses need to be returned. The Orthodox Churches on the other hand, needed to accept some kind of centralized coordination of Patriarchal Sees so that the Church could more clearly speak with one voice.

If Rome wants to revert to the old approach of lecturing the other churches using the language of "defects" and the like, then in short order the attitude of mutual accusation will return. The progress gained in the last decade will be forfeited. A tragic and disastrous breakdown may occur.

Rome must not forget that for the Orthodox, doctrines surrounding the Papacy present an intractible problem. Papal infallibility for example, was declared by a single Patriarch (the Pope of Rome) and a local council (Vatican I). It has no binding authority on the rest of Christendom. While the Orthodox can affirm a primacy of honor to the Roman pontiff, we do not recognize his jurisdictional claims as authoritative. That is one reason why the most recent statement from
the Vatican is so troubling. It seems to dismiss the one issue on which the Orthodox cannot compromise. Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev of Vienna and Austria, the Russian Orthodox Church representative on the International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches wrote not long ago:

Historically, the primacy of the bishop of Rome in the Christian Church, from our point of view, was that of honor, not
jurisdiction -- the jurisdiction of the pope of Rome was never applied to all the churches ... there can be no compromise whatsoever ... on papal primacy.

More recently Bishop Hilarion said "We, the Orthodox, believe that, being not in communion with them, the Roman Catholic Church lacks something in its condition."

Breakdown or Opportunity? A Pastoral Perspective

From a pastoral perspective, the failure of the latest Roman directive lies in the fact that no discussion with the Orthodox Churches took place before it was distributed. A lesson that both sides -- East and West -- need to remember is that statements made in the spirit of the Pharisee, that is, accusatory, condescending, prideful, insensitive, and such, erode the fragile steps of reconciliation.

I hope the Vatican realizes that they need to clarify their statement. I am the president of the Eastern Orthodox Clergy Conference in San Diego. I am active in the Society of St. John Chrysostom and have attended the Orientale Lumen Conference for the past three years. If Rome really believes that the Orthodox "lack something in their condition," then I see no point in continuing dialogue.

Yet, God can make all things new. A return by the Vatican to the spirit of Pope John Paul's letter that fostered the dialogue between East and West can correct its recent missteps:

For us, the men and women of the East are a symbol of the Lord who comes again. We cannot forget them, not only because we love them as brothers and sisters redeemed by the same Lord, but also because a holy nostalgia for the centuries lived in the full communion of faith and charity urges us and reproaches us for our sins and our mutual misunderstandings: we have deprived the world of a joint witness that could, perhaps, have avoided so many tragedies and even changed the course of history.

Let's hope the Vatican sees its error.

REFERENCES

Morelli, G. (2006a, March 10). Sinners in the Hands of an Angry or Gentle God. http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles6/MorelliHumility.php.

Morelli, G. (2006b, September 24). Smart Parenting IV: Cuss Control. http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles6/MorelliParenting4.php.

Morelli, G. (2006c, October 31) Conflict and Disagreement: An
Analysis of Pope Benedict's Remarks Based on "The Parable of the
Publican and the Pharisee" and Conflict Management. http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles6/MorelliIslam.php.

Morelli, G. (2006d, December 21). The Ethos of Orthodox Christian Healing. http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles6/MorelliHealing.php.

V. Rev. Fr. George Morelli Ph.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist, Coordinator of the Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling Ministry of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, (www.antiochian.org/counse...) and Religion Coordinator (and Antiochian Archdiocesan Liaison) of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology and Religion. Fr. George is Assistant Pastor of St. George's Antiochian Orthodox Church, San Diego, California.

A Theophany Within

Do you ever ask: "If Jesus is who He says He is, why don't I see Him more clearly?" St Thomas had the same doubts when his brother disciples told him that Jesus had resurrected. Jesus heard his plea and answered it: "Then He (Jesus) said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing ... Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God!'" (John 20 27-28).

Yet if Thomas got such a visible sign, why does it seem we are left in the dark? Could it be that we don't know how to listen? Look at communication in today's world for example. So much of the media is overpowering. It ranges from the lyrics of rap music to the pulsating beat of rock and roll, to commercials played everywhere it seems, even to muzak in bathrooms and television in fast food shops -- all of it is calculated to appeal to the senses. Some Christian churches even lace their services with splashy music and Las Vegas style light shows. What does any of this have to do with God?

We have all this noise and distraction because the world wants to hold us captive, and the path to our incarceration is through the senses. The human body can be captivated by the senses. Sounds, smells, tastes, and what our eyes behold can become an intoxicating delight. And when it wears off, it takes more sounds, stronger smells and tastes, and greater visual stimulation to renew the intoxication.

But whose work is this: God's or the evil one?

The Church Fathers noted the problem years ago. St. Ilias the Presbyter wrote: " ... the light of the spirit has grown dim within the soul, whereas the light of the sensible world shines more brightly within it" (Philokalia III). What St. Ilias means is that a person drunk on sensory stimulation will crowd out the light that burns naturally in the soul. Push it aside far enough and the light will dim to almost nothing.

How do we find God? "God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth," the Scripture teaches (John 4:24). The worship begins with a silencing of the heart and mind so that the soul can receive Him. St. Didochos of Photiki said: ".. but where there is richness of the Spirit, no speech is possible. At such a time the soul is drunk with the love of God and, with voice silent, delights in His glory" (Philokalia I). He means that the focusing on sensory things alone cannot lead us to God. Further, when the focusing becomes extreme we enter idolatry.

The self-manifestation of God is not apprehended through sensory experience but in the stillness of the soul. Encountering God is by necessity quiet and peaceful. God comes to us when we prepare ourselves to receive Him by bringing our senses under control, by elimination the noise and clamor in the world, and by refusing the intoxication the world offers through our senses.

And this manifestation replicates in its own way the physical manifestation of Jesus as the Son of God at Theophany (the Baptism of Christ): " ... And I saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on Him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16-17).

Sensation Seeking

How do we break free of sensory captivation? Contemporary empirical findings in scientific psychology lend insight into how this psycho-spiritual intoxication takes place. Zuckerman (1993) found a personality dimension he termed sensation seeking. Persons scoring high on this dimension have a "generalized preference" for high levels of sensory stimulation. They constantly look for fresh exhilarating experiences. Zuckerman reported a strong genetic predisposition for this personality trait.

High sensation seekers are inclined 1) to thrill and adventure seeking such as skydiving; 2) to unusual activities such as wild parties; 3) at the extremes are usually disinhibited thus prone to heavy drinking, drug use, gambling and sexual experimentation; and 4) exhibit a susceptibility to boredom with low tolerance for routine repetition. While few persons are at the extreme, even those moderately inclined toward sensation seeking prefer external sensory stimulation over internal reflection. It is easy to see how such individual can miss the unknown God who reveals Himself in silence. They simply don't know this dimension of human experience.

What might be helpful for anyone inclined to sensation seeking is to develop a spiritual rule. Many Church Fathers have pointed out that it is better to say one prayer deep from the heart, than many prayers in a routine and superficial way. Persons disposed to high sensation seeking might keep their prayers, meditations, and quite times short but open to God revealing Himself, and in particular listening for His voice.

Theophany and Free Will

God reveals His Son in the silence of our soul. Why might God do this? One reason is that communion with God requires our active participation. Our will must be conformed to God's will.

Take the Holy Scriptures. Many passages are not clear cut. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit guidance our Church and the Holy Fathers, we have to struggle to make sense of them. When we look at the Lord's life as recorded in scripture for example, we always see an ambiguity. Almost everything Our Lord did demand an interpretation that we must provide. Our inner orientation -- our capacity to see and understand -- must be developed in order to see who the Lord really is. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes continually saw the work of Jesus but concluded He was a malefactor. Those with purity of heart saw the same works but concluded that Jesus was the Son of God, the Good God who loves mankind. Which ones are we?

Meditate on the Troparion (hymn) of the Theophany:

Lord, when You were baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the voice of the Father gave witness to You, calling You Beloved; and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed the certainty of His words. Glory to You, Christ our God, who appeared and enlightened the world.

If we experience the Theophany within ourselves, we will see the Lord all around us. The psalmist says "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament declares His handiwork (Psalm 19:1). If we listen on the inside, we will see clearly what lies on the outside. The senses are freed and clamor of the world loses its power over our minds and hearts so that the Lord might reveal Himself to us more and more.

REFERENCES

Bobrinskoy, B. (1999). The Mystery of the Trinity. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.

Horvath, P., & Zuckerman, M. (1993). Sensation Seeking, Risk Appraisal, and Risky Behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 14(1), 1147-1152.

Lossky, V. (1978). Orthodox Theology: An Introduction. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.

Morelli, G. (2006d, May 08). Orthodoxy and the Science of Psychology. http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles6/MorelliOrthodoxPsychology.php.

Palmer, G.E.H., Sherrard, P., & Ware, K. (Eds). (1979). The Philokalia: The Complete Text Compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarious of Corinth (Vol. I) .Winchester, MA: Faber and Faber.

Palmer, G.E.H., Sherrard, P., & Ware, K. (Eds.). (1986). The Philokalia: The Complete Text Compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth: Vol.3. Winchester, MA: Faber and Faber.

Zuckerman, M. (1991). Psychobiology of Personality. NT: Cambridge University Press.

V. Rev. Fr. George Morelli Ph.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist, Coordinator of the Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling Ministry of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, (www.antiochian.org/counse...) and Religion Coordinator (and Antiochian Archdiocesan Liaison) of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology and Religion. Fr. George is Assistant Pastor of St. George's Antiochian Orthodox Church, San Diego, California.

Posted: 12-Jan-07

The Ethos of Orthodox Christian Healing

An early draft of this paper was presented at the Society of St. John Chrysostom -- Western Region Meeting on "Healing in the Eastern and Western Church" at Prince of Peace Benedictine Abbey, Oceanside, California, November 18, 2006.

The Fall of Man

To understand healing we must first understand sin, illness, death and love, a task that brings us back to Genesis. Genesis reveals that God created the world as good. He set mankind as the crown of His creation. Genesis describes the creation of man in this way:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1) ... God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27) ... the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Genesis 2:7).

Mankind is meant for paradise, and paradise is understood as life in and with God that lasts for all eternity. Who then, caused the rupture that introduced sin, illness and death into the world? The answer is the evil one, Satan, and his cohorts. Satan is the destroyer of goodness and order, the liar who fatally rebelled against God and looks forward only to eternal judgment and condemnation. The scriptures tell us that the devil has "sinned from the beginning" (1 John 3:8). Jesus told the Pharisees:

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44).

How did the rupture occur? It happened when Satan tempted Adam and Eve when they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree was planted in the primordial garden with fruit that God commanded was never to be eaten. "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17). Satan argued that if they ate of the fruit they would " ... be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:7). We know our ancestors failed to obey and the entire material creation fell into disorder.

The Fathers of the Church wrote that the lie that Satan proffered hid a crucial dimension of God's original commandment not to eat of the fruit. Yes, Satan was correct in telling Adam and Eve that they would become like gods and therefore have knowledge of good and evil, but he withheld that they would also become captive to the evil. As for Adam and Eve, the nature of their sin was that they looked to the creation rather than the Creator for the life (which includes knowledge and wisdom) that can only come from God. In fact, the Fathers posit that if Adam and Eve had obeyed God, they would have matured in understanding and discernment and eventually would have come to know good and evil without becoming captive to the evil.

The result of their disobedience was catastrophic. Adam and Eve lost the Spirit of God and became subject instead to the dust out of which they were created. Man became bound to the earth rather than its master. He was expelled from the Garden because knowing now only separation from God, he could no longer be part of its primordial harmony. Genesis tells of the tragedy:

God told them, "'For dust you are, and to dust you shall return" ... Therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:11, 19, 23, 24).

St. Gregory of Nyssa lamented, "Thus man, who was so great and precious, as the Scriptures call him, fell from the value he had by nature ... by his sin, (and) clothed himself in an image that is of clay and mortal" (Musurillo, 1979).

Restoration and Healing

But God did not leave Adam and Eve desolate. He began the restoration of Adam and Eve (and all humanity) only moments after their expulsion. It started with the clothing of Adam and Eve in animal skins and continued through the covenant with Noah. It follows with a covenant that God made with Abraham that through him God would send a savior to heal the catastrophic rupture. It is completed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. St. Basil expressed it beautifully: "Thou didst send forth the Prophets; Thou didst perform mighty works by the saints ... who foretold unto us the salvation which was to come" (Anaphora Prayers of St. Basil Liturgy).

We share in Adam and Eve's original sin, although the Eastern churches' understanding differs from the Western churches' in some crucial ways. The Eastern Church does not teach that we inherit the guilt of Adam. Rather, we share in the sin of Adam in that we are born into a world where the consequences of sin prevail. These consequences are not only the outward brokenness like disease and death, but interior disorder as well. Our nature is corrupted. We are subject to temptation, prone to sin, and share in death.

The different emphasis on original sin in the Orthodox Church affects how the death of Christ impacts the redemption of mankind as well. Everyone is familiar with the verse taken from the Gospel of St. John that affirms God's great love for mankind by the coming of His Son: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Christ's voluntary sacrifice on the cross was not to satisfy God's vengeance, a desire to see sin punished (what Western theologians call "substitutionary atonement"). Rather Christ's death on the cross enabled Christ to enter death and destroy it, as evidenced by rising from the dead once and for all.

The rupturing of the relationship Adam had with God that affected all subsequent generations is the source of sickness and death. Christ, as the One who overcame death, restores the relationship by destroying death. He becomes the mediator between mankind and the Father, the bridge over the unbridgeable chasm, the conqueror of death, the Savior of soul and body. His obedience unto righteousness (Christ was the only man not to break the Law of Moses) annuls the penalty of death that fell on disobedient Adam, thereby making His death completely voluntary - a sacrifice -- and thus making His resurrection from death possible.

St. Paul's message to the Romans summarizes the Orthodox view of illness and death and hints at how healing enters the world:

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God (Romans 6:6-10).

We enter into the life of Christ through baptism; entering the waters enables a person to enter into the death of Christ and be raised in the likeness of His resurrection (Romans 6:1-10). Baptism is the first step in the restoration of body and soul, a return in some measure to the communion with God that Adam and Eve experienced before their disobedience. The promise from God is that this journey may end in His Kingdom, although this end is by no means automatic or guaranteed apart from testing and trial. Our faith in God has to be proven, that is, refined in the fire of tribulation as St. Peter taught, and not be found lacking. St. John summed it up in the final book of scripture: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7). The man who hears and obeys is the man who will receive the promise of eternal life at the last day.

Healing in the Orthodox Church

In the Orthodox Church, healing of the soul ranks higher than the healing of the body. In fact, the healing of the body is offered as a sign of His mercy and blessing to the person experiencing God's healing and to inspire others to do His will. Healing is to be sought both through prayer and the application of physical sciences, but no complete healing is possible apart from the final resurrection of an individual because the sentence of death still reigns in the mortal body. Further, not all people are healed, despite fervent pleas to God and the applications of the best medicines. Sometime illness needs to be endured.

The Church Fathers give us insight into how we can use illness and the acceptance of mortality (death) to grow in Christ. St Ilias the Presbyter wrote: "Suffering deliberately embraced cannot free the soul totally from sin unless the soul is also tried in the fire of suffering that comes unchosen. For the soul is like a sword: if it does not go 'through fire and water' (Psalm 66:12, LXX) -- that is, by suffering deliberately embraced and suffering that comes unchosen -- it cannot but be shattered by the blows of fortune" (Ilias the Presbyter, Philokalia III). We have to acquire an attitude of embracing both illness and the inevitable death of earthly life as part of God's divine will for us. This is true not only for the sick, but also their loved ones who share in the suffering. In those cases where a healing does occur, it happens so that we may love God even more.

Sometimes physical sickness is necessary to heal the soul. St. Maximus the Confessor wrote, "Suffering cleanses the soul infected with the filth of sensual pleasure and detaches it completely from material things by showing it the penalty incurred as a result of its affection for them. This is why God in His justice allows the devil to afflict men with torments." The acceptance of our illness and death as God's will is one means by which we embrace the saving grace of Christ. This is a hard saying to accept, but those who have suffered in Christ testify to its truth. Could we not allow that sometimes God understands what we do not understand?

The subordination of physical to spiritual healing is derived from the Epistle of James. St. James said:

Is there any one among you suffering? Let him pray ... Is any among you sick? Let him call for the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven (James 4.13 - 15).

The Service of Holy Unction

The distinction between spiritual and physical healing is revealed liturgically as well. Orthodox Christians perform the Mystery of Holy Unction for the healing of soul and body and for forgiveness of sins. It is usually celebrated during Wednesday of Holy Week, but can be performed any time. During the service epistle and gospel readings are read, prayers are said, oil is blessed, and each worshipper is anointed with the holy oil as the priest says: "The blessing of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ: for the healing of soul and body ... "

The prayer of the blessing of the oil illustrates the goal of physical healing: that those anointed can glorify God and thus be spiritually healed. The prayer in part reads:

O Lord, who through thy mercies and bounties heals the disorders of our souls and bodies: Do thou Thyself, O Master, also sanctify this oil, that it may be effectual for those who are anointed therewith, unto healing and unto relief from every passion, of every defilement of flesh and spirit, and every ill; that thereby may be glorified Thine all holy Name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages . Amen.

Ideally, seven priests perform this Holy Mystery, but fewer, or even a single priest, can celebrate it. It is offered to the healthy as well as the sick for all are diseased in some way.

The Holy Unction Service goes back to the earliest days of Christianity. Orthodox Liturgical scholar Fr. Alkiviadis Calivas stated: "In ancient Christian literature one may find indirect testimonies of the Mystery of Unction in Saint Irenaeus of Lyons and in Origen. Later there are clear testimonies of it in Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom, who have left prayers for the healing of the infirm which entered later into the rite of Unction; and likewise in Saint Cyril of Alexandria" (http://www.goarch.org/en/special/lent/holy_wednesday/learn/).

Sometimes the emphasis on spiritual healing is taken to mean that attempts at physical healing should be minimized. This is a grave misconception. In the Orthodox moral tradition both spiritual and physical healing should be brought to God. The foundation of this misconception rests in ideas that faith somehow stands in opposition to science. It doesn't. God is the source of both faith and science and in the end no final conflict exists between the two. Orthodox theologian and ethicist Fr. Stanley S. Harakas wrote:

Medical treatment is also seen as a human cooperation with God's healing purposes and goals. In fact, all of Orthodox teaching recognizes a place for human effort, striving and cooperating with God's will. Technically known as "synergy," this belief requires the exercise of human talents and abilities for salvation, for spiritual growth, for moral behavior, for achievement of human potential ... So, in principle, the use of healing, medicines ... even surgical operations have generally been understood throughout history in the Church to be appropriate, fitting and desirable ways of cooperating with God in the healing of human illnesses (http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8076.asp)

Mankind: Made in God's image and called to be like Him

The foundation of this "synergy" (the cooperation of man with God) is recorded in the book of Genesis: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over all the earth ..." (Genesis 1:26). McGuckin (2004) noted that several Greek Fathers defined the term "image" by relating it to Adam's naming of the animals, thereby linking an attribute of the image of God in man to "mankind's dominion over the created order." In other words, the patristic exegesis highlights the different characteristics that man possesses over the animals such as understanding, rationality, and intelligence to conclude that these characteristics define in some measure the term "image of God."

Evagrios the Solitary also, albeit indirectly, affirmed that the intellect reflects the image of God in man. When examining the causes of sin he asked, "Is it the intellect?" only to answer the query with another question, "But then how can the intellect be the image of God?" (Philokalia I). (Later he answered his question that sin is a "freely chosen noxious pleasure.")

St. Maximus the Confessor, too, elevated intellect as an attribute of the image of God in man. "Naturally endowed with the holiness of the Divine Image, the intelligence urges the soul to conform itself by its own free choice to the divine likeness" (Philokalia II).

Of all the Church Fathers however, St. John of Damascus is the most clear:

As a golden seal to this plain homily, we will add a brief account of the way in which that which is most precious of all that God has created -- the noetic and intelligent creature, man -- has been made, alone among created beings, in God's image and likeness (cf. Genesis 1:26). First, everyman is said to be made in the image of God as regards the dignity of his intellect and soul ... and endowed with free will ...

Further, St. John of Damascus taught that the gift of the intellect carries with it a responsibility toward holiness:

Every man possesses that which is according to the image of God, "for the gifts of God are irrevocable" (cf. Romans 11:29). But only a few -- those who are virtuous and holy and have imitated the goodness of God to the limit of human powers -- possess that which is according to the likenesses of God" (Philokalia III).

St. Nikitas Stithatos discussed how the responsibility to develop and use the gift of the intellect is met only by living in conformity with God's will:

God is ... intellect, beyond every intellect ... He is light and the source of blessed light. He is wisdom, intelligence and spiritual knowledge. If on account of your purity these qualities have been bestowed on you and are richly present in you, then that within you which accords with the image of God has been safely preserved and you are now a son of God guided by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14) (Philokalia IV).

Clearly, the Church Fathers teach that the intellect is a highly valued characteristic found in man. It is important to note that intellect does not mean high intelligence necessarily, but the faculty of the intellect, namely, the ability to reason, distinguish, create, and all the qualities associated with it. Further, there is a moral imperative implied in their assessment. Since the intellect is a gift from God, we must exercise the intellect to the best of our ability. Failure to responsibly apply our intellect in our lives means we are not conforming to the will of God.

One area where the intellect must be applied is in the contemplation of life around us. Where does the ultimate meaning of the creation and our place in it come from: science and its offshoots including medicine and psychology -- or God? Science is empirical, it measures material objects and defines material processes. It describes the workings of creation but it can say nothing about its meaning and purpose. Materiality and meaning are two different things but nevertheless are woven together as the Psalmist told us: The heavens declare the Glory of God and the firmament proclaims His handiwork ... (Psalm 18:1).

Since the rules that govern the world are written into the very fabric of creation and discerned by the intellect, they can be used for the healing purposes of God. Science and its applications are not static, but dynamic and ever changing, that is refined, as scientists get better at doing the "work of science." Its roots are ancient and continue to grow. The sciences applied to healing in the Early Church were crude in contrast to what we know today, but they were present nonetheless. If by God's will mankind continues for the next five centuries or so, the science (including healing arts) we practice today will look as crude then as the ancient practices look now. The Church Fathers understood this well. St. Gregory of Nyssa said: "Medicine is an example of what God allows men to do when they work in harmony with Him and with one another." Basil of Caesarea said: "God's grace is as evident in the healing power of medicine and its practitioners as it is in miraculous cures" (Demakis 2004).

A Short History of Healing in the Church

It is not overstating the case to say that the emphasis on the healing of persons is one of the great gifts that Christianity has given the world. It started with Christ. The Gospels record numerous instances where Christ healed all manner of diseases, both spiritual and physical. St. Luke, himself a physician, recorded the most in his Gospel, and then later showed in his book "The Acts of the Apostles" how this power of healing was granted to the Apostles. It should be no surprise that at the end of the persecutions of the first early centuries, healing arts were developed and flourished even to this day.

Orthodox Christianity has a rich history of healers revered as saints. Twin brothers Sts. Cosmas and Damian were physicians practicing during the reign of Diocletian and Maximianos in the era before the persecutions ended. Born in Arabia, they became known as "Anargyroi" (penniless) because they refused to accept any money for their service. They are venerated in both the Eastern and Western churches, but in the East they also carry the title "Wonderworker" because in addition to healing the body, they also cast out demons and removed other darkness from the souls of men just as Christ had done. They attributed their healing gifts to Christ, whom they called the "Great Physician," and regarded themselves simply as Christ's instruments of healing, comfort, witness, and sanctification.

Orthodoxy had other great healer saints as well. Hronos (1999) detailed the life of St. Luke as well as twenty physicians of which eighteen were missionaries and two were priests. One of the priests was St. Sampson, the "Innkeeper and Physician of Constantinople" whose feast day is celebrated on June 17. St. Sampson was originally from Rome at the time when Saint Justinian the Great reigned, but settled in Constantinople. He became so respected for his healing power, prayer, virtue, and love of the sick and poor that Patriarch Menas of Constantinople ordained him a priest. In humility he often hid his prayerful healing by dispensing medication. He healed the Emperor Justinian who in gratitude donated a grand healing center to St. Samson that came to be known as "The Hospice of Samson."

Healing in Byzantium

In the fourth century various healing centers were opened and administrated by the Orthodox Church, including homes for the poor, orphans, aged and hospitals (Demakis, 2004). Many of these centers were associated with monasteries. The health care workers, the physicians, nurses, and psychologists of the day were often the monks themselves. St. Basil of Caesarea (370-379) was trained in medicine and was reported to have worked with the monks in ministering to the ill and infirm.

St. John Chrysostom as Patriarch of Constantinople (390) used the wealth of the Church to open hospitals and other philanthropic institutions, which earned him great love from the people. Within two centuries, the rapid growth of these centers necessitated state funding although the Church retained the active administration and care-giving in the arrangement. Emperor Justinian moved the most important physicians into the hospitals, which enhanced the reputation of these centers (Demakis 2004).

The Pantocrator Monastery was a large healing center. Its Typikon (the book that explains how the monastery should be ordered) reveals that their benevolent work was complex and extensive. A few sections include:

External Relations
The remarkable hospital (xenon) associated with this foundation capped a long tradition of institutional philanthropy observed in these documents since Mount Tmolos in the late tenth century. Chapters throughout provide regulations for the hospital, the old age home, and lepers sanatorium.

1. The Hospital
   The hospital was presided over by an overseer (nosokomos) and had sixty beds divided into five wards, one of which was to be reserved for women. Two non-resident doctors (serving in alternate months) and a complement of assistants and orderlies staffed each ward. The doctors were not to undertake any outside work even for unpaid service by imperial command. The women's ward had an extra female doctor. Four extra doctors including two surgeons staffed an outpatient department. Two of the outpatient doctors took turns providing services to the monks of the monastery in alternate months.
   There were also various service personnel, including a chief pharmacist and three druggists as well as two priests stationed in the hospital chapel. A teacher of medicine was to "teach the principles of medical knowledge" to student doctors, who were apparently chosen from among the hospital's auxiliaries. Salaries for the various hospital personnel were detailed as well as the supplies needed by the infirmarian and the superintendent, who served as a cellarer. The Emperor provided regulations for liturgical services, burials, and commemorations of the deceased.

2. The Old Age Home
   The director (gerokomos) of the old age home was chosen from among the monks of the monastery. With the assistance of six orderlies, he would care for twenty-four aged and infirm men in the home; the healthy were specifically excluded, regardless of social class. As in the hospital, a chapel staffed by a priest and reader was available to residents. The emperor provided cash and in-kind allowances for both the staff and the residents.

3. The Sanatorium
   A lepers sanatorium was established at a site away from the monastery. The emperor sought a "special remembrance" from its residents, but unlike patients in the hospital, he does not ask them to come to a church to pray for his soul.

4. Routine Charitable Donations
   Less institutionalized forms of philanthropy were practiced at the foundation as well. A bakery (mankipeion) provided bread to nourish the residents of both the hospital and the old age home. For non-residents, there were to be charitable distributions at the gate in honor of the foundation's benefactors. Leftovers were to be collected for this purpose after both the midday and evening meals." (The entire typikon can be found at: http://www.stmaryofegypt.org/typika/typ038.html.)

Demakis (2004) notes five characteristic traits shared by the physician-saints:

1. They were committed to Christ and were holy men before they became healers.

2. They lived as deeply committed Christians in personal prayer, meditation, fasting, and actively prayed for their patients.

3. They were outstanding physicians often "first in their medical school class". Medical science was regarded as a serious academic discipline.

4. They had a "deep and abiding love" for mankind and strove to see "the image of Christ" in every patient. This was shown in their actions including long working hours, refusal of any payment, turning their homes into hospitals, and the personal care they showed toward their patients ("fed and cared for their patients personally").

5. They attributed their healing skills and medical successes to God.

The Church as Hospital

The spiritual dimension of healing

St. John Chrysostom presented us with the idea that the entire Church of Christ is a hospital, thereby expressing in clearer theological terms the relationship between the healing of body and soul practiced by the early healers. The Parable of the Good Samaritan is the model St. John used (Luke 1:33ff) where the Good Samaritan exemplifies Christ who, as the Great Physician, comes to broken mankind (the man beat by robbers lying on the road) in order to bring healing. The inn in which the Good Samaritan delivered the suffering man is the Church (Vlachos, 1994, 1998).

The interrelationship between body and soul is noted in almost every liturgical prayer. Most corporate prayer begins with the Trisagion (Thrice-Holy) prayer that makes the relationship clear: "All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us, Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy God, visit and heal our infirmities for thy names sake" (emphasis added).

Baptism

In fact, the spiritual dimension underlying any healing is most clearly revealed in the foundational sacrament of the Christian life. Baptism, as St. Paul taught in Romans 6, is the new birth, the starting point of life in Christ through an entry into Christ's death and a raising into the "likeness" of His resurrection. The baptismal service begins with several prayers of exorcism that are meant to heal the person of illness and infirmity brought about by the rebellion of the Devil as indicated above. Originally deacons read the exorcism prayers but in modern times the priest who performs the baptism reads the prayers. The prayers prepare the baptismal candidate to enter life in Christ and thereby receive the power (through the Holy Spirit received in baptism) to detach from the power of evil that might rule in his soul. These prayers and the baptism that follows are actually a profound healing of the soul's attachment to untoward things, thereby enabling it to attain freedom.

Exorcism

Sometimes the healing of the soul calls for drastic measures. A guide for clergy of the Orthodox Church is the "Book of Needs" which includes prayers for expulsion of demons from the soul and for protection from such evil. Clergy entering this dimension of spiritual reality must exercise great discernment since many illnesses have natural causes and a misdiagnosis is easily made. Further, the mental status of anyone requesting such prayers also has to be considered. Pastorally, the best practice is to say a simple prayer for those requesting it, such as those found in the exorcism ritual in Holy Baptism. St. Basil, St. John Chrysostom, and several other noted saints wrote these prayers.

A prayer by St. John Chrysostom that is included in "The Book of Needs" concisely states the goal of our earthly life:

O Lord Jesus Christ ... We beseech You, look mercifully upon him (or her), and in your great love grant him (or her) relief from his (or her) pain ... that restored to the vigor of health, he (or she) may ... serve you faithfully and gratefully all his (or her) life, and become heir of Your Kingdom, For You are the Physician of our souls and bodies, O Christ ... "

Another exorcism prayer written by St. John Chrysostom reads: "Everlasting God ... command these evil and impure spirits to withdraw from soul and body ... so he (she) may live a holy, righteous and devout life deserving of the sacred Mysteries of Your only-begotten Son our God (Book of Needs, A Monk of St. Tikhon's Monastery 1987).

Holy Eucharist

The Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion) continues the healing that began in Holy Baptism. The Eucharist conjoins us to the Great Physician, a point expressed in the liturgical prayer that is read immediately before the elevation of the bread and wine: "We give thanks unto thee, O King invisible, who by thy measureless power hast made all things ... look down from heaven upon those who have bowed their heads unto thee ... distribute these Gifts here spread forth, unto all of us for good ... heal the sick, thou who art the physician of souls and bodies."

Healing with Christ: Victory

Some psychologists, such as Viktor Frankl (1959, 1969, 1978), saw illness and the passage into death apart from any transcendent reference and therefore without any enduring meaning or purpose. In this view, human healing has only a relative value since death prevails in the end. Healing, when it occurs, has only a temporary meaning since life itself is merely a temporary sojourn (Morelli, 2006a,b).

The Christian view however, sees an eternal dimension to all illness and healing. The suffering of Christ on the cross for example, has eternal ramifications in that the power of sin and death was destroyed when Christ destroyed death by being resurrected from the dead. St. Basil's anaphora prayer (the prayer read before the consecration of the bread and wine in the Orthodox Divine Liturgy) reads: "Having descended into hell through the Cross, that He (Christ) might fill all things with Himself, He loosed the pains of death, and rose again from the dead on the third day, making a way for all flesh through the resurrection from the dead."

Human healing, then, when referenced to the victory of Christ over death, takes on an eternal meaning and purpose: chiefly, to partake of the deeper life found in God, to rise above the brokenness, sin, and death that holds the world in bondage since the sin of Adam and Eve long ago.

An Ideomelon (hymn) written by St. John of Damascus and read during the Orthodox funeral service sums it up clearly. First the futility of life when viewed apart from the hope Christ offers is recounted: "I called to mind the Prophet, as he cried: I am earth and ashes; and I looked again into the graves and beheld the bones laid bare, and I said: Who then is the king or the warrior, the rich man or the needy, the upright or the sinner?" In modern parlance we could say: "Is that all there is?" But the prayer does not end there. It concludes: "Yet, O Lord, give rest unto Thy servant with the righteous." Later in the funeral service we pray, "May Christ give thee rest in the land of the living, and open unto thee the gates of Paradise and make thee a citizen of His kingdom." The ultimate healing is victory over illness and death and leads us into eternal life. "Behold, I make all things new," (Revelation 21:3-5).

REFERENCES

Demakis J. (2004). Historical Precedents for Synergia: Combining Medicine, Diakonia and Sacrament in Byzantine Times. In S. Muse (Ed.), Raising Lazarus: Integral healing in Orthodox Christianity. Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press.

Frankl, V. (1959). Man's Search for Meaning. NY: Simon & Schuster.

Frankl, V. (1969). The Will to Meaning. NY: New American Library.

Frankl, V. (1978). The Unheard Cry for Meaning. NY Simon & Schuster.

Hronas, G. (1999). The Holy Unmercenary Doctors: The Saints Anargyroi, Physicians and Healers of the Orthodox Church. Minneapolis, MN: Light and Life.

McGuckin, J.A. (2004). The Westminster Handbook to Patristic Theology . Louisville, KT: Westminster John Knox Press.

Morelli, G. (2006a). Illness, Death and Life: An Orthodox Perspective. The Handmaiden. 10, 2, 5-10.

Morelli, G (2006b, July 29). Dealing With Brokenness in the World: Psychological Optimism and the Virtue of Hope. http://www.orthodoxytoday...

Musurillo, H. (ed., trans.). From Glory to Glory: Texts from Gregory of Nyssa's Mystical Writings. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.

Palmer, G.E.H., Sherrard, P. & Ware, K. (Eds). (1979). The Philokalia, Volume 1: The Complete Text; Compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain & St. Markarios of Corinth . London: Faber and Faber.

Palmer, G.E.H., Sherrard, P. & Ware, K. (1981). The Philokalia, Volume 2: The Complete Text; Compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain & St. Markarios of Corinth . London: Faber and Faber.

Palmer, G.E.H., Sherrard, P. & Ware, K. (Eds.). (1986). The Philokalia, Volume 3: The Complete Text; Compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain & St. Markarios of Corinth . London: Faber and Faber.

Palmer, G.E.H., Sherrard, P. & Ware, K. (Eds.). (1995). The Philokalia, Volume 4: The Complete Text; Compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain & St. Markarios of Corinth . London: Faber and Faber.

St. Maximus the Confessor. On Suffering. http://www.orthodoxphotos.com/readings/ambrose/suffering.shtml (2006, February 14).

Vlachos, Bishop Hierotheos, (1994). Orthodox Psychotherapy: The Science of the Fathers. Lavadia, Greece: Birth of the Theotokos Monastery.

Vlachos, Bishop Hierotheos, (1998). The Mind of the Orthodox Church. Lavadia, Greece: Birth of the Theotokos Monastery.

V. Rev. Fr. George Morelli Ph.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist, Coordinator of the Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling Ministry of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, (www.antiochian.org/counse...) and Religion Coordinator (and Antiochian Archdiocesan Liaison) of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology and Religion. Fr. George is Assistant Pastor of St. George's Antiochian Orthodox Church, San Diego, California.

Understanding Clergy Stress: A Psychospiritual Response

By Fr. George Morelli My reflection and meditation while writing this article: "Physician heal yourself" (Luke. 4:23). A Short Overview of Stress In psychological terms, stress is any circumstance or event that threatens (or is perceived to threaten) one's usual adaptive functioning or lies beyond one's perceived coping capabilities. In spiritual terms, stress is considered a threat to one's spiritual well being and includes: interruption of prayer life, a sense of loss of God's love and care, and a lack of trust in God and in His Church. Generally speaking, stress is divided into two major categories: 1) traumatic and acute stress, and 2) chronic stress. Traumatic and acute stress is defined as a reaction to a specific trauma or stressor (American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV-TR). It is a diagnostic psychiatric category consisting of either Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), and encompasses such events include as exposure to the serious injury and death during accidents, combat and disasters, physical attack, sexual assault, terminal illness, concentration camps and solitary confinement. The usual response is fear, helplessness, horror, imagery, or sensory re-experiencing of the event and increased agitation and arousal. This category lies beyond the scope of this essay. Chronic stress is the everyday events that become stressors when they are repeatedly encountered (McEwen and Lasley, 2002). The long duration and ongoing repetition of these events sensitize the body stress reaction system and make the body more likely to trigger a stress reaction. The events include everyday occurrences and other common hassles, trials and tribulations of life (Kohn, Lafreniere, & Gurevich, 1991; Pillow, Zautra, & Sandler, 1996). Common events include family problems, health concerns, traffic, car breakdowns, missing appointments, and lateness. This type of stress in clergy life is the focus of this paper. Orthodox clergy face the same chronic stress events as the general population. In addition they have the events common to a hierarchal church: the episcopacy (from above) and a parish council (from below) both often presuming they have control over the priest. (Specific circumstances are discussed below.) On the surface these common events may appear benign but when faced day after day for long durations they tend to have a cumulative effect (Delongis, Folkman & Lazarus, 1988; Seta, Seta & Whang, 1991). In fact, the physiological, psychological and spiritual effects are similar to the effects of PTSD and ASD mentioned above. The Multifactorial Underpinning of Stress The reactions that individuals have to stress events are due to a multiplicity of factors. They include: biology (body stress reaction system), cognition (appraisal, Morelli, 2006a), emotion (depression, Morelli, 2006d), environmental (the events listed above), personality (optimism, Morelli, 2006d), socio-cultural (mainstream or particular ethnic background) and behavioral (coping strategies, Morelli, 2006c). Stress affects the body in different ways. The nervous system has two basic components: the Central Nervous System (CNS) composed of brain and spinal column, and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) which includes the outside of the body, brain and spinal column. This is broken into the Somatic Nervous system (SNS) such as nerve endings in the hands and arms etc. and the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). The ANS in turn has two components: the Parasympathetic and Sympathetic System. The ANS is critical in understanding the body stress reaction system. The ANS is connected to blood vessels, bladder, breathing system, digestive system, glands, and heart. When the body is relaxed and functioning normally, the Parasympathetic System is at work. A major information channel is the neurotransmitter or hormone: acetylcholine. Pupils are constricted, salivation is normal, regular breathing occurs, the heart rate is normal, digestive processes work and the bladder can hold contents. An individual in this state feels relaxed and normal. When the body is stressed, the Sympathetic System is at work. A major information channel is the neurotransmitter or hormone: adrenaline or epinephrine and cortisol. Pupils are dilated, the mouth is dry, rapid breathing and heart rate occurs, digestion is inhibited, increased sweating occurs and bladder contents are subject to involuntary release. The individual in this state feels under tension. Biologists consider that the original reason this system developed in our bodies is to mobilize a fight or flight response under threat. This was an adaptive response to prehistoric predator attack for defense and survival and still used today if engaged in warfare, police activity or self defense. The effects of stress are insidious. They include increased aggression (Berkowitz, 1989); giving up (Seligman, 1990); substance abuse (Peyser, 1993); impaired task performance (Baumeister, 1995); physical, mental and emotional exhaustion (Pines & Aronson, 1988); unhappiness (Heady & Wearing, 1989); anxiety disorders (Lester, Nebel & Baum, 1994); and depression (Gruen, 1993). Various psychosomatic diseases such asthma, eczema, heart disease hives, hypertension, migraine and tension headaches, skin disorders and ulcers have a genetic and physiological etiology but often stress is a psychological exacerbating factor (Creed, 1993). Special Factors Influencing Stress: Control and Support Longitudinal studies started in 1967 and still ongoing at University College London (called the "Whitehall Studies") examine the effects of work control or job control and work support on stress. Two conclusions are particularly straight forward: 1) Low control at work makes an important contribution to the social gradient in mental and physical ill health;" and 2) Another aspect of the work environment that may be stressful is a lack of support from ... managers ... and supervisors (for example, colleagues and immediate line managers are willing to talk about work-related problems), especially when employees do not receive clear and consistent information from their supervisors. The second problem is associated with a twofold increased risk of poor general mental health (Council of Civil Service Unions/Cabinet Office, 2004). High expectancy In a previous article I distinguished between perfectionism versus Christ's counsel to be perfect: "Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). Following the call to be perfect in Christ is the recognition that ultimately perfection does not come from the individual but from God. "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will Himself perfect you and confirm you and establish you" (1 Peter 5:10). I went on to say that trust and patience are two pillars of our journey to perfection. In psychological terms patience is attained by letting go of our unrealistic urgent demanding expectations and substituting reality the way it actually is. Trusting in God and His Divine Providence becomes a powerful technique to challenge self-created urgencies and helps heal the malady of perfectionism (Morelli 2005). But there is a world of difference between striving toward perfection in spiritual terms and perfectionism. Individuals suffering from this malady (perfectionism) are motivated by a fear of failure and a sense of duty. They strive to be in first place in all manner of endeavors but their accomplishments never seem to satisfy them. They believe there is a special quality to acquiring perfection The flawless expression of a particular characteristic such as intelligence or the mistake-free application of a specific skill is the only way to earn self esteem and achieve the sense of being special. Allen (2003) notes: "Perfectionism becomes oppressive (stress) when excessively high standards (expectations) are coupled with ... anxiety." Anyone may be influenced by these variables which are risk factors for stress. Thus individuals in low status occupations with ambiguous or contradictory supervision (as in the Whitehall Studies) would be affected just as easily as a person on a high status or even more demanding environment. Also individuals who have perfectionist expectations are also vulnerable. The Special Condition Of Orthodox Clergy Over the years I have given workshops on clergy stress to Orthodox clergy in most jurisdictions. Invariably three major stressors are reported: 1) Being under the control and misunderstood by the hierarch; 2) being considered an employee of the Parish Council who has the final say in all administrative matters (sometimes even attempting to control the liturgical function of the priest); and 3) for clergy with family the demands of being husband and father. Non-clergy may not consider this a special condition. Overbearing supervisors, misunderstanding and family pressures are encountered in everyday life by many. The difference is in the nature of the priesthood itself and the priest's self-identification as a priest. Just a few reflections on the Counsels of the Christian Priesthood by St. John of Kronstadt demonstrates the nature and responsibility of the Christian priesthood: ... a worthy priest, who, like the seraphim, would burn before the Lord with love, praise and gratitude for the wonders of His mercy and His wisdom ... As a light and heat are inseparable from the sun, so should holiness, a zeal to teach, and love and compassion for all, be inseparable from the person of the priest. For whose dignity does he bear? Christ's ... God Himself ... By myself I am nothing, but by the grace of the priesthood I become the means of healing. Though me the grace of the Holy Spirit gives new life; the Body and Blood of Christ to the faithful ... uniting them with God. St. John told the priests: "You must without ceasing praise and thank the Lord; you must always be striving after holiness, with fasting and abstinence, with humility of mind, and obedience and patience." What could be considered the greatest clergy stressor of all? St. John answered with the admonition of Jesus recorded by St. Luke: "Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required" (Luke 12:48). St John deserves to be quoted in entirety: From a priest, if he has not learned to be gentle, humble and kind, and to overcome evil with good, a stricter account will be required than from a lay man. For a priest, in his ordination, has been given a great potential for piety, and if he does live accordingly, and fulfill it, he dooms himself through his own negligence and impenitence. Lord forgive me my sins, and teach me to do your will. Dealing with Hierarchs Priests are to obey their bishops as they would Jesus Christ. "Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you" (Hebrews 13: 17). St. Ignatius of Antioch from the beginning of church history told priests (and laity) to be: " ... submissive to the bishop as to Jesus Christ ... and also to the presbytery as to the Apostles ... and to respect the deacons ... for without these no Church is recognized" (Chryssavgis 2005). Therefore if a priest is to be zealous and true to their calling there is a great pressure on them to be faithful and submissive to their bishops. This is a divine imperative and far above human striving. The ideal vs. Clergy experience St. Timothy gave us the ideal expected for those in holy orders from bishop to deacon: This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 3:1-13). The personality qualities St. Timothy lists include: being serious, not double-tongued, not addicted, temperate, sensible, above reproach, gentle, and not quarrelsome. He implied that the higher the order, the more the qualities should apply. What do I hear from clergy that contributes most to their stress? The first is discrepancies and contradictions between the ideals of how bishops (and priests and deacons) should behave and what they actually do. Examples include (for confidentiality, these examples are composites from the clergy stress workshops I have conducted): A parishioner called the bishop with a complaint. I was called in and yelled at. The bishop never investigated or asked me my side of the story. A rich parish council member wrote to the bishop and accused me of something I had no knowledge of at all. The bishop reprimanded me without even listening to my side of the story. The bishop asked that all parishes in his diocese perform a certain liturgical practice. When I did it, some in the parish complained and he told them they were right. He never even supported or backed me up. The parish council told me "I work for them and that I am their employee ... they don't care what the bishop or I say. Running the parish has nothing to do with Jesus Christ, it is business and that's it." The bishop was supposed to show up for a service but came hours late with everyone in the congregation waiting. He never apologized. Later I found out he was at a sporting event with one of the parish council members. The bishop gave me a mean and harsh toned reprimand in the middle of the Liturgy in front of all my parishioners. How can I do my job without the support of my bishop? The diocese expects its parish assessment. I must pay it or be transferred to "Siberia". The parish council doesn't want to pay it so I pay it out of my own pocket. I can barely feed my family and pay the bills now." Spiritual intervention Short of a spiritual awakening by a miscreant parishioner and an insensitive hierarch, how should a priest respond to the abuse they inflict? The first way is to reference the Gospel of Christ. Abuse, while never excused must nevertheless be endured at times. A priest who brings the contradictions and hypocrisies to Christ can grow in His love. On the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven ... Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. (Matthew 5: 10,11). Jesus also warned his disciples not to expect better treatment than He received: "Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (John 13: 16-17). For the priest who has the love of Christ in his heart, these trials become a means by which Christ can grow more fully in him. The priest's love for others can grow as well. Nevertheless, it must be noted that these trials can cause great anxiety and stress that can result in deleterious consequences for the priest and his family. Further, the potential for spiritual growth does not excuse the malfeasance, hypocrisy and mismanagement that create the trials. Accepting everyday events within the greater will of God A priest can respond to the day to day indignities by recognizing that the events of everyday life are a means of growing in grace. St. Theodore the Recluse wrote: "Life's everyday affairs, upon which the foundation of the home and society depend, are appointed by God, and carrying them out is not a desertion to the sphere of the ungodly, but a continuation of Godly affairs." St. Theophan continued by teaching the priest how this is done: "It is necessary for you to reinterpret everything that comes before your eyes in a spiritual sense ... when you have done this each thing will be like a holy or book or an article in a holy book for you ... Then each thing will lead you to thought about God ... You will walk in the midst of the sensual world as if it were the spiritual realm. Everything will speak to you of God and keep your attention on Him" (St. Theophan the Recluse, 2000). Desert experience St. Theophan's spiritual discipline involves retreating into the quiet places of the heart - an interior desert of sorts. The desert experience is central to eastern Christian spirituality. It traces it roots to the original third century monks who fled to the deserts of Nubia, Scetis and Sinai to escape the hustle and flurry of the world in order to grow closer to Christ. St. Anthony (251-356) is considered the founder of the monastic way of life but he is hardly the first person to go to the desert to find God. Matthew recorded that St. John the Baptist was an early wilderness dweller: In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." Now John wore a garment of camel's hair, and a leather girdle around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3: 1-4). Consider as well that Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ started his public life in the desert and often returned there for spiritual nourishment. St. Matthew wrote: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights." (Matthew 4: 1-2). St. Luke records "But so much the more the report went abroad concerning him; and great multitudes gathered to hear and to be healed of their infirmities. But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed." (Lk. 5: 15-16). Desert in the city The desert does not need not to be the dry desolation of Sinai or Nubia. Many spiritual writers indicated that the desert can be found anywhere, even in the middle of an urban civilization. Desert in the City by Carlo Carretto (1979) pointed out that the desert can be found in the recesses of one's home or workplace. A few minutes spent receding from the noise and flurry of work can lead one into contemplative solitude. Caretto wrote: "If someone cannot go to the desert, then the desert can come to him or her. That is why we talk about 'making a desert in the city.'" He described this desert as " ... a quiet place to withdraw so as to find God in silence and prayer ... (a) place where we gather courage, where we pronounce words of truth remembering that God is truth ... (a) place where we purify ourselves and prepare ourselves to act as if touched by the burning coal that was placed by the angel on the lips of the Prophet." The desert is a place of solitude but not isolation. No desert experience is complete apart from communion with the Church and participation the sacred mysteries (sacraments), prayers, and worship. Even the hermits, the Christians who live in solitude in the deserts and caves of today, are members of monastic orders and subject to the discipline and practices of their mother monastery. Consider too St. Mary of Egypt. She lived alone almost her entire life in the desert of Sinai after her conversion yet was given communion and confession by Fr. Zossima (who later wrote the biography of this remarkable woman) whom she regarded as her spiritual father. Psychological aids Recalling what St. Maximus the Confessor taught: "the grace of the most Holy Spirit does not confer wisdom on the Saints without their natural intellect as capacity to receive it." Goodness and wisdom is granted to man by his volitive faculty; God is not coercive and will never confer his gifts on people who refuse to receive them. This points to the radical freedom that man possesses. Thus, when man freely obeys God, he can apply his intellect and acquired knowledge in ways that allow God's grace to work more effectively in his life. For this reason, knowledge of the psychological aids in stress management can be seen not as a replacement for the peace, wisdom, and other attributes conferred by the Holy Spirit, but as a means by which the Spirit can affect peace and order in the believer's life. Stress intervention procedures Basically the psychological stress management procedures can be broken down into cognitive change and stimulus-response management. Cognitive change involves changing the way we perceive that tasks that we are performing. Task misperceptions are actually unproven cognitive assumptions; unspoken assumptions that we have adopted that automatically guide our responses. For example we make demanding expectations of ourselves and standard of performance. The standards for task success are set unrealistically high. Anything short of complete success is perceived as failure. Demanding expectations trigger perfectionism and multi-tasking. In addition, perfectionism thwarts good performance because it triggers stress and anxiety that interferes with the performance itself. (A more detailed discussion is offered in Being Perfect vs. Perfectionism.) Cognitive distortions incite the ruinous perfectionism and must be disputed (Burns, 1989; Ellis & Harper, 1962; Morelli, 2005). Multitasking Multitasking involves doing more than one activity of increasing complexity at a time. Multitasking leads to deleterious task performance (Rubenstein, Meyer and Evans, 2001). As activities and their complexity increase so also does the stress effects. Task-time management One important way to reduce stress is to make a list of task priorities. Obviously some tasks take are more important than others. Effective task-time management however, is not simply a process of moving from high to low priority tasks one at a time. Maximal functioning means interrelating tasks varying in priority over diverse time periods. Research has shown that persons function on various time cycles. Some of these cycles occur within a day, others daily, and some even seasonally. Time-task management involves integrating tasks into these cycles for maximum effectiveness. This integration involves prudence, good judgment and discernment. A good start would be to list task priority according to category such as parish, family, and personal categories. Clergy who devote all of their time to parish activities for example, are making a poor judgment. He has a family to take care of, not to mention his own needs for recreation, rest, and exercise. Every day has to be balanced among all three categories in order for a clergyman to feel well and balanced. "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven," Ecclesiastes reminds us (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Procrastination When contemporary research psychologists speak of the cognitive-emotional connection in procrastination, they reaffirm what Jesus taught: "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" (Matthew 6: 22-23). The Church Fathers noted that thoughts evoke feelings and the best way to manage feelings is to discern the cognitive stimuli (the external stimulus) that trigger the thoughts. Two types of feelings that erode inner contentment and harmony (and lead to a loss of spiritual focus) are anger and sensual desire. St Maximus the Confessor counseled: "Do not befoul your intellect by clinging to thoughts filled with anger or sensual desire. Otherwise you will lose your capacity for pure prayer and fall victim to the demon of listlessness" (Philokalia II). Basic intervention techniques involve removing distracters, choosing realistic tasks, challenging oppressive goals, and setting realistic performance appraisals. (An earlier essay The Spiritual Roots of Procrastination [Morelli, 2006c], outlines these psycho-spiritual interventions in more detail.) Distortion challenging If a clergyman is expected to perform tasks that reasonably cannot be executed, the task should be disputed immediately. Certainly some tasks require a high level of functioning and require a high degree of output. There may be a world of difference however, between what a supervisor might prefer a task is completed and how long it will take to reasonably complete it. In my pastoral and clinical counseling experience, I have found that the best method for challenging these demanding expectations is to employ the "facts speak for themselves" technique. For example, if a bishop or other supervisor demands that a task be completed in one week that would reasonably take at least two weeks or more, the unrealistic demand should be challenged immediately. The unreasonable demand creates a great deal of stress. Further, if the supervisor insists on the demand despite evidence that he is being unreasonable, he is skirting the line of psychological abuse. The clergyman should respond by outlining the "facts," that is, the steps required to complete the task and then ask the supervisor for further instruction. This counsel of course presumes the clergyman is working hard, not slacking in his responsibilities, is not lazy, and so forth. It must be kept in mind that people act the way they want to act, and not how we might prefer they act. Some people will not respond well to a presentation of facts despite the evidence marshaled to prove them. Such cases may provoke a confrontation with unfortunate consequences such as the termination of a position and other losses. Nevertheless, these events need to be balanced against the stress of continual unreasonable demands and the consequences it causes in the life and family of whom the demands are made. Sometimes the confrontation, while unpleasant, can prove to be a blessing in disguise. How should a person evaluate such an unfortunate consequence? One effective approach is to use the "mental ruler technique" (Burns, 1980). For example, when an irate superior's demands are evaluated on a zero to 100 scale (zero being the most pleasant thing a person could picture happening to him, 100 the worst), the consequence loses some of its sting. People usually have no trouble imaging a very pleasant event; sitting on a sun drenched tropical beach is a typical image. However, most people usually need a bit of help coming up with a worst event, say, being beheaded or such some catastrophe. When compared to the worst event scenario, the consequence does not seem so bad. In fact, it can provoke creative ideas on how to handle the consequence in sound ways. Working for a supervisor who makes unreasonable demands is unpleasant and in the long term can be hurtful. Looking at the situation realistically however, particularly in recognizing (but not condoning) the unreasonableness and even abuse where it exists, prepares a person for the probable confrontation and if necessary, the unfortunate consequences that may occur. A realistic appraisal is necessary to make sound decisions, especially if those decisions are imposed by outside circumstances and may create some hardship. Assertiveness: A challenging and sanctifying process Assertiveness (Morelli, 2006c) in stress situations is another effective way to deal with individuals who have demanding expectations and expect more than can be reasonably performed. A personal comment: Several times in my live I faced such situations. When I have realistically assessed the situation, sought counsel, and communicated the correct facts but still faced rejection, I was able walk away peaceful and content. I even knew that my decision could be blessed by God. Some unfortunate consequence might have come my way, but it would have come my way in any event. "Shame on the other person" I told myself. "I will get on with my life the best way I can and work in a field with those who will help me succeed." This is similar to what Jesus taught his apostles. Jesus said "And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if any one will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town" (Matthew 10: 13-14). Jesus was speaking of course about people who rejected the word of his Father while my words dealt with everyday events. Nevertheless, if my words to an abusive supervisor were true, and if all truth is united with God (which it is), then the instruction still holds. Besides, my experience has taught me that the counsel works. Love Jesus said: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John 13:34). Love is to act for the good and welfare of our neighbor. God forbid any of us be a cause of stress to our neighbor. Stress is deleterious to our physical, psychological, and most important, spiritual welfare. We need to reflect on the words of St. Paul: "Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right" (1 Corinthians 13:4-6). First as a Christian first and second as a pastoral and psychological physician, I must apply this admonition to all dealings with my neighbor. Then with all unworthiness may I suggest that all Christians do the same to lessen the distress among people. REFERENCES Allen, J. (2003), Aiming Too High May Miss the Mark. http://www.menningerclini... American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). Washington, DC: author. Burns, D. (1980). Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. NY: The New American Library. Burns, D.D. (1989). The Feeling Good Handbook. New York: Morrow. Carretto, C. (1979). Desert in the City. London: Collins. John Chryssavgis, John Rev. Obedience And Authority: Dimensions Of A Hierarchical Church. http://www.goarch.org/pri... Council of Civil Service Unions/Cabinet Office. (2004). Work Stress and Health: The Whitehall II Study. London: author. Creed, F. (1993) Stress and psychosomatic disorders. In L. Goldberger & S. Breznitz (Eds.). Handbook of stress: theoretical and clinical aspects. NY: Free Press. Delongis, A., Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R.S. (1988). The Impact of Daily Stress on Health and Mood: Psychological and Social Resources as Mediators. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 486-495. Ellis, A. & Harper, R.A. (1962). A Guide to Rational Living. Secaucus, NJ: Lyle Stuart. Gruen, R.J. (1993). Stress and Depression: Toward the Development of Integrative Models. In L. Goldberger & S. Breznitz (Eds.). Handbook of Stress: Theoretical and Clinical Models. NY: Free Press. Heady, B. & Wearing, A. (1989). Personality, Life Events and Subjective Well-being: Towards a Dynamic Equilibrium Model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 731-739. John of Kronstadt, St. (1994). Counsels on the Christian Priesthood. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press. Kohn, P,M., Lafreniere, K. & Gurvich, M. (1991). Hassles, Health, and Personality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 478-482. Lester, N., Nebel, L.E. & Baum, A. (1994). Psychophysiological and Behavioral Measurement of Stress: Applications to Mental Health. In W.R. Avison & I.H. Gotlieb. (Eds.). Stress and mental health: Contemporary issues and prospects for the future. NY: Plenum. McEwen, B.S. & Lasley, E.N. (2002). The End of Stress As We Know It. Washington DC: National Academies Press. Morelli, G. (2005, November 28). Being Perfect vs. Perfectionism. http://www.orthodoxytoday.... Morelli, G. (2006a, March 6). Asceticism and Psychology in the Modern World. http://www.orthodoxytoday.... Morelli, G. (2006b, June 04). The Spiritual Roots of Procrastination. http://www.orthodoxytoday.... Morelli, G. (2006c, July 02). Assertiveness and Christian Charity. http://www.orthodoxytoday.... Morelli, G. (2006d, July 29). Dealing With Brokenness in the World: Learned Psychological Optimism and the Virtue of Hope. http://www.orthodoxytoday.... Palmer, G.E.H., Sherrard, P. & Ware, K. (eds.) (1981). The Philokalia: The Complete Text compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth (Vol. 2) . London: Faber and Faber. Pillow, D.R., Zautra, A.J., & Sandler, I. (1996). Major Life Events and Minor Stressors. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 381-394. Pines, A.M. & Aronson, E. (1988). Career Burnout: Causes and Cures. NY Free Press. Rubenstein, J.S., Meyer, D.E. & Evans, J.E. (2001). Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching. Journal of Experimental Psychology - Human Perception and Performance, 27, 763-797. Seta, J.J., Seta, C.E. & Whang, M.A. (1991). Feelings of Negativity and Stress: An Averaging-summation Analysis of Impressions of Negative Life Experiences. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 17, 376-384. Vlachos, Bishop Hierotheos, (1994). Orthodox Psychotherapy: The Science of the Fathers. Levadia, Greece: Birth of the Theotokos Monastery. V. Rev. Fr. George Morelli Ph.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist, Coordinator of the Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling Ministry of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, (www.antiochian.org/counse...) and Religion Coordinator (and Antiochian Archdiocesan Liaison) of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology and Religion. Fr. George is Assistant Pastor of St. George's Antiochian Orthodox Church, San Diego,

Nativity Season and Christmas Articles

A Compilation of Articles About or Related to this Advent Season

THE SAINT WHO WAS SANTA CLAUS

SUBMIT YOURSELF. . . AND YOU WILL BE EXALTED!

THE FORGOTTEN SHEPHERD

A WORD ON THE FEAST OF JESUS CHRIST

AN ATOM FOR CHRISTMAS AND EVERY DAY

THE CHRISTIAN CONSCIENCE

IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR

THE INITIATION

PEACE ON EARTH

THANK YOU GOD, FOR THE MYSTERY

CHRISTMAS WARFARE

THE TRUE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS AGAIN!

A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO WANT TO LISTEN

THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST DISCUSSION and RECOMMENDED READING

REFLECTIONS ON THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD, GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST

CHRISTMAS - - TO AN EASTERN ORTHODOX

CHRISTMAS: A GREAT FEAST

A COMMUNITY CALLED CHRISTMAS

Holy Icons:Theology in Color

On the Nativity of the Lord Christmas Sermon by Metropolitan Philip

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRISTMAS

THE CHRISTMAS TRAPS

THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD

THE ADVENT PERIOD IN HOME LIFE

SUNDAYS CHILD: CHRISTMAS AND THE FAMILY

NATIVITY EPISTLE

METROPOLITAN PHILIP'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE - 1973

It's a Different World

THE MIRACLE OF BETHLEHEM by METROPOLITAN PHILIP

ORIGIN OF THE FEAST OF CHRISTMAS

READINGS FOR CHRISTMAS

THE TRUE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

WILL THE REAL SANTA CLAUS PLEASE STAND? The Legend of Bishop Nicholas of Myra

CHRISTMAS MEDITATION by METROPOLITAN PHILIP

KEEPING THE FAITH IN THE HOLY DAYS

CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!

THE ORTHODOX PRIEST AN IKON OF CHRIST

THE PERFECT GIFT

Share Your Christmas With The Poor Message from Metropolitan PHILIP

FAMILY COMMUNICATION: A TOOL FOR HEALTHY FAMILY LIFE