The Life in Christ

HSOC - Orthodoxy 101, Week 19 (2024)

A Prayer

In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere and fillest all things; Treasury of Blessings, and Giver of Life - come and abide in us, cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.

O Master, Lover of mankind, make the pure light of Thy divine knowledge shine in our hearts and open the eyes of our minds to understand the message of Thy Gospel. Implant in us the fear of Thy blessed commandments so that, having trampled down all carnal desires, we may change to a spiritual way of life, thinking and doing all things pleasing to Thee. Thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and to Thee, we give glory, together with Thine Father Who is without beginning, and Thine all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us and save us. Amen. †

Introduction

Christ is in our midst! He is and ever shall be!

Good morning, everyone! I continue to ask for your prayers so that God can fill us with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding from the Holy Spirit. May God, in His boundless mercy, save me from error, confusion, and forgetfulness; and grant you patience, love, and an open heart to receive His words.

Roughly eighteen weeks ago, we started our catechetical journey by defining various terms to familiarize ourselves with the Orthodox phronema, or mindset, so we might truly grasp what is meant when discussing Christian doctrines. Following that, we explored the history of the Orthodox Church, her liturgical setting, and her unbroken continuity throughout the ages. We then turned to foundational theological concepts, such as free will and the Orthodox understanding of Creation, so we could discern the presence of the Triune God in both the Old and New Testaments and recognize His plan of Salvation for us.   

Today marks another pivotal moment in our catechesis. For the coming weeks, we will explore themes related to the spiritual life. Moreover, as I often emphasize, when we speak of "spiritual life," we must understand that all we have discussed thus far is intimately connected here. For instance, the history of the Church cannot be separated from the Incarnation, for our Savior became man at a specific point in human history. Similarly, the Incarnation cannot be divorced from the Liturgy, as the mystery of consuming Christ's Most Holy Body and drinking His Most Precious Blood is predicated upon the reality that He became man and walked among us in history. Thus, though we may be focusing on themes of spiritual life, remember that our faith is holistic, and we only break into topics due to our limited fallen nature.

A Complaint Against the World

Years ago, when I first inquired about Orthodoxy, I heard something that struck me deeply. I cannot recall the exact words, but it went something like this: "It is not that we leave the world to come to church, but that we leave the church to go into the world." These words are prominent for some, but they brought a sudden clarity for me. Instantly, the words of Christ's prayer in John 17:15-16 became vivid: "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." In this prayer, our Savior expressed that his disciples were not of this world any more than he was and asked God to protect His disciples from the evil one. Inasmuch as Christ is from heaven, those who are joined to Him become like Him.

Christ's words remind us of a profound truth: as His followers, we are not of this world, just as He is not of the world. We are called to live in the world, yet not belong to it, for the world, in its fallen state, opposes the life and truth that Christ offers. This is why the world often hates those who belong to Him, for we stand as a witness to a higher kingdom, one that contrasts sharply with the fleeting pleasures and false promises of this earthly life.

Saint Ephraim the Syrian speaks directly to the deceptive nature of the world and its fleeting treasures. He writes:

No advantages do you offer those who love you, O world, you dwelling-place of sorrows. All who draw near to you do you seduce with your treasures and with all your delights, but in the day of death both the fair countenance of the beautiful and the might of the strong will be cast down into the grave. Woe to him who loves you and is loved by you, for his joy will be transformed into cries.[1]

Saint Ephraim's words provide a vivid reminder of how fleeting and empty the promises of the world truly are. While the world may offer temporary delights, its end is sorrow and torment. This echoes Christ's teachings, where He speaks of the world's hatred for those who follow Him.

In the Gospel of John, Christ tells his Apostles, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."[2] By now, it becomes apparent that neither Christ nor St. Ephraim speaks of "the world" as a mere place or geographical location. Instead, the term "world," in those instances, refer to the of human-oriented activities, or energies, which the prince of this world governs.[3] The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church at Ephesus, refers to "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.".[4] It is clear by now that the world is identified as a dominion or Kingdom,[5] which is under Satan's authority and influence.

St. Ephraim further describes the world as deceptive, writing:

This world deceives even the wise with its appearance, for at times, it appears desirable. It even offers benefits and treasures for loan, but on the day of death, it will take them back and give in return torment incomparably greater than our sins. For a short while, will it let us sin, but as a reward, it will give us eternal darkness.[6]

Here, we see the contrast between the world's rewards and its ultimate cost. It lures us with temporary pleasures, yet its debt is eternal and catastrophic. This is why Christ calls us to seek His peace, which is unlike the world's fleeting comfort.

The more we cling to worldly pleasures and self-indulgence, the more we are "rewarded" with its comforts. Nevertheless, being a trick of the devil, these comforts bind us more tightly to the world. St. Paisios warns that when we experience anxiety, it is a signal that we are not moving in God's realm. Anxiety is the fruit of this world's comforts, which drives us to seek more of them. God is not a stifling tyrant. We should all strive with philotimo and according to our strength. It is by cultivating philotimo that we grow in our love for God.[7]

Christ alone is our true comfort and peace. The Lord says, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid."[8] "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."[9] This peace that Christ offers is not simply an absence of suffering; it is a victory over the world's tribulations. His peace is eternal and rooted in His triumph over sin and death, unlike the world's deceptive comforts.

If our ultimate goal is Salvation – which resides in Christ, why should we remain in the world, one may ask? Christ answers this question while praying to the Father. His prayer is not that God would take his disciples out of this world but to keep them from the evil one. Thus, since the world hated Christ first while He proclaimed the Gospel, we must then also endure the world to proclaim His Gospel as we obey His commandment to "make disciples of all nations."[10] We must baptize billions!

Though the world hates us, it is also the field in which we labor for Christ's mission. Thus, brothers and sisters, Christ’s Great Commission [11] requires us to engage the world, to serve our brethren, to love our enemies, and to lead those who seek Life toward Christ. "The world may not offer salvation, but it provides the arena where we exercise our faith, love, and patience, much like a spiritual gymnasium, enabling us to grow closer to Christ and become bearers of His light."[12] We live in this world even though [we] no longer belong to it.[13]

Christos Acheiropoietos Icon

Becoming God’s Abode

The path of Salvation that leads to eternal life is narrow and difficult.[14] The first stage is the zealous process of conversion, where man seeks out Christ. It is the stage by which man turns from darkness to light, from the domain of satan to God. In this second stage, man battles his passions to purify his heart and make an abode for the Lord. In the third stage, the Lord comes, takes up His abode in man's heart, and communes with him.[15] This last stage is known as theosis.

The journey begins with turning to Christ, a pivotal and noticeable moment in our life. It is the moment one becomes aware of the Christian zeal and strength to find the Truth, which is Christ, to fulfill His Will. Seeking Christ, however, is challenging. God grants us the Christian zeal to endure the narrow path as we walk towards Him. That begs the question, however, that if Christ is the Truth, the Way, and the Life[16], should not life become easier once we turn to Him? The answer is no. It should not. Moreover, Christ Himself shows us that.

At the end of chapter three in The Gospel of Matthew, Christ is Baptized by the Forerunner. Then, right after that, in chapter four, Christ is led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, where he fasts for forty days and forty nights to engage in spiritual warfare and battle with satan. So, expecting that once we turn to Christ, things will be easier or happier is not only unbiblical but also shows how delighted we are with the pleasures of this world. Moreover, Saint Paul warns Timothy, and by extension us, that "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."[17] In regard to seeking an easier life or seeking happiness, Archbishop Averky writes:

How often people, pursuing happiness, perish both in this earthly life and, what is particularly terrible, in the future, eternal life! For happiness, as life experience demonstrates, is not outside man, where he mistakenly looks for it, but inside him: happiness is in the peaceful arrangement of the soul, in the serene inner peace that is the consequence of the deep inner satisfaction that comes as a result of conquering evil after uprooting the evil habits that tyrannize the soul. No one can ever be happy when sinful passions and evil and depraved habits, which will always bring about confusion and chaos, reign in the soul. The only way to pacify the soul is to suppress and uproot evil habits.[18]

Turning our hearts toward Christ is our initial submission to His divine Grace. The Grace of Christ, analogous to a flame upon a torch, is solely the work of God. He grants us the torch, provides the flame, and ignites it within us. Our contribution is merely to preserve the flame of His Grace and not to quench it once it has been enkindled.[19] To keep the torch burning, we must take our cross, struggle, and follow Christ. Archimandrite Sergius writes that Christianity without the struggle of the Cross is utopianism.[20]

To re-enter Paradise, one must follow Christ to the Cross, personally experiencing the suffering and death of the old man which, though momentary, leads us to an exceeding and eternal glory, according to the Apostle Paul in his Second Letter to the Church of Corinth.[21] Thus, the spiritual life is born in man through faith in God and His Revelation,[22] not for the sake of placating God, but for healing our hearts, and being purified of the passions and sins.[23]

Made for Union

Dear ones, forgive me, but I need to be bold and say that the Initiation into the Body of Christ is the MOST IMPORTANT THING you will do in your life – period. There is no other way to say that, and I cannot stress how important that process is in someone's life. Initiation into the Body of Christ is the process by which one becomes one with Christ, that is, the Mysteries of Baptism, Chrismation, and Communion. Furthermore, in order to become one with Christ, we must be perfect. That is right. We must be perfect! Christ commands us to be perfect, just as [our] Father in heaven is perfect.[24]

According to St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain, the goal of the spiritual life centers on the fact that we are called to draw near to God and become one with Him.[25] That is not to say, however, that union with God relies on man's individualist efforts. The spiritual life is rather the constant interplay between God's Grace and man's active participation in it.[26]

St. Nicholas Cabasilas writes that the unity of one to oneself – referring to marriage here – is still inferior to the unity one could have with Christ.[27] The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church of Ephesus speaking of marriage, says, [marriage] is a great mystery, and then adds, I speak of Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:32), showing that it is not marriage itself, but union with Christ which he sets up for admiration. This union with Christ, which Apostle Paul sets for admiration, is neither grasped by the intellect nor justified by some philosophical system. Nevertheless, it is the profound intimacy one can have with Christ when He dwells in one's heart. Christ did not leave us with another religion or a fresh philosophical system. Instead, He bestowed upon us something profoundly intimate and transformative: His Body and sent His Spirit.[28]

To be united with Christ, however, we must set aside all earthly cares, as it is sung in the Cherubic Hymn during Liturgy. Thus, we must leave behind opinions, thoughts, and things that will not help us attain communion with God.[29] Once we leave everything behind, we are left with Christ. Only then can our eyes see that we depend upon God's Grace sustaining us, not Creation itself. Christ tells us not to worry about such things:

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.[30]

Thus, there is nothing of which the saints of the Church are in need other than Christ Himself. Through Himself, He – Christ, that is – forms an eye for us to see, gives us light, and enables us to see Him. He is the One who feeds us and the One Who Himself is the food; it is He who provides the Bread of Life and Who is Himself what He provides.[31]

The Church, where Christ continues to live and breathe, is where the intangible truths surpassing mere writings become a reality. It is more than an institution; it is the living embodiment of Christ's presence in history.[32] Within the Church, we move beyond knowledge about God acquired by our intellect. St. Gregory Palamas teaches us in The Triads that discursive knowledge, acquired through reason, offers only insufficient concepts of God. Instead, we intimately encounter and experience His Energies in His Church. This direct and personal knowledge is a fruit, not of reason or the process of learning external information, but rather knowledge acquired from within the person being profoundly transformed through the Mysteries of the Church, which you are about to partake. Therefore, direct and personal knowledge of God is achieved through a mystical communion with Him. We gain true knowledge of Him once we are visited by His deifying Grace and united through it with Him. The more we accept the divinizing transformation worked within us by the Holy Spirit, the more perfect and fuller our knowledge of God.[33]

My dear ones, I hope you can see how this union is an excellent proof of the kindness and benevolence of our loving God. What a great proof that is! Not in an abstract intellectual way but in a personal, intimate way. St. Nicholas Cabasilas, eloquently speaking of the Mysteria, He who washes with water sets the soul free from uncleanness; He who anoints with Chrism grants one to reign with Him in the heavenly Kingdom; He who is the Host of the banquet provides His own Body and Blood which raises us to such a height of glory as to become by Grace what God is by nature.[34] The union with Christ is the most profound transformation of one's very being.

Through the Holy Mysteries, we are drawn closer to Christ and transformed, becoming participants in the Divine Life. In this way, we are joined to Him who, for our sake, became incarnate and deified our nature, who died and rose again. Moreover, through the Grace of Christ received in the Divine Liturgy, we are united with Christ and thus healed from corruption, sin, and death.

The words of St. Porphyrios illuminate this union with Christ beautifully, offering us insight into the profound intimacy we are called to share with Him:

Whoever experiences Christ becomes one with Him, with His Church. He experiences a mad delight. This life is different from the life of other people—it is joy, it is light, it is exultation, it is exaltation. This is the life of the Church, the life of the Gospel, the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is within us. Christ comes within us, and we are within Him. This occurs just in the way a piece of iron placed in the fire becomes fire and light. Once it is removed from the fire, it becomes iron again, black and dark.[35]

The Life in Christ is the means by which we are granted true union with Christ, drawing us into the mystery of theosis. We are sanctified and transformed through participation in His divine life, abiding in Him as branches in the True Vine. This union is a profound ontological reality, drawing us into the depths of communion with the Triune God and restoring in us the image and likeness according to His will.

A Final Thought

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, the Life in Christ starts now! When we discern traces of Christ in our insatiable thirst for Life, Divine Life that is, the struggle of the spiritual life becomes the very vision of his face. Struggling with Christ is fundamental to our being.[36] Through the Mysteries, we are drawn closer to Christ and transformed, participating in the Divine Life. Our union with Christ is not a fleeting spiritual experience but a profound transformation into Christ through his Mysteries. May we always strive to remain watchful, particularly during the Divine Liturgy, so that we can find ourselves in our element. Archmandrite Vasileios writes:

When man is partaking in the Divine Liturgy, he is in his element, where he can strive. In his homeland, everything is well-known and familiar to him. The language spoken there is his mother tongue.[37]

Thus, may we long to sing praises and give thanks to God, who is Love, All-Wise, All-Powerful, and All-Merciful. May we live a life of repentance and humility so that the superabundance of Grace emerges to nourish us. May we discern the Will of God in our insatiable thirst for Life and Love by faithfully living a Christian Life every day. May we trust in God so we can love one another and offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him. May God grant us the wisdom to understand, with our hearts, that the ultimate purpose of life is to live in Christ. May God have mercy on us so we can be counted as the righteous who will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of God (Mt. 13:43).

Before we conclude, I would like to leave you with a powerful quote from St. Isaac the Syrian. The following excerpt highlights our journey toward divine union through love, where our ultimate destination is the presence of the Most Holy Trinity:

When we attain to love, we attain to God. Our road is ended, and we have passed unto to the isle that lies beyond the world, where is the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.[38]

May St. Isaac's words inspire us to persistently seek God's transformative love in our own lives.

-GP

Works Cited

(Bowyer), Archmandrite Sergius. Acquiring the Mind of Christ. Waymart, PA: St. Tikhon's Monastery Press, 2015.

(Taushev), Archbishop Averky. The Struggle for Virtue: Asceticism in a Modern Secular Society. Jordanville, NY: Holy Trinity Publications, 2014.

Athonite, Saint Paisios The. Spiritual Counsels I: With Pain and Love for Contemporary Man. Thessaloniki: Holy Hesychasterion, 2022.

Cabasilas, Nicholas. The Life in Christ. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladmir's Seminary Press, 1974.

Dokos, Rev. Fr. George. Made for Union: The Sacramental Spirituality of St. Nikodemos of The Holy Mountain. Columbia, Missouri: Newrome Press, 2020.

Mantzaridis, Gregorios. The Deification of Man. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1997.

Petty, Guilherme. "Ineffable Reflections." Substack.com. August 05, 2023. https://ineffablereflections.substack.com/p/reflection-ii-may-we-love-one- another.

Porphyrios, St. Wounded by Love: The Life and Wisdom of Saint Porphyrios. Denise Harvey Publisher, 2012.

Recluse, St. Theophan the. The Path to Salvation: A Concise Outline of Christian Ascesis. Safford, AZ: The Holy Monastery of St. Paisios, 2006.

Stavronikita, Archimandrite Vasileios of. Hymn of Entry. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladmir's Seminary Press, 1984.

Syrian, St. Ephraim the. A Spiritual Psalter or Reflections on God. Liberty, TN: St. John of Kronstadt Press, 1997.

Syrian, St. Isaac The. The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac The Syrian. Brookline, MA: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 2020.

[1] (A Spiritual Psalter or Reflections on God, 128)

[2] John 15:18-19

[3] John 12:31, John 14:30, John 16:11

[4] Ephesians 2:2

[5] Colossians 1:13

[6] (A Spiritual Psalter or Reflections on God, 129)

[7] (Spiritual Counsels I: With Pain and Love for Contemporary Man, 177)

[8] John 14:27

[9] John 16:33

[10] Matthew 28:19

[11] Ibid.

[12] (Petty 2023)

[13] 1 Peter 2:11

[14] Matthew 7:14

[15] (The Path to Salvation: A Concise Outline of Christian Ascesis, 19-20)

[16] John 14:6

[17] 2 Timothy 3:12

[18] (The Struggle for Virtue: Asceticism in a Modern Secular Society, xxii)

[19] (Cabasilas, 49)

[20] (Acquiring the Mind of Christ, 73)

[21] II Corinthians 4:17

[22] (The Struggle for Virtue: Asceticism in a Modern Secular Society, xi)

[23] (Acquiring the Mind of Christ, 73)

[24] Matthew 5:48

[25] Unseen Warfare, p.13

[26] (Made for Union: The Sacramental Spirituality of St. Nikodemos of The Holy Mountain, 2)

[27] (The Life in Christ, 46-47)

[28] (Hymn of Entry, 17)

[29] (Acquiring the Mind of Christ, xiv)

[30] Matthew 6:25, 6:31-33

[31] (The Life in Christ, 47)

[32] (Hymn of Entry, 20)

[33] (The Deification of Man, 114)

[34] (The Life in Christ, 51-52)

[35] (Wounded by Love: The Life and Wisdom of Saint Porphyrios, 91)

[36] (Hymn of Entry, 77)

[37] (Hymn of Entry, 61)

[38] (The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac The Syrian, Homily 46, 359)