and what we have to do in Canada
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Glory to Jesus Christ.
The biggest problem that we have living here in North America is that, in its own way, this continent is a land of forgetfulness. It has come to be so, not because the Lord created it in this way ; but rather, it is so because of the abundance that our land produces, and the comfort we consequently find in all this abundance, and in all the consequent coziness. A professor I once had remarked frequently on our obsession with softness. Perhaps we might think that we, ourselves, do not have all that much comfort in our lives. However, we very likely have more than enough of the companion of comfort and coziness — distraction.
Living in such an environment, we are living in the midst of a mist, or worse, in the midst of a fog. Of course, being self-sufficient Canadians, we try to find our way in this fog all on our own. This particular fog is special, also, because while we are trying to find our way, we generally forget what we are looking for. This is one of the reasons that it is pastorally difficult for the bishop and the clergy to try to help our parishes and parishioners to “wake up”. You may well ask what I mean by the need to “wake up” ? I will try to explain now.
We all know that, in the history of our archdiocese particularly, we have gone through very many trials. Up to now, we have existed for only a little more than a century, but in this short time there have been many tests. We began with immigration from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, and those who immigrated were not well-treated by the government which imported them. They were sent to populate remote and difficult places, and they had little support. There, in the places where they settled, they characteristically began by building Temples to the Lord (even before building their own homes). There was plenty of prejudice also against these people who were so different from their predominantly British and West-European neighbours. During World War I, some were sent to internment camps because their passports said that they were Austrian citizens. The after-effects of the Bolshevik Revolution wrought havoc in the Church in Canada after this war, and those effects remain to this day. Although the hard-working people began to prosper, the diocese which ought to have supported them remained only in skeletal condition because of the many divisions that had arisen. Despite the best efforts of our holy Bishop Arseny and his successors, it was always very difficult to provide enough priests and deacons to lead, educate, form and nourish the faithful people. This difficulty remains to this day.
There were some times in the course of our history when the obstacles were so great that the diocese was nearly extinguished. Because of these trials, it seems that in many smaller places our self-sufficient people came to be content to try to manage on their own. Because of insufficient reinforcements and reminders about the essence of the Orthodox way of life, many people throughout our archdiocese fell into living for themselves, in imitation of the society in which they live. Living in this way can be described as going to sleep spiritually ; it can be described as forgetting “in the arms of morpheus”. This old expression can mean more than simply sleeping ; it can mean being comatose. When any pastor sees that this is how things are spiritually, it provokes a great compassionate concern.
By this present time, the Lord has accomplished a great deal in this archdiocese. There has been a pastoral renewal, and a renewal of relationships amongst the parishes and amongst the faithful believers in the archdiocese. Because of the serious work of many clergy and lay-persons, there has been a development of better administration and better communication. Nevertheless, the fog in which we have subsisted for many years has not yet lifted. There is still a great tendency to “sleep in”, to “take our rest”, to “get comfortable” in this world. This is the great danger of the self-indulgence which we are so much encouraged to embrace in our secularised society. When we do indulge ourselves, then we can come to understand that we have fallen into a typical worldly trap, a trap which is not at all new. Solomon addressed this at least twice,
How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man (Proverbs 6:9-11 ; see Proverbs 24:33-34).
Although these words address physical laziness and its consequences, it is much worse when there is spiritual inertia. We have a term for this in the Orthodox Church : “accidie”. We do not often use this word nowadays, and I reckon that this is because most of us are so affected by it as to be unaware that it is our condition. The dictionaries usually describe the condition simply as “spiritual or mental sloth”, or “apathy”. It is not so simple. This English word “accidie” comes to us from the Greek word akedia. This word was imported into Latin with the same meaning, giving acedia. The words differ by one letter, but are pronounced the same. Accidie implies that the one suffering from it has fallen into a state of listlessness or torpor. As a result, the sufferer does not seem to care (apathy) or to be concerned about one’s position, condition or responsibilities. As a result of this state, the sufferer can become unable even to perform daily duties in life. The person forgets. It can, obviously, be mistaken for depression, but it is truly a common and very well-known spiritual condition. This is, in part, what I am referring to when I say that we forget what we are supposed to be doing ; we forget the priority of living as Christians ; we forget that the Lord loves us ; we even forget who we are supposed to be. A reader of Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings will recognise this experience in Frodo as he journeyed towards Mordor, and significantly also when he was poisoned by Shelob. When we fall into this, we may recognise that this forgetfulness is a symptom of the terrible poison that is accidie. It is a paralysing poison for which we have no antidote by ourselves.
In order to avoid the worst consequences of accidie, it is the crucial responsibility of anyone who has any understanding of the Gospel, of Christ, of the intercession of the Mother of God and of the saints, to be constantly calling on them all for help at all times. Indeed, we are not going to survive in our Christian life anywhere, anytime, unless we come to the so-called bottom, unless we come to the point of crisis, unless we come to the turning-point, to the point of encountering the fair-judgement of the Lord. Then, as indicated by the twelve-step programmes (which are geared to those who are addicted), we realise that we cannot get out of this paralysis, out of this inertia, out of this fog by ourselves or on our own. We need help. We need the help of the Lord, of the Mother of God, of the saints, of those who love us. We finally call out to the Lord for help. When we cry out to our Lord and Saviour for help, it comes. He sends it. He does help us. This is why it is so necessary that we, with His help, develop the habit and the mindfulness, and acquire the heart to do this every day, and not only once a day. It is necessary that we begin to ask for help as soon as we become conscious in the morning, and to keep asking for this help throughout the day. It used to be common that we would say something such as : “with God’s help I will do this or that”, or “God willing, I will go here or there”. It is time to recover such habits of thinking and speaking.
“Who am I ?” I am a person who has been baptised into Christ, who has put on Christ (see Galatians 3:27). Because I have “put on Christ”, the people I encounter every day (whether they are aware of it or not) are expecting something through me from Christ. They are expecting a sign of His love for them, a word of encouragement, a word of support, perhaps a word of correction. As far as it is possible, it is my responsibility to live in Christ in such a way that those I meet may see something of Him, may sense His presence in me. It is my responsibility to be transparent enough in His love that He will reveal Himself through me to others. I may not always be conscious of His acting in and through me, but it is my responsibility to co-operate with Him for the sake of these other persons who are, in one or another way, lonely, hungry, thirsty. They are hungry and thirsty for love, for hope, for some reasonable sense of direction and purpose in life. It is He who can and does provide all this.
The Apostle reminds us to put on the whole armour of God,
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints [...] (Ephesians 6:10-18).
He exhorts us to carry all this Gospel-equipment, and to use this Gospel-equipment. In effect, the Apostle is exhorting us to keep our prayer consciously alive, and our community in Christ alive, and to pay attention every day.
However, we forget. We forget that we have such resources. We forget to turn to the Mother of God, most particularly, for help. We live in an environment of forgetfulness about these essentials. Of course, also, since we are North Americans, we are lacking many of the resources more easily available to Orthodox Christians elsewhere. This is most particularly so in Canada. We are bereft of relics of saints and of wonder-working anything (or at least we think that this is so). Because we are living in such a cynical, secularised society, and because this environment is always eating at us, always eroding us, we tend not to be able to recognise the gifts when the Lord does give them. Indeed, in Canada there are wonder-working icons and relics, but we do not talk much about them, or do anything about them. We neglect the supports He gives us.
The secular, cynical, materialistic environment in which we live is always eating at us, and most of the time we are unaware of it. If I may personify metal, a piece of steel is unaware of the fact that it is rusting, and it does not notice the corrosion. This is how it can be for me, for us, in our lives. I also often take no notice of the fact that there is something being corroded by rust. This obliviousness has been shown up in many of the automobiles I have driven in my life. I often did not notice the rust until it began to bubble out and something was ready to fall off. The rust is very insidious in its quiet, subtle work. So it is with our lives and the work of the tempter. As we are surprised when a muffler or a fender suddenly might fall away from our car, so we can also wonder what happened when a big chunk of our interior life can suddenly disappear. Well, it happened because I was not paying attention. I did not apply the oil of God’s mercy and love, and then it fell off. Then I have the trouble of welding this lost portion back on. This is certainly something that I cannot do by myself. It has to be the Lord who does this work. This work of repair can be very difficult and painful, just as it is with the re-integration of a severed limb. The process of re-welding also requires repentance, the complete turning about of our hearts and lives, and we generally are not so very competent at that.
In this context, it is not for nothing that, in this week of our Archdiocesan Assembly, we have had some important feast-days. Such co-ordination was not by simple human planning and design. Rather, Divine Providence prepares well. The Lord organised this, and it is His gift to us. This is why our meetings have happened during this particular week in July.
For instance, the Lord gave us this week the example of the Prophet Elias, whose life and words repeatedly exhorted the wayward to repentance. Despite his doubts and fears, the Lord was always with him and guiding him and protecting him. The Lord also gave us this week the example of the repentant and bold Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene. Using a red egg, she went so far as to proclaim and explain the Resurrection of Christ to the emperor. As did the Prophet Elias, so Saint Mary Magdalene served the Lord in and with her whole life. Now, today, it is the Feast of the wonder-working Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God. This icon commemorates the miracle in the 17th century of the deliverance of the Pochaiv Dormition Monastery in Ukraine from the attacks by a Turkish army. The deliverance was not because of any supposed strength of the people there. It was the Mother of God herself who visibly defended the monastery. The army retreated. Some of the soldiers became Christians. During the same century, a very similar situation occurred at the Tikhvin Dormition Monastery in Russia. Because of the wonder-working Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, the Tikhvin monastery was spared from a Swedish invasion. The same protection was given later to the city of Novgorod, not so far away. The Mother of God herself was protecting the children of her Son. The Mother of God does not confine her activities and her protection only to monasteries in Russia, Ukraine and other Orthodox countries. She is involved in our lives here, in North America as well. Indeed, she is very much involved with and interested in our life here on this continent. Indeed, it was an icon of the Theotokos that Saint Herman used to stop both a tsunami and a forest-fire. Now, in Cicero, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, there is an icon of the Mother of God which has for a long time now been myrrh-streaming, and which also miraculously survived a very destructive fire. I saw this icon not long after that fire, which destroyed the whole Altar area and the iconostas — except for this icon alone, on which there was not even smoke-damage.
The Mother of God is trying to encourage us to do what we are supposed to be doing as Orthodox Christians : remembering who we are, remembering that we are the children of her Son. This means that we are not Orthodox Christians in name only. It means that we are people who know the Gospel, and who live it out in our daily lives. We are those who are strong in Christ, who is our true Strength. Some may recall the books and movies called Star Wars, and the rôle of “the force”. People still talk about this “force”. The principles behind the stories may not be called Christian, but there is a useful element of truth involved. It is that we must remember who we are, and who we are in Christ. If we do not put our trust in Christ, and if we do not constantly rely on Him, then we cannot be strong. None of us can be strong without constantly calling out to the Lord for help, without constantly turning to him, without constantly putting our trust in Him.
From where does the Mother of God receive the strength to do what she does ? How does she turn away armies ? How does she protect from invaders ?
Today, we sang these hymns :
"Those who pray before your holy icon, O Lady, are vouchsafed healing and receive the knowledge of the true faith, and they repel the attacks of the Hagarenes. Therefore, entreat remission of sins for us who fall down before you. Enlighten our hearts to thoughts of piety, and raise a prayer to your Son to save our souls".
"Your icon of Pochaiv, O Theotokos, has become a source of healing and the confirmation of the Orthodox Faith. Therefore, deliver us who have recourse to you from calamity and temptation. Preserve your monastery unharmed. Confirm Orthodoxy in the surrounding lands, and forgive the sins of those who pray to you ; for you can do as you will".
"O victorious Leader of Triumphant Hosts, we, your servants, delivered from evil, sing our grateful thanks to you, O Theotokos. As you possess invincible might, set us free from every calamity, so that we may sing, 'Rejoice, O Unwedded Bride'".
The Mother of God is the leader of glorious, triumphant hosts, of hosts of angels. From where does her strength come ? It comes from her perpetual “Yes” to her Son. She knows Him, and she knows how to ask Him for what is needed in complete accordance with His Love, with His Will.
When we listen to these reminders of the Mother of God to turn to her Son, we are able to have such strength. We can have such strength when we turn to her for her support and for her protection. We can, then, have the strength of those who have served in this country, such as the holy bishops Tikhon and Arseny. Through her intercessions, the Lord will give us the Grace to accomplish His will in wonderful ways, just as He did with them, and just as He did with other holy persons to whom we do not yet pay attention (because our eyes are not open enough to see clearly).
When we have been talking about our ancestors, we have been recognising that they understood these things. They arrived here with such a formation in their lives. They continued to live in this way, and they passed this way on to their children as well as they could. Let us remember this. Let not any one of us think that we who are newcomers are not, as well, the spiritual descendants of these Christ-loving and brave people, who came here more than a century ago and planted firmly and permanently the Cross of Christ. When we are at worship, we constantly remember the founders and benefactors of our Temples. These founders and benefactors are the spiritual ancestors of every one of us. They are our spiritual parents and grand-parents. In and through them, our Saviour has established His Church in this land. We are either blood-descendants of these founders, or we are the spiritual descendants who have been made a living part of this vineyard. We pray for them, those who are our ancestors, and they pray for us, who are their spiritual descendants. This is the inclusivity of the Orthodox Church, of the Body of Christ.
We are standing here today, doing what the Lord has created us to do. We are worshipping Him, and we are expressing our love to Him, and we are trying to be faithful to Him. Being who He has created us to be, standing here, glorifying Him and offering our lives to Him, let us ask the Lord to enable us to remember who we are ; to remember that, today and tomorrow and after tomorrow, we are His children. Let us ask Him to help us to remember that our focus and our home is at the Holy Table. This is our home : this Table. This Offering which we are making today, and yesterday, and the day before ; this Offering which we will be making day after day afterwards : this Offering is our home ; it is our place ; it is where we want to be ; it is where we must be. Our ancestors knew this well.