Indifference to God

"Deep faith in God and love for your brother are inseparable, and if a man does good deeds, loves people, perhaps even gives his life for others but does not love God, does not believe in God, then, in spite of his goodness he is spiritually dead because he does not want to know God. I happen to have met such people. They may be good, warm-hearted, ready to give away their last piece of bread, but they are indifferent to God, not accepting of Him - they may even be God's enemies. And, you know, in spite of all their 'goodness' I could see something missing in their behavior, their character, their outlook on life: they had made a religion out of their own goodness, and for them that had replaced God."

Fr. Arseny (Andreyevitch) -
Father Arseny: A Cloud of Witnesses - Pg.15

The Challenge of Discipleship

It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master.  (Matt. 10:25)

 

     All talk of individual liberty not withstanding, each of us is servant to a master; our freedom lies in choosing the master we wish to serve: God or mammon. Under the constant pressure to conform to the ways of the world, many unwittingly choose to serve the latter, whether it be in the form of material prosperity, intellectual pursuit, culture, the opinion of the Jones's, pleasure, a particular ideology, the health and shape of one's body... As Orthodox Christians we claim to serve Christ as our Master, to be His disciples, the chosen people of the New Israel. If this claim is to be more than idle boasting, we must learn what it means to follow Jesus Christ Who said that "not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord. shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matt. 7:21).

    We have become adversely affected by the general lack of seriousness in today's society. This causes us to take for granted our salvation, our membership in the Body of Christ. In such a state of spiritual laxity, how can we presume to speak of being Christ’s disciples? Have we ever seriously considered the meaning of discipleship?

    The relation of a disciple to his master is one of obedience. The supreme example here is Christ Himself Who said: "I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me" (John 5:30). Increasingly today, we are taught to demand our rights. If someone tells us what to do, first we want to know by what right he tells us. Even then, our pride urges us to do things "our way". The result is anarchy, separation from God and danger to our souls. The virtue of obedience repels this worldly attitude and safeguards the soul. St. John Climacus says that obedience is the tomb of self-will and a cure for pride. Without obedience and the cutting off of self-will there can be no discipleship.

    We must, therefore, strive to learn obedience to God and His holy Church. If this duty imposed by God sounds difficult or confining--the duty to obey His holy laws and abide in His Ark of Salvation, the Church--we should realize that we gain great benefit by doing so. First, we are relieved of responsibility for deciding how to live. how to act; this has been established by God and is taught by the Church. Secondly, through obedience to the counsels of a spiritual father we gain soul-profiting insight from someone who can see us as we are. Thirdly, obedience brings internal peace--so noticeably absent in the dissensions of a life ruled by self-will. Finally, it is the precursor of that guardian of all virtue, humility.

    Humility is a necessary condition for discipleship. The Lord instructs these who wish to follow Him: "Learn of Me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matt. 11:29). This is a challenge indeed, for ours has become a very prideful society. Quarrels, bitterness, animosity, jealousy, a high incidence of divorce—do these not find their roots in pride? Its converse is humility which, as Abba Dorotheus says, is like a mortar cementing together all other virtues. In the sayings of the Holy Fathers we read: "As it is impossible to construct a ship without nails, so there is no hope of being saved without humility."

     Our Master Jesus Christ came not to be served but to serve, and just as the disciple is not greater than his Master, we must also place ourselves in the position of being servants--to our Lord Jesus Christ, to His holy Church, to our families, and to our neighbor. Being a true servant requires that we deny our "self" which the prideful attitude of the world works so hard to inflate. This call to give up the self is much more serious than we care to admit. Did not our Lord say: "Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple"?

    Together with serving, humility expresses itself in the readiness to forgive. Our Lord demands this of His disciples to such an extent that He repeats this commandment more than any other. Yet it is also the hardest to keep. Weighed down by the remembrance of wrongs, we have no strength to put away our quarrels in the family, the parish, or among our acquaintances. How then can we expect to fulfill the Apostle's command to bear one another's burdens'? But is this not the responsibility of a servant, a disciple? Not only to bear his burdens, but also to wash his feet. 

By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, that ye love tree another. (John 13:35) 

     The Fathers consistently speak of the need to acquire divine virtues if one is to be a true disciple of Christ. We have touched briefly upon the need for obedience and for humility. What shall we now say about that chief virtue, love? Our God is the God of love, and His disciples must acquire His love, a love very different from the sensual, often selfish love broadcast by the world. We may be outwardly obedient, we may be full of the knowledge of the Scriptures, but without love we are, as St. Paul tells us, no more than tinkling brass and our labors are in vain. Here we must admit our utter impoverishment and beg God to soften our hearts that we may acquire this most perfect mark of a true disciple.

      Finally, in the example of Christ's disciples we see untiring labor and zeal in spreading the Gospel. We are especially reminded of this as we approach the Feast of the Apostles. We should take every opportunity to spread the Word of Truth, to bring to thirsting souls the living waters of salvation which Christ offered the Samaritan woman at the well. This does not necessarily mean we stand on street corners hawking our wares. St. Seraphim of Sarov tells us to acquire tke Spirit of peace and thousands around us will be saved. And let us not be discouraged if our efforts seem unfruitful. Our task is to sow the good seed; the Lord is the reaper of the harvest.

     May we be inspired to meet the challenge of discipleship. This demands concentrated and ceaseless labors, an estrangement from the world and a denial of our very "self". But what has the world to offer which can compare in any way to the love and grace of God, to peace of heart and eternal joy? May we run the race in such a way as to be accepted into that cloud of witnesses, Christ's true disciples, and to be clothed together with them in robes made white in the blood of the Lamb.

Fr. Joseph Sunderland
Orthodox America: http://www.roca.org/OA/49/49a.htm

St. Benedict - Oblations to God

Show romanization

Today, July 11, On the Church calendar, we celebrate the memory of St. Benedict of Nursia (480-547), father of Western monasticism. As abbot, St. Benedict wrote a monastic rule known today as the Rule of St. Benedict. Apart from wonder working miracles, the Rule of St. Benedict, has become his greatest legacy due to it becoming the basis was for Western monasticism. During his time it was common for Children to be offered to God at Benedict's monastery as it was a turbulent and very difficult time for the Western Roman Empire, thus, chapter 59 of the Rule of St. Benedict outlines how the Sons of Nobles and of the Poor Who Are Offered:

If anyone of the nobility offers his son to God in the monastery and the boy is very young, let his parents draw up the document which we mentioned above; and at the oblation  let them wrap the document itself and the boy's hand in the altar cloth. That is how they offer him. As regards their property, they shall promise in the same petition under oath that they will never of themselves, or through an intermediary, or in any way whatever, give him anything  or provide him with the opportunity of owning anything. Or else, if they are unwilling to do this, and if they want to offer something as an alms to the monastery for their advantage, let them make a donation of the property they wish to give to the monastery, reserving the income to themselves if they wish. And in this way let everything be barred,
so that the boy may have no expectations whereby (which God forbid) he might be deceived and ruined, as we have learned by experience. Let those who are less well-to-do make a similar offering. But those who have nothing at all  shall simply draw up the document  and offer their son before witnesses at the oblation.

From this practice of Children being an oblation or offering to God grew into the modern pratice within the Benedictine monasteries of having lay persons know as Oblates (offering) that live a life of prayer and service in the tradition of monasticism without leaving the World. This is practiced even within the Western Rite Orthodox parish that have inherited the spirituality of St. Benedict. Oblates are required to follow a rule of life that commits them to following a deep ascetic life within their state in life. All Orthodox can adapt this rule of life to their own situation in order to be come better ascetics, regardless in they follow the Western or Eastern form of Orthodox Sprituality. Here is an outline of this rule of life by Father James Deschene OSB, Hieromonk of Christminster, a Western Rite Monestery of the Russian Orthodox Charch outside of Russia:

CONSTITUTION

1. Oblates of St. Benedict are Christian men and women who join in spiritual union with the ancient Benedictine tradition of daily prayer and study.
2. Oblates do not live in the monastic house of the community, yet they remain one with Benedictine tradition while they continue faithfully to carry out the duties of their particular state in life and occupation, wherever they may be.
3. Within the framework of their daily lives in the world, Oblates strive to lead full Christian lives enlightened by personal efforts to understand Christ's teaching in the Scriptures as interpreted by St. Benedict in his Rule for monks. Oblates are guided and inspired by their continued spiritual association with the Benedictine tradition.
4. Oblates are a spiritual arm of the Benedictine tradition, reaching out into all areas of life, seeking to share with others what they themselves gain as Oblates of St. Benedict. Their affiliation with a community of monks or nuns is not therefore for their own personal good alone. It is chiefly by their Christian example, even by their very presence among others, that they hope to bring St. Benedict's ideal of service to God and man into the world where they live and work.
5. Since Oblates of St. Benedict primarily offer themselves for the service of God and man, they will therefore strive for God's honor and glory before all else, keeping in mind the Benedictine motto: "That in all things God may be glorified."

GUIDELINES FOR OBLATES

OBLATES STRIVE TO BE LOYAL AND ACTIVE MEMBERS OF CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH.
Oblates involve themselves in the full life of the Church, "sharing in the priestly, prophetic, and royal office of Christ...being witnesses to Christ and promoting the salvation of mankind." They foster the ecumenical spirit and meet with those not of the Orthodox Faith, strive to understand the religious beliefs and customs of others, look for teachings on which others agree with them, enter into friendly discussion of teachings on which there is disagreement, put aside all prejudice, and foster the spirit of universal brotherhood in God our Father. They seek to be true lay apostles according to their abilities and the circumstances of their lives, with a spirit of mission, a spirit of vocation from God through the Holy Spirit working in them, eager to help in proclaiming and spreading the Word of God to the ends of the earth. Oblates recognize that their success as lay apostles depends on their living in close union with the Spirit of Christ in the Church, and that this intimate union with the Lord is especially nourished in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Service to others will then be the immediate effect of true union with Christ.

OBLATES STRIVE FOR THEIR OWN CONTINUED CHRISTIAN RENEWAL AND IMPROVEMENT.
As their states in life permit, Oblates make use of various means for improving themselves spiritually, intellectually, culturally, and socially, by making a Retreat, a Day of Recollection or Renewal, attending a Workshop, Seminar, Lecture, or Prayer Meeting, as occasion offers from time to time. They make the study and reading of Holy Scripture an important part of their lives, concentrating especially on the Gospel teachings of Christ. They listen attentively to the public proclamation of the Word of God, and to the homily of the priest as he shows how the Word of God is applied to daily life.

OBLATES STRIVE TO BE MEN AND WOMEN OF PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY.
They combine prayer and work by living and working in the presence of God, aware of God's presence everywhere, knowing that God is nearer to them than they think.
 

They are patient and content with their lot in life in so far as they cannot change it for something better, calmly and courageously accepting the sufferings and hardships which sooner or later come to everyone. They practice patience, especially by accepting the daily crosses and burdens of life willingly and bravely, with full trust in God, no matter how heavy these burdens may be, knowing that God can turn sufferings into blessings.

They are generous and warmhearted to the poor, the needy, the unfortunate, the sick, the sad, the afflicted, and the lonely.
 

They are concerned about the needs of others, regardless of race, nationality, creed, sex, age, occupation, profession, or social status. They give generously of themselves in working for the religious education and Christian formation of youth. They faithfully fulfill the duties of their states in life, especially with regard to the care of their families and dependents.

They practice the spirit of poverty, by not being unduly attached to material things, by thanking God for what they have, and by using God's gifts in a sensible way for the glory of God and the good of mankind. They seek the Christian reformation or constant renewal of their lives by fostering the spirit of obedience, stability and fidelity in accord with the three Benedictine vows or principles of Christian living which St. Benedict asks his followers to practice.

They often read some part of the Rule of St. Benedict and meditate on how it can be applied to their lives. They seek guidance and instruction when they are in doubt or troubled.

OBLATES STRIVE TO BE MEN AND WOMEN OF PRAYER.
They highly esteem the Divine Liturgy and take an active and intelligent part in the celebration of the sacred mysteries of the altar. They strive each day to pray some part of the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours, as the circumstances of their lives permit. They strive to appreciate the beauty and spiritual wealth contained in the Psalms which form the core of the Church's prayer. They harmonize their private and public prayers and devotions with the liturgical seasons and feasts of the year.

OBLATES STRIVE TO BE MEN AND WOMEN OF CHRISTIAN VIRTUE.
Oblates proclaim and practice the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and charity, by believing, hoping, and trusting in God, and loving God and man in thought, word, and deed.

Oblates foster a positive Christian attitude toward the many other virtues flowing from the practice of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. They observe Christian prudence, which is true divine wisdom, by directing their lives to the final attainment of God, who is known to them by faith and loved by them through charity. They therefore use the means provided them in prayer and the sacraments. Prudence guides them "in seeking first the kingdom of God and His way of holiness" and teaches them" to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

They exercise the Christian virtue of justice by recognizing their personal and social moral responsibilities toward individual persons, toward their community, city, state, and nation, and toward human society in general, by striving for the common welfare of all.

They foster a deep respect for the God-given rights of others, especially for human life, for the property of others, for freedom of religion, for the privacy of the home, for the right of all to know the truth and to speak the truth, for freedom in the education of one's children, for the right as well as the duty to work and provide for oneself and one's dependents.

They pay their laborers a just wage and give their own employers an honest return in labor for the wages they receive.

They protect the rights of the poor and the helpless, the oppressed and the persecuted, and all who are victims of injustice of any kind.

They practice Christian fortitude or courage by seeking to do God's will at all times without fear of the difficulties and sacrifices involved, bearing the burdens and trials of life with calm trust in God's mercy and goodness. They practice Christian temperance or moderation by making use of the good things of life in the way God intended them to be used for the good of mankind.

OBLATES FOSTER A SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY.
They love the Benedictine community to which they are affiliated as Oblates. They keep in touch with their community through their Director of Oblates. They let others know about their spiritual community, support its apostolic works, and encourage young men and women in their vocations to the monastic life.

They visit a monastery or convent occasionally, become familiar with the monastic life, and assist at the community Liturgy and community prayer whenever this is possible. They tell others about the Oblates of St. Benedict and encourage them to become Oblates if they seem to be in search of such a special way of life in the world.

They foster the spirit of community in their own family circle, and within the groups and organizations to which they belong.

OBLATES ARE MEN AND WOMEN OF PEACE.
They use all rightful means for establishing peace in the world around them, mindful of the centuries old Benedictine watchword: PEACE! They strive to practice the truth of God in love and join all true peacemakers in pleading for peace and working to bring it about.

One Hour Of Suffering

(from the book: “Eternal Mysteries Beyond The Grave”)

There was a paralytic who, becoming impatient of his suffering, cried out to the Lord and asked that his miserable life might end.

An angel appeared to him and said: “Very well. Since the Lord is unspeakably good, He will respond to your prayer. He will put an end to your life on earth, but on one condition. Will you consent to spend three hours in hell instead of suffering one more year on earth? Hell cleanses every man, as gold is purified in the fire, and your sins need cleansing. You were destined to suffer from your illness one more year, so that the paralysis of your body might cleanse you of your sins. Like all believers, you have no road to heaven except the way of the cross, opened by the sinless God-Man. This road seems to have tired you on earth; well then, experience what hell is, where all sinners go. Yet you must experience it for three hours only, and then you will be saved through the prayers of Holy Church.”

The sufferer thought about these words. A year of suffering on earth seemed and unbearably long time. “I would rather endure the three hours,” he finally said to the angel. The angel quietly took up his suffering soul, enclosed it in the abyss of hell, and then departed, saying, ”In three hours I shall appear again and take you away from here.”

The darkness that reigned all around, the closeness, the indescribable sounds of the cries emitted by sinners, the sight of the evil spirits in all their hellish ugliness - all this formed for the miserable sufferer one overwhelming feeling of fear and sickness.

Everything that he saw or heard was full of suffering, and there was no hint of any happy sound throughout the limitless abyss of hell. He saw nothing except the fiery eyes of demons glistening in the darkness, and their gigantic shadows, which seemed about to oppress, devour, and burn him with their hellish breath. The poor suffer trembled and cried out, but there was no response to his cries except an echo which died down somewhere in the far distance of the abyss, and the bubbling of the hellish fire. It seemed to him that whole centuries of suffering had already passed, and from one moment to the next he was waiting for the light-bearing angel.

Finally the sufferer despaired of the angel’s coming. Gnashing his teeth, he groaned, he roared with all his strength, but no one listened to him. All the sinners who were languishing in the dark abyss were occupied with themselves, and only thought of their own suffering.

After some time, however, the calm light of angelic glory spread over the abyss. The angel approached our sufferer and with a celestial smile asked him, “How are you, brother?” “I never thought an angel’s tongue was capable of a lie,” the sufferer whispered with a barely audible voice which was breaking with suffering.

“What do you mean?” the angel asked.

“How can you ask?”, the sufferer said. “You promised to take me away from here after three hours, but now whole years, perhaps whole centuries have passed, filled for me with unspeakable suffering!”

“What years, what centuries?”, the angel asked, mildly smiling. “Only an hour has passed since I left you here, and two more remain.”

“Two more?”, the sufferer asked alarmed. “Two more hours? I cannot endure them, I have no strength left! If only it may be possible, if only this is the Lord’s will, I beg you to take me away from here! I should rather suffer for years and centuries on earth, even to the last day, to the time of Christ’s coming at the last judgement; but do take me away, I cannot stay here! Take pity on me!” Thus the sufferer groaned and cried out stretching hims arms to the angel of light. “Good”, said the angel. “God, the Father of mercy and of comfort, will reveal His mercy to you.” At these words the sufferer opened his eyes and saw himself once again lying on his bed. All his senses were extremely weary, and the suffering of his body had affected his spirit as well.

Yet from that time he sweetly endured his suffering on earth, for he bore in memory the horror of suffering in hell, and thanked the Lord, who is merciful to all. (Taken from the letters of our Father of the Holy Mountain; page 183, letter 15, 1883)

Thank you to my Friend and Brother in Christ Andrew for typing this excerpt out.

With Fear of God and Faith Draw Near

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep.

I Cor 11, 30

I am a companion of all them that fear Thee and keep Thy commandments.

Holy Saturday Matins, Stasis 1, 64

Introduction

In recent times, especially since the 1960s, new forms of pseudo-Christianity or Churchless ‘Christianity’, have grown up. These often appear to be forms of Christianity without the Cross, often ‘charismatic’ in origin. They reflect the consumer society in which they developed, with the specific psychology and sociology of consumerism. What are they like?

The Physical Replaces the Spiritual

Pseudo-Christianity is generally a religion of manipulators and manipulated, with the self-delusion of the guru and personality cult, together with the self-isolation of the sect and the cult. It is a religion of self, self-love and self-flattery, a self-seeking therapy of ‘self-fulfilment’. It is generally a religion of comfort and convenience, which imitates the temples of the consumerist cult, supermarkets with their aisles, in other words, it is a ‘pick and mix’ religion, a ‘best of’ religion, a ‘Diet Christianity’ or ‘Christianity Lite’.

Essentially, it reflects the egoism of modern consumerism, in which men and women are victims (‘shop until you drop’) of the consumerist ‘retail therapy’ of spending on material goods (cars, the home, entertainment, electronics), alcohol, food and the cult of the body (cooking, sport, fitness, sex). Its therapeutic aspect is also reflected in the syncretistic views of this religious consumerism, as it takes elements from Hinduism (yoga and ‘Transcendental Meditation’), from Buddhism (in a Western form made into a popular philosophy for the self-centred and irresponsible with its reincarnation) and of Sufism (the ‘best of’ Islam).

Such elements are fed into the giant self-centred bubble of contemporary popular culture, with its Facebook and Myspace, MP3s, iphone, ipad and ipod (always ‘I’). Pseudo-Christianity is generally based on self-centred psychology and sociology, not on genuine religion. Essentially, pseudo-Christianity is anti-ascetic, without selflessness. There is no Cross, rather an infantile, dumbed-down pap fed by clericalist professionals to the masses. They assume that the masses only require bread and circuses and so provide them with the happy-clappy, ‘interactive’ entertainment drama shows of tele-evangelism.

The Rational Replaces the Spiritual

There is in this pseudo-Christianity little concept of prayer, repentance and the need for self-cleansing. This is because this ‘fell-good’ philosophy cannot have a concept of the Fall of Adam and the universal human inclination towards sin. The lack of the concept of prayer means that the human-being is sewn into the straitjacket of rationalism, the proud prison-house of fallen human logic. All is ‘understood’ by defective reason. There is little concept of acquiring the grace of the Holy Spirit through self-cleansing – the only aim is to ‘understand’. The Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, sin, repentance, spiritual purity – these are words which have little meaning to the victims of rationalism.

Rationalism has little concept of the fear of the Lord, which is ‘the beginning of wisdom’ (Psalm 110, 10), because in it reason has replaced wisdom. Rationalism reads, but does not do. And yet the fear of God is otherwise universal. It can be found in all religions, including the most ‘primitive’, from Islam to Hinduism, from old-fashioned Roman Catholicism to old-fashioned Protestantism. Soldiers and sailors know the fear of God because they have faced death. Mothers know it because they have been through childbirth. Only irrational rationalism does not know the fear of God.

The ‘feel-good’ pseudo-Christianity of modernist rationalism rejects the fear of God because its victims rely on themselves, on their own reasoning power. ‘I am saved’, they say anti-ascetically. Therefore, they have nothing to repent for. Rationalism cannot understand faith, not because faith is irrational, but because it is supra-rational, beyond the limitations of reason. Rationalists do not believe in the presence of the miraculous (hence their denial since the 1960s of the Resurrection, the Virgin-Birth and all other miracles). They believe that there is no greater power than their own tiny reasoning power.


Conclusion

The fear of God is the fear of losing the love of God, of losing God’s presence. It is the fear of depriving ourselves of the protection of God’s grace, which retreats from us as we retreat from it through sin. The loss of God’s love comes only from ourselves. Faith is the knowledge of God’s love, the consciousness that all is possible with God. Awareness of our weakness creates dependency on God, faith. If there is no fear of God and no faith, then we are beset with problems, the solutions to which we can only vainly seek with our human means. Nothing can work out for us without faith and the fear of God, without Whom we can do nothing. With fear of God and faith we draw near, but without fear of God and faith we draw away.

http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/fearofgod.htm