Friday, January 14, 2005
Nina, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Enlightener of Georgia
9th Vigil of Theophany: Exodus 2:5-10 Epistle: 2 Peter 1:1-10 Gospel: St. Mark 13:1-8
St. Mark 13:1-8, especially vss. 5, 6: "And Jesus, answering them, began to say: 'Take heed that
no one deceives you. For many will come in My Name, saying, "I am He," and will deceive many.'" What a treasure we
have, Beloved of the Lord! We have been joined to the only One Who may be followed fearlessly, the True One, Life
Himself (Jn. 14:6). Therefore, let us "take heed" to His warning not to be deceived, as St. John of Kronstadt also reminds
us: "Having Christ in your heart, fear that you may lose Him, and with Him the peace of your heart. It is hard to begin
again; efforts to attach oneself afresh to Him after falling away will be very grievous, and in many cases will cause bitter
tears. Cling to Christ with all your might, hold fast to Him, and do not lose boldness in approaching Him."
Counterfeit christs abound, and they approach the Faithful in many forms, appearing as friends, wise teachers, renown
authorities, personages of fame with credentials and world-wide recognition. "Take heed that no one deceives you" (Mk.
13:5)! Remember also, deceivers come often with fervent belief in their messages, "deceiving and being deceived" (2 Tim.
3:13). So how do we "take heed" not to lose Christ from our hearts? Let us take strength frequently and regularly as the
Holy Spirit provides, through the Church: from Her Scriptures, Her Liturgy and Holy Mysteries, Her Sacred Icons, and Her
Holy Fathers and Mothers, the Saints, and Prayer. For two thousand years, the Spirit never has ceased to pour out His
blessings upon the Church in abundance, ever making a way for those who entreat the Savior and Lord with their whole
heart (Ps. 118:58 LXX). Carefully, over the centuries, the Holy Spirit crafted the Divine life into a vibrant grove of fruit-bearing trees, types of those trees which will line the street of the New Jerusalem, "each yielding its fruit every month....for
the healing of the nations" (Rev. 22:2). Thus, let us never be counted among the "many" whom the Lord told us would be
deceived.
Instead, the Holy Fathers encourage us to read the Scriptures. As St. John Chrysostom says, "Reading the Holy Scriptures
is like a treasure. With a treasure, you see, anyone able to find a tiny nugget gains for himself great wealth; likewise in the
case of Sacred Scripture, one can get from a small phrase a great wealth of thought and immense riches. The Word of God
is not only like a treasure, but is also like a spring gushing with ever-flowing waters in a mighty flood."
Similarly, the rich, healing texts of the Liturgy are satisfying fruits written by the Fathers over many centuries for
nourishment. As the Russian writer Nikolai Gogol reminds us: "The influence of the Divine Liturgy can be great and
incalculable if a person makes it a rule to apply in life what he has heard there. Teaching all equally, acting equally on all
conditions and all professions, from the emperor down to the poorest beggar, the Liturgy teaches love which is the bond of
all fellowship, the hidden spring of everything which keeps all life in rhythmic motion." The great scholar of iconography,
Leonid Ouspensky, makes clear how it is that the Icon, as liturgic art, "does not define itself as an art belonging to one or
another historical epoch, nor as the expression of the national peculiarities of one or another people." Rather, "in its
essence the icon...never served religion, but like the word, has always been and is an integral part of religion, one of the
instruments for the knowledge of God, one of the means of communion with Him." If you would hold fast to Christ,
reverence Him as the Spirit provides through His Holy Icons.
Finally, in the accounts of the lives of the Saints and in the writings of the Holy Fathers and Mothers, the Spirit presents
Christ to us as they teach us and show us how to pray.
O Eternal King, when Thou didst cleanse the substance of mankind and anointed it with the Spirit, Thou didst destroy the
powers of darkness and translate mankind to life immortal.
