Monday, January 5, 2004
Strict Fast Day
Eve of Theophany
Kellia: Isaiah 12:3-6 Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:19-27 Gospel: St. Luke 3:1-18
Isaiah 12:3-6 LXX, especially vss. 4, 5, "Sing to the Lord, call aloud
upon His Name, proclaim His glorious deeds among the Gentiles; make mention that His Name
is exalted. Sing praise to the Name of the Lord." St. Peter of Damascus observes that "in both
the Old and the New Testament, the names given are appropriate. Thus Adam was named from
the four cardinal points; for the four letters of his name are the initial letters of the Greek words
for East, West, North and South." Of course, in Hebrew, Adam simply means "man."
Often a name was changed when God gave one's life a new direction, as in the case of Jacob
being renamed Israel. Born clutching the heel of his twin brother Esau, his parents named him
Jacob, "he who clutches" (Gen. 25:26 LXX). However, after he wrestled with a 'man' at a ford
of the river Jabbok, and prevailed, Jacob asked a blessing from his Opponent. The answer was:
"Thy name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name; for thou hast prevailed
with God, and shalt be mighty with men" (Gen. 32:28 LXX).
Of course, the most significant Name in Scripture, "the Name above every name" (Phil. 2:9), is
the Name of God the Lord. Moses, desiring support for his leadership from the people of Israel,
asked God to tell him His Name, to which God answered, "I AM, the One Who Is." (Ex. 3:14).
The form of this name in Hebrew follows the present tense, first and/or third person, singular of
the verb "to be," forms not normally used in Hebrew, being understood: "The tree tall," for
example, instead of "The tree is tall." In the Septuagint version of Ex. 3:14, the Name of God is
"O ON," the One Who Is, which appears in icons of the Lord Jesus in the letters on the Cross
within the halo behind His head. It is also heard in the blessing at the end of Vespers, "Christ our
God, the Existing One, is blessed, always; now and ever and unto ages of ages."
St. Maximos reminds us that "the Father's Name is not something...He has acquired.... He does
not have a beginning, so that at a certain moment He begins to be Father or King, but He is
eternal and so is eternally Father and King." However, "the Name of God the Father exists in
substantial form in the eternal, only-begotten Son," Who teaches us to call God, 'Our Father.'
Therefore, when the Prophet directs us to "call aloud upon His Name" (Is. 12:4 LXX), he shows
us our dependency on God, our incapacity and inability to save ourselves. We are to call on Him
Who saves, on Jesus our Lord, Whose Name means, "Savior" (Mt. 1:21). We do this pre-eminently in the Jesus Prayer as St. Theophan the Recluse says, "because it unites the soul with
our Lord Jesus, and the Lord Jesus is the only door to union with God." And, after all, union
with Him is the aim of the prayer and of its continual usage among Orthodox Christians.
Isaiah also tells us to "make mention that His Name is exalted" (Is. 12:4 LXX), and never to take
the name of God in vain (Ex. 20:7). It should remain as prayer, worship, or confession of faith
upon our lips: "thank God, God knows, leave it to God, God forbid, glory to God" and such.
How blessed to "Sing praise to the Name of the Lord" (Is. 12:5 LXX), to worship and adore His
Holy Name. It is no wonder that Orthodoxy has such a great musical tradition of 'a capella'
singing, of lifting the voice in praise to our Creator and Savior. It is not important that any one of
us be a great musician, but that singing remains honored among us - even for the tone deaf. St.
Romanos the Melodist was illiterate, with no musical training, and was despised by certain
educated clergy, but through the intercessions of the Theotokos he composed more than a
thousand of our Kontakia as a Deacon of the Great Church in Constantinople.
Sing unto the Lord, bless His Name; proclaim from day to day the good tidings of His salvation.
Declare among the nations His glory." (Ps. 95:2, 3 LXX)
