Wednesday, April 6, 2005 Lenten Fast
Venerable Gregory Byzantios of the Great Lavra
6th Hour: Isaiah 26:21-27:9 1st Vespers: Genesis 9:18-10:1 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 12:23-13:9
Genesis 9:18-10:1, especially vss. 25, 26: "And [Noah] said,
Cursed be the servant Canaan, a slave shall he be to his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem, and
Canaan shall be his bond-servant." Holy Scripture records that Noah's blessings and curses did fall upon his descendants.
To many, Noah's pronouncements upon Ham and his son, Canaan, appear quite harsh and arbitrary. Yet, because the
Patriarch essentially "was a just man; being perfect in his generation...[and]...well-pleasing to God" (Gen. 6:10 LXX), he
knew what ought to be the life goals of his children.
Doubtless, Noah demonstrated the right path which Ham and Canaan should follow by the grace of God. The events
recorded in this passage revealed to Noah that the desire to walk this way was lacking in these two and that their souls,
drawn to the passions, stubbornly repulsed both parental wisdom and the call of God upon them. Noah's blessings and
curses were not some magical cant but a prophetic declaration of fact. Hence, today's lesson raises the issues of what
constitutes parental blessings and curses. Are parents able to pass the blessings of the Faith to their descendants? What
part do parents play in transmitting sin to their children?
First, note the infinite difference between blessings and curses that come from God's mouth and those that are spoken by
men: what God declares, happens: "...whatever shall proceed out of My mouth, it shall by no means turn back, until all the
things which I willed shall have been accomplished" (Is. 55:11 LXX). Human beings may call down blessings and curses
on others, but the application and fulfillment of these depend on powers beyond them. Pharaoh had material power, and he
cursed Moses. But, by God's grace, he was not able to apply his force to Israel (see Ex. 10). Joshua, however, cursed any
one who tried to rebuild Jericho (Jos. 6:26). Since he was a Prophet of God, his curse, in fact, befell Hiel of Bethel, a man
who undertook the reconstruction of the city (1 Kngs. 16:34). At most, our human blessings and curses are only prayerful
requests. Ultimately, they depend on the agency of God (see Ps. 68:27-30 LXX).
Still, let no one deny the reality of powerful spiritual bonds between parents and children! There is much support in
Scripture for believing that the blessings and curses of God-fearing parents on children are effective. To prove this, take
note of Noah's prayer: he blessed God as he prayed for Shem and Japheth, and these blessings did, in fact, follow their
descendants.
Unquestionably, blessings flow from God "through" the prayers and example of parents. The Orthodox marriage prayer
teaches this: "...for the prayers of parents make firm the foundations of houses." Notice especially the point made by St.
Theophan the Recluse: "A man is not born a Christian, but becomes such after birth. The seed of Christ falls on the soil of
a heart that is already beating." And, therefore, as St. Ambrose adds, "The formation of the children is...the prerogative of
the parents," blessings and curses alike. The parental task is most fearsome, and parents will have to answer "before the
dread Judgment Seat of Christ."
The curse upon Canaan reveals a tragic side to the experience of human parents. Too often we live to see our sins visited
upon our children. There is potency both in the blessings and in the curses which we knowingly or unwittingly pronounce
upon our children. The sin of Ham, the father of Canaan, mightily befell Canaan and his descendants. The present reading
implicates both Noah and his youngest son, Ham, as parents. Noah's drunkenness and Ham's immodesty were sins which
were passed on to the Canaanites (see Gen. 15:16-21). Therefore, as parents, let us pursue godly purity and pray for the
righteousness of our children.
Direct our children, O Lord, in the way of salvation, and grant them Thy grace always.
