childoforthodoxy
posted on Mar 09, 2010 - 01:06 AM
Hello Ranya,
May God bless you in your efforts to come closer to Him, and may He bless the reading and subsequent expansion in love and faith that you undertake in doing so.
If you would allow me, I wish to say a few words in response to your post. I ask first, though, that you pray for me in my weakness, and that we all may grow together in the love of Christ within the Church that He has established for us.
Certainly, we must be consciously aware of our own selves first and foremost. If I attend a liturgy, do I do so as an active participant, as a member of the body of Christ, or am I there as a spectator? The distinguishing point of whether or not, as you state, the Church is an ark, bringing its flock to Christ and to salvation, or if it's a "theater" is what you do with it when you are there. The Church is the Church; it is a blessing that has been given to us, guided by the Holy Spirit, bringing us all together in unity with a common goal in mind: to lead and strengthen us in our struggle to achieve our own salvation. If I simply go to Church and "attend" a liturgy as though it is a movie or a play, what do I gain? The liturgy is the work of the people, the work that I myself must contribute to, through my own faith, or indeed, the lack thereof.
I do not believe that St. John Chrysostom meant for us to become incredibly cynical of those who are around us. I'm not saying that this is how you are, but I wish that we all prevent ourselves from traveling down this treacherous road of judgment. When I read something of the Fathers, something of this sort which seeks to address my own characteristics, my own heart, my own mind, I must direct it towards myself, not towards others. The Church is a hospital, and we are all afflicted with infirmities. What patient in a hospital, who is dying in their own disease, laughs and scoffs at the patient in the bed next to them, who is afflicted by either the same or a completely different disease? Surely, this would be seen as highly improper to do within the normal confines of society. How much more, then, are we at fault for doing this amongst ourselves? In being a member of the body of Christ, I must recognize my own weaknesses and become more acutely aware of the disease that afflicts me, the disease which finds its cure in Christ, in the Church.
The Church is indeed led by the Holy Spirit. Just because it's members may be sick does not mean that the Holy Spirit is absent. If I go to a hospital and look in the rooms, what kind of people do you suppose I'd find? If they were all healthy, they wouldn't be in the hospital to begin with. I don't think it would be right of me to come in to such a hospital and, upon finding sick patients in the rooms, say that there are no doctors that are present. The Holy Spirit is no where near absent from our Church, as our Church is alive with His blessings and His guidance. There are those whom the Church has entrusted towards guiding its flock, whether it be anyone from a servant of the children to the patriarch himself. The Holy Spirit works through each one of these, and truly, each one of us, if we allow Him to. There are times when those whom we look to for guidance seem, in our own eyes, to steer away from what we see to be the correct path. Do not let this shake your faith, nor let it make you think that God is no longer found in the people of the Church. Again, as we are all human beings, we are all afflicted with infirmities.
It is easy for me to look at those around me and say that they are all sinners, committing horrendous sins against God, and that they will be judged justly in the end of times... it would be easy to say this, but no one said that Orthodoxy would be easy. I must struggle against this temptation of judgment. I must focus on myself. If I look towards others, it is not with an eye of judgment, but an eye of sympathy and empathy, an eye that comes with a heart filled with love, a love that seeks to raise us all together towards God.
St. John Chrysostom did not preach simply to criticize people in their ways, but he did so with love, a love that sought to bring them to the awareness of their infirmities. If I do not think myself to be sick, I will never go to the hospital. His guiding words were not meant to put everyone in an eternal state of shame and despondency, but to turn the light on in each of our minds and hearts, so that we may see how we ourselves, as individuals, are sick and seek healing through God and the Church which He guides on earth. Who am I, then, to look around and point a finger at others? It is my own self that I need to focus on. I must look towards those around me with love, otherwise, where is Christ in my sight? He must permeate all aspects of my life.
Let us all pray for one another, we who are sick, and seek nourishment and health by the love of the Father, the shepherding of the Son, and the continuing guidance and love of the Holy Spirit, through the Church which was given to us by Christ and perfected in the Holy Spirit.
childoforthodoxy
Joined: Nov 21, 2008 | Posts: 16777215
If you liked this passage, there is plenty more where that came from. I obtained this quote from a book entitled: Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary: Ancient Wisdom for Today's World by Tomas Spidlik.
