LAMPS IN DARKNESS

Open our eyes that we may see you, our ears that we may hear you, and our hearts that we may love. The Lamp of one’s body are the eyes – if they are receptive of goodness, then grace shall fill your body as oil which fuels lamps and keeps them radiating light. If your eyes then turns from goodness and is filled with corrupted oil; the lamp will surely dim and snuff out leaving you in complete darkness. (Mt 6:22-23)

We have all heard the expression: “You are what you eat!” This of course is not always true in the sense that many of us love food, know how to prepare such and exercise well. Yet, in the winter months, others perhaps use it as a means of consolation when things don’t pan out the way we expect or we have been hurt in various ways.

There is also another expression: “The eyes are larger than the stomach!” We all know this one well especially if we venture to an all you can eat (smorgasbord) setting. Our senses then slightly go out of whack due to the wonderful layout of such a banquet where colour, smell, and taste waltz around the crave dance floor of tummy and mind.

Many religious folk perhaps have an understanding that the early believers and others especially in the war years had to struggle with keeping things in check so to speak – having it hard. There is no doubt that these lived under extraordinary circumstances; the martyrs of the Turkish and Soviet yoke testify to this through their endurance – may I invite you to read about them…there are a few stories on our Angels and Saints Encyclical.

Yet, in this modern age of technology which has its pros and cons; everything good and bad are in ones face every hour, minute and pumping broadcasts herald such a smorgasbord through the senses. If anything, the true Christian who is Apostolic and willing to embrace the love of God by surrendering themselves to the notion that Christ incarnated for all of humanity regardless; the true believer of today is at war with themselves, the world, and its institutions – religious and secular!

We are tempted every few seconds to pick up our phones (the new library of all means) and have a squiz at whatever takes our fancy, answer text messages rather than talk, or even talk rather than meet in person. In the midst of all this noise as the Apostle Paul states (1Cor 13:1) and confusion which diverse institutions create, we may get disheartened - opting to switch of for a few hours to regain the sanity of silence so that we can tune into our spiritual life: me, myself, I, God, family and friends!

Many people have addressed their concerns and the Covid 19 dilemma has not helped with the withdrawal symptoms people may have in general. Yet, even before this disaster, I have heard it again and again: “I really am finding less and less common ground with the people I usually hang around including some family members – is it me? My faith? Or am I going nuts???”

Going nuts! The other day as I was driving to work, I tuned into the Greek radio station as I do like some of their folk songs etc., yet low and behold a Perla as we would say in slang comes out in advertisement: “The Marble that was born in Greece and vested the Parthenon should be returned – unite with us!” It is wonderful to have a love for the county of ones origin and nurture the culture. Yet, this very same culture was under the Turkish Yoke (1821-1829AD) and cried out to the Theotokos (Mother of God): “Holy Mother, free us from our invaders and we shall turn back the Parthenon into the temple church originally dedicated to you – give us victory!”

Now, the Parthenon was a pagan temple for 200 years and afterwards was consecrated into the temple Church of the Theotokos. When one makes an oath onto God especially through his Mother – honouring the contract is vital (Ecc 5: 4) especially when victory is won! Yet, that promise has not been kept and the country is falling apart! This was an apostolic country from the first centuries and the faith is rapidly dying out along with the Church!

The truth of the matter is that we live in a world that is remote from the Gospel – mirroring it in daily life rather than mere tokenism at any Sabbath. The going to the sacred place on a sacred day does not fulfil the totality of the requirement for Jesus clearly stated (Jn 4:23) to St. Photini/Illuminata the Samaritan Woman (Woman of the Well) that God wants people to be true to themselves, others, and above all Him – his hands and feet in the world!

This is precisely why many people wander away from their faith communities – arid ground and no water to quench the spiritual thirst! People drift away from their network of friends because they become earthbound as we have recounted in the parable of Sower and Seed (Mat 13: 1-23) – ill nourishment which resorts to breakdown of fraternal ties that are rendered parched! Although such a state can usher peril as cults are always on the lookout for the stricken and thrive on such victims.

Yet, this should be the time where we truly enter into the desert of our very persona and take refuge in the mountain rock (Ps 18:2) who is Christ - from that rock living water flows (Num 20: 10-13) and replenishes our being and surroundings. If we do not take time out every now and then and reassess our state of being, we can lose vision and the darkness of despair may take hold!

It is important that we have a confessor – a spiritual elder who knows what he is doing, believes wholeheartedly, is humble, has suffered and endured, and is willing to shepherd his flock and is not afraid to ask help from other godly gifted believers. Having states thus, for those who are biblically orientated, the Bible is a biography, within a biography there are truths, examples, cultural blunders, mentalities and suggestions.

In a biography NOT EVERYTHING IS STATED! Hence, it needs to be executed in its context by people who live it and have been handed down the divine recipe so to speak/write. The bible only comes to life in the Divine Services; those very services that were intended to nourish via word and action – liturgy via those who are anointed, are of that tradition where humility rules. Thus, knowledge via careful study in the apostolic faith nurtures so that others may behold its message.

In the West, we perhaps are familiar with various mentalities accusing the Church of not allowing people to read the bible and have copies of it in order to keep people ignorant. This statement is the pinnacle of ignorance! The reason why people were not permitted to read the bible was because people heard and indeed read it when they came to Church via words, gestures, iconography and participants of its context: the Divine Services. Hence, the supposed know it all’s kicked up a fuss: the protestant reformation!

Indeed, the services should not be in biblical languages unless its country is established upon it for the Pentecost itself (Act 2:6) clarifies such! The people were not as ignorant as certain people think for the faith was taught well! Further, just as music despite language unites nations, so too did chant unite even the uneducated who sang with the angels and knew exactly what was conveyed – the light of spiritual knowledge glowing through the darkness of secular thought!

St. Athanasius the Great (Bishop of Alexandria 296-298AD) gave a wonderful sermon regarding todays gospel and in our modern language, it is summed up as the following: “When your eyes desires that which does not profit you as a whole; you derail! It is easy to blame God for our mistakes and other such occurrences, yet God does not create junk! Your eyes are governed by your own will and your thoughts progress towards your intent which in this case lacks enlightenment! Although you may blind yourself via such ideals, yet you are not beyond salvation!”  

On Wednesday, the Church will commemorate/celebrate the feast/commemoration of St. Jude Thaddeus a brother of the Lord. He is a great saint and apostle who is venerated worldwide and known to assist in times that are uncertain. I’d like to share his story with you and invite you to ask him for help. The Lord gave us his saints as helpers – let’s not despise his mercy but ask their aid for he the Lord of his Church appointed them for our benefit, growth, healing and light through dark times.

St. Jude Thaddeus together with James –who the Lord was close too, and Simon were of course cousins (close family in the East are all associated as brothers regardless) of the Lord from Joseph’s brother Cleopas and sister-in-law Salome’s children whom Joseph raised as his own when Cleopas died.

Hence, Apostle Jude is shown carrying an icon “towel” portraying the Lord’s face….many of the reformers would say that if accounts are not written is Holy Scripture (sola scriptura) – they are fable! Yet the Apostle John states that many accounts had not been recorded (Jn 21:25) for they were to be counted as grains in the sand as a figure of speech; such accounts were handed down as HOLY TRADITION – not to be seen as something made up, but as that which has taken place and is passed down through the ages!

It must be noted that we are not to confuse this shroud/mandolin with that of St. Berenice “acquirer of victory” who was the woman that Jesus healed of her internal and external bleeding when she touched his garments (Lk 8:43-48) She Berenice became later known in the West as Veronica who wiped the Lord’s face on the way to Golgotha producing the imprint on the cloth being the: VERO ICONA – True Icon!

Thus, there was an Assyrian ruler (Abgar) who heard about Jesus, for he (Abgar) suffered with various skin and blood conditions; wanting to see Jesus for he believed in that which was reported concerning the Lord. Thus, he sent his accomplished artist (Ananias) along with a letter of invitation (to which the Lord declined but promised to send one of the apostles later on) to at least sketch out his face. However the artist perched himself distant from the crowds in endeavouring to sketch out his (the Lord’s) likeness; he could not because as he reported to the king after several attempts – light radiated from his face!

Therefore, Jesus sent his cousin/brother ‘the jealous one” Jude to the king in Edessa/Urfa imprinting his face on the towel which when beheld by the ruler; immanent healing occurred! Thus, after the Pentecost, Jude was assigned Dean of the Disciples in Assyria to which that same king/ruler became a disciple of the Lord and aided the Church to flourish in those lands.

Moreover, with the many schisms, foreign dictatorships from the great apostasy “Islam” and reformations: scripture became not only tainted and twisted in the sense of mal comprehension, but a recipe for disasters and crisis of faith to come! Thus, many may be aware that there is a confusion about who are apostles and disciples in the Book of Acts “the current understanding” suggests that some Apostles were demoted and became disciples, whilst others maintain that they share the same names but are different people altogether.

Unfortunately many are at odds with the composition of theories regarding thus (especially the Orthodox who have swallowed the biblical translation of protestant reformers) having been fooled outright; for Apostles and Disciples are two different categories! Hence, when the Book of Acts mentions Apostles like Phillip and Thaddeus appointing them amongst the 70+ Disciples – what this means is that these Apostles were given the title of administrators (deans) in overseeing certain factions of the Disciples which were divided into their respected territories.

Furthermore, clarification is warranted regarding the Apostles who travelled through these lands on rout to their respective missions. Although the apostle Jude Thaddeus was appointed dean of Syriac lands, yet his brothers in the apostolic college: Thomas, Nathaniel Bartholomew, Simon and Philip assisted Jude whilst journeying through those lands. Now martyrdom was shared among them and often such were martyred together; Jude and Simon were mutilated via axe, yet their disciples carried on their work until they too followed in the footsteps of martyrdom.

One of Jude’s early assistants within that territory was Palut later known as Mari. We need to remember that even among the supposed highly educated theologians and apologists – such are apt to err especially in these regards. As the Holy Fathers state (1clement: 2) and Holy Scripture exhorts (Jn 15:9-14) that in the midst of arrogance and presumption - the Holy Spirit who reveals all truth cannot and will not work when such sentiments are present despite one’s ecclesial heritage!

Therefore, St. Jude Thaddeus went to Assyrian lands in attending to the growth of the Church with training the disciples assigned him for the sowing and ripening of a fruitful vineyard in the Lord! Such territories were later (430AD) infested with the Nestorian Heresy which eventually gave rise to the Great Apostasy (500AD). Let us clearly state that its leader who sort sanctuary in order to escape the penalty of the law was inspired by the monks of St. Catherin’s Monastery on the slopes of Sinai rendering him with the ill theology of the Nestorian persuasion.

Thus, bearing in mind that this gentlemen was equipped to usher in the Great Apostasy; this was not revealed as maintained but learnt from that very monastery at the time! Let us also consider the future bloodbaths and hijacking of churches and monasteries in conjunction with the reason (handprint) why the monastery of St. Catherine has never been destroyed or in peril till this day!

Hence, bearing in mind the Nestorian heresy (Jesus as Man not God) there was another ill minded teaching circulating which was present earlier on: Gnosticism (2AD) - the heresy of private knowledge given to an initiated few in the spirit and withheld from everyone else due to unworthiness in body. Here begins the omitting of certain prayers and scriptural quotations “later observed in silence” beginning with the omitting of the Lord’s supper- leaving out the words of commemoration: “This is my body! This is my blood!”

It also must be stated that certain groups within the Syriac tradition claim that they are the purest form of Christianity and its churches are simple in nature…The Assyrian church along with all others were once beautifully decorated with rich iconography as archaeological discoveries in those parts are uncovering. Unfortunately, it was the controversies of the Iconoclasts and Islam in particular who adopted such heresy which then pedalled thus and imposed such ecclesial décor in its territories throughout the ages. Rome too in her traditions adopted the iconoclastic tradition of covering icons in its Lenten observance – to the surprise of many; a remnant of those times!

Although certain communities amongst the so called Oriental Church Family apostatized in joining Rome which rightly purged the rite from such heresies; even though the Nestorian heresies were removed, yet they replaced these with other injustices. Such abominations were imminently implemented concerning the practice/format via Latinising the whole rite as they have done to all Rites of the East who compromise and pursue security and stability via unity with them!

Therefore, our Holy Metropolis has remained faithful to the tradition of this venerable rite but placed thus within the context of the liturgical practice of the Eastern Orthodox Church so that this glorious rite may once again be offered, shared, and partaken amongst the Church family. Let us also remember that these oriental rites were the ones that reached the west and formed Western Christendom; Orthodox from day one - particularly following the Syriac traditions as we see its clear evidence in the early days of the monastic missionaries in Celtic lands!    

As we traverse the apostolic fast and prepare ourselves for our patronal feast – let us ask the intercessions of the Lord’s apostles that they may help us on our journey and keep us in true faith; mirroring Christ in all things especially in aiding the broken and the least! May we be light to one another and keep it radiant with the good works, compassion and prayer for a darkened world – fed and nourished by the strength of those who care in Christ!

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Church present in Damascus who suffered and continues to suffer via baring witness to the Gospel of Christ with the blood of her children! The only way which religious differences will quell any form of antagonism is via re-educating our young through a scholastic system. Such a system that must be a catalyst for all schools – having new insight and ways which bridge diverse cultures and creeds founded on what the Lord commanded: “Thou shalt not kill/murder/annihilate!” (Ex 20:13)

May our blessed martyrs beginning with the Apostles whom the All Holy Spirit strengthened in bringing the gospel of grace to these lands once again touch the hearts of the populace embittered with hate! Let our prayers rise to the heavens with the offering of incense (Ps 14:1-2) so that the words of the Saviour resound once again in the hearts of all flesh: “Love one another as I have loved you!” (Jn 13:34-35) The call to discipleship must be the living criteria which can only bridge nations and communities via a true reconciliation of peace which is a grace that can only come from God himself!           

Keep yourselves from worrying about that which does not profit your existence and nourishes your living saying to yourselves: “What shall I desire to eat today?” “What drink will savour my palate?” “What can I wear today so that my appearance may render?” Those who are Gentile (not part of the chosen of old) seek such refineries. Your Heavenly Father knows your needs and bestows accordingly. Therefore, seek the Kingdom of God which is within you via being righteous in all things and blessings shall be given you in abundance. (Mt 6: 31-33)