Ukrainian Catholic Catechism Our Faith

CASIM1R KUCHAREK

OUR FAITH

BYZANTINE CATECHISM FOR ADULTS

ALLELUIA PRESS

OUR FAITH

ICMXC

NliKA

By the same author.Tke Rite of Holy Matrimony (Byzantine-Slav)

The Divine Liturgy (With Rev. A. Muzyka)

The Byzantine-Slav Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
(Alleluia Press, 1971)

To Settle Your Conscience (Our Sunday Visitor, 1974)

The Sacramental Mysteries, A Byzantine Approach,
(Alleluia Press, 1976)

Acknowledgment: Excerpts from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright
© 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd., and Doubleday &
Company, Inc., used by permission of the publisher.

Imprimatur : No. 2248/82, A. Roboreckt, D.D. Eparch of Saskatoon

6/9/1982

Library of Congress Catalogue Code No. 82-073784

ISBN: 0-911726-43-8

Copyright: Reverend Casimir A. Kucharek, Regina, Saskatchewan,

Canada, © 1983

Published by: ALLELUIA PRESS, Box 103, Allendale, N.J. 07401

and Combermere, Ontario, Canada

Printed and Bound in the United States of America.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword 10

PART ONE

THE HOLY MYSTERY OF THE TRIUNE GOD

Chapter

I Our Beliefs 15

n The Infinite God 25

III God is Spirit 33

IV The Mystery of God in the Trinity 41

PART TWO

THE HOLY MYSTERY OF CREATED BEINGS

V Creation 53

VI The World of Spiritual Beings 65

VII Man, the Image of God 77

PART THREE

THE HOLY MYSTERY OF CHRIST GOD AND MAN

VIII Christ in History 85

IX Jesus as Man 91

X Jesus as God 99

XI Jesus as Redeemer Ill

XII The Resurrection of Jesus 125

XIII Commemoration of Christ's Death and

Resurrection 133

XIV Mary, the Mother of God 141

PART FOUR

THE HOLY MYSTERY OF CHRIST'S CHURCH

XV The Images of Christ's Church 153

XVI Christ Forms His Church 161

XVII Christ Shepherds His Church 171

XVIII How Christ's Church Can Be Recognized 179

XIX "Heaven on Earth" 189

PART FIVE

THE HOLY MYSTERY OF SHARING THE LIFE OF GOD

XX The Holy Spirit 203

XXI Sharing the Life of God 215

XXII Preserving the Life of God 223

XXIII The Commandments Relating to the

Love of God 229

XXIV The Commandments Relating to the

Love of Neighbor 239

XXV The Commandments Relating to the

Love of Neighbor, cont 243

PART SIX

THE HOLY MYSTERY OF GROWING IN
THE LIFE OF GOD

XXVI The Byzantine Liturgical Worship and

the Sacraments 249

XXVII The Sacrament of Initiation - Baptism 257

XXVIII The Sacrament of Chrismation (Confirmation) 267

XXIX The Eucharist - A Sacrament of Love 27 1

XXX The Sacrament of Reconciliation 279

XXXI The Anointing of the Sick 285

XXXII The Priestly Holy Orders 289

XXXIII The Sacrament of Matrimony or Marriage 295

XXXIV The Sacramentals 301

PART SEVEN

THE FINAL MYSTERIES

XXXV Death and the Judgment , 307

XXXVI The Final Destiny of the Just 319

APPENDIX

A brief explanation of the Eucharistic Liturgy 329

Index of Proper Names , 344

Index of Topics 346

Index of Foreign Words 350

Colophon 352

FOREWORD

If Christ's Church were but a human institution, it would
have disappeared without a trace during the persecutions lasting
from its beginnings to A.D. 313. The charge made against the
followers of Christ because they evaded the pagan emperor cult,
was always the same: high treason, punishable by death. There
was no comfortable way to be a Christian; the choice was between
apostasy or death. They died in droves, these early Christians —
hundreds of thousands of them in the first two centuries. Some-
times it seemed the Church would be crushed, utterly destroyed,
but it always rose to new life — like its divine Founder.

A new era began in A.D. 313 when Emperor Constantine
granted freedom of worship to Christians. With the danger of
arrest and execution removed, they came out of hiding, began to
organize and build churches. Till then, the forms of Christian
worship had been fundamentally the same everywhere, in spite of
local variations in details.

As churches organized and flourished during later centuries,
Christian leaders could better afford to turn their attention to
liturgical matters, ritual and Church law, Definite liturgical
patterns incorporating local tradition and customs evolved in the
main centers of Christianity, showing marked differences in the
way the common faith was expressed in word and action.

These main centers were Rome, Alexandria (Egypt), Jeru-
salem-Antioch and eventually Byzantium or Constantinople (the
Eastern capital of the Greco-Roman Empire). The three Eastern
centers gradually evolved daughter — and grand-daughter —
Churches or Rites which now show enough differences in ritual,
tradition and discipline to warrant separate classification.

Ancient Centers Intermediate Rites Present-day Rites

I. Alexandria Coptic

(Egypt) Ethiopian

East Syrian Syro-Chaldean

Syro-Malabarese

II. Jerusalem- Antioch West Syrian

III.

Cappadocian and
Constantinopolitan
(Byzantium)

Syro-Antiochian

Syro-Malankarese

Syro-Maronite

Armenian

Byzantine

Albanian

Georgian

Greek

Italo-Greek

Melkite

Rumanian

Slav — Bulgarian
Russian
Ruthenian
Ukrainian*
Byzantine

For various reasons in different centuries, nearly all these
Eastern Churches or segments of them (except the Maronites
and the Italo-Greeks) separated from the Church of Rome. These
are called Orthodox. The largest break occurred in A.D. 1054,
Orthodox Christians have preserved the true sacraments, includ-
ing the ordination of bishops and priests. Those who remained
with Rome or returned to it are called Eastern Rite Catholics or,
more specifically, according to their particular denomination,
Byzantine Catholics, Byzantine Ukrainian Catholics, Melkite
Catholics, etc.

Byzantine Christians, Catholic and Orthodox, are the most
numerous of all Eastern Christian groups both world-wide and
in North America. Whatever can be said about Byzantine
"spirit" and usages generally applies to the other Eastern Chris-
tians: they are non- Western, non-Latin. The East received the
faith, not as a daughter-church of Rome, but directly from the
apostles.

♦Segments of other ethnic groups such as the White Russians, Croatians, Slovaks, Hungarians,
Macedonians, Estonians, Letts and even some Finns, Chinese, and Japanese observe the
Byzantine Rite with only minor variations.

While the faith of Byzantine and Roman Catholicism is
fundamentally the same, the expression of it is different. This
book deals in detail with those differences in religious practices,
liturgical and non-liturgical, in customs, in church discipline and
in their underlying mentality and spirituality.

This book is the answer to the pleas of many Byzantine
priests, nuns, teachers and parents, both in the United States
and Canada, to fulfil the need for a complete Byzantine Catholic
catechesis, explaining creed and cult, faith and action.

The presentation is as non-polemical as possible, so that both
Catholic and Orthodox would find this book beneficial. Latin
Rite Catholics will find it a source of information about another
and less well known part of the Church universal.

Eastern terminology is used throughout, except when clarity
would be sacrificed (though this may be regretted by liturgical
purists). For instance, Byzantine Christians prefer the terms holy
mysteries to sacraments and lesser mysteries to sacramentals
but the more familiar terms are used throughout.

To be effective, religious concepts and words must be adapted
to the varying times and cultures. The style of this catechesis is
contemporary, and at times somewhat journalistic, especially
in presenting historical matter — but great care has been taken
to hand on the revealed truths as faithfully and fully as possible.

In matters of faith and morals, we cannot pick and choose,
accepting what we like and rejecting what we dislike. Authentic
faith and practice are never selective or partial. Our belief must
extend to the whole mystery of faith and to each of its elements —
otherwise, it means we only trust God sometimes. It was
obvious to Simon Peter and the rest of the apostles that God was
to be believed always. When he and the others recognized Jesus
as the Son of God, they were indeed ready to believe all of
Christ's teachings. Peter answered for all of them and, hope-
fully for all of us: "Lord, who shall we go to? You have the
message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are
the Holy One of God" (Jn 6:68-69).

C.K. Regina, Saskatchewan Christmas 1982

PART ONE
THE HOLY MYSTERY OF THE TRIUNE GOD

CHAPTER I

Our Beliefs

Acknowledging as true whatever someone has told us is
belief, human faith. Acknowledging as true whatever Christ-
God told us is Christian belief, religious faith.

Faith differs from knowledge. We know something if it is
proved either by evidence, facts, or reason. We believe, on the
other hand, simply because someone reliable tells us it is so,
without proof. God revealed, told us many truths, and we
believe. St. Paul, for example, blames the Romans for their
unbelief because they should have known something about God
from creation (natural revelation): "For what can be known
about God is perfectly plain to them since God himself has made
it plain. Ever since God created the world his everlasting power
and deity — however invisible — have been therefor the mind to
see in the things he has made. That is why such people are
without excuse" (Rm 1:18-21).

God spoke plainly through the Old Testament prophets.
He spoke even more clearly through Jesus Christ in the New.
This included both actions and teachings. Revelation is always
miraculous in that God directly moved, inspired the prophets
or sacred authors to write exactly what he wanted. In a sense,
they are instruments which God used to impart his teachings.

The Jews regarded a definite collection of their writings as
inspired by God. They were right. Christ confirmed this truth
when he said, "Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the
Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete
them. 1 tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not
one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until
its purpose is achieved" (Mt 5:17-18). After he arose from the
dead, he appeared to the apostles and told them: '"Everything
written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in
the Psalms, has to be fulfilled.' He then opened their minds to
understand the scriptures" (Lk 24:44-45).

How do we know which writings were inspired? Some theo-
logians hold that the apostles themselves taught which books

15

16 CHAPTER I

were inspired and which were not. Others suggest that the deter-
mination was made by the Church with God's help

The Sacred Scriptures

The Sacred Scriptures are a collection of seventy-three books
written under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Another, perhaps more common name for the Scriptures, is
the Bible. The Scriptures are divided into the Old and New
Testaments.

The Old Testament contains God's revelation to mankind
from creation to the time of Christ. For convenience sake, we
may divide the Old Testament into: a) The Law, b) The Historical
Books, c) The Wisdom Books, and d) The Prophetic Books.

(a) The Law (Pentateuch) comprises the first five books of the
Bible. Primarily a body of legal doctrine, these books also
describe the creation of the world and some of its history as well
as the formation of God's people: Abraham and the patriarchs,
Moses and the Hebrews in Egyptian captivity, their escape, the
Sinai covenant, the reception of the Ten Commandments from
God, etc.

(b) The Historical Books chronicle additional Jewish history,
both religious and secular.

(c) The Wisdom (instructional) Books strive for understanding
and solving the problems of life through human experience.
They are poetical and devotional.

(d) The Prophetic Books foretell the future history of the Jews
and, especially the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The
qualification of prophets as either "major" or "minor" refers
to the length of their compositions and not to the relative import-
ance of their office.

Byzantine-Slav Christians pay special honor to the Prophets
by having their icons (holy pictures) displayed on the iconosta-
sion, the icon-screen separating the sanctuary from the rest of
the church. Prophetical writings and other parts of the Old
Testament feature prominently in Byzantine liturgical services,
such as Solemn Matins, All-night Vigils, etc.

About A.D. 100, the Jewish rabbis held a synod at Jamnia
(about a dozen miles from the modern port of Tel Aviv-Jaffa)

OUR BELIEFS 17

and redefined the canon of the Old Testament. That is, they
removed certain books from the list as apocryphal, not-authentic
Scriptures. They dropped whatever did not conform to the
Pentateuch, was not written in Hebrew or Palestinian, or was
later than Esdra (c. 400 B.C.).

The New Testament

"At various times in the past and in various different ways,
God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own
time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son ..."
(Heb 1:1-2). Jesus, Son of God in human form, revealed so
many things about the Godhead that the world has been greatly
changed by them.

Jesus left us no written record of his teachings, but his early
disciples did. We may divide the New Testament into the
following groups of Books: a) The four Gospels, b) The Acts
of the Apostles, c) The Epistles or Letters, and d) Revelation.

(a) The Gospels, written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
record the teachings of Jesus and many things about his life on
earth. They emphasize his great deeds and miracles: curing the
sick, the blind, the paralytics, the lame and the deaf. Yet, they
do not neglect moving human traits such as his weeping over the
death of his friend Lazarus, his enjoyment of sincere hospitality,
his fatigue after a hard day, etc. Lovingly, they depict his suffer-
ings, death and burial. Gloriously, they report his rising from
the dead, his return to heaven and his sending of the Holy Spirit
to comfort, guide and protect his Church for all time. The
Gospels recount everything needed to show that, indeed, Jesus
Christ is both God and man.

The Byzantine Church regards the Gospel Book as the symbol
of Christ himself and gives it exceptional honor. The humblest
parish adorns it with gold or silver, even jewels. Preceded by
candlebearers, the priest or deacon carries it in solemn proces-
sion at every Eucharistic Liturgy, at every Solemn Matins, and
around the church on the feast of the parish patron. All Byzantine
churches keep it on the front center of the altar (which in turn
symbolizes Christ's throne in heaven), the very place where
Christ's sacred body and precious blood repose at the Divine

IS CHAPTER I

Sacrifice. During the Gospel reading itself, candlebearers stand
at each side of the lectem as an honor guard; many of the faithful
also hold lighted candles. This gives an air of joy to hearing the
Good News, besides honoring the word of God.

(b) The Acts of the Apostles, probably written by Luke, tell
what the apostles did after Christ ascended into heaven. It is
a history of the early Church.

(c) The Epistles or Letters are just that: fetters from the
apostles to their converts. They deal with the growth of the early
Church, the duties of Christ's followers, reprimands to the
remiss and encouragement for the faithful.

Like all Christian Churches, the Byzantine has preserved the
custom of reading excerpts from the Acts or from the Epistles
in its liturgical services. This practice dates back to apostolic
times. The passages for each day or each occasion are arranged
in a book called the Apostolus.

(d) The Book of Revelation or Apocalypse of St. John fore-
tells the struggles that Christ's Church will undergo and its
final triumph.

"There were many other things that Jesus did; if all were
written down, the world itself, I suppose, would not hold all the
books that would have to be written" (Jn 21:25). Indeed, there
were other fine Christian writings in the early Church. In fact,
some of these were regarded as authentic Scriptures by many.
In A.D. 382, Pope Damasus I officially defined the content of
the Bible with book-lists of "what the universal Catholic Church
accepts and what it must avoid." He rejected all books now
commonly known as the New Testament Apocrypha.

At the Council of Ferrara-Florence (A.D. 1438-1439), the
Catholic and Orthodox Churches agreed on the same listing.
The Council of Trent in the sixteenth century repeated it. This
achieved unity with Protestant Christians in the New Test-
ament but not in the Old. The Protestants preferred to accept
the Old Testament content which had been somewhat abbrevi-
ated by the Jewish rabbis at the Jamnia synod. This explains
the main difference between the Catholic and Protestant Bibles.*

*The Protestant Bible omits the following Books: Tobias, Judith Wisdom. Ecclesiastic us,
the two Books of Machabees, and various sections of other books.

OUR BELIEFS 19

Scriptures Sometimes Hard to Understand

Very few people are expected to learn Hebrew or Greek so
that they can read and understand exactly what the original
passages of the Scriptures mean. This is left to the scholars. The
rest of us have neither the time nor the ability. Even if we did,
we could never be sure of some passages. St. Peter was right
when he claimed some biblical passages "are hard to under-
stand; these are the points that uneducated and unbalanced
people distort, in the same way as they distort the rest of
scripture — a fatal thing for them to do" (2 P 3:16).

The Constitution of the United States covers about a dozen
pages. It is written in clear, understandable language — yet
many people interpret it differently. Not all of them can be
right. Every year, hundreds of lawyers argue about some of its
passages. Hundreds of courts do too. Yearly, dozens of cases
are appealed to the Supreme Court. Though the distinguished
jurists of the Supreme Court may not be unanimous either, their
decisions are the official interpretation of the Constitution.

We can expect no greater agreement over certain passages of
the Bible, written in strange languages (Hebrew and Greek)
thousands of years ago. Even scholars who have spent a life-
time in biblical studies disagree about some passages. Many
people interpret the Bible differently. Not all of them can be
right. The Commandment, for example. Thou shalt not kill
seems simple enough to understand — until we learn that the
original meaning comes closer to Thou shah not murder. Is
killing in a just war murder? Yes? No? Both answers cannot be
right. Is capital punishment, even after due process of law,
murder? Yes? No? Again, both answers cannot be right. Who is
to say what answer is correct?

To decide disputed passages, fortunately, we have a kind of
Supreme Court in the teaching authority of the Church.
Individual theologians may speculate and argue, but when
serious differences of opinion arise, the Church can solve them
by solemn pronouncement (as it has done in defining which
writings were to be included in the Bible). The Church has the
right to do this, for Christ entrusted his revelation together

20 CHAPTER I

with its interpretation to the apostles and their successors. Christ
certainly would not have neglected his Church by allowing
those successors to lead the faithful into error. We have Christ's
word for it. He will guide his Church till the end of time: "All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go,
therefore, make disciples of all the nations . . . and teach them
to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am
with you always; yes, to the end of time" (Mt 28:18-20).

The Greeks Handed on God's Word to the Slavs

What the Greeks had, they passed on to the Slavs
when they Christianized them. If ever a legacy was rich, it
was theirs. The early Christians literally saturated their
prayer life, their liturgy, with the Scriptures. Liturgy and
Bible were so intertwined that it is sometimes difficult to
know where one leaves off and the other begins, so that in
a very real sense, we may say that the Bible was their
liturgy and their liturgy was the Bible. Ss. Cyril and
Methodius, together with their contemporaries, translated both
Liturgy and Bible into Slavonic in the second half of the
ninth century.

From then on, the Slav people, literate or not, knew the
Bible through the remarkable use of the Scriptures in their
parish churches — not only the New Testament, but also
vast sections of the Old, especially the Law (Pentateuch)
and the Prophets. Learning the Scriptures was easy, even for
illiterate peasants, because they heard them so often in the
prayers and readings of the Eucharistic Liturgy, solemn
Vespers and Matins on Sundays and holy days (and there were
thirty-six of these yearly). These divine services were known
and loved by lay people no less than by monks as is
evident today in the case of older immigrants who without
any special training or ability can sing almost all of these
services from memory!

It is as it should be. God's word still lives on in
readings, prayer and song to be cherished and loved by his
people unto generation after generation.

OUR BELIEFS 2I

Sacred Tradition

After Jesus went to heaven, the apostles "going out,
preached everywhere" (Mk 16:20), The emphasis is on
preaching, spreading the Lord's teachings by word of mouth.
In fact, some apostles wrote little or nothing at all. Even those
impelled by the Holy Spirit wrote down many instructions, but
not all of the truths taught by Jesus, as indicated by the
quotation from St. John given above (Jn 21:55). Later, St.
Paul admonished the Thessalonians: "Stand firm, then,
brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you,
whether by word of mouth or by letter" (2 Th 2:15).
All this shows that many revealed truths are not in the
Scriptures but were handed down by the apostles under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and so have come to us.
That, in a word, is Sacred Tradition.

Both the Bible and Tradition are instruments of God's
revelation; both are divinely inspired; both are worthy of
veneration. As St. John Chrysostom put it in the fourth
century, "It is evident that the apostles did not communicate
everything in writing, but they imparted many unwritten
things; so both deserve equal faith... It is Tradition,
ask no more" (Horn. 4, in Th).

If we maintain that the Bible, without Tradition, is the
sole source of our faith, we are discarding many revealed truths.
How would we know, for example, that all the books of the
New Testament are divinely inspired? After all, there is nothing
in the Bible that tells us which of its books, if any,
are inspired by God.

Furthermore, why do we not recognize the other very early
Christian writings as part of the Bible, beautiful works
such as Clement's Epistle to the Corinthians, Polycarp's
Epistle to the Phillippians, Ignatius' Epistle to the Ephesians
(or his Epistles to the Romans, to the Philadelphians, to the
Smyrnaeans), or the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles'} Why?
Because Tradition did not recognize them as part of the New
Testament. True, these and other writings contain many
Christian doctrines but their whole content is not the

22 CHAPTER I

inspired word of God.

We might claim that the apostles' inspiration can be
inferred from their reception of the fullness of the Holy
Spirit and, therefore, anything they wrote is divinely
inspired, part of the Bible. But this does not explain the
inspiration of Mark and Luke's writings, because they were not
apostles but only disciples.

We can also claim that Luke and Mark received the
fullness of the Holy Spirit through baptism and confir-
mation. But, then, so did Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius and the
rest of the early Christian writers. No, Sacred Tradition alone
tells us that Mark and Luke were divinely inspired and not
the rest.

Moreover, Tradition makes other truths of faith much
clearer than do the Scriptures alone, for instance the necessity of
infant baptism, the number of sacraments, etc. Certainly, if the
Scriptures alone were perfectly clear regarding the main truths of
salvation, everyone would agree about them. The muliplication
of non-Catholic denominations is proof enough that, without
Tradition as a guide, there is disagreement on basic truths.

Truths of faith, other than those found in the New
Testament, were also written down eventually. Today we find
them in:

(a) The various professions of faith, such as the Apostles'
Creed, the Nicene, and the Athanasian Creeds. These are
carefully formulated summaries of basic Christian beliefs.

(b) The Church's liturgical books, which contain the
directives (rubrics) and prayers of the Eucharistic Liturgy,
the seven Sacraments, blessings for various occasions,
funeral services, etc. Some of these are very ancient and show
what the early Church believed and how it worshiped.

(c) The writings of the early Fathers and writers. The Church
gave the title Fathers to the early Christian scholars, holy men
who faithfully reflected revealed truth. Their holiness of
life reinforced their integrity in setting down true doctrine.
Those who did not meet these standards are known merely as
Christian writers.

(d) Historical works. Here we include all Christian

OUR BELIEFS 23

histories, especially those contrasting heresies with the genuine
teachings of the Church. The Acts of various martyrs and
ancient inscriptions also provide good history. The former
describe those truths for which martyrs gave up their lives; the
latter, on tombs or public monuments, show what the early
Christians believed regarding images, prayers for the dead,
the afterlife, etc.

(e) The pronouncements of the Church's Councils, both
general and provincial. These give us a clear idea of what
the Church officially believes concerning specific subjects, and
usually in great detail. A good example is Vatican II.

Tradition is Living, Not Dead

The world changes. So does its knowledge and use of words.
As secular sciences advance, they can give us marvelous new
insights into revealed truths which the ancients did not have.
But modern research and development must also present
us with new problems, new questions that must be solved.
To mention a few, organ transplants, cloning, artificial
insemination, corporate cheating, and atomic weapons are
completely new realities. The Church must face such
problems and give answers agreeing with God's truth. It must
give old doctrines a facelift, in words and concepts modern man
can understand and appreciate.

Part of revealed Tradition, stemming from the apostles, is
just that: growing, progressing and developing God's truths to
fit them into the contemporary scene. Indeed, the Church is
equipped to do this job through the indwelling Spirit of truth,
who animates it and every member of Christ's Mystical
Body. The same Holy Spirit guarantees this sure gift of
truth from error when the Church speaks officially.

Writings which propose insights which contradict or
basically change accepted doctrine are not part of Tradition.
The Church, through its ordinary teaching authority, can declare
such writings heretical, in error. It has done so many times.

There is a bedrock of doctrinal truths which is unchangeable.
Contemporary language is free to define or describe

24 CHAPTER ]

religious truths in various ways; contemporary sciences are free
to add new dimensions to those truths — as long as their
basic meaning is not changed. Christ, for example, is both
God and man; this the Church taught from the beginning.
If an author writes that Jesus never claimed to be divine,
could not work miracles, could not have risen from the dead,
such a writer changes so many attributes of this man from
Galilee that Christ's divinity would be denied despite the
author's protest to the contrary. The Church does not have
to call a general Council to pronounce the writer's ideas
erroneous; it can do so through its ordinary teaching
authority (magisterium).

Summaries of the Faith

Before accepting a person for baptism, the Church asks
what that person believes. The candidate, either personally
or through his or her sponsors, answers by making a profession
of the faith. The practice seems to stem from apostolic times,
for St. Paul wrote to the Romans: "Thank God you
submitted without reservation to the creed you were taught' '
(Rm 6:17).

At first, baptismal creeds probably were quite simple.
The Apostles' Creed is a good example. As time went on,
they became more exact, more technical to counteract
the heresies which had arisen. This explains the semi-technical
language of the one drawn up at the Council of Nicea
(A.D. 325) and afterward expanded by the Council of
Constantinople (A.D. 381). Though the historic Christian
creeds are not complete and final statements of the faith
(nor were they intended to be), they are good summaries
of its main truths. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed is no
exception; this is the Creed professed at Byzantine baptisms.

^0^0^

CHAPTER II

The Infinite God

"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God!" (Ps 14:1)
Many reasons underlie modern unbelief. Jesus himself outlined
the main ones, still valid today, in his parable of the sower
(Lk 8:5-15). Probably very few people today have not heard of
God and his Good News through radio, television, newspapers
and books.

Their reaction? Some heard it and "then the devil comes and
carries away the word from their hearts." The forces of evil
at work in the modern world take on many forms (none of them
in the recognizable, traditional shape of a being with tail, pitch-
fork, and cloven hoofs). They use subtle means; they hide under
high-sounding names like rationalism, agnosticism, relativism,
humanism, Marxism, Maoism, and all kinds of other "isms."
The spirit of philosophical prejudice is not easily unmasked.
But some false ideas stand out: that absolute truth is impossible;
that only material things exist, things that science can
explore, weigh, and measure.

Sometimes evil itself is so horrendous, so overwhelming and
unopposed in the world that it leads people to deny the reality
of a good God. "God cannot exist; he would not allow such
dreadful things to happen," they will say. Others again think
man's own collective genius can scientifically control the en-
vironment and economics to the extent that man need not look
to any deity to achieve the happiness he desires.

Some people hear about God and his word but ' 'these have no
root; they believe for a while, and in time of trial they give up."
The trials may be pressures of governments committed to
atheism, making religious practice difficult or impossible. They
may be government policies insisting on absolute state supre-
macy (people must exist for the state rather than the state for
the people). Economic and cultural pressures shaped by men of
greed and lust can also lead people away from God. In a word,
trials may be anything which makes it hard to live as a believer.

Perhaps many more lost to God are those falling into thorns:

25

26 . CHAPTER II

' This is people who have heard, but as they go on their way they
are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life and do
not reach maturity." The reasons here are so clear they need
no comment.

Guilt for disbelief is difficult to measure, but it is inexcusable
(cf. Rm 1: 18-21). Human reason should be able to figure out that
God exists. The fact of creation is there for all to see.

Reason Can Tell Us

It makes as much sense to deny the intelligence and power
required for making the world and all things in it as for making
a skyscraper, a computer or a jet. "Every house is built by
someone, of course," says St. Paul, "but God built everything
that exists" (Heb 3:4).

Only Super-Intelligence could perfect the organic systems
evident in all living things down to the tiniest insect. They come
in all shapes and sizes, in all colors and hues, in all kinds and
qualities — billions of a kind (in each species), yet no two the
same. Each blade of grass, each fish, each bird, each animal a
work of art, superbly designed with intricate patterns and func-
tions, each programmed with computer accuracy in a law called
heredity, the complex mechanisms of each organ no less
wonderful than their whole.

Surely, Someone superintelligent must have established what
we loosely call evolution and its inexorable laws, just as
Someone must have set up the earth's eco-systems with their
complicated checks and balances. The mathematical harmony of
the universe, of our solar system alone, should be proof enough
of design and supreme intelligence.

But why go on? As the book of Wisdom observes: "Yes,
naturally stupid are all men who have not known God and who,
from the good things that are seen, have not been able to dis-
cover Him-who-is, or, by studying the works, have failed to
recognize the Craftsman . . . And if they have been impressed by
their power and energy, let them deduce from these how much
mightier is he that formed them, since through the grandeur
and beauty of the creatures we may, by analogy, contemplate

THE INFINITE GOD 27

their Author" (Ws 13:1, 4-5).

When one sits down to think of it, how can one deny that there
is a God? Unbelievers cannot be blameless: "They are not to be
excused: if they are capable of acquiring enough knowledge
to be able to investigate the world, how have they been so slow
to find its Master?" (Ws 13:1, 8-9).

Conscience

In spite of all such natural evidence, perhaps the last two
centuries have produced more atheists than any other age. All
peoples, civilized nations or stone-age tribes, have acknow-
ledged some kind of deity. In recorded history and before it,
ritual objects, altars and temples bear witness to this fact.

Before Christ came to earth, Cicero wrote, "There is no
people so rude and wild as not to have a belief in a god, though
they may not understand his nature." Livingstone, who got to
know primitive African tribes better than any man of his genera-
tion, observed, "Degraded as they may be, it is not necessary
to speak to them of the existence of God, nor of the future life.
Those two truths are universally acknowledged in Africa."

Such a universal conviction can only come from the inner
depths of human beings, from something inseparable from their
reasoning nature. With St. Paul, we can call it "the law engraved
on their hearts . . . their conscience" (Rm 2. 75 ). Primitive men
were mistaken in identifying the divine with idols, animals, sun,
moon and stars, but learned men and sages succeeded in reason-
ing their way to the conclusion that there can be only one
Supreme Being.

God Also Told Us About Himself

Some things about God we can know through our reason
and his created works. We can know other truths about him only
because he told us, through his revelation. Believing him and
his word requires faith. This is a free gift of God (Ep 2:8), but
our free will can either cooperate with God's grace or reject it.
If we do cooperate we will believe whatever he told us.

God told us much more about himself than that he was the

28

CHAPTER 1!

Creator, but because of the limitations of our intelligence within
the framework of time and space, many of his attributes are
hard for us to understand, and since he is infinite, no man or
woman will ever understand him completely.

One Infinite Being

When asked his name by Moses, God answered I AM WHO
AM, and then added, 'This is what you must say to the sons of
Israel: 7 Am has sent me to you'" (Ex 3:14). Here God calls
himself Being without limit, the Being therefore different from
any other being. All others possess limited being: he is unlimited
being, the fulness of being, the sum of all perfection. This very
notion excludes another One of his kind.

The limitations found in created finite beings do not exist
in God. Created beings always receive existence from other
beings. This dependence is itself an imperfection. God exists
even if nothing else did; he is independent of every other being,
and so there is in him no limitation.

Eternal And Changeless

God is eternal, without beginning and without end. The
Scriptures usually contrast God's eternity with created finite
things: "Before the mountains were born, before the earth or
the world came to birth, you were God from all eternity and for
ever" (Ps 90:2). Revelation calls God, "who is, who was, and
who is to come, the Almighty" (Rv 1:8).

The very idea of limited beings implies that their perfections
are curtailed (that they possess wisdom, power, goodness, beauty,
etc., only to a certain degree) and that these can be increased
beyond that particular degree (that they can indeed become
wiser, more powerful, etc.). In other words, they can change;
they are changeable. God is not changeable because he is infinite
(unlimited) being, perfection. In that sense, he cannot be other
than he is.

Everything but God changes. Empires and nations arise and
die, but God remains unchanged and unchangeable. He said,
"No, I, Yahweh, do not change" (Ml 3:6). Mountains and

THE INFINITE GOD 29

valleys appear and disappear, but God does not: "Aeons ago,
you laid earth' s foundations, the heavens are the work of your
hands; all will vanish, though you remain, all wear out like a
garment, like clothes that need changing you will change them;
but yourself, you never change, and your years are unending"
(Ps 102:25-27). To express the same idea, our liturgical prayers
usually end with, "now and always, and for ever and ever."

We humans form our ideas, our thinking about the divine,
from limited, finite things. Our ideas of the divine are therefore
imperfect. So are the words we use about God.

Knowing God only imperfectly and applying our way of
thinking to him, we say that God possesses wisdom, goodness
and so on. If he really possessed these as something added to his
nature, his being-essence would be imperfect of itself and would
be perfected by them. This is incorrect, God is absolutely perfect,
completely incapable of further perfection. Only limited beings,
like man, possess wisdom, goodness, etc., as something added
to their being, not God. Since God's being (essence) is identical
with his perfections, a better way of speaking is that God is
wisdom, goodness, etc., as Jesus himself indicated when he
said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" (Jn J 4:6). So
did St. John, "God is love" (1 Jn 4:16). This is why he could
also add, "and anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God
lives in him" (1 Jn 4:16).

God, of course, knowing that we are limited in our ways of
thinking, spoke to us according to our own ideas and words. We
must understand this when we read the Scriptures that extol his
greatness, his might; or any other of his attributes. We must
understand this, too, when the Bible speaks of God's hand, his
eyes and ears, though as a spirit he needs no eyes to see, ears
to hear, nor hands to do anything. To give us the idea that God
is all-knowing, for example, the Scripture speaks of God's eyes
and ears as seeing and hearing all things: "Samuel listened
to all that the people had to say and repeated it in the ears of
Yahweh" (1 S8:21); "Yahweh your God takes care of this land,
the eyes of Yahweh your God are on it always . . . ." (Dt 11:12).
To impress us with his might, scripture uses the idea of God's
hand: ' 'The hand of Yahweh fell upon them in the camp until

30 CHAPTER II

they had perished entirely" (Dt2:I5). To indicate his revelation,
the mouth of God is mentioned: "Man does not live on bread
alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God' '
(Mi 4:4; Dt 8:3). This imagery is merely a human and imper-
fect way of expressing some truth about God.

God the Almighty, the All-Powerful

In God all is infinite, like his being. He is almighty, limitless
power. He can do all things. In the words of Jesus, "For God
everything is possible" (Mt 19:26). Centuries before, the author
of Wisdom expressed it in this way: "For your great strength
is always at your call; who can withstand the might ofvour arm?
In your sight the whole world is like a grain of dust that tips
the scales, like a drop of morning dew falling on the ground. You
are merciful to all, because you can do all things" (Ws 1 1:2 J -23).

God is present everywhere by keeping everything in existence
with this limitless power. Our very existence depends upon him:
"How, had you (O God) not willed it, could a thing persist, how
be conserved if not called forth by you?" (Ws 11:25)

All-Knowing, All- Wise God

God sees all things and knows all things just as they are
because he is everywhere with his infinite Being. We humans
must often be satisfied with mere guesses, for we generally
know only the outward appearances of things. But God's know-
ledge, like his Being, penetrates all things (but is totally distinct
from them). Besides, he made everything, so why should he not
know it exactly? 'Wo created thing can hide from him; every-
thing is uncovered and open to his eyes" (Heb 4:13).

His knowledge extends to great things: "He decides the
number of the stars and gives each of them a name; our Lord is
great, all-powerful, of infinite understanding" (Ps 147:4-5). It
extends to little things: ' 'Can you not buy two sparrows for
a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father
knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted"
(Mt 10:29-30).

Being eternal, God knows the past, present and future, even

THEINFINITEGOD 31

what proceeds from our free will. We can read many instances
of the latter in the prophecies of the Old Testament, especially
concerning the Messiah. All was predicted, all was fulfilled in
Christ Jesus, even the actions resulting from the free will of
others. Jesus himself showed he had this power as Son of God,
' 'For Jesus knew from the outset those who did not believe, and
who it was that would betray him" (Jn 6:64).

A few days earlier, Jesus had wept over Jerusalem and pre-
dicted its destruction: "As he drew near and came in sight of
the city he shed tears over it and said, 'If you in your turn had
only understood on this day the message of peace! But, alas, it
is hidden from your eyes! Yes, a time is coming when your
enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will
encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you
and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave
not one stone standing on another within you — and all because
you did not recognize your opportunity when God offered it"
(Lk 19:41-44). The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A. D.

<K*K>^

CHAPTER III

God Is Spirit

When asked by the Samaritan woman whether God ought to
be worshipped on Mount Gerizim or at Jerusalem, Jesus replied,
"True worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth
. . . God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit
and truth" (Jn 4:23-24).

The meaning of spiritual realities is always difficult to grasp,
especially for modern minds. Trained to deal with reality that
can be measured, weighed and observed, we find it particularly
difficult to understand how a being can be real, yet not have
shape, weight or form; how it can be real, yet not occupy space,
place and time. We are used to equating the real with the material.

Material things are confined, limited to place, space and time.
This car, for example, being material, has to occupy a definite
place and space — so much floor and space footage. It exists
now, this year, in this century, and only for so many years.
Shape, size and color are other limitations of matter — this
car is streamlined, hatch-backed, sub-compact and blue. Material
things, being made up of parts, also can be divided, taken apart,
destroyed.

A spirit is not limited to any of these ways because it is
absolutely immaterial, has no matter at all. It exists, therefore,
without having to occupy space or place, without any size,
shape, or weight. That is why it is foolish and useless trying to
figure out a way to prove or disprove a spirit's existence by
observation (by trying to see, measure, weigh, etc.). The Soviet
press release about the fact of the astronauts not seeing God in
space as constituting proof of his non-existence merely reflects
their total misconception of elementary spiritual realities.

Furthermore, because a spirit is not made up of parts, it can-
not be divided nor destroyed (destruction is the radical breakup
of parts, etc.). If a being cannot be destroyed, it is immortal.
All this applies to a spirit, human soul, angel or God.

33

34 CHAPTER III

Present Everywhere

Having limited being, our soul has a limited presence in the
sense that it cannot be everywhere. God is everywhere because
he is unlimited Being. As a spirit, our soul has no parts like
material things, so it is totally and indivisibly present in every
part of our living body, but it does not extend beyond the limits
of our body. God's presence is not limited by anything: it is even
beyond the boundaries of the universe. Solomon realized this
when he spoke at the dedication of the temple, "Why, the
heavens and their own heavens cannot contain you! How much
less this house that 1 have built" (2 Ch 6:18).

Thinking about this, too, the psalmist was moved to say:
' 'Where could I go to escape your spirit? Where could I flee from
your presence? If I climb the heavens, you are there, there too,
if I lie in Sheol. If I flew to the point of sunrise, or westward
across the sea, your hand would still be guiding me, your right
hand holding me" (Ps 139:7-10).

Many people still think of God as Somebody way out there,
far out in some nebulous distance. He is Somebody out there,
true, but he is also here: he is everywhere. St. Luke put it this
way: "Yet in fact he is not far from any of us, since it is in him
that we live, and move, and exist" (Ac 17:28).

Through Jeremiah, God said, "Do I not fill heaven and
earth — it is Yahweh who speaks" (Jr 23:24). God fills heaven
and earth by being present in every part of the universe with his
substance as water is in a pail. Actually, all the water in a pail is
not wholly present in each part, only part in part. God, being
Spirit, not consisting of parts, is present in everything, in each
part of everything, everywhere, with his whole substance. Yet
he is utterly distinct from us, from the world and everything: we
are not God, the world is not God, nor is anything else God!

God's Special Presence

When two or three are gathered together in his name, God is
present in a special mysterious way. The Jews of old called
it the Shekinah.

When first revealed, this special divine presence showed itself

G0DISSP1RIT 35

to Ezekiel (3:12) in visible form as the glory of God ("Blessed
be the glory ofYahweh in his dwelling place" ) . For the Jews, the
tabernacle and later the Temple became places where this divine
presence was localized. Later, the Jews rightly became convinced
that anywhere two or three gathered together to read the Scrip-
tures, there in their midst was this special presence of God.

Christ, as Son of God, revealed that this was true of himself
too: "/ tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth
agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my
Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I
shall be there with them" (Mt 18:19-20). This means what it
says, anywhere, at home, in school or driving down the street.

Byzantine Christians are vividly aware of this mysterious
divine presence and regard their churches as dwelling-places of
God. In the Eucharist, Jesus is miraculously present with his
body and blood, soul and divinity. They know this, but even
when the Holy sacrament is not there, the church still remains
"heaven on earth" for them, especially the sanctuary. As a
result, the Byzantine Church calls the sanctuary the Holy Place
or the Holy of Holies, reminiscent of the Jerusalem Temple.
Its awesome holiness is emphasized by the iconostas(ion) which
separates it from the nave (see below, pp. 75 ff.).

The idea of keeping the most holy apart comes from the
mystery of the Burning Bush, when God warned Moses not to
come any closer: "Come no nearer. Take off your shoes, for the
place on which you stand is holy ground' ' (Ex 3 :5) . The idea of
"hiding" the most sacred, on the other hand, goes back to
fourth-century Eastern spirituality when the notion of the holy
and awesome was being associated with "the dangerous," "the
terrifying." To induce greater reverence for the divine presence
and the sacred mysteries, for example, St. Cyril of Jerusalem
described them as "fearful," "the most dread," "the most
hair-raising." This notion has a scriptural basis: "Yahweh said
to Moses, 'Go down and warn the people not to pass beyond
their bounds to come and look on Yahweh, or many of them
will lose their lives" (Ex 19:21).

Jerusalem probably led the way in introducing a veil to hide
and separate the holy mysteries from the faithful. From veiling

36 CHAPTER ill

off the sanctuary to partitioning it off was but a step. From the
seventh century on, solid or screen partitions, waist-high or
ceiling-high, became typical features of Byzantine churches.
Later, icons were hung on these partitions, probably to further
the impression of "heaven on earth." In heaven, God in his
glory is surrounded by saints; so in the sanctuary he is surrounded
by images of his holy ones.

He Is a Living God

Abstract considerations may give us the idea that a spirit is
some formless, inert reality. Not at all! A spirit is a person
and acts like one, for it has intelligence and free will. We have
these faculties because of our spirit, the soul. Animals and
plants, though living, do not have them because their principle
of life is different from ours: it is not spiritual. They cannot
think, cannot really choose freely: they act by instinct.

We have said it before: the universe, the earth and all its
creatures all programmed according to a definite plan and design,
required supreme intelligence. God did it all, so he must be
supremely intelligent. He did not have to, but he chose to do it,
as he chose the Israelites to be his special people, and as he
chose to send his only-begotten Son to redeem us. These are
acts of a rational and free being. Having intelligence with which
to think and a will with which to choose, God is personal in
that very basic sense. Obviously, there is more to personality
than just being intelligent and free. God is more than that too.

Personal and Loving

God is not some infinite Being, totally uncaring and un-
interested in the fate of his creatures. Nor is he some impersonal
cosmic force. His dealings with the Israelites show that he does
care very much, that he is a personal God. This is what he meant
by telling Moses he was "Yahweh, the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Ex 3:15) and, "Yahweh
your God is going with you; he will not fail you or desert you"
(Dt 31:6). He kept his word. He brought his people out of
slavery, made a pact (covenant) with them, gave them a code of

GOD IS SPIRIT 37

life, sent them quail and manna in the desert, and brought
them to the promised land. He helped them overcome enemies
of body and soul. No wonder Joshua exclaimed, "By this you
shall know that a living God is with you" (Jos 3:10), and Isaiah,
"Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I,
Yahweh, your God, teach you what is good for you, I lead you
in the way that you must go" (Is 48:17).

The psalms, all of them, are exquisite poems on the personal
relationship between God and man.

Divine Providence means God's watchful care for his crea-
tures, a care prompted by concern, tenderness and love for
each of us. It means both foresight and nourishment. Jesus
wanted us to think of God not so much as the Almighty but
as a Father who loves his children. Moved by the Spirit, we
should all cry out "Abba, Father" (Mk 14:36; Rm8:15; Ga4:6),
an Aramaic word of intimate familiarity, comparable with
"Papa" or "Dad.'" It gripped the first Christians so much that
when they translated the text into other languages, they left the
word in its original, so that readers would not lose any of its flavor.

We can almost hear him now: Jesus trying to convince people
that God cares — with an infinite love. His touching, simple
words still move us and we are hushed:

' 'That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and
what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to
clothe it. Surely life means more than food, and the body more
than clothing! Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or
reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not worth much more than they are? Can any of you, for
all his worrying, add one single cubit to his span of life? And
why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the
fields; they never have to work or spin; yet I assure you that
not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of these.
Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which
is there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not
much more look after you, you men of little faith? So do not
worry; do not say, 'What are we to eat? What are we to drink?
How are we to be clothed? " It is the pagans who set their hearts

38 CHAPTER III

on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them
all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteous-
ness, and all these other things will be given you as well" (Mt
6:25-33).

God Reflected in Us

We could use all the words in the world yet not begin to
describe God. He is holy, loving good and hating evil. He is just,
rewarding good and punishing evil according to merit. He is
kind, generous, compassionate, merciful, patient, truthful,
trustworthy: in fact, any other perfection we can think of — to an
infinite degree. His being is such (limitless) that he is all those
perfections personified: he is goodness, kindness, mercy, etc.

Our perfections are reflections of him. That is why our hearts
are instinctively drawn to the really good people on earth, to the
compassionate, the humble, generous and so on, because they
reflect God. That is how he will recognize us when it comes to
judgment. How else explain the Lord's words, "/ shall tell
them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you
evil men" (Mt 7:23).

All people reflect God in their perfections, being "images of
his Son" (Rm 8:29), "reflecting like mirrors the brightness of
the Lord, all grown brighter and brighter as we are turned into
the image that we reflect' ' (2 Co 3:18). The Holy Mother of God
and the saints mirror him even more. Jesus mirrors him perfectly
insofar as human nature is able to.

God Reflected in Icons

We are creatures of body and soul. In everything we do,
worship included, we use both mind and senses. Jesus recognized
this when he used clay made of spittle and soil, together with
water of the Siloam Pool, in curing the blind man (Jn 9:6). He
let himself be baptized with water from the Jordan. He used the
physical act of breathing when he gave the apostles power to
forgive sins (Jn 20:22). He did not have to use such externals:
he used them in order to express more vividly to us the hidden
reality being imparted. In fact, he made use of externals, physical

GOD IS SPIRIT 39

means, which we now call sensible signs, for the imparting
of all the sacramental mysteries.

Almost from the beginning, the Church was realistic. It
used pictures to help us pray, to serve as reminders of holy
events and people. But between the Christian East and West
there is a world of difference in the interpretation given to sacred
images.

In Greek icon means an image, a likeness, a resemblance,
a picture (from the verb eoikenai, to look like). Paul uses that
very word in the passage about people becoming images of the
Lord. In English, icon means a special kind of picture, a painting
of the Lord, of holy persons or of great events in their lives.
The painting is usually, though by no means always, done on a
panel of wood covered with a thin layer of gesso (plaster and
powdered alabaster).

Western Christians regard holy pictures merely as representa-
tions of those in heaven. For Eastern Christians, the picture and
the person it represents, whether the Lord, his Mother or the
saints, are so closely linked that in contemplating the picture the
person in it is in some way present — in that it indeed reflects
that person's holiness, compassion, goodness and mercy. The
simple Russian, Ukrainian or Greek peasant cannot explain it,
but he has an intuitive belief that the pictured holy one is present
in some mysterious way. It is not easy for him to sin, to lie, to
cheat, to be brutal before an icon in his home. As the Russians
used to say, "Before committing a foul deed, carry out the
saints," meaning the holy icons. When the Soviets began dis-
playing ancient icons in museums and art galleries as part of the
Russian heritage, people flocked to see them: "The saints" had
been brought back. Even today in Soviet museums, some visitors
take off their caps before the holy images.

The intense feeling of reverence for icons may be explained
partially by the original intention of the icon painters. They
attempted to put into the icon a sensible emanation of the divine.
They prayed and fasted for days and weeks before taking up
their brushes.

Eastern spirituality identified holiness with asceticism: great
saints were fiercely ascetic. Christ and the holy ones pictured on

40 CHAPTER III

icons, therefore, look thin, emaciated, worn out as if by inces-
sant praying. The holy ones were anything but sensual; their
representations are totally devoid of any physical or emotional
appeal.

Russian and Ukrainian icon painters observed the iron discip-
line and strict rules prescribed by the Greek masters. Back-
ground, clothes, faces, hands and feet had to conform to definite
rules of shape, line and color; so did landscapes, skies, trees,
even animals. Nothing could be abandoned to artistic fancy. The
Slavs followed the rules with all humility, but their soul was
different: it could not repress its deep emotion, tenderness and
sacred joy. The holy ones look gentler and more mellow in Slav
icons than in the Greek.

Before the Communist takeover, icons were important items
in every Slav Christian home. The eastern corner of every room
was reserved for one or more icons — sometimes encased in
a small shrine lined with silk or velvet, in front of which a small
lamp burned day and night. In the houses of the rich and he
huts of the poor, the icon-comer was decorated in the nicest way
possible: it was called the Red Corner, In old Slavonic, the
liturgical language for centuries, "red" was synonymous with
''beautiful," with something out of the ordinary, festive or
exceptionally important. Red Square in Moscow, for example, is
not a Communist expression, as many seem to believe, but the
very old name given to the most beautiful square of the tsar's
former capital.

In the old days, whenever someone entered a house, his own
or that of a friend, he would first bow low before the icons
and make the sign of the cross before greeting those present.
Sometimes he would also express his reverence for the icons
with a kiss.

For Eastern Christians, icons at home or in church are always
more than mere art. They are channels of grace (sacramentals)
bringing people into contact with the realities of heaven. That
is why Eastern Christians have such deep feelings for them;
that is why they revere them with awe.

CHAPTER IV
The Mystery of God in the Trinity

Of all mysteries, the greatest is the Holy Trinity: three
Persons in one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Had God not
told us this truth, we could not have suspected it. The mystery of
three Persons in God is not against reason, but any attempt to
explain it completely is doomed to failure. As St. Ambrose
remarked, "The voice is silent; not only mine, but the voice of
angels." Utterly baffled by this mystery, we simply have to take
God's word for it.

This truth concerns the intimate life of God, the mystery of
God in himself. It is a mystery of impenetrable relationships
and love. Our own relationships with other people are impenetra-.
ble, too, and we must fall back upon faith, human faith, to
know the truth of the others' intimate lives and of their love for
us or lack of it — even with people we know quite well and see
frequently. The intimate life of God in himself, the mystery of
the Trinity (the family secret, as it were), surely cannot be
known by anyone who has never seen God, and 'Wo one has
ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father's
heart, who has made him known" (Jn 1:18).

The mystery of the Holy Trinity is so great that God revealed
it to man gradually, only by degrees. The shock would have been
too much even for the chosen people. Surrounded as they were
on all sides by peoples believing in many gods (polytheists),
they would have hopelessly confused the Trinity with polytheism.
Still, there are hints of the Trinity in the Old Testament.

The Trinity in the Old Testament

Only after Jesus revealed the existence of the Trinity clearly
and explicitly can we now better understand the veiled references
to it in the Old Testament.

There may be a hint of some plurality-in-one almost at the
beginning of the Bible: ' 'God said, 'Let us make man in our own
image, in the likeness of ourselves . . . ' God created man in

41

42 CHAPTER IV

the image of himself (Gn 1:26-27). Again, after Adam's sin,
'"See, the man has become like one of us, with his knowledge
of good and evil'" (Gn 3:22). To confound the descendants
of Noah when they arrogantly planned to reach heaven by building
a tower (Babel), God mused within himself, '"Come, let us go
down and confuse their language on the spot . . .' Yahweh
scattered them thence over the whole face of the earth" (Gn 11:7-8).
Many of the early Fathers also saw hints of the Trinity in
the frequent use of God's name in plural form Elohim (the
singular is El), and in the triple repetitions both of the divine
name and of his attributes (e.g., Dt 6:4; Ps 67:7-8; Is 6:3).

The Trinity in the New Testament

The Son of God was coming to earth! The Archangel Gabriel
made the announcement. He told Mary at Nazareth, "Listen!
You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him
Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High"
(Lk 1:31-32). In answer to her question about how this could be,
Gabriel replied: '"The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the
power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so
the child will be holy and will be called the Son of God'"
(Lk 1:35). Here for the first time man got to know that, besides
the Most High (Father), there is God the Son and God the Holy
Spirit.

Jesus grew up and left home to begin his teaching. Before
beginning his public life, however, he insisted on being baptized
by John. At the baptism, "Suddenly the heavens opened," and
John the Baptist "saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove
and coming down on him. And a voice spoke from heaven, This
is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him" (Mt 3:16f.).
Here again we have three persons: the Father speaking, the Son
being baptized, and the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a
dove.

Jesus himself began teaching this truth of the Trinity openly
in the third year of his ministry. The Jews were in a fighting
mood. The time was the feast of the Dedication in winter; the
place, Solomon's porch in the Temple of Jerusalem. Despite

THETR1NITY 43

Jesus' claims that he was the one sent from God, the Jews
disbelieved him, so he insists: "/ have told you, but you do not
believe. The works I do in my Father's name are my witness. ..."
As Son of God, he could also claim: ' 7 give them (his sheep, the
ones who believe him) eternal life; they will never be lost and no
one will ever steal them from me. The Father who gave them to
me is greater than anyone, and no one can steal from the Father.
The Father and 1 are one" (Jn 10:25-30).

The Jews understood exactly what he meant, for ' 'They fetched
stones to stone him." He minces no words as he continues:
"I have done many good works for you to see, works from my
Father; for which of these are you stoning me?" The Jews
answer him: ' 'We are not stoning you for doing a good work but
for blasphemy: you are only a man and you claim to be God' '
(Jn 10:32-33). Here Jesus does not mention the Holy Spirit, but
does claim to be the Son of God, someone distinct from the
Father.

In his heart-to-heart talk with his friends the evening before
he died, Jesus repeatedly referred to God as his Father and to the
Holy Spirit as another Advocate. Sadly, almost pathetically,
he insisted: ' 'You must believe me when I say that I am in the
Father and the Father is in me" (Jn 14:1 J). ' 7 shall ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever,
that spirit of truth . . . ."(Jn 14:16). "The Advocate, the Holy
Spirit whom the Father will send in my name will teach you
everything and remind you of all 1 have said to you" (Jn 14:26).
' 'When the Advocate comes, whom I shall send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father, he will be
my witness" (Jn 15:26). "Now, Father," he prayed, "it is time
for you to glorify me with that glory 1 had with you before ever
the world was" (Jn 17:5).

The next day Jesus was put to death. The charge against him
was still the same: blasphemy. The high priest asked him, "Are
you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus answered
unequivocally, "I am" (Mk 14:61-62). For that, the verdict was
death. With his dying breath, he called out, "Father, into your
hands 1 commit my spirit" (Lk 23:46).

After his resurrection, Jesus stayed on earth for forty days.

44 CHAPTER IV

His last commission to the apostles contained a brief and clear
confirmation of the Holy Trinity: "Go, therefore, make disciples
of all the nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Mt 28:19).

Inspired as he was, St. Paul glorifies the Trinity by referring
to the three Divine Persons in frequent invocations, as he does
in his second letter to the Corinthians: "The grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit be with you all" (2 Co 13:13).

There are many more passages in the New Testament referring
to the Holy Trinity (e.g., 1 P 1:2, Tt 3:4-6, Heb 10:29, Jude
20-21, etc.).

Each Divine Person Is Distinct

There are three distinct Persons who are one God. They are
really distinct; not only are they called by different names, they
are also contrasted by different relationships. One begets, the
other is begotten; one sends, the others are sent; the first asks
the second sends the third at the request of the first. The third
proceeds from the others and acts in his own unique way, teach-
ing, being witness, etc. Furthermore, all three act as Persons
because all these actions (the asking, the sending, the teaching)
can be attributed only to persons. In other words, the Father is
neither the Son nor the Holy Spirit; the Son is neither the Father
nor the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the
son. Beyond this we cannot say much.

For all his speculation, St. Gregory of Nazianzus could only
say "You hear that there is generation? Do not waste your time
in seeking after the how. You hear that the Spirit proceeds from
the Father? Do not busy yourself about the how" (Orat. XX, 2);
"You ask what is the procession of the Holy Spirit? Do tell me
first what is the unbegottenness of the Father, then I will explain
to you the physiology of the Son's generation and the Spirit's
procession and both of us shall be stricken with madness for
prying into the mystery of God" (Orat. XXXI, 8).

THE TRINITY 45

Each Person Is God

Though each Person is distinct, each of them is one and the
same God.

The Father is God. Jesus clearly taught this: "/ am ascending
to my Father, and your Father, to my God and your God"
(Jn 20:17); "Abba (Father), everything is possible for you . . . ."
(Mk 14:36 — Almighty power is a divine attribute).

The Son is God. The Scriptures are no less explicit regarding
the divinity of the Son; ' 'In the beginning was the Word: the Word
was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the
beginning. Through him all things came to be, not one thing had
its being but through him" (Jn 1:1-3). The Divine Word is
"the only Son of the Father" (Jn J:J4) — if the Father is God,
the Son must be too. (Besides this, Jesus himself proved he is
God by rising from the dead as he predicted, a feat that requires
divine power).

The Holy Spirt is God. The Scriptures call the Holy Spirit
God: ' 'How can Satan have so possessed you that you should lie
to the Holy Spirit? . . . .It is not to men that you have lied, but
to God" (Ac 5:3,4). Sometimes the Scriptures point to God
and the Holy Spirit as the one giver of divine gifts: "There is a
variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of
service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all
sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who
is working in all of them" (1 Co 12:4ff.; cf. also Ga 4:6). Only
an infinite being can comprehend infinite being, yet the Scrip-
tures say of the Holy Spirit: ' 'These are the very things that God
has revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit reaches the
depths of everything, even the depths of God. After all. the
depths of a man can only be known by his own spirit, not by any
other man, and in the same way the depths of God can only be
known by the Spirit of God" (1 Co 2:10-11).

Each of the three Persons is God with one and the same divine
nature or substance, otherwise there would be three gods. People
have separate human natures. Each human person has a nature
similar to that of others yet truly distinct — they are not one
being. Each divine Person is a nature not merely similar to that

46 CHAPTER IV

of the others, but the same.

The Earliest Christians Believed in the Trinity

We can comb history from the time of Christ on and we will
find that Christians believed in the Holy Trinity immediately
from the beginning. They baptized in the name of the three
divine Persons; they went to their death confessing the Trinity;
they composed creeds which professed the same truth as did
their writers — Clement of Rome, Justin, Polycarp, Ignatius of
Antioch, Irenaeus, Athenagoras — and they branded as heretics
all those who in some way or another denied the existence of the
three Persons in God — Praxeas, Noetus, Sabellius, Photinus
and Priscillian, Arius.

To oppose these heretics and their false teachings, the Church
called one council after another, clarifying and defining certain
aspects of the true doctrine in precise terms, too technical to
be included here.

The Holy Trinity: Center of the Christian Faith

Belief in the Trinity is important, not only for shedding light
on the inner life of God, but also because it helps us to under-
stand other truths of the Christian faith. In fact, it is central to
that faith. Without belief in the plurality of Persons in one God,
who could believe that Jesus is the Son of God, come to earth
to make man right with God?

How are we to understand this truth of the Trinity? Truly, we
cannot. There are many three-in-one signs, apparent symbols of
the Trinity: fire, with its flame, heat and light; the shamrock or
three-leaf clover, dear to St. Patrick; three match-sticks held
together producing a single flame, a delightful demonstration for
children in catechism class. Faced with the truly awesome
mystery of the Holy Trinity, all of us, doctors of theology or
not, are truly children. It is as it should be; God would have
made it clearer had it been necessary for our salvations.

The Sign of the Cross, an Expression of Belief
in the Trinity

Two truths typify Christianity: the Holy Trinity and the

THETR1NITY 47

Redemption. The sign of the cross expresses both.

Christians used it from apostolic times by tracing it with
thumb or forefinger on their foreheads. Probably as a reaction
against Monophysism (the fifth-century heresy claiming that
Jesus had only one nature, the divine), they began making the
sign of the cross with a wider gesture, from brow to breast and
from right shoulder to left. The thumb and first two fingers of
the right hand are joined at the tips; the fourth and fifth fingers
are folded over the palm. The two fingers and thumb signify the
three Persons of the Trinity, while the other two fingers symbolize
the two natures, the divine and human, in Jesus Christ (dented by
the Monophysite heresy). With the fingers so joined, the fore-
head is touched first ("In the name of the Father"), then the
breast ("and of the Son"), the right shoulder ("and of the
Holy . . ."), and finally the left shoulder (". . . Spirit. Amen").
Meanwhile, the head and shoulders are slightly bowed as a sign
of submission to the Godhead.

Byzantine Christians touch the right shoulder first, not the
left as do Latin Rite Catholics. Before the end of the twelfth
century, Christians of both East and West made the sign of the
cross from the right to the left. At the time of Pope Innocent III
(1198-1216), Latin Rite Catholics began making it with all the
fingers extended, and from the left shoulder to the right. This
newer way was to stress the fact that Jesus came from the Father
to earth by becoming man, then descended into the left side, i.e.,
into hell, by his death and thence into his Father's right side,
by his ascension. Another explanation was that making the sign
from the left (the weak side, the side of sin) to the right (the
side of salvation) would symbolize the death of Christ on the
cross, and our being carried by it from the left to the right side,
to salvation.

The earlier, more ancient way of making the sign of the cross,
still practiced by Byzantine Christians, from the right to the
left, is understood to mean that salvation passed from the Jews,
who were at the right side of God (the side of honor, belonging
to the chosen people) to the Gentiles, who were at his left.
Touching the right shoulder first also expresses the Christian
hope to be put among the righteous on the right hand of Christ,

48 CHAPTER IV

the Judge, at the Final Judgment.

The ritual sign of the cross, whatever its form, is indeed the
sign of Christ crucified, the sign of our redemption, and its
accompanying words express our belief in the Holy Trinity and
glorify it. Usually, Byzantine Christians cross themselves three
times, each separate action honoring one Person of the Trinity.

In addition, touching the forehead, breast, and shoulders
acknowledges that our faculties (mind and heart) and all our
strength (the shoulders) are being dedicated to the service of
the Triune God through the cross of Christ.

Frequency

Byzantine Christians love to use the sign of the cross liberally
in everyday life. During the Eucharistic Liturgy, the faithful
make it at least thirty-six times — at every blessing and doxology,
and whenever the three Persons of the Trinity are mentioned.
Anyone wishing to place emphasis on a particular prayer or
petition in any liturgical service will also cross himself.

The sign of the cross accompanies pious Eastern Slavs from
cradle to grave, and beyond. They cross themselves when leaving
on a trip, when going to work or returning from it, when begin-
ning their work or ending it. They make a reverent sign of
the cross on passing a church, on hearing of a death, accident
or other bad news, on meeting a funeral procession. They make
it in fear, danger, temptation, or as a sign of fervent entreaty;
or again, on passing a roadside cross or an icon-shrine, before
an icon in any home. They make it before and after meals. When
a mother is putting her child to sleep, she traces the sign of the
cross over it. The scriptural text, "A father's blessing makes the
houses of his children firm" (Si 3:11) is lived daily in their
actions and traditions. At weddings, the young couple's fathers
and mothers bless their children at the doorstep before they leave
for the church wedding. Any important event, even the most
mundane, is sanctified with this truly Christian practice.

Without even knowing it, people who cross themselves are
imitating the early Christians. As far back as the second century,
Christians blessed their day with the sign of the cross. "We cross

THE TRINITY 49

ourselves," Tertullian writes, "in all our travels and move-
ments, whenever we enter or go out of the house, in putting on
our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles,
in lying down, in sitting down, in whatever we do . . . ."
("De cor. mil.," 3). St. Cyril of Jerusalem says the same thing
of the Christians in his day (the fourth century). "We make it,
this sign," he writes, "over the bread we eat and over the cup
we drink; whenever we come into or go out of the house; before
our sleep, when we lie down and when we get up; when we are
on a trip, and when we are resting" ("Cat." XIII, 36).

We should do no less. Over and over again, we can dedicate
and rededicate these ordinary acts of our day with this simple
sign.

<$OQp®

PART TWO
THE HOLY MYSTERY OF CREATED BEINGS

■

CHAPTER V

Creation

Man has always wondered about the origin of the world. Un-
believers still do. Was it always there? How did it come about?
Why?

Primitive man gazed at the night skies, saw more stars than
he could count, and scratched his head. He figured them to be
slightly larger than the neighbor's campfire, and maybe farther
than an eight-week hunting trip. No mere man could have hung
so many of them in the sky. Perhaps they are gods and the sun
is their chief. Searching the same heavens with his radio tele-
scope, modern man is baffled by the number of galaxies. Cal-
culating their distance in millions and even billions of light
years, he knows he will never be able to reach them. Awe fills
his soul, as he ponders the reaches of outer space. How could it
all have come about, he wonders.

The ancient Greeks contemplated matter, imagined the
smallest particle possible and gave it a name, atom. Modem
scientists proved the atom existed, but found it a microcosm:
a small world, consisting of a nucleus (protons and neutrons)
and electrons swirling around it, not unlike our sun with its
planetary system. These must be the smallest particles in exis-
tence, they theorized. That was a few decades ago. Now scientists
have counted hundreds of other particles within the atom and
they know this is not the end. The awe of the physicist equals
that of the astronomer: both are left to marvel at the wonder of it
all.

Looking into a stagnant pond, ancient man was surprised at
the teeming life within it. Why, he mused, some living creatures
are so tiny I cannot pick them up between my finger tips, and
yet they are alive! His modem cousin peers through his electron
microscope into a droplet of similar water and is astonished
even more by what he sees. But the secret of life — the principle
of life — ever-old and ever-new, etudes him just as it did his
forebears millenniums ago. What is life? How did it come about?

This cat, this fly, this man vibrantly alive one moment, dead

53

54 CHAPTER V

the next! What happened? What exactly was it that made the
difference? What is life? How can a dead carrot change into the
living flesh of a man? The questions are unending. Scientific
knowledge has indeed taken giant strides, but each step opens
up new vistas, new worlds, which bring about new puzzles.

Some of the questions are fundamental; others are not. For the
believer, the fundamental questions are answered by God's
word. For the unbeliever, they remain unanswered. Faith answers
more questions than does unbelief. The unbelieving scientist
faced with a universe in which all things can be observed and
measured, is yet unable to determine its cause. This conjures a
realm of faith — precisely what science had tried to banish.
"It's like a bad dream," remarked a materialistic physicist
recently, "we climb the highest mountain in science, and we
find the theologians have been sitting there for centuries."

God Created the World Out of Nothing

For the Christian, the puzzle of the world's origin is solved
by the simple words of Genesis: "In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was a formless void
. . . ." (Gn 1:1-2).

When we make a chair, a car, or anything, we make it out of
something — out of wood, metal, plastics; we need materials
from which to construct it. Actually, we are merely changing
something which already exists. God does not. Creation means
to bring forth something from nothing, to produce something
and everything about it without the use of pre -existent matter.
Sometimes we say loosely an artist creates a masterpeice, a
songwriter, a song; but an artist needs paints and canvas; a
songwriter, sounds, words, notes, etc. Both need energy and
effort. God created out of nothing because he started with nothing,
with no pre-existing matter, and he parted with nothing of his
own Being in the act of creating.

The words, "Now the earth was a formless void . . . ."
(Gn 1:2), clearly exclude the use of any pre-existing matter:
creation is meant, not formation. As if this one passage were
not plain enough, another makes it clearer yet: ' 'In the beginning

CREATION 55

was the Word .... Through him all things came to be, not one
had its being but through him" (Jn 1:1-3). If all things came
into existence through the Divine Word, and not one thing
exists (has its being) but through him, then obviously there
was no self-existent, uncreated matter. God created everything
in the strictest sense of the word, merely by the act of his will.

The words, "In the beginning," also exclude the theory of
uncreated matter always existing; so do the words of the
psalmist: "Before the mountains were born, before the earth or
the world came to birth, you were God from all eternity and
for ever" (Ps 90:2). Jesus himself said, "Now, Father, it is
time for you to glorify me with that glory I had with you before
ever the world was" (Jn 17:5). The world, therefore, is not
like the Son of God, from all eternity. Before creation, there
was no universe, no mass of matter, no elements of any kind;
in fact, there was not even time. There is no other way to inter-
pret these passages from Scripture.

It may be that God first created the universe different from
what it is now. It may have been in the form of a mass of un-
imaginable density, with forces to match; then, approximately
twenty billion years ago, BANG (the big bang theory), an
enormous explosion hurled parts of it away at immense speed
(expanding universe), and these eventually formed into what we
now observe in our universe. But there was a starting point to
that primordial, compressed mass. God produced that mass,
matter itself, in whatever its original form, from nothing; and
into that matter he put forces which make it act the way it did
and still does. Einstein's theory that matter is convertible to
energy and vice versa does not invalidate the principle of
creation.

Always existing is an infinite attribute, proper to infinite
Being. Ascribing an infinite, limitless attribute to a finite,
limited thing is against reason: people do this when they believe
matter always existed, eternally (materialism, evolutionism,
naturalism, pantheism). The whole visible universe, huge
beyond our imagination though it is and whatever its history,
is limited and changeable. These are attributes of a finite being,
not of infinite Being.

56 CHAPTER V

Pantheism

Pantheism comes in many forms. In one way or another,
it always identifies God with the world or its forces; it claims
that God is the real, intrinsic being of things, the acting principle
in the universe.

Such an idea contradicts ordinary experience and observation.
According to pantheism, there is no multiplicity of being; all
things are identified with the divine essence; all is one and one
is all. Our reason and senses tell us differently. We see many
different kinds of beings: stones, plants, cats, humans, each
one with its own characteristics. I, as a human being, am not a
plant, nor a stone, nor a cat. Living beings such as plants and
cats are essentially different from non-living things such as
stones and water. Plants act differently — and this is basic —
from higher animals which have senses, emotion, etc. Human
beings, the highest of all earthly creatures, can think, read,
invent and freely choose, actions radically different from those
of lower creatures. Where the properties and actions are so
essentially different, there must also be an essential distinction
of being (substance). There is not merely one being (substance);
there are many.

Each one of us is conscious of his own thoughts, not of the
thoughts of others; yet, if we were mere parts of one being
(substance) we should be conscious of the thoughts of others as
well as of our own.

The very notion of God contradicts pantheism. Though some
philosophical considerations are difficult for ordinary people to
understand (e.g. , that infinite Being is necessary, unchangeable,
spiritual, etc.), others are not. The fundamental error of pan-
theism is that it ascribes infinite attributes ("qualities") to finite
things.

God is infinite, boundless; to him we cannot impute limita-
tions of any kind. He is infinitely perfect. By identifying the
one supreme Being with limited beings such as ourselves,
pantheism must also ascribe to him all the imperfections of
finite beings. God is holy. In making him the internal cause
of all action, pantheism must also recognize him as the author of

CREATION 57

all sins, including the most horrendous crimes committed by
human beings — a position which is utterly absurd.

If reasoned through to its conclusion, pantheism does away
with all moral responsibility and all sin. If everything, including
man, is merely an emanation of the infinite Being, if man with
all his actions is only a mode or modification of the infinite,
man's actions or omissions are not really dependent upon his
free will. Where there is no free will, there is no responsibility,
no fault, no sin. The general consensus of mankind is very
different from this simplistic view.

God Created Freely

Evolutionary pantheists, whatever their name today, are
not new. They were found in every period of history.
Today, they use more sophisticated words and concepts
but their theory is the same. Those who claim that God
is some impersonal evolutionary force, or merely some
dimension of the universe, are faced with a further
question: was this divine force so inexorable, so inflexible,
that it could not operate otherwise than it did? Is it still so tied to
nature that it cannot act otherwise than it does? In
effect, the questions are: was creation necessary; is this
divine force (God) free now?

For the true believer, there is no difficulty: God
created everything of his own free choice. God is infinite,
God is perfect, so that he needed nothing, he would not benefit
from anything. Just as the sun would shine even if there were
nothing on which its rays would fall, so God exists even if there
were no creatures from which he could get satisfaction. Aside
from him, there was nothing, so how could something force him
to create? The decision, to create or not to create, was his and his
alone. As the psalmist said, "Yahweh's will is sovereign"
(Ps 135:6).

God was not even limited in his freedom to choose
between this world or some other among the numberless
possible worlds. The present universe is not the only
one he could have made. Perhaps he did create other
worlds with intelligent beings far more advanced than we

58 CHAPTER V

are. Our minds, after all, were darkened after the first
fall. There may be races of intelligent beings "out there
somewhere" on other planets who are not fallen, whose
minds are not darkened, whose wills are not weakened and,
consequently, who need not struggle to become en-
lightened, need no redemption, etc. If ever beings from
outer space land on our planet earth (in U.F.O.s?), our
faith need not totter for an instant.

Even we, with our limited minds, can conceive of other pos-
sible, better worlds, where all not only believe they are brothers,
but act as such. We are a fallen race with weak wills and minds
who have to sweat for a living in a world that is no longer a
paradise. If man had not sinned, this world would be a Shangri-
La, a lovely place in wich to live: no work, no worry, no tears,
no suffering, no death (some of the preternatural gifts lost
through the fall). When he created the world, "God saw
that it was good" (Gn 1:25). Man's free will ruined
it all. Even today, human greed and hatred continue to
damage both mankind and the earth itself through the
physical destruction caused by wars and pollution. Still,
compared to what we know of other planets, the earth is not
a bad place; it still grows our food, feeds the animals we eat,
and each season renews its vesture to enchant our hearts.

God is not only a personal God, almighty and all-knowing;
he is also a God of love and infinite goodness. Goodness is
always inclined to extend to others; we call it benevolence.
It was benevolence which prompted God to create.
This tremendous love, this inclination to do good to others,
however, did not force God to create since creatures
are not necessary for his happiness or perfection. God is
good, whether there are creatures to enjoy his goodness
or not.

Creation, Mere Chance?

Some scientists claim that the world came about by
chance. We speak of chance in games, in accidents, when
someone is killed by a stray bullet during hunting, etc.

CREATION 5g

"It just happened," we say, "by chance, 1 ' Chance in
this sense is the unexpected result of some action,
an effect occurring contrary to what we were looking
forward to, sometimes resulting from a cause unknown
to us. It is not an effect without a cause. This is against
reason. Any thinking man will know every effect must
have a cause, known or unknown, expected or not. We see
the effect, the universe and everything in it, and they
are finite things; they must have a cause. This cause
we call God.

Chance does not explain anything about the origin of
the world. It makes as much sense as saying a car jumped
out, materialized out of thin air. Creation by God is a
reasonable explanation of the universe's origin. This truth
was summarized by the mother of the seven martyred sons
in the last of the historical books of the Old Testament:
"I implore you, my child, observe heaven and earth,
consider all that is in them, and acknowledge that
God made them out of what did not exist, and that
mankind comes into being in the same way" (2 M 7:28).
With these words she urged her last, her youngest
son to die for that belief.

The Bible Account of Creation

The Genesis account of creation is not a science
text for geologists, paleontologists, or biologists; nor is it
a history textbook. On the other hand, it is not a fairytale
either. Its aim is to impart a different kind of truth.
The account of creation (the first three chapters of Genesis),
for example, corrects paganism which either deified the
forces of the universe (polytheism, pantheism), or credited
evil forces with co-creation (dualism, Manichaeism). The
pagans, who surrounded the Jews, almost never accepted
the one true God as sole Creator. Genesis showed all of
creation as the work of a personal God, all-powerful and
good; also, that everything he created was good originally.

The Bible always tells the truth because it is God's word.

60 CHAPTER V

In doing so, it often uses figurative or poetic language.
Not each and every word of Genesis need be taken literally,
only the underlying truths. The Biblical "days" in the creation
account, for example, can hardly be solar days as we
know them, lasting twenty-four hours. The original Hebrew
word Yom for "day," can mean an indefinite period
of time; so the Biblical account does not contradict those
scientists who calculate the formation of the earth,
through geological strata, in billions of years. Each
biblical "day" may have lasted millions of years or more.*

The findings of .modern science indicate that God did not
create this world as it is at present. The Biblical account
does not dispute this fact. If God chose to proceed in this
way, he was free to do so — but we must believe that he
alone created the original matter and energy, and that he
alone established the forces governing their actions
and reactions. No scientific theory need disturb our faith
in the Genesis account.

There are scientists, as we have mentioned, who
advocate the "Big Bang" theory: that at first what is
now our world was compressed into a single point whose
density is beyond our comprehension. At a given moment, it
exploded, creating both time and space so that parts of it
were hurled away at immense speed, and the universe
began to expand. If we prefer to believe this theory, fine,
provided we credit God with the creation of that original
explosion, including the forces through which it acted (and
still acts). That is one essential truth, among others,
which the author of Genesis wished to impart.

We know that first there was light, "Let there be light,
and there was light" (Gn 1:3) (the original explosion?); then
God ' 'divided light from the darkness' ' (Gn 1 :4) (the
gradual cooling of gases into liquid?). The author of Genesis
does not tell us whether by this light we are to understand
the sun's light dimly penetrating through the clouds of

*Il is interesting to note thai although the duration of the biblical "days" is hard to determine,
the order in which they succeed each other corresponds exactly with the order in which the
creatures developed according to the scientific theory of evolution.

CREATION 61

cooling gases, or light from a different source. Even if this
process took billions of years, it was Yom, a period of
time.

Then there was the division of waters above and below
the firmament (Gn 1:6-8), a sky and water below it
(the further cooling of gases into vapor and liquid).
How long did this take? Yom, a period of time.

A separation of waters came and dry land appeared (the
further hardening of the earth's crust. As its core shrank, its
buckling crust produced mountains, higher and lower land).
On land capable of bearing life, all kinds of vegetation
appeared: God said, "Let the earth produce vegetation"
(Gn 1:9-12). Whether God intervened directly to produce
life out of inanimate matter, or indirectly in that from the
beginning he established forces in matter which under
appropriate circumstances would produce life, we do not
know. The latter would seem to be the case if
ever scientists, working with nucleic and amino acids,
produce a speck of life in the laboratory. The author
of genesis gives no hint of an answer to this problem one
way or another, for it was not his concern.

Though light and air, the necessary conditions for
vegetation, were previously mentioned, the sun and other
heavenly bodies appear only in the fourth period. Was the
earth so steamy and cloudy yet that the light of the sun
and stars was not distinctly seen on earth before this
time? It seems so, but whether these bodies already existed or
not is not evident from the text. Moses speaks of the heavenly
bodies in their relation to earth, nothing more.

When the earth produced vegetation, it could support lower
creatures: first the sea teemed with life; then came all kinds of
birds. This is logical: the animal kingdom can live only on
organic matter.

The last period of creation begins: higher animals and,
finally, man.

Geologists generally hold that organic nature came into
existence in the order given by Moses: the lowest stratum
of the earth's surface seems to contain chiefly the remains

62 CHAPTER V

of plant life; the next, fishes; the uppermost, land-animals.
Others disagree. Again, it does not make any difference;
perhaps Moses only intended to classify the works of God,
not the order of their origin, Man was not to attribute
divinity to the works of creation or to their forces. God alone
is their creator and originator.

Evolution

The crown of all creation is man, a mysterious combination
of matter and spirit, a body animated by a soul. Did the higher
animals and man's body evolve from the lower forms of life?
No one knows.

The Bible does not teach evolution; nor does it say anything
to oppose scientific theories about bodily evolution. Once God
had created the life-principle, evolution could have continued
according to the natural laws which he also had created. Regard-
ing man himself, God could have used an anthropoid, an
animal sufficiently evolved and developed, and directly infused
an immortal soul endowed with intelligence and free will. Was
Adam made that way or was his body directly fashioned by
God literally from clay? The Bible account does not concern
itself with that question one way or another. The important
thing was that God ' 'breathed into it the breath of life and man
became a living person."

This being called man, bound to visible matter by his body,
was raised by God's breath, far above the rest of visible creations.
Man's soul or spirit, his intelligence and free will made him the
image and likeness of God who is spirit. This being, man, who
is capable of spiritual activities must necessarily contain some
element which is not material and does not owe its origin in any
way to matter.

Was it possible that primeval matter had been programmed
by God to evolve also into the spirit, the sou! of man? No.
Matter is material, endowed with properties diametrically
opposite to spirit and is utterly inferior to it. Matter consists of
parts, must occupy space, time, etc., while spirit, not having
any of these properties, could not possible have evolved from
matter. In short, such an evolution involves a contradiction.

CREATION

63

This is why, in the making of every human person, God still
must intervene directly by infusing an individual, immortal
soul.*

In summary, scientific theories come and go, supplanted by
others which seem to fit the evidence uncovered at any given
time. We should never force Scriptures to confirm any fashion-
able theory. The Bible is neither scientific nor unscientific:
its goal is on a different and higher plane. Nor should we under-
stand literally every word of Genesis without making allowances
for the author's style and oriental figures of speech.

God Continually Sustains the World

The might of God which created all things out of nothing is
still operative, not only in the forces of nature which he estab-
lished but, more importantly, in keeping everything from
lapsing into nothingness. Scripture differentiates between crea-
tion of the world and its preservation. After telling us the Father
made every existing thing through his Son, it adds that he is
"sustaining the universe by his powerful command" (Heb 1:2-3).
Addressing God himself, the author of wisdom puts it this
way: "Yes, you love all that exists, you hold nothing of what
you have made in abhorrence, for had you hated anything,
you would not have formed it. And how, had you not willed it,
could a thing persist, how be conserved if not called forth by
you?" (Ws 11:25-26).

God conserves all things because he loves and cares for them.
He continues to direct them for their original purpose, that is, for
the sake of Christ. Paul writes to the Church at Colossae: "All
things were created through him (Christ) and for him. Before
anything was created, he existed, and he holds all things in
unity" (Col 1:16-17).

God's continuing care extends "from one end of the earth to
the other, ordering all things for good" (Ws 8:1). The psalmist
summarizes it more concretely, more poetically: God, he says,

"Animals do not have spiritual souls because they lack the purely spiritual powers of
reason and free will. Their life-principle, their "soul," is limited to the sensitive and material
order, as study of animal psychology reveals. Animal behavior is chiefly determined by-
instinct and conditioned reflexes.

64 CHAPTER V

"covers the heavens with clouds, to provide the earth with rain,
to produce fresh grass on the hillsides and the plants that are
needed by man, who gives their food to the cattle and to the
young ravens when they cry" (Ps 147:8-9).

oo®p®>

■

CHAPTER VI

The World of Spiritual Beings

"It's a bad time for angels these days," someone remarked
the other day. Perhaps it is — for good angels at least. On the
one hand, modern skeptics doubting everything that cannot be
observed, measured and weighed, relegate angels to the realm of
myth along with goblins, fairies and leprechauns. Some church-
men, too, have "downplayed" the existence of angels in recent
years. On the other hand, the intense popularity of movies and
books dealing with possession and exorcism have left the good
angels out in the cold, giving exclusive headlines to the evil
ones. From the viewpoint of today's communication media, it
is a bad time for the good angels.

Angels, Pure Spirits, Do Exist

By angels, we mean purely spiritual and personal beings
gifted with endowments superior to ours. Like people, angels
are individual persons with mind and will; unlike people, they
are not tied to any particular place, space or time, nor do they
have weight, shape or form, or any visible parts. It is altogether
impossible to verify their existence by any scientific, quantita-
tive method or by empirical experience. Even our unaided
reason cannot demonstrate the existence of angels.

How then do we know there are angels? Because God revealed
it. The Bible, both the Old and New Testament, provides us
with a wealth of knowledge about angels, good and bad.

Angels in the Old Testament

The existence of angels is taken for granted almost from the
beginning of the Old Testament. Its oldest books, however,
contain scanty information, probably to forestall the Hebrews
from idolatrous worship — a sin they committed all too often,
influenced as they were by their pagan neightbors. In most
ancient texts, the "angel of Yah wen" or the "angel of God"

65

66 CHAPTER VI

refers not to a created being distinct from God, but to God him-
self in a form visible to men.*

Genesis does however, mention angels several times. After
Adam's fall, God "posted the cherubs, and the flame of a flash-
ing sword, to guard the way to the tree of life" (Gn 3:24). Jacob,
in a dream, saw angels of God ascending and descending a
ladder reaching heaven (Gn 28:12).

Later, in Babylon, an "angel of the Lord came down into the
furnace beside Azariah (Abednego) and his companions (Shadrach
and Meshach)" and protected them from the flames (Dn 3:49-50).
The prophet Daniel had a lot to do with angels. The names of
certain angels were revealed to him: Michael (in the guise of
a Persian prince) as the angel guardian of God's people, and
Gabriel who predicted the coming of Christ as the anointed Prince.
The Book of Tobit recounts many exploits of the angel
Raphael: ridding Tobias' wife of demonic obsession, leading and
protecting Tobias himself on his dangerous journey to the
country of his kinsmen, curing his father Tobit of blindness,
and generally offering help and advice. "/ am Raphael, one of
the seven angels who stand ever ready to enter the presence of
the glory of the Lord 1 ' (Tb I2:15).f

There are many other passages in the Old Testament dealing
with messages and visits of angels (in Deuteronomy, Job, Judges,
Numbers, Nehemiah, Isaiah, etc. Often, however, it is difficult
to ascertain whether the reference is to a distinct spiritual being,
or to a divine attribute.

Angels in the New Testament

The four evangelists record many items about angels; so do
the apostles. These read almost like news flashes:

Jerusalem: Angel appears to Zechariah; he and his aged wife,
Elizabeth, will become parents of a boy; name, John; he will
become a great and famous man.

Nazareth, Galilee: Angel Gabriel visits Mary, a poor girl;
she is chosen to become mother of the Christ.

Nazareth, Galilee: Worries of Joseph stemmed by angel;

*£.£., Gn 21:17. 22:11. 31:11: Ex 3:2. 14:19. 23:20; Jg 2:1. etc.

SPIRITUAL BEINGS 67

Mary's pregnancy is not of any man but of the Holy Spirit, the
boy must be named Jesus.

Bethlehem, Judea: Angel appears to shepherds in a blaze of
glory; Christ born in a stable tonight; angels sing in the night
skies.

Judea: King Herod's orders frustrated; angel forewarns
Joseph of danger; innocents slaughtered at Bethlehem; holy
family flees, now in Egypt.

Somewhere in Egypt: Angel informs Joseph, Herod dead;
family moves to Nazareth, Galilee.

Desert somewhere in Israel: Jesus tempted by Satan after
forty-day fast; good angels minister to him.

Capernaum: Jesus teaches that angels guard children, yet
remain present before God the Father.

Jerusalem: Jesus undaunted by Sadducees; teaches no marriage
in heaven, just like angels.

Gethsemane (near Jerusalem): Jesus arrested tonight; rebukes
defender- friend, says more than twelve legions of angels could
have helped him.

Jerusalem: Jesus rises from dead; angel rolls stone away;
two angels tell women Jesus alive again.

Mount of Olives (Jerusalem): many see Jesus ascend to
heaven; two angels appear as two men in white, tell followers
he will return.

Jerusalem: Apostles arrested, locked in jail; angel comes at
night, frees them.

Jerusalem: Herod Agrippa arrests Peter; angel rescues him
night before trial; guards questioned; search is on.

Caesarea: angel of the Lord strikes Herod Agrippa with dread
disease; tyrant dies, as worms eat away his flesh.

On and on, the New Testament tells of angels and their
varied missions: in Acts, Romans, Corinthians, Galatians,
Colossians, Hebrews, Thessalonians, Titus, Jude, Peter;
especially in Revelation.

Angels Are Real, Individual, Personal Beings

There can be no doubt: angels do exist. Their actions make
them real, individual and personal beings endowed with under-

68

CHAPTER VI

standing and free will, distinct from God but inferior to him.
St. Paul contrasts the Son of God with angels ' 'God has never
said to any angel: 'You are my Son, today I have become your
father'. . . . Let all the angels of God worship him . . . God has
never said to any angel: 'Sit at my right hand and I will make
your enemies a footstool for you.' The truth is they are all
spirits whose work is service, sent to help those who will be
the heirs of salvation" (Heb 1:5, 6, 13, 14).

There are great numbers of such beings. Daniel and the Book
of Revelation leave the impression of thousands upon thou-
sands. The myriads (Hebrews 12:22) can mean thousands,
millions, or simply countless numbers. Jesus himself said more
than twelve legions (twelve times six thousand) could come to
his defense immediately (Mt 26:53).

No one knows how different angels are one from another
because the Bible does not say. It does, however, speak of nine
different "choirs" of angelic spirits: besides angels, there are
Cherubim (Genesis), Seraphim (Isaiah), Thrones, Dominations,
Principalities, Virtues and Powers (St. Paul, to the Colossians
and the Ephesians), Archangels (Thessalonians).

The Byzantine Liturgy of St. Basil (in its Eucharistic Prayer)
enumerates these same nine choirs; so does the Rite of Holy
Baptism (in its first prayer of exorcism). The Liturgy of St.
John Chrysostom mentions only four: "thousands of archangels
and myriads of angels, Cherubim and Seraphim . . . ."

Angels Are Pure Spirits

The Scriptures call angels spirits. This means that, unlike
human beings who are spirit and matter, they are not tied to
anything material. A spirit has no flesh and bones. Being inde-
pendent of anything material, angels are not confined to any
particular place or time. This does not mean they are omni-
present, only that they can exercise their influence wherever
they act on earth while remaining in heaven. This fact, which
theologians call agility, probably accounts for the artists' con-
ception of angels as winged creatures.

As spirits, angels cannot be seen unless they assume visible

SPIRITUAL BEINGS 69

form. In biblical history, they usually appeared in human form,
as for instance two angels who appeared to Abraham and Lot
(Gn 18 and 19). The many people who saw Raphael with Tobias
on his journey noticed nothing unusual about him. Raphael 1 s
human functions seemed completely normal, yet, as he said to
Tobias, "You thought you saw me eating, but that was appear-
ance and no more" (Tb 11:19). The angels at the tomb of the
resurrection appeared as young men (Mk 16:5, Lk 24:4). Again,
immediately after Christ's ascension, two angels took the form
of two men in white, standing near the apostles (Ac 1:10).

On the other hand, when the angel appeared to the shepherds
on that first Christmas night, "the glory of the Lord shone
around them" (Lk 2:9).

Fallen Angels

Whenever we speak of angels, we mean good spirits. But
there is another kind, evil spirits or devils. These are fallen
angels, spirits who sinned by rebelling against God. No one
knows how they sinned, because the Scriptures do not say.

In Revelation, St. John describes a fierce war between the
good angels led by Michael and the rebellious spirits who were
defeated and punished (Rv 12:7-9). Jesus himself said, "/
watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Lk 10:18).

Their sin certainly was great enough to merit eternal banish-
ment to hell: "When angels sinned, God did not spare them:
he sent them down to the underworld and consigned them to the
dark underground caves to be held there till the day of Judg-
ment" (2 P 2:4). Jude's position is similar "Next let me remind
you of the angels who had supreme authority but did not keep
it and left their appointed sphere; he (God) has kept them down
in the dark, in spiritual chains, to be judged on the great day.
The fornication of Sodom and Gomorrah and the other nearby
towns was equally unnatural, and it is a warning to us that they
are paying for their crimes in eternal fire' ' (Jude 6-7). Though
their punishment began immediately after their sin, fresh judg-
ment will be pronounced upon them as well as upon evil men
on the last day, that is, during the general judgment at the end
of the world.

70 CHAPTER VI

Jesus, too, taught that eternal hellfire is the lot of evil spirits,
just as it will be for evil, unrepentant men: "Go away from me,
with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the
devil and his angels" (Mt 25:41). By its nature, a spirit cannot
feel the physical effects of fire, yet God, who is all-powerful,
can give fire a supernatural capability of hurting evil spirits. On
the other hand, some interpret hellfire rather as an intense and
frustrated longing for God, which turns into hatred for anything
that has to do with him and his works. Whatever its nature, this
torment never leaves the reproved spirits. Their greater know-
ledge and intelligence only aggravates their sense of loss.

Evil Spirits Seek to Harm Us

Evil spirits, hating and envying us (since we can still love and
serve God), seek to injure, to harm us. This is a fact. The Scrip-
tures leave no doubt about it.

The tempter of Eve, disguised as a serpent but identified
with the Adversary or the Devil,* is a being hostile to God and
man. Typically clever, insidiously wily, the devil overcomes
Eve's misgivings by assuring her that if she and Adam disobey
God they will become God. They trust him, sin, and the human
race is doomed to temporal misery since "it was the devil's envy
that brought death into the world, as those who are his partners
will discover" (Ws 2:24).

The New Testament often details the activities and strategy
of evil spirits. Their number is legion, a biblical term for an
immense multitude. Their being may be described as evil per-
sonified, total evil. They not only cannot but will not do anything
but hate. In this total hatred of everything good (because it
reflects God), all people are included.

Satan disguises all the grave sins into seeming virtues and
goodness. To cloak his evil power, he appears weak. To mask
his pride, he becomes timid, obsequious, even cringing. To
cover his hatred, he appears as loving, well-wishing. From
goodness, he makes evil; from evil, seeming goodness. Being

*ln Jb 1:6, in the Book of Wisdom, in the New Testament and in alJ of Christian tradition.
Ac 20:31. 1 Co 16:13, Cot 4:2. 1 Th 5:6, Rv 3:2, 16:15. etc.

SPIRITUAL BEINGS 71

an angel of darkness, he poses as an angel of light.

All these traits are clearly portrayed in the New Testament
and in Christian history. Jesus the Way, the Truth and the Life,
himself has defined Satan as "a liar and the father of lies," "a
murderer from the start" (Jn 8:44).

Satan Tempted Jesus

Jesus, despite his absolute power over evil spirits, was him-
self tempted by Satan. The threefold temptation of Christ tells
us much about how the devil works.

The devil knew when Jesus would be at his human weakest,
after he had fasted forty days and forty nights in one of the
bleakest deserts on earth. Not until Jesus was faint, exhausted,
lonely and friendless did the tempter come.

Against a backdrop of desolation with hunger and thirst
gnawing at him, Jesus is offered the blandishments and cajoleries
that have beset humans since Eden. "Think of yourself! You
may die from your foolish fast; you may not live to do anything
if you keep up this farce. Come on now, turn these stones into
loaves of bread. It will prove you are the Son of God. Better yet,
why not a ready feast. Just give the word!"

Jesus stands firm. The material promises did not work. Better
use some finesse, even quote the Scriptures (Satan is a great
quoter of God's words). Taking Jesus to Jerusalem, the devil
makes him stand on the parapet of the Temple. "Come on,
show your power! Maybe you have no power. Come on, use it
if you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. After all, the
Scripture says, He will put you in his angels' charge, and they
will support you on their hands in case you hurt your foot against
a stone." (Mt 4:6).

Better use something that seldom fails. "Look, why remain
a poor, obscure, lonely man? You can become famous, mighty,
greater than all the conquerors of history, Darius, Alexander,
Caesar ... all the Kingdoms in the whole world and their
splendor can be yours. If you want it all, you can have it!"

Easy to resist? No, temptation never is. But Jesus does resist.
"Be off, Satan," and drawing his answer from the Scriptures
of long ago, he declares, "You must worship the Lord your God,

72 CHAPTER VI

and serve him atone" (Mt 4:1-11).

Jesus overcame. From then on, he showed his complete
authority over evil spirits. He cast out many devils from
many people with apparent ease. But Satan did not give
up. Having tempted Christ once, he pursued him unto
death. Satan it is who suggested to Judas Iscariot to
betray the Lord (Jn. 13:2). Satan it is who exerted power over
the apostles so that he might sift them as wheat (Lk 22:31)
during those terrible hours before Golgotha. The final
horrifying confrontation came at this "place of the skull"
(Mt 27:33), when the dying Jesus cried out, "Eli, Eli, lama
sabachthani" — "My God, my God, why have you deserted
me?" And the father of lies, a murderer from the beginning,
became guilty, not only of homicide, but of deicide.

Satan Still Tempts

Even when the redemption was accomplished, Satan the
all-evil being did not give up. Christ knew it. The
apostles knew it. Throughout his preaching, the warnings of
Jesus stand like signposts on the road to salvation:
"Watch, watch and pray" (Mt 26:41). These same signposts
recur in the writings of the apostles. Among the more emphatic
is Peter's: "Be calm but vigilant, because your enemy the devil is
prowling round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to
eat" (1 P 5:8). Paul's warning is no less pointed: "Put on God's
armor so as to be able to resist the devil's tactics. For it is
not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but
against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate
the darkness in this world, the spiritual army of evil in
the heavens" (Ep 6:10-12).

Then and now the devil's intentions are always evil.
His tactics do not change, except perhaps to become more
sophisticated, better suited to his victims. Never realizing
his true purpose, always masking, disguising his designs,
superior to all human psychologists, he adapts himself
to people's temperament, character and tastes. The ambitious,
he entices with power and glory; the bold and headstrong,

SPIRITUAL BEINGS 73

he urges to ever greater aggression; the pleasure-seeking,
he seduces with the thrills of lust; the slothful and lazy,
he entices with ease and comfort; the intellectual, he wins
with pride and sophistry; the wordly, he besets with
dreams of glory and success.

The beguilements of Satan always seem logical, accom-
modating and to the point. One of his best techniques is to
foster disbelief in his existence, to show how ridiculous such
a belief is in the eyes of sophisticated twentieth-century man.
Hating God with all his being, Satan hates also the reflection of
God in man and wants to ruin it, abuse it, and harm it for all
eternity. Not all sin may come directly from the evil one: our
own passions and external circumstances play a part in our
falls — but even these he uses in order to tempt us. There is
indeed a spirit of evil at work in the world. He can and does use
people and human institutions to do his bidding. Recent history
is proof enough of his action.

Spiritual harm is not the only kind he can inflict on man. He is
capable of temporal afflictions also, as Tobit tells us (Tb 3:8)
and as shown by the whole life-story of Job.

However wily and powerful Satan may be, we have the
assurance of God himself that he will never allow us to be
tempted beyond our strength: ' 'The man who thinks he is safe
must be careful that he does not fall. The trials that you have had
to bear are no more than people normally have. You can trust
God not to let you be tried beyond your strength, and with any
trial he will give you a way out of it and the strength to bear
it" (1 Co 10:12-13).

Demonic Possession

Possession by the devil is not a creation of the
imagination: it is real. Evil spirits can indeed gain inner
control of a living human being's body. Many times Christ
drove out spirits from people. He and the apostles made
a clear distinction between the sick and the possessed and
between the persons possessed and the spirits who were
in them. In the incident of the unclean spirits and the
swine, for example, Christ allowed the unclean spirits

74 CHAPTER VI

at their own request to take possession of the swine.

Since its very beginning, the Church has used ritual
exorcism to counteract the power of evil spirits — and it
has continued to do so until the present times. Some
recent instances of possession, obsession and even physical
assault are genuine, although many strange "psychic"
phenomena may be explained by illusion, hysteria or
fraud.

Guardian Spirits

In our fight against evil, in our struggle for salvation,
we are helped not only by God's grace but also by good
angels. This is God's truth: "The truth is they are all
spirits whose work is service, sent to help those who
will be the heirs of salvation" (Heb 1:14). As the being
of devils is totally evil, so that of the angels is totally
good.

Some people may influence us for good by truly
inspiring words and deeds. Since angels are superior to us
in almost every way, they too can influence our mind in a
natural way by working on our imagination with sensible
representations for good. An angel, for example, exhorted
the apostles to preach the new Life (Ac 5:20) and Cornelius, a
centurion, was encouraged by an angel to send for Simon
Peter to instruct him in the faith (Ac 10).

Good angels protect us in body and soul: "He will put
you in his angel's charge to guard you wherever you go.
They will support you on their hands in case you hurt
your foot against a stone" (Ps 91:11-12). An angel
protected Lot from the destruction of Sodom (Gn 19);
An angel protected Tobias from various dangers on his trip.
This protection extends not only to the just, but to every
Christian . Jesus said of children , ' 7 tell you that their angels in
heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven"
(Mt 8:10). From' this and similar passages the early Fathers
concluded that little children as well as every individual person
have a guardian angel. St. Basil, for example, says: "No one

SPIRITUAL BEINGS 75

will deny that an angel is present to every one of the faithful'"
(Adv. Eunom. HI, 1}, and Chrysostom, "Near each of us angels
are sitting..." (Horn 15, adHeb., 10).

The early Fathers also taught that nations, cities and
churches, each have a guardian angel. The basis for this
belief seems to be a text from the prophet Daniel who
wrote about guardian angels of the Jews, Greeks, and
Persians (Dn 10 and 12, etc.).

Byzantine Expression of Faith in Angels

Beginning with baptism when the priest prays God to
assign the companionship of an angel of light to each
candidate, Byzantine Christians carry their belief in angels
into everday life. Often they express this faith in truly
childlike ways.

All, from oldest grandparent to youngest child, with
unwavering constancy include the angelic hosts in their daily
prayers, morning and night: "O heavenly powers, holy angels
and archangels, pray to God for us sinners."

The liturgy helps keep the fire of angelic devotion ever-
kindled by dedicating every Monday of the year to angels.
In the churches, the side doors of the iconostas(ion) each
portrays a holy angel. At every Eucharistic Liturgy, in making
the Little Entrance, the priest prays: "Master and Lord, our God,
you have established in heaven the orders and armies of angels
and archangels to minister unto your majesty: grant that with our
entrance may enter the holy angels who serve with us and
glorify your goodness." Again, at the Great Entrance, all the
faithful refer to the presence of angelic hosts as they sing the
solemn, stately Cherubikon hymn: "Let us who mystically
represent the cherubim and sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-
giving Trinity — let us now lay aside every earthly care. So that
we may welcome the King of all, who comes invisibly, borne
aloft by armies of angels. Alleluia."

Especially popular among the Slavs is Michael the Arch-
angel. Thousands of children, churches and monasteries are
named after him. His feastday on November eighth is
celebrated with genuine feeling.

76 CHAPTER VI

Nearly every rite of blessing — from the cradle to the
grave and beyond — includes a reference to the holy
angels.

As the awesome specter of death draws near, the angels
are not forgotten. In the Office at the Parting of the Soul
from the Body, the dying Christian prays through the lips
of the priest: "You my kinsfolk in the flesh, and you,
my brothers in the spirit, my friends near and far, weep,
sigh and wail: for lo, now I am departing from you...
O my holy angels, having entered before the Judgment
Seat of Christ and in thought bending your ethereal knees,
cry to him with grief: O Maker of all mankind, have mercy
on the work of your hands and cast it not away, O
Good One" (Canticle V, troparia 2 and 4).

^O^O^

CHAPTER VII

Man, the Image of God

Man is matter-body and spirit-soul; his being is both physical
and spiritual. Whether God created man's body directly from the
clay of the earth or indirectly through an evolutionary process
is unknown: scientific proof is still far from conclusive and
God's revelation may be interpreted either way (see above).

Is it possible that man's spirit-soul also evolved from lower
forms of life? Without offering any proof, some scientists
believe that the whole of man evolved through a process totally
within nature, from lower animal organisms.

Scientific data support the opposite: that man was man, and
animal, animal. Cultural anthropology and all the known earliest
archaeological remains point to the difference between man and
beast; that man was always capable of reasoning, of thought-
concepts, and had free will, the freedom to choose (even to the
extent of giving up his life for something as abstract as his
beliefs), traits completely different from the purely animal
instincts of the irrational species. Driven by her instinct, a cow
(or any animal) will give up her life for her calf but not for her
religious beliefs or country like man will. The fact is that a cow
cannot understand what religion or patriotism are. Man can.
His psychological side (mind and free will) is totally unique and
belongs to an order different from any lower organisms. The
bridge between man and animal cannot be spanned through
factual, scientific evidence.

The Creation of Man

This spirit-difference, essentially distinct from matter, must
be uniquely created by God. That is the only explanation that
makes sense. There is a difference in the way Scripture describes
the creation of animals and man. Of animals Genesis says
simply, "God made every kind of wild heast, every kind of
cattle, and every kind of land reptile" (Gn 1:25), but in the
creation of man it makes a distinction between formation of the

77

7g CHAPTER VII

body and its animation by the breath of life: "Yahweh God
fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed into his
nostrils a breath of life, and thus man became a living being"
(Gtt 2:6-7).

The spirit- soul difference is what chiefly makes a human
being the image of God who is Spirit and Master of all. Mental
capacity and will are what makes man "the master of the fish
of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and
all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth" (Gn 1:26). None of
the animals have yet organized to master man.

Speaking of man's death, Ecclesiastes says: "The dust returns
to the earth as it once came from it, and the breath spirit to
God who give it" (12:7). It happens to everyone who ever walks
the earth (death claimed Jesus and his Mother, but their bodies
did not turn to dust). The soul of each of us, not being made
of material like the body and not being dependent upon matter
like the life-principle of beasts, is breathed into the body by God
directly, that is, it is produced by God's immediate action
independently of matter. Each soul is the direct product of God's
creative act.

Coming from God, our soul is like God even by its nature.
It is spirit endowed with an ability to think and reason (intellect)
as well as with the ability to make decisions (free will).

Commands and punishment can be imposed only on free
beings. Beginning with our first parents, God's frequent warnings
to human beings constitute as many proofs of human freedom,
of man's free will. Sirach, who penned Ecclesiasticus, puts it
this way: ' 'He (God) himself made man in the beginning, and
then left him free to make his own decisions. If you wish, you can
keep the commandments, to behave faithfully is within your
power. He has set fire and water before you; put out your hand
to whichever you prefer. Man has life and death before him;
whichever a man likes better will be given him" (Si 15:14-18).
Free will, like reason, elevates man above beast and brings him
nearer to the perfection of God who is free in all his external
actions.

Our soul by its nature as spirit, not being made up of parts,
cannot be destroyed; it is immortal — another trait which makes

MAN 79

it more like God. The many passages of Scripture (and there are
hundreds of them) promising eternal reward or punishment to
man are further proof of the soul's immortality.

Intellect and free will are man's essential characteristics: they
belong to his nature and are inseparable from it. That is why
they were not taken away after the fall.

Because of them, man can truly be said to be the natural
image of God.

The Sin of Man

"God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good"
(Gn 1:31), including our first parents. But it was not to last.
The third chapter of Genesis tells of their temptation and dis-
obedience. Its language is figurative but the underlying truth is
there: our first parents sinned, disobeyed God. The nature of
their sin is disputed but malice lay chiefly in pride and dis-
obedience; other passages of the Scriptures indicate this too
(e.g., Si 10:12ff„ Rm 5;12ff., etc.).

Sanctifying Grace, the Greatest Loss

What man lost through sin, Christ restored (Rm 5:15-19).
Man's greatest loss was sanctifying grace, the life of God in him.
It amounted to spiritual death. Sanctifying grace had given man
a chance to become son of God, to see and enjoy God for all
eternity. This Christ restored (cf. Rm 8:17, Ep 1:3-8). "Think of
the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be
called God's children; and that is what we are" ; and "My dear
people, we are already the children of God but what we are to
be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that
when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see
him as he really is" (1 Jn 3: Iff.)

Darkened Minds and Weakened Wills

Christ restored sanctifying grace to mankind. Other gifts,
however, were not returned. Because of Christ's redemption,
they will be restored to the elect in heaven. These gifts were
gratuitious, in no way due to man's nature.

80 CHAPTER VII

They include extraordinary knowledge and a will completely
in control of the sensual appetites: ' 'He (God) filled them (our first
parents) with knowledge and understanding and revealed to them
good and evil. He put his own light in their hearts" (Si 17:5ff).
' 'Both of them were naked . . . but they felt no shame in front
of each other" (Gn 2:25).

They felt no struggle of the flesh against the spirit, they were
completely exempt from concupiscence, from inordinate pas-
sions. In their wisdom, they understood the true nature of things,
their purpose, and had the willpower to fulfill what their wisdom
dictated.

After the fall, man's mind was darkened, his will weakened.
His built-in control was gone — and all the world has had to
struggle ever since. Passion no longer heeds reason; the spirit
may be willing but the flesh is weak, because man's nature
became warped, within and without.

Other Gifts Lost

To describe what life would have been like on earth, had man
not fallen, is difficult to put into words because it's beyond
imagination.

Ask a man who has just lost his gentle, kindly wife of a
racking cancer, or a mother who just buried her seven year-old
daughter, raped and stabbed thirty times. Let the young lady
speak whose only love died in a flaming tank on the Lebanese
border. Knock on any door; is there a life unchanged, untouched
by death and its agony? Yet, were it not for man's fall, there
would be no death anywhere on earth! Beyond belief, absolutely
incredible?

But it is a fact: "Though your body may be dead it is because
of sin . . . " (Rm 8:10); ' 'Yet God did make man imperishable, he
made him in the image of his own nature; it was the devil's envy
that brought death into the world" (Ws 2:23-24). "Well then,
sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death
and thus death has spread through the whole human race
because everyone has sinned , . . death reigned over all from Adam
to Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a
matter of breaking a law" (Rm 5:12, 14). And, again, "Death

MAN 81

came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of
the dead has come through one man" (I Co 15:21).

By its nature, the body tends to dissolution and death; yet,
had man persevered in his state of innocence, God would have
preserved his vitality, protected him from outward dangers and,
finally, taken him into everlasting bliss without his having tasted
death. Freedom from physical death implies all this and more,
With death banished from earth, sorrows, sufferings, any-
thing leading to death, would also have had no place on earth!
Freedom from sufferings and sorrow! Again, the very thought
staggers the imagination.

Go to the hospitals of the world, its cancer wards, its geriatric
centers and nursing homes. Take a good look. Hear the cries of
pain, anguished and heart-piercing. Tell the patients they will
suffer no longer — how could these bleeding, broken bits of
humanity put their feelings into words? The man with no feet?
The blind mother who would see the face of her own child for
the first time? Are there words enough to say what would be in
their hearts?

Imagine a world without cancer, starvation, free of arthritis
and migraines, without cripples of any kind, a world completely
without sorrow or tears, without worry or anxiety! The Bible
gave it a name, paradise.

It was not to be, however. After man's fall, everything turned
against him, the winds, the rains, locusts and pestilence, even
the soil itself:

"Accursed be the soil because of you,

with suffering shall you get your food from it

every day of your life.

It shall yield you brambles and thistles,

and you shall eat wild plants.

With sweat on your brow

shall you eat your bread,

until you return to the soil,

as you were taken from it.

For dust you are

and to dust you shall return" (Gn 3:17ff.).
Man had to contend with it all with darkened mind and weak-

82 CHAPTER VII

ened will, with passions unbridled. His children and children's
children became murderers, drunkards and evil took hold of
human hearts. And the world has not stopped crying since.

Was God Unjust?

We call it original sin, our paradise lost. It was the first sin,
the original, committed on earth. Our first parents were person-
ally guilty of it, we are not. But they and all of us have lost our
glorious inheritance, something like millionaire parents squand-
ering their fortune and leaving nothing for their children. Such
children are born like ordinary babies but will not inherit any
of the squandered wealth.

The simile is not exact but the idea is there. We are the
children, Adam and Eve the parents. Their original good
fortune, like millions of dollars, was not something due to their
nature but an added bonus, added endowments by an all-
generous God.

As human beings, our first parents were creatures of body
and soul. All of us are. Their spirit-soul was immortal by nature;
it would never cease to exist. Their body by its nature, like all
living material things, was mortal, subject to dissolution and
death and liable to all the things leading to death such as sick-
ness, disease, etc. Their bodily immortality, therefore, was
something beyond its nature, added to it by divine dispensation.
So was sanctifying grace with its inherent right to see and enjoy
God in heaven. These bonuses were outright gifts, in no way
due to them, and conditional on their fidelity to God. In taking
away these gifts from them and their descendants, God cannot
be said to have acted unjustly in any way. The special gifts were
not our right as human beings in the first place, so we are in no
way wronged that they were taken away.

Furthermore, God in his goodness gives each and every one
of us a chance to regain these gifts for all eternity by being
personally loyal to him in his life. Because of Christ, we still
have a chance. It is up to us.

PART THREE

THE HOLY MYSTERY OF CHRIST

GOD AND MAN

• ■

CHAPTER VIII

Christ in History

Jesus and the Blind Man

He was there on the dusty road outside Jericho, a lonely,
forlorn figure, hungry, always hungry — a blind nobody,
begging. If anyone had asked him his name, he would have
said: "I am Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus." But no one ever
did: nobody cared. He was just a nuisance like the hundreds of
other beggars who cluttered the byways of Palestine in that
spring of A.D. 33.

He could hear many people passing by: something extra-
ordinary was happening! But he could not make out from the
snatches of conversation what it was all about and he was puzzled.
Must be some regal party. Who was it? he asked. Jesus of
Nazareth. He had heard of him, a kind man, a holy man who
did not shun the bedraggled — and he cured people! He began
shouting right away, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"

He rushed into the middle of the road, staggering and falling,
pushed this way and that as everyone brushed by.

"Hush up, filthy scum, who do you think you are!"

Picking himself up, he could not help his tears, they started
streaming down his face like rivulets of brine. He could taste
them as he shouted all the louder, "Son of David, Jesus, have
pity on me!"

Nothing.

Everyone was passing on. It was too late, he thought bitterly,
Jesus could not possibly have heard him over this din. Defeated,
he sat down at the roadside and sobbed — big, retching sobs of
helplessness. Nobody ever cared.

Suddenly, two hands gripped him, guiding him through the
mass of people, "Courage, he is calling you." Then he heard
the calm, untroubled voice. "What do you want me to do for
you?"

Heart pounding, he knew it was the man from Nazareth,
"Lord, I want to see." It came out of him with all the pent-up

85

m CHAPTER VIII

feeling which years of helpless blindness had wrought. "Rabbuni,
Master," he pleaded, "let me see again."

"Go. Your faith has healed you," said the voice.

Instantly, it is there: the crowd, the road, Jericho, and that
good man. "My God, I can see! Lord, I can see!" He wipes
the flood of tears with his ragged sleeve, but he cannot stem the
flood of words, "My God, my all, I can see, I can see!"

He wants to stoop and kiss the feet of that good man from
Nazareth, but Jesus had quietly walked away.

Christ Pinpointed in History

The cure of the blind man near Jericho is just an incident in
the public life of Jesus of Nazareth, a life meticulously detailed
in the New Testament. All the books and letters comprising the
New Testament were written by men who either were eyewit-
nesses to the events or had interviewed eyewitnesses — by men
such as Matthew, Peter and Paul who went to their deaths testify-
ing to the truth of what they had written. Very few writers
ever did that. Even besides their value as divinely inspired
words, these writings are valuable historical records.

The evangelists pinpointed Christ's life in history. He was
born when Octavius Augustus was emperor of Rome (31 B.C. -
14 A. D.), during a general census of the Empire. In Palestine,
the census was organized by Quirinius, governor of Syria who
was specially appointed for the purpose. Herod the Great was
the tetrarch named in 41 B.C. by Mark Anthony, of Cleopatra
fame. While scholars today argue about the exact year due to the
inaccuracies of ancient calendars, the time is exact to within a
few years.*

Jesus died when Pontius Pilate was governor (procurator) of
Judea. Appointed by Emperor Tiberius (A.D. 14-37), Pilate held
office for ten years (A.D. 26-36). At the time Herod Antipas
was tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea (4 B.C.-39 A.D.), and at
Jerusalem Caiaphas, son-in-law of Annas, was high priest that
year.

*Our present calendar, with B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini, in the Year or the
Lord) was originated by a monk. Dionvsius Exiguus. quite a few years after the actual events.
His estimate of the year of the Lord's birth is probably off by some few years. The precise date,
however, is unimportant.

CHRIST IN HISTORY 87

A contemporary, Flavius Josephus (A.D. 37-7100) confirms
the positions of these personages in his Hebrew Antiquities.

Initial Impact of Jesus

Those who object that the powerful and the mighty among the
contemporaries of Jesus do not mention him should remember
that the life and teaching of Christ did not have a world-shaking
impact at the time. Palestine was a backwater compared to other
important provinces occupied by Rome. An obscure prophet
rising among its people would have less of a chance of being
noticed than a witchdoctor today in some remote corner of
Africa. Jesus was a poor man from an obscure village in an
insignificant country.

Under the circumstances, the detailed account of Christ's
last three years of life is remarkable. The apostles were not jour-
nalists with tape recorders; at first, they did not think of writing
anything. Only after several years did they being to write what
they had witnessed or heard from eyewitnesses. This explains
the discrepancies of some details of their accounts — the very
thing we can expect in eyewitness reports. In fact, these slight
discrepancies prove there was no collusion among the writers, no
sitting down and agreeing on every iota before they wrote. As it
is, their power of recall is excellent by any standard.

Those who doubt that Jesus ever lived should doubt the
historical existence of almost every contemporary other figure.

Did Julius Caesar ever live? Did Alexander the Great? Did
Darius? Their lives are not half as well documented as that of
Jesus.

Those denying the historical existence of Jesus also have to
explain away the historical records about the movement he
started and which was carried on by his followers.

Early secular records about Christians, their doctrines, and
especially later government efforts to annihilate the Christians
physically are simply too numerous to refute. If the Christians
had not been utterly sincere they surely would not have willingly
gone to their death by the hundreds of thousands as they did for
more than two and a half centuries.

88 CHAPTER V1I1

Opposition From the Start

Hardly had Jesus expired when the Pharisees and chief priests,
who had plotted his death, continued their scheming. Going to
the Roman governor, Pilate, they petitioned him for a guard at
the tomb, because, they said, the impostor predicted he would
rise from the dead in three days. They understood that clearly.
Though Pilate refused, they mounted their own guard so that
his followers would not steal the body.

Early Sunday morning it happened, just as Jesus had pre-
dicted: first a rumbling, everything was shaking, the trees, the
rocks, the earth itself; then a brilliant, blinding light. Someone
was rolling away the massive stone from the tomb's entrance,
a being with a face ' 'like lightning, his robe white as snow! The
guards were so shaken, so frightened of him, that they were like
dead men" (Mt 28:2-4).

After it was over, some of the guards ran off "into the city
to tell the chief priests all that had happened. These held a
meeting with the elders who, after some discussion, handed a
considerable sum of money to the soldiers with these instructions,
'This is what you must say, "His disciples came during the
night and stole him away while we were asleep." And should
the governor come to hear of this, we undertake to put things
right with him ourselves and to see that you do not get into
trouble.' The soldiers took the money and carried out their
instructions, and to this day that is the story among the Jews"
(Mt 28:11-] 5).

Christ's Word Did Not Die

Since the resurrection, hardly an age passed without opposi-
tion to Jesus and his followers. The persecutions are so well
documented from both pagan and Christian sources that they
need no repetition here. The fury unleashed by the full might of
the Roman Empire for over two and a half centuries beggars
description. For a longer time than the United States has been
independent, Christians died on crosses, were hung on posts,
smeared with pitch and set afire to light Rome's avenues, baked
in ovens, torn apart by wild beasts in nearly every arena of the

CHRIST IN HISTORY

89

empire, sewn into animal skins, set free in parks and hunted for
sport — everything the ingeniosity of a cruel human mind could
devise to eradicate the Christians. It was Rome's "final solution"
— which never turned out to be final at all.

In desperate attempts to stamp out the Christians' ideas and
doctrines, their sacred books were seized and destroyed time and
time again. Hundreds died trying to save those books. Full-scale
propaganda campaigns were launched, spreading vicious rumors
about the Christians: that they indulged in incest, that they
murdered babies ritually to eat them, to drink their "precious
blood."

Intellectuals joined in the war of words to control people's
minds. About A.D. 180, for example, Celsus, an educated,
cultured Roman used his considerable talents to fight the
Christians' claims. Absolutely absurd, he wrote. What, a god
who wept? Who wailed and even allowed himself to be crucified?
Probably an ambitious fanatic. The resurrection? A fairy-tale,
clearly a fable of some disordered brain; no one can make any
sense of it. But even as he wrote, hundreds, perhaps thousands
were dying because they were convinced of the truth of all this.

A century later, Porphyry, a philosopher, penned fifteen
monumental volumes against Christian beliefs. Not much is left
of them, but what remains is the same old story: Could a
god suffer, or a dead man rise again? Of course not, how could
anyone believe such nonsense? Why did he not take up the
challenge and leap from the Temple? Better yet, why did he
not come down from the cross if he wanted to convince people?

So it went on, century after century. It still goes on: Jesus
never lived ... he did live, but was illegitimate ... it was all
a myth; he could not perform miracles, there had to be a natural
explanation for these ... He was a drug addict, a mushroom
freak ... He was not the Son of God; he could not be and he
never claimed to be ... He was a good man, a brilliant one at
that, but not divine ... He was not a man, he only appeared to
be ... He never rose from the dead, he only fooled those who
thought they saw him alive afterwards . . . The litany never ends
for those who refuse to believe.

90 CHAPTER VI 1 1

Christianity Will Last If It Is Divine

As Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law, told his fellow members
of the Sanhedrin about Peter and the rest of the apostles: ' 'If
this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin it
will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from
God, you will not only be unable to destroy them but you might
find yourselves fighting against God" (Ac 5:38-39).

The Christian movement did not die out. For almost two
thousand years, often against seemingly insuperable odds, it
continued to spread. Countries have fallen, disappeared com-
pletely; the mighty Roman Empire has disintegrated, leaving only
traces upon the sands of time. In fact, not one human organiza-
tion has survived during that time. Only Christ's Church has,
because it is more than human.

Like its founder, at times it staggered, dripping with blood,
but it went on; always buffeted from without, sometimes from
within, it kept going. It is with us yet, ever-vibrant, ever-
challenging. Its Christ is not dead, though countless opponents
try to bury him now as they had tried for two millennia. He is
alive, because he is from God. He is God!

^O^O^

CHAPTER IX

Jesus As Man

World history was never the same after Jesus lived on earth.
Clearly human like us, Christ was also the Son of God: "When
the appointed time came God sent his Son, born of a woman' '
(Ga 4:4). The chosen people expected a saviour: their pro-
phets foretold it through the centuries. They had determined
his lineage, the time and place of his birth, so much so that when
John the Baptist appeared on the scene, "A feeling of expectancy
had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that
John might be the Christ" (Lk 3:15).

Dazzled by nationalistic dreams of greatness, the Jewish
leaders expected their "anointed Prince" to redeem their nation
from the Roman yoke — perhaps even conquer the whole world.
The Prince of Peace did redeem their nation ■ — and all other
nations — and he did conquer the whole world — but not in the
way they had expected. His kingdom was not of this world. So
' 'he came unto his own and his own received him not' ' (Jn 1:1 1).

The Miraculous Virginal Conception

Mary lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. She was engaged
to Joseph, a carpenter. The blood lines of both were distantly
royal; they belonged to the House of David — but that did not
mean much to them. They were poor, trying to make a living
as were most of the other townspeople.

Nothing in Mary's short life had prepared her for the unique
privilege of becoming the Mother of God's Son: nothing could
have. Such a calling was unimaginable. Mary was "deeply
disturbed," when the angel Gabriel greeted her, but the angel re-
assured her: "Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's
favor. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must
name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the
Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ances-
tor David; he will rule over the house of Jacob for ever and his
reign will have no end." Still puzzled, she asked the angel, "But
how can this come about, since lama virgin?" "The Holy Spirit

91

o

92 CHAPTER IX

will come upon you," the angel answered "and the power of the
Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will
be holy and will be called the Son of God" (Lk 1 :33ff.).

And so it came about, her child was not of any man but of
God. Long before, the Prophet Isaiah (7.74 and 11:1-9) had
foretold that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son,
Immanuel, literally God-with-us: he would be of Davidic stock,
from the root of Jesse (David's father).

Jesus was a descendant of David through both his fosterfather,
Joseph, who was reputed his father according to the law, as the
geneology of Matthew (1 :lff.) indicates, and through his mother
Mary. Had she not belonged to the House of David, she would
not have gone to Bethlehem to be registered there with Joseph
in the city of David (Lk 2:45).

In the second century, a splinter-group of Christians called
the Valentinians maintained that Jesus brought his body from
heaven. As we see from the Scriptures, this is not so. Mary
really conceived, not of man but of the Holy Spirit, carried him in
her womb for nine months like any pregnant mother, and gave
him birth, but never for an instant was his human nature separate
from his divinity: otherwise Mary would have conceived, not the
Son of God, but a mere human being.

Born in Bethlehem

Because of the general census requiring everyone to register
in his town of origin, Joseph and Mary went to the town of
David, Bethlehem. While there, Mary gave birth to Jesus. "She
wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger
because there was no room for them at the inn" (Lk 2:7).

What seemed so ordinary was in fact completely extraordinary;
nothing less than a divine intervention into human affairs.
Angels appeared to shepherds watching their flocks in the fields.
The news was electrifying: ' 'Today in the town of David a
Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Lk 2:11).

The long-awaited Saviour, the great one of Israel, was born
unknown except for a few people who counted little in the eyes
of the world. Yet, the prophets were right! Micah (5:1-2) had
said his birth would take place in Bethlehem. The Jews knew it

JESUS AS MAN 93

too, for when the magi came and inquired, their learned men
answered them correctly (Mt 2:4ff.).

The time, too, was predicted, "The sceptre shall not pass
from Judah . . . until he come to whom it belongs' ' (Gn 49:10).
Christ was born indeed when the sceptre had been taken away
by Roman conquest; if it meant leadership of the House of
Judah, it ceased when Herod, an Idumean and foreigner, occupied
the throne; even if it meant the prerogatives of the whole tribe
of Judah as a body, its independence and self-government was
no more than nominal.

The Prophet Haggai (2:7-10) had foretold that Christ would
come when the second Temple was still standing. The Temple
was destroyed only after Christ's death, in A.D. 70.

Christmas Celebrated

Liturgical celebrations for Christmas in the Byzantine Church
begin the day before the feast itself: the Royal Hours (so-called
because emperors and kings usually attended them) are chanted
and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great together with
solemn Vespers are celebrated.

The highlights of the Christmas celebrations themselves
consist in Grand Compline with its All-night Vigil. Matins and
the Divine Liturgy. The propers for each service deal with
Christ the Son of God becoming man (the incarnation), and with
his birth. Though often quite long, these services are beautiful
and touching.

The home life of Byzantine Christians is always close to their
religious celebrations; this is especially true of Christmas.

A few generations ago in the Ukrainian tradition many of the
faithful abstained from all food on Christmas eve until sunset
or until the first star appeared in the night sky. That star is still
the sign for the home celebrations to begin. It represents the
star of Bethlehem. When it appears, the father of the family
gives the age-old blessing: "May God bring us all good fortune
throughout the coming year, and let us thank him for his many
blessings of the past. Christ is bom!" The whole family answers,
"Glorify him."

The supper-table has been set, a little hay spread under the

94 CHAPTER IX

tablecloth (the hay symbolizes the manger of the Christ-child
and the tablecloth, his swaddling clothes) and the gathering of
the family begins for the traditional Holy Supper. Many families
even set an empty place at table for any family member who
died during the year. The table centerpiece consists of three
loaves of braided bread, one on top of the other, and a lighted
candle set in the topmost loaf. The loaves represent the Holy
Trinity — God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit — and the
candle, the star of Bethlehem.

Twelve meatless and milkless dishes, symbolizing the twelve
apostles, are served. The first course is the traditional kutia
(cooked wheat mixed with honey, chopped poppy seeds and
nuts). After each course the family sings a carol.

During supper parents tell the children Ukrainian Christmas
legends. An especially charming story, which seems to be
common to all the Slavs of Eastern Europe, is about animals
being able to speak to one another on Christmas eve in memory
of Christ's birth in a stable. After the meal, the whole family
sings traditional carols until it is time to go to church for Grand
Compline.

After the church services on Christmas day, families visit
each other's homes to enjoy one another in cheerful hospitality,
in feasting and singing Christmas carols to their hearts' content.

The Massacre of the Innocents

Like all tyrants, Herod feared a rival for his throne. Out-
witted by the wise men, he became furious and gave orders to
kill all male children who were two years old or under in Beth-
lehem and its surrounding district. Christ would surely be among
those killed, he figured, for he had reckoned the date carefully
according to what he had been told by the wise men. The mas-
sacre was foretold by the Prophet Jeremiah (31:15). Herod's
order fulfilled the prophecy.

To Egypt and Back

Warned of the danger by an angel and told to escape to Egypt,
Joseph did not hesitate. The family stayed abroad until Herod

JESUS AS MAN 95

was dead. Again, a prophecy had been fulfilled, "/ called my
son out of Egypt" (Nb 23:22, Ho 11:1). Joseph probably did
not even know of this prophecy, nor of this other one, "He will
be called a Nazarene' ' (Mt 2:23). When he took the family back
to Israel, Joseph heard that Archelaus, the son of Herod the
Great, had succeeded his father as ruler of Judaea, and he was
afraid to settle there. Archelaus, if he ever found out about the
Christ child, might scheme to have him killed, as his father had a
few years before.

Nazareth was Joseph's second choice. Besides the dream he
had had, it was natural for him to settle the family in Nazareth,
since he had lived there before, and both he and Mary had
made many friends.

Fulfillment of the Prophecies

Because Jesus was genuine, all the prophecies were fulfilled
by events over which he had no control as a baby. There is no
human way he could have fulfilled all that had been foretold in
full detail about his miracles, and especially about his passion
and death, centuries before the actual events.

Jesus Christ Is Truly Man

In the first centuries of the Christian era, the Docetists, believ-
ing that all matter was evil, claimed that Jesus had assumed only
an apparent body.

If so, he would not have been truly human. In fact the nature
of man belonged to him as did the nature of God: "The Word
was made flesh, he lived among us" (Jn 1:14). Here, the word
"flesh," as in other Scriptural passages (e.g. Gn 6:12) means as
we have seen the entire nature of man. The whole Prologue of
John's Gospel bears this out. Jesus received his divine nature by
being eternally generated of God the Father, but his human
nature he received from a human mother: ' 'When the appointed
time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman' ' (Ga 4:4),

From the earliest days, the Christian Creeds stressed the
reality of Christ's body and his whole human nature by insisting
that "He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and
was born of the Virgin Mary, he suffered . . .'* (Apostles'

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96

Creed), and "by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the
Virgin Mary and became man ..." (Nicene Creed).

Jesus did not merely play at being human! He was as human
as any of us in everything but sin. Like all men, he was born a
helpless baby, nursed and cared for by his mother. He learned to
talk, sit, walk; he grew like any other child: f ' 'And Jesus increased
in wisdom, in stature and in favor with God and men" (Lk 2:52).

Except for the incident at the Jerusalem Temple where the
twelve-year-old Jesus surprised the doctors of the Law with his
intelligent questions and answers, there was nothing to distin-
guish him from any other youth. All through his hidden life at
Nazareth, no one, except Mary and Joseph, even suspected
anything unusual about him.

Later, it was not only his noble, miraculous feats but his
thoroughly human traits which made Jesus lovable. As we go
through the Gospels, we see the loving, gentle Christ as he
really was. Behind every miracle was the tremendous love
prompting it, the love which made the Byzantine liturgy coin
a new title for him, "Christ the Lover of Mankind."

For instance, Jesus accepted an invitation to the wedding at
Cana because he knew the young bride and groom would be
happy and honored to have the famous rabbi at their simple feast in
an obscure town. When the wine gave out, he performed his first
miracle so that they would be spared embarrassment before
family and friends.

When Jesus restored to life the daughter of Jairus, her parents
in their ecstatic joy forgot about her physical welfare. Jesus did
not: "Give her something to eat" (Mk 5:43), he told them.

Jesus worked a special miracle, multiplying the loaves and
the fishes when the crowd of his followers ran out of food. "/
feel sorry for all these people" (Mi 15:32), he said.

Like a skillful defense attorney, Jesus protected against her
accusers the woman taken in adultery. After unmasking their
self-righteousness, he sent her on her way with advice that would
ensure her future happiness: ' 'Neither do I condemn you, go,
and don't sin any more" (Jn 8:11).

Jesus took the little children in his arms and blessed them. He
asked not whose children they were, whether rich or poor, of

JESUS AS MAN 97

sinful parents or not; he simply loved them all.

Unlike the fiercely ascetic John the Baptist, Jesus loved to
accept hospitality. He went to so many social gatherings and
banquets and mixed so well with the guests that he was accused
by his enemies of eating and drinking to excess. Jesus contrasts
their unjust treatment of John and himself by quoting their
accusations: ' 'For John the Baptist comes, not eating bread, not
drinking wine, and you say, 'He is possessed,' The Son of Man
comes, eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and
a drunkard'" (Lk 7:33-34). And the wonderful thing about Jesus
is that at most of these gatherings he kept company with those
who were despised, looked down upon, sinners and publicans:
"A friend of tax collectors and sinners," to use the Pharisees
words (cf. also Mi 9:11).

At times, Jesus felt lonely and forlorn, without a place to call
his own: "Foxes have dens and the birds of the air have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head" (Mt 8:20).
Like the rest of us, he became tired (Jn 4:6), hungry and thirsty
(cf. Lk 4:2, Jn 4:7). At Bethany there was at least one house
where he could rest and relax, where he had good friends: ' 'Jesus
loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus" (Jn J 1:5).

When Lazarus died, his sisters Martha and Mary were incon-
solable: "At the sight of her (Mary's) tears, and those of the
Jews who followed her, Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh
that came straight from the heart, 'Where have you put him?'
They said, 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept; and the Jews said,
'See how much he loved him!'" (Jn I] :33ff.)

Another time Jesus wept over Jerusalem because its people
refused to understand the message of peace (Lk 19:42).

In Gethsemane the night before Jesus died, "A sudden fear
came over him, and great distress . . . 'My soul is sorrowful
to the point of death'" (Mk 14:34). After a sleepless night, he
suffered the excruciating pain of the scourging, the thorns
piercing his head, the jeers, the insults, the struggle of carrying
the cross, the nails being driven through his hands and feet, the
three hours of agony as he hung on the cross and, finally death
itself. The pains were real, his death was real.

Jesus wanted to become one of us so that he would be our

9g CHAPTER IX

brother, that is why "he took to himself descent from Abraham.
It was essential that he should in this way become completely
like his brothers so that he could be a compassionate and trust-
worthy high priest of God's religion, able to atone for human
sins. Because he has himself been through temptation he is able
to help others who are tempted" (Heb 2:16ff.).

Jesus Assumed an Entire Human Nature
Jesus was a true man in every way. He took to himself every-
thing human, that is, not only a real human body with its senses,
but also a human soul with all it faculties of mind, emotions,
and will.

A fourth-century Syrian bishop, Apollinaris, denied that Jesus
had a human soul, but thought that his divinity animated him,
that the divine Person had taken the place of a human soul.

This is contradicted by the Scriptures which teach that Jesus
''gave up his spirit" (Jn 19:30). If he did not have a human,
rational soul or spirit, he could not have given it up. As with
ah men at death, his soul separated from his body.

That Jesus had a human mind or human intelligence is evident
from the fact that he ' 'increased in wisdom' ' (Lk 2:52); as God,
he was all- wise, he could not have increased in wisdom one
whit. In addition to his divine will, he also had a human will.
In his own words, he was giving up his life voluntarily, ' 'No one
takes it from me; I lay it down of my own free will" (Jn 10:18).
Later, in the garden of Gethsemane, he submitted his human
will to the will of God, "Nevertheless, let it be as you, not 1,
would have it" (Mt 26:39).

Because Jesus had a true human body with its senses and a
soul with emotions, he was capable of suffering for us. As he
said the night before he died, ' 'My soul is sorrowful to the point
of death" (Mt 38). "In his anguish he prayed even more ear-
nestly, and his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood' '
(Lk 22:44). To make sure Christians understood this clearly,
the early Creeds stressed his sufferings and death. The Apostles'
Creed, for example, has, "He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried; 1 ' and the Nicene, "for our
sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered, died,
and was buried,"

CHAPTER X

Jesus as God

A God-man! How could it be? God-as-man walked into the
midst of human history! Ever since an individual called Jesus
had been executed in Palestine about the year A.D. 33, so very
many have thought about it and wondered. Jesus truly human,
a man like the rest of us, and truly divine, God, infinite Being!
And dying for us! How could it be?

The finest minds on earth spent a lifetime studying and pond-
ering divine mysteries, especially the mystery of Jesus, the
decisive point of all human history.

The questions about Jesus, with their tremendous implications,
shook the Church in the first five centuries. At that time so
many things about Jesus were discussed one wonders whether
anything really new can be added. History is repeating itself
today in different circumstances, perhaps in more sophisticated
concepts and words, but none of the modem errors about Jesus
are new.

The Miracles of Jesus

The record of the miracles performed by Jesus is far from
complete (cf. Jn 20:30), but enough of them are described in
the Gospels to put Jesus far above anyone else. Some miracles
we have already described, but there were many others: calming
the winds and the waves [Mi 8), healing the sick of all kinds of
diseases including leprosy (Mi 15, 39), curing the crippled, the
blind, the deaf, casting out devils, raising people from the dead,
including Lazarus whose body was already decomposing.

Jesus performed these wonders publicly, in the presence of
friends and enemies. Even they could not deny them.

When John the Baptist sent his followers to ask Jesus whether
he was the long-awaited one, or would they have to wait for
another, he answered: ' 'Go back and tell John what you hear and
see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed
and the deaf hear and the dead are raised to life and the Good

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100 CHAPTER X

News is proclaimed to the poor and happy is the man who does
not lose faith in me" (Mt ll:33jf.).

Jesus did this because John would remember what Isaiah had
prophesied of the Messiah-Saviour: ' 'Courage! Do not be afraid.
Look, your God is coming, vengeance is coming, the retribution
of God; he is coming to save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall
be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall
leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy' '
(ls35:4ff.).

Jesus performed miracles, not that people would admire him.
but that they would believe him and his teaching. In order to
show he had the power to forgive sins, he demonstrated his
power to cure the paralytic. His enemies believed he was blas-
pheming, for "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" He replied,
"Which of these is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you'
or to say, 'Get up and walk' ? But to prove to you that the Son of
Man has authority on earth to forgive sins — he said to the
paralyzed man — 7 order you: get up, and pick up your stretcher
and go home'" (Lk 5:20ff.). He proved his point; the man got
up in the sight of all and went home.

Ordinary people understood this, but Jesus' enemies refused
to believe it. After grilling the man born blind whom Jesus had
cured, the Pharisees reviled him for his belief, stating they did
not know whether Jesus was from God. The man rightly answered,
"Now here is an astonishing thing! He has opened my eyes,
and you don't know where he comes from! We know that God
doesn't listen to sinners, but God does listen to men who are
devout and do his will. Ever since the world began it is unheard
of for anyone to open the eyes of a man who was born blind; if
this man were not from God, he couldn't do a thing" (Jn 9:30ff.).

Jesus did work miracles, so he confirmed his claim. As he
himself said, "if you do not believe me, believe my works"
(Jn 10:38).

John ends his Gospel account with these powerful words:
' 'There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the dis-
ciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These are
recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through

JESUS AS GOD 101

his name" (Jn 20:30-31 ).

Jesus Christ Is the Son of God

There are many today, as there were all through Christian
history, who hold that Jesus never claimed he was the Son of God.
Nothing will convince those who refuse to believe. There were
many who saw Jesus work miracles and heard him teach, yet
refused to believe him. Things are no different today.

Jesus definitely claimed to be Son of God and he died for
those claims. His enemies clearly understood him, but called
his claims blasphemous. Now blasphemy was a crime worthy
of death. At the trial before the Sanhedrin, the high priest finally
put the questions to Jesus pointedly, '"Are you the Christ, the
Son of the Blessed One?' I am,' said Jesus, and you will see the
Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming
with the clouds of heaven.' The high priest tore his robes, 'What
need of witnesses have we now?' he said. 'You heard the blas-
phemy. What is your finding?' And they all gave their verdict:
he deserved to die" (Mk 14:61 ff.). The high priest used the
expression "Blessed One" as a substitute for God (Yahweh),
which the Jews would not pronounce out of reverence. Besides
answering clearly that he was indeed the Son of God, Jesus alluded
to the General Judgment, reiterating what he had taught before:
that he was the judge. (Mt 25:31-36) — a divine prerogative.

Once before, Jesus' enemies had tried to kill him by stoning
when he had applied to himself names proper to God such as the
"I am" of Exodus (3:14), signifying the eternal presence and
reality of God: "/ tell you most solemnly, before Abraham
ever was, 1 Am" (Jn 8:58); "Yes, if you do not believe that 1
am he, you will die in your sins" (Jn 8:24).

Another time, at the feast of the Dedication during his final
year on earth, Jesus was again almost stoned. He asked his
enemies why. They answered "For blasphemy," for "you are
only a man and you claim to be God" (Jn 10:33). They under-
stood his claims better than most people do today.

Jesus also used many expressions which only apply to him
as God: "/ am the resurrection. If anyone believes in me, even
though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in

102 CHAPTER X

me will never die" (Jn 11:25-26); "I am the Way, the Truth and
the Life" (Jn 14:6); "1 am the light of the world; anyone who
follows me will not be walking in the dark; he will have the
light of life" (Jn 8:12); "Whoever sees the Son and believes in
him shall have eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last
day" (Jn 6:40).

Divine attributes shine through the words of Jesus to Nico-
demus: ' 'No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came
down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven; and the Son
of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in
him. Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only
Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but
may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to
condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be
saved" (Jn 3:13ff.).

Finally, in his farewell talk at the Last Supper, Jesus identified
himself with the Father so many times that his claims to divinity
cannot be challenged seriously.

Certainly, if Jesus were only a prophet, a mere man however
wise and holy, he would not have let anyone call him God. Yet,
he accepted assertions of divinity without protest. For example,
after Peter tried to walk on the water with Jesus, "the men in
the boat bowed down before him and said, 'Truly, you are the
Son of God'" (Mt 14:33).

At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus himself put the question to his
disciples. "And you, who do you say that 1 am?" (Mt 16:15)
Simon Peter acknowledged Jesus both as the Messiah and as the
Son of God, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"
(Mt 16:16). In answer, Jesus called Simon blessed, "Because
it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father
in heaven" (Mt 16:17).

Even the demoniacs of Gadara acknowledged the divinity of
Jesus: "What do you want with us, Son of God?" (Mt 8:29);
so also the devils Jesus cast out from people at Capernaum
(Lie 4:41).

Finally, the resurrected Jesus accepted Thomas' supreme
confession of belief in his divinity when he asked him to put his

JESUS AS GOD 103

fingers into the marks of the nails and his hand into his side and
Thomas exclaimed," "My Lord and my God!" (Jn 20:28)

On at least two occasions, God the Father plainly revealed
that Christ indeed was his Son: at the baptism of Jesus, a voice
spoke from heaven, ' 'This is my Son, the Beloved; my favor rests
on him" (Mt 3:17); and in almost identical words at the trans-
figuration, ' 'This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favor.
Listen to him" (Mt 17:35, Lk 9:35).

St. John, the disciple especially loved by Jesus, heard his
claims many times. John expresses the divinity of Christ clearly
and precisely. The whole Prologue to his Gospel, for example,
identifies Jesus with the Logos, the Word of God. The Word of
God was a Person existing "in the beginning" with God and
"the Word was God." "Through him all things came to be, not
one thing had its being but through him.' ' ' 'The Word was made
flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that
is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth"
(Jn 1:1-18). In fact, all through his Gospel, St, John seems to
use every opportunity to impress upon us the fact that Jesus is
divine, is God.

St. Paul, too pays Jesus divine honors accepting him as creator
and sustainer of all things: ' 'For in him were created alt things
in heaven and on earth, everything visible and everything invis-
ible . . . all things were created through him and for him.
Before anything was created, he existed, and he holds all things
in unity" (Col 1:16-17). Paul quotes the Father as addressing
Christ as God: ' 'But to his Son he says: God, your throne shall
last for ever and ever" (Heb 1:8). Paul confesses Christ as God
when he urges Titus to live in virtue: "We must be self-restrain-
ed and live good and religious lives here in this present world,
while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come
with the Appearing of the glory of our great God and saviour
Christ Jesus" (Tt 2:12-13); cf. also 2P 1:1, Rm 9:5).

Jesus as Defined in the Creed

Through his divine nature, Jesus is God, the second Person of
the Holy Trinity, absolutely equal to the Father and the Holy

104 CHAPTER X

Spirit. In order to make sure that everyone recognize that he is
in no way less than the Father who generates him, the Church —
countering the false doctrine of Anus, a priest of Alexandria —
chose its words carefully: "We believe in one Lord, Jesus
Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him
all things were made."

Christ is the "only Son of God," and is "eternally begotten
of the Father" to contrast his origin from the origin of all other
beings, like angels and men who are called sons of God in a
different way. This is further elaborated in "begotten, not
made." Unlike other generations, this one is unique in that no
new being results.

Christ is "God from God" to show that he perfectly shares
the one and the same divine nature. In order to avoid any doubt,
the creed goes on to emphasize that he is fully divine, "true God
from true God." Yet, Father and Son are really distinct, because
one originates and the other is originated.

Christ is Light of Light. St. John, in his Prologue, calls God
the Word light. This too points to total equality within the God-
head. Whatever the light of the Father's glory is, so is the light of
the Son's.

The Son is "one in Being with the Father," or as the Greek
has it, "out of the Being of the Father." The Father and the Son
are two individuals, but they have only one divine nature or
substance.

Again, absolute equality of Father and Son is brought out in
the fact of creation: "All things were made through him." He
is the Creator of all things, as much as the other two Persons of
the Trinity. Since he is Creator, he is not created in any way.

The Hypostatic Union

The hypostatic union is the union of God's Son with a human
nature. When God formed a human nature in the womb of the
Virgin, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity became one with
it. When this happened, no new person resulted • — the Person,
the Son of God already existed. Rather, he began to live in a new

JESUS AS GOD 105

nature, a human nature.

This union with a human nature was much more than moral
or spiritual. Nestorius, a bishop of Constantinople in the fifth
century, claimed that the Son of God dwelt in the body of Christ
only as in a temple or as God dwells in the just. According to
him, Jesus was actually two persons, though he appeared to be
one.

Every living being acts according to its nature: plant, animal,
fish. Brute animals and fish digest, assimilate, reproduce, walk,
run, or swim, each according to its kind. When someone does
something, thinks, reasons, suffers or makes a decision, he acts
humanly, by his nature as man. Some of his activities are
animal-like: digestion, locomotion, etc. But man is different
from brute animals in that he can think, reason, and make
decisions because of his human nature. Yet, his rational actions
are attributed to him as an individual, a person. Each man is an
individual person possessing only one nature.

Jesus, on the other hand, is one divine Person, but he has
two natures, divine and human. His actions, whether human or
divine, are attributed to the one subject, to the one Person, who
is the Son of God. He himself said, ' 'The Father and I are one' '
(Jn 10:30), thereby ascribing to himself the same divine nature
as that of the Father. Yet, possessing also a human nature, Jesus
acts through both: being one Person, a divine one, all his acts
are divine.

"This has taught us love — that he gave up his life for us"
(1 Jn 3:16); here, the Scriptures speaking of the Son of God say
that he died for us; he suffered death, not in his divine nature
(as God he could not die!) but in his human nature — yet all his
acts have to be attributed to his Person, the divine One. If he
were not the Person of God's Son, the Scriptures could not say
the Son of God suffered and died for us — but only the man Jesus.

If only a moral union existed between the second Person of
the Trinity and his human nature, as Nestorius claimed, the
Scriptures could not really say all the things they do about Christ
(that he was made man, that the Word was made flesh, that he
suffered and died for us). God does not become the temple in
which he dwells, nor does he become the just man he sanctifies.

106

CHAPTER X

Nestorius was wrong; the union in Jesus is a real one in virtue
of which one Person possesses a divine and a human nature, and
is at the same time God and man.

Natures Unmixed, Unconfused, Unchanged

At the other extreme is the heresy of Eutyches, an archi-
mandrite (major superior) of a monastery in Constantinople.
In his zeal to combat the teaching of Nestorius, he taught that
before the incarnation there were indeed two natures, the divine
and human, but after the incarnation, only one.

As we have seen, Scriptures, clearly teach that Jesus is true
God and true man. He can be true man only if his humanity
remains unchanged — for all beings are named after their nature.

Three relationships are possible, in which the resulting union
would preclude the possibility of Christ being both God and man:

1. If Christ's humanity were absorbed by his divinity, like a
drop of water in a lake: then he would cease being a man. Nor
would he remain God, for his divinity would be changed (as the
water in the lake is not the same after the addition of even one
drop, for there is now some little water that had not been there
before).

2. If both divine and human natures were blended together,
as two kinds of liquor are mixed, the mixture would be something
new, neither divine nor human. In such a case Jesus would be
neither true man nor true God. Besides, the divinity would be
changed and would lose its simplicity,

3. If the two natures completed each other, like body and
soul in man, then too they would form a third nature distinct
from both. Christ would be neither God nor a man, but a com-
pound of both.

All this merely serves to show that the hypostatic union,
making the incarnation and the redemption by Jesus possible,
is not against reason. Its mystery remains. In final analysis, it
means that Jesus was both God and man as he claimed. It also
helps us understand better some of the other truths about Jesus,
such as his two wills, his sinlessness and knowledge.

JESUS AS GOD 107

Two Wills in Jesus

The last great controversy about Christ took place in the
seventh century. Called Monotheletism, it claimed that Jesus
had only one will, the divine, because his human will was absor-
bed into his divine nature.

The Church, on the other hand, had always taught that the
two natures of Jesus are completely intact and unconfused;
so are his two wills one proper to each nature. In other words,
as God, Jesus has a divine will and, as man, he has a human
will. This is obvious also from Christ's words in Gethsemane
when he prayed to the Father, ' 'Nevertheless, let your will be
done, not mine" (Lk 22:42); that is, not the human will of Jesus
but the Father's divine will, which is also the divine will of the
Son.

If Jesus human will had been absorbed by the divine, as the
heresy of Monotheletism claimed, or even if his human will were
only a passive instrument (his divinity acting on his humanity
as a musician on a lifeless instrument), Jesus would not have
an entire human nature and would not have been like us in all
things (but sin) — as he is according to Scriptures.

The Sixth Ecumenical Council carefully worded its state-
ment of the true faith: "In accordance with the teaching of the
holy Fathers, we likewise preach two natural wills and two
natural operations in him . . . His human will follows without
resistance or reluctance, but is subject rather to the divine and
omnipotent will" (Act XVIII).

Christ's human will was entirely free but totally sinless:
"He had not done anything wrong, and there had been no
perjury in his mouth. He was insulted and did not retaliate with
insults; when he was tortured he made no threats . . ."(IP 2.22J).

God who is perfectly free is incapable of sin. Christ's human
will, notwithstanding its freedom, was incapable of sin just
as his divine will. The responsibility for all his actions rested
with the Person performing them, and that Person was divine,
the Son of God, a Person totally incapable of doing wrong,
of sinning.

Jesus was tempted, but he never had any inner inclination

108 CHAPTER X

toward evil; his temptation came entirely from outside by
diabolical malice.

Christ's Knowledge

Christ's human intellect, his mind, increased with experience
and human contact. That is why the Gospel could say he ' 'in-
creased in wisdom" (Lk 2:52). And that is why he himself
could say he did not know when the end of the world would
occur (Mt 24:36). Some understand this statement to mean that
he did not have natural human knowledge on the matter. Others
say he had no knowledge he could communicate to us on the
matter — this seems unlikely since he knew other future things,
even those depending on the free will of other people. He knew
Peter would deny him, that Judas would betray him, that he
would be killed and that he would rise again. So, besides human
knowledge gained by natural means, Jesus had other kinds of
knowledge.

Being God, he saw his Father, knew him immediately and
intimately: 'Wo one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who
is nearest to the Father's heart, who has made him known"
(Jn 1 :18) He himself said, ' 'But I know him, and if I were to say:
1 do not know him, I should be a liar . . . But I do know him"
(Jn 8:55).

He also knew everything concerning his divine mission on
earth, not only saving sinners (Lk 19:10) and bearing "witness
to the truth," (Jn 18:37) but, also seeing through the hearts of
men (e.g., Mt. 20:18f., 26:21 ff., 24:5ff.) and in general being
"the Way, the Truth and the Life" (Jn 14:6). In a word, this
divinely infused knowledge made him all things to all men.

Despite having "all the jewels of wisdom and knowledge"
(Col 2:3), Jesus was a humble man, thoroughly human, with
warmth of understanding, compassion and love for all people,
saints or sinners alike.

The Celebration of Christ's Divinity

Eastern Christians have celebrated Epiphany as early as the
second century. In Greek epiphania means a manifestation or a

JESUSASGOD [09

revealing. The word, as applied by the Christians to the life of
Jesus, meant the manifestation of his divinity. The Byzantine-
Slavs specifically call the feast Bohoyavlenie, literally, a mani-
festation of the Godhead, of the Holy Trinity. This manifestation
took place at the baptism of Christ: ' Wo sooner had he come up
out of the water than he saw the heavens torn apart and the
Spirit, tike a dove, descending on him. And a voice came from
heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; my favor rests on you"'
(Mk l:I0f). Here we have the Father speaking, the Son being
baptized and the Holy Spirit appearing in form of a peaceful dove.

So far this was the clearest revelation of the triune God (the
Holy Trinity) in the Scriptures. No wonder, then, that the early
Fathers also used to call this feast the "Day of Illumination" or
the "Feast of Lights"; in other words, light or illumination was
shed on the Godhead. Eastern liturgical books still call the
Sunday before and after Epiphany the Sunday before the Illu-
mination and the Sunday after the Illumination. In the early
Church, solemn baptism of the illumined, of those in the final
stages of instruction in the faith, was imparted on the eve of the
Epiphany.

The Solemn Blessing of the Water on Epiphany to com-
memorate Christ's baptism in the Jordan is probably a remnant
of this ancient practice, although Armenian sources state that the
Solemn Blessing of Water was composed by St. Basil during
his visit to Jerusalem in A.D. 377. The ritual had been used
at Antioch in A.D. 387, for that year Chrysostom preached a
sermon in which he stated: "This is the day on which Christ
was baptized and through his baptism sanctified the element of
water. Therefore, at midnight on this feast, all the faithful draw
of the holy water and store it in their homes, because on this
day the water is consecrated."

The custom is still very much alive today and is one of the
highlights of the Byzantine church year. It is called the Office
of the Great Blessing of Waters at Holy Epiphany. Like so
many Byzantine services, it is modeled on the Divine Liturgy,
except that three readings from the Prophet Isaiah precede the
Epistle and Gospel. The petitions of the ektenia (litany) following
the Gospel are many and varied, chiefly dealing with the many

CHAPTER X

spiritual and physical benefits coming upon those who use the
holy water with piety and faith.

While there may be some difference in detail, all Byzantine
Churches have preserved the three triple blessings over the water.
The first is done by dipping a triple, lighted candle into the
water; this symbolizes the baptism of Christ who, as Son of God
and "True Light" of the world (Jn 1:9), stepped into the waters
of the Jordan to wash away the sins of mankind. Then, by breath-
ing three times upon the water as a sign of the imparting of the
Holy Spirit, the priest performs an exorcism to purify the water
from the influence of any evil power. He imparts the second
blessing by dipping his fingers three times into the water and
making the sign of the cross in it. He imparts the final blessing
to the water by immersing the hand-cross and tracing the sign
of the cross with it three times in the water.

The ceremony is concluded by sprinkling the altar and the
walls of the church with the newly-blessed water. The faithful
come up in single file singing the propers of the feast, to kiss the
holy cross and to be sprinkled with the holy water as a token of
their redemption through the reception of the blessing of the
Jordan.

Finally, the faithful fill their containers with holy water to take
home as a continued blessing and protection against evil. It is
also customary for them to sip some of the water for the "puri-
fication of their souls and bodies and to cure their weaknesses."
The practice is probably as old as the ritual itself.

Another touching tradition, still widespread in Byzantine
parishes today, is the blessing of homes: the priest visits each
home in his parish to bless it by sprinkling the "waters of the
Jordan" and by invoking God's blessing and protection upon the
dwelling and those living in it.

CHAPTER XI

Jesus Reedemed Us

Jesus knew he was going to die. But first, he wanted to eat one
last meal with his own, to tell them of his love and to say farewell.

He had to tell them many things before it was too late, to
share his feelings with them, his thoughts. "He had always
loved those who were his in the world, but now he showed how
perfect his love was" (Jn 13:1). Their dreams of earthly greatness
would come crashing down with his death, leaving them numb
with shock, speechless with fear. Somehow Jesus had to make
them understand God's ways, the ways of love: that love can
make a man give up his life for others. Perhaps he could make
them realize what he was doing for them, for their countrymen,
for all mankind.

The Last Supper

In the upper room with all twelve of them around him,
Jesus felt closer to his friends than ever before. They were
good-willed and good-hearted, all of them except one.
They had believed him, left everything — not much, a few
broken-down boats and nets that needed mending, but it was all
they had — and followed him. Yes, they were good men
despite their weaknesses, and he loved them. They were a
long way from being saints, but that, too, would come later.
Soon Satan would buffet them, sift them as wheat.

Satan already possessed Judas Iscariot. The thought sickened
Jesus, Already Judas had entered into a bargain to betray
him for thirty silver pieces. The prophet Zechariah had foretold
this treason hundreds of years earlier: ' 'And they weighed out my
wages: thirty shekels of silver... this princely sum at which they
have valued me" (11:13). Jesus was being sold by a man
he had chosen, who had walked with him for three years,
heard him preach, seen him cure all those people — but
nothing had softened that greedy heart.

Events moved swiftly: the Twelve bickered over precedence,
Jesus washing their feet as a lesson in humility, his

in

112 CHAPTER XI

indication of the betrayal, and Judas' departure.

Jesus loved his disciples so much that he wanted to be
completely united with them by changing the bread and wine
into his real self, and offering himself to them as food
and drink. Perhaps they would not yet realize fully what this
meant, but they would understand it later, and call it the
Eucharist. He was about to give them the tremendous
divine power to do the same: to transform bread and wine
into his living body and blood, soul and divinity, so that
they could remain in union with him forever. By entrusting
this power to them, he was to extend it to their successors,
bishops and priests, until the end of time.

"Making" the Eucharist

The disciples sang the Hallel psalms, answering Alleluia
after each half- verse. A hush, a holy quiet settled over the group
as the bread-breaking ceremony was about to begin, a ceremony
in which the bread was blessed, divided, and distributed to those
present. This was the traditional sign of being "one company,"
"one family." On this day for the first time there was to be,
not a mere sign of unity, but actual union with Christ.

' 'Jesus took some bread, and when he had said the blessing
he broke it and gave it to the disciples. 'Take it and eat, ' he said,
'this is my body.' Then he took a cup, and when he had
returned thanks he gave it to them. 'Drink all of you
from this,' he said, for this is my blood, the blood of the
covenant, which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness
of sins. From now on, 1 tell you, I shall not drink wine
until the day I drink the new wine with you in the kingdom
of my Father' " {Mi 26:26-29).

Jesus was now one with them, truly one, his body and blood
mingled with theirs. No closer union could be effected, not even
in marriage. This would become known as Holy Communion.

The Farewll Talk

Still at table in the hush of the upper room, Jesus began:
"My little children, I shall not be with you much longer.
You will look for me, and, as I told the Jews, where I

JESUS REDEEMED US 113

am going you cannot come. I will give you a new commandment:
love one another; just as I have loved you, you must also
love one another. By this love you have for one another,
everyone will know that you are my disciples" (Jn 13:33-35).

The disciples still did not realize their Master's death was
at hand. "Simon Peter said, 'Lord, where are you going?'
Jesus replied, 'Where I am going you cannot follow me now;
you will follow me later.' Peter said to him, 'Why can't I follow
you now? I will lay down my life for you.' " (Jn 13:36).

Simon Peter was always like that: making promises without
estimating the cost, without thinking. His goodness of
heart impelled him to be impetuous. Jesus knew this goodness
in him, but he also knew how weak he was: as soon as
difficulties would arise he would give in.

Looking Simon in the eye, Jesus spoke sadly, compassionately:
"Simon, Simon! Satan, you must know, has got his wish to sift
you all like wheat; but I have prayed for you, Simon,
that your faith may not fail, and once you have recovered,
you in your turn must strengthen your brothers' ' (Lk 22:31-32).

It was just like Simon Peter to answer, "Lord, I would be
ready to go to prison with you , and to death . ' '

Jesus replied, "/ tell you, Peter, by the time the cock
crows today you will have denied three times that you know
me" (Lk 22:34).

' 'Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and
trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house;
if there were not, I should have told you. 1 am going
now to prepare a place for you and after f have gone and
prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that
where I am you may be too" (Jn 14:1-3).

Then he went on to say what was in his heart for so long.
He could do it now, only an hour from Gethsemane and not
many more from Golgotha:

"You must believe me when 1 say that 1 am in the Father
and the Father is in me...

"If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it. If you
love me you will keep my commandments. I shall ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you

CHAPTER XI
114

forever, that Spirit of truth...

"I will not leave you orphans...

"If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father
will love him, and we shall come to him and make our home

with him.

"Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you...

And Jesus went on talking to them for the last time in moving,
comforting words — but behind it all was the shadow of a
terrifying presentiment:

"A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life
for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command

you.

' 'If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too. . .

"I have told you all this so that your faith may not be
shaken. They will expel you from the synagogues, and indeed
the hour is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is
doing a holy duty for God...

' 'It is for your own good that I am going because unless
I go, the Advocate will not come for you; but if I go,
I will send him to you."

Again, referring to his imminent death and resurrection:

"/ tell you most solemnly, you will be weeping and wailing
while the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful but your
sorrow will turn to joy . . .

"I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble, but be brave: I have conquered
the world" (Jn 14-16 passim).

Time was running out, all Jesus could do for his disciples was
to pray. And pray he did, talking directly to his Father in heaven
that none of them be lost, that they be shielded from the evil one,
that all be one in love, ' 'so that the love with which you loved me
may be in them, and so that I may be in them" (Jn 17).

Agony in Getnsemane

Jesus was human, his sadness proved it. The knowledge of
what he was about to suffer seemed unbearable, "My soul is
sorrowful to the point of death. Wait here and keep awake with

JESUS REDEEMED US 115

me" (Mt 26:38),

Jesus feared pain and torture, and grieved over his loved ones,
but the worst suffering came from his awareness of sin. It reached
him from every side. He had done everything possible to save
sinners without taking away their free will. He would suffer
everything, even death — but all could not be saved. He was
dying for them, emptying himself completely, but some of them
could not be helped: they would be lost forever.

Jesus was prostrate with grief. His death would mean nothing
to thousands, to millions "Father," he groaned, "if you are
willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, let your will
be done, not mine" (Lk 22:42f). "In his anguish he prayed
even more earnestly, and his sweat fell to the ground like great
drops of blood' ' (Lk 22 :44) .

This was the time Jesus needed his friends. He went to them,
but they were sleeping. They should have been praying as he
was: the evil one was nearing. Jesus staggered back to them and
again he "found them sleeping for sheer grief (Lk 22:45).

The Arrest

It was the night of Judas. A band of armed men sent by the
chief priests and elders, led by Judas, came to arrest Jesus. The
signal was a kiss: "So he went straight up to Jesus and said,
'Greetings, Rabbi,' and kissed him" (Mt 26:49-50). Probably
with tears in his eyes, the Saviour treated him gently, still calling
him friend: ' 'My friend, do what you are here for. ' '

Jesus was still concerned about his friends' welfare for he
urged the arresting officers, "Let these others go" (Jn 18:8).

' 'Then all the disciples deserted him and ran away' ' (Jn 26:56);
as Jesus had told them earlier, quoting the prophet Zechariah
(13:7), "I strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be
scattered." He would have to face his enemies alone.

The Trial

Enough is recorded about the trial to know that it was a
frame-up, the result of a definite plot to kill Jesus. According
to both Jewish and Roman law, the accused had certain sub-

116 CHAPTERXI

stantial rights and guarantees. In the case of Jesus, his civil rights
were violated by cunning and scheming. The Lord's enemies hated
him and wanted him dead.

Right from the beginning, his arrest was illegal. The Mosaic Law,
the legal code of the Jews, forbade the use of spies and informers
(Lv 19:16ff.).

Annas seems to have been the chief plotter. It was he who
advised, "It is better for one man to die for the people"
(Jn 18:14). He was not the high priest that year, only his father-
in-law, but Jesus was first brought to him (Jn 18:13-14).

' 'The chief priest and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for
evidence against Jesus, however false, on which they might pass
the death-sentence. But they could not find any, though several
lying witnesses came forward" (Mt 26:59). The verdict was
decided beforehand, anyway.

Finally, the high priest asked Jesus, "Are you the Christ, the
Son of the Blessed One?" In this, the greatest travesty of justice
since the world began, the high priest was still piously adhering
to the legality of not pronouncing God's name directly. '"I am,'
said Jesus 'and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right
hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.'
The high priest tore his robes, 'What need of witnesses have we
now?' he said. 'You heard the blasphemy. What is your finding?'
And they all gave their verdict: he deserved to die.

"Some of them started spitting at him and, blindfolding him,
began hitting him with their fists and shouting, 'Play the prophet!'
And the attendants rained blows on him" (Mk 14:16-65).

Peter's Denials

Peter followed the crowd from a distance. When all went in,
he too went into the courtyard "to see what the end would be"
(Mt 26:58).

During the night, Peter's nerve gave way twice when mere
servant-girls accused him of knowing Jesus. Twice he denied
it. In the early dawn, one of the bystanders accused him again.
Peter swore his denial for the third time. At that moment, the
cock crowed and the Lord turned and looked at Peter. His look
reminded Peter of what Jesus had told him, "And he went out-

JESUS REDEEMED US 117

side and wept bitterly" (Mk 22:62).

Before Pilate

Ultimately, the materia) and legal responsibility of the trial
rested upon the Roman magistrate, Pilate. His interrogation had
no bearing on the essential point and no sentence was pronounced.
Pilate could have legally charged Jesus with public disorder or,
at most, with subversive action. His compliance with the will of
the Jewish authorities — who had no right to condemn anyone
to death — was an act of cowardly political expediency dictated
by fear: his record with the central authority in Rome would
suffer.

Because his wife sent him a message begging him not to do
anything with Jesus, Pilate made some half-hearted attempts
to spare him. Sensing an incipient riot, Pilate abdicated his
responsibility: "So he took some water, washed his hands in
front of the crowd and said, 7 am innocent of this man's blood.
It is your concern.' And the people, to a man, shouted back, 'His
blood be on us and on our children!' Then he released Barabbas
for them. He ordered Jesus to be first scourged and then handed
over to be crucified.

"The governor's soldiers took Jesus with them into the Prae-
torium and collected the whole cohort round him. Then they
stripped him and made him wear a scarlet cloak, and having
twisted some thorns into a crown they put this on his head and
placed a reed in his right hand. To make fun of him they knelt
to him saying, 'Hail king of the Jews!' And they spat on him and
took the reed and struck him on the head with it' ' (Mt 27:24-30).

It happened as the prophet Isaiah had foretold of the Messiah:
"For my part, I made no resistance, neither did I turn away. I
offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those
who tore at my beard; I did not cover my face against insult
and spittle" (50:5-6).

The Crucifixion

Had Jesus been an impostor, had he not been the promised
Saviour, there is no way he could have fulfilled the prophecies

ns CHAPTER XI

about his sufferings and death. So many of their details were
entirely dependent upon the actions of other people. This was
the day the Lord had made, the day when so many prophecies
came true.

' 'When they had reached a place called Golgotha, that is, the
place of the skull, they gave him wine to drink with gall, which
he tasted but refused to drink" (Mt 27:34), thus fulfilling the
prophecies: "In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink"
(Ps 69:22); and "Procure strong drink for a man about to
perish, wine for the heart that is full of bitterness" (Pr 31:16).
When they had finished crucifying him, they shared out his
clothing by casting lots, fulfilling the prophecy, "They divide my
garments among them and cast lots for my clothes" (Ps 22:18).
Then they sat down and kept watch over him.

' 'Above his head was placed the charge against him; it read:
'This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.' At the same time two
robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the
left" (Mt 27:37,38), fulfilling the prophecy, "... surrendering
himself to death and letting himself be taken for a sinner' '
(Is 53:13).

From here on, Gospels and Prophecies are so much alike that
one or the other can serve to describe the awesome events of that
afternoon:

The Actual Events

"The passers-by jeered at him; they shook their heads and
said, 'So you would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three
days! Then save yourself! If you are God's son, come down from
the cross!' The chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked
him in the same way. 'He saved others' they said, 'he cannot
save himself. He is the king of Israel; let him come down from
the cross now, and we will believe in him. He puts his trust in
God; now let God rescue him if he wants him. For he did say, 7
am the son of God!'" (Mt 27:39-44).

The Prophecies

"All who pass your way, clap their hands at the sight; they
whistle and shake their heads ..." (Lm2:15) "... and boasts

JESUS REDEEMED US 119

of having God for his father. Let us see if what he says is true . . .
If the virtuous man is God's son, God will take his part and
rescue him from the clutches of his enemies" (Ws 2:16-18).

"Yet here am I, now more worm than man, scorn of mankind,
jest of the people, all who see me jeer at me, they toss their
heads and sneer, 'He relied on Yahweh, let Yahweh save him!
lfYahweh is his friend, let Him rescue him" (Ps 22:6-8).

"From the sixth hour (high noon) there was darkness over all
the land until the ninth hour (3:00 P.M.) And about the ninth
hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabac-
thani?' that is, My God, my God, why have you deserted me?
(Cf.Ps 22:1 : "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?" )

"When some of those who stood there heard this, they said,
'The man is calling Elijah,' and one of them quickly ran to get
a sponge which he dipped in vinegar and, putting it on a reed,
gave it him to drink, (cf. Ps 69:21 : "When I was thirsty they
gave me vinegar to drink").

"'Wait!' said the rest of them 'and see if Elijah will come to
save him.' But Jesus, again crying out in loud voice, yielded
up his spirit (cf. Is 53:8: "Yes, he was torn away from the land
of the living; for our faults struck down in death").

' 'At that, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top &
bottom; the earth quaked; the rocks were split" (Mt 27:33-51).

To prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross during the
Sabbath, on request of the Jews, Pilate ordered that the prisoners'
legs be broken to hasten death: "Consequently the soldiers came
and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with
him and then of the other. When they came to Jesus, they found
he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of
the soldiers pierced his side with a lance" (cf. Ps 34:20: "...
taking care of every bone, Yahweh will not let one be broken."
Is 53:5: "Yet he was pierced through for our faults ." Zc 12:10:
"They will look on the one whom they have pierced"); and
immediately there came out blood and water" (Jn 19:32-34).

Jesus Redeemed All of Us

Jesus died as man, redeemed us as God. What Adam had lost,
Jesus restored: "As by one man's disobedience many were made

|20 CHAPTERXI

sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous"
(Rm 5:19); "He has overridden the Law, and cancelled every
record of the debt that we had to pay; he has done away with it
by nailing it to the cross" (Col 2:14).

Christ suffered and died for all men, not just for those who
would cooperate with his grace and be saved: "There is only one
mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus,
who sacrificed himself as ransom far them all" (1 Tm 2:5-56).

Though he died for all, Jesus does not force anyone to accept
eternal life. He gave man free will and he will never take it
away. Man can indeed reject his grace of redemption, as is
obvious from St. Paul's words, "The appeal that we make in
Christ's name is: be reconciled to God" (2 Co 5:20). Hence,
reconciliation with God still depends on each person and is still
necessary for each person's salvation. God, however, saves
those who are willing: "Return to me, and I will return to you,
says Yahweh Sabaoth" (Zc 1:3).

It is up to us to cooperate with God's grace, but Jesus made it
all possible. Without his death, none of us could ever gain
heaven. His death offers us that possibility because he atoned
for Adam's sin, for the sins of us all: "He was bearing our faults
in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to our faults
and live for holiness; through his wounds you have been healed' '
(1 P 2:24); "Remember, the ransom that was paid to free you
from the useless way of life your ancestors handed down was not
paid in anything corruptible, neither in silver nor gold, but in the
precious blood of a lamb without spot or stain, namely Christ"
(1 P 1:18-19); ' 'He loves us and has washed away our sins with
his blood" (Rv 1:5).

Christ's Love as Atonement

The atonement was adequate, equal to the offense. Man's sins
offended God, a divine, infinite Being, so the offense was
infinite (the offense is measured by the status of the offended
person, e.g., if I kill a king, my offense is regicide, not just
homicide). After his offense, man alone could never have
bridged the infinite gulf between God and him. Christ's repara-
tion was infinite because all actions are attributed to the person

JESUS REDEEMED US l2 \

doing them and, in this case, the Person who died, though only
in his human nature, was the Son of God, the second Person of
the Holy Trinity.

This seems perfectly logical to us humans, but it does not
take into consideration God's love for us. God's unrelenting
justice, our understanding of it notwithstanding, did not demand
the sacrificial death of his own Son. The atonement, the debt,
the ransom could have been paid by any act of Jesus, a mere
act of his will, for example, or just lifting his finger. The Scrip-
tures never regard the cross as part of a mechanism of injured
divine right. On the contrary, the Bible stresses the reverse:
that the cross is an expression of a love beyond reckoning, total
love. In the Lord's own words, "As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you" (Jn 15:9), that is, with an infinite love.
"A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for
his friends. You are my friends ..." (Jn 15:12-13), Each of us
can rightly apply those words to himself.

The pain, the torture and death of Jesus, willingly suffered,
prove his all-consuming love for us. They also give us an idea
of the malice of sin. "What proves that God loves us is that
Christ died for us while we were still sinners" (Rm 5:8).

The Right to Heaven Restored

Our greatest loss through Adam's sin and our own was that of
the gift of heaven, but God ' 'has taken us out of the power of
darkness and created a place for us in the kingdom of the Son
that he loves ..." (Col 1:13). In the perfect bliss of heaven are
included the other gifts that Adam lost and Christ regained.
Death will be no more. Even bodily death was conquered by
Christ's death (cf. 1 Co 15:54-57) and our bodies, like his, will
rise again, never to die (cf Rv 20:12, 14). If we are faithful and
keep his commandments, we will never have to suffer anymore:
no pain or sickness of any kind, no sorrow, no weeping, no
parting from our loved ones ever again, only requited, total love
and bliss.

"/ saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down
from God out of heaven . . . Here God lives among men. He will
make his home among them; they shall be his people, and he will

122 CHAPTER X]

be their God; his name is God-with-them. He will wipe away all
tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more
mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone" (Rv 21:14-4).

Christ-Pantocrator

Eastern religious art often pictures Christ in power. Byzantine
icons love to present him as the Pantocrator, the all-powerful
Emperor and Judge, with stern, severe features. With his right
hand raised in blessing or holding the Book of Judgment, he is
forever the Heavenly Ruler. In many Byzantine churches, the
Pantocrator may be seen in the dome over the sanctuary, staring
down upon the attendance with all-seeing eyes.

Ukrainians, Russians and other Eastern Rite Slavs received
Christianity from Byzantium — and together with it, the Panto-
crator. To these newly-baptized peoples, his power and judg-
ment seemed formidable, almost terrifying. Only later did they
find out other aspects of Jesus' true personality.

The "Kenotic" Christ

As the Slavs began to know Christ better, they discovered him
to mean love, charity, compassion — sharing a crust of bread
with the hungry, a glass of cool water with the thirsty. His eyes
were all-seeing, not only as a stem judge, but that he might
notice and remember the smallest good deed performed in his
name. He meant patient suffering and humiliation, being cruci-
fied for all people — not only for the high and mighty, but
also for the despised little ones. He understood and loved each of
them because they too were poor, and oppressed. He understood,
because he himself had suffered the same indignities, and worse.
He was one of them!

Above all, Christ meant gentleness and loving kindness in
a land where among the rulers gentleness and kindness were
unknown.

Dostoevsky, the great Russian writer, who knew the soul of
his people better perhaps than any other, expresses this best:

"I affirm that our people were enlightened a long time ago,
by accepting Christ and his teaching. The people know every-

JESUS REDEEMED US 123

thing . , . They learned in the churches where during the cen-
turies, they heard prayers and songs that are better than sermons
. . . Their chief school of Christianity was the ages of endless
suffering endured in the course of history when abandoned by
all, oppressed by all, working for all, they remained all alone
with Christ the Comforter, whom they received then in their soul
and who saved them from despair. 1 '

The ideal of the loving, the meek and humiliated Christ who
"emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave" (Ph 2:7)
appears in the earliest Slavonic religious writings. This was their
"kenotic" ("self-emptying") Christ. And this ideal very soon
reflected itself in Slav icons. They replaced the image of the
Pantocrator with that of the Saviour — also holding a book but,
instead of a Book of Judgment, it was John's Gospel opened
to the page, "/ give you a new commandment: love one another."

This ideal of the suffering, loving Christ, however, was not
a projection of sentimentality and sweetness: he still is the
legislator, but holding up a new commandment, Love one
another (Jn 13:34). He is austere, not stern, because he is
suffering; he is sad because not all keep his commandment.

The Jesus Prayer

Eastern Slavs have admirably combined the ideal of the suf-
fering Christ with a prayer that is at once simple and rich in
charismatic nuances. It is part of their Byzantine heritage and
is known as the Jesus Prayer: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God,
have pity on me, a sinner." That is all! But it is repeated over
and over again.

It combines two Gospel prayers by modifying them: the pleas
of the blind beggar Jericho, "Son of David, Jesus, have pity
on me" (Mk 10:48); and the humble request of the publican,
"God, be merciful to me, a sinner" (Lk 18:13).

The word Lord confesses Christ's lordship (Pantocrator) over
all. The words Jesus Christ are an expression of belief in the
Lord as Saviour (Jesus) and as Messiah (Christ), the anointed
one, who is priest and prince. An explicit confession of faith
in his divinity is contained in the expression Son of God.

The original expressions have pity or have mercy (the Greek

124 CHAPTER XI

eleison and the Slavonic pomyluj) contain elements of both
healing and love in their root forms hence they petition Jesus
not only for salvation from God's wrath or for healing: they also
beg for his love. In English perhaps a truer way to bring out
the original content would be to say: "in your compassion heal
me, love me, even though 1 am a sinner!" And that is what
Jesus did when he walked on earth as a man, and that is what
he is doing now as God.

^o^o^

CHAPTER XII

The Resurrection of Jesus

Modern people are not the only ones who find it hard to
believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Almost from the begin-
ning, the Greeks had their doubts. Paul wrote to the Corinthians
to convince them of the fact by saying that Christ died, was
buried, and arose on the third day; that he appeared to many:
to Peter, to the Twelve, to more than five hundred at the same
time, most of whom were still alive; to James and then to all the
apostles. Finally, he appeared to him, Paul.

The apostle rebukes unbelievers by asking, "How can some
of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there
is no resurrection of the dead, Christ himself cannot have been
raised, and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is
useless and your believing it is useless; indeed, we are shown
up as witnesses who have committed perjury before God, be-
cause we swore in evidence before God that he had raised Christ
to life" (1 Co } 5:12-17).

Jesus Foretold His Resurrection

Christ had foretold his resurrection from the dead offering
it as proof of all his claims. This was no vague assertion, subject
to uncertain interpretation. He clearly, repeatedly mentioned it.
After Peter's confession of Christ's divinity at Caesarea Philippi,
"From that time, Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples
that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously
at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, to be put
to death and to be raised up on the third day" (Mt 16:21).

On coming down from the mountain after the Transfigura-
tion, Jesus charged the three apostles, "Tell no one about the
vision until the Son of Man has risen from the dead" (Mt 17:9,
cf Mk 9:8).

Even before that, when the scribes and Pharisees had asked
him for a sign to prove his claims, Jesus replied that the only
sign they would get would be "the sign of the prophet Jonah.
For as Jonah was in the belly of the sea-monster for three days

125

12 6 CHAPTER XII

and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the
earth for three days and three nights" (Ml 12:28:40).

On the way to Gethsemane after the Last Supper, Jesus told
the apostles, "You will all lose faith . . . however, after my
resurrection I shall go before you to Galilee" (Mk 14:27-28).

These predictions were no secret. Christ's enemies under-
stood them well, for after he died, the chief priests and Pharisees
went to Pilate and told him, "Your Excellency, we recall that
this impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I
shall rise again.' Therefore give the order to have the sepulchre
kept secure until the third day, for fear his disciples come and
steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead. '
This last piece of fraud would be worse than what went before"
(Mt 27:62-64).

Jesus Really Died

Some unbelievers, in order to explain away the resurrection,
claim that Jesus did not really die on the cross, that he merely
lost consciousness, and that later the sharp odor of the burial
spices or drugs revived him.

Somehow unbelievers do not give enough credit to Christ's
enemies. After going to all the trouble of plotting his death,
forcing his sentence, and watching him suffer on the cross, they
surely would have made certain of his death, especially since
they knew he predicted his resurrection. They wanted him dead;
nothing was to cheat them of that.

There were dramatic signs as Jesus died: darkness over the
earth, the earth quaking and rocks splitting, signs so moving
that "the centurion, together with the others guarding Jesus . . .
said, 'In truth this was a son of God . . .'" (Mt 27:54). Mark put
it this way, "The centurion, who was standing in front of him,
had seen how he had died, and he said, 'In truth this man was
a son of God'" (Mk 15:39). There were others who saw him die,
and because of all that happened at his death, ' 'they went home
beating their breasts" {Ik 23:48).

If Christ's enemies had not been sure of his death, they would
not have allowed his body to be removed from the cross. Further-
more, if Jesus had not really died, they would not have had to

THE RESURRECTION 127

invent the fable of a stolen corpse.

The officers in chaige of the execution officially reported
to Pilate that Jesus was dead indeed: "Pilate, astonished that he
should have died so soon, summoned the centurion and enquired
if he was already dead. Having been assured of this by the
centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph" (Mk 15:44-45).

The officer in charge knew well that Jesus was dead. As re-
quested by the Jews, Pilate had given orders that the crucified were
to have their legs broken — in order to speed their death, so that
the bodies would not remain on the crosses after sunset (when
the Sabbath began). The centurion supervised the breaking of
the legs of the other two, but "when they came to Jesus, they
found he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs
one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately
there came out blood and water" (Jn 19:33-34). This coup de
grace alone excluded any possible doubt about his death. The
wound was large enough for Thomas to put his hand in.

Christ's friends, too, knew that he was really dead. Had there
been any doubt, they would not have entombed him. But they
did: they wrapped his body in tight cloths, as was customary,
and embalmed it with about a hundred pounds of aromatic
spices.

That Christ's followers were thoroughly convinced is also
evident from their difficulty in believing that he had risen.
Thomas was not the only one to have doubted.

Theories "Explaining Away" the Resurrection

Most theories proposed by unbelievers to explain away the
facts of the resurrection demand more credulity than does belief
in it.

Some state that the apostles and their friends deceived the
world about the resurrection. Others insist that Christ's friends or
the Jewish leaders themselves stole his body from the tomb.
Some declare that Pilate authorized its removal without Christ's
followers knowing about it. Others again hold that the body fell
into a crevice during the earthquake.

Perhaps most admit that the apostles were sincerely con-
vinced of Christ's resurrection, but claim that they saw only a

128

CHAPTER XII

vision of him or were victims of hallucinations, mostly effected
by an intense desire to believe in it. Some give more of a spiri-
tual twist to the events: they say the followers of Christ saw the
Lord, not in the flesh but in the spirit, or that direct divine action
had stimulated their senses subjectively.

Some rationalists advance an even more complicated theory:
that Christ had never come back to life, that faith in his resurrec-
tion had grown progressively, and that the Gospels expressed
the beliefs current at the time of their composition.

Jesus Really Rose from the Dead

Christ's enemies were told by their own soldiers about the
events surrounding his resurrection: they had felt the earth
quake, there had been a blinding light, they had seen a being
"whose face was like lightning," rolling away the stone; they
had become "soshaken, so frightened of him, that they were like
dead men" (Mt 28:2-5). After regaining their composure, they
must have checked the tomb before reporting anything, other-
wise they would not have known Jesus was no longer there.

Even the chief priests believed the frightened soldiers when
told by them what had happened, for they bribed them with ' 'a
considerable sum of money" (Mt 28:12), telling them to spread
the lie that ' 'his disciples came during the night, and stole him
away while they were asleep" (Mt 28:13).

If there had been any doubt about the reality of the events,
why would the high priests have offered to put things right with
the governor in case the soliders got in trouble with him (Mt
28:14)? Clearly, they were all convinced that Jesus had risen
from the dead.

The fabricated tale of the body-theft is ridiculous: if the
soldiers had been asleep, how could they have seen Christ's
disciples stealing the body? Christ' enemies should have come
up with a better story!

The apostles and other friends were too frightened and de-
spondent to dare attempt such an abduction — and, had they
tried, could not have succeeded. How could they have broken
the official seal and rolled back the huge stone without making
enough noise to rouse the guards? How could they have carried

THE RESURRECTION 129

away the body and hidden it so perfectly that no one ever dis-
covered it? If Christ's enemies had stolen it, they would certainly
have produced it to counter the claims of the disciples. And what
motive would Christ's followers have had to steal it? If Christ
had not risen, he had deceived them, he had been an impostor.
Many of them were later killed for Christ and his teachings.
They would not have given up their lives had they not believed
in his resurrection.

The claim that Christ's body fell into a crevice during an
earthquake makes no sense: the long winding sheet lay on the
ground in one place and the head cloth in another: ' 'This was not
with the linen clothes but rolled up in a place by itself (Jn 20:7).
A strange earthquake indeed that would have peeled the burial
sheets off a body, put them in two different places, and rolled
one of them up!

The Resurrection Was a Fact

Theories of self-delusion or hallucination on the part of

Christ's followers are no better. The illusion, we are told, grew
chiefly out of an intense belief and an all-consuming trust that
their beloved Master would arise.

Self-delusion or hallucination may sometimes be brought
about by intense belief and trust, but there was none here. The
fact is that Christ's followers did not expect him to rise from the
dead, even though he had told them he would. They were
despondent precisely because they did not believe the prediction.
Even after the women had told the disciples the tomb was empty,
they found it hard to believe. "But this story of theirs seemed
pure nonsense, and they did not believe them" (Lk 24:11). There
is here no "all-consuming trust" or "intense belief," but the
very opposite. John and Peter ran to the tomb to see for them-
selves. Only after they had entered the tomb and seen the burial
cloths did they believe. "Till this moment they had failed to
understand the teaching of scripture, that he must rise from the
dead" (Jn20:9).

When the risen Lord came for the first time to the Apostles,
while Thomas was absent, ' 'He reproached them for their
incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe

B0 CHAPTERXH

those who had seen him after he had risen" (Mk 16:14). Again,
hardly "an all-consuming confidence!" Even as Christ stood
among them, they still doubted: "They thought they were seeing
a ghost. But he said, 'Why are you so agitated, and why are
these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet;
yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost
has no flesh and bones as you can see 1 have.' And as he said this he
showed them his hands and feet." To convince them completely
that he was not a ghost or a vision, he asked them for something
to eat, "and they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he
took and ate before their eyes" (Lk 24:37ff.).

Then, there was Thomas. After the eleven had told him they
had seen the Lord, was he "all-consumed" with belief? Not in
the least.

' 'Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and
can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can
put my hand into his side, 1 refuse to believe" (Jn 20:25).

Jesus came again and insisted, "Put your finger here; look,
here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side.
Doubt no longer but believe" (Jn 20:25). Only then was he
convinced — hardly a vision induced by "intense belief and
trust!" Nor was it self-delusion or "pictures presented to the
imagination;" these cannot be felt and touched. What they had
seen was Christ himself, a living man!

If the disciples saw Christ, it is not because of their faith in
him. The opposite is true: they believed in him because they had
seen him with their own eyes, touched him with their own
hands, conversed with him, and given him food to eat.

Objection Based on Paul

Rationalists also claim that Paul at the time he wrote his First
Letter to the Corinthians (chapter 15) knew nothing about an
empty tomb, nor did any of the other apostles. This is pure
fiction.

Paul knew about the empty tomb; he was a friend of St. Luke
who wrote about it in his Gospel. Paul himself expressed his
conviction in the same letter to the Corinthians, stating unequi-
vocally, "that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the

THE RESURRECTION 13]

scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on
the third day" (1 Co 15:2). Why mention the empty tomb? How
could Christ rise on the third day without leaving behind an
empty tomb?

Paul bases his whole argument about Jesus being the Messiah
on the fact that Jesus did not experience bodily corruption as did
David (and consequently did not remain in a tomb as did David):
' 'The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to return
to corruption, is no more than what he had declared; 'To you I
shall give the sure and holy things promised to David, ' This is
explained by another text: 'You will not allow your holy one to
experience corruption.' Now when David in his own time had
served God' s purposes he died; he was buried with his ancestors
and has certainly experienced corruption. The one whom God
has raised up, however, has not experienced corruption"
(Ac 13:34-37). This alone proves Paul knew and believed Christ
had risen from the dead.

To say that Peter and the other apostles did not at first know
about the empty tomb does not square with historical facts.
Peter spoke about the risen Christ on that first Pentecost to a
huge crowd in Jerusalem, testifying in presence of the other
apostles: "Listen carefully to what / say. These men are not
drunk, as you imagine; why it is only the third hour of the day
..." and ' 'Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you
by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked
through him when he was among you, as you all know. This man
. . . you took and had crucified by men outside the Law. You
killed him, but God raised him to life . . . God raised this man
Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to that" (Ac 2:15,
22-24-32).

On that day. three thousand people believed and were baptized
(Ac. 2:41).

A little later Peter and John were again preaching ' 'the doc-
trine of the resurrection from the dead by proclaiming the
resurrection of Jesus . . . many of those who had listened to
their message became believers, the total number of whom had
now risen to something like five thousand" (Ac 4:2-4). In fact, it
was not long afterwards that ' 'a large group of priests.made their

132 CHAPTER XII

submission to the faith" (Ac 6:7).

If in A.D. 57, when Paul wrote his First Letter to the Corin-
thians, the fact of the empty tomb was still unknown as the
rationalists claim, how was it that from the beginning there
existed at Jerusalem a Christian community openly professing
the resurrection? It is much easier to believe in the simple fact
that Jesus rose from the dead than in the elaborate objections.

^O^O^

CHAPTER XIII

Christ's Death and Resurrection Commemorated

Jesus died, Jesus rose: the redemption and resurrection are
central to the Christian faith. Belief in these events is expressed
in many ways, but none more vivid than the ritual poetry of the
Byzantine liturgy.

The Easter Preparations

The Easter preparations, both physical and spiritual, are
long and arduous. Even before Lent begins, the readings at
Sunday Liturgies urge repentance, penitence, and spiritual
renewal. God's wrath is tempered by his mercy: Christ is the
severe Judge, but he is also kind, compassionate, eager to
embrace the repentant prodigal.

Great Lent lasts forty days (not counting Saturdays and
Sundays). Some faithful still keep the strict discipline of the
ancient tradition: no meat products from Meat Fare Sunday
(a week and a day before Lent) and no dairy products and eggs
from Cheese Fare Sunday (a day before Lent) until Easter.
Most people, however, follow the relaxed regulations of their
diocese.

Throughout Lent, instead of bowing to the Eucharistic Christ
on entering and leaving the church, the faithful prostrate
themselves three times, sometimes even kissing the floor.
The whole congregation does this also after every service,
while singing: ' 'Christ Jesus, having suffered the passion for us,
have mercy on us."

Midway through Lent, a special penitential service is held,
with two hundred and sixty-five prostrations. Concessions are
often made to human frailty by reducing the prostrations
to a hundred or even to a mere sixty-five! The highlight of the
service is the "Kanon" of St. Andrew of Crete, an exquisite
poetic composition which uses abundant biblical imagery
regarding man's sinfulness and need of repentance.

133

[34 CHAPTERX1H

Holy Week in the Byzantine Tradition

The observances of Holy Week are rigorous. During its first
three days, the Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts is celebrated;
its Gospel readings are lengthy, reviewing the whole life
of Christ on earth.

holy Thursday On Holy Thursday, Solemn Vespers is com-
bined with the Eucharistic Liturgy of St. Basil the Great — an
arrangement reaching back to the early centuries of the
Church when the Eucharistic Liturgy was not necessarily
preceded by the Liturgy of the Catechumens, but by some other
service.

In the evening a special "Service of the Lord's Sufferings" is
held. Its twelve Gospel readings (symbolic of the twelve hours
of Christ's sleepless night) recall his passion and death in
detail, beginning with the Lord's farewell discourse at the
Last Supper and ending with his burial. A bell is rung once
after the first Gospel, twice after the second, and so on,
to proclaim the significance of Christ's ever increasing pain.
The bell is struck twelve times after the last Gospel, climaxing
the service. After this, no bells are rung until Easter morning,
a wooden clapper is used instead. The silence of bells mutely
testifies to profound sorrow, sorrow for sin, and anguish
felt for the Saviour who died to atone for sin. Before and after
each Gospel, all make prostrations to the ground.

holy FRIDAY: The highlight of Holy Friday is Solemn Vespers
and its symbolic funeral of the Lord. Weather permitting the
burial procession with the holy shroud (a large, thick
piece of elaborately painted cloth with the image of the entomb-
ed Christ) is made three times around the church.

At least four men carry the shroud and, as in an actual
funeral, they are preceded by cross- and standard-bearers;
acolytes, clergy, and many of the faithful follow. The singing
is soul-stirring.

After the procession, the image is laid out on a sepulchre-
replica for veneration. Candles, greens and spring flowers
signifying the death of Jesus adorn this "tomb." The

COMMEMORATIONS 133

faithful approach the shroud on their knees, make three
prostrations, and kiss the five wounds of Christ. The "wake"
lasts until Easter morning — many of the faithful watching and
praying before the shroud throughout the two nights, as they
used to do at the wakes of their loved ones.

holy Saturday: Holy Saturday Matins is especially mournful
and long, with melodies reminiscent of Jewish lamentations.
They call it "Matins Before the Tomb," or "Jerusalem
Matins." The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated, again
combined with the Solemn Vespers. The faithful continue
their vigil and in the evening another service "before the tomb"
is celebrated.

easter Sunday: At dawn, bells peal: the joy is rapturous.
Greeks, Arabs and Eastern Rite Slavs greet each other: "Christ
is risen!" The response is a corresponding profession of faith:
"He is truly risen!"

In the Byzantine Rite, the day is generally known as the
"Resurrection," sometimes as the "Feast of Feasts," or in the
Hebrew tradition, the Paskha. The joy of the Paskha
spills over form the liturgical celebrations to life in the home.

The "Troparion of the Resurrection," "Christ is risen from
the dead, trampling death by death, and bestowing life upon
those in the tomb!" is sung by the faithful as they
stand outside the main doors of the church where Easter Matins
begins. They keep on repeating loudly the same verses, while
Easter verses are sung by the priest-celebrant who represents
the angel announcing the joyful news of the resurrection.

Each time the faithful burst into jubilant song, bells peal out.
Before entering the church, the priest strikes the door with
the hand-cross and it is opened from within. This action
symbolizes the opening of heaven's gates by Christ's
saving death and his rising from the dead.

Matins is continued inside the church with the same joyous
rapture and glorious chant. The Kanon of Easter, attributed
to St. John of Damascus, describes in poetic words and
colorful allegories the meaning of the Feast of Feasts.

136 CHAPTER XIII

A typical verse:

"O Day of Resurrection! Let us be illumined,
O ye people! O Passover, the Passover, of the Lord!
From death to life, and from earth to heaven
hath Christ our God brought us,
singing a song of victory!
Christ is risen from the dead."
Matins moves on with further expressions of poetic delight,
calling on all to love one another in the joy of the Lord:

"O Day of Resurrection!

Let us be illumined with this solemn Feast!

Let us embrace one another.

Let us call out: brothers!

As for those who hate us,

let us forgive all things

because of the Resurrection,

and thus exclaim:

Christ is risen from the dead,

trampling death by death,

and bestowing life upon those in the tomb!"
The final theme is sung over and over again during the
kiss of peace, while people exchange the solemn greeting:
"Christ is risen," "He is truly risen!" Then, one by one,
the people approach to kiss the holy cross held by the main
celebrant, the Gospel Book held by another priest or a deacon,
and finally the holy icons held by still others, and all exchange
greetings.

At the end of Matins, the priest elevates the cross three times,
and forcefully proclaims three times, "Christ is risen!" All
reply "He is truly risen!"

The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom follows. The
Easter gospel (Jn 1:1-17), divided into twelve parts, is chanted
in different languages to signify that Christ's redemption applies
to all races and nations. Bells ring out between each part.

Towards the end of the Easter Liturgy, just after the
"Prayer before the Ambo," the priest blesses the artos
(the Greek word for bread). It is a round loaf, decorated with

COMMERMORATION 137

a cross or with the image of Christ's resurrection. It symbolizes
the Bread of Eternal Life. During all of Easter Week, it lies on
the tetrapod (icon-altar) together with a resurrection- icon.
At the end of the octave, the artos is broken into parts,
reminiscent of the Eucharistic "bread-breaking" of apostolic
days, and is distributed to all, either at the end of the Divine
Liturgy or at an agape the common parish meal usually held
on the Sunday after Easter. The agape, also traces its
origin to the very first centuries of the Church.

The Blessing of Easter Food

Byzantine-Slav Christians place special importance on the
blessing of Easter food which they bring to church in brightly
colored baskets. Its central item is the Paskha, a round, richly
decorated bread, representing Christ the Paschal Lamb of the
New Law, the Living Bread, liberating all from the captivity
of sin and allowing them to "pass over" to the promised
land of heaven, as the ancient Hebrews passed over to
freedom from the slavery of Egypt, The blessing of Easter food
is often called the blessing of the Paskha.

The Babka (the word means "an elderly woman"), another
round bread though not quite as elaborate as the Paskha,
is put into the basket in honor of Mary, the Mother of God,
who was intimately connected with her Son's suffering and
death. Its rich, fine-textured glaze symbolizes her joy at his
resurrection.

Dairy products such as butter and cheese, signify the spiritual
wealth of the promised land, a land "flowing with milk and
honey" (Ex 3:8).

The richness of God's mercy is seen in the fine sausages
and bacon put into the basket. Ham and other meats represent
the sacrificial animals of the Old Testament which foreshadowed
the sacrificed Lamb of God in the New. Leviticus (2:13)
prescribed that every oblation be salted. A small container
of salt is added for this and other reasons. Salt is pure, preserves
against corruption and gives flavor to food. After Jesus had
proclaimed the Beatitudes, he told his followers that they must
be the salt of the earth (Mt 5:12).

138 CHAPTER XIII

At every Jewish Passover Supper, bitter herbs, including
horse-radish, were served with the paschal lamb to remind
everyone at the table of the bitter sufferings of the Jews
during their slavery in Egypt. These herbs were Old Testament
pre figurations of the intense suffering and torments which
Jesus, the Lamb of God, was to undergo in the New.
Horse-radish is also put into the Easter basket. So is a bright
red beet-sauce which stains everything it touches. This
represents the stains of sin removed by the Lamb of God through
his passion and death, in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy:
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as snow" (1:18).

Then, of course, there are the traditional Easter eggs — but a
world of difference in their decoration, coloring and meaning
separates the Slavs from Western Christians.

An egg contains new life: Christ is new life to all.
Before hatching, the egg appears dead: Christ really died before
he came back to life. The new life contained in the egg comes
forth when the chicken breaks out of the shell: Christ
brought new life to everyone when he broke forth from the tomb.
Cracking the Easter egg is the symbol of Christ's resurrection
and its all-embracing meaning of new life.

Easter eggs with their symbolic message are exchanged with
friends and family, as are greeting cards in the Western world.
Each color speaks its own language: red signifies love; black,
remembrance; blue, health; brown, happiness; yellow, spirit-
uality; white, purity; green, wealth; and purple, high power.

Easter-egg painting is a specialized art form. The highly
intricate, miniature designs sometimes requiring hours of patient
work.

Each design, with dots, lines and crosses, is representative.
Crosses have the usual meaning, the Saviour's redeeming
sacrifice. Flowers and plants indicate bountiful, earthly gifts,
beauty, happiness, love, etc. Ribbons and lines encircling the
egg, having no beginning nor end, represent eternity. Ladder-like
motifs signify prayers reaching heaven. Cross-hatched triangles
symbolize the Holy Trinity. Dots represent the tears shed by the
Mother of Jesus during her Son's agony and suffering. According
to legend, before pleading for her Son's life with Pontius

COMMERMORATION 139

Pilate, Mary decorated some eggs and offered them to him. As
she was preparing them, tears fell on them, forming dots
of brilliant colors.

After the Easter Liturgy, the Paschal celebration begins
at the home, with everyone sharing the food that has been
blessed. Relatives, friends, and even strangers, are welcomed
with child-like joy, for the meal foreshadows the banquet at the
Lord's table in the heavenly Jerusalem.

^O^O^

CHAPTER XIV

Mary, Mother of God

What was Mary like, this lady from whom the Son of God
chose to take his flesh? Was she beautiful? Did she play like
other children when she was a child? Was she tall, strong,
raven— haired? We do not know, for such things are not recorded
in the Scriptures.

The New Testament says very little about Mary, only giving
the basic facts about her unique position as Mother of Jesus,
the Son of God. The rest is left to the Church's living tradition
which, through centuries of prayerful reflection, does offer
deeper insights into the saving mysteries flowing from her divine
maternity.

Everything said of Mary as the mother of Jesus leads back
to him. That is the basis for true devotion to her and the reason
why we should love her.

The Teotokos, Mother of God

When the Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity,
came to earth, "The Word was made flesh; he lived among us"
(Jn 1:14). As in other Scriptural passages (e.g., Gn 6:12) the
word "flesh 1 ' means the entire nature of man, a real body of
living flesh and blood, with organs and bones, animated by a
soul that thought, made decisions, felt sad, suffered and was
separated from that body only by death.

Nor did the Son of God bring his body from heaven: he
received it from a human mother! "When the appointed time
came, God sent his Son, born of a woman" (Ga 4:4).

When Mary consented to what the angel had asked of her
(Lk 1:38), the Son of God through the intervention of the Holy
Spirit (Lk 1:35) took on a human nature like ours, which never
for an instant existed separately from his divinity. Being eter-
nally begotten of God the Father, the Son of God did not have a
human father and did not need any.

Since it was the Son of God Mary conceived and brought
to life, she is truly his mother, that is, the Theotokos (God-

141

142 CHAPTER XIV

bearer," or "Mother of God").

Mary always featured prominently in any defense against
false doctrines concerning her divine Son. When the Docetists
and Gnostics in the first centuries denied his true humanity, the
early Christian Creeds, in accordance with the Sciptures, insisted
that the Son of God "was conceived by the power of the Holy
Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary" (Apostles' Creed) or
"he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the Virgin Mary and became man" (Nicene
Creed).

Later, when the Nestorians tried to minimize Mary's role by
refusing to call her the Mother of God, the result was a clarifica-
tion of Christ's divine Sonship: first at the Council of Ephesus
in 431, then at Chalcedon in 451, finally at the Second Council
of Constantinople in 553. What the Councils declared, the people
had always believed, nourished as they were on the Scriptures
and the teachings of some of the finest theologians that ever lived
— Origen, Athanasius, Gregory Thaumaturgus, Cyril of
Alexandria, Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa.
In fact, it was the ordinary people with their instinctive good
sense who first rose up in indignation against the novel doctrine
of Bishop Nestorius.

Since then, the Theotokos, the Mother of God, has remained
the foundation of Eastern piety. In the West, the Greek
word "Theotokos, was translated into the Latin "Deipara,"
without ever reaching the popularity it enjoys in the East, where
it still remains the title given most often to Mary. The Greeks and
Eastern Slavs seldom refer to her as Mary, Our Lady, or the
Blessed Virgin, but almost invariably as the Mother of God.
The Slavs translated Theotokos as Bogoroditsja, literally the
"Birthgiver of God," emphasizing thereby the parenting, the
birth-giving. Again, this means that they regard Mary, not as
generating or causing the divinity, but as giving birth to Christ
who is at one and the same time man and God.

Always a Virgin, Aeiparthenos

Jesus had no human father. Mary did not understand the
angel when he told her she would conceive and bear a son:

MARYTHEMOTHEROFGOD 143

"But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?" The angel
answered: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power
of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child
will be holy and will be called Son of God" (Lk 1 :32-35).

Joseph to whom she was engaged was puzzled too when he
saw she was with child. Convinced of her virtue and being a
good man himself, he did not wish to expose her to the rigor of
the Law (Dt 22:20f.), so he decided to put her away informal-
ly: "He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the
Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of
David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,
because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus,
because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins"
(Mt 1:20-21).

St. Matthew goes on to explain what God foretold through
Isaiah (7:14): "This took place to fulfill the words spoken by the
Lord through the prophet: 'The virgin will conceive and give
birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which
means "God-is-with-us" . When Joseph woke up, he did what the
angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his
home and though he had not had intercourse with her, she gave
birth to a son; and he named him Jesus" (Mt 1:22-25).

The early Christians believed not only this, but they were
convinced that Mary remained a virgin even after the birth of
Jesus. This is reflected in the writings of Ignatius of Antioch,
Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Chrysostom,
Athanasius, Epiphanius and others. St. Jerome (c. 380) was
especially vehement in defending Mary's perpetual virginity
against the contrary opinion of Helvidius, branding the 1 alter 1 s
teaching as an insult to the Mother of God, to Jesus and to the
Holy Spirit. The Council of Ephesus in 431 clearly concurred
in that belief. So did all the Christians until the rise of Protestan-
tism in the sixteenth century.

"Brothers and Sisters" of Jesus

The doctrine of Mary's perpetual virginity is in no way
contradicted by the Scriptures which speak of the. brothers

CHAPTER XIV
144

and sisters of Jesus (Mk 3:31). The original Greek expression
merely translates the Aramaic ach which includes varying
degrees of consanguinity such as half-brother, nephew, or
cousin.

There are many instances in the Scriptures where the word
"brother" is used in the broad sense to indicate nephew or
cousin. Lot, for example, in Genesis (14:14) is called "brother"
of his uncle, Laban (Ga 29:15); the sons of Cis (Kish) as "the
brethren" of their cousins, the daughters of Eleazar (1 Ch
23:21-22), etc. Neither the Hebrew nor the Aramaic had any
special term to signify "cousin": they either had to resort to
"brother" or to clumsy circumlocutions, "son of (paternal)
uncle" or "son of the brother of the mother."

Christ the "Firstborn"

Things are not the same today as they were two thousand
years ago. Circumstances change, expressions take on different
meanings with the centuries. A good example is Luke's (2:7)
expression "firstborn" of Mary in referring to Jesus. Today it
would imply other children, but thousands of years ago it did
not.

Luke uses the Greek word prototokos which is the equivalent
of the Hebrew b'kor, a term always used in an absolute sense for
"that which openeth the womb" (cf. Ex. 13:2, Nb 3:12, etc.)
without implying any later birth. The first male child was
always called "firstborn." The word merely indicates, even
if no other children were born to the same mother, the fact that
there were no male children before that one. Modern archaeo-
logical discoveries confirm this. A two-thousands-year old
Greek stele, for example, discovered in 1922 at Tell el Yaheoudieh,
Egypt, states that a woman, Arsinoe, died in bringing her
"firstborn" into the world; obviously, she could not have given
birth to any other children.

Older translations of the Bible say of Mary that Joseph ' 'knew
her not till she brought forth her firstborn" (Mi 1:25). The
Greek eos, "till," and the Semitic word represented by it,
merely deny the action for the periods of time preceeding the
verb "brought forth," again without any implication as to the

MARYTHEMOTHEROFGOD 1 45

future.

The Scriptural use of "till" can be seen clearly in many
other passages. St. Paul (7 Tm 4:13), for example, exhorts
Timothy to attend to the reading, exhortation, and doctrines
"till" he comes, without implying that Timothy can neglect
these things in the future after Paul's visit. In II Samuel (6:23),
Michal, the daughter of Saul, had no child "till" the day of her
death. Still another passage, I Maccabees (5:54) speaks of the
Maccabees offering holocausts "because not one of them was
slain till they had returned in peace." This does not imply that
one of them was slain after their return. There are other
examples (e.g., Gn 8:7, Dt 34:6, etc.).

Mary Panhagia, "The AH-holy One"

In writing about the annunciation, St. Luke gives both the
fact and the reason for Mary's holiness: her being destined to
become mother of God's Son. The angel addresses her as "full
of grace" (Lk 1:28). Elizabeth, fdled with the Holy Spirit, called
out to her, "Of ail women you are the most blessed" (Lk 1:42).

Holiness consists in being open to God's will and cooperating
with it. Mary is the supreme example of synergy, the coopera-
tion between God's will and human freedom. Forever respecting
the free will of his human creatures, God became incarnate
through the free consent of the person he chose to be his mother.
Mary could have refused, but she did not. Her compliance is
evident in her answer, ' 7 am the handmaid of the Lord, let what
you have said be done to me" (Lk 1:38).

Origen was the first to call her panhagia, the "all -holy
one," and others were soon to follow.

Mary Akhrantos, "The Immaculate One"

Centuries before 1854, when Pope Pius IX solemnly defined
the Immaculate Conception of Mary as a truth of faith, the
Byzantine world believed it and praised Mary as the akhrantos,
"the immaculate, spotless one."

On the feast of her conception by St. Anne (Dec. 9th in the
Byzantine Church), her immaculateness is especially stressed:

CHAPTER XIV

"This day, O faithful, from saintly parents begins to take being
the spotless lamb, the most pure tabernacle, Mary..." (Matins,
3rd Ode of Kanon); "She is conceived... the only immaculate
one" (Matins, Stanzas during Seating); "Having conceived the
most pure dove, Anne filled with heavenly joy sings hymns
of thanksgiving unto God" (Matins, 6th Ode of Kanon).

No sin, no fault, not even the slightest, ever marred the perfect
sanctity of this masterpiece of God's creation. The singing of
the Megalynarion during the Eucharistic Liturgy of St. John
Chrysostom has been an established practice since the turn of
the sixth century; its words express what Byzantine Christians
believed then and still do now:

"It is indeed fitting to glorify you, Birthgiver
of God, ever-blessed and completely sinless one,
Mother of our God. We extol you, since you are
higher in honor than the cherubim and incompar-
ably more glorious than the seraphim in being
God's Mother by giving birth to the Word of God
without violating your virginity."

Mary the New Eve

Because Mary shared Christ's redemptive work in a very
real way, the early writers and Fathers of the Church regarded
her as the new Eve. Its is perhaps her oldest title, reaching back
to apostolic times.

St. Justin Martyr, who studied in Asia Minor, wrote (c. 135)
that Christ was born of the Virgin "in order that the disobedience
caused by the serpent might be destroyed in the same way in
which it had orginated. For Eve, who was a virgin and undefiled,
conceived the word of the serpent, and brought forth dis-
obedience and death. But the Virgin Mary received faith and
joy, when the angel Gabriel announced to her the good tidings
that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon her and the power
of the Most High would overshadow her, and therefore the
Holy One born of her is the Son of God and she replied: 'Be it
done unto me according to thy word' (Dialogue with Trypho,"
chap. 100). And Irenaeus, a student of St. Polycarp in Smyrna:
"So the knot of Eve's disobedience was loosed through the

MARY THE MOTHER OF GOD 147

obedience of Mary, for what Eve, a virgin, had bound through
her unbelief, Mary, a virgin, unloosed through her faith"
("Against the Heresies," HI, ww, 4). St. Jerome puts it more
succinctly: "Death by Eve, life by Mary" ("Letter" 22, 21).

The Dormition of the Mother of God

The East was the cradle of Christianity; it originated devotion
to Mary. After the institution of a feast dedicated simply to the
Mother of God, another was established in the fifth century to
commemorate her Koimesis or Dormition. Literally meaning
"The Falling Asleep of the Mother of God," it refers to her
brief period of death. The Western Church prefers to call it her
Assumption into heaven.

The Tropar(ion) of the feast (August 1 5th) for the Eucharistic
Liturgy clearly expresses many of Mary's prerogatives, includ-
ing her assumption into heaven:

"In thy maternity, thou didst retain thy virgini-
ty, and even though thou hadst ascended to
heaven, thou didst not forsake the world: O
Mother of God, thou hast passed to Life, since
thou art the Mother of Life: through thine inter-
cession, save our souls from death!"

Devotion to the Mother of God

Byzantine Christians cannot understand why anyone would
want to "de-emphasize" devotion to Mary the Mother of God.
Brought up on a liturgical tradition rich in doctrinal truth, they
sense Mary's rightful place beside Jesus, her Saviour-Son.
Knowing her share in giving God's Son to the world, their
feeling for her is intuitive, the more you love and glorify
Christ's mother, the more he is pleased — as you are when
someone praises your own mother.

It is the people's liturgy and iconography that inspired them
to the depths of intense devotion they have for the Mother of
God; theologians had little to do with it.

u8 CHAPTER XIV

The Mother is God in the Liturgy

The Eastern Church calendar has a Marian feast for every
day of the year, celebrating either incidents in her life on earth,
or the miracles attributed to her after her assumption. The
Byzantine Church keeps reminding its faithful every day of
Mary's intercession and help in all needs of life. Besides the
many general hymns in Mary's honor, each of her feasts has its
propers: tropar(ia)s, kontak(ia)s, and canticles — musical
poems honoring her virtues, her titles, her intimate relationship
with God and mankind.

According to some historians, the introduction of Mary's
name and hymns into every liturgical office was one of the
predominant concerns of the Byzantine liturgists.

In each Eucharistic Liturgy, Mary is greeted sixteen times — five
times as "the all-holy, immaculate, most highly blessed,
our glorious Lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary,"
her greatest titles.

The "Acathist Hymn" bursts with ecstatic exaltion of Mary.
An intensely popular service with the people, it traces
its beginnings to sixth-century Byzantium. As a collection of
poetic invocations, its praise of the Mother of God is unrivaled.
The Acathist, with its twenty -four chants, mirrors the entire
story of Mary: as first prefigured in the Old Testament, then as
related in the Gospel — from the Annunciation, through the
Visitation, Nativity, and Purification — finally, after her Son's
life on earth, Mary's own place as intercessor before her
divine Son. A prominent feature of the Acathist is the crescendo
of colorful metaphors, addressing the Mother of God and
beginning with the word 'Rejoice." The first Ikos is a
good example:

"An angel was sent from heaven to say to the
Mother of God: Rejoice! And seeing Thee, O Lord,
become Incarnate, trembled as he stood before her;
then he voiced his greetings:
— Rejoice, O thou through whom joy will shine
forth!

MARYTHE MOTHER OF GOD 149

— Rejoice, O thou through whom the curse will
be dissolved!

— Rejoice, O thou through whom freedom from
Adam's fall is won!

— Rejoice, O thou who driest the tears of Eve!

— Rejoice, O thou, height surpassing man's
comprehension!

— Rejoice, O thou, depth not fathomed even by
angels!

— Rejoice, O thou who art a throne for the King!

— Rejoice, for thou bearest him who bears all
creation!

— Rejoice, O Star causing the Sun to appear!

— Rejoice, O Womb in which God becomes man!

— Rejoice, O thou through whom all creatures
find new life!

— Rejoice, O thou through whom we adore our
Creator!

— Rejoice, O bride, yet ever Virgin!"

The office of "Paraclisis" or Office of Consolation
(literally "of calling upon") in honor of Mary is another service
to which the faithful are deeply attached. Used especially
during the two weeks preceding Dormition, it is an exquisite
preparation for that feast. It, too, is made up of odes, hymns
and prayers to the Mother of God, and through it all is
repeated the invocation: "O most holy Mother of God, save us!"
Most Slavs know it in a shortened form as the "Moleben to the
Mother of God."

The Mother of God in Icons

Reinforcing the liturgy's emphasis on the Mother of God
are the numberless icons depicting Mary holding the Infant
Jesus in her arms, as well as the many important events from her
life (e.g., the icon of the Assumption in Kiev, the most ancient
relic of Kievan iconography).

An icon of the Mother of God is always to the right of the
Saviour's (the onlooker's left) on the iconostas(ion) of every
oriental rite church and chapel.

(50 CHAPTER XIV

Some icons are named after the locality where they were
found, or where a miracle took place through Mary's intercession
(e.g., Our Lady of Vladimir, of Kazan, of Kursk, etc.). Others
bear the name of the special assistance rendered: Our Lady of
Immediate Help, Our Lady the Prompt Listener, Our Lady
of the Unexpected Joy, Our Lady the Consoler of My Grief,
Our Lady Salvation of the Sinner, Our Lady Salvation of
Those Drowned at Sea, etc.

Down through the centuries, Mary performed miracles in
Greece, in Russia, in the Ukraine. Invariably, her miracles
are associated with her icons and the churches enshrining them.
These are places of pilgrimage as are Lourdes, Fatima
and LaSalette in the Latin Church.

In Greece, the most famous is the miraculous icon of
Panhagia Evangelistria on the island of Tinos at the shrine
of the Annunciation. Attracting thousands each year, it has
been called the Lourdes of Greece. Every pious Greek will
instantly recognize other miraculous icons: the Voulkaniotissa in
the monastery of Vourcano on Mount Ifhomi; the Phaneromena
at Nea Mechoniana; the Mother of God icon in the church of
the Dormition on the island of Mytilene, and an icon said to
have been painted by St. Luke in the monastery church of
Proussos.

In Russia and the Ukraine, official church registers, published
before the revolution, listed over two hundred icons considered
miraculous by the faithful. The most famous of these were
Our Lady of Kazan, Our Lady of Vladimir and Our Lady
of Iberia. Many of these were often reproduced and treasured in
home-shrines and the "icon-corners" of homes and huts where
they made Mary's presence felt in people's daily lives.

True devotion to Mary is best seen in the Odigitria icon, the
"Virgin Who Points Out the Way," to us heaven-bound
travellers. Mary is pictured holding the Infant pointing to Jesus,
inviting all her earthly children to come to him.

PART FOUR
THE HOLY MYSTERY OF CHRIST'S CHURCH

■ ■

CHAPTER XV

Images of Christ's Church

God called to Abraham and made a bargain with him, a
convenant, which marked the beginning of his people Israel.
These people were special, his chosen ones, his very own. Provided
they remained loyal to him, he promised to take care of them, to
bless them beyond compare. In order to make them holy, he
guided them through the words of his prophets, revealing more
and more of himself and of his will. The chosen "People of God"
in the Old Law foreshadowed the Church of Christ in the New:
' 'At various times in the past and in various different ways, God
spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own
time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son, the Son
that he has appointed to inherit everything and through whom he
made everything there is" (Heb 1:1-2).

Preaching the Kingdom of God

For three years, Jesus trod the byways and highways of
Palestine, through hill and dale, village and town. He talked,
"proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom" (Mt 9:35),
wherever there were ears to hear — in the heat of the day, in the
cool of the evening, sometimes late into the night.

Dozens of times Jesus spoke of his basileia, his kingdom or
God's kingdom (he used both terms). "The time has come," he
said at the beginning of his public life, ' 'and the kingdom of God
is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News" (Mk 1:15).
The kingdom is the great family or community of which God
himself is the source and into which men must be reborn as his
children. Jesus himself explained: "/ tell you most solemnly,
unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of
God' ' and " ...unless a man is born through water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (Jn 3:3, 5).

Like God's reign, the kingdom of Jesus is spiritual. On the day
he died, he told Pilate, "Mine is not a kingdom of this world"
(Jn 18:36). Yet his kingdom has roots in the soil of this earth

153

154 CHAPTER XV

because it is composed of weak, fallible men. Jesus compared
it to a man's wheat field where one night his enemy came and
sowed weeds among the wheat; both are allowed to grow until
the harvest (Mt J 3:24-30). In his kingdom, the Church, the bad
are mixed with the good, sinners live among saints, until the
judgment. Jesus illustrated the same truth by another example:
the net cast into the sea, a net which brings in a haul of all kinds,
good and bad; the bad are thrown away, the good kept.

To show that his kingdom had its small beginnings in him,
but that it would slowly grow to a very large size, he used the
example of the mustard seed: ' 'The kingdom of heaven is like a
mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is the
smallest of all the seeds but when it has grown it is the biggest
shrub of all and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come
and shelter in its branches" (Mt 13:31-32).

His kingdom would also work like yeast affecting the whole
dough: "The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all
through" (Mt 13:33).

Our association with God and with each other in this kingdom
is worth every effort; in fact it is so precious that we can stake
everything on it. It is "like a treasure in afield which someone
has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he
owns and buys the field" (Mtl3:44)oT " like a merchant looking
for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells
everything he owns and buys it (Mt 13:45-46)."

Christ's Kingdom and the Byzantine Liturgy

Like her Master, the Byzantine liturgy stresses the importance
of Christ's kingdom in many ways. One of the most familiar
is the opening blessing in all three Eucharistic Liturgies
(Chrysostom, Basil, and the Presanctified Gifts): the priest takes
the Gospel Book, containing the words of Jesus himself, and
makes the sign of the cross with it over the altar while he says,
"Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, now and always and forevermore."

The sign of the cross expresses well what the Fathers all taught

IMAGES OFCHRIST'S CHURCH 155

from the earliest centuries: that the Church was born from the
side of the Saviour on the cross, like a new Eve, mother of the
living. The Gospel Book is a sign of the Old Law being replaced
by the New at Christ's death. By dying, Jesus merited our salva-
tion, our entrance into his heavenly kingdom. The Eucharistic
Liturgy, a mystical re-enactment of Calvary, applies that merit
to us personally; hence, glorification of God's kingdom is most
appropriate here.

The Church as Mystical Body of Christ

Before his ascension, Jesus said, "And know that I am with
you always; yes, to the end of time' ' (Mk 28:20). Earlier he had
identified himself with his apostles and followers, that is, with
his Church: "Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone
who rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the
one who sent me" (Lk 10:16); "I tell you solemnly, in so far as
you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did
it to me" (Mt 25:40); "1 am the vine, you are the branches"
(Jn 15:5).

St. Paul, more than any other apostle, develops the teaching
of the Mystical Body. The manner of his conversion from an
ardent persecutor to zealous promoter of Christ's followers may
have had something to do with that. Outside of Damascus, Paul
was struck by a blinding light and fell to the ground. Though he
could not see Christ, he heard his words, "Saul, Saul, why are
you persecuting me?.. .1 am Jesus, and you are persecuting me' '
(Ac 9:4-5).

Paul boldly tells the Church at Corinth, "Now you together are
Christ's body; but each of you is a different part of it' ' (1 Co 12:27),
explaining, ' 'Just as a human body, though it is made up of many
parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make
one body, so it is with Christ" (1 Co 12:12). The Church is not a
machine consisting of non-living parts working together. When
a part of a machine breaks, it does not cause any pain to the
other parts. The Church is, rather, like a living human body
whose parts — head, organs, hands, feet, fingers, toes, etc. — are
so intimately related that the welfare of one effects the welfare of
the others. When someone breaks his arm, cuts his finger, or

]56 CHAPTER XV

crashes his nose, the whole body suffers. In a sense, the members
of a living body belong to each other, and that is the way it is
with the members of the Church: " 'So all of us, in union with
Christ, form one body, and as parts of it we belong to each other' '
(Rm 12:5).

As the members of the human body have different functions,
so do the members of Christ's Mystical Body: some are apostles,
others teachers; some are leaders, others helpers, etc.
(I Co 12:27-30), each working for the good of the whole Body,
in unity, in love: ' 'God put all the separate parts into the body on
purpose. If all the parts were the same, how could it be a body?
As it is, the parts are many but the body is one' ' (1 Co 12 : 18-20) .
Christ is the head of this body, the Church, and unites all the
members .

This union is first begun at baptism (1 Co 12:13); it is continued
and perfected by the other sacraments, especially the Eucharist:
' 'The blesstng-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood
of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the
body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that,
though there are many of us, we form a single body because we
all have a share in this one loaf (1 Co 10:16).

When Christ lived on earth, he had a human body in which he
worked among men. He preached with his mouth, healed with
his hands, gave supernatural life with his breath and made
atonement with his bodily sufferings. All this, done through his
body, was done by God himself.

Now Christ is in heaven with his resurected human body, but
he still lives and works among men in and through his Mystical
Body, the Church, with which he is organically and inseparably
united as our body is with our head. His life, his strength and
holiness flow into us because we are his members.

Becoming a member of Christ's Church, therefore, means
much more than joining some organization. Being members of
his Church means that we are built into his Body so that he can
live in us and work through us. His life in us can only cease
through deliberate grave sin on our part. After sinning gravely
we are still in that Body, but we are dead members: the divine
life that courses through Christ's Mystical Body no longer feeds

IMAGES OF CHRIST'S CHURCH 157

us. Repentance and reconciliation will again make us living
members, pulsating with his life in us.

Because Christ's Mystical Body is alive, it is a growing
Body. It grows both through the addition of new members (by
baptism) and through a greater participation in Christ's
life. Living in Christ means living in truth and in love (which
Christ is): "If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in
all ways into Christ, who is the head by whom the whole body is
fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength,
for each separate part to work according to its function. So the
body grows until it has built itself up, in love" (Ep 4:15-16).

The Church as the People of God

Jesus used the word "Church" (ecclesia) only twice (Mt
16:18 and 18:17). The word stems from the Old Testament
concept of qahal, an assembly or congregation called together —
God calling together and forming his people Israel out of fallen
humanity (cf. Ex 6:6) and establishing a covenant with them
(cf Lv 26:9-12).

The New Testament continues to unfold God's plan of
salvation. Christ and the Church he founded fulfilled the
prophecies and promises given to the world through the chosen
people of the Old Testament. Christ calls together the Church
as his assembly, his people, united by the grace of the Holy
Spirit. That is why Peter could write to all Christians: "But you
are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a
people set apart. . .Once you were not a people at all and now you
are the People of God" (1 P 2:9-10, cf. Ep 1:14).

The expression "People of God," so popularized by the
Second Vatican Council, means the Church made up of all
members, great and small, each with a special mission — the
Pope, bishops, priests, religious and lay people — united in
Christ and his sacraments. Actually, this is another way of
viewing the Mystical Body of Christ.

The Church as the Bride of Christ

From still another viewpoint, the Church is seen as the Bride
of Christ. This, too, is closely allied to the concept of Christ's

158

CHAPTER XV

Mystical Body. In writing to the Ephesians, St. Paul compares
the Church and her relationship to Christ with that of a husband
and wife becoming one body. Christ deeply loves his Church,
so much so that he ' 'sacrificed himself for her to make her holy.
He ' 'made her clean by washing her in water with a form of
words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious,
with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and
faultless. 1 ' (Ep 5:21-33).

Though some of the Church's members may be sinful, Christ
continues to care for her and make her holy through the life-
giving streams of grace: through the washing of baptism, the
Eucharist, and the other sacraments and rites, blessings and
prayers. The covenant by which Christ has united himself with
her is indissoluble. She, in her turn, should be faithful and sub-
missive to him, using all his gifts, so that when he will return
she will appear in glory with her bridegroom.

The Church as Sacrament

Enlightened by faith, the Eastern Fathers always saw the
Church in the total viewpoint of God's design for the world, as
the new creation begun at the Incarnation, founded in the
Resurrection and established at the first Pentecost. The mystery
of the Church is the mystery of Christ, coextensive with
salvation, with the divinization of mankind. St. Athanasius, for
example, repeatedly taught that the Word of God became man
that we might be deified, that we might become "sons of God,"
and St. Gregory of Nyssa, that "God became one with our
nature. ..so that our nature, by its union with him, might become
divine, being delivered from death and from slavery to the
Enemy: for (Christ's) return from the dead is the beginning of
our return to immortal life for the race of mortal men" (Great
Catechism, 25).

The place where this divinization is effected by Christ is in
the Church through the Holy Spirit. "The Son of God," writes
Origen, "can be found only within the community of the faithful
because he lives amongst those who are brought together as
one." To St. Cyril of Alexandria, the Church is "the holy city
that has been sanctified," where we "become like Christ by

IMAGES OF CHRIST'S CHURCH 159

sharing in the divine nature through the communication of the
Holy Spirit, who sealed us with his seal in the day of our deliver-
ance, when we were washed from every stain and freed from
every iniquity;" it is "the root of resurrection and salvation"
("On Isaiah," v, 1. 52).

Personal faith is saving only in the setting of effective
participation in the Church's unity and life. The sacraments and
sacramentals with their host of rites and blessings are vehicles
of Christ's presence and action in the Church; through them
each member is made holy, God-like. In that sense, too, the
Church itself is seen as a sacrament, a "mystery," through
which Christ acts, touching the souls of his people, so that they
can more perfectly believe, hope and love, so that they may
become more and more like him.

^0^0^

CHAPTER XVI

Christ Forms His Church

Soon after he began preaching, Jesus moved to form his
kingdom, his Church. He did it by calling a little group of men
to follow him: ' 'He went out into the hills to pray; and he spent
the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned
his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them
'apostles': Simon whom he called Peter, and his brother
Andrew; James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas,
James son ofAlphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of
James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor' ' (Lk 6:12-16).

These journeyed with Jesus, stayed with him and listened to
his teachings. He was preparing them to become "fishers of
men." Jesus called them "apostles" meaning "those sent out
with orders," because they were sent by him to proclaim God's
kingdom, not only to the Jews during his lifetime but later to the
whole world. When he sent them to his own countrymen, he told
them: "And as you go, proclaim, that the kingdom of heaven is
close at hand. . . . And if anyone does not welcome you or listen to
what you have to say, as you walk out of the house or town shake
the dust from your feet. I tell you solemnly, on the day of Judg-
ment it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom and Gomorrah
as with that town. Remember, 1 am sending you out like sheep
among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and vet as harmless
as doves" (Mt 10:6, 13-16).

Later Jesus sent the apostles to the whole world: "Go out to
the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He
who believes and is baptized will be saved; he who does not
believe will be condemned' ' (Mk 16:16). They obeyed his orders
despite his warnings: "You will be dragged before governors
and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the
pagans. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how
to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you
when the time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking;
the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you' ' (Mt 10:18-20).

161

]62 CHAPTER XVI

Peter's Exceptional Role

People were speculating. Who exactly was this extraordinary
man, Jesus? He himself put the question to the apostles and
"Simon Peter spoke up, 'You are the Christ,' he said, 'the Son
of the living God' " (Mt 16:16). Because of this declaration of
faith, Jesus gave Simon a new name and a pre-eminent position
among the apostles.

The name Peter means "rock." On him, "the rock," Jesus
promised to build his Church with powers in heaven and on
earth: ' 7 now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will
build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never
hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of
heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in
heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered
loosed in heaven" (Mt 16:18-20). A more solid foundation than
a rock is impossible to come by. A structure on such a founda-
tion ..according to the Lord's own words, does not totter despite
rains, floods and gales (Mt 7:25).

After his resurrection, Jesus fulfilled that promise to Peter.
Using the same imagery of shepherding which he had previously
applied to himself (Jn 10:14), Jesus conferred on Peter the role
of shepherd-leader of his flock: ' 'Simon son of John, do you love
me more than these others do?' He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you
know 1 love you.' Jesus said to him 'Feed my lambs.' A second
time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' He
replied, 'Yes, Lord, you know 1 love you.' Jesus said to him,
'look after my sheep.' Then he said to him a third time, 'Simon
son of John do you love me?' Peter was upset that he asked him
the third time,' 'Do you love me?' and said, 'Lord, you know
everything' you know I love you.' Jesus said to him 'Feed my
sheep!" (Jn 21: 15-17).

To the Eastern mind, such similes as rock, key, shepherd
and flock were more understandable than any legal formula.

Peter Takes Over

Peter understood his role of chief shepherd. Even before the
Holy Spirit had come upon the apostles, before Pentecost,

CHRIST FORMS HIS CHURCH !63

"Peter stood up to speak to the brothers" (Ac 1:15), proposing
that another be elected to take the place of Judas in the apostolic
ministry. On the day of Pentecost, Peter was the first to preach
to the people in Jerusalem (Ac chap. 2). It was Peter who was
instructed by a vision that the time was ripe to receive gentile
converts into the Church; accordingly, "he then gave orders for
them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ" and even inter-
preted the divine will to his brethren in behalf of the gentiles
(Ac chaps. 10 and 11). Again, it was Peter who gave his opinion
first at the council of Jerusalem, and the other apostles submitted
to it (Ac chap. 15).

Though Peter was not the first to be called, nor was he the
oldest, nor even the one most loved by the Lord, he is always
mentioned first by the evangelists; in fact, he is expressly called
the first: "These are the names of the twelve apostles; first,
Simon who is called Peter... . ' '(Mt 10:2, cf. Mk3:16,Lk 6:14).
The evangelists accepted the situation as it was: Peter was the
chief, the head of the apostles.

While living on earth, Christ was the visible head of the com-
munity gathered around him. In heaven, he remains its invisible
head (1 P 2:25), but he is represented by a visible head — as is
evident from the ideas of the Church and the apostles. The
Church, for example, is a kingdom, but a kingdom has only one
king. It is a living body, but a body has only one visible head.
It is a sheepfold (Jn 10:1), but in any one fold there is only one
shepherd. It is a family or house (I Tm 3:15), but there is only
one master. The Church is an ark or ship, but a ship has only one
pilot, one captain.

A Mission Shared

Though Christ gave Peter a unique role in his divine mission,
he also gave the other apostles authority to participate in it. In
fact, his last commission to them was to go and convert the
world: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given me.
Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations: baptize them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know
that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time"

164 CHAPTER XVI

(Mt 28:18-20). Before that, he had given them the power of for-
giving sins (Jn 20:21-23), of celebrating the Eucharist
(Lk 22:19-20), etc.

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit gave the apostles the strength
and light, the courage and zeal to spread Christ's kingdom far
and wide. They began immediately — preaching, convincing
people of the truth of Christ, Peter being the main spokesman.
Eleven men against the whole world, eleven peasants and fisher-
men, whose natural abilities would scarcely have been enough
to organize a village-community, went out to lay the founda-
tions of a kingdom reaching from end to end of the earth!

The Aspotles' Successors

Most of the apostles probably acted as Paul did in evangeli-
zing a community: starting the work, then leaving it to others
ordained by them (cf. 1 Co 3:6, 10; Col 1:7-8, Rm 15:23). Paul
writes to Titus: "The reason I left you behind in Crete was for
you to get everything organized there and appoint elders (the
Greek word "presbyters," whence the English word "priests")
in every town, in the way that I told you: that is, each of them
must be a man of irreproachable character. . . Since as president
(the Greek word is "episcopos" from which the English word

"bishop" is derived,) he will be God's representative "

(Tt 1:5-7).

Writing to Timothy, Paul warns him not to ordain anyone
too hastily: "Do not be too quick to lay hands on any man"
(1 Tm 5:22). Timothy himself was ordained in a similar rite
(cf. 1 Tm 4:13-16, 2 Tm 1:6-7).

Like all men, the apostles were mortal, but their mission
would last until the end of time. They knew this, and made sure
they would have successors. Pope St. Clement of Rome, writing
in A. D. 96, says the apostles themselves "left instructions that
when they should die, other approved men should succeed them
in their sacred ministry" ("Letter to the Corinthians," 44).

When a Christian community reached a certain degree of
organization, maturity and increase, a bishop was ordained
for it. He in turn could ordain priests and deacons to provide for

CHRIST FORMS HIS CHURCH ]65

its future needs. Antioch already had such a threefold ministry
at the time of St. Ignatius, for he writes (c, A.D. 106): "Be
careful therefore to observe one Eucharist; for there is one flesh
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup unto union in his blood;
there is one altar, as there is one bishop, together with the pres-
byters priests and the deacons...." ("Letter to the Philadel-
phians." 4).

The process of ordaining successors — bishops, priests and
deacons — went on through the centuries in an unbroken line until
today. It will continue until the world ends. This is what Jesus meant
when he told the apostles he would be with them until the end of
time. The pope, bishops, priests and deacons are not substitutes for
Christ, but persons through whom Christ continues to care for his
own, continues to teach, rule and make men holy.

The Pope, Successor to Peter

Since the beginning, East and West acknowledged the bishop
of Rome as the successor of St. Peter, the head of the apostles,
accepting his supreme authority. The trouble within the Church of
Corinth towards the end of the first century A.D. clearly
illustrates this point. St. John, the last surviving apostle, was
still living at Ephesus when the dispute broke out. It would have
been natural for the Corinthian clergy to turn to John who had
known Christ personally and was universally venerated. Yet,
they asked Clement, the third bishop of Rome, to settle the
problem. Pope Clement in his "Letter to the Corinthian
Church" not only advises obedience, he commands it, remind-
ing the miscreants that disobedience to his commands would be
sinful. In order that similar troubles would not happen in the
future, this letter was publicly read from time to time in the
Corinthian Church.

A few years later (A.D. 106), St. Ignatius of Antioch draws
attention to the supremacy of the Church of Rome when he
addressed his "Epistle" to it: "To the Church... that presides in
the district of the Romans, and which is worthy of God, worthy
of honor, worthy of the highest happiness, worthy of praise,
worthy of credit, worthy of being deemed holy, and which is
the head of the union of charity i.e., of Christendom."

166 CHAPTER XV]

In opposing Gnostic heretics about the year A.D. 180,
St. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, lists in sequence the successors
of Peter by name as the bishops of the Church of Rome and
quotes the doctrines of that Church as authentically handed down
from the apostles. For this reason, he writes, "it is a matter of
necessity that every church should agree with this church, on
account of its pre-eminent authority" ("Against the Heresies,"
III, 3, 2).

At the end of the second century, Pope Victor used his
authority to command, under pain of excommunication, the
bishops in and around Ephesus to conform with the common
usage regarding the date of Easter (Eusebius, "Hist, of the
Church," V, 24). They obeyed.

After referring to "Peter, upon whom the Lord built the
Church speaking one for all," Cyprian, the bishop of Carthage,
in his letter to Pope Cornelius (A.D. 252) also mentions "the
chair of Peter and the chief church whence the unity of the
priesthood has its source" (Epist. 59, 7 and 14).

Later references to the primacy of the Pope are too numerous
to include here. They may be found in the writings of such men
as Cyril of Jerusalem, Cyril of Alexandria, Gregory of Nyssa,
John Chrysostom, Theodore the Studite, etc. Their testimony
is true and unequivocal, their words being as clear and objective
as their teachings regarding Christ as Son of God. While the
Eastern bishop balanced the supremacy of the Pope with
collegiality — a sharing of power — they always appealed
to the Pope whenever trouble broke out in their See. Sozomen,
the fifth-century Church historian, sums up the attitude and con-
viction of the whole Christian world in those centuries when
he writes: "When the controversy about the divinity of the Holy
Spirit broke out, the bishop of Rome Liberius, who died in
A.D. 366, wrote to the churches of the East that they should with
the bishops of the West confess the three Persons in God, equal
in substance and in dignity. All submitted, since the case was
decided by the Church of Rome, and thus the controversy
ended" (Hist, of the Church," VI, 22).

More expressive than anything else regarding the Pope's
supremacy was the Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451) and its

CHRIST FORMS HIS CHURCH [67

aftermath. When Pope St. Leo's letter condemning Monophysi-

tism was read to the assembled bishops at that Council, all

of them applauded and exclaimed, "Peter speaks through Leo!"

And the bishops settled the matter in accordance with the

Pope's definition. Later, the Patriarchs, Maximos of Antioch,

Anatolius of Constantinople, and Juvenal of Jerusalem wrote

a letter to Pope St. L.eo in which not only are the events at the

Council recounted but the Pope's primacy is clearly recognized:

"You have indeed preserved the faith, which

has come down to us like a golden stream

flowing at the command of our divine Teacher.

Constituted, as you are, the interpreter of the

words of the Blessed Peter for all mankind, you

have poured forth upon the universe the blessings

he elicited by his faith. Hence we have looked to

you as to the leader of our religion to our great

advantage. You indeed, as head among the

members, presided here in the person of your

representatives, who led the way by their correct

counsel."

The same letter also recounts the excesses and anger of the

Patriarch of Alexandria, Dioscoros, whom the Council

deposed:

"He extended his fury even against him who
has been entrusted by the Saviour with the guard-
ianship of the vineyard — we mean your
Holiness — and planned his excommunication,
after you have been so zealous to keep the body of
the Church united!"
The Byzantine liturgy, both Catholic and Orthodox, teaches
no less regarding the primacy. On November 25th, the feast of
Pope St. Clement, a canticle of the Vesper Service has: "Peter,
the Prince of the apostles, left thee as a worthy successor of
himself; after him thou didst rule the Church most capably."
For the feast of Pope St. Martin, April 13th, a passage has: "O
Martin, thou hast adorned the divine See of Peter and by means
of his divine rock thou hast preserved the Church unbroken."
For the feast of Pope St. Leo, February 18th, it has: "As the

168 CHAPTER XVI

successor of the divine Peter, enriched with his presidency and
primacy, Leo published his divinely inspired definition." The
reference here is to Pope St. Leo's letter to the Council of
Chalcedon.

Today, the successor of St. Peter is known by various
titles: Pope, Holy Father, Supreme Pontiff, Vicar of Christ,
Visible Head of the Church and, best of all, Servant of the
Servants of God. His line of succession is unbroken from the
first Pope, St. Peter, as may be seen in any history book.

The Pope's duty, like that of Peter, is to shepherd and lead
the Church. His jurisdiction extends to the entire Church of
Christ; he is bishop, not only of Rome, but of the universal
Church. As chief shepherd, he is bishop over all his fellow
bishops and over all the faithful, individually and collectively,
just as a shepherd is responsible for the welfare of the whole
flock and for every one of its sheep. His responsibility and
authority extend to the teachings of Christ's truths, moral and
doctrinal, as well as to the mechanics of governing the whole
Church — all of which powers are directed to sanctifying the
flock of Christ, to making holy the people of God.

Aspostolic Collegiality

Jesus told Peter to lead and shepherd the flock, the Church,
but he was not to do this alone; he was to work together with
the other apostles in a brotherly, collegial way. Likewise today,
the Pope as Peter's successor leads the shepherds and Church in
fraternal, collegial unity with his fellow bishops, successors of
the apostles.

The Second Vatican Council described collegiality in this
way: "Just as, by the Lord's will, St. Peter and the other
apostles constituted one apostolic college, so in a similar way the
Roman Pontiff as the successor of Peter, and the bishops as
the successors of the apostles are joined together" "(Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church," 22).

Though "collegiality" has been popularized only since
Vatican II, it has been at work from the beginning. The apostles,
headed by Peter, acted as a body after Christ's ascension to
choose Mathias in the place of Judas (Ac 1:15-26), they met in

CHRIST FORMS HIS CHURCH m

council at Jerusalem to settle the thorny problem of whether
gentile converts had to follow the Jewish laws (Ac 15:5-29).
Throughout the ages the Pope and the bishops from every part
of the Church have come together in ecumenical councils to
clarify doctrine or discipline.

During the last session of the Second Vatican Council,
Pope Paul VI outlined a new kind of cooperation in the Church
when he established the Synod of Bishops. This consists of a
group of bishops from all over the world who represent other
bishops from their respective regions to assist the Holy Father
in his work. In this way, the Pope gets to know the opinions,
needs, and concerns of all the bishops and people the world
over before any papal decisions are made. The Synod of Bishops
has been meeting regularly ever since.

Included in each bishop's consecration (his ordination to the
fullness of the priesthood) are: (1) the power to make the people
of God holy, especially by imparting the sacraments to them
(including the consecration of bishops); (2) the power to teach
authoritatively and to share in divine guidance for the handing
on of revealed truth; (3) the power to govern and direct the
people of God.

A bishop's power to sanctify, imparted to him at his con-
secration, means that he can act validly even through he may
separate himself from the unity of the Church, that is, the validity
and principal effects of any sacrament he confers, are unques-
tioned, regardless of his unworthy dispositions. The other two
powers, the teaching authority and pastoral government, are
rooted in episcopal consecration, but their validity depends upon
a state of communion with the Holy Father and the other bishops
of the Church. In other words, episcopal collegiality can be
exercised authentically only if a bishop, or a group of bishops,
is in actual communion with the Holy Father and the rest of the
hierarchy united with the Pope. If no such communion exists,
no assurance of divine approval can be expected. The same
may be said of priests delegated by their bishop to exercise such
powers on behalf of the faithful.

CHAPTER XVII

Christ Shepherds His Chuch

The prophets announced Christ as teacher, king, and priest.
He proved himself such by his teaching, by instituting the New
Law, and by his sacrifice at the Last Supper and on the cross.

This triple office of teaching, ruling and sanctifying, and the
powers that go with it, Jesus transmitted to the apostles and
their successors when he said: "All authority in heaven and on
earth has been given to me. Go therefore, make disciples of all
the nations, baptize them" etc. (Mi 28:18-20). Through the
present successors of the apostles, Jesus continues to teach, rule
and sanctify his people. Christ's presence and action in his
Church today is not imaginary, but real.

Jesus Teaches His Church

Jesus teaches through those he sends. This was true while
he lived on earth (Ik 10:1) and after he went back to heaven:
"While they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working
with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied
it" (Mk 16:20). He continues to teach today through their suc-
cessors, for he promised to be with them always till the end of
time (Mt 28:20).

The Holy Father and the other bishops, being successors to
Peter and the other apostles, are the authentic teachers and wit-
nesses of the faith under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. They
exercise their office by believing, guarding and preaching divine
truth faithfully and entirely. In them, God guards his revelation,
his truth, and hands it on to his faithful.

God's truth, his deposit of faith, is contained in the Sacred
Scriptures and in tradition. Here, tradition means not mere
human customs and usages, which can be discarded once their
temporary values become useless, but the "handing on" faith-
fully whatever the Lord taught and revealed, even though not
through the Scriptures. There were indeed many other things
which Jesus did and taught: ' 'if all were written down, the world
itself . . . would not hold all the books that would have to be

m

, 72 CHAPTER XVII

written" (Jn 21:25).

God's public revelation came to an end with the death of the
apostles. The task of the Church since then has been to "hand
on" that deposit of faith entrusted to the apostles and to keep it
free from errors, as Paul writes to Timothy: "Keep as your
pattern the sound teaching you have heard from me, in the faith
and love that are in Christ Jesus. You have been trusted to look
after something precious; guard it with the help of the Holy
Spirit who lives in us" (2 Tm 1:13-14).

"The task of authentically interpreting the word of God,
whether written or handed on, has been entrusted exclusively
to the living magisterium of the Church, whose authority is
exercised in the name of Jesus Christ" (Vatican II, "Dogmatic
Constitution on Divine Revelation," 9). "Magisterium" means
the teaching office of the Church which is unable to err in
believing or teaching revealed truth — it is infallible when
making solemn pronouncements in matters of faith or morals in
accordance with Christ's promise to the apostles that he would
send his Spirit of truth "to be with you for ever" (Jn 14:16) and
"he will lead you to the complete truth" (Jn 16:13). These words
indicate that the object of the Holy Spirit's help is to preserve
the faith, God's truth, pure and free from error and this, not only
in the apostles, but also in their successors who have the same
mission of teaching that truth. Some confuse infallibility with
impeccability, the idea that the Pope and the bishops cannot sin.
They can, like any other human being.

The infallible teaching office is exercised in two ways:
through the ordinary magisterium and through the extraordinary
magisterium.

ORDINARY MAGISTERIUM.

Paul told Titus, "whether you are giving instructions or
correcting errors, you can do so with full authority, and no one
is to question it" (Tt 2:15). No less is true of every bishop when
he imparts whatever the Holy Father and all the bishops of the
world teach on faith and morals — whether it be in ordinary
preaching, catechetical instructions, or in pastoral letters and
directives.

"Although the individual bishops do not enjoy the prerogative

CHRIST SHEPHERDS HIS CHURCH 173

of infallibility, they can nevertheless proclaim Christ's doctrine
infallibly. This is so, even when they are dispersed around the
world, provided that while maintaining the bond of unity among
themselves and with Peter's successor, and while teaching
authentically on a matter of faith or morals, they concur in a
single viewpoint as the one which must be held conclusively"
(Vatican II. "Dogmatic Constitution on the Church," 25).

When the bishops teach infallibly, they are doing what Christ
commanded them to do, what Paul expected of Timothy:
' 'Before God and before Christ Jesus who is to be judge of the
living and the dead, I put this duty to you, in the name of his
Appearing and of his kingdom: proclaim the message and,
welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct
error, call to obedience — but do all with patience and with
the intention of teaching" (2 Tm 4:1-2).

A regrettable fact of history is that individual bishops or
even groups of bishop have been found wanting in teaching
God's truth, have even taught "novel doctrines" and error
differring from the body of bishops and the Pope who continued
to be faithful to God's word. Paul warned Timothy to expect it:
"The time is sure to come when, far from being content with
sound teaching, people will be avid for the latest novels and
collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their
own tastes; and then, instead of listening to the truth, they will
turn to myths" (2 Tm 4:3-4).

Since Vatican II, a whole series of teachers and theologians
have expounded novel doctrines, some perhaps true, others
almost certainly not, but they are not the official teaching voice
of the Church; this belongs to the whole body of bishops and the
Holy Father as successors of the apostles and Peter. The faith is
not founded on mere scholarship, but on Christ's word and grace.

Theologians can and should be important helpers of the
bishops, aiding them to understand the depths of God's truth,
but they do not take the bishops' place in officially teaching
Christ's truth to the faithful.

EXTRAORDINARY MAG1STERIUM.

The extraordinary magisterium of the Church, also infallible,
is exercised in two ways: (1) in general councils, and (2) in

, 74 CHAPTERXVII

ex cathedra ("from the chair") definitions of doctrine by the
Holy Father.

(1) General Councils, also known as ecumenical councils,
are the gatherings of all the bishops, together with the Holy
Father as head of the Church (or his legate), in order to make
definitive statements on faith, morals, or church discipline.
Some statements of general councils are not meant to be infal-
lible teaching but are merely disciplinary or pastoral. A general
council, however, is the way in which a doctrine is usually
defined.

Whenever major heresies and doctrinal controversies have
arisen, the Church's bishops have met in general council. Though
many experts and scholars accompany the bishops to advise
them, only the bishops vote. Usually, a thorough search of the
Scriptures is made to see what Jesus and the apostles taught
on the subject; then there is an examination of Tradition as
contained in early sourches (books, documents, etc.) to see
what the early Christians believed and practiced. If proof exists
from the Scriptures and Tradition that a given truth has been
taught by Christ and the apostles and accepted by the early
Christians, an exact formulation of doctrine is made. Such
solemn "definitions" are infallible, though it does not mean that
the same truths cannot also be formulated in other expressions
and words. They can and often are: the language may change,
but the underlying divine truths do not.

Twenty-one such councils have taken place in the history of
the Church, beginning with the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325
and ending with Vatican II, in 1962-65.

(2) Ex cathedra definitions of doctrine by the Holy Father
are also infallible; that is, when the Holy Father (a) as supreme
pastor and teacher of the whole Church (b) pronounces a teaching
regarding faith or morals (c) to be held by the whole Church. The
Pope's authority and power derives from Christ, not from the
other bishops, or even by delegation from the Church; hence,
he does not need their approval to make an ex cathedra defini-
tion. On the other hand, a papal pronouncement does not fall
within the scope of infallibility if any of the three conditions is
missing.

CHRISTSHEPHERDS HIS CHURCH 175

(a) The Pope must officially speak as supreme pastor and
teacher of the whole Church. This means that if he speaks as a
private teacher or as an author of religious treatises or books,
he is liable to err as any other scholar of the Church.

(b) The Pope's pronouncement must deal with faith or
morals, including truths intimately connected with them. This
means that the Pope is not free from the possibility of error
in matters of natural science, such as geology, physics, mathe-
matics, etc., in fact, in anything not pertaining to the deposit
of faith.

Nor does the Pope have authority to invent totally new
doctrines not found in the deposit of faith. The First Vatican
Council clearly stated: "For the Holy Spirit was not promised
to the successors of Peter in order that they might spread abroad
new doctrine which he reveals, but that, under his assistance,
they might guard inviolably, and with fidelity explain, the
revelation or deposit of faith handed down by the apostles" The
Pope is the interpreter and expounder of revelation, not its
author.

(c) The Pope must propose his pronouncement to the whole
Church for belief. His addresses and exhortations to pilgrims
or to some particular groups, though carrying great weight, do
not fall within the scope of infallibility, nor do his statements
to the faithful of the whole world if he does not intend to define
some doctrine.

Though the scope of papal infallibility is limited to the above
conditions, this does not mean that we, the faithful, can take
the Holy Father's other statements lightly, especially his en-
cyclical letters. His supreme authority must be "acknowledged
with reverence," and the judgments made by him must be
"adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will. His mind
and will here may be known chiefly either from the character
of the documents, from his frequent repetition of the same
doctrine, or from his manner of speaking" (Vatican II, "Dog-
matic Constitution on the Church, 25).

The Lord's warning applies today as it did in his time "Anyone
who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects

l76 CHAPTERXVII

me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me"
(Lk 10:16).

Christ Rules His Church

The authority given by Christ rests in his words outlined
above (especially in Mt 28:18); this includes the authority to
rule the flock of Christ. The office of ruling is also seen in
the image of the Church as the kingdom of Christ: a kingdom is
governed by one ruler and his assistants. A special authority was
given to Peter, the rock; he was given the keys, symbols of the
ruler in the house.

Jesus taught all to recognize legitimate authority even in those
who are unworthy of it. He told the people: ' 'The scribes and the
Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do
what they tell you and listen to what they say, but do not be
guided by what they do: since they do not practice what they
preach" (Mt 23:2-3). It has happened in the Church that those
who governed were unworthy of it, but the mind of Christ is
clear: their authority was legitimate.

Jesus himself also taught how those who are in authority are
to exercise it: "Anyone who wants to be great among you must
be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you
must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be
served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many"
(Mt 20:27-28). In order that his apostles forever remember how
they were to exercise their authority, Jesus resorted to the dram-
atic gesture of washing their feet: "If I, then, the Lord and
Master, have washed your feet , you should wash each other's
feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what 1
have done to you" (Jn 13:14-15).

The Pope and the other bishops of the Church, as successors
to Peter and the other apostles, are heirs to the ruling power
of Christ. They are the "overseers" (Ac 20:28).

The bishops take part in the Church's government in two
ways. First, each bishop "oversees, 1 ' administers that part of
the Church assigned to him by the Pope or patriarch; he does it
personally and through the priests whom he in turn appoints.
Secondly, the bishops govern the Church collegially with the

CHRIST SHEPHERDS HIS CHURCH 177

Holy Father when they meet either in council or in synod,
issue disciplinary decrees and regulations for the whole Church.
The office of ruling serves to promote the growth of faith and
holiness in the Church.

The ordinary and recurrent rules for the government of the
Church are contained in a book called the "Code of Canon Law."
The bishops of each country also usually list the main duties of
their faithful as "precepts" of the Church: these include such
duties as attendance at the Eucharistic Liturgy on Sundays and
holy days of obligation, the avoidance of unnecessary work on
such days, the observance of the Church's marriage laws, the
obligations of penance, of annual confession and Easter
communion.

Christ Sanctifies His Church

Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi: "My prayer is that your
love for each other may increase more and more and never stop
improving xour knowledge and deepening your perception so
that you can always recognize what is best. This will help you
to become pure and blameless, and prepare you for the Day of
Christ, when you will reach the perfect goodness which Jesus
Christ produces in us for the glory and praise of God" (Ph 1:9-11).
His prayer echoes the most important work of the Church: to
sanctify the souls of men, to make them holy, to make them
more God -like. All teaching and ruling in the Church are directed
to this one all-important purpose. For this, Christ came to earth:
for this, Christ died: "Christ loved the Church and sacrificed
himself for her to make her holy" (Ep 5:25).

Christ continues his priestly work of making men holy in
his Church, through preaching, and blessing, and especially
through the sacraments. When the life-giving waters of baptism
are poured on a baby, it is really Christ who baptizes. He is
present in reconciling sinners through his priests by the power
of forgiving sins in his name (cf. Jn 20:20-23). He himself
speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the parish church:
they are his very words. When the faithful gather to pray and
sing, he is there in their midst: "For where two or three meet in
my name, I shall be there with them' ' (Mt 18:20). Most of all, he

178 CHAPTER XVII

is present in the Eucharistic sacrifice, the Divine Liturgy, where
he not only offers himself anew through the ministry of his
priests, but personally comes to communicants under the forms
of bread and wine.

The sacramental mysteries are the chief ways of making men
holy. Through them, the Church itself may be called a sacra-
mental mystery, or the "sacrament of sacraments."

^O^O^

CHAPTER XVIII

How Christ's Church Can Be Recognized

When Jesus turned to Peter and said, "on this rock I will
build my Church" (Mt 16:18), he did not say "Churches;" so
there can by only one Church founded by him.

Paul warned Timothy about future dissensions in the Church
and deviation from the truths of faith taught by Christ and the
apostles (1 Tm 6:2-6, 2 Tm 4:3-4). These happened only too soon.

One of the most serious was Gnosticism. As a mixture of
Christianity and paganism, it markedly disrupted the harmony
of the Church a few generations after the apostles. The Gnostics
claimed a "secret tradition" allegedly handed down by a
"succession of teachers" linked with the apostles. When
accused by the Christians of novelty of doctrines, the Gnostics
countered that their doctrines were nothing new but were being
made public for the first time. The Church's leaders counter-
claimed by insisting on the public tradition of doctrine through
the "succession" of official teachers, the bishops, in each
local Church. Doctrinal truth and its authenticity, as well as its
continuity, could be checked against the public "handing on" of
doctrines by tracing the succession of the Church's official
teachers, the bishops, back to the apostles and what was being
taught at the time by all of them. Moreover, their doctrines
agreed with the Old and New Testament Scriptures. The
doctrines of the Gnostics differed not only from the Scriptures
and the official bishops' teachings, but also among themselves;
therefore, they were heretical, false.

To counter these and similar problems in the early Church,
the Fathers clarified the standards which mark the true Church
of Christ. It is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. Written into
some of the earliest Creeds, these standards or marks have ever
remained in the Catholic Church till the present time, and they
are still the best measures of whether a Church is or is not the
true Church founded by Christ.

179

lg0 CHAPTER XVIII

Christ's Church is One

Before he went out to die, Jesus prayed for his followers:
' 'Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name,
so that they may be one like us,... I pray not only for these, but
for those also who through their words will believe in me. May
they all be one. Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me
and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who
sent me" (Jn 17:11, 20-21). This oneness is preserved in two
ways; (1) unity of authority-leadership, also called communion,
and (2) unity of faith.

(1) unity of authority-leadership means being submissive
to the authority of the Pope as successor of St. Peter and to the
bishops in communion with him. In practice, this means that
the faithful are in direct communion with their parish priests, the
priests with their bishops, and the bishops with the Holy Father.
It is also the bond by which all are joined socially through their
participating in the same seven sacraments and the same
worship.

Jesus willed the Church to have a hierarchical unity by
appointing Peter and the other apostles to teach, sanctify and rule
in his name. Their successors are equally rulers and guardians
of the Church by the will of the Holy Spirit (cf. Ac 20:8).
Futhermore, Jesus promised to be with those teaching and
shepherding his flock till the end of time (cf Mt 28:20).

It is mainly the visible authority of the Church that produces
internal unity, the unity of faith, so often urged by St. Paul:
' 'Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace
that hinds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as
you were all called into one and the same hope when you were
called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God
who is Father of all" (Ep 4:3-6).

(2) unity OF faith means that the Church's members are
united in believing the same religious truths proposed to them for
acceptance by the Church. It is the kind of unity to which St.
Paul exhorted the dissentious Corinthians: "/ do appeal to you,
brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, to make up the
differences between you, and instead of disagreeing among

SIGNS OF CHRIST'S CHURCH 181

yourselves, to be united again in your belief and practice"
(1 Co 1:10). Unity of leadership makes the unity of faith much
easier.

Down through Christian history — and it holds as true
today as ever — a good test for determining whether a religious
truth is genuine or not is this: does it basically deviate from
what is being officially taught by the Church the world over? If it
does, the doctrine is suspect and may be false, no matter which
famous theologian proposes it. This, of course, does not
mean that a given doctrine of the Church has to be expressed
uniformly everywhere. The infinite realities of God cannot be
contained in our finite, limited words or ideas, yet the basic
message of God's truth can always be expressed in some way.

As long as God's truth is not changed, the Church can and
should express it in ways that are best understood in any time or
place. On the other hand, if a theologian or teacher interprets a
doctrine in such a way that it comes to mean something com-
pletely different from what the Church teaches, then, it may
well be a "new," false doctrine.

Paul warned against such false interpreters in his day: "Some
troublemakers among you want to change the Good News of
Christ; and let me warn you that if anyone preaches to you a
version of the Good News different from the one we have already
preached to you, whether it be ourselves or an angel from
heaven , he is to be condemned. I am only repeating what we told
you before: if anyone preaches a version of the Good News
different from the one you have already heard, he is to be
condemned" (Ga 1:7-9).

Christ's Church is Holy

Any Church claiming holiness as her distinguishing mark
must have a founder whose undeniable holiness and miracles
can prove that he was sent by God. In the New Testament,
Jesus proved his holiness and his claim to be from God, indeed,
God's Son, by his many miracles, especially by his resurrection.

Even during the lifetime of some apostles, there were
would-be reformers who lacked these attributes, as is clear
from St. John's words: "Those rivals of Christ came out

lg2 CHAPTER XVIII

of our own number, but they had never really belonged; if they
had belonged, they would have stayed with us; but they left us,
to prove that not one of them ever belonged to us" (1 Jn 2:19).
Jesus was holy because he was God and proved it. The Church
he founded is holy only because of its relationship or attachment
to him (cf. Ep 5:25-27). The more the Church's members
participate in his presence, the more intimate their relationship
to him, the holier they became. They do this by living according
to Christ's religious and moral teachings, by participating in
the Eucharistic sacrifice, receiving the sacraments and obeying
the directives of the Church's rules. There is also the mysteri-
ous, mystical communication of merits resulting from the
"communion of saints," that is, not only between the more
holy and less holy members on earth, but between those in
heavenly glory and the members of the pilgrim Church here
below. All these sanctifying forces ultimately come from
Christ, animating the Mystical Body, the Church.

Some members of the Church live sinful lives. Their
wickedness, however, is caused not by anything the Church
teaches or practices, but by their own failures. Wherever the
Catholic faith is lived earnestly, Christ brings forth fruits of
abundant holiness, even to the point of martyrdom. In the
early centuries of the Church, hundreds of thousands suffered
and died for Christ. In the last half century alone, countless
Catholics endured imprisonment, torture and death for him.
Many men and women have consecrated their lives totally to
Christ by voluntary vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience,
and staff the Church's many institutions — teaching, mothering,
caring for the sick, the crippled and aged, helping the poor.
"Sv their fruits you shall know them" was Christ's own
standard for distinguishing the good from the bad (Mt 7:16).

Christ's Church is Catholic

Though Jesus never used the word "Catholic," meaning
"universal," regarding his Church, he clearly intended his
Church to serve all nations. He foretold it (Mt 24:14, Ac 1:8)
and commanded it (Mt 28:19, Mk 16:15). The apostles and
their disciples obeyed his command: within thirty years after the

SIGNS OFCHRIST'S CHURCH 183

Lord's death, the faith was being preached in the whole world as
known at the time, the Mediterranean basin (Rm 1:8, cf.
Rm 10:8).

St. Ignatius of Antioch first used the word katholike (Greek
for "catholic" or "universal) in AD. 107, to describe the true
Church of Christ, distinguishing it from heretical or schismatic
groups: "Where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church"
("Letter to the Smyrneans," 8, 2). Within a century, the term
"universal" or "catholic" aquired the two meanings we now
give it: its extension throughout the whole world, and its
faithfulness to the whole doctrine of Christ.

The separation into Catholic and Orthodox is a sad conse-
quence of human imperfection. It came about mostly as a
conflict of authority, and in very small part, from differences
in doctrinal interpretations. There were abuses on both sides.
True reconciliation is being attempted. At all times, the
Orthodox have enjoyed the full validity of the sacraments,
including the ordination of priests, bishops and patriarchs.

At the time of the major break, in 1054, the custom of
capitalizing the word "Catholic" began, chiefly as a means
of distinction from the "Orthodox."

There has always been a close connection between the
Church's universality and missionary endeavor. Down the ages,
the Church's apostles were ever- zealous, ever-fervid, eager to
preach Christ's Good News to every creature, transforming
many nations and groups of nations, incorporating them into
the Mystical Body of Christ. No other Church has ever converted
even one heathen country to Christianity; the Catholic Church
can claim dozens! This is a sign of her divine character.

Gladstone, the Anglican nineteenth-century statesman, elo-
quently recognized the Catholic Church's universality when
he wrote:

"She has marched for fifteen hundred years
at the head of civilization, and has harnessed...
the chief intellectual and material forces of the
world; her art, the art of the world; her genius,
the genius of the world; her greatness, glory,

|g4 CHAPTERXVIH

grandeur, and majesty have been almost, though
not absolutely, all that in these respects the
world has had to boast of. Her children are more
numerous than all the members of the sects
combined; she is every day enlarging the boun-
daries of her vast empire; her altars are raised
in every clime, and her missionaries are to be
found wherever there are men to be taught the
evangel of immortality and souls to be saved.
And this wondorous Church, which is as old as
Christianity and as universal as mankind, is
today, after its twenty centuries of age, as fresh
and vigorous and as fruitful as on the day the
Pentecostal fires were showered upon the
earth. Surely such an institution challenges the
attention and demands the most serious examina-
tion of those outside its pale!"
The Church's catholicity also includes the mysterious
paradox whereby the same unity of faith and authority has been
embraced by such a variety of peoples, rich and poor, young and
old, unlettered and highly educated, from all cultures, from
almost every nation on earth! Nothing like it has been seen in the
world's organizations, League of Nations or United Nations,
which seem incapable of rising above national or political in-
terests. Nothing like it has been seen in the world's religions
which keep on fragmenting into further divisions, groups and
subgroups, on national or doctronial grounds. In the Catholic
Church, "There are no more distinctions between Jew and
Greek, slave and free, male and female, but all of you are one in
Christ Jesus" (Ga 3:38)

Christ's Church is Apostolic

Only a Church that is apostolic can be the Church founded by
Christ. What the apostles learned from Jesus, they taught.
What authority he gave them, for ruling or sanctifying, they put
into practice. To be apostolic, (1) the Church's origin must go
back to the apostles; (2) its teachings must be the same as those
which the apostles received from Christ and put into practice;

SIGNS OF CHRIST'S CHURCH 185

and (3) the succession of its pastors must be unbroken, going back
to Peter and the other apostles.

1 . apostolic origin. Only that Church which is built upon the
unshakable foundation laid by Christ can be his true Church.
This visible foundation was Peter, the rock, and the other
apostles. The Catholic Church does rest upon St. Peter and the
other apostles whose mandate and authority continue in their
successors, the Pope and the bishops in union with him. This is
a matter of history.

2. The Church's teachings must be the same as those which
the apostles received from Christ, which they preached and put
into practice. Hungry as many are for the truth of Christ, they try
to revise his truth to lessen its demands on them. Even though
it meant defections from its ranks by the thousands, the
Catholic Church steadfastly continues to teach what the apostles
heard from the lips of the Saviour regarding the unbreakable
bond of marriage, its own teaching office, abortion, euthanasia,
artificial birth control, etc.

The apostles used the seven sacraments to make men holy —
not two or three, but all seven. Their effects last for time and for
eternity, deriving their authority from the power given to the
apostles to loose and bind. "Whatever you bind on earth, ' ' Jesus
told them, "shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you
loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven" (Mt 18:18).
To summarize these seven all-important means which the apos-
tles used to make men holy: (For a more complete development,
see below, p.p. 252, ff.).

Baptism. Jesus charged the apostles to baptize (Mr 28:18-20)
and they obeyed (e.g., Ac 2:41, 10:48, 19:5, etc.).

Confirmation-chrismation . The apostles also imparted the
Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands: the Samarians, as we read
in Acts (8:14ff.) "had only been baptised in the name of the
Lord Jesus," so the apostles Peter and John went and "laid
hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit."

Holy Eucharist. Jesus gave the apostles the ability to do what
he had done at the Last Supper: after changing bread and wine
into his own body and blood, he charged them to do the same,
"Do this as a memorial of me" (Lk 22:19).

lg6 CHAPTER XVIII

The sacrament of Reconciliation. The power to forgive sins
is divine, but this too he gave to the apostles: 'As the Father
sent me, so am I sending you.' After saying this he breathed on
them and said: 'Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins
you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain,
they are retained.'" (Jn 20:21-23).

The Anointing of the Sick. Another apostolic practice was the
anointing of the sick, whereby a person is always healed spiritu-
ally but sometimes even physically, as we read in James

(5:14-16).

The Sacrament of Holy Orders. The apostles ordained
others; that is, they gave the sacrament of Holy Orders to their
successors by the laying on of hands (1 Tm 4:13-16, 2 Tm 1:6-7.
cf. Ac 13:3, 14:22), thereby handing down to their successors
the spiritual powers they had received from the Lord.

Matrimony. Though the Scriptures do not speak of Christian
marriage as a sacrament in an immediately apparent way, St.
Paul does so by implication: the Christian marriage mysteriously
signifies the union of Christ with the Church (Ep 5:22ff.) Since
the union of Christ with the Church is supernatural, imparting
grace, holiness and salvation, the Christian marriage-union
must also be supernatural, imparting grace, holiness, and
salvation to its members, the couple.

We in the twentieth century need these great sacramental
gifts of grace no less than did the people in apostolic times or a
thousand years ago. Any Church which does not impart all
these sacraments cannot claim to be doing what the apostles did,
cannot possibly be apostolic in its practices, and therefore cannot
be the true Church of Christ. The Catholic Church does continue
to impart all seven sacraments as the apostles did.

3. The succession of the Church's pastors must be unbroken,
going back to Peter and the other apostles. The apostles could
not live forever: they would die like the rest of men, but their
mission was to last until the end of time as Jesus had promised.
They clearly understood this and chose their successors, as Paul
did with Timothy and Titus. This transmission of power is called
"apostolic succession." The line of papal succession has
remained unbroken: the present Pope John Paul II is the 264th

SIGNS OF CHRIST'S CHURCH 187

Pope or the 263rd after Peter. The names and pontificate of each
Pope, complete with dates, can be examined and studied even in
secular history books.

Our Separated Brothers and Sisters

Though Jesus established only one Church, his followers are
now divided into several hundred "Churches" or denomina-
tions. Most non-Catholic Christians, however, were born in
their respective churches hundreds of years after their separation
from the visible unity with the successors of the apostles under
Peter. No one can charge them with sin for being separated.
Many are sincere and deeply devoted to Christ. They are loved
by Christ for their sincerity: the "Catholic Church accepts them
with respect and affection as brothers. Those who believe in
Christ and have been properly baptized are brought into a certain
though imperfect communion with the Catholic Church"
(Vatican II, "Decree on Ecumenism" I, 3), for they have "the
written word of God, the life of grace, faith, hope and charity,
and other inner gifts and visible elements from the Holy Spirit"
(ibid.).

Surely- those who sincerely intend in their hearts to do all
that God wants of them will not be excluded from salvation; they
have a certain membership by desire in the Church founded by
Christ. On the other hand, formal adherence and membership
in the Catholic Church is not merely optional, something we are
free to do or not to do, as for instance joining a club. Christ
cares deeply that we join his true Church in order that we enjoy
the fullness of his heritage, the totality of his revelation, the
richness of his sacraments and other means of sanctification.
This so impressed St. Cyprian as early as the third century
that he formulated the maxim, "Outside the Church there is no
salvation," a truth which the Church had always taught —
always presupposing full knowledge and realization that the
Catholic Church is the true Church of Christ.

This notion has been interpreted too often in the sense that
formal membership in the Roman Catholic Church is a condition
of salvation. Membership in the Church of Christ is rather a
matter of intent and good will than of actual registration. Loving

|g8 CHAPTERXVI1I

men and women who seek the truth and who, for some reason,
historical or other, have been prevented from joining the
members of the Church of Rome are assured of salvation,
whatever their formal allegiance. Even pagans may be covered
by "membership of desire." The assumption is that, had they
known about it, they would have joined the Church of Christ.
God does not deprive of eternal happiness those who did not
have a chance of knowing him through Christ.

^o^o^

CHAPTER XIX

"Heaven on Earth"

When the early Christians gathered on the Lord's day to hear
the word of God, for prayer and the Eucharist, they secretly
assembled in each other's homes. They had no choice. Their
worship was high treason, punishable by death, because it
opposed the state religion. Among themselves, they referred to
these gatherings as the assemblies of the Lord.

As soon as the Christians were free to worship openly, in
A.D. 313, they began to remodel large homes into "house-
churches. " Later, they constructed special buildings for worship
which they called "houses of God." Our English word "church",
in fact, indirectly derives from the Greek kyriakon, meaning
"the Lord's." They also used another word, basilica, meaning
house of the King, i.e., of God. They felt that the place where
they worshiped should reflect the holiness of what was taking
place. Every later generation has sought to build churches
worthy of the Eucharistic Lord, lavishly decorating them with
mosaics, paintings and other works of art.

A church is indeed the "house of the Lord." The Greeks and,
after them, the Slavs approach their worship as a participation
in the liturgy of heaven; that is why they sought to create the
church as a "heaven on earth," even though they realized that
the things of earth are but shadows, symbols, of the true realities
of heaven. This explains the abundant use of symbolism in their
churches.

Church Exteriors

There is no need to dwell here on the architectural style of
Byzantine churches. Whether they come with Greek hemispheric
domes or Slav onion-shaped cupolas, in the general Byzantine
style, the Baroque, in the enchanting Bojko or Hucul style, or
in any other, Byzantine churches display great symbolism in
their shape and orientation.

CHURCH FORMS OR SHAPES

The ordinary oblong or rectangular shape of church buildings

189

190

CHAPTER XIX

symbolizes a ship or ark which transports the faithful to the
haven of salvation, heaven, through the stormy seas of life. The
idea of comparing the church with a ship, the bishop to its
captain, the priests to its officers, the deacons to sailors, and the
faithful to passengers goes back to the fourth or fifth century
(cf. "Apost. Constitutions," II, 57; also the "Clementine 1 '
"Epistle to James, 14).

A church built in the form of a cross has the obvious symbolism
of Christ's martyrdom.

A few churches are circular or star-shaped. A church built
in the form of a circle represents the eternal Church of Christ (a
beginning or an end cannot be seen in a circle). The star-shaped
church is seen as the shining grace of Christ enlightening the
world.

CHURCH DOMES

The number of domes surmounting Byzantine churches has
significance too. One dome typifies unity, One God, one invis-
ible Head of the Church, Jesus Christ. Three domes, the three
Persons of the Holy Trinity. Five domes, Christ and the four
evangelists (or also the five ancient apostolic Sees, i.e., Rome,
Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Constantinople). Seven
domes on the more elaborate structures represent the seven
sacraments by which the Church pours grace into the souls of its
faithful (or also the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit). Still more
elaborate are the churches with nine and thirteen domes: the
former symbolize the nine choirs of angels; the latter, Christ
and the twelve apostles.

The octagonal, onion-shaped dome, characteristic of Ukrainian
and Russian churches, resulted from necessity rather than from
aesthetic ideal. Wood was the only material available for church
construction and it did not lend itself to the smooth curves of the
Byzantine style. The octagonal shape was a practical compromise.

CROSSES ATOP THE DOMES

Each dome is surmounted with a cross. Where the pagans saw
the cross only as an instrument of punishment and, hence, as a
symbol of shame, the early Christians regarded it as the symbol
of Christ's victory, of saving power (cf. 1 Co 1:18). The cross
atop each dome in effect tells all passers-by: This is the house of

HEAVEN ON EARTH

191

the Lord, a place of salvation.

The Greeks use an equilateral cross on the domes of their
churches:

+

The Slavs use either the Greek cross or a three-barred cross:

One explanation for the three-barred Slav cross is that the top
transverse bar is the title or inscription; the center, the regular
cross bar; the bottom inclined at an angle, the foot-rest. The angled
foot-rest may be seen as a distorted perspective.

Another explanation is that the top is St. Peter's cross; the
center, the cross of Christ; and the bottom, the X-shaped cross
of St. Andrew, the "apostle of the Slavs," crucified in spread-
eagled fashion:

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ORIENTATION OF CHURCHES

Since darkness seems to descend from the West with the setting
of the sun, early Christians regarded the West as a place of
darkness and evil, the place where Satan dwells. In contrast,
since the sun rises out of the East to bring warmth and light to the
darkened world, they considered the East as a place of goodness

]92 CHAPTER XIX

and light, the place of Christ, Sun of justice and truth, the light
of the world. They also believed that Christ ascended towards
the East into heaven. For these reasons, they faced the West to
renounce the devil at baptism, then turned towards the East to
profess their allegiance to Christ. Whenever they prayed, they
faced the East, so when they built special buildings for worship,
they constructed them in such a way that the congregation would
face the East.

Byzantines, both Greeks and Slavs, generally keep this ancient
tradition, for their regulations insist on it. Even if the church had
not been built that way, they would always refer to the right and
left sides of the sanctuary as the southern and northern sides.

Church Interiors

Byzantine churches are divided into three parts: the vestibule,
the nave, and the sanctuary.

THE VESTIBULE

The vestibule or inner porch (Slav prytvor, Greek pronaos)
has retained only a trace of its former importance. As far back as
the fourth and fifth centuries, those who were preparing to
become Christians and public penitents were allowed into the
vestibule and no further. Here, they were permitted to stay for
the instructional part of the Divine Liturgy and were then dismissed
before the Eucharistic sacrifice began. Here, part of the ancient
all-night vigils used to take place and remnants of it can be seen
today in the litia (Greek lite) of Solemn Vespers which still
takes place in the vestibule. Here, too, the pre-baptismal
exorcisms, the profession of faith, etc. took place before the
candidates were led into the baptistry for the actual baptism, and
this is where the same pre-baptismal rites take place today.

THE NAVE

The faithful worship in the nave. It is their place as members
of Christ's Mystical Body, his kingdom on earth. As the word
nave (from the Latin navis, Greek turns, a ship) suggests, the
body of the church represents a ship conveying the faithful to the
shores of heaven.

Here God touches and transforms the souls of the faithful
with his words, his liturgy and sacraments, preparing them for

HEAVEN ON EARTH ] 93

entry into the heavenly kingdom. Frescoes, mosaics, or paintings
impress upon the faithful the idea that this is indeed "heaven on
earth."

Christ Pantocrator, the heavenly Emperor, predominates over
the sanctuary; he is surrounded by angels, prophets, patriarchs,
apostles, and martyrs. In the apse, the Mother of God seems to
gather up the prayers of God's people to offer them to her Son.

Since the church is the temple of sacrifice, the image of Christ
as High Priest is also shown. Surrounding the Divine Priest is a
cortege of heavenly spirits, bearing the instruments of his
sacrificial death. The Old Law forerunners of this redeeming
sacrifice are also pictured: Abel, Abraham and Melchisedech,
together with some holy bishops of the New Law, Basil,
Chrysostom, the two Gregorys, and the holy deacons Stephen
and Lawrence.

All this began in the fourth or fifth century when Eastern
Christians started painting the walls of the nave with biblical
scenes to instruct the unlettered in sacred history. This is called
the "narrative cycle." Other churches picture feasts in the church
calendar (the "liturgical cycle"). Later, the two cycles were
combined, with liturgical themes predominating.

Except in North America and a few other places, Byzantine
churches have no pews; sometimes benches along the walls are
provided for the aged and infirm. Byzantine regulations still
forbid kneeling on Sundays and the fifty days between Easter and
Pentecost — an unbroken tradition stemming from the Council
of Nicea (Canon 20) in A.D. 325, Kneeling is a sign of
penitence and joy of those days outweighs repentance.

Before the sanctuary platform stand one or more proskynetaria,
smal] sloping stands on which is placed the icon of the church's
patron or that of the saint or mystery commemorated in the
liturgy of the day. Ukrainian churches, however, usually have
only one somewhat larger but lower table, called the tetrapod,
on which stand not only the customary icon, but two candles and
a crucifix. On entering or before leaving the church, the faithful
come up to venerate the icon; they first cross themselves and
bow three times before they kiss it.

Also in the nave of the church are two or more "holy banners,"

m CHAPTER XIX

that is, banners with holy pictures mounted on staffs. These are
used i'n processions and serve not only as decorations but as
reminders to the faithful that they are soldiers of Christ's
church, doing battle with the forces of evil.

LIGHTS

Though there may be many other lights in the church, a large,
ornate candelabrum is usually suspended in the front center of
the nave. Lights are always used during the divine services, even
on the brightest days. They have several symbolic meanings
in this "heaven on earth": They show that the Lord, who dwells
in heavenly light illumines the world with spiritual radiance;
they express the worshippers' flame of love for God and his
saints; they manifest the Church's spiritual joy and triumph.

The greater the joy of the Church in the Lord, the more
solemn the service, the more lights are lit. All the lights are not
used at the beginning of a service, but only at its most solemn
moments, thus stressing their importance. To emphasize the
coming of the Eucharistic Christ, more lights are used during
the Divine Liturgy than any other service.

THE ICONOSTAS {ION)

The iconostas (ion), also known in Greek as the templon, ts a
richly ornamented screen or grating, covered with icons. It se-
parates the sanctuary from the nave of the church, emphasizing
the holiness of the sanctuary. The central double doors are
called "Royal Doors" because the King of Glory comes forth
through them at the Divine Liturgy to feed his flock with his
words and with his own body and blood; they are also called the
"Holy Doors." The unordained are never permitted to pass
through them. Priests or deacons do so only during the divine
services at the times appointed by the rubrics. On each side are
doors used mostly by deacons.

The opening and closing of the Royal Doors at various times
in the services represent the opening of the gates of Paradise.
The entrances and exits of the priest also have their symbolism,
e.g. , Christ going out to preach to the people, to feed them at
Communion, etc.

The images of the iconostas(ion) portray those who dwell in
heaven, Christ in his glory surrounded by rows of saints. At the

HEAVEN ON EARTH 195

last judgment, Christ together with ranks of angels and saints
will come to judge the living and the dead, to separate those
who will live eternally in heaven from those who will be excluded
from it forever; hence, the iconostas(ion) represents the general
judgment.

Greek iconostasia are generally lower than Russian or Ukranian.
Icons are arranged in rows and tiers according to a definite plan.
No set number of tiers is prescribed: they may range from one
to six depending on the height of the iconostas, but the usual
number is four. The bottom row has the icon of the Saviour
immediately to the right of the Royal Doors (the south side),
and next to it, the deacon's south door, then the icon of the
patron saint of the church. Immediately to the left of the Royal
Doors is the icon of the Mother of God, then the deacon's
north door, finally the icon of St. Nicholas ofMyra. If the patron
of the church happens to be St. Nicholas, the icon of St. John
the Baptist is placed there, while that of St. Nicholas is placed
where the patron of the church should be.

Smaller churches have only this bottom row and an image of
the Last Supper over the Royal Doors. The more elaborate
iconostases of the larger churches have more rows or tiers, the
second of which has the following arrangement: above the Royal
Doors a large icon of the Last Supper; to its left and right, twelve
icons depicting twelve major feasts of the Lord and his Mother.
The icon of the Last Supper has this place of honor above the
Royal Doors to remind the faithful that those wishing to gain
entrance into the kingdom of heaven must be accounted worthy
to partake of the Lord's Supper prepared behind those doors and
given to the faithful in front of them.

In the third tier stand the icons of the twelve apostles with
Christ as King and High Priest in the center.

The icons of the fourth tier are usually of the major and minor
prophets of the Old Testament. Surmounting the iconostas and
in its center is the crucifix scene: the crucifed Christ, his
Mother, and St. John the Apostle standing by the cross.

On the Royal Doors themselves, which represent the gates of
heaven, is the scene of the Annunciation, the prelude to
man's redemption and salvation; also, icons of the four

1%

CHAPTER XIX

evangelists who, like the archangel Gabriel, announced the Good
News to the world. On the side deacon's doors are depicted either
angels, messengers of God, sent to serve all who wish to attain
salvation or holy deacons, earthly counterparts of angels, who
have charge of the sanctuary into which those doors lead. Many
Ukrainian churches have an icon of St. Stephen, the first deacon,
on the north door and that of St. Lawrence or an angel on the

south door.

Besides emphasizing the awesome sacredness of the sanctuary
as the abode of Christ in the Eucharist, the iconostas(ion)
"hides" this holy place (and all the sacred Mysteries taking
place within it) from our unworthy gaze. To appreciate this role
of "hiding" what is sacred, we must understand the devotion
and spirituality which brought it about. The century following
the early persecutions was a time of mass-conversions. Life-long
Christians and the clergy, prompted by some abuses of the new
converts, felt that the latter were not worthy to indulge in that
familiarity with holy things to which the small suffering flocks
had been entitled in the days of persecution.

In order to inculcate respect and awe for the Eucharist and other
Holy Mysteries, many preachers (Cyril of Jerusalem, Chrysostom,
Gregory Nazianzus, etc.) began to use more and more fear-
inducing words in describing them: "awful," "terrifying," and
"most dread" (sometimes literally, "hair-raising"). The East
had always associated the holy with the dangerous. To further
stress the awesomeness and mystery of the Eucharist, veils were
introduced to hide and separate it from the congregation; so were
cancelli, trellis walls of marble, some three to five feet high.

The solid partition, characteristic of the Byzantine iconostas
(ion), took centuries to develop. The present carefully prescribed
arrangement in Slav churches seems to have been introduced in
the fourteenth century in the richly wooded areas around
Novgorod where the inhabitants were fine carvers and icon
painters. Their deep love of icons probabley led them to give
the iconostas(ion) an additonal purpose — as a place to hang
icons. The desire for greater adornment spread throughout Russia
and the Ukraine so that, within a century or two, the Slav
iconostas(ion) became almost exactly what it is today.

HEAVEN ON EARTH 1 97

The notion of the awesome Godhead, the Heavenly Emperor,
the supreme Lawgiver and Judge, combined with that of the
repentant humiliation of fallen man striving for purification,
still stands behind the idea of the iconostas(ion).

THE SANCTUARY AS THE HOLY PLACE, THE HOLY OF HOLIES

Byzantine Christians usually refer to the sanctuary as the
"Holy Place" or the "Holy of Holies," because it is the most
holy part of the church, being the dwelling-place of the
Eucharistic Christ. It also symbolizes the sacred places sanctified
by Christ's presence while on earth: where he preached to the
people, where he performed miracles, where he suffered, died,
arose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. It is elevated
from the rest of the church by at least one step, and must be
built at its eastern end (so that the congregation faces east).
The sanctuary floor is extended beyond the iconostas(ion) into
the body of the church: this is called the solea(s). At both ends of
this area, near the walls, are the choirs; each choir has an
analogion or lectern for reading the lessons.

Standing against the north side of the sanctuary is a small
table; the Slavs call it proskmedijnyk or zhetvennyk, the Greeks,
proskomide or prothesis. That is where the Holy Gifts of bread
and wine are prepared for the Eucharistic Liturgy. Against the
south wall stands a similar table where the vestments, liturgical
books and sacred vessels are kept. The Slavs call it the diakonnyk,
the Greeks, diakonikon.

Along the east wall of the sanctuary, behind the altar, stands
the bishop's throne on a raised platform. It symbolizes the
throne of the King of Glory (whom the bishop represents when
he sits there). On each side of the throne are seats for the other
clergy; these represent the apostles and their successors. This
seating arrangement for the bishop and clergy can be traced to
the first churches remodeled from private homes in the fourth
century, while its symbolism seems to date from apostolic
times, for at the beginning of the second century, St. Ignatius
of Antioch mentions the bishop "as presiding in the place of God"
and the priests "in the place of assembly of the apostles"
("Epist. to the Magnesians," 6).

At each side of the throne are placed the sacramental fans

j 9 g CHAPTER XIX

(Slav ripidy, Greek ripidia, hexapteryga), representing the six-
winged seraphim; these are used by the deacons to fan the Holy
Gifts during the Eucharistic Liturgy. The use of sacramental fans
goes back to the fourth or fifth century Syrian churches (cf.
"Apost. Const.," VIII, 12).

THE HOLY TABLE OR ALTAR

The Holy Table or altar, which is always cubic, stands in the
middle of the sanctuary and represents God's throne in heaven.
It also symbolizes the tomb of Christ, since his Eucharistic body
is placed on it. This symbolism extends to the altar-cloths which
drape over the sides to the ground: the topmost cloth (Slav
inditia, Greek ependysis, endyton, or ephaploma) should be of
silk or some other rich, brilliant material, for it represents the
glory of God's throne; under this is a large linen cloth (Slav
sratchitza or katasarka, Greek katasarkion), symbolizing the
winding sheet in which Christ's body was wrapped. Under these
cloths, at each of the four corners, lies a piece of cloth (hyph-
asma) on which is embroidered the name or symbol of an
evangelist.

The tabernacle (Slav kyvot or kovcheg, Greek artophorion)
is set on the center of the altar. It should be constructed in form
of a small church or tomb, but never so large as to impede the
liturgical action. The Holy Sacrament is reserved here for the
communion of the sick and for the Liturgy of the Presanctified
Gifts during Great Lent. Instead of a tabernacle on the altar,
some churches have a suspended dove made of precious metal in
which the Sacrament is kept.

On the front center of the altar lies an aniimension. This is a
rectangular, linen or silken cloth with the picture of Christ in the
tomb and the four evangelists; sewn onto the antimension are
relics of some saint or martyr. This corresponds to the altar stone
in Latin churches. Other relics may be placed under or in the altar
itself in a specially prepared reliquary.

The origin of this custom may be seen in the early Christian
practice of celebrating the Eucharistic Sacrifice on the tombs of
martyrs in the catacombs, perhaps in accordance with Rev. 6:9,
and serves to remind the faithful that, after Christ himself, the

HEAVEN ON EARTH ]99

blood of the martyrs is the foundation of the Church. Though the
name "antimension" appears only in the twelfth century, its
existence can be traced at least to the fifth century. St. Theodore
the Studite (757-826), for example, calls it a portable altar made
of fabric.

Another piece of linen or fine material, equivalent to the Latin
corporal, is the iliton or eileton; this is unfolded during the
Divine Liturgy before the sacred vessels are placed on it. The
symbolism of the iliton is twofold: it represents the swaddling
clothes with which the baby Jesus was wrapped; also the shroud
in which Christ's body was wrapped in the tomb (which in turn
is represented by the altar). If a sponge is used to wipe off
particles from the diskos (paten) into the chalice, it too is kept on
the altar.

The Holy Gospel Book rests on the front-center of the altar
(on the folded iliton and the antimension) to show that God
himself is mystically present through his word. Beside it lies a
hand cross. The candles on the altar typify the light of Christ
shining on the world. A seven-branched candlestick, symbol of
the gifts of the Holy Spirit, is usually placed behind the altar and
sometimes, also a large processional cross. Also placed on the
altar during certain parts of pontifical services are the double and
triple-branched candlesticks, called the dikiri(on) and thkiri(on),
representing the two natures in Christ (human and divine) and
the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. The bishop imparts some
of his blessings with them.

Nothing else is allowed on the altar, not even flowers.

Some churches have a canopy over the altar, symbolizing
the heavens spread out above the earth — above the hallowed
ground upon which Christ offered his supreme sacrifice for the
sins of the world.

Basic Meaning of the Parish Church

To Byzantine Christians, the parish church is truly the house
of the Lord, "heaven on earth." Here the signs of his presence
and action are everywhere. Here Christ touches them. Here he
teaches them divine truth. Here he wipes away their tears, takes

200 CHAPTER XIX

away their worries, solves their troubles. Here he heals their
bruised spirit, feeds their souls, comes to them in the sacrament
of his love, performing the greatest miracle of all — preparing
them to live in his embrace forever in the heaven above.

%

■

PART FIVE

THE HOLY MYSTERY OF SHARING
THE LIFE OF GOD

Chapter XX

The Holy Spirit

Artists have a problem picturing the Holy Spirit. Since they
cannot paint a spirit, they settle for the next best thing: a symbolic
dove, or tongues of fire. The basis is scriptural (Lk 3:22, Ac 2:3).
For too many people, the Holy Spirit is only this: some kind of
dove, or an equally impersonal, eternally hovering flame — hardly
anything to set anyone afire with love..

We should think of the Holy Spirit as a divine Person, equal
in personality to Father and Son.

Being a person of the Holy Trinity, truly and eternally God,
the Holy Spirit is the parakletos Christ promised to the apostles
(Jn 14:16). Parakletos has various meanings, all of which are
applicable to the good Spirit: counselor, advocate, intercessor,
defender, protector, one who helps and supports. Jesus discharged
all these offices before his ascension into heaven. When he told
the aposdes he would send them the Holy Spirit, he did not say
he would send them the Paraclete but another Paraclete
(Jn 14:16, 14:26), who would take his place at their side to help
them remember the truth, to lead them to a deeper knowledge
of it, to preach it and, finally, to give them the strength needed
for the coming trials and persecutions. This work itself brings
out the personal character of the Spirit.

The Spirit in the Old Testament

The Old Testament speaks of the "Spirit of Yahweh" (the
Spirit of God); the New Testament uses the term "Holy Spirit."
The meaning, however, is the same, and so is his work. The
Spirit, for example, is pictured as the divine power or the giver
of life (e.g., Gn 1:2, 2:7, Ps33:6, 104:29f,). He equips chosen
individuals fo fulfill special roles, not only prophets, but men
such as Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Gideon, etc.

In general, the Old Testament prepared the people both for
the coming of the Messiah and for the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit. Through Isaiah (44:3), God promised, "/ will pour my

203

CHAPTER XX

spirit on your descendants, my blessing on your children."
And through Ezekiel (36:26-28): ' 7 shall give you a new heart,
and put a new spirit in you ... I shall put my spirit in you, and
make you keep my laws and sincerely respect my observances . . .
You shall be my people and I will be your God."

St. Peter's discourse in Acts (2:16-21) identifies Pentecost as
the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy (2:28-29): "After this, I will
pour out my spirit on all mankind. Your sons and daughters
shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your
young men see visions. Even on the slaves, men and women, will
1 pour out my spirit in those days."

What the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament
would really mean can be seen from his presence in the coming
Messiah, the Christ: "For there is a child before us, a son given
to us and dominion is laid on his shoulders; and this is the
name they give him: Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-
Father, Prince-of-Peace. Wide is his dominion in a peace that
has no end for the throne of David . . . A shoot springs from the
stock of Jesse, a scion thrusts from his roots: on him the spirit
of Yahweh rests, a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of
counsel and power, a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of
Yahweh" (Is 9:5-7, 11:1-2). Here the Old Testament clearly
outlines the work of the Holy Spirit, but nowhere does it reveal
the fact of his being a distinct Person from the Father: this was
left to the New.

The Holy Spirit in the Gospels

Right from the beginning, the Gospels speak of the Holy

Spirit.

the holy spirit's role in the incarnation At the Annuncia-
tion, the angel told Mary how she, a virgin, would conceive:
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most
High will cover you with its shadow" (Lk 1:35). And so it
happened, Mary "was found to be with child through the Holy
Spirit" (Mt 1:18) and Joseph learned of it from an angel, "she
has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit" (Mt 1:20).

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS REVEALER AND GIVER OF PROPHECY At the

Baptist's circumcision, "his father Zechariah wasfdled with the

THE HOLY SPIRIT 205

Holy Spirit" and spoke the prophecy that has been known ever
since as the canticle of Zechariah. (Lk 1:67-79).

The Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that he would not die
until he set eyes on the Christ. It came true at the presentation:
"Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple; and when the
parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law
required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he
said: 'Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace . . .'
and prophesied to Mary his mother, 'You can see this child: he is
destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined
to be a sign that is rejected — and a sword will pierce you own
soul too — so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid
bare' "(Lk2:27, 34-35).

When Jesus readied the twelve for their mission, he told them
they would be persecuted for his sake. When arrested, however,
they were not to be anxious: "Do not worry about how to speak
or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the
time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking; the
Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you" (Mi 10:19-20).

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A DISTINCT PERSON OF THE TRINITY. For

the first time in history, the mystery of the three distinct Persons
in the one Godhead was revealed at the baptism of Christ: ' 'While
Jesus after his own baptism was at prayer, heaven opened and
the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily shape, like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved;
my favor rests on you," (Lid :2 1-22).

John the Baptist, who saw it all, declared: "/ saw the Spirit
coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him.
I did not know him myself but he who sent me to baptize with
water had said to me 'The man on whom you see the Spirit
come down and rest is the one who is going to baptize with the
Holy Spirit.' Yes, I have seen and 1 am the witness that he is the
Chosen One of God" (Jn 1:32-34).

When Nicodemus stole in to see Jesus one night, Jesus told
him among other things; "Unless a man is born through water
and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (Jn 3:5).
Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave the apostles the
authority and power to effect this spiritual rebirth through the

CHAPTER XX
206

three Persons of the Godhead: ' 'All authority in heaven and on
earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of
all the nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit 1 ' (Mt 28:18-19).

Pentecost

On Pentecost day, the apostles met in one room and
' 'suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from
heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they
were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like
tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of
each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit" (Ac 2:1 '-4).

The results were spectacular: from timid, fearful men the
apostles became bold, stouthearted, filled with courage and
conviction. Immediately they began preaching in foreign
languages about Christ crucified, about his rising from the dead
and about repentance — and this openly, in the streets. Speaking
for all eleven, Peter's sincere reasoning made a deep impression.
The power of the Holy Spirit can be seen from the number of
conversions — about three thousand on that very day.

A Promise Fulfilled

The coming of the Holy Spirit fulfilled the promise Jesus had
made to his loved ones at the Last Supper. He had told them he
would not leave them orphans but would send another Paraclete-
Advocate, the Spirit of truth: "I shall ask the Father, and he
will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever, that
Spirit of truth" (Jn 14:16); "but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything
and remind you of all I have said to you" (Jn 14:26), and again,
"unless 1 go, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I do go,
1 will send him to you" (Jn 16:7).

From these words we see clearly that the Holy Spirit is indeed
a distinct Person from the Father and the Son, and is sent by
them. This sending by the Father and the Son also indicated the
immanent origin of the Spirit.

Greek theology teaches a procession from the Father through

THE HOLY SPIRIT 207

the Son, in such a way that the Son is understood not merely
as a channel, but also as an active principle. There is no
opposition between this and the Latin creed, which indicates
that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.
When the Greek creed mentions the Father only, this in no way
excludes the Son. It is a matter of emphasis, not a difference
of doctrine. The Greek formula of the Holy Spirit proceeding
"from the Father through the Son" has been used by many of
the Eastern saints and Fathers of the Church: St. Basil, St.
Gregory of Nyssa, St. Epiphanius, St. Cyril of Alexandria,
as well as St. Athanasius and St. Maximos the Confessor.
Byzantine theologians stress that the Father is the origin of both
the Son and Holy Spirit, but they do not deny that the Father and
the Son are one principle of the Spirit. The polemics which later
abounded on both sides could have been avoided if each side
had listened, and prayerfully tried to understand the other's
point of view instead of throwing anathemas at each other.

The whole question seems to be a vain verbal disputation.
Since no one understands the inner workings of the Trinity, no
one can affirm categorically how the Holy Spirit proceeds
from the other Person or Persons. There is a very simple solution
to this question which has caused such bitter exchanges between
East and West: it is for the faithful to say, "In whatever way it
pleases the Holy Spirit to proceed from the Godhead, that I believe."

The Indwelling Spirit

When Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, he told his chosen ones
they already knew him "because he is with you, he is in you"
(Jn 14:17). Yet in the same talk, he clearly indicated that he
himself and the Father would also dwell in each of them: "If
anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love
him, and we shall come to him and make our home with him"
(Jn 14:23).

At baptism, God begins to dwell in the soul through the Holy
Spirit. God the Son became man through the same Spirit.
Because God himself is in or "indwells" the recipients of
baptism, we can thereby truly speak of them as temples, as St.
Paul did when he wrote to the Corinthians, "Didn't you realize

20g CHAPTER XX

that you were God' s temple and that the Spirit of God was living
among you?" (1 Co 3:16).

At confirmation-chrismation, the degree of participation in
that divine life is increased to full maturity. A baby, though a
human being, is not what an adult is; analogously, the newly
baptized, though full Christians, do not share God's life or its
attributes as intimately as do confirmed Christians. The difference
is the same as that between new-bom and mature life, between
what the apostles were before Pentecost and after it. Confirmation-
chrismation is the personal Pentecost of individual Christians,
preparing them for life in the world, for loyal service to God.
Furthermore, this divine life in the soul, called sanctifying grace,
increases with the worthy reception of the sacraments and with
every good work. "Whoever keeps his commandments lives in
God and God lives in him. We know that he lives in us by the
Spirit that he has given us" (1 Jn 3:24).

All who participate in God's life (who enjoy sanctifying
grace) have a habitual facility for doing good. These habits we
call virtues, and they are the supernatural counterparts of the
good habits we can possess naturally. Faith, hope and charity
correspond to our natural knowldge, trust and love of God; the
main moral virtues strengthen and elevate our naturally acquired
prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice.

Even with these supernatural virtues as counterparts of our
natural good instincts of mind and will, we may need further
help to remain in God's love. We may have God's life in us, but
we are still fallible humans. The Holy Spirit provides special
help with his gifts.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The prophet Isaiah (11:2-3) listed the gifts of the Spirit.
These referred directly to the Messiah, but indirectly to anyone
receiving the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

wisdom enables our minds to evaluate everything in relation
to God and our salvation; it gives us a true sense of priorities from
God's point of view. People often use the words wisdom and
education indiscriminately, but sometimes education has little to
do with wisdom, which enables us to love and cherish what is

THE HOLY SPIRIT 209

right, what will make us truly happy for time and eternity.

UNDERSTANDING, being the Holy Spirit's remedy for dullness,
enlightens our mind to grasp divine truths easily and deeply.
This, too, has little to do with study and education. The apostles,
for example, were not highly educated, nor did they have any
extraordinary genius or talent. After they had received the Holy
Spirit and his gift of understanding, all the teachings of Jesus
became clear to them. Their profound insight into the revealed
truths was so great that it surprised Jew and Gentile alike.

knowledge, the very opposite of ignorance, helps us to
perceive divine truths and explain them to others. Even after
much studying and reading, it may be difficult to discern what
is the best for our soul; this gift helps us to decide with certainty.

counsel helps us not to act rashly but prudently and correctly
in matters concerning salvation, our own and that of others. It
inspires or advises us to choose correctly what to do or not to do,
what means to select and how to use them. This gift is our
interior guide.

fortitude gives us the courage and will-power necessary for
carrying out whatever God wants of us, whatever is conducive
to our spiritual welfare. It helps us to overcome the difficulties
of a new career, a new apostolate, a new state of life, or the
trials of sickness, opposition and temptation.

piety disposes us to love and reverence to God as our lovable
Father, and our neighbors as children of God. It prompts us to
serve and worship him as children worship a father, and to
honor and serve others, especially parents and relatives.

fear of the lord makes us afraid of offending God by sin,
not because we fear his punishment but because he is so loving,
because he is our Father and we are his children. We shun
evil because we do not want to offend the Giver of so many good
gifts.

Charismatic Gifts

St. Paul tells the Corinthians, "/ should like everyone to be
like me, but everyone has his own particular gifts from God, one
with a gift for one thing and another with a gift for the opposite' '
(1 Co 7:7).

210

CHAPTER XX

As no two people are identical in physical characteristics and
energy, so also no two people are identical in spiritual vitality
and virtue. The fiery Paul was not the gentle John, nor the
golden-mouthed Chrysostom like the meek Seraphim of
Sarov. Each one of us has his own gifts, his own abilities. The
Holy Spirit usually builds upon the natural, and each one of us
participates in God's perfections in his own way. In one,
it may be meekness, in another, chastity; in one, it may be
compassion and mercy, in another, justice, sobriety, etc.

The same Holy Spirit imparts other spiritual gifts, called
charisms, which are given to individuals for the benefit of the
Christian community. These, too, vary with different people,
depending upon the service to be rendered. "There is a variety of
gifts," says St. Paul, "but always the same Spirit; there are all
sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working
in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same
God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which
the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose. One may
have the gift of preaching with wisdom given him by the Spirit;
another may have the gift of preaching instruction given him by
the same Spirit; and another the gift of faith given by the same
Spirit; another again the gift of healing, through this one Spirit;
one, the power of miracles; another the gift of tongues and
another the ability to interpret them. All these are the work of
one and the same Spirit who distributes different gifts to different
people just as he chooses" (1 Co 12: 4-11).

The value of these gifts depends upon their usefulness to
the community and is to be judged accordingly (cf. Co chap. 14).
All of them are intended to lead to peace and union in the Church,
not to division (1 Co 12:22-26). St. Paul uses the analogy of the
human body and its parts, every part working for the benefit of
the whole. Any talent which does not produce such fruits is not
of the Holy Spirit, "since God is not a God of disorder but of
peace" (1 Co 14:32).

The Holy Spirit in the Church

When Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to the apostles, he told
them the Spirit would remain with them forever. (Jn 14:16).

THE HOLY SPIRIT 211

On Pentecost, the Spirit came, and the Church of the New
Covenant was revealed. The early Fathers proclaimed that the
Church and the Holy Spirit were inseparable. St. Irenaeus, for
example, writes: "Where the Church is, there is the Spirit of
God; and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church and
every kind of grace" ("Against the Heresies," III, 24,1). St.
Cyril of Jerusalem called the Spirit "the Guardian and Sanctifier
of the Church" ("Cat. Lecture" 18,13).

The Church is the Body of Christ animated by the Holy Spirit.
In that sense, we may speak of the Holy Spirit as the "soul" of
the Church. As every part and member of the living human body
has a different importance and function, so does every member
of the Church, the Body of Christ. The good Spirit is present
and operates in all the parts and members — in less important
members through the ministry of others more important, all for
the good of the whole Body.

To the most important member of the Church, the successor
of Peter, the visible head of the Body, the Holy Spirit gives the
charism of the Church's infallibility. To the successors of the
apostles, the bishops and priests, he gives the charism of preach-
ing divine truths and imparting divine life to souls through
baptism, confirmation-chrismation, forgiveness through sacra-
mental absolution, and nourishment through the Eucharist, etc.

One of the most important functions performed by the Church
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was to determine the list
of canonical books of the Bible, that is, to declare officially
which scriptural books were divinely inspired.

Devotion to the Holy Spirit

All the perfections and operations of the Godhead are common to all
three Persons of the Trinity. Yet, to the Holy Spirit are attributed the
works of love. Love, in turn, is manifested especially in doing good.
The prayer to the Holy Spirit, so familiar to every Byzantine Christian
because it begins almost every Church service, summarizes the Spirit's
mission:

''Heavenly King, Paraclete, Spirit of truth, everywhere present and
permeating all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come

212 CHAPTER XX

and dwell within us, and cleanse us from every stain and save our
souls, O Gracious One."

Being God, equal to the Father and Son, the Holy Spirit is King of
heaven, King of all. Paraclete literally means "one called in" as
helper, pleader, defender, advocate. The Slavs prefer to call him
Consoler. He is all these in one. As Jesus told his apostles, he is the
"Spirit of truth," who would teach them all things and remind
them of all that was taught by Jesus (cf. Jn 14:26). He still guides
the Church unto the fullness of truth (Jn 16;13). Like the Father
and the Son, he is God omnipresent, sustaining all things in being,
including us. Every good gift, every blessing comes to us from
him, so he is addressed as the very Treasury of blessings. Through
him, the Father gives life to us who were dead in sin, till at the end
he will revive in Christ even our mortal bodies (cf. Rm. 8:10-11).
He is indeed the Giver of life.

The doctrine of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our souls is
expressed in the petition, "come and dwell within us." While
remaining distinct from us, the Holy Spirit accomplishes our
justification, our deification. The forgiveness of grave sins is an
essential part of our spiritual rebirth, and, hence, of our eternal
salvation. Sin is really destroyed, but not necessarily every stain
or effect of sin. The final plea in this prayer is for cleansing of
"every stain," so that nothing remains to mar the supernatural
beauty of the soul. It is a plea for perfect purification.

In Byzantine rituals, almost every blessing and consecration is
an epiclesis, a "calling upon" the Holy Spirit to come and
"dwell" in whatever is being blessed, thereby sanctifying it.

Pentecost Commemorated

The Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles on the Jewish
Pentecost (Ac 2:1), the second most important of the great Jewish
feasts. It was celebrated on the fiftieth day from "the day after the
sabbath" of the Passover (cf. Lv 23:11); its name meaning
fiftieth, was adopted from the Greek-speaking Jews. Originally,
this was the harvest festival marking the end of Passover-time, but
later it commemorated the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. To
mark the occasion, the Jews decorated their synagogues and
homes with green branches, grass and flowers.

THEHOLYSPIRIT 213

The house where the apostles assembled on that first Christian
Pentecost was probably decorated in the same way. Byzantine
Christians still decorate their churches and homes with greenery
and flowers on Pentecost — an unbroken tradition stemming from
the Jewish practice. In some localities, the faithful hold green
branches or saplings during church services. Because of the green-
ery, many call the feast and the next two days the "Green
Holidays."

According to some liturgists, the saplings and greenery, signs
of nature and rebirth or self-renewal in the springtime, symbolize our
spiritual rebirth or renewal through the power of the Holy Spirit;
according to others, the green saplings and branches represent the
fruit-tree of the Holy Spirit, bearing his gifts.

The Pentecostal services, especially the All-night Vigil and Solemn
Vespers, show the divinity of the Holy Spirit, one in Being, honor and
glory with the Father and the Son.

^O^O^

CHAPTER XXI

Sharing God's Life

As descendants of Adam and Eve, we lost God when they sinned.
Christ's redeeming death made it possible for us to regain God:
"As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by
one man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Rm 5:19).
Christ enabled us to regain our lost paradise but it would never be
as easy because of the other effects of their sin: our nature became
warped, our mind became darkened, our will weakened, our flesh
no longer inclined to obey higher dictates.

These dire effects made St. Paul cry out about his own condition:
"This seems to be the rule, that every single time I want to do
good it is something evil that comes to hand. In my inmost self I
dearly love God's Law, but I can see that my body follows a
different law that battles against the law which my reason dictates.
This is what makes me a prisoner of that law of sin which lives
inside my body. What a wretched man I am!" (Rm 7:21-24).

God's Help Is Necessary

We need God's help for everything that is profitable for our
salvation, be it thinking, willing or accomplishing anything. The
Lord stated plainly that without him we can do nothing (cf. Jn
15:4-6), and Paul writes to the Philippians: "Work for your
salvation 'in fear and trembling.' It is God for his own loving
purpose, who puts both the will and the action into you"
(Ph 2:12-13). In short, we are not qualified "in ourselves to
claim anything as our own work: all our qualifications come
from God" (2 Co 3:5). Our salvation is supernatural, above our
nature; hence the means to attain it must also be supernatural.
We can no more attain eternal life by purely natural means than
we can think with our hands or reason with our feet.

Man left to himself, for example, could not get to know the essen-
tial truths of faith without erring; much less was he capable of know-
ing the entire system of God's truths. Human history shows that
man left to himself can stoop to the worship of many different

215

216 CHAPTER XXI

objects — crocodiles, cats, bulls, the sun, moon and stars. This
darkness of mind resulted from original sin.

Original sin has not altogether blotted out the light of reason and
free will, for St. Paul says that even pagans "who never heard of
the Law" are "led by reason to do what the Law commands"
(Rm 2:14). However, left to themselves "the more they called
themselves philosophers, the more stupid they grew, until they
exchanged the glory of the immortal God for a worthless imitation,
for the image of mortal man, of birds, quadrupeds and reptiles.
That is why God left them to their filthy enjoyments and practices
with which they dishonor their own bodies.... That is why God
has abandoned them to degrading passion" (Rm 1:22-26),

God Guarantees Sufficient Help

God understands our weakened condition and guarantees us
enough help to counter every evil effect resulting from our first
parents' sin: ' 'You can trust God no to let you be tried beyond your
strength, and with any trial he will give you a way out of it and the
strength to bear it" (1 Co 10:12-13. So none of us can claim that
anything was beyond our strength.

God moves, helps, in many ways: sometimes through exter-
nals such as the Gospels, the good example of others, faithful
friends, good magazine articles, even good TV programs; some-
times he moves us internally by enlightening our mind and
inspiring our will to do good and avoid evil. Many call these
helps "actual graces."

Man Can Reject God's Help

God never takes away man's free will. Man can choose; he can
indeed reject God's help. Though God gives sufficient help to
overcome all temptation, man can withhold his cooperation
and render that help ineffectual. The inhabitants of Jerusalem
are a classic example of refusal to cooperate with God's help:
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem," Jesus cried out in anguish, "you that
kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often
have 1 longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her chicks
under her wings, and you refused" (Mt 23:37). They did not

SHARING GOD'S LIFE 217

repent and the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

Our Freedom Remains Intact

God will never force us to love him. His help will never be so
overwhelming as to destroy our freedom of will. Scripture char-
acterizes the just man as one ' 'who has had the power to sin and
has not sinned, to wrong another and not done it" (Si 31:10).
Such a person voluntarily followed the inspiration of grace, since
he could have done the opposite. Besides, the Scriptures repeat-
edly exhort us to do good and avoid evil. Such exhortations
would have been useless had we not been free.

Different Kinds of Life

A running cat differs from a stone. The one has life, the other
does not. There are different kinds of life, too. A cow is quite
different from the grass it eats.

In general, there is plant, animal, and human life. Plants are
living since they can grow and reproduce themselves. Animals
not only grow and reproduce themselves; they can also feel,
remember, and move from place to place. Animal life, therefore,
is superior to plant life. In addition to animal functions, human
beings have spiritual minds, intellects, with which they can
think, understand, and reason (solve problems, etc.). Theirs is a
higher grade of life than that of animals.

Above the human level are angels or pure spirits whose intelli-
gence is far superior to ours.

The highest perfection of life is in God. His activity is not
distinct from his being; his knowledge, his justice, his mercy,
etc., are his essence.

Though we know there are very different kinds of life, the
English language has only one word to express it, "life." The
Greek, in which the New Testament (except Matthew) was
written, has three. Bios refers to biological life. Breath as a sign
of life is expressed by psyche. The highest, most intensive kind
of life is zoe. The New Testament authors used the term zoe
exclusively to express the supernatural life that God gives us
through Christ. Many times, the Gospels and St. Paul use the

CHAPTER XX]
218

combination zoe aionios, "eternal life." The same zoe we
possess on earth will continue into eternity. This zoe is sharing in
God's life. In the words of Peter, "you will be able to share
the divine nature" (2 P 1:4).

This sharing in God's life can be expressed in many ways: the
"indwelling of the Holy Spirit" (cf. above, p. 212), "grace of the
Holy Spirit," "supernatural life," "habitual" or "sanctifying
grace," "new life" (from the sinful state), or "deification." All
these terms express the same reality but they focus on different
aspects of it.

Our sharing in God's life is not part of our nature as human
beings; that is why it is called supernatural (above nature), just as
moving from place to place by walking or running in no way
belongs to the nature of a plant. Indeed, it is a free gift of God —
whence its name "grace" (from the Latin gratia, the Greek
charts, a favor, a gift).

Origin of Our Sharing in God's Life

Our natural life begins through generation and birth. As
descendants of Adam and Eve, each of us was born in original
sin (see above, pp. 79ff.), without God's life. Through baptism, we
are born again spiritually, that is, we regain the life of God. The
Master hmself told Nicodemus: "/ tell you most solemnly, unless
a man is born through water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter
the kingdom of God" (Jn3:5). Through baptism God "has taken
us out of the power of darkness and created a place for us in the
kingdom of the Son that he loves, and in him, we gain our freedom,
the forgiveness of our sins" (Col 1:13-14). "It was for no reason
except his own compassion that he saved us, which he has so gen-
erously poured over us through Jesus Christ our Saviour. He did
this so that we should be justified by his grace, to become heirs
looking forward to inheriting eternal life" (Ft 3:5-7).

Baptism presupposes the profession of faith, made personally
by adults, or through sponsors in the case of infants: "By believ-
ing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with
your lips you are saved" (Rm 10:10). "If anyone acknowledges
that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God. . . .

SHARING GOD'S LIFE 219

God is love and anyone who lives in love lives in God and God
lives in him" (1 Jn 4:15-16).

We Can Loose God's Life

Even after receiving God's life in baptism, we can lose it
through the deliberate viciousness of grave sin. This is what the
Lord calls the "death of a soul" (Mt 10:28), because it ex-
tinguishes the life of God in it. This is what Paul warned against
(1 Co 10:12), and he lists the kinds of sinners who will not
inherit the kingdom of God: ' 'People of immoral lives, idolaters,
adulterers, catamites, sodomites, thieves, usurers, drunkards,
slanderers and swindlers" (1 Co 6:9-10).

The loss of God in us does not usually entail the loss of faith.
Every grave sin is against charity, but only one grave sin is
against faith: unbelief. So we may still believe firmly after grave
sin, but we are not enlivened by charity flowing from the life of God.

In his goodness, God does not forget even those who have
separated themselves from him, even repeatedly, through grave
sin. To these, too, he gives enough help to keep his command-
ments (hence, to avoid further sin) and to be converted to him.
We know this from the many warnings of the Scriptures, admon-
ishing sinners to avoid further sin, to do penance and come back
to him. Such an obligation could not be imposed without the
help necessary for accomplishing these things — man's natural
strength alone is not enough. But God reassures everyone through
Peter; ' 'He is being patient with you all, wanting nobody to be
lost and everybody to be brought to change his ways" (2 P 3:9).

Though lesser sins do not separate us from God and salvation,
they do diminish our participaton in divine life and all that goes
with it. Through venial sins, we become less inclined to do good
works and less open to God's inspirations. As repeated good
acts beget good habits, so do repeated venial sins beget evil
habits which gradually lead to grave sin, the total separation
from God's life.

Virtues and Gifts Which Go with God's Life

When God comes to us, he does not come empty-handed: he

220 CHAPTER XXI

brings us many virtues and gifts, many of his own attributes.
Virtues are good habits or habitual powers to do good, to enable
us to act far beyond our natural capacity. Three of the most im-
portant ones, faith, hope and love, God infuses, pours into our
soul — unlike other habits which we acquire by repeated practice.
These are called "theological" because they have God himself
as the object of their actions.

By the gifts of faith, God enables us to share in his wisdom so
that, offering full submission of our intellect and will, we may
know him as he is and accept his revelation: ' 'Only faith can
guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence
of the realities that at present remain unseen" (Heb 11:1).

Knowing God's power, goodness and faithfulness, we receive
the ability to trust God with unshakable confidence that we will
obtain everything he promised: this is the virtue of hope.

Paul clearly indicates the supremacy of love: "There are three
things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is
love" (1 co 13:13). This virtue inclines our will to love God for
himself. It is not only the greatest of the three theological virtues
but of all other virtues as well.

Without love nothing in this life avails: ' 'If I have all the elo-
quence of men or of angels, but speak without love, 1 am simply
a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of pro-
phecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing
everything, and if I have faith in all its fulness, to move mountains,
but without love, then 1 am nothing at all. If 1 give away all that
I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to
burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever"
(1 Co 13:1-3).

And Paul goes on to tell us some of the things love includes:
"Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is
never boastful or conceited; it is never rude of selfish; it does not
take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other
people's sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to
excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes"
(1 Co 13:4-7).

Of the other virtues, four are "cardinal": justice fortitude,
temperance, and prudence. Rowing from true wisdom (cf. Ws 8:7),

SHARINGGOD'SLIFE 221

these are the main natural virtues, natural because they can be
acquired by repeated practice and do not necessarily lead to the
friendship and eternal life with God. God can, however, elevate
and transform them into expressions of divine love. If my love
for God, for example, helps me to moderate my appetite for
alcoholic drink, divine love elevates my resultant sobriety
to the supernatural level.

In coming to a soul, the Holy Spirit also offers his gifts:
wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety
and fear of the Lord. Isaiah (11:2-3) prophesied that the coming
Redeemer would have these seven gifts. The Fathers have con-
sistently taught that these same gifts are given to all who have
God's life in their souls.

After listing the wicked results of self-indulgence, Paul tells
us that ' 'What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, and self-
control" (Ga 5:22-23). Called the fruits of the Holy Spirit, they
are in a sense a foretaste of eternal happiness.

Increasing Our Participation in God's Life

God does live in those who love him. The night before he died,
Jesus told the apostles: ' 'If anyone loves me he will keep my
word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him
and make our home with him" (Jn 14:23). The Holy Spirit will
also dwell in him as the Advocate, "whom the Father will
send in my name" (Jn 14:26).

Western theologians generally speak of God's indwelling in
the souls of the just, as "the state of grace," "justification," or
"sanctification". The Eastern Fathers and church writers prefer
to call it theosis (or theopoiesis), "deification," the gradual
transformation of the soul into divine nature. The whole doctrine
of the Mystical Body is based on this concept. The process,
begun at baptism, continues in time and in eternity. God not
merely dwells in us, he also transforms us, enabling us to par-
take of his divine nature.

The words of Peter are explicit: "In making these gifts, he has
given us the guarantee of something very great and wonderful to
come: through them you will be able to share the divine nature...."

CHAPTER XXI

222

(2 P 1:4). Deification, the union of man with God, is very real.
Clement of Alexandria, calls it man's "assimilation to God"
("Stromata," IV, 23), In writing about the incarnation of Christ,
Origen asserts that "from him began the union of the divine with
the human nature, so that the human, by communion with the
divine might rise to be divine, not in Jesus alone, but in all who
believe and enter upon the life which Jesus taught" ("Against
Celsus," III, 28). Athanasius teaches that the Son of God be-
came man that we humans might become God" ("On the In-
carnation of the Word," 54).

In one of the most beautiful passages ever penned by St. Basil,
he writes that the Holy Spirit is "in essence simple, in powers
various; wholly present in each one and wholly present every-
where; impassively divided, yet shared without losing any of his
entirety, like a sunbeam whose kindly light falls on him who
enjoys it as though it shone for him alone, while in fact it shines
upon earth, sea, and air. In the same way, the Spirit is present in
each of those who receives him as if each recipient were the only
one, and yet he pours out total and sufficient grace upon all men.
He is enjoyed by all who share him, in the measure of their
individual capacity.

"Shining upon those that are cleansed of every stain, he
makes them spiritual by communion with himself. As bright,
transparent bodies, when a sunbeam falls upon them, become
brilliant too and shine with a fresh brightness of their own, so
souls in whom the Spirit dwells, through his illumination become
spiritual and send forth their grace to others. From this Source
comes foreknowledge, understanding of mysteries, perception
of what is hidden, the distribution of good gifts, a heavenly
citizenship, a place in the chorus of angels, joy without end,
abiding in God, likening God, and, highest of all, being made
God!" ("On the Holy Spirit," I, 22 and 23).

CHAPTER XXII
Preserving Life in God

A Jewish lawyer once stepped up and pointedly asked Jesus,
"Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" The answer
was clear; it was simple: "You must love the lord your God with
all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and
with all your mind, and your neighbor as youself." Without
quibbling, Jesus assured him, "Do this and life is yours."
(Lk 10:25).

The "Didactic" (one of the earliest known books of catechetical
instructions, parts of which date back to the first century) puts
the same teaching into its first lesson: "Now, the Way of Life is
this: first, love the God who made you; secondly, your neighbor
as yourself (1,2).

"On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the
Prophets" (Mt 22:40); so do the Ten Commandments: the first
three relate to the love of God; the last seven, to the love of
neighbor. If I really love God, I will do what he wants by wor-
shipping him and him alone, by rendering him homage and by
respecting his name. If I really love my neighbor, I will not harm
him, his property, his good name or his rights, either by thought
or deed.

The Ten Commandments are the "natural law," the law
engraved on the heart (cf. Rm 2:15). They are based on the very
nature of things and on the way we ourselves are made. Though
we can get to know these dictates of natural law by our reason
alone, God spelled them out explicitly to Moses on Mount Sinai
(cf. Ex 20:1-17, 24:12).

Being natural law, the commandments hold true today as they
did before the time of Christ. Heeding their dictates means
happiness: disobedience spells injury and disaster not only to
ourselves but to others, not only in eternity but right here on
earth. Sin always carries its own punishment, as Moses warned,
"your sin will find you out" (Nb 32:23).

Today, as they did long ago, passion, weakness and malice
warp man's interpretation of the natural law and distort his

223

224 CHAPTER XXII

reason. Modern man, however, camouflages his disobedience
under more plausible terms. He disguises pornography, pro-
miscuity and adultery as self-expression, self- fulfillment; dis-
honesty in business and government as sophistication; abortion
and euthanasia ("mercy killing"), as merciful or compassionate
procedures; divorce and artificial birth-control as humane
considerations; in short, license and permissiveness as freedom!

Judging by God's Standards — Conscience

We must strive to see as God sees, to judge as God judges,
to love as God loves. Everything we do, say, or think should
reflect what God wants, not what biased self-love or the pre-
judices one's community dictate: "Do not model yourselves on
the behavior of the world around you, but let your behavior
change, modeled by your new mind. This is the only way to
discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that
God wants, what is the perfect thing to do" (Rm 12:2).

Conscience is the judgment of our intellect about the rightness
or wrongness of an intended action; it is the conclusion that our
mind comes to after applying God's laws to a contemplated
action: it is a practical moral judgment. When making a moral
decision, we are seldom aware of any formal reasoning. This
may be because the conclusion is immediately obvious, or
because we may have learned the answer earlier, or have thought
it out ahead of time. Many such decisions are, therefore, made
without hesitation. Many people have the idea of conscience
as an "inner voice," telling them what is right and what is wrong.

Our moral judgments (conscience) may sometimes be mis-
taken. They are based on our knowledge of God's will for us
as expressed in his laws and his revealed word — and this
knowledge may be inadequate. Hence, it is most important that
we try to know exactly God's commands, and our obligations,
otherwise we may sometimes misunderstand the demands of
God, but we must always do what we truly believe he wants
us to do.

Disobeying God's Standards — Personal Sin

When we deliberately think, say, do or omit something

PRESERVING LIFE IN GOD 225

contrary to the law of God, we offend him. Such a personal
offense is called sin, a turning away from him. Sometimes
it may not be our intention to offend God, but the offense is
implied by our sinful act in that we are going against his
commands.

Unlike in the case of original sin, we ourselves are respon-
sible or guilty of personal sin, because we knowingly and freely
choose to disobey God's commands. Any act by which we
violate a law of God unknowingly is really not a sin in the
ordinary sense of the word, for we cannot break or lessen our
friendship with God innocently. Some call this material sin; the
Byzantine liturgy calls it an indeliberate or involuntary trans-
gression.

Though Eastern theologians generally dislike making distinc-
tions between mortal and venial sin, according to the Scriptures
not all sin is the same. Some sins end in spiritual death (Rm 6:21),
bring on doom and destruction (1 P 2:3), and will exclude the
sinner from inheriting the kingdom of heaven (1 Co 6:9-10,
Ga 5:19-20). Because such sins destroy the sinner's participa-
tion in the life of God and, therefore, cause spiritual death,
they are called mortal. There are lesser sins or faults even good
Christians commit over and over again (cf. Jm 3:2); these are
called venial.

Aside from the Scriptures, we may get to know whether a sin
is mortal or venial from the pronouncements of the Church,
from the teachings of the Fathers and theologians, and from
the nature of the act itself (whether it does or does not cause
grave injury to God, to ourselves or to others).

Minimum Requirements for Happiness

The commandments are the minimum requirements set by
God for happiness, not only in the life to come but right here on
earth. The consequences of disobeying the natural law as embodied
in the commandments are drastic, and no amount of sugar-
coating can disguise them.

When man disregards the commandments regarding his rela-
tionship with the true God, he stoops to worship something not
only beneath God but beneath himself, a crocodile, cat, bull,

226 CHAPTER XXII

cow, monkey or Satan in person. Some of these false gods
demanded human sacrifices in the thousands. Similar abomina-
tions are still being committed today in witchcraft and satanic
cults.

When man ceases to worship the true God, he substitutes
man-made rites which shackle him with intolerable bonds.
Divination, spiritism, sorcery, belief in dreams, astrology and
hundreds of fashionable superstitions uselessly consume nerves,
energy and time.

Enormous harm follows the disregarding of God's commands.
In our own century, millions of men, women, and children were
deliberately slaughtered in gas-chambers, or tortured and killed
in prisons and concentration camps, because the sanctity of
human life, defended by the fifth commandment, had been
forgotten not only in Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union, but
also in many other countries of the world. These sufferings were
extended to many more through the sorrows of the victims'
families.

Closer to home, the breaking of this commandment through
murder, homicide, abortion, reckless driving, drunkenness and
drug abuse has thrust misery, suffering, sorrow, crippling and
death on millions more. Obeying the commandments against
adultery and impurity would have spared other countless evils
such as family misery, emotional hurt, divorce, unhappy children,
or venereal disease.

The near- worship of wealth, money, cars, or fine dress has
led thousands yearly to a life of crime, robbery, theft, arson,
dishonesty, cheating, and perjury.

Many countries could have become social paradises had they
put to better use the billions of dollars spent yearly on war material,
police protection, court cases, hospitalization, medicine and
rehabilitation. What moderns refuse to expiate in church, they
do on the psychiatric couch, often gulping down tons of tran-
quilizers and alcohol to allay their stress, tension and fears. If
the pagan Romans were inexcusable for their excesses (Rm l:20ff.),
we Christians are incalculably more so.

PRESERVING LIFE 1NG0D 227

The Commandments and the Christian

Jesus was brought up on the commandments and knew them
by heart. He insisted many times that his followers obey them
(eg. M 19:16-19, Mk 10:17-19, Lk 18:18-20, etc.). Obeying the
commandments means gaining eternal life, as Jesus bluntly told
the Jewish lawyer, but he saw them not simply as rigid rules
to be kept out of fear but as a step toward a totally new concept
— the law of love: ''If you love me you will keep my command-
ments" (Jn 18:15). Love, therefore, should always prompt our
obedience, a love that is always eager to fulfill not merely the
commands but the wishes of the Lord. These we will find in all
of the New Testament, especially in the Sermon on the Mount
where Jesus taught the incomparable beatitudes:

' 'How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the

kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth for

their heritage.

Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what

is right: they shall be satisfied.

Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy

shown them.

Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God.

Happy the peacemakers: they shall be called

sons of God.

Happy those who are persecuted in the cause

of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven"

(Mt. 5:3-11).
Love, of course, prompts all the sublime dispositions which
Jesus praises here.

Love's only concerns are the many ways, great and small,
which will strengthen and deepen our relationship, our part-
icipation in God's life. Love is proved by doing as much as
we can for the Beloved. Jesus' whole life was spent for the sake
of others, for us.

CHAPTER XXIII

The Commandments Relating to Love of God

' 7 am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of
Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no gods except
me. You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness
of anything in heaven or on earth beneath or in the waters under
the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them ..."
(Ex 20:1-5).

Obligations Under the First Commandment

If we believe in God, hope in him and love him, we will
worship God internally as well as externally. This is done by
adoring him, praying to him and offering him sacrifice.

adoration consists in acts showing honor and subjection to
God because of his excellence and our dependance upon him.
Because we are creatures comprising both soul and body, our
inner thoughts and emotions are expressed through gestures,
facial expressions, etc. Likewise, our religious convictions and
sentiments are revealed through external acts such as bowing
(making the metanies), kneeling, striking the chest, folding the
hands, or reciting prayers aloud. These not only tend to foster
our interior devotion and edify our neighbor but, what is more
important, they give public evidence or witness to our submis-
sion to God as Lord. Private prayer, however, need not be
accompanied by any external act of devotion.

We may offer adoration to no one else, since God alone is
the almighty Creator and Lord, but we may offer veneration
to the Mother of God, the angels and saints. They deserve to
be honored because of their proven love and loyalty to God.

prayer means talking to God, either in our own words or in
standard formulas such as the "Our Father." Prayer may
express praise, thanksgiving, sorrow for sin, or it may be a
request to God. Though God knows our needs even before our
request is made, he still wants us to pray for our needs, especially
for spiritual help. Jesus commanded it (Lk 11:9-13, Mk 14:38).

229

230 CHAPTER XXIII

As far as our attentiveness during prayer is concerned, the
main thing is to have an awareness of the one with whom we are
talking and in whose presence we are. If we deliberately and
without reason let our minds wander to other things during prayer,
we are guilty of some irreverence. In addition to attention, we
should pray with love in our hearts, with trust and perserverance —
never losing heart, never giving up. Jesus prayed often. So
should his followers: ' 'He told them a parable about the need to
pray continually and never lose heart" (Lk 18:1). Christians
pray in the morning and at night, before and after each meal,
in times of danger or temptation, and before every undertaking —
offering everything to God. This is what Paul meant when he
told the Corinthians: "Whatever you eat, whatever you drink,
whatever you do at all, do it for the glory of God" (1 Co 10:31).
Another effective way of sanctifying our day is frequently
repeating the very brief "Jesus Prayer"

Private prayer may be vocal, expressed in words, or it may be
purely mental, a simple raising up of our minds and emotions
to God without any words, like lovers communing with each
other without word or gesture, being happy in each other's
presence. Another way of putting it would be "thinking about
God." This may be done briefly, or formally by meditating on
any of the sacred mysteries.

sacrifice in the New Law means offering and participating
in the Eucharistic Liturgy on the days prescribed, namely, on
Sundays and holy days of obligation (the latter may differ in
various parts of the world). Christ redeemed us once for all by
his death on the cross. That redemption is applied to us per-
sonally through the Eucharistic sacrifice and other liturgical
services. To obtain their full effect, the faithful should take part
in them reverently, actively and knowingly. They should try,
according to their ability, to learn about the various liturgical
services and take part in them wholeheartedly. The greater their
knowledge, the better they can participate in liturgical cele-
brations, through responses, antiphons and songs, or by actions
and bodily attitudes.

COMMANDMENTS— LOVE OF GOD 231

Prohibitions Under the First Commandment

Besides commanding us to recognize and worship the true
God, the first commandment forbids us to worship or serve
any other god.

idolatry, the worship of creatures, is re-emerging in North
America in the form of Satanism (the worship of Satan) and in
some strange cults whose founders claim divine authority, or
present themselves as the second Messiah.

Are Icons Forbidden "Graven Images" (cf. Dt 4:15ff.)? What
God forbids in this commandment is the making of images as
idols or gods. This is clear from the closing words, "You shall
not bow down to them or serve them, ' ' Any image posed a danger
to the faith of the ancient Israelites, yet God directed that the
Ark of Covenant be sheltered between two cherubs of beaten
gold (Ex 25:18); these images were to be in the very "holy of
holies." God also commanded Moses to make a bronze serpent
so that those bitten by snakes might look at it and live (Nb 21 :8-9).

Early Christians found no objection to the use of sacred
images such as the sign of the fish to represent Christ, and loaves
of bread to signify the Holy Eucharist. Later, they used pictures
in their prayers and worship, as the catacombs show. St. Basil,
for example, stated: "I venerate the holy apostles, prophets
and martyrs ... I reverently kiss their images, for apostolic
tradition does not prohibit their use, but rather sanctions the
custom of placing them in the churches." Only in the eighth
century did some Eastern Christians begin to object to the use of
sacred images. This culminated in the heresy of iconoclasm
(image- breaking) which lasted about a hundred years. St. John
Damascene, who together with St. Theodore the Studite was the
chief opponent of the image-breakers, wrote: "The image of the
king is also called the king, but there are not two kings in con-
sequence . . . Honoring the image is honoring the one who is set
forth in the image ..." The Eastern custom of using icons and
mosaics, but not statues or other carved images seems to be
a belated effect of iconoclasm.

Nothing brings home a truth more vividly than pictures or
images. This is the basis for visual education, for illustrating

232 CHAPTER XXHI

textbooks and magazines. And this is the reason why the Church
has always encouraged the use of images and icons. To those
who love, pictures of loved ones evoke more love. Sacred
images help us pray, because they concentrate our attention
on the holy one to whom we are speaking, either at home or
in church.

AH Superstitions Forbidden

Attributing supernatural powers to either persons or things is
called superstition. Deuteronomy elaborates on the practices
forbidden by the first commandment: "There must never be
anyone among you who makes his son or daughter pass through
fire, who practices divination, who is soothsayer, augur or
sorcerer, who uses charms, consults ghosts or spirits, or calls
up the dead. For the man who does these things is destestable
to Yahweh your God" (Dt 18:10-12),

The same forms of superstition or their offshoots are still with
us. People who no longer believe in God often seek by other
means to come into contact with the spiritual world. By black
magic and sorcery, they call upon some unholy spirit to produce
preternatural effects. (Sleight-of-hand artistry is sinless). Through
the use of amulets, charms, mascots and other nan observances
people expect to avert harm or "bad luck." Through fortune-
telling or other kinds of divination (palmistry, astrology, reading
tea-leaves, etc.) they try to discover the future which is known
only to God. Through spiritism, they attempt to communicate
with spirits, especially with the spirits of the dead.

Often it is difficult to draw a definite line between natural
power, fraud, and the power of suggestion. Some of these
practices are undoubtedly foolish while others are definitely
diabolical. That is why the Church warns her faithful to leave all
of them alone because they are "detestable to God."

Wearing medals, crucifixes, and other such articles of devotion
is not superstitious because trust is put, not in the pieces of wood
or metal, but in the power of one in whose honor the article
is worn. When a Byzantine Christian, for example, wears a
crucifix, he expects protection from Christ, not from the
engraved piece of metal.

COMMANDMENTS— LOVE OF GOD 233

Other Sins Against the First Commandment:

tempting god means putting him or one of his powers
to a test. A well-known atheist once tempted God in a public
debate: taking out his watch, he declared, "If there be a God,
I will give him three minutes in which to strike me dead. " When
nothing happened, he boasted, "You see, there is no God."

Risking one's life while expecting God to come to the rescue
is testing God. Critically ill people who refuse to use ordinary
medical procedures because they expect God to save them
miraculously are also tempting God.

simony is the act or the intention of buying or selling spiritual
things for a temporal price. This sin insults God by assuming
that divine goodness, mercy and grace can be bought or sold.

It is not simoniacal nor a sin to buy blessed articles (a
crucifix, chalice, icon, etc.) as long as the price is not increased
because of the blessing. Nor is it simoniacal to offer stipends for
spiritual ministrations: these are given for the support of the
priest, in accordance with the words of St. Paul, ''The Lord
directed that those who preach the gospel should get their living
from the gospel" (I Co 9:14).

sacrilege is the contemptuous treatment of any person, place
or thing that has been publicly dedicated to God.

Mistreating a person in holy orders (or a religious) or sinning
impurely with such a person is sacrilegious. So are acts (e.g.,
adultery, homicide, etc.) repugnant to the sanctity of churches,
chapels, or consecrated cemeteries. Anyone receiving the sacra-
ments of chrismation (confirmation), the Eucharist, matrimony
or holy orders must be free from grave sin; otherwise, the
reception is seriously sacrilegious.

When blessed sacramentals such as, palms, icons, holy
pictures, etc., become useless, they should be burned.

The Second Commandment

"You shall not utter the name of Yahweh your God to misuse
it, for Yahweh will not leave unpunished the man who utters his
name to misuse it" (Ex 20:7).

234 CHAPTER XXIII

God's name may and should be used, but not misused. If we
truly love God's name, we shall not only respect it but proclaim
and glorify it. That is why Byzantine Christians do not use secular
expressions of greeting and farewell such as "hello" and "good-
bye" but use instead thoroughly Christian ones (as did all of Western
Europe before its secularization). During the year (outside of the
Christmas and Easter seasons), for example, they use the expression
"Glory be to Jesus Christ" and its response "Glory forever"
both in greeting and farewell.* During the Christmas season,
their greeting expresses faith in the incarnation: Christ is born;
it's response is Glorify him** Their Easter season's greeting
expresses faith in Christ's resurrection: Christ is risen; while
the response is, Indeed he is risen ***

In danger or trouble, all of us should lovingly call upon the
name of God or Jesus, for he guaranteed us his help if we do:
"I protect whoever knows my name, I answer everyone who
invokes me, I am with them when they are in trouble; 1 bring
them safety and honor" (Ps 91:14-15). Byzantine Christians
have not forgotten that promise, for they often use such pious
expressions as "God protect you," "God help you," "Remain
with God," "Go with God" and they mean them as loving
prayers.

Vows and Oaths

God's name is honored by a vow because it is a decisive,
voluntary promise made to him to do something pleasing to him.
Any deed performed under a vow is an act of divine worship,
and is therefore more meritorious than the same deed performed
without a vow. In serious matters, a vow binds under pain of sin,
grave or venial, depending upon the intention.

An oath is calling upon God to witness to the truth of what

"in Ukrainian and Russian i: is Slava Isusu Khrystu and its response. Siava na viky. In Greek
it is Doksa soi Khriste ho Theos and As doksazomen pantote Autim and in Arabic Al-Mujd
Leimaseeh and Al-Mujd laha DaEman.

**The Ukrainians and Russians use: Khrystos razhdajelsia and Siavite J oho. the Greeks,
Knristos egennete and Alethos egennew; the Arabs, Ai-Maseeh Woiid and Hatkan Innaho Wolid.
***The Ukrainians and Russians use: Khrystos voskres and Voistynu voxkres; the Greeks,
Khrislos aneste and Alethos aneste; the Arabs, Al-Maseeh Kaam and Hackan Kaam.

COMMANDMENTS— LOVE OF GOD 235

one says. It is an implied act of worship and faith, acknowledging
that God is both all-knowing and truthful. A person must have a
serious reason for taking an oath; Jesus himself taught, "All
you need say is 'Yes' if you mean yes, 'No' if you mean no; any-
thing more than this comes from the evil one" (Mt 5:37). But
since many people are unreliable and dishonest, an appeal to the
omniscient God may add necessary emphasis to an important
declaration. Breaking an oath is sinful perjury.

Irreverent Use of God's Name

To use God's name thoughtlessly, irreverently, as in expres-
sions of impatience, anger, surprise or emphasis is "taking
God's name in vain." The offense is venially sinful, but it may
be serious when anger is directed against God. Using the names
of the saints or the Mother of God irreverently is also venially
sinful.

Cursing

Not to be confused with swearing (taking an oath), cursing
or damning means calling down evil upon persons or things.

Asking a just God to punish enemies or persecutors was
tolerated in the Old Testament (e.g., the imprecatory psalms,
(Jr. 17:18). In the New Law, Jesus commanded his followers
to forgive all injuries, to be reconciled with enemies and to love
them. He himself lived this teaching. With his dying breath,
he asked his Father in heaven to forgive those who were killing
him: "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are
doing" (Lk 23:34). Our attitude as Christians should be the same.

Blasphemy

Any expression, thought or gesture that shows insulting con-
tempt for God is blasphemy. God is indirectly reviled when
such contempt is directed against the saints or the Church. The
Old Law punished the blashemer by stoning (Lv 24:16). The
charge against Jesus was blasphemy because he considered
himself equal to God. Of itself, the sin of blasphemy is grave,
but this presupposes that the person fully understands the gravity

236 CHAPTER XXIII

of the blasphemous words or gestures and fully intends it. Most
of the time, it seems, sufficient advertence is missing and so
is serious guilt.

The Third Commandment

"Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. For six days
you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a
sabbath for Yahweh your God. You shall do no work that day"
(Ex 20:8-10).

In the New Law, the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, re-
placed the Jewish sabbath with Sunday. The change took place
very early, probably during apostolic times. St. Paul and the
Christians of Troas, for example, gathered together on Sunday,
the first day of the week "to break bread" (Ac 20:7). Paul also
bade the Christians of Corinth to set aside whatever each could
afford as alms every Sunday (I Co 16:2). At the turn of the
first century, the "Didache" puts Sunday as the day for assembling
in common "to break bread and offer thanks" (XTV, 1). A little
later, St. Ignatius of Antioch states that Christians "no longer
observe the sabbath, but live according to the Lord's day
(i.e., Sunday)" "Letter to the Magnesians," IX, 1).

St. Justin Martyr (about A.D. 150) explained the change:
"Because it (Sunday) is the first day, the day on which God,
changing darkness and matter, created the world; and it is the
day on which our Saviour Jesus Christ arose from the dead"
("First Apology," 67). Later another reason was given: it was
on Sunday that the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles.

In addition to Sundays, the Church has established holy
days of obligation. Since they vary from country to country, and
even from eparchy to eparchy, no list is given here.

The Church has defined two obligations for the sanctification
of the Lord's day: participation in the Eucharistic Sacrifice and
the abstention from all unnecessary servile work. These obliga-
tions are serious.

The Sunday Eucharistic Liturgy

The obligation to participate in the Sunday Eucharistic Liturgy
binds all Catholics who have reached the age of seven, have

COMMANDMENTS— LOVE OF GOD 237

attained the use of reason and have no valid excuse, such as
health or distance. The obligation is fulfilled by attending the
Eucharistic Liturgy in any Rite of the Catholic Church. No
permission of any kind is needed to receive Holy Communion
at Eucharistic Liturgies celebrated according to Rites other than
one's own.

CHAPTER XXIV

The Commandments Relating to Love of Neighbor

' 'Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a
long life in the land that Yahweh your God has given you"
(Ex 20:12) So reads the fourth Commandment.

Implied in the precept of honoring parents are three duties:
to love, respect and obey them. St. Paul put it well: "Children,
be obedient to your parents in the Lord — that is your duty.
The first commandment that has a promise attached to it is:
Honor your father and mother, and the promise is: and you will
prosper and have a long life in the land" (Ep 6:1-3).

This is the only commandment to which God specifically
attached a temporal reward, in addition to the spiritual, perhaps
as an incentive to observe it in difficult circumstances. Those
brought up in tenderness and love do not need additional
motivation, but those who have felt unwanted and neglected by
their parents need all the motivation they can get to truly observe
this commandment. God understands. No amount of medical
attention and care can guarantee anyone a long and happy life on
this earth, but a faithful observance of this commandment does!
We have God's word for it.

Earthly blessings are not the only ones promised. Even
greater are the spiritual blessings and gifts of grace ' 'Whoever
respects his father is atoning for his sins, he who honors his
mother is like someone amassing a fortune. Whoever respects his
father will be happy with children of his own, he shall be heard
on the day when he prays" (Si 3:3-6).

The rewards of filial love are great: ' 'My son, support your
father in his old age, do not grieve him during his life. Even if
his mind should fail, show him sympathy, do not despise him in
your health and strength; for kindness to a father shall not be
forgotten but will serve as reparation for your sin. In the days
of your affliction it will be remembered of you, like frost in
sunshine, your sins will melt away" (Si 3:12-15).

The obligations of parents towards their children are best

239

240 CHAPTER XXIV

summarized by St. Paul in three simple expressions: "to bring
up," "to guide," and "to correct" their children. The duty to
"bring up" children means taking care of their physical and
spiritual needs.

Just as parents take the place of God in our regard, so do our
spiritual rulers, the Holy Father, bishops and priests. To them
we owe honor and respect. We are bound to obey them in all
those matters over which they have authority: matters of faith,
morals, or anything closely connected with religious truth and
church discipline.

Jesus told us that we should "render to Caesar what is
Caesar's" (Mt 22:21). Hence, we must respect the lawfully con-
stituted government of our country and obey its laws. A citizen
who fails in this duty is hampering good government, and so is
harming the common good.

The Fifth Commandment

"You shall not kill" (Ex 20:13).

Other parts of the Scriptures formulate this commandment
more precisely by adding the words "the innocent and just;"
hence, it means, You shall not kill the innocent and just
(Ex 23:7; cf, Jr. 7:6, 22:3).

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus added a new dimension to
this commandment which reaches down into the innermost
being of man by condemning even interior feelings of hatred
and anger (cf. Mt 5:21-26). Christ's all-embracing law of love
requires us to live in love and peace with our neighbor while
seeking his and our own spiritual and bodily welfare.

Exposing oneself to death in trying to rescue someone from
fire or drowning, though ordinarily not obligatory, is a heroic
act of charity, as Jesus said, "A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends" (Jn 15:13).

Euthanasia or Mercy Killing

Painlessly putting a person to death in order to end his suffer-
ing is euthanasia. Sometimes it is called mercy killing, because

COMMANDMENTS— LOVE OF NEIGHBOR—] 241

it is supposedly prompted by mercy. No matter what good or
utilitarian motive prompts it, however, euthanasia is either
murder or suicide for it is the direct taking of a human life.

Abortion

Abortion is expelling or killing the immature fetus. In today's
affluent countries abortion is reaching the same proportions as
at the time of the decadence of the Roman Empire when
Christianity came on the scene. From its very beginning, the
Church vigorously opposed the practice. The "Didache,"
similar in part to the Gospel of St. John, instructed Christians
clearly and to the point, "Do not kill a fetus by abortion or
commit infanticide" (II, 2). A few decades later, the "Epistle of
Barnabas" has an identical precept: "Do not kill a fetus by
abortion or commit infanticide" (XIX, 5). The attitude of the
early Church is summed up by Tertullian: "With us murder is
forbidden once for all. We are not permitted to destroy even the
fetus in the womb, as long as blood is still being drawn to form a
human being. To prevent the birth of a child is a quicker way to
murder. It makes no difference whether one destroys a life
already born or interferes with its coming to birth" ("Apology,"
IX, 8).

Directly procuring an abortion is always gravely sinful
because it is probably murder; a fetus is an unborn person. Any-
thing done with the serious intention of effecting an abortion
is also gravely sinful, even if the abortion does not actually
follow. Good motives, such as protecting the good name of a
criminally assaulted woman, preventing the birth of a mentally
retarded or crippled child, saving a pregnants woman's life
(this is rare today) never justify abortion.

No one knows the exact time when the fetus is infused with
a human soul, but it may be at the moment of conception or soon
afterwards. Anyone willing to kill what may be human is, by
intention, willing to kill what is human and, consequently, is
guilty or murder.

Hastening the birth of a viable fetus, however is allowed for a
good reason. Thus, if the mother's condition if gravely dan-

CHAPTER XXIV

gerous, one may induce delivery as soon as it is probable that the
child is viable. A dangerously diseased (e.g. cancerous) uterus
may be surgically removed even though it contains a nonviable
fetus. Surgery in cases of ectopic gestation (extra-uterine
pregnancy) is also allowed.

CHAPTER XXV

The Commandments Relating to Love
of Neighbor — Cont.

The Sixth and Ninth Commandments are: "You shall not
commit adultery' ' (Ex 20:14); ' 'You shall not covet your neighbor's
wife" (Ex 20:17).

From the beginning, "God created man in the image of him-
self, in the image of God he created him, male and female he
created them. God blessed them, saying to them, 'Be fruitful,
multiply, fill the earth and conquer it," (Gn 1:27-28). We can
almost hear Adam's joyous exclamation in that pre-dawn of
history: '"This at last is bone from my bones, and flesh of my
flesh! this is to be called woman, for this was taken from man.'
This is why a man leaves his father and mother and joins him-
self to his wife, and they become one body" (Gn 2:23-24).

When tested about the possibility of divorce, Jesus quoted the
above passage from Genesis and added that husband and wife
"are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God
has united, man must not divide" (Mt 19:6, cf Mk 10:7-9). In-
spired by God, St. Paul compares the union of marriage to the
union of Christ and the Church, and explains that it entails total
self-giving on the part of both spouses (cf. Ep 5:21-33).

God made sex and it is good and beautiful when rightly used
in marriage, that is, for the generation of children and as an
expression of love between husband and wife. God could have
willed otherwise but, in his love, he wants men and women to
share his awesome creative powers in bringing forth other human
beings into existence. They generate the body and God creates
the soul. The scriptures constantly celebrate the rich human
values of courtship, betrothal, marriage, marital love, pro-
creation, childbirth and family life.

Marital relations or intercourse, therefore, are good and holy
when performed in keeping with God's law; so are all sexual
intimacies preliminary to or accompanying marital relations.
This holds true even if procreation is impossible.

243

244 CHAPTER XXV

The official Church directives concerning contraception are
well known to all. Because of particular circumstances, reconcil-
ing conjugal love with parenthood (adequate care for the up-
bringing and education of children) is sometimes agonizingly
difficult. In this regard the bishops of Canada gave their faith-
ful this norm: "... In accord with the accepted principles of
moral theology, if these persons have tried sincerely but without
success to pursue a line of conduct in keeping with the given
directives, they may be safely assured that whoever honestly
chooses that course which seems right to him does so in good
conscience" ("Statement of Canadian Bishops on the Encyclical
Humanae Vitae," Plenary Assembly, St. Boniface-Winnipeg,
Sept. 27, 1968, No. 26).

Chastity

Despite indulgent modem attitudes toward the misuse of sex,
especially in affluent countries, true Christians must maintain
their moral convictions without dilution and live accordingly.
This is not some starry ideal but an attainable reality. Chastity,
of course, means self-mastery but God's help is always given to
those who ask. Pope Paul VI put it beautifully: "If we wish, we
can keep our body and spirit chaste. The Master, who speaks
with great severity in this matter (Mt 5:28), does not propose an
impossible thing. We Christians, regenerated in baptism, though
we are not freed from this kind of weakness, are given the
grace to overcome with relative facility" (From his address "To
Live the Paschal Mystery," May 31, 1971).

The Seventh and Tenth Commandments

"You shall not steal" (Ex 20:15). "You shall not covet your
neighbor's house . . . or his servant, man or woman, or his ox,
or his donkey, or anything that is his" (Ex 20:17).

Man has a right to live. The necessary means, including
material goods, to support his life and that of his dependents is
part of that right. These material goods, chiefly consisting in
food, clothing and shelter, become his through labor, inheritance
or gift. In the Seventh and Tenth Commandments, God has

COMMANDMENTS— LOVE OF NEIGHBOR— II 245

given us divine laws which protect the rights of ownership
against unjust deeds and desires. Anything which violates the
rights of the owner beyond his reasonable will is forbidden:
theft and robbery, willful damage or destruction of another's
goods, fraud, graft, paying an unjust wage, non-payment of
debts and not returning things found or borrowed.

The Eighth Commandment

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor"
(Ex 20:16).

This commandment forbids lying in or out of court and
whatever injures the good name or honor of another, that is,
the violation of secrets, detraction, contumely, slander, rash
judgments and suspicions.

^O^O^

PART SIX

THE HOLY MYSTERY OF GROWING
IN THE LIFE OF GOD

■

CHAPTER XXVI

Byzantine Liturgical Worship and The Sacraments

Those who love God and share in his life increase their holi-
ness through good works. The faithful are sanctified by the
sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and by their participation
in the liturgy, the official public worship of the Church, which
gives public honor and glory to God.

The Liturgy
Image of the Heavenly Liturgy

As Byzantine Christians regard the Church as "heaven on
earth" (cf., p. 189 above), so also they view the liturgy,
especially the Eucharistic Liturgy, as an image of the heavenly
liturgy described by the "Book of Revelation" and the "Letter
to the Hebrews." The heaven-on -earth concept means that the
things of earth are but shadows of the true realities of heaven.

Byzantine Christians hold that the things of earth have value
only in so far as they were transfigured by the Incarnation. Early
Eastern Fathers were enamored of this idea. They emphasized
not only the transfiguration of man through grace, but saw the
whole created universe as transfigured by the Incarnation to give
glory to the Word-made- flesh reigning triumphantly in heaven.
The Byzantine liturgy enfolds the whole cosmos in the act of
worship. Glimpses of the celestial liturgy are perceived in the
"Book of Revelation," where the worship of Christ in glory is
not limited to the angels and saints, but includes "everything
that lives in the air, and on the ground, and under the ground,
in the sea" (Rv. 5:13).

While everything on earth and in the universe — the animals
and plants of the earth, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea;
flowers, mountains and rivers; the sun, moon and the stars —
each in its own way, silently give glory to God, redeemed man
joins the angelic hosts in the eternal hymn of triumphal joy to
the King of all. This is expressed eloquently in the Cherubic
Hymn of the Eucharistic Liturgy, while the holy gifts are being

249

25Q CHAPTER XXVI

carried in procession from the table of preparation to the altar.
The Hymn calls upon the people of God to join the heavenly
choirs and share their eternal view:

"Let us who mystically represent the cherubim
in singing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-giving
Trinity — let us now lay aside every earthly care,
so that we may welcome the King of all who
comes escorted by invisible hosts of angels.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia."
While the Eucharistic doctrine is essentially the same in both
East and West, the approach is different. In their Eucharistic
Liturgy, the Byzantines insist on the all-powerful heavenly King
triumphing over death, rather than on the suffering Mediator
and Redeemer expiating mankind's sins; they stress the victorious
Lamb of God, rather than the bloodless renewal of the sacrifice
of the divine Victim. All this, of course, prefigures redeemed
man's final "divinization" in heaven. The setting in Byzantine
churches is designed to represent the earthly liturgy as an image
of the celestial, for its structure, arrangement and decoration abound
with the splendors of the heavenly world. Participation in the liturgy
is a confession of faith in what is most real: man's life in the resur-
rected, glorified Christ.

The Byzantine Church regards ceremonial, actions and
prayers as important, in the sense that even the smallest deed
or word may become a vehicle of the Holy Spirit, part of the
"Mystery" making Christ present and acting upon the souls of
men. Furthermore, these liturgical rites instill a sense of penance,
gratitude and charity in both clergy and faithful. Like the
early Christians, Byzantines have become familiar with Holy
Scriptures, with their catechism and their spirituality through
their liturgical ceremonies and texts.

Ritual Beauty Attracts

Ritual splendor preaches to men and captures their hearts for
God. This is what won the heart of Vladimir, king of the Kievan
nation (modem European Russia and the Ukraine) for God, with
the result that this whole country embraced the faith of Christ.

According to the "Russian Primary Chronicle," Vladimir

GROWING IN THE LIFE OF GOD 251

sent his envoys to the Muslims of Bulgaria, to the Latin Christians
of Germany and Rome and, finally, to the Christian Greeks of
Constantinople. On their return, the emissaries reported of the
first three: "There is no joy, no beauty in their worship." But
about the liturgy at Hagia Sophia, the cathedral of Constantinople,
they reported: "We knew not whether we were in heaven or on
earth, for surely there is no such splendor or beauty anywhere
on earth. We cannot describe it to you: only this we know, that
God dwells there among men, and that their service surpasses
the worship of all other places. For we cannot forget that beauty."
Only this we know, that God dwells there among men: this
saying still expresses the feelings of all ethnic groups belonging
to the Byzantine Church. Throughout the centuries, their fore-
fathers have poured their best poetry, art, and music into per-
fecting their rites. The strong impact of the Byzantine liturgy
is due to the fact that here man-made beauty reflects divine
beauty: a strong faith in the divine mysteries lifting up the heart
from artistic beauty to the realities of heaven.

The Liturgy and the Scriptures

The Byzantine liturgy is wholly rooted in God's written word.
Except for a very few passages, all four Gospels are read
through at least once during the year. The same holds true for
the rest of the New Testament (except for the Book of Revelation)
in the Epistle readings. While Old Testament readings have been
eliminated from the Eucharistic Liturgy centuries ago (probably
in the seventh or eighth century), other Byzantine liturgical
services such as Matins, Vespers, etc., have kept them, especially
the Law (Pentateuch), the Prophets and the Psalms. These
services are still celebrated faithfully in many parish churches,
and they are loved by lay people as much as by monks and
priests. Byzantine Christians, even the illiterate, often memorized
much of the Bible by this truly remarkable use of the Scriptures
in their parish churches.

Scriptures are not confined to readings: all Byzantine liturgical
prayers contain scriptural passages, quoted directly or indirectly.
They also abound with biblical imagery. Devout Byzantine
Christians live and breathe in a biblical atmosphere, so that it

252 CHAPTER XXVI

becomes natural to them.

Participation in the Liturgy

Byzantine liturgical services are geared for participation by
the whole of God's people, each according to his rank.

The priest-celebrant fills that part in the holy of holies for
which he was ordained: he brings about Christ's presence and
feeds the faithful in Christ's name with the word and grace of
God.

The deacon links priest and people, introducing the different
stages of worship and leading the faithful in their petitions and
prayers. At his invitation, they unite themselves with the celebrant
and with each other.

The people play an important part in the liturgy. Besides
ratifying the priest's prayers and actions with "Aniens, " they
sing the responses, the hymns, the Symbol of Faith (Creed),
the Lord's Prayer, etc. From earliest childhood, through repeated
liturgical experience, Byzantine Christians become familiar
with the audible parts of their public worship, so that when it
comes to participating, they do so with unconscious and un-
studied ease. They think of themselves, not as merely "attend-
ing" liturgical services, but as forming part of a living, har-
monious whole.

Such intimate participation reveals the communal, familial
character of the liturgy. The oneness of the community is
reinforced by the fact that whenever possible liturgical services
are celebrated only once a day on the one altar of a church.
If many priests wish to celebrate, they may do so together.
Concelebration has been a constant tradition in the Byzantine
Church.

The Sacraments

In the English-speaking world, the term "sacrament" is gen-
erally used and clearly understood. That is why we shall use it
here, although the Byzantine tradition prefers the terms "myster-
ies" or "holy mysteries."

The Greeks call the sacraments Mysteria; the Rumanians,

GROWING IN THE LJFE OF GOD 253

Mistere; the Arabic Melkites, Asraar; the Russians, Tainstva;
the Ukrainians, Tajny; the Bulgarians, Tasinstva or Tajny; the
Serbians, Tajne.

The reasons why they prefer these terms are partly historical
and partly due to the nature of the sacraments themselves. His-
torically, the sacraments were among the most important truths
of faith which early Christians were forbidden to divulge to non-
Christians — in order to avoid arrest, but also because holy things
were not to be revealed to the unworthy. A sacrament is indeed a
mystery by its very nature, since it consists in an outward reality
(sign) and an inner, mysterious reality, called grace. Chrysostom
put it beautifully when he wrote:

"It is called a mystery, because what we
believe is not the same as what we see, but we see
one thing and believe another. . . On hearing of a
laver, he the unbeliever reckons it merely as
water, but I behold, not simply the thing that is
seen, but the purification of the soul by the Spirit.
He considers only that my body has been washed
through immersion in baptism; but I am convinced
that the soul has become pure and holy; and I
regard it as the sepulchre, the resurrection where
the old man dies in the waters of baptism and the
new man arises, the sanctification, the kingdom
of heaven, the full effusion of the Spirit. For not
by the sight do I judge the things that appear,
but by the eyes of the mind. When I hear the body
of Christ mentioned, I understand what is said in
one sense and the unbeliever in another" ("Homily
Seven on Corinthians," 2).

What a Sacrament Is

Like the Chuch, a sacrament is both visible and invisible,
a combination of an external, visible sign which is perceived
by the senses and an inner, invisible grace which is not. Add
the fact of divine institution by Christ, and we have the
elements of a definition. A sacrament consists in (1) an ex-

254 CHAPTER XXVI

ternal sign or rite, (2) instituted by Christ, (3) in order to
give grace.

The external sign, different in each sacrament, consists in
some visible matter (water, bread and wine, oil) or human
action (absolution, imposition of the hand(s), together with
the necessary words chosen by the Lord to impart grace in a
real manner, and not merely symbolically. The God-man
alone could have attached to these visible signs the inner real
power of producing spiritual and super-natural effects, mak-
ing them vehicles of the Holy Spirit. Because the matter it-
self (bread, wine, water, oil) is transfigured, made holy, it
prefigures the apokatastasis, the final restoration and redemption
of all matter on the Last Day.

To the simple, essential signs or rites of each sacrament which
Jesus established and without which a sacrament is invalid, the
Church added ceremonials, prayers and liturgical actions in order
to bring out the grace proper to each. They clarify what the sacra-
ment does invisibly for the soul, but may be omitted in emergen-
cies. Byzantine theologians dislike "dissecting" the sacraments
even abstractly into essential parts, non-essential parts, integral
parts, "moments of consecration," etc. Every part, principal
or secondary, is a means by which Christ acts on the souls of
men through the Holy Spirit. Because such parts are precious
and share in the divine dignity and meaning of the sacraments,
no priest has the right to omit, curtail, or change anything at his
own discretion. The rites of celebration may be changed only by
the authorities of the Church.

Kinds of Grace Produced

Christ died for us once for all on Golgotha, and redeemed us.
But the merits, the fruits of that redemption have to be applied to
each individual person — chiefly but not solely through the
sacraments. God can and does use every conceivable means to
affect men's souls.

The seven sacraments embrace the whole of human life, from
birth, through the successive stages of life, to the grave and beyond.
A person is bom into the world, grows, brings forth children,

GROWING IN THE LIFE OF GOD 255

falls ill, takes precautions against sickness. Finally, death claims
his body but his soul lives on. Spiritual counterparts to these
events are found in the seven sacraments. Baptism effects
spiritual birth, the beginning of God's life in the soul. Confuma-
tion-chrismation provides the necessary strength for growth of
this life, while the Eucharist provides nourishment for ever-
improving spiritual good health and zest. When participation in
God's life weakens or ceases, the sacrament of reconciliation
(penance) or the anointing of the sick serves to heal or restore
that life in God. Through Christian marriage, parents bring
children into the Kingdom of God and care for them. Finally,
ordination enables men to exercise God's powers to make men
holy, to rule and teach them.

Each sacrament produces two kinds of grace; "sanctifying
grace" which provides or increases participation in God's life,
and "sacramental grace" which fulfills each sacrament's
specific purpose.

Right Dispositions

There is nothing automatic about the sacraments: no one can
be sanctified against his will. Before any sacrament becomes
effective, an adult must personally intend to accept Christ and to
fill all the conditions of a worthy reception.

A person must be baptized, incorporated into the visible body
of the Church, before receiving the other sacraments instituted
for members alone. Furthermore, he must have the right inten-
tions and dispositions: the sacraments are not for the impenitent
or for unbelievers.

Presupposing proper intentions and dispositions, those spirit-
ually dead may receive baptism and reconciliation (the sacra-
ment of penance) in order to attain God's life for the first time or
to regain it after serious sin. These are called the "sacraments of
the dead" because they may be received by those spiritually dead.

Confirmation-chrismation, the Holy Eucharist, anointing of
the sick, holy orders and matrimony presuppose the existence of
God's life in the soul. They are called the "sacraments of the
living." They increase sanctifying grace. People who have

2S6 CHAPTER XXVI

committed serious sin must confess them and receive sacramen-
tal absolution before receiving any of the sacraments of the living,
otherwise, they commit a grave sin of sacrilege.

What is Required of the Officiant

In order to effect a sacrament validly, the officiant's intention
must be that of the Church.

The minister of the sacraments is generally an ordained priest
or bishop endowed with the proper faculties. In marriage,
however, the spouses themselves are the ministers, imparting
the sacrament upon each other. Besides priests and bishops,
anyone (even an unbeliever) may baptize in emergencies. But
in all cases, the officiant's intention must be that of the Church.,
even without an explicit expression of it.

The officiant should celebrate such holy mysteries with faith,
devotion and fervor, yet the validity of the sacrament does not
depend upon his personal worthiness. In all sacraments, the ulti-
mate operative power is divine, as the Scriptures clearly indicate
(e.g.,Jnl:33,ICo3:7,ICo4:l,Ep4:llff,Hb5:l,Hbl3:12),
and does not depend upon the moral goodness of the human
officiant. Christ is always the principal minister of the sacra-
dents; hence, it is Christ who draws on the fruits of his redeeming
death and sanctifies souls through the Holy Spirit.

^O^O^

CHAPTER XXVII

The Sacrament of Initiation - Baptism

' 'Repent , for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. ' '
So cried John the Baptist in the wilderness (Mt. 3:2). To those
who repented and went down into the water, the baptism per-
formed by John signified sorrow for sin and a firm commitment
to improve, and nothing more. John himself clearly said so: "/
have baptized you with water, but he, the Christ to come will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit" (Mk 1:8).

The baptism instituted by Christ was different. As he
explained to Nicodemus (Jn 3:3), it was to be a real spiritual
rebirth wrought through water and the Holy Spirit. Without it,
no one could enter the kingdom of God.

The Baptism Instituted by Christ

Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave the apostles
power to regenerate men through water and the Holy Spirit
and to teach his truth: "All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the
nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands
I gave you" (Mt 28:18-19); "Go out to the whole world; pro-
claim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is
baptized will be saved; he who does not believe will be con-
demned." (Mk 16:15-16).

The apostles began using this power on the first Pentecost,
when about three thousand were baptized after hearing Peter
preach: "You must repent, and every one of you must be bap-
tized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,
and you will receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit" (cf, Ac
2:38-39, 41). The apostles went out beyond the borders of
their homeland, convincing people of the truth of Christ's
teachings and baptizing converts — at Samaria, Damascus,
Caesarea, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, etc. (cf., Ac. 8:12, 9:18,
10:47-48, 18:8, 19:5, 16:34, etc.)

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25g CHAPTER XXVH

The Effects of Baptism

every SIN may be forgiven. When St. Peter told the people
of Jerusalem, "Every one of you must be baptized... for the
forgiveness of your sins" (Ac 2:38), he did not exclude any sin,
original or personal. St. Paul explained to the Colossians: "You
have been buried with him, when you were baptized; and by
baptism, too, you have been raised up with him through your belief
in the power of God who raised him from the dead. You were
dead because you were sinners... he has brought you to life with
him, he has forgiven us all our sins" (Col 2:11-13). When he
wrote to the Corinthians, he listed many sins which exclude
people from heaven, yet he stated: "These are the sort of people
some of you were once, but now you have been washed clean,
and sanctified, and justified through the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ and through the Spirit of our God." (1 Co 6:11).

BAPTISM ALSO CANCELS ALL PUNISHMENT. TEMPORAL AS WELL AS

eternal, DUE TO sin. This follows from the fact that baptism not
only takes away all sin, but also renews and regenerates the
baptized. The old man, full of sin, is buried with Christ.

These effects of baptism are entirely spiritual. The temporal
effects of original sin are not taken away: the pains and
sufferings of this life will still have to be endured; the passions
remain unruly; the will is still weakened and bodily death is

inevitable, etc.

BAPTISM GIVES A COMPLETELY new LIFE: "When we were baptized
in Christ Jesus we were baptized in his death; in other words,
when we were baptized we went into the tomb with him and
joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead
by the Father's glory, we too might live a new life" (Rm 6:3 A).
That is why it is called a new birth, a rebirth: "It was for no
reason except his own compassion that he saved us, by means of
the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy
Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through
Jesus Christ our Saviour. He did this so that we should be justi-
fied by his grace, to become heirs looking forward to inheriting
eternal life. This doctrine you can rely on" (Tt 3:5-8). This new
life is a sharing in the life of God, in his very nature (cf. 2 P 1 :4),

BAPTISM 259

whereby the baptized becomes a child of God (cf. 1 Jn. 3:2).
That is why baptism is called a bath of regeneration and not a
bath of remission of sins.

Together with this new life, the recipient received the gifts of
faith, hope and charity, also the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit.
These gifts make possible the practice of evangelical counsels
and beatitudes.

Through this new life, the baptized become members of
Christ's Mystical Body, as Paul reminded the Galatians:
"All baptized in Christ, you have all clothed yourselves in
Christ, and there are no more distinctions between Jew and
Greek, slave and free, male and female, but all of you are one in
Christ Jesus" (Ga 3:27-28); and to the Corinthians, he wrote:
"You know, surely, that your bodies are members making up the
body of Christ" (I Co 6:15). The spirit of Christ pervades the
baptized and unites them with him as their head.

BAPTISM ALSO MAKES THE RECIPIENT A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH.

Jesus identified himself with the members of the Church when
he asked Paul before his conversion: "Saul, Saul, why are you
persecuting me?. ..I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me"
(Ac 9:4-5). Paul was impressed with this truth for he develops
it in several of his Epistles: "Now the Church is his body, he is
its head" (Col 1:18). Baptism unites the recipients with
Christ externally by making them members of his Church.
This incorporation marks the soul with a special sacramental
character which lasts for eternity: ' 'Remember it is God himself
who assures us all, and you, of our standing in Christ, and has
anointed us, marking us with his seal and giving us the pledge,
the Spirit, that we carry in our hearts" (2 Co 1:21-22).

Since baptism imparts new life, the life of God, to the soul,
it carries the promise of salvation, the right to heaven. Only
grave sin cancels this right to heaven. The internal union of the
baptized with Christ enables them to receive the graces necessary
for leading a godly life and for working out their salvation. By
their external union with Christ, as members of his Church, they
are able to receive the other sacraments and to share in all the
treasures of the Church.

260 CHAPTER XXVII

The Necessity of Baptism

"1 tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born through water
and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (Jn 3:5).

Children are born in the state of original sin (cf. Rm 5:12-14),
hence they must be brought into the state of life through baptism.
No question was ever raised about infant baptism in the primitive
Church. Circumcision, the Old Testament figure for baptism,
was performed on the eighth day after birth. In Acts (16:15), we
read that Lydia and her whole household were baptized at
Thyatira; the jailer of Paul and Silas and "all his household"
were baptized at Philippi (Ac 16:32-33); "The family of
Stephanus" was baptized at Corinth (1 Co 1:16). Surely there
were children in these households.

St. Irenaeus, a disciple of the martyred St. Polycarp who was
a disciple of the Apostle John, writes "Christ came to save all
who through him are rebom unto God: infants and children,
boys and youths, and aged parents ("Against the Heresies" II,
22,4). In the third century, Origen writes that in his day the
Church's tradition of baptizing infants was regarded as of
apostolic origin ("Comment, on Romans," 5,9).

Parents would naturally want to share with their children
the most precious heritage they had received, baptism's spiritual
riches, the very life of God. Because of the tremendous import-
ance of baptism for time and eternity, the Church has always
commanded its members to have their children baptized as soon
as is reasonably possible after birth.

Kinds of Baptism

Some people remain unbaptized through no fault of their own.
Are they not saved? They can be, through the "baptism of
blood" or the "baptism of desire."

Jesus promised eternal life as the reward of martyrdom,
dying for his sake: "Anyone who loses his life for my sake will
find it" (Mt 10:39)"; "A man can have no greater love than to
lay down his life for his fiends" (Jn 15:13). This is the "baptism
of blood." The Church has always recognized that unbaptized
martyrs gain eternal life. That is why the Church has honored

BAPTISM 261

the Holy Innocents as saints, (cf. Mt 2:16-18). They confessed
Christ, not by words but by their death. The same may be said
about the unbaptized catechumens, those under instruction in the
faith, who gave their lives for Christ in the early centuries of the
Church.

St. Augustine reflects the attitude of the church in his day
when he writes: "To all those who die confessing Christ, even
though they have not received the laver of regeneration, martyr-
dom will prove as effective for the remission of sins as if they
were washed at the baptismal font" ("The City of God,"
XIII, 2). Adult martyrs receive remission, not only of their sins,
but also of the eternal and temporal punishment due to them.

The "baptism of desire" is realized in those who expressly
desire baptism, but die before they can receive it. In A.D. 392,
Emperor Valentinian II died while he was still under instruction
in the faith. St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, preached his funeral
sermon. "I hear you express grief that he did not receive the
sacrament of baptism. Tell me, what else is there in us, except
the will and petition? Long before he came to Italy, he wanted to
be initiated and expressed his intention to be baptized by me as
soon as possible . . . Has he not, therefore, the grace which he
desired? Surely he received it because he asked for it" "Obituary
of Valentinian."

What happens to a child who dies without baptism? The
Church has left this an open question. The most common opinion
of theologians is that such infants will not have to endure any
sufferings after death, but will enjoy at least a natural happiness
without seeing God face to face. Others speculate that God
allows them to obtain grace by a baptism of desire before death.

God wishes to sanctify all people. Christ died for all. God
can sanctify the soul of an infant even without formal baptism.
Whether he does so before the child's death or how he does it,
is his secret, but one thing is certain: God's infinite and myster-
ious love goes far beyond anything imaginable.

Jesus promised justification and, hence, remission of sins to
those who love God: ' 'Anybody who loves me will be loved by
my Father, and I shall love him and show myself to him . . .
If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will

262 CHAPTER XXVII

love him, and we shall come to him and make our home with
him" (Jn 14:21, 23).

The baptism of desire does not have to be explicit: it includes
all those who strive to lead a good life and wish to obey the
Supreme Being — the millions of good people who would have
obeyed, had they known about the command of Christ.

Anyone justified by baptism of desire, however, is not an
actual member of the visible Church, nor is he capable of
receiving the other sacraments until he is baptized by water.

In Emergencies Anyone May Baptize

Under normal circumstances, a bishop, priest or deacon
imparts baptism solemnly, with the proper ceremonial. In
emergencies, however, anyone, even a non-Catholic, may validly
baptize. Doctors, nurses and all who minister to newborn babies
should make sure that they know how to baptize. In fact, every
Christian should know.

Here is how to do it: Intending to baptize according to the
mind of Christ and his Church, one pours water on the fore-
head of the infant while saying: "The servant of God, N . . .,
is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit" (or "I baptize you in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit").

While pouring water on the forehead is the most convenient
way of baptizing in emergencies, baptism can be conferred also
by aspersion (sprinkling — the so-called clinical baptism) or by
what is the usual way in Eastern Churches — pronouncing the
necessary words while immersing the person in water three
times. In all cases if the infant survives, the ceremonies of solemn
baptism should be performed later.

The Rite of Solemn Baptism

Most members of the early Church were converts from
paganism. To become a Christian implied a serious decision, for
a baptized Christian belonged wholly to Christ, breaking with
the past, with customs, often with friends and even family.
Leading a godly life in an immoral and vicious world was no

BAPTISM 263

easy task. Until A.D. 313, becoming a Christian was an act of
high treason punishable by death. The thought of torture and
death was never far from the mind of every follower of Christ.
The Church set up a program of rigorous training, often
lasting three to five years, during which the candidate had to
prove his sincerity. This he did by leading a good life, by faith-
fully attending religious services, and by taking instruction
classes. Anyone who did not measure up was rejected. The
phenomenal growth of the Church and the thousands of martyrs
prove the effectiveness of this rigorous discipline. Before anyone
was accepted into training (catechumenate), trustworthy Christ-
ians who knew the candidate personally had to introduce him and
vouch for him. This was a precaution against spies and informers
during the persecutions — and this is how the practice of having
sponsors at baptism began. Sponsors or godparents should be
good Church members, for they take on the serious obligation
of making sure, in default of parents, that the baptized will be
properly instructed in the faith and will comply with all religious
obligations.

The Rite of Baptism

enrollment In the early centuries, the candidate (catec-
humen) who completed several years of probation and instruction
was eligible to enter the ranks of the "illumined," the final
stages of preparation for baptism. Again, the examination for
acceptance was severe; Christian neighbors were questioned
about the candidate's behavior. Those found worthy were sol-
emnly enrolled in a special book, the "book of life." St. Cyril
of Jerusalem compares it with the registration of soldiers into
the army. The pastor marked the candidate with the sign of the
cross, and imposed his hand on him while reciting the appropriate
prayer. The candidate's name and that of his sponsors were
then inscribed in the register.

Solemn baptism in the Byzantine Church still begins with the
same procedure, even in the case of infants. The priest breathes
three times into the baptizand's face, marks his brow and chest
three times with the sign of the cross, and imposes his hand
upon his head while reciting the prayer of enrollment.

264 CHAPTER XXVn

exorcism: Frequent exorcisms were another important way of
putting off the old man. Many moderns may scoff at the idea of
the devil as a personal being, but the Scriptures leave little
doubt about it. Exorcisms were usually performed individually.
Prayers were recited, adjuring the evil spirit(s) to depart. There
were also the imposition of the hand and insufflation (breathing
upon the face). Early Christians believed that both original sin
and personal sin put the sinner under the power of the devil.

The present Byzantine rite of exorcism follows an identical
procedure. The priest recites three solemn prayers, adjuring
Satan to go out and never return; these are accompanied by the
imposition of hand. He says a fourth prayer which includes
breathing upon the candidate's mouth, forehead and chest, while
he implores God to drive out every evil and unclean spirit
hiding within the heart of the subject.

These prayers are filled with scriptural expressions, a sign of
their ancient origin.

renunciation of the devil The Greeks had a word for it:
apotaksis, taking one's leave from the camp of Satan. At present,
this is generally known as the renunciation of the devil. It is a
personal confrontation with the evil one. If the baptizand is an
adult, he turns to face the West, the direction of sunset and
darkness, symbolic of evil, the place where Satan dwelt. He
lifts up his hands to show he is breaking the shackles of evil and,
in answer to the priest's queries, he renounces the devil three
times. Finally, to show his contempt for Satan, as symbolized
by the West, he breathes out and spits in that direction.

This vivid "camp-leaving" also dates from the early centuries.
In case of infants, the renunciation is made by the sponsors in the
baby's name.

UNITING WITH CHRIST AND PROFESSING THE FAITH As in early

centuries, after forsaking the camp of Satan, the baptizand enters
that of Christ by turning around and facing the East, the direction
of dawn and the rising sun which is symbolic of Christ, the Sun
of Justice and Truth, the light of the world. This is the syntaksis,
literally, "joining the camp" of Christ and his ranks. Again,
there are three questions and three answers asserting adherence
to Christ.

BAPTISM 265

The priest asks the baptizand whether he believes in Christ.
The latter responds that he does, then recites the profession of
the faith in form of the Nicene Creed. The priest asks three
times whether the candidate has indeed united himself to Christ;
to each question the candidate responds affirmatively. The
candidate then confirms the submission of his life to the triune
God. In infant baptism, the sponsors act and answer for the
child. This part of the rite is concluded with a prayer asking God
to grant the candidate the great grace of holy baptism.

Usually, the water and oil are blessed for each individual
baptism.

anointing with oil The candidate is led to the baptistry where
he is anointed with holy oil. This is called "oil of gladness,"
a sign of many good things: healing, partaking of the good
olive-tree which is Jesus Christ, and sharing in a royal priesthood.
Alluding to Romans 11:17, St. Cyril of Jerusalem explained
to his converts that through this anointing they became "partakers
of the good olive-tree, Jesus Christ; for you were cut off from the
wild olive-tree and grafted into the good one and made to share
the fatness of the true olive-tree; the exorcised oil, therefore,
symbolizes participation in the fatness of Christ" ("Cat." XX, 3).
The idea goes back to the olive branch brought by a dove to
Noah's Ark as a sign from God that his wrath was ended, that
he had given man another chance {cf. Gn 8:6-21). The olive tree
and its oil indicate primarily reconciliation and salvation. Further-
more, the ancients used oil, especially olive oil, to soothe and
heal, and they extended the concept to the spiritual realm.
During the blessing of the baptismal water, the sign of the cross
is made over it with the oil. Some oil is poured into it to show
that baptism of water takes away sins, reconciles man with God,
and therefore, heals and soothes the soul.

According to the fourth or fifth century "Apostolic Constitu-
tions" ("Book II, 15), the anointing shows that the baptized
become a "chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated
nation, a people set apart" (1 P 2:9). Today, the anointing with
oil is done on forehead, chest, back (between the shoulder-
blades), ears, hands and feet. An appropriate prayer, dedicating
each member for the service of God, is said at each anointing.

266 CHAPTER XXVII

This ceremony originated in the first or second century.

the actual baptism Early Christians in both East and West
baptized by a triple immersion in water — a clear sign of the
three-day burial of Christ and of his resurrection. It is also a
profession of faith in the three Persons of the Godhead in whose
name the person is baptized. Almost all Eastern Churches still
baptize in this way. At each immersion, the priest pronounces
the words: "The servant (handmaid) of God, N . . ., is baptized
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. "
This typically Eastern formula uses the passive voice in order to
stress the action of God, not man, in imparting the sacraments.
At this moment, all sins and their punishment are removed.

In order to symbolize what is happening to the soul, the
baptized is clothed with a white garment, the "garment of
righteousness." A lighted candle may be given to the baptized
or to the sponsors (in case of infants) as a symbol of the light
of faith and of good deeds with which the baptized is to shine
brightly during life, so that when the Lord will come, he or she
may go forth in radiance to meet him with all the saints — an
allusion to the Ten Wise Virgins (Cf. Mt 25:1-11).

In all Eastern Churches, the Byzantine included, the priest
imparts the sacrament of chrismation (confirmation) immediately
after baptism.

CHAPTER XXVIII

The Sacrament of Chrismation (Confirmation)

"When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had
accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, and
they went down there, and prayed for the Samarians to receive
the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had not come down on any of them:
they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then
they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit"
(Ac 8:14ff.). Here, the Scriptures expressly state that imparting
the Holy Spirit differs from baptism and produces a different
effect. Philip had baptized the Samarians, but as a mere deacon,
he did not have the power of imparting the Holy Spirit. Only
the apostles or those who had received the priesthood had such
power. That is why Peter and John risked their lives to go to
Samaria and impart the Holy Spirit in a separate sacrament.

Paul consecutively but distinctly imparted the two sacraments
at Ephesus: "When they heard this, they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus, and the moment Paul had laid hands on
them the Holy Spirit came down on them..." (Ac 19:5f.).

In writing to the Corinthians, Paul refers to the reception of
the Holy Spirit: ' 'Remember it is God himself who assures us all,
and you, of our standing in Christ, and has anointed us, marking
us with his seal and giving us the pledge, the Spirit, that we
carry in our hearts" (2 Co 1:2 If). Likewise, when he writes
to the Ephesians: "And you too have been stamped with the seal
of the Holy Spirit of the Promise, the pledge of our inheritance..."
(l:13f). Here Paul may be using figurative language (anointing,
marking with seal, etc.) but the passage contains expressions
which keep recurring later in the writings of the Fathers in
connection with the sacrament of imparting the Holy Spirit. If
"sealing with the Holy Spirit" did not originally include real
anointing in addition to the laying on of hand(s), it soon became
customary. Some fourth-century sources, for example, mention
only the laying on of hand(s); others, only the anointing or "seal-
ing" while still others refer to both.

26 g CHAPTER XXVIII

At Jerusalem, St. Cyril mentions only the anointing with
chrism and he clearly attributes the bestowal of the Holy Spirit
to it: "To you was given an uncton. . .and this is the Holy Spirit",
"While your body is anointed with visible ointment, your soul
is sanctified by the Holy and life-giving Spirit." "After holy
baptism and the mystical chrism, after having put on the whole
armor of the Holy Spirit, you are to stand against the power of
the adversary," ("Lecture XXI," On Chrism, 1,2,3,4). He
also mentions the parts of the body that were anointed: forehead,
ears, nostrils, breast. ("Lecture XXI," 4).

The hand is laid on the forehead by the very act of applying
the chrism; hence, many Eastern Churches including the
Byzantine, have only the anointing with chrism or chrismation
without a separate laying on of hands.

The accompanying words in the early sources are not as
uniform as those of baptism but two thoughts are always ex-
pressed: (1) signing or sealing and (2) the grace of gifts of the
Holy Spirit.

The Present Rite of Chrismation (Confirmation)

In the Byzantine Church, adults and infants receive the sacra-
ment of chrismation (confirmation) immediately after baptism.
The godparents are usually the same for both sacraments. The
priest is the ordinary minister of confirmation, whereas in the
Latin Rite it is the bishop. For centuries, the Byzantine bishop's
or patriarch's part in chrismation has been confined to making
and consecrating the chrism on Holy Thursday.

Connecting the actual anointing of chrismation with baptism
is a prayer which recounts the effects of baptism and pleads for
an effective bestowal of the gifts proper to both chrismation
and the Eucharist. The ancient direct sequence of these sacra-
ments is thus preserved.

The priest dips his thumb into holy chrism and, resting his
hand on the head of the recipient, he traces with his thumb the
sign of the cross on the forehead, the eyes, nostrils, mouth ears,
chest, hands and feet. As he anoints, he says, "The seal of the
gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

In ancient times, the newly baptized and confirmed were led

CONFIRMATION 269

from the baptistry into the Church for the Eucharistic Liturgy,
where they received communion for the first time. Instead of
this, the priest now leads the newly confirmed who holds a
lighted candle (sponsors carry both infant and candle) around the
baptismal font three times. At each circuit, they sing: "All you
who have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. Alleluia."
The lighted candles represent the illumination received in the
initiatory mysteries, while the triple circling of the font signifies
eternal union (circle = eternity) of the newly initiated with
Christ, the Light of the world.

The rest of the ceremony consists in a blessing, the prokeimenon
(gradual), the epistle (Rm 6:3-1 1), the Alleluia chant, the Gospel
(Mt 28:16-20) ektenia (litany) into which petitions for the newly
baptized and chrismated are inserted and, finally, the dismissal.
Before the sixteenth century, the entire Eucharistic Liturgy was
celebrated. Ancient practice had infants receiving Holy
Communion (under the form of wine) after baptism. The Latin
Church discontinued the practice in the twelfth century. Of all
the Eastern Catholic Churches, only the Copts have preserved
this venerable tradition, while all the Orthodox, — to their credit
— also nave.

Eight days after baptism and chrismation, the recipient is
again brought to church for a ritual ablution and tonsuring (or
shearing of the hair), which signifies submission and servitude
to God for life. It is also a symbol of the scriptural offering of the
first-fruits.

The Lasting Effects of Chrismation (Confirmation)

A person receives new life (sanctifying grace), the life of God,
through baptism. Confirmation-chrismation increases participa-
tion in divine life. It may be distinguished from baptism as
mature life may be distinguished from birth or infancy. This is
why it is said to "perfect" or "complete" baptism. The life
of an infant is not the same as that of an adult. The newly
baptized, though full Christians, do not share in God's life or its
attributes as intimately and intensely as do confirmed Christians.
The gifts of strength to profess the faith, and fortitude or courage

270 CHAPTER XXVn

best indicate the main purpose of confirmation.

The manifold gifts of the Spirit received in chrismation are
symbolized by the great number of aromatic substances, as
many as fifty-seven, added to the basic oil in the making and
consecrating of the chrism.

Confirmation-chrismation, then, is the personal Pentecost of
individual Christians. It changes raw recruits into full-fledged
soldiers, ready for spiritual combat, their sphragis or mark
serving as a sign of their loyal service to God, not only in earthly
life but for all eternity.

CHAPTER XXIX

The Eucharist - A Sacrament of Love

The greatest possible human love on earth is but a spark of
the divine. God, in his infinite love, established the Eucharist,
transforming bread and wine into the living body and blood of
Christ, so that he could be united with his faithful followers even
before they died. This is holy Communion, a loving union
between God and his beloved.

Preparations and Promises

Jesus, realizing how hard it would be to believe in the reality
of his presence in the Eucharist, began by proving his divine
power and authority through miracles. A large crowd had
followed him to a hillside close to the shore of Lake Tiberias.
They were hungry and could not obtain any food. After healing
their sick, Jesus multiplied five barley loaves and two fishes so
as to feed five thousand men, not counting the women and the
children.

"They all ate as much as they wanted," and twelve baskets
of fragments were left over! While the people did not understand
as yet the real purpose of this miracle, they witnessed divine
power at work, and were convinced Jesus was the prophet
expected from God. (cf. Jn 6:15).

Next day, at Capernaum, Jesus asserted his heavenly origin
and demanded that his followers believe he was "The bread that
comes down from heaven, so that a man may eat it and not die. ' '
He boldly declared, ' 7 am the living bread which has come down
from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and
the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world."
(cf. Jn 6:32-51).

The people understood Christ's words literally, for they
' 'started to argue with one another: 'How can this man give us
his flesh to eat?'" (Ibid. 52).

If Jesus had intended his words to be taken figuratively, he
would have said so. Instead, he insists: "I tell you most solemn-

271

272 CHAPTER XXIX

ly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his
blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my
flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him
up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real
drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I
live in him. As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw
life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven; not like the bread our
ancestors ate: they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread
will live for ever" (Jn 6:53ff).

When many disbelieved and walked away, Jesus did not
retract, nor did he call them back to say they misunderstood him:
No, he knew they interpreted his words literally and rightly.
In fact, turning to his apostles, he asked if they too wanted to go
away. He demanded their complete faith and trust without
softening his teaching. He did not even explain how it would be
possible: the apostles took him at his word and believed.

Institution of the Eucharist

What Jesus had promised the year before at Capernaum, he
fulfilled at the Last Supper. St. Matthew who was there records
it in this way: "Jesus took some bread, and when he had said
the blessing he broke it and gave it to the disciples. 'Take it and
eat,' he said 'this is my body.' Then he took a cup, and when he
had returned thanks he gave it to them 'Drink all of you from
this,' he said 'for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant,
which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins"
(Mi 26:26 ff).

Jesus clearly said "this" (what he held in his hand) "is my
body," and "this is my blood." There is no valid interpretation
of his words except the literal; Jesus really transformed the bread
and wine into his body and blood. He did not say, "This takes
the place of (or stands for, represents, shows) my body," nor
did he say "This is a figure (or likeness, representation, symbol,
memorial) of my body." He said "This is my body — this is
my blood."

In an act of such supreme importance, Jesus chose to use
these words in their obvious meaning — which led to so many

THEEUCHARIST 273

of his followers leaving him at Capernaum. Had the bread and
wine been mere symbols he would have been proposing idolatry.
Paul describing the Last Supper and its commemoration at
Corinth took the words of Christ in their literal sense. "The
blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of
Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the
body of Christ" (1 Co 10:16), He also condemned the abuses of
the Christian community at Corinth, especially in connection
with the Eucharist and its unworthy reception by some: Anyone
who eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will
be behaving unworthily towards the body and blood of the Lord' '
(1 Co 11:27); and "A person who eats and drinks without
recognizing the Body (of Christ) is eating and drinking his own
condemnation" (J Co ll:29f.). Paul was expressing his own
faith and that of the other apostles in the real presence of Christ
in the Eucharist. Had the Eucharistic bread and wine been mere
figures of Christ's body, receiving them unworthily could not
have been grievous offense.

Testimony of the Early Fathers

About ten years after St. John composed his Gospel, St.
Ignatius wrote to the Church of Smyrna: "The Docetists abstain
from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not believe
that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ who
suffered for our sins and whom the Father, out of his goodness,
has raised from the dead" ("To the Smyrnians," 7).

He also urged the Christians of Philadelphia to "partake of the
one Eucharist, for one is the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ and
one the cup to unite us with his blood. (" To the Philadel-
phians, 1 ' 4).

About fifty years later, St. Justin Martyr declared "The food
which has been made the Eucharist by the prayer of his word. ..is
the flesh and blood of this Jesus who was made flesh"
("Apology" I, 66). And Clement of Alexandria "'Eat my
flesh,' he (God the Word) says, 'and drink my blood.' Such is
the food suited to one's needs which the Lord ministers; he
offers his flesh, pours forth his blood, and nothing is lacking.. . "
("Paedag." I, 6, 41) And again Origen; (c. AD. 185-254):

274 CHAPTER XXIX

"Then, (in the Old Testament), in an enigmatic way, manna was
food, but now, as he himself says, 'My flesh is real food and my
blood is real drink'" ("Homily 13, on Exodus,' 1 3).

Later testimony could fill a volume without one dissenting
opinion. We shall quote only St. Cyril who had preached a whole
lecture "On the Body and Blood of Christ" at Jerusalem in
A.D. 348. "Consider therefore the bread and wine, not as bare
elements, because they are Christ's body and blood according to
the Lord's own assertion... Judge not the matter from the taste
but from faith; be completely certain, without any misgiving,
that you have been given the body and blood of Christ." "What
seems to be bread is not bread, though it tastes like bread, but is
the body of Christ, and what seems to be wine is not wine
although it taste like it, but is blood of Christ" ("Cat." XXII 3,

and 6).

The pagans accused the early Christians of cannibalism
and ritual murder because they misunderstood such Christian
phrases as "partaking of the sacred body and most precious
blood." Yet, in spite of all the fury, scorn and contempt heaped
against them, not once did a Christian writer explain away the
Eucharist as only a symbol or figure of Christ's body and blood.
This in itself is proof enough that the early Christians believed
in the Real Presence.

The Miraculous Transformation

The early Fathers used various expressions to define the
miraculous transformation of common bread and wine into
Christ's body and blood. St. Gregory of Nyssa writes that the
bread and wine are "transelemented" into the body and blood of
Christ; Chrysostom, that they are "transformed", Cyril of
Jerusalem and John Damascene, that they are "transmuted";
and Cyril of Alexandria, that they are "converted," Whatever
the expression, early Eastern theologians always understood
that the ousia or entities of the bread and wine are changed into
the ousia or entities of Christ's body and blood.

By the thirteenth century, the Latin Catholic Church settled on
the term "transubstantiation," meaning that the substance of
bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ,

THE EUCHARIST 275

while the appearances and external properties remain unchanged.

Only after the first Ecumenical Council (A.D. 325) was an
attempt made to determine the exact moment in the Eucharistic
Liturgy when the transformation took place. Ambrose at Milan,
Chrysostom at Antioch, Sarapion in Egypt and Gregory of Nyssa
in Asia Minor agreed that it occurred at the words of consecration:
This is my body — This is my blood." To quote St. John
Chrysostom: "It is not man who causes the offering to become
the body and blood of Christ, but the same Christ who was
crucified for us. The priest stands representing him uttering those
same words, but this power and grace is from God. He says,
'This is my body.' This statement transforms the offerings."

In the fourth century, the role of the Holy Spirit began to be
stressed. As the incarnation had come about through the power
of the Holy Spirit, so also does the eucharistic transformation of
bread and wine. Hence the epiclesis, an invocation to the Holy
Spirit, was inserted into most eucharistic liturgies. At the time,
the epiclesis was not a major point of contention. In fact, the
Liturgy of St. Peter, used at Mount Athos as late as the eleventh
century, did not have it.

Only later did the true meaning of the epiclesis occasion
controversy between Orthodox and Catholics. From the
seventeenth century on Orthodox theologians taught that the
miraculous change of the bread and wine into the body and blood
of Christ occurred at the epiclesis, while the Slav Orthodox held
either this opinion or that the words of institutions (This is my
body... this is my blood) and those of the epiclesis were equally
important and necessary to effect the change. The Catholic
Church, however, insisted that the consecratory force of the
words of institution effected the miraculous change, while the
epiclesis made them fruitful. The" controversy is senseless, since
both sides use the words of institution and the Epiclesis.

The Real Presence

After the miraculous change, the Eucharist is Jesus Christ
fully present. This presence is very different from any other.
Christ is present in some mysterious way in everyone (cf. Ml 25:40);
he is present in another way amid two or three gathered together

276 CHAPTER XXIX

in his name (cf. Mt 18:20); in still another way, he is present in
the Church as it preaches, governs and sanctifies (cf Mt 28:20).
In all such instances the faithful encounter Christ in his action
and power. Only in the Eucharist do they receive the very same
Jesus who is seated at the right hand of the Father, as both
Catholics and Orthodox believe. Christ does not have to leave
heaven to become really present in the Eucharist in as many
times and places as it is being celebrated. What changes is not
Christ, but the occasions of his presence. Christ is present under
both bread and wine and under each and every portion of either
when it is divided up, as long as the appearances of bread or wine
continue to exist.

As we have seen, the Byzantines consider their churches as
heaven on earth. The heavenly adoration of the Eucharistic
Christ is represented by bows and prostrations.

The Byzantine Rites have nothing corresponding to the Latin
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. There is no ritual worship
of the Sacrament besides the liturgical celebration. This is
probably due to the fact that in the East no doubt ever arose
concerning the real presence.

Frequency of Holy communion

Jesus stressed the need for receiving Holy Communion: "/
tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of
Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you" (Jn 6:53).
He did not say how often his followers were to do so. Christians
of the first three centuries considered receiving Communion so
much a part of the Eucharistic Sacrifice that they never attended
the liturgy without partaking. During the persecutions, attendance,
was generally possible only on Sundays, but the faithful took
the Sacrament home so that they could receive it daily.

In the fourth and fifth centuries, a new devotional spirit
emerged in the Eastern Church. Perhaps to correct abuses,
preachers began using a language of terror in describing the
holiness of the Eucharist. The faithful responded by feeling
unworthy and afraid. Chrysostom, for example, complained that,
while some people received the Sacrament frequently, others
would do so only once or twice a year. The severe penitential

THE EUCHARIST 277

system also reduced the frequency of communion. This was true
of both East and West.

Long after the strict "Penitentials" had become obsolete,
their spirit remained with the people. Finally, the Church had to
legislate the minimum requirement: communion once a year
during Eastertime, between the beginning of Great Lent and the
Sunday after Pentecost. This precept remains in force today for
those who have reached the use of reason. This is part of the
divine command to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son
of Man (Jn 6:54). Catholics are also obliged to receive Holy
Communion when in danger of death. The Church wishes,
however, as does Christ, that the faithful receive Communion as
ofter as they can, even daily if possible.

In order to encourage frequent Communion, the Church has
relaxed its former requirement of fasting from midnight. Today,
one must abstain from food and liquids (other than water) for one
hour before receiving Communion (not one hour before the
Eucharistic Liturgy begins). Water does not break the Eucharistic
fast. The sick or infirm may take medicine, either in liquid or
pill form, as well as non-alcoholic beverages, such as coffee,
milk, fruit juices, etc. , before Holy Communion without any
time limit.

In the past, many of the faithful kept away from frequent
Communion because they failed to make a distinction between
dispositions that are strictly necessary and those that are merely
praiseworthy. The faithful who is free from mortal sin may
receive Communion without confession. Confession before
receiving Communion is necessary only for those who have
sinned gravely, so that they would not be eating and drinking
their own condemnation (cf. 1 Co 11:27-32). Those who feel
unworthy to receive Communion because of their venial sins
should remember that one of the effects of Holy Communion is
the cleansing from daily faults. We should never receive Holy
Communion merely out of habit, human respect or just to please
others.

I .■

CHAPTER XXX

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

'"How can this man talk like that? He is blaspheming. Who
can forgive sins but God?'" So thought the scribes when they
heard Jesus forgiving the sins of the paralytic at Capernaum
(Mk2:7ff.). They were right: it does take divine power to forgive
sins. The trouble was they did not believe Jesus was the son of
God. It was as easy for him to cure a man of his paralysis as to
forgive him his sins. He did both to prove that he did have
divine power.

Not only did Jesus use his divine power (cf. Lk 7:36-50), but
more importantly for us, he handed it down to the apostles and
their successors.

On that first Easter Sunday John and the other apostles were in
a closed room and "Jesus came in and stood among them. He
said to them, 'Peace be with you,' and showed them his hands
and his side (to prove to them that it was, indeed, he himself

come back from the grave) and he said to them again, 'Peace

be with you. As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.' After
saying this he breathed on them (to emphasize that they were
receiving the Holy Spirit: breath and spirit is the same word in
Hebrew) and said: 'Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose
sins you retain, they are retained" '(Jn 20:19ff.).

By conferring this power on the apostles, Jesus fulfilled his
promise made to Peter a year before: ' 7 will give you the keys of
the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be
considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall
be considered loosed in heaven" (Mt 16:19). The symbol of the
keys is good: if someone gives me the keys to his house, he is
giving me the authority to use his house in any reasonable way
I see fit. Jesus renewed this promise a little later to all his diciples,
"I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be con-
sidered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be
considered loosed in heaven" (Mt 18:18).

279

2g0 CHAPTER XXX

The Early Church Used the Power to Forgive Sins

The apostles used the power of binding and loosing during
their days on earth.* The Epistle of James proves that confes-
sion was practiced at the time: "If he has committed sins, he will
be forgiven. So confess your sins to one another" (Jm 5:I5f).
The apostles' successors believed and practiced the same as is
shown in the earliest Christian documents. The "Didache,"
written near the end of the first century, bids Christians to
assemble on the Lord's day to pray and to break bread, that is,
to attend the Eucharistic sacrifice, "but after first confessing
your sins, so that your sacrifice may be pure" (c. 14). "In the
church-assembly confess your sins and do not come to your
prayer with a guilty conscience" (c.4). Barnabas, also one of the
earliest Christian writers, uses almost the same words: "Confess
your sins; you shall not go to prayer with an evil conscience"
("Catholic Epistle," 19). Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch who
was killed for Christ about A.D. 107, writes: "To all who
repent, the Lord grants forgiveness, if they turn in penitence to
the unity of God and to the council of the bishop" ("To the
Philadelphians," 8). About a half-century later, Polycarp advises
priests to be merciful to those they bring back to Christ: "Be
not severe in judgment, for we know that we are all under the
debt of sin; if, then, we entreat the Lord to forgive us, we ought
also ourselves to forgive, for we are before the eyes of the Lord
and God" ("Phil". 6).

Many other examples of early Christian reconciliation can be
given (by writers such as Irenaeus, Epiphanius, etc.). Later
testimony is vast, proving beyond the shadow of a doubt that the
Church has always used the power of forgiving and retaining
sins, because it always believed this power had been given not
only to the apostles but also to their successors for all time.

Priests and bishops do not forgive sins by their own power.
They are mere instruments of God and act through his power and
authority, as did the apostles.

*E.g,. 1 Co 5:1-13, 1 Tm l:19f., 2 Co 2:5-11, 2 Co 12:21. 13:1-2, etc.

RECONCILIATION 281

What Sins Can Be Forgiven?

Since reconciliation (Penance) is the sacramental mystery by
which a repentant sinner receives God's forgiveness for sins
committed after baptism, it includes all sins, whatever their
nature or gravity. Jesus made no exception when he granted the
apostles the power of forgiveness: "For those whose sins you
forgive, they are forgiven" (Jn 20:23).

On the part of the sinner, however, forgiveness and recon-
ciliation may be impossible because of impenitence. Final
impenitence (dying unrepentant) is blasphemy against the Holy
Spirit, and by its nature is unforgivable. Jesus sternly warned the
Pharisees who insisted that his miracles were the work of the
devil: "And so I tell you, every one of men's sins and blas-
phemies will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will
not be forgiven " (Mt 12:31-32).

What is Necessary for Forgiveness and Reconciliation?

Forgiveness and reconciliation are not automatic. Personal,
inner dispositions are necessary.

No confessor may act before he hears the sinner acknowledge
his wrongdoing, and is convinced of the sinner's repentance.
Requirements on the part of the sinner are: (1) repentance or
sorrow for sin; (2) actual confession, and (3) satisfaction or
performing the assigned penance.

repentance— sorrow for sin. The Eastern Churches have
always stressed true repentance as a condition for absolution. It
is the most important of the three conditions. The Greeks had a
word for it: metanoia, a complete change of mind on the part of
the sinner. This includes a recognition of sin, sorrow for it, and
a firm determination to amend one's life by a turning away from
sin and toward God.

True sorrow for sin must be based on motives of faith: that is,
a person must be sorry for his sins because he offended God who
is all-loving and all-good, or, on a less meritorial level, because
he does not want to be punished in the life to come. When based
on love of God, contrition is called "perfect," not because the
penitent's sorrow is perfect, but because the motive prompting

282 CHAPTER XXX

it is perfect. Any motive less than that, though still based on
faith, is called imperfect.

With perfect contrition, sins, even grave ones, are immediately
forgiven by God provided the penitent intends to confess them in
his next confession. Imperfect contrition will not obtain the
pardon of mortal sin outside the sacrament.

Sincerely wanting to avoid all grave sin in the future, is
sufficient contrition, even though the penitent may know that in
all probability he will fall.

confession. Confession is the actual telling of one's sins to
the priest. This includes telling what kind of sin one has
committed and how many times one has done it. No confessor
can judge whether to forgive or to retain without hearing what
sin the penitent has committed (e.g., drunkenness, adultery,
blasphemy, etc.), and what the basic circumstances were (e.g.,
how much money was stolen, whether from a church, from a
corporation, from a poor person, etc.). On the other hand, one
should not go into useless detail about the sins confessed. Once a
grave sin is confessed for which absolution was given, it need
not ever be confessed again.

If the penitent does not remember the number of times he has
committed the same sin, he should give a sincere estimate or,
what may be easier, estimate the average number of times per
month he did it. All this, of course, has to do with grave sin.
Lesser sins need not be confessed according to their number or
kind; in fact, there is no obligation to confess them at all. If one
has no grave sin, it is better to confess one or two venial sins for
which one is truly sorry and intends to do something about it.

If a person forgets to tell a grave sin in a previous confession,
he must tell it, after he remembers it, in his next confession. No
one is ever obliged to confess any "doubtful mortal sins" —
doubt regarding full deliberation, sufficient consent, knowledge
or even doubt whether or not a particular grave sin was confessed
before. Church law requires a Catholic to confess at least once a
year but, actually, this does not bind those who have only venial
sins to confess. Zealous souls, however, will receive this sacra-
ment frequently because of the wonderful graces it imparts.

satisfaction, OR penalty. Anyone convicted of a crime has

RECONCILIATION 283

to pay the penalty. Anyone who sins has to atone for it. In the
early centuries of Christianity, the penances assigned were often
severe, consisting in long fasts, numerous good works, etc.
At present, penances, even for grave sins, usually consist only in
prayers. The obligation of fulfilling the assigned penance for
grave sin, however, is serious; for lesser sins, it is less serious
(obliging under venial sin).

Through confession, all sins are forgiven and all eternal
punishment is taken away. Atonement, however, still has to be
made for the temporal punishment due to the forgiven sins,
either in this life or in purgatory. Fulfilling the assigned penance
either lessens or entirely takes away that punishment. Since the
sins may be grave and the assigned penance slight, the penitent
himself may want to do additional good works as penance for
his misdeeds. The Eastern Fathers, such as St. Gregory of
Nazianzus and St. John of Damascus called the sacrament of
reconciliation a "laborious kind of baptism," meaning that it
restores the sinner to baptismal holiness but only through
"laborious" exercises of penance and good works.

The Secret of Confession

What the priest hears in confession he cannot ever reveal to
anyone. The seal of confession is greater than any other secret in
the world. Many priests were tortured and killed for it, yet they
never revealed what they had heard. Godless propaganda never
could point to a single violation of the confessional secret!

How to Go to Confession

For those who may have joined the Catholic Church recently,
we include a few practical instructions on how to receive the
sacrament of reconciliation worthily:

1 ) First of all , recall all your grave sins at least since baptism
or since your last worthy confession; then, be sorry for them.

2) Enter the confessional or some other place set aside for
confessions, make the sign of the cross, and tell the priest how
long it has been since your sins were forgiven last.

3) Tell your sins as you recall them.

284 CHAPTER XXX

4) The priest may then give you some advice, or ask for clari-
fication. Finally, he will impose the penance.

5) Indicate your sorrow for your sins by such words as, "I
am sorry for my sins because they offended God."

6) Do not leave until the priest has given you absolution.
He will let you know that you may leave by such words as "God
bless you," or "Go in peace."

Eastern Churches generally use the passive formula, "The
servant of God, N..., is being forgiven his sins in the name of
the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen." The
sacramental sign of reconciliation is the penitent's act and
absolution by the priest.

CHAPTER XXXI

The Anointing of the Sick

Jesus was merciful and compassionate. All through his public
life, he had a special care and concern for the sick. His many
miracles prove it. When asked by the followers of John the
Baptist whether he was the Messiah, he quoted Isaiah: ' 'Go back
and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and
the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the
dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the
poor, and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me' ' '

(MtllAff).

Jesus also told his followers to be compassionate. In sending
them out on a mission, "he summoned his twelve disciples, and
gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them
out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness' ' (Mt 10:1). As
yet, they were doing these things charismatically; later, he would
give them the power to do them sacramentally. Even if we
discount similar powers given to them after the resurrection
f " . . . they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover' '
Mk 16:18), we read about the actual anointing of the sick in the
Epistle of St. James: ' ' If one of you is ill, he should send for the
elders of the church, and they must anoint him with oil in the
name of the Lord and pray over him. The prayer of faith will save
the sick man and the Lord will raise him up again; and if he has
committed any sins, he will be forgiven. So confess your sins to
one another, and pray for one another, and this will cure
you . . ." (Jm5:14ff.). '

The Anointing of the Sick in the Early Church

Priests and bishops of the early Church carried on the practice
of anointing the sick, perhaps not as often as today, but at least
occasionally.

Ancient Christian rituals (e.g., the third-century "Apostolic
Tradition" of Hippolytus, the fourth-century "Sacramentary"
of Serapion, etc.) contain prayers for blessing the oil of the sick.

285

286 CHAPTER XXXI

Ancient Christian authors also write about it: Origen at Alex-
andria, Aphraates and Ephraem in the Persian Church, Chrysos-
tom, Victor and Isaac at Antioch, Pope Innocent I at Rome,
etc.

Many, later texts describe what this sacrament can do for
the body and soul of the sick.

Special Effects of the Anointing of the Sick

People often believe that anyone receiving this sacrament is
certain to die soon, while in fact bodily health is often restored
through it.

The main effects, however, are spiritual. The anointing takes
away all sin, even grave sin, for which a person is sorry (or at
least has imperfect contrition). This is presumed of a practicing
Catholic who is unconscious or in a coma. If conscious and in
grave sin, the sick person should make his confession before
receiving the anointing. One of the most beautiful effects of the
anointing is the removal of the temporal punishment still due for
forgiven sins, to the extent that the soul may enter paradise
immediately after death, like a newly baptized child.

Other spiritual effects which flow from the gift of the Holy
Spirit in this sacrament are: strength and courage to battle the last
possible temptations; comfort and trust in God's mercy; patience
to bear sufferings, and peace of soul. The spirit of peace and
resignation has been noticed many times by doctors and nurses,
even non -Catholics.

These effects of the anointing last as long as the disease. A
person may be anointed again in the course of the same illness
if his condition deteriorates, or if after some improvement there
is a relapse.

■
Who May Be Anointed

Any baptized Christian who has attained the use of reason and
is in danger of death by sickness or old age may receive the
anointing of the sick. St. James speaks of the forgiveness of sins
in the sacrament; this presupposes the use of reason, the ability
to distinguish right from wrong.

THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK 287

The sick and aged, even if not in immediate danger of death,
may and should receive this sacrament. It is best to call a priest
in case of serious illness or surgery. The elderly in a weakened
condition may be anointed, even though they have no dangerous
illness.

Those in a coma or unconscious may be anointed. Since no
one really knows precisely when the soul leaves the body, a
priest should be called even in cases of apparent death; he will
use his judgment in deciding whether to administer the sacrament
conditionally.

The Rite of Anointing

In emergencies (accidents, the actually dying, etc.) the priest
performs only the anointing while reciting the essential prayer.

Under ordinary circumstances, the whole solemn office is
celebrated. The Byzantine office emphasizes the communal
aspect of the anointing. St. James asked the sick man to ' 'send
for the elders of the church" — that is the priests — and "pray
for one another." Even today, the Byzantine ritual calls for
more than one priest, preferably seven, if they are available (as
in monasteries); if not, one suffices. It also presupposes that the
rite takes place before an assembly of the faithful.

A small table is readied with the Book of the Gospels, a vessel
containing wheat (signifying the embryo of new life, the resur-
rection, cf. Jn 12:24 and 1 Co 15:36ff.), and on the wheat, an
empty shrine-lamp. Seven wands wrapped in cotton (one for
each of the seven anointings, are thrust into the wheat. Vested in
stole and phelonion, the priest or priests hold seven tapers
symbolizing the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

There are three distinct parts in the ceremony:

(1) The -office of comfort" modeled on the morning office.
It includes a Kanon, an ensemble of nine canticles pleading with
God to heal the sick, both in soul and body.

(2) the blessing of oil. After the oil (pure olive oil) together
with a little water or wine is poured into the shrine-lamp, the
main celebrant blesses it (each of the other priests present blesses
the oil and silently follows the prayer of the main celebrant).
The theme of this prayer is the mercy and compassion of the

288 CHAPTER XXXI

Lord, and a call to him to cure the sick person. The oil symbolizes
God's mercy.

(3) the actual anointings. Each anointing has its own cere-
monial modeled on the Divine Liturgy, with the prayer of
anointing taking the place of the Eucharistic Prayer. The theme
is penitential.

The seven anointings are made in the form of a cross on the
sense organs, forehead, nostrils, cheeks, lips, chest, and both
sides of the hand.

In concluding the ceremony, the main celebrant takes the
Gospel Book, opens it with the text facing down, and lays it
on the head of the sick person. If more than one priest is present,
all hold the Book (actually, this is an imposition of hands) while
the main celebrant prays for the forgiveness of the sins of the
subject.

^O^O^

CHAPTER XXXII

The Priestly Holy Orders

The priesthood is an awesome sacramental mystery. Mere
men are given the powers of God to do things far beyond human
understanding: in baptism, to change the children of men into
children of God; in chrismation-confirmation, to impart the
fullness of the Holy Spirit; in the liturgy, to change bread and
wine into the living body and blood of Jesus, to offer him as a
sacrifice for all, and to give him to the faithful in holy commu-
nion in order to sanctify them; in the sacrament of reconciliation,
to forgive sinners and bring them back to God; in the ministry,
to evangelize and, in the case of bishops, to consecrate other
priests so that God's work may be carried on. The other sacred
orders convey lesser duties and offices. The purpose of all
priestly orders is to make holy the people of God.

The priest perpetuates the work of Christ: he acts in the person
of Christ, while Christ acts and lives through him.

Christ Ordained the Apostles

Christ conferred a true priesthood on his apostles: at the Last
Supper, he commissioned them to change bread and wine into
his own body and blood, and thus, to offer the sacrifice of the
New Law. On the cross, Jesus offered himself for the salvation
of all; the Eucharistic sacrifice is a continuation of that offered
on the cross. On the day Jesus rose from the dead, he gave the
apostles the power to forgive sins. Before he ascended into
heaven, he commissioned them to go to the whole world, to
make disciples of all the nations, to baptize and teach all the
nations. The word "apostles" in fact, means "those sent forth
with orders."

The Apostles Ordained Others

Paul ordained Timothy by laying hands on him: ' 'Thai is why
I am reminding you now to fan into aflame the gift that God gave
you when I laid my hands on you. God's gift was not a spirit of

289

290 CHAPTER XXXJI

timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control"
(2 Tm 1:6-7. Cf. also 1 Tm 4:13-16). In another passage, Paul
advises Timothy to be careful in choosing those he ordains: "Do
not be too quick to lay hands on any man..." (1 Tm 5:22).
Likewise, he counsels Titus: "The reason I left you behind in
Crete was for you to get everything organized there and appoint
elders in every town, in the way that I told you: that is, each of
them must be a man of irreproachable character..." (Tt l:5f.).
"Elders" or "presbyters" were what we now call "priests."

The Priesthood Passed On

The Church from its earliest days believed that the priesthood
was instituted by Christ -and that it was to be passed on to
successors. In the generation after the apostles, Pope St.
Clement of Rome writes extensively about this, clearly pointing
out that the priesthood was instituted by Christ as a permanent
order in the Church, that the apostles appointed successors,
and after them, "other approved men should succeed them in
their ministry" (cf First Epistle to the Corinthians, 42-44). At
the turn of the first century, St. Ignatius, the martyred bishop
of Antioch, writes repeatedly that Christ lives in his Church
through the bishops, priests, and deacons without whom the
Church cannot exist ("Letter to the Magnesians," 6; cf. "to the
Trallions," 3). Ss. Cyprian and Irenaeus taught the same thing
many times. Later Eastern Fathers developed the same theme.

The priesthood was to be handed down by means of holy
orders, the sacrament by which the priestly office and its powers
is conferred together with the grace to fulfill its duties. The
sensible sign of the sacrament is the imposition of hands, as we
know from St. Paul's Letters to Timothy (cf. 1 Tm 4:13-16,
1 Tm 5:17,22, 2 Tm 1:6-7). Since Paul exhorts Timothy to
fan into flame the gift God gave him when he laid hands on him
(2 Tm 1:6-7), Timothy not only received the priestly office and
its powers, but also the special grace of God to lead a worthy,

priestly life.

Today, the visible sign of the sacrament is the same imposi-
tion of hands together with the ordination prayer which, among
other petitions, calls upon the Holy Spirit.

THE PRIESTLY HOLY ORDERS 29 ,

Like baptism and chrismation-confirmation, valid ordination
to the priesthood cannot be repeated. The priest is a priest
forever. The indelible priestly character is not lost even by
apostasy or any other sin. The powers resulting from this
character are also indestructible. Hence, those sacraments which
depend only upon the power of orders are valid and true even
if conferred by a deposed, suspended or apostate priest (provided
that, in conferring the sacraments, he intends to do what the
Church intends). The sacrament of reconciliation also depends
upon jurisdiction from the proper bishop, but in case of the
dying, jurisdiction is supplied to all priests, in good standing
or not.

The Priesthood Consists in Different Orders

In the New Testament, we read that there were bishops,
presbyters or priests, and deacons. These are the three basic
levels of the priesthood, and that is why this sacrament is called,
not "holy order," but "holy orders." The bishops have the
fullness of the priesthood and are the successors of the apostles;
they form the governing body of the Church. Priests share in
the priesthood of the bishops, but not in its fullness since they
cannot ordain other priests. Deacons share in the ministry of the
priesthood but cannot confer the sacraments, except baptism;
theirs is a ministry of service to priests, bishops and people. In
Greek, it is called diaconia. The diaconate traces its origin to the
apostles and, therefore, must have been divinely instituted, for
we read in Acts, "You, brothers, must select from among your-
selves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Holy Spirit
and with wisdom; we will hand over this duty to them.... They
presented these to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands
on them" (Ac 6:3,6). Other passages of the New Testaments
(cf. Ph 1:1, 1 Tm 3:8jf.) also mention the diaconate as a distinct
office in the Church. The writings of the Fathers, from the
earliest to the latest, confirm this.

Later, the Church added lesser offices, which probably do not
have a sacramental character. By the middle of the third century,
under Pope Cornelius, there were subdeacons, acolytes, exor-
cists, readers and doorkeepers. The Eastern Churches had only

292 CHAPTER XXXII

two lesser offices: those of reader-cantor and subdeacon.

Celibacy of the Clergy

From its earliest days, the Church had celibate, unmarried
deacons, priests, and bishops — like Paul — who wished to love
God and serve his people with undivided attention. However,
it also had married bishops, priests and deacons. In time, the
Latin Rite Church began the practice of ordaining only those who
were convinced they were able to lead celibate lives.

In the East, even today, most Catholic and all Orthodox
Churches admit married men to the diaconate and the priest-
hood. The Eastern Churches never saw any conflict between
married love and love for God, between the vocation to be
father and husband and that of following the call to the diaconate
or to the priesthood.

They are, after all, following a scriptual injunction. Paul, in
writing to Timothy, bishop of Ephesus, tells him what to look
for in a man he wants to ordain a bishop: among other things,
the candidate should be a husband of one wife, "He must not
have been married more than once.... He must be a man who
manages his own family well and brings his children up to obey
him and be well-behaved; how can any man who does not under-
stand how to manage his own family have responsibility for the
church of God?" (1 Tm 3:2, 4ff). He uses almost the same
words to Titus (Tt l:6ff.). This was a good and prudent policy.
A married man is generally more stable, mature and prudent than
an unmarried youth.

Perhaps because of the heavy responsibilities of bishops,
from the fourth century on, the Eastern Churches began to
choose them only from among celibates or widowers.

The Eastern Churches, while allowing married men to
become deacons and priests, have as much esteem for celibacy
or monasticism as does the Roman Church. They treasure
Christ's words of praise for those who give up wife and home
for the sake of the Gospel (cf. Mt 19:29); they endorse Paul's
opinion about a man being torn in two ways, one to pleasing the
Lord and the other to pleasing his wife and they accept his
saying, "I should like everyone to be like me unmarried, but

THE PRIESTLY HOLY ORDERS 293

everybody has his own particular gifts from God, one with a gift
for one thing, and another with a gift for the opposite"
(1 Co 7:7ff.).

Married clergy have been successful in the Eastern Churches.
Ordinary sanctity is perhaps easier for married clergy, but heroic
sanctity is as attainable for them as it is for celibates, as indicated
by the martyrdom of so many married priests behind the Iron
Curtain after World War II. Among the few secular priests beati-
fied in our century, one was a married Armenian of Istanbul,
Der Gomidas Keumurgian. He was beatified in 1929.

^O^O^

, :

CHAPTER XXXIII

Matrimony, or Marriage

Marriage was bom in the very dawn of paradise when Adam
woke from sleep to see beside himself the beautiful woman,
Eve, whom God had fashioned for him, for it was * 'not good
that the man should be alone" (Gn 2:18). Then, "God blessed
them, saying to them, 'Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth
. . . .'" (Gn 1:28); "This is why a man leaves his father and
mother and joins himself to his wife, and they become one body' '
(Gn 2:24). Their marriage was a contract, approved by God, by
which they united themselves in love for the purpose of bringing
children into the world, and as a means of mutual help. This was
clearly a union of one man and one woman, a monogamous
union.

Although polygamy became common later among many
races and peoples, monogamy always remained the ideal.
Almost all civilizations sensed the sacredness of marriage,
and surrounded it with religious rituals.

The Sacrament of Marriage

Christ esteemed marriage so highly that he elevated it to the
supernatural dignity of a sacrament. In a marriage between two
validly baptized persons, the contract itself becomes the sacra-
ment of matrimony. Only two states are blessed by God with
a specific sacrament: the priesthood and marriage. The grace of
the sacrament lasts until the union is dissolved by death.

The sensible sign of matrimony is the expression of mutual
consent concerning the use of conjugal rights. The contracting
parties are the ministers of the sacrament, each spouse con-
ferring it upon the other. The priest is present only as the official
witness of the Church and as the conveyor of the Church's
blessing.

In inter-ritual marriages (when the bride and groom belong
to different Rites of the Church), the marriage must take place
in the Rite of the groom; otherwise, permission must be sought

295

296 CHAPTER XXXIII

by the pastor of the bride.

Conjugal Love

If the married give a chance to the Christ of Cana, the God
of love, he will bless them fully, richly and generously all the
days of their lives together. The wedding of Cana, graced by the
presence of Christ and his Mother, is the first of that long line
of Christian marriages to which Jesus came and continues to
come with his mysterious approval. If invited, the great
Chelovikoljubets, the great "Lover of mankind," will abide with
the husband and wife and will teach them the secrets of a totally
wonderful, secure, happy and blissful married life.

To describe the love which ought to be found between hus-
band and wife, St. Paul speaks of Christ's love for his church:
' 'Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the
Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He
made her clean by washing her in water with a form of words,
so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with
no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless.
In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love
their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love
himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and
looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church,
because it is his body — and we are its living parts. For this
reason, a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to
his wife, and the two will become one body. This mystery has
many implications; but I am saying it applies to Christ and the
Church. To sum up; you too, each one of you, must love his
wife as he loves himself; and let every wife respect her husband' '
(Ep 5:25jf.).

This is indeed an incomparable vision of what married life
should be, a life of self-sacrificing love like Christ's own. It was
love that drew the Son of God to his sacrificial death on Golgotha,
and it ought to be the same kind of love which will draw a man
and woman to surrender themselves to each other voluntarily,
completely and unreservedly. Much of marital happiness will
depend upon mutual self-sacrifice and love.

Sacrifice is difficult: only love can make it a joy. Love can

MATRIMONY, OR MARRIAGE 297

transform the unpleasantness of work, so love can transform any
hardship in marriage. What is distasteful becomes sweet, what
is repellent, attractive if done for a person one loves. If charity-
love covers a multitude of sins, love will also cover a multitude
of human failings in husband and wife. It will pour the soothing
balm of compassion and understanding over what could have
been a serious wound.

St. Paul writes that as salvation came to the Church through
Christ, so it will come to the wife through her husband, and to
the husband through his wife.

It is love that will do this, as it was Christ's love that brought
salvation to his Church. Paul insists that husbands love their
wives as their own bodies, that they love them as Christ loves
his Church, his Mystical Body. Through marriage, a man and
woman become one flesh as through baptism we become living
parts of Christ's Mystical Body, the Church.

The loving closeness of a married couple affects the lives of
those around them, especially their children, by reflecting the
loving presence of Christ. The natural outcome of a loving
marriage is the begetting of physical life; its supernatural out-
come is the giving of the life of Christ's Spirit.

If married love reflects the love of Christ for his Church, there
will be pure conjugal love, loyal to the end, many years filled
with peace and happiness, children who will be kind and good
and, finally, a crown of glory which will last forever.

Christian Marriage is Indissoluble

For parents to raise children responsibly, marriage must be
indissoluble.

Jesus was very clear about this: ' 'Some Pharisees approached
him and asked, 'Is it against the law for a man to divorce his
wife?'" . , . He answered them, 'What did Moses command
you?' 'Moses allowed us' they said 'to draw up a writ of dis-
missal and so to divorce.' Then Jesus said to them, 'It was be-
cause you were so unteachable that he wrote this command-
ment for you. But from the beginning of creation God made
them male and female. This is why a man must leave father and
mother, and the two become one body. They are no longer two,

29g CHAPTER XXXIII

therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man
must not divide.' Back in the house the disciples questioned him
again about this, and he said to them, 'The man who divorces
his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her.
And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she
is guilty of adultery too'" (Mk 10:2-12). Jesus made no excep-
tions when his disciples asked for further explanation. Paul said
the same thing: "For the married I have something to say,
and this is not from me but from the Lord: a wife must not leave
her husband — or if she does leave him, she must either remain
unmarried or else make it up with her husband — nor must a
husband send his wife away" (1 Co 7:10f). This has been the
belief of the Church ever since.

The Church, however, does allow the separation of husband
and wife from bed and board for very grave reasons (such as
cruelty, adultery, etc.) but neither of them is allowed to remarry.

Sometimes it happens that, despite the marriage ceremony,
the vows, etc., a true, valid marriage never existed from the
beginning because some impediment absolutely barred a true
union. If this can be proved, the Church through its marriage
tribunal (or Church court) can issue an official acknowledgment
of that fact; this is called a decree of nullity. Couples with a
"failed" marriage should see their pastor to find out whether
their union had been valid in the first place and whether steps
should be taken to obtain such a declaration.

Marriage — A Sacrament of the Living

Marriage is a sacrament of the living, that is, to receive it
worthily, the couple must be in the state of sanctifying grace,
must have the life of God in their souls. The marriage of those
who are in grave sin is valid but does not procure sanctifying
grace.

The Marriage Ceremony

The Byzantine marriage service, its ritual and prayers are
very ancient, dating back in part to pre-Christian times.
The first part of the ceremony is actually the betrothal or

MATRIMONY, OR MARRIAGE 299

formal engagement: it consists in prayers and the bestowal of
rings. The priest makes the sign of the cross with the ring over
the groom's head and puts it on his finger, saying, "The servant
of God, N . . ., is being betrothed to the handmaid of God,
N . , ., in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy
Spirit. Amen." He does the same with the bride.

Psalm 127 is sung, and the priest inquires, first of the groom,
then of the bride, whether each is willing to take the other as
husband and wife with free will and firm determination. He
also asks each of them if they have not promised themselves
to any other.

The marriage ceremony itself is inserted into the Divine
Liturgy: (1) The marriage vows, (2) the crowning of the groom
and bride, before the prokeimenon and epistle; and, after the
Lord's Prayer, (3) the removal of the crowns. The crowning
dates back to pre-Christian times. The early Church tried to
discourage the practice, then tolerated it. Finally, some of the
Fathers gave it a Christian meaning. Chrysostom, for example,
writes: "The garland that is put on the heads of the bride and
groom is a token of their victory: in that they have not given
in to the lure of pleasure, they come undefeated to the haven of
marriage" ("Homily 9 in 1 Timothy," 2). The people put so
much emphasis on the practice that in some places they call
the entire marriage ceremony the "crowning."

^O^O^

CHAPTER XXXIV

The Sacramentals

Latin Christian experts make a distinction between sacra-
ments and sacramentals; eastern Christian experts, while recog-
nizing the unique character of the sacraments, never completely
separated them from the many other actions and rites (sacra-
mentals) of the Church. The former were called "mysteries"
or "major mysteries" and the latter, "lesser mysteries."

The lesser mysteries (sacramentals) are also productive of
grace, but are more dependent than the sacraments upon the
piety of the recipient, the intercession of the Church, etc. They,
too, have some of the characteristics of the sacraments, such as
visible sign, verbal expressions, etc.

There are many such lesser mysteries (sacramentals): the
blessing of wheat, wine, oil and bread at All-night Vigils which
begin all great feast days; the blessing of homes with holy water
at Epiphany; the blessing of fruits at the Transfiguration of the
Lord; that of flowers at the Dormition (Assumption) of the
Mother of God; processions, etc. Some of these are practical,
for instance the blessing of travelers, the blessing of cars, and
blessings for many other needs of Christian families. All are
regarded as vehicles of Christ's presence and action.

Some of the lesser mysteries were explained above. Here we
shall confine ourselves to some of the postures and gestures
used during prayer.

Signs of Attention and Joy

Standing and facing Eastward was the normal posture of
early Christians at prayer. Usually, they built their churches in
such a way that, when inside, they would always be facing
Eastward.

Besides signifying attention, a readiness to hear and obey,
standing is indicative of joy; hence, it is prescribed for Paschal
and Pentecostal times and on all Sundays and Holy Days during
the year. The joy at these times outweighs the sense of peni-

301

302 CHAPTER XXXIV

tence, so deeply felt in the East, which calls for kneeling. This,
too, is a tradition reaching back to the early days of the Church
as may be seen in Tertullian (A.D. c. 150-240) and the Council
of Nicea(A.D. 325).

Praying With Outstretched and Uplifted Arms

Praying with outstretched, uplifted arms is another practice
predating Christianity. The pagans did it; so did the Jews. How
strongly the Hebrews felt about the efficacy of prayer with
outstretched arms may be seen from Moses at Rephidim during
the battle with Amalek; lest he become tired and drop his arms,
Hur and Aaron held them up all day long (Ex 17:8ff.). Early
Christians prayed in the same attitude (cf. Tertullian,
"Apology" 24, 5 and 30, 4); they interpreted it as an imitation
of the crucified Christ. They also saw it as a sign of intense,
concentrated prayer while either standing or kneeling. Today,
this attitude is observed mainly by the priest at certain times
during the Eucharistic Liturgy.

Perhaps the most usual posture today among Byzantine
Christians while praying in or out of church is to have the hands
crossed on the chest, probably to show love for God and as an
expression of wanting to participate in the merits of the crucified
Christ. This is the position of the hands at the reception of
Holy Communion.

Signs of Penitence and Intense Prayer

Striking the breast is a gesture of penitence, showing a desire
for God's mercy and forgiveness. In the parable of the Pharisee
and the Publican, the tax-collector stood afar off, beating his
breast and pleading, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner"
(Ik 18:13). Likewise, after Jesus died on the cross, many "went
home beating their breasts" (Lk 23:48).

Today, Byzantine Christians use the gesture to express sorrow
for sins and penitence, in confession or when praying for God's
mercy.

Kneeling, too, is a sign of penance and atonement as it was
in the early Church during Tertullian 's time, the second-third
century (cf. "On Prayer," 23). It is also a sign of intensified

THE SACRAMENT ALS 303

prayer. Jesus, for example, knelt when praying in his hour of
need at the garden of Gethsemane (cf. Lk 22:4). Justin Martyr
writes in the middle of the second century that the most pleasing
prayer to God is that said on "bended knees" or with "prostrate
body" ("Dialogue with Trypho," 90).

As a sign of intense prayer, kneeling predates Christianity.
The pagans, Roman and Greek, often knelt during their prayers
to the gods, because they felt small and helpless before their
deity, or unworthy in view of their shortcomings.

Trie great metanoia (metania in Greek means "penance") con-
sists in a complete prostration. If kneeling is a sign of penance
and intense prayer, the great metania is a stronger one.

Abraham fell flat on his face before God in worship (Gn 17:3).
Moses did the same on Mount Sinai (Ex 34:8) to beg forgiveness
for his people. Since God manifested himself in power and
might, they certainly felt small before him. This feeling made
their prayer all the more intense and urgent. The Hebrews were
not the only ones to prostrate themselves in prayer: Sumerians
and Babylonians did so too.

Jesus and his Church took some non-Christian practices and
put them to Christian use. Prostration in prayer was familiar
to all, easily understood even by the uneducated.

The Byzantine Church prescribes prostrations during the
Great Lent and on other penitential days. Three full prostrations
are made on entering or leaving the church during Lent. Full
prostrations also highlight the Lenten services of Vespers and
Matins. During Matins of the Thursday following the Fourth
Sunday of Lent (celebrated on Wednesday evening) two hundred
and sixty -five full prostrations are prescribed. In deference to
human frailty, some churches reduce this number to sixty-five
or a hundred.

Signs of Respect and Reverence

A lesser or small metania is a bow made sufficiently low to
bring down the hand to the level of the knee. It is accompanied
by the sign of the cross and the words, "O God, be merciful to
me, a sinner; have mercy on me." During the late Middle Ages,
the Latin Church substituted genuflections for the profound bow,

304 CHAPTER XXXIV

while the Eastern Churches kept it.

There is another form of metania, a simple inclination of the
head and shoulders, accompanied by the sign of the cross.
It is made many times during liturgical services: every time the
three Persons of the Holy Trinity are mentioned; in receiving the
celebrant's blessings; in doxologies, etc. Some make it, together
with the sign of the cross, to emphasize a particular petition in
any ektenia or prayer which they want especially answered
by God.

^0^0^

PART SEVEN
THE FINAL MYSTERIES

'

CHAPTER XXXV

Death and Judgment

For unbelievers, death seems final — a return to non-existence.
For believers, it is the beginning of a life that will never end.
All men will die, and their bodies return to dust, "For dust you
are and to dust you shall return" (Gn 3:19). At death, the body
"returns to earth as it once came from it" and the soul "returns
to God who gave it" (Si 12:7).

The body dies when the soul separates from it. Death is
natural, in the sense that the body, being composed of material
parts, can decompose and fall apart. But death was not in God's
original plan: ' 'Death was not God's doing, he takes no pleasure
in the extinction of the living" (Ws 1:13).

Had Adam not sinned, none of us would have had to die:

"Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin
death and thus death has spread through the whole hman race
because everyone fas descendant of Adam) has sinned"
(Rm 5:12, cf, 2:23-24, Rm 5:21, etc.); "It was the devil's envy
that brought death into the world" (Ws 2:24).

Jesus himself chose to share with all humans the bitter taste of
death. He experienced all things that any man could: intense
suffering, torture, the death struggle and even the tomb. He did
not have to, but he did, probably because there was no more
effective way to show how much he loved each of us. It was not
easy: he feared sufferings and death: "And a sudden fear came
over him, and great distress. And he said. . . 'My soul is sorrowful
to the point of death'" (Mr 14:34-35). Yet, he went to it courage-
ously, patiently and nobly. Mocked, laughed at and bleeding in
those hours of agony on the cross, he was calmly resigned.
One of the last things he did in life was to forgive his killers. If
there is a right way for his followers to die, he showed it on
Golgotha.

The best preparation for death is a good Christian life. Death
often comes when least expected. This is why Jesus exhorted his
followers to be alert always, to be ready for the supreme Judge

307

308 CHAPTER XXXV

who may come like a thief in the night (cf., Mt 24:43-44,
Lk 12:39-40). Not bodily death but spiritual death was to be
feared the most, he taught: "Do not be afraid of those who kill
the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy
both body and soul in hell" (Mt 10:28).

A Christian, provided he has tried to prove his love and loyalty
to God by living a good life, need never be morbid about death.
A sincere Christian can even be more confident about God's
mercy than the "good" thief when he encountered Christ on
the cross. "Indeed, 1 promise you, today you will be with me in
paradise" (Lk 23:43).

In his farewell speech to his apostles, Jesus talked about his
own death and theirs: ' 'Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust
in God still, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my
Father's house... I am going now to prepare a place for you,
and after I have gone and prepared you a place, 1 shall return to
take you with me; so that where 1 am you may be too" (Jn 14:1-3).
That is the way a faithful Christian should regard death as going
home to begin living in the place that Christ prepared for his
own. St. Paul felt that way and longed to be exiled from the body
and to make his home with the Lord (cf. 2 Co 5:8). The faithful
Christian ought also to look at death as a sharing in the paschal
mystery, a personal sharing in Christ's death so that he may also
share in his resurrection. The resurrection of the body and its
reunion with the soul will come at the end of the world.

After Death, the Judgment

The word of God says: "Men die only once, and after death
comes the judgment' ' (Heb 9:27). There is no cycle of reincarna-
tion: death ends once and for all the time of testing and merit
for each person. After death, no longer can anyone sin or earn
merit: ' 'The night (of death) will soon be here when no one can
work" (Jn9:4).

The good or evil deeds performed before death will be recog-
nized and judged when the soul separates from the body. This is
called the "particular judgment": "We shall all have to stand
before the judgment-seat of God.... It is to God, therefore, that
each of us must give an account of himself " (Rm 14:11-12);

DEATH ANDJUDGMENT 309

' 'For all the truth about us will be brought out in the law court
of Christ, and each of us will get what he deserves for the things
he did in the body, good and bad" (2 Co 5:10).

That this particular judgment takes place immediately after
death can be deduced from the words of Paul, ' 7 must want to be
gone and be with Christ" (Phm 1:23, cf., also 2 Co 5:8). Here
he is confident of receiving his reward immediately after death
without having to wait until the "last judgment." This pre-
supposes that his works be acknowledged or judged right away.

This judgment is not to be thought of as a judicial procedure
in which God appears as Judge, listens to charges and defense,
and assesses the value of a life. It is as much self-judgment as it
is God's, a mysterious meeting of God and the soul, a purely
spiritual event taking place wordlessly in the silence of eternity.
The light of truth suddenly pierces the soul, providing it with
crystal-clear insight and knowledge of its own worth or worth-
lessness. The soul sees the import of all its earthly acts, and how
it came to that one final act of life which reflects either eternal
love for God or eternal resistance to him. In the light of God's
utter holiness and love, the soul clearly realizes and affirms the
fate for which it has fitted itself: the deserved and necessary
damnation, or the desired purification, or the immediate eternal
bliss of heaven.

Eternal Damnation

Many people do not like to think about hell. Many try to deny
its existence. The human mind cannot grasp the mystery of evil,
so it finds it difficult to understand and accept the necessity of
everlasting punishment. If the human mind could understand
that mystery, it could also comprehend how God's justice,
which stands behind the mystery of hell, can be reconciled with
his limitless love. Those who refuse to believe in hell really do
not take God and his word seriously.

Jesus often spoke of hell and eternal punishment. He was not
an unfeeling, hell-fire-and-damnation preacher. But in his
kindness, understanding and deeply felt compassion, he wanted
to warn men away from this terrifying fate.

Because Jesus fully understood the horror of evil, he also

3t0 CHAPTERXXXV

recognized the necessity of hell and its terror. This is why he
used all means at his disposal, including his own death, to
impress upon men the wickedness of sin: "And if your hand
should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into
life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire
that cannot be put out. And if your foot should cause you to sin,
cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than to have
two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye should cause
you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom
of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into
hell where their worm does not die nor their fire go out"
(Mk 9:43:48).

Jesus spoke often of hell, using forceful examples. St. Matthew's
version points to a terrifying punishment in the parable of the
darnel (weeds) among the wheat: "Let them both grow till the
harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First
collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt" (Mi 13:30).
Later, Jesus explained the parable: The sower of the good seed is
himself; wheat represents the virtuous; darnel, the sinners; the
reapers are the angels and the harvest is the end of the world.
He ended the explanation saying: "The Son of Man will send
his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that
provoke offences and all who do evil, and throw them into
the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of
teeth" (Mt 13:36-43). A similar fate awaits the man who had no
wedding garment {Mt 22:13) and the unprofitable, good-for-
nothing servant (Mt 25:30). The parable of the Rich Man and
Lazarus also indicates hell as a place of torture and fire
(Lk 16:19-31).

Hell Never Ends

Two Greek terms are used for the never-ending duration of
hell: aionios, "eternal" and eis aionas aionon, "for ages of ages"
or "for eons of eons." The context indicates that they are to be
taken literally, meaning duration without end. In the more than
seventy instances these terms are used in the New Testament,
their meaning is always eternity. They are used chiefly about
God, but also about heaven and hell.

DEATH AND JUDGMENT 311

That the torments of hell are eternal is obvious from Christ's
description of the last judgment and the condemnation of the
wicked. To the just, he will say, "'Come, you whom my
Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared
for you since the foundation to the world, ' but to the wicked he
will say, 'Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to
eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels'" (Mt 25:34, 41).
And indeed, ' 'they will go away to eternal punishment, and the
virtuous to eternal life" (Mt 25:46),

That the duration of hell is endless is also brought out by other
passages, such as the "fi re tnat W *H never go out" (Lk 3:17)
and the worm which "does not die, nor their fire go out"
(Mk 9:45). St, John confirms this when he says of the wicked,
"'and the smoke of their torture will go up for ever and ever"
(Rv 14:11).

Kinds of Punishment in Hell

The torment of hell is threefold: the pain of loss, the pain of
the senses and the worm of conscience.

Though man cannot now appreciate it, the pain of loss, that is,
of banishment from God is by far the most bitter: "Go away
from me, with your curse upon you" (Mt 25:41). Spurned lovers
feel only an infinitesimal part of what the damned feel eternally
for losing God. Violently but vainly drawn to God, they can
never be satisfied, nor can they find distraction or satisfaction in
creatures as in earthly life.

The pain of the senses is inflicted by other creatures filled
with hatred; the other damned and the devils. Hell-fire, whatever
its nature, provides no respite.

The worm of conscience is the endless pain of remorse, of
clearly realizing that the damned themselves are to blame for
their punishment. This causes relentless self-hatred. It is their
"worm that never dies."

All these torments result in weeping and the gnashing of teeth
foretold by the Lord.

Who May Go to Hell?

What kind of wickedness deserves such punishment? Christ

312 CHAPTER XXXV

answers: deadly sin. No one is damned for a single evil deed,
unless it reflects the sinner's decisive, permanent, hostile atti-
tude toward God and neighbor. Certainly, no one goes to hell
because he was predestined by God.

God judges, not according to occasional falls, but according
to one's whole life. He is just, but also loving and merciful: no
one will be punished excessively. Trying to judge another's guilt
is folly. Jesus told the chief priests and elders: "/ tell you most
solemnly, tax collectors (regarded by the Jews as great sinners
because they represented the Roman oppressors) and prostitutes
are making their way into the kingdom of God before you' '
(Mt 21:31).

When Jesus walked the earth, he was understanding and
compassionate to all repentant wrongdoers, whatever their weak-
ness: the woman taken in adultery, the prostitute Mary of
Magdala, the thief Dismas. Only the proud and unrepentant
who persisted in their hostile attitude, the Pharisees, Scribes
and chief priests, remained the object of his unrelenting scorn
and condemnation. This should tell us something about hell and
who deserves to go there.

Only those who deliberately and knowingly commit great evil
and persist in it until the end go to hell. Jesus knows all hearts
better than does any other man; he understands whatever weakens
the will — such extenuating circumstances as some hereditary
taint or temperamental flaw, passion, pressure, lack of education,
environment, etc.

The Purification of Souls After Death

Nothing unclean, nothing defiled can enter heaven (Rv 21:27).
What happens to those who die as friends of God, in grace,
but whose souls are stained with venial sins and faults? Or those
who die before they have done sufficient penance for the
forgiven sins?

The Catholic Church, after years of reflection on revelation,
answers that such souls must be cleansed or purified of these
last obstacles before they are fit to see God face to face. This is
achieved in purgatory, a state, condition or process of under-
going purification.

DEATH ANDJUDGMENT 313

The Bible does not mention purgatory, nor does it teach any-
thing about it explicitly, yet, purification after death is not a
myth. Besides the early Church's liturgy and the explicit teach-
ings of early Christian Fathers, several Scriptural passages
strongly suggest the need for it.

The Second Book of Maccabees (c. 165 B.C.), for example,
contains such implicit teaching. After a successful battle of
liberation, Judas Maccabeus, the commander of the troops, took
up a collection of nearly two thousand drachmae which he sent to
the Temple in Jerusalem that sacrifices might be offered for
the slain soldiers "so that they might be released from their
sin" and the "thought was holy and devout" (cf., 12:43-46).
If there were no state of purgation, why have sacrifices offered
for the dead, or why pray for them? Those in heaven need no
prayers and those in hell cannot profit by them. Non-Catholics
question whether II Maccabees is a part of the Canon of the
Scriptures, but even as a historical document, it testifies to the
traditional belief of God's chosen people: that the souls of the
just, though imperfect, can be purified after death, "be released
from their sin." The Jews still pray for their dead,

Jesus himself said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
' 'will not be forgiven either in this world or in the next' ' (Mt 12:23).
This implies that some sins may be forgiven in the next world.

Only a few die as obvious saints, the rest go into eternity
with at least some blemishes on their souls. There must, there-
fore, be a process of purging after death.

The Souls of the Faithful Departed Can Be Helped

Death does not sever the bond of mutual love linking the
members of the Church. The Church militant, the suffering
Church in the state of purification, and the triumphant Church
in heaven form one body with Christ as their head. This union
is called the "communion of saints."

There is no impassable wall between the living and the dead.
As the saints in heaven, by their intercessions before God, can
influence the salvation of those still on earth, so the faithful
on earth can offer good works, prayers and especially the Euch-
aristic Sacrifice for the beloved departed in the conviction that,

314 CHAPTERXXXV

if they are still in the state of purgation, they may be helped in
some way.

Ancient inscriptions and some of the early Fathers and writers
of the Church, from both East and West, attest to the practice of
praying for the dead. In the West, Tertullian (A.D. 160-240)
writes "Once a year on the anniversary, we make offerings the
oblations at the offertory for the deceased as birthday honors"
("On the Chaplet," 3); "Indeed, a faithful widow prays for the
soul of her husband . . . and offers her oblations on the anniver-
saries of his death 1 ' ("On Monogamy," 10).

In the East, St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. A.D. 386) mentions
that prayers for the dead were offered after the consecration in
the Eurcharistic Liturgy, "because we believe that those souls
benefit very greatly for whom supplication is made while the
holy and tremendous sacrifice lies before us" ("Mystagogic
Cathechesis," V, 9). And the great St. John Chrysostom
(d. A.D. 409): "It is not in vain that we have received this
tradition from the apostles, that we pray for the dead during the
awe-inspiring Mysteries. They (the apostles) knew how greatly
advantageous and beneficial to the dead are the intercessions
of the whole congregation and priests, standing with hands lifted
up before the awesome Sacrifice. Will not God be appeased by
our entreaties for them? And this is indeed what we do for
those who have departed in the faith ..." ("Homily III on
Philippians," 4).

Almost all of the ancient Eucharistic Liturgies have prayers
for the departed faithful. The East Syrian Liturgy of Addai and
Mari, one of the most ancient, lists the faithful departed and
prays for "all them that in a true faith departed from this world
of whom our Lord alone knoweth the names." The text of the
Eucharistic Liturgy found in the "Apostolic Constitutions"
(4th century A.D.) lists the various categories of the departed
and ends with "and all whose names thou thyself knowest"
(Book VIII). The Egyptian "Sacramentary" of Serapion
(c. A.D. 353-360) also appends a list of the departed after the
prayer: "We intercede also on behalf of all those who have
been laid to rest, whose memorial we are making."

DEATH AND JUDGMENT 315

Present Byzantine Practice

In theory, many non-Catholic Byzantine theologians either
do not accept or dispute the concept of purgation after death;
yet, in practice the Orthodox pray for their faithful departed.
Byzantine Catholics and Orthodox use the same prayers and
services for the dead, not only on the evening before the burial,*
but also at the funeral in church and at the interment in the
cemetery.

These burial services are solemn, lengthy and full of chants
and prayers asking God to have mercy on the soul. Particularly
moving is the "Anthem of St. John Damascene," sung in eight
different mournful tones. It contemplates the fleeting nature of
earthly glory and intensely, desperately pleads for mercy and
eternal life for the departed soul. Another moving highlight is
the "Last Farewell": when the casket is opened for the last time,
everyone present files past the remains of the deceased and
kisses the cross held by the celebrant as a sign of bidding the last
farewell to that departed pilgrim. This, too is accompanied by a
soul-stirring chant, the stanzas of which are a meditation on
death which renders inconsequential all things earthly. Its final
words are spoken as if by the deceased:

"My brothers, friends, relatives and acquaintances,
weep for me as you see me lying before you
entirely speechless and bereft of breath. Only
yesterday I talked with you and suddenly the
dread hour of death struck. Come all who loved
me and kiss me farewell, for no longer will I
ever again walk or talk with you. I am going to
the Judge who has no favorites: master and ser-
vant, king and soldier, ricK and poor are equal
in his sight; and everyone according to his deeds
will be glorified or condemned. I beg and plead
with all of you, pray unceasingly to Christ our
God that I be not doomed according to my sins

*This rather lengthy service is called paramas by the Ukrainians and Russians; the Greeks call
it paraslesimon e irisagion: the Melkite Arabs, iresogion or niahal. To this is appended a much
shorter service which is often celebrated independently, called the panakhida by the Ukrainians
and Russians, the pannukis or agrupnia by the Greeks, and salaat al-amwaat by the Mclkitcs.

316 CHAPTER XXXV

unto a place of torment, but that he will admit
me where the light of life is."

Who could not be touched by these words as the deceased
lies there holding a cross to indicate that he believed in Christ
Jesus and gave up his soul to him? Around the coffin flickering
candles signify the immortality of the soul.

Over and over again in the services for the dead occur the
petitions: "Again and again let us pray for the repose of the
soul of the departed servant of God (N.) and that he (she) be
forgiven every sin both wilful and not;" "That the Lord God
may admit his (her) soul into the place where the just repose;"
"For the mercy of God, the kingdom of heaven and the for-
giveness of his (her) sins, let us ask Christ, our immortal King
and God."

Byzantine Christians, Catholic and Orthodox, continue their
intercessions for their beloved dead after the funeral services.
Many people have services celebrated together with the Euch-
aristic Liturgy, especially (1) on the third day after the funeral
in memory of Christ's resurrection on the third day, (2) on the
ninth day, in petition that the deceased may join in the nine
choirs of angels in heaven, (3) on the fortieth day in memory
of Christ's ascension forty days after rising from the dead, and
(4) at every anniversary to signify that through the communion
of saints the faithful on earth are not forgetting those who are
sleeping in death. After such services, a common meal, or at
least some food, is offered as alms in the name of the deceased.
In addition to praying for the dead at every Eucharistic Liturgy,
the Byzantine Church officially sets aside five Saturdays of the
year in their honor* and in some churches, services for the dead
are held every Wednesday and Friday of Lent. It is customary
for every family of the parish to inscribe the names of their
beloved dead in a special diptych booklet. Services are offered
for those inscribed, and each name is read out publicly.

At least once a year, either on Pentecost or on the feast of
the parish patron (depending upon local custom), the whole
parish gathers in the cemetery where services are celebrated at

*These are: the Saturday before Meat -fast Sunday, the second, third, and fourth Saturdays of
Great Lent, and the Saturday before Pentecost,

DEATH AND JUDGMENT

317

individual graves. In addition, there are frequent requests by
relatives and friends for public services for the dead.

CHAPTER XXXVI

The Final Destiny of the Just

Parousia: it means the second coming of Christ in glory as
Lord and Judge at the end of the world. Jesus himself promised
he would return: "For the Son of Man is going to come in the
glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will
reward each one according to his behavior" (Mt 16:27). And,
again, at his trial before the assembled chief priests and the
whole Sanhedrim "And you will see the Son of Man seated at the
right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven"
(Mk 14:62).

Jesus had described the event about a week earlier "But in
those days... the sun will be darkened, the moon will lose its
brightness, the stars will come falling from heaven and the
powers in the heavens will be shaken . And they will see the Son
of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory; then
too he will send the angels to gather his chosen from the four
winds, from the ends of the world to the ends of heaven"
(Mk 13:24-27).

Jesus, however, did not reveal exactly when this awesome
event would take place: he clearly said that, as man, he did not
know: "But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the
angels of heaven, nor the Son; no one but the Father"
(Mk 13:32).

Some passages of the Scriptures suggest that ours is the last
age. Others do not. Being prophetic in character, these passages
like all prophecies bear little relationship to the succession of
time. It is far from clear, too, which words are to be taken
literally and which figuratively. Certain signs, however, will
precede the event, as Jesus warned: "Take care that no one
deceives you; because many will come using my name and
saying, 7 am the Christ,' and they will deceive many. You will
hear of wars and rumors of wars; do not be alarmed, for this is
something that must happen, but the end will not be yet. For
nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be famines and earthquakes here and there. All this is

319

320 CHAPTER XXXVI

only the beginning of the birthpangs.

"Then they will hand you over to be tortured and put to
death; and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my
name. And then many will fall away; men will betray one another
and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise; they will
deceive many, and with the increase of lawlessness, love in
most men will grow cold; but the man who stands firm to the end
will be saved.

"This Good News of the kingdom will be proclaimed to the
whole world as a witness to all the nations. And then the end will
come" (Mt 24:4-14).

St. Paul recounts a similar general apostasy: "It cannot
happen until the Great Revolt has taken place and the Rebel,
the Lost One, has appeared. This is the Enemy, the one who
claims to be so much greater than all that men call 'god,' so
much greater than anything that is worshipped, that he
enthrones himself in God's sanctuary and claims that he is God"
(II Th 2:3-4). But perhaps this sign has already appeared for
Paul goes on to say, "And you know, too, what is still holding
him back" (Ibid, 6), but he gives no further explanation.

The destruction of Jerusalem is another sign, but this already
happened in A,D. 70 at the hand of Titus. Another although
vague sign is the conversion of the Jews (cf., Rm 11:25-27).

No one knows when Christ's second coming will take place.
It will be a surprise, unexpected like a thief in the night
(I Th 5:2).

The Resurrection of the Dead

When Christ comes in glory, the dead will rise from their
earthly resting places, both the saved and the damned. Jesus
promised it: ' 'Do not be surprised at this, for the hour is coming
when the dead will leave their graves at the sound of his voice:
those who did good will rise again to life and those who did evil,
to condemnation" (Jn 5:28-29). Here Jesus speaks of bodily
resurrection, for he says that the dead shall leave their graves.
Devout Jews believed in the resurrection of the dead on the last
day. This is evident from Mary's words about her brother
Lazarus (cf., Jn 11:25).

THE FINAL DESTINY OFTHE JUST 321

The resurrection will be quick: "This will be instantaneous,
in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds. It will
sound, and the dead will be raised, imperishable"
(1 Co 15:52-53).

The Greeks found this as hard to believe as the resurrection of
Christ. Some accepted Christ's resurrection from the dead,
but not that everyone will rise on the last day. To these, Paul
replies: "Now if Christ raised from the dead is what has been
preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resur-
rection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead,
Christ himself cannot have been raised, and if Christ has not
been raised then our preaching is useless and your believing it
is useless...." (I Co 15:12-14).

Paul insists: "He who raised the Lord Jesus to life will raise
us with Jesus in our turn' ' (2 Co 4:14); ' 'When we were baptized
we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that
as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father's glory, we too
might live a new life.... But we believe that having died with
Christ we shall return to life with him: Christ, as we know,
having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death
has no power oven him any more" (Rm 6:4, 8-9).

With What Kind of Body Will They Be Resurrected?

Paul explains the resurrection of the dead: "Some may ask,
'How are dead people raised, and what sort of body do they
have when they come back?' They are stupid questions.
Whatever you sow in the ground has to die before it is given new
life....

"It is the same with the resurrection of the dead: the thing that
is sown is perishable but what is raised is imperishable; the
thing that is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious;
the thing that is sown is weak but what is raised is powerful. ...

"Or else, brothers, put it this way: flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God: and the perishable cannot inherit
what lasts for ever.... the dead will be raised imperishable, and
we shall be changed as well, because our present perishable
nature must put on imperishability and this mortal nature must

322 CHAPTER XXXVI

put on immortality" (1 Co 15:35-36, 42-43, 50, 52-53).

All resurrected bodies will be raised entire; hence, even if
someone had lost a limb or limbs through accident or ampu-
tation, his risen body will be whole. Nothing will be missing,
nothing will be added. The resurrected will still be human, still
the same individuals they were before earthly death: "Look at
my hands and feet; yes, it is 1 indeed. Touch me and see for
yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see 1 have"
(Lk 24:39). Indeed, the risen shall not lose their identity or
individual personality; they will be essentially the same persons
they were before. Finally, all the resurrected bodies will change
in that they will be immortal, that they will never again die; they
will become spiritualized without ceasing to be human, without
ceasing to be corporeal.

All risen bodies of both the good and the wicked will be trans-
formed in this way.

The General, Final Judgment

Belief in the general judgment on the last day was such an
important truth that the early Christians included it in their
earliest professions of faith. The Apostles' Creed, for example,
attests that Christ "sits at the right hand of God the Father
almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the
dead". The Nicene Creed expresses the same truth.

Jesus himself had said: ' 'When the Son of Man comes in his
glory escorted by all the angels... All the nations will be as-
sembled before him and he wilt separate men one from another
as the shepherd separates sheep from the goats. He will place the
sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. Then the King
will say to those on his right hand, 'Come, you whom my Father
has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for
you since the foundation of the world. . . . Next he will say to those
on his left hand, 'Go away from me, with your curse upon you,
to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.... And
they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to
eternal life" (Ml 25:31-46). They will be judged by their deeds,
good or evil.

Jesus also described the general judgment in parables: as an

THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE JUST 323

accounting to be rendered by servants to their master; as the
marriage feast for which a wedding garment will be necessary;
as a harvest during which weeds will be separated from the wheat
by angel -reapear — the weeds to be burned in the furnace of hell
and the wheat to be gathered into the storage-barn of heaven.

The major point of these parables is that the Lord Jesus will be
the Judge: "God has appointed him to judge everyone, alive or
dead" (Ac 1 0:42). Hence, he will judge in the name of God.
While the manner of this judgment remains veiled, its light will
reveal the whole of human life, all the good and evil ever
wrought — not only external acts but internal ones as well.
Every word, every thought, every praiseworthy or shameful
secret will be laid bare. Each act will be judged in itself, in its
antecedents, and in the chain of consequences it set off for better
or for worse.

The justice of the Lord will shine, not only in the glorification
of the good but also in the condemnation of the wicked. In the
full light of that day, their very beings flooded with merit or
blame, all will concur with his justice — the good radiating the
praise of his grace, the evil darkened by the disgrace of their
guilt.

Apokatastasis - The Transformation of the World

The final judgment will close the present order of things:
' 'Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and
the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer
any sea" (Rv 21:1). St. Peter described it thus: ' 'The present sky
and earth are destined for fire and are only being reserved
until Judgment day.... The Day of the Lord will come like a
thief and then with a roar the sky will vanish, the elements will
be burnt up.... Since everything is coming to an end like this,
you should be living holy and saintly lives, while you wait and
long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in
flames and the elements melt in the heat" (2 P 3:7, 10-12; cf.,
also 1 Co 7:31; 1 Jn2:17).

Man's body has to turn to dust before it can be transformed at
the resurrection; the earth likewise is to go through a form of
death before being renewed. Nature, too, was affected by

324 CHAPTER XXXVI

Adam's sin, becoming punishment for him and his decendants
(cf. Gn 3:16-19). St. Paul says: "The whole creation is eagerly
waiting for God. ...It was not for any fault on the part of creation
that it was made unable to attain its original purpose, it was
made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being
freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same
freedom and glory as the children of God" (Rm 8:19-21). With
this radical transformation or transfiguration, all creation will
harmonize with the glorious existence of risen man. Then the
victory over sin will be complete. These "new heavens and a
new earth" seem to suggest that they will somehow become
part of the eternal bliss to be enjoyed by the just.

Eternal Life

After the first earth had disappeared, St. John saw in God's
vision a new heaven and a new earth. Then, he writes, "1 saw
the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God

out of heaven Then I heard a loud voice call from the

throne, 'You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will
make his home among them; they shall be his people, and he will
be their God; his name is God-with-them. He will wipe away all
tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more
mourning or sadness" , (Rv 21:2-4).

This being immune to defects, pain, suffering and sorrow is
called impassibility.

Additional qualities of the glorified are apparent from the
descriptions of Christ as he was seen by his disciples after his
resurrection. The blessed in their glorified bodies, for example,
will be capable of penetrating material things, for they will not
be restrained by matter in any way (they will have subtility, just
as the risen Lord did when he went through closed doors). They
will also be able to move from place to place in an instant, body
and all, merely by an act of the will (agility). And, of course,
their bodies will show outwardly the bright, refulgent beauty of
their soul.

Chrysostom described some additional joys of the blessed.
Heaven, he wrote, is "where there are neither cares nor labor;
auguish nor fears of mind but only the wish to please God which

THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE JUST 325

is full of delight,... In heaven all is peace, joy, gladness,
pleasure, goodness, gentleness; no longer any competitive spirit
or envy, no sickness or death whether of the body or of the soul.
There is no darkness or night of spirit but all is endless day, light
and serenity. In heaven it is not possible to be weary; not pos-
sible to be satiated" (Homily VI on Hebrews, 10).

Nothing in man's experience on earth comes close to eternal
bliss: "The things that no eye has seen and no ear has heard,
things beyond the mind of man, all that God has prepared for
those who love him" (1 Co 2:9).

Since the Scriptures speak of heaven as a kingdom or a city,
the New Jerusalem, there is a social dimension to eternal
happiness. The citizens of the New Jersusalem live as distinct
persons, recognizing each other, knowing and being known,
meeting and communicating nor only in their vision of God
but among themselves. One of the joys of heaven is that people
who loved on earth will love much more intensely in heaven,
though there will be no marrying nor being given in marriage
(cf., Mt 22:30).

St. John hinted at what is most important in heavenly bliss:
"My dear people, we are already the children of God, but what
we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we
know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we
shall see him as he really is" (1 Jn 3:2). St Paul writes that love
will exist forever (I Co 13:8) and will figure in the final perfec-
tion of the just, but in much higher form than on earth: ' 'Now we
are seeing a dim reflection in a mirror; but then we shall be
seeing face to face. The knowledge that 1 have now is imperfect;
but then I shall know as fully as I am known" (1 Co 13:12).

On earth, God is dimly reflected in the goodness and beauty
of his creatures. When God is clearly known, seen face to face,
there will be total reciprocal love, total union without any loss
of identity. As seen above, the Byzantine Church calls this ulti-
mate union of the blessed with God theosis, "deification" or
"divinization," and St. Peter, "sharing the divine nature"
(2 P 1:4). This process, begun on earth through baptism, is per-
fected in heaven.

The union of the blessed with God differs from the hypostatic

326

CHAPTER XXXVI

union, the union of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity with
human nature in Christ. In Christ, there is one divine Person
having two natures. Deified man will never become a divine
Person: he will remain forever an independent human person,
but he will be transformed by sharing in the divine nature.
What the Holy Trinity is by nature, deified man, within the
limits of his capacity, will receive by grace — and his capacity
depends upon his merit.

The Eucharistic Christ is present on earth wholly and entirely
in the Communion bread. After that bread is broken, he is also
present in each fragment. Something similar but equally as
mysterious takes place in each of the blessed after deification in
heaven. God in all his fullness unites himself with the com-
plete being of each one of the blessed, and each complete being
is united with "all" of God.

God in his whole and entire being is united with every one of
the blessed and enjoyed by them in the measure of each one's
merit. That is the divinization of man, that is eternal life, and
that is heaven.

$

The Byzantine Liturgy

of
St. John Chrysostom

This Appendix, originally written by the author for "THE BYZANTINE
UKRAINIAN RITE," copyright ® Canadian Catholic Conference, 1975,
was adapted and reproduced by permission of the Canadian Conference of
Catholic Bishops, 90 Parent Avenue, Ottawa. Ontario, Canada, KIN 7B1.

PHILIP HACREEN

APPENDIX

THE BYZANTINE LITURGY
OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is the usual
Sunday celebration in the Byzantine Churches.

I. PREPARATION RITE

During the prothesis or proskomedia, the priest, after ritual
vesting accompanied by prayers, prepares the bread and the wine
for the celebration of the liturgy, to the accompaniment of
invocations and incensing. This takes place at the preparation
table in the sanctuary. It is reminiscent of the divine office, or
office of the hours.

II. ENTRANCE RITE

preliminary: The priest recites Psalm 50 while incensing the
altar, the sanctuary, the prothesis, the icons and the faithful.
Incensing is a sign of welcome, related to the ancient Eastern
custom of greeting guests by offering them ablutions and per-
fumes. The Psalm of Repentance is an act of contrition, confes-
sion and supplication, and may be compared to the Penitential
Rite in the Latin Mass.

The priest then reads a silent prayer to the Holy Spirit and
the joyful hymn of the angels at Bethlehem (Lk 2:14), together
with verse 17 of psalm 50. Going up to the altar, he kisses it and
the Gospel book: the altar, because it is the table of sacrifice at
which the Eucharist will be offered; the Gospel book, because
it contains the Saviour's words.

EKTEN1A OF PEACE: The priest formally begins the Divine
Liturgy by making the sign of the cross over the altar with the
Gospel book, while solemnly singing to the glory of God. The
people respond by the acclamation, "Amen!"

The priest or the deacon then chants the ektenia, or litany of
peace. Every ektenia is a series of petitions, ending with a

329

330 APPENDIX

doxology* praising God. Intercessions are made here for many
human needs: salvation, the welfare of the Church and all of its
members, the Holy Father, bishops, priests, deacons; civil
authorities, the welfare of the country and city; various needs
of God's people, deliverance from evil and the protection of life.
It ends with a commemoration of the Mother of God and a
doxology.

To each petition, the people respond, "Lord, have mercy!"
Often quoted in the Scriptures (cf. Ps 50:1; Tob 8:10; Jud 7:20;
Mt 9:27 and 15:22; Lk 17:20), this exclamation asks God to
show his kindness to his beloved people. For centuries, the Latin
Church sang it in Greek: "Kyrie eleison!" Before the era of St.
Gregory the Great (590-604), this was also used as the response
in a litany. In the present Roman Mass, the general interces-
sions, or prayer of the faithful, have taken the place of litanies.

antiphonS: The choir sings three or four verses from the
psalms. The people respond with antiphons, refrains to Jesus or
his Mother. Originally, the psalms were chanted in full: now
they are shortened, resembling the responsorial psalms in the
Mass. Each of the antiphons is accompanied by a silent prayer
by the priest and a short ektenia.

On ordinary Sundays, Psalm 65:1-4 is sung; on weekdays,
verses from Psalm 91. The refrain or response remains the
same: "Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour
save us!" All major feasts of the Lord have proper festive
antiphons.

hymn of the incarnation: This hymn is sung after the first anti-
phon. It begins with the words, "O only-begotten Son and
Word of God," and is a good summary of the truths we hold
concerning Christ as Son of God and Son of Man. It was com-
posed in the sixth century to counter the Nestorian heresy that
denies that Christ has two natures, the divine and the human.
This hymn is followed by a short ektenia.

*The doxology — litterally, "words of praise" — individually mentions the three Persons of
God. Often used in the divine liturgy, doxologies are intended to give praise to God and to
counteract several heresies by means of an emphatic proclamation of faith in the Trinity.

APPENDIX 331

third antiphon: The people sing Psalm 94: 1-2 as an invitation to
praise God with joy. On Sundays, the refrain is:

"0 Son of God, risen from the dead,
save us who sing to you: Alleluia!"
On weekdays:

"0 Son of God, wonderful in the saints,
save us who sing to you: Alleluia!"

little entrance: Near the end of the third antiphon, the Little
Entrance takes place. Led by servers with lighted candles, the
priest or deacon holds the gospel book over his head. They move
in procession around the altar. Then, holding the book higher, he
intones, "Wisdom! Let us stand."

entrance hymn: The cantors sing the troparion and kontakion,
short prayers expressing the theme of the feast or celebration.
(They may be compared with the opening prayer, or collect, of
the Latin Rite Mass.) Often, a third hymn, or bohowdichen
is added in honor of the Mother of God.

trisagion: During the hymn, the priest says the prayer of the
trisagion to himself. Then he intones the doxology, and the tris-
agion is sung.

"Holy God,

Holy Mighty One,

Holy Immortal One,

have mercy on us!' '
Dating back to the Council of Chalcedon in A.D.451, it is
one of the most frequently used themes in the Byzantine Churches.
It is also still used in the Latin Rite during the veneration of the
cross on Good Friday.

On Christmas, Theophany (Epiphany), Easter and Pentecost
— days set apart for the celebration of solemn baptism — a
different anthem is sung, based on Galatians, 3:27:

' 'All you who have been baptized into Christ

have put on Christ. Alleluia!"
On the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September
14) and on the Third Sunday of Lent (Sunday of the Adoration
of the Cross), the anthem is:

332 APPENDIX

"We bow before your cross, O Saviour,
and we glorify your holy resurrection."

Ill LITURGY OF THE WORD

blessing and prokimenon: To prepare the people for the readings,
the priest blesses and exhorts them: "Let us be attentive! Peace
be to all! Let us be attentive!' ' This peace greeting comes from
the Hebrew Shalom and is found many times in the Scriptures.
It was Christ's favorite greeting to his own people after the
resurrection (cf.Lk 24:36; Jn 20:18,27). Then the cantors sing
the prokimenon, a Greek word meaning "prelude," because it
comes before the scriptural readings. It is now reduced to one
or two verses from the Psalms or the Prophets, commemorating
the saint or feast of the day.

Originally, the whole text was chanted, but later, probably
in the fifth or sixth century, it was shortened. The origin of the
prokimenon may be found in the synagogue singing of psalms
when the scriptural scrolls are being put away. In the Latin Rite,
the Responsorial Psalm is now sung after the first reading.

The Christian Liturgy of the Word, like the synagogue service
on which it was based, had readings from the Old Testament
Law and Prophets. In the Byzantine Rite, these readings were
omitted some time during the eighth century, but they are still
used in the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts and during solemn
Vespers. A reading from the Old Testament was reintroduced
in the Latin Rite after the Second Vatican Council.

epistle: Before the priest announces the selection of the reading
from the Epistles, the priest proclaims, "Wisdom!" calling to
mind the wisdom contained in the text. After giving the title of
the reading, the priest continues; "Let us be attentive!"

The Epistles are letters from the apostles to the congrega-
tions they founded. These letters were read to the faithful at the
Sunday service. The bishop or priest would say in effect, "We
have received a letter from the Apostle Paul (or from Peter,
James or John). Listen as it is being read to you." Copies of
these letters were then forwarded to other congregations. In
time, the portions to be read were carefully determined so that

APPENDIX 333

all could be read in the course of the year. Excerpts from the
Acts of the Apostles were also included.

alleluia: After the reading, the priest incenses altar, sanctuary
and people, while the people sing the threefold "Alleluia!"
The Jewish people used this expression as a cry of praise and
joy to God. It means, "Praise the Lord!" In the ancient Christian
Church, it was used sparingly and only on the most solemn
occasions. The exclamation coming just before the gospel is the
people's way of expressing their joy because they will soon be
hearing the words of the Lord himself. The singing accompanies
the gospel procession.

gospel; Like the Greek evangelion, our English word "gospel"
also means "good news." It comes from the Anglo-Saxon
words god, or "good," and spell, or "tell." Jesus himself used
the expression when he first appeared in public at the synagogue
in Nazareth (cf. Lk 4:16:18).

The priest prepares himself to announce the Good News by
means of a prayer in which he asks God for enlightenment and
strength. Again, he invites the people to stand and listen care-
fully. He also imparts a peace-greeting and a blessing to all.
They respond, "And with your spirit," which means, "And
also with you." Immediately before and after the reading, the
people sing: "Glory be to you, O Lord, glory be to you!"

Like the epistle readings, the gospel selections are arranged
in such a way that the Four Gospels will be read entirely in the
course of the year. Each selection relates either some outstand-
ing event in Jesus' life or one of his teachings. The Latin Church
and several other Christian Churches have now adopted a lec-
tionary which presents the principal texts in the course of three
years.

homily: The homily or sermon preached after the gospel is as
much part of the liturgy as the readings. It reaches back to the
Jewish Sabbath service where there was always an explanation
following the reading of the Scriptures. St. Luke shows us Christ
commenting in this way (cf. 4:16-22).

intercessions: Carrying on the unbroken tradition of the earliest

334 APPENDIX

Christians, the Byzantine Liturgy has the general intercessions
immediately after the homily. This is the Insistent Ektenia. Its
petitions keep building up into a crescendo of urgency, culminat-
ing in the threefold cry for mercy for the people. The very
multiplication of the response is intended to compel divine
attention.

This litany embraces every class of society, the Church-
leaders, priests, religious and people — the government, the
armed forces, the founders of the local church and its benefactors.
There is also a petition for the special intention for which the
liturgy is being celebrated. If it is being offered for the dead, a
special litany from the funeral service is appended.

IV LITURGY OF THE SACRIFICE

The Anaphora or Eucharistic Prayer is the central part of the
Divine Liturgy. Preparation rites lead up to it, and the communion
rite follows it.

A) PREPARATION RITES

great ENTRANCE: The people begin singing the Cherubic Hymn.
This hymn was introduced into the liturgy towards the end of the
sixth century. It is sung to an elaborate melody. According to
present-day rubrics, it is divided into two parts, the first pre-
ceding the great entrance and the second following it.

The priest prays in silence to prepare himself for the offer-
ing of the sacrifice. He incenses the altar from all sides, the gifts
and the people. Returning to the center of the altar, he recites
the Cherubic Hymn three times silently; then goes to the table of
preparation, incenses the gifts, removes the large veil, places it
on his left arm and takes the diskos or paten in his left hand and
the chalice in his right. As the procession moves toward the
altar, he follows, singing the commemoration for Church and
civil leaders and for the attendant faithful. The procession stops
at the main altar, where the priest places the gifts of bread and
wine. The people now take up the second part of the Cherubic
Hymn.

The offertory procession started out as the simple bringing
of the gifts to the church by the people. The present-day cere-

APPENDIX 335

monial was developed by the sixth century. Candlebearers head
the procession. All members of the clergy present at the cele-
bration take part, each carrying one of the sacred objects used
in the service. In the days of glory of Byzantium at the Cathedral
of Holy Wisdom in Constantinople, the many participants
formed a triumphal procession, commemorated in the name,
"Great Entrance."

offertory ektenia: At the altar, the priest chants the Offertory
Ektenia exhorting the community to pray in thanksgiving, for the
needs of the faithful, and for deliverance from sin, affliction
and want. Meanwhile the priest prays silently, beseeching God
to accept the sacrifice of praise and the prayers that are being
offered by the people. In the Latin Rite Mass, a simplified
preparation of the gifts has replaced the elaborate offertory rite
of the East.

rite OF peace: After concluding the doxology, the priest blesses
the people with the usual peace greeting. Then, as a reminder
that the following ceremonies belong to those Christians who
have love and peace in their hearts, he exhorts the congregation:
' 'Let us love one another so that with one mind we may glorify
..." The people join in: "The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the
consubstantial and undivided Trinity."

Since apostolic times, the attendants then exchanged the kiss
of peace (cf. 2 Cor 13:12). The only vestige of this custom in the
Ukrainian Rite is the kissing of the gifts by the priest. If several
priests are celebrating, they embrace. In Latin Rite Masses, the
faithful exchange handshakes.

profession of faith: In the early Church, the baptized faithful
alone were allowed to recite the Creed and participate in the
Eucharistic Sacrifice. Since both are about to begin, the priest
exclaims: "The doors! In wisdom, let us be attentive!" The
exclamation remains, although the doors have not been guarded
against intruders for the last fifteen hundred years!

While the priest lifts the large chalice- veil over the holy gifts,
he and the people sing the Nicene Creed, The lifting of the veil
may represent symbolically the revelation of the mysteries to
the believers.

336 APPENDIX

B) THE ANAPHORA OR EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

To introduce the most sacred part of the celebration, the priest
exclaims: "Let us stand with dignity, let us stand in awe, let us
be attentive, that we may offer the holy sacrifice in peace.' ' The
people respond, "The mercy of peace, a sacrifice of praise,"
indicating they understand what is about to take place.

The priest blesses the people with an apostolic salutation
(cf. 2 Cor J 3:14), wishing them the greatest of all God's gifts:
' 'The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you." They
return his wish: "And with your spirit."

preface dialogue: The preface dialogue, almost identical in the
Latin Rite and in all Eastern liturgies, dates back to the earliest
days of the Church. It derives its inspiration and some of its
phrases from a similar dialogue which preceded Jewish religious
meals, such as those in which Jesus and his disciples often
participated.

Lifting up his hands in prayer, as did all early Christians, the
priest intones: "Let us lift up our hearts!" In other words, let
us raise our hearts above earthly concerns, let us free ourselves
even from our daily occupations and concentrate on heavenly
thoughts, or, as St. Paul put it to the Colossians, "Let your
thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on
the earth." The people respond that there hearts are already
where Christ is: "We have them lifted up to the Lord."

Then the priest invites the people to show their gratitude to
God: "Let us give thanks to the Lord." This invitation, used
by the Jewish people, in Jesus' time, before a religious meal,
brings forth the main idea of the Eucharistic Prayer: thanks-
giving. The word "eucharist" comes from the Greek eucharistia,
"thanksgiving." The people joyfully agree: "It is proper and
just to adore the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the consubstantial
and undivided Trinity."

preface AND SANCTUS; The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom has
but one unchanging preface. Like all ancient prayers, it begins
by praising God and his greatness: "You are the ineffable God,
inconceivable, invisible, incomprehensible, eternally the same."

APPENDIX 337

Thanks are given for creation, redemption and all of God's gifts.
Finally, thanks are given for the sacrifice which God deigns to
receive from our hands, despite the existence of far worthier
creatures — "angels, archangels, cherubim and seraphim, who
sing the victorious hymn: Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth:
Heaven and earth are filled with your glory. Hosanna in the
highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest."

While introducing the Hymn of Victory (called Sanctus in the
Latin Mass), the priest takes the asteriskos or "star" in his right
hand and touches the paten with it, first on the top, then on the
bottom, then on the left and right sides, symbolizing the fact that
this hymn should be proclaimed in every corner of the world.

The text is the same as that used in the Latin Rite. The first
part, praising the life-giving Trinity, repeats the words of the
seraph heard by the prophet Isaiah (6:3). The second part is the
greeting by the believing Jews, acknowledging Christ as King
and Messiah as they welcomed him into Jerusalem on the first
Palm Sunday (cf. Mt 21:9). Hosanna, a Jewish word, may be
compared with our modern "hurrah." Since the very beginning
of the Church, Hosanna was used as a greeting proclaiming
Christ's forthcoming eucharistic entrance. Every eucharistic
sacrifice is a renewed coming of Christ, a parousia, a new
entry into the New Jerusalem.

narrative of institution: The priest continues the Eucharistic
Prayer, recalling the infinite love which promoted God to send
his only-begotten Son, so that "whoever believes in him may not
perish, but may have life everlasting" (Jn 3:16). He retells the
events of the Last Supper, explaining how Christ willingly gave
himself up for the life of the world, how he took bread and wine,
and, after giving thanks, blessed and sanctified them. Then,
bowing slightly and pointing to the bread, he sings out the words
which transform the bread into Christ's body: "Take, eat, this is
my body which is broken for you for the remission of sins."
Then, bowing low, he adores the body of Christ.

Bowing slightly and pointing to the chalice, the priest sings
out the words which transform the wine into the blood of Christ:
' 'Drink of this, all of you: this is my blood of the new covenant,

338 APPENDIX

which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins."
Then, bowing low, he adores the blood of Christ.

After each consecration the people respond ' 'Amen!' ' confes-
sing that Christ is truly present under the appearance of bread
and wine.

anamnesis or MEMORIAL: The priest silently recalls the death,
resurrection, ascension, enthronement and glorious future
coming of Christ. With forearms crossed, he takes the sacred
vessels and elevates them, making the sign of the cross with
them over the altar while proclaiming: "We offer you your
own from what is your own, on account of all and for all." In
other words, what we undertake to offer to God is not something
that is ours, but something that is his already: the bloodless
sacrifice of his Son. We thank the Father by celebrating the
memory of the Lord who has saved us through his death, resur-
rection, ascension and second coming. It is because of these
redeeming mysteries that we, his Church, can offer this spiritual
sacrifice.

The people answer: "We praise you, we bless you, we thank
you, Lord, and we pray to you, our God," in gratitude for what
God has done for them.

EP1CLESIS OR INVOCATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: Until now, the

redemptive role of God the Father and God the Son has been
stressed. It is time to call upon the Holy Spirit. The actual changing
of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ is
accomplished through the words of Christ, by the power of the
Holy Spirit. They act together, but because of our human limita-
tions, the words of consecration and the calling upon the Holy
Spirit must be recited separately. In the Latin Rite, a similar
invocation to the Holy Spirit has been inserted in the second,
third and fourth Eucharistic Prayers.

The priest then continues to plead in a low voice that the
receiving of Christ's body and blood ' 'may serve for a cleansing
of souls, the remission of sins, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
the fulfdlment of the heavenly kingdom, for confidence in you,
and not for judgment or condemnation."

COMMEMORATION OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH: ' 'Those who

APPENDIX 339

have died in the faith, our forefathers, fathers, patriarchs,
prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors,
ascetics and every just soul that has departed in the faith ' ' All
the holy people of God in the state of heavenly glory add their
praise to that of God's people here on earth. In a special way,
the priest remembers "the most blessed and glorious Lady,
Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary." In order to set her above
all the saints, the priest sings her commemoration aloud. The
people respond with one of the most popular hymns in her
honor, set to an elaborate melody: "// is indeed fitting to glorify
you, Mother of God ..."

While they are singing, the priest concludes silently the
commemoration of the saints, mentioning John the Baptist, the
apostles, the saint of the day and all the saints. He prays for the
Church Suffering, that is, for the dead "who have fallen asleep
in the hope of being raised to eternal life." Then, he prays for
the Church on earth, mentioning the bishops, priests, deacons
and all the clergy, the civil authorities and their peaceful rule,
' 'so that we also may lead a calm and tranquil life in all piety
and honor." (cf. 1 Tm2:2).

At the end of the singing of the Marial Hymn, the priest
prays aloud in the words of St. Paul (cf. 2 Tm 2:15) for those
governing the Church. He names the Holy Father, the metropoli-
tan archbishop and the local bishop. The people respond by
asking the Lord to remember them too. This is sung slowly,
so the priest has time to complete silently the commemoration
of the living. He includes all inhabitants of the town or village
where the celebration is being held, every city and country place,
not forgetting the travelers, the sick and suffering, those in
prison, the benefactors of the local church and the poor. The
idea of praying for everyone in the Lord's presence after the
consecration dates back to the fourth century. It is done in the
belief that our prayers will be more readily answered in these
circumstances.

The priest concludes the Eucharistic Prayer aloud with a great
doxology, to which the people respond, "Amen!" This has been
the custom since the second century.

340 APPENDIX

C) THE RITE OF HOLY COMMUNION

supplication and the lord's prayer: The priest blesses the
people and wishes them the Lord's mercy, then recites a litany of
supplication as a preparation for communion. Its petitions
exhort the people to pray that the gifts which have been con-
secrated may be accepted by God on his altar in heaven, and
that in return he may grant us the gift of the Holy Spirit. The
people respond to each petition with the usual, "Lord, have
mercy!" The litany goes on, asking for an angel of peace, for
the remission of sins, for the satisfaction of the needs of body
and soul, and for a good Christian death. To each of these
petitions, the people respond, "Grant this, O Lord!" Many of
these petitions date from the fourth or fifth century.

The priest concludes the litany by introducing the Lord's
Prayer: ' 'And grant, Lord, that with complete trust and without
condemnation we may dare call upon you, God of Heaven, as
Father and say, Our Father . . ." all sing the prayer, and the
priest sings the concluding doxology, ' 'For yours is (he kingdom
and the power and the glory. Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
now and forever." While singing, he lifts up his hands in the
manner of early Christians.

After a blessing and a greeting of peace, all bow their heads
while the priest recites a silent prayer, addressed, not to the
Father, but to Jesus Christ, beseeching him to look kindly upon
those who have bowed their heads, and to hand out his gifts
according to each one's needs. The following doxology to the
Holy Trinity is sung aloud. A prayer for personal worthiness
for communion follows.

lesser elevation: The priest takes the large consecrated particle,
called the Lamb, and raises it slightly while singing: "Let us
be attentive! Holy things are for the holy." All Eastern liturgies
have this elevation before communion. The practice, dating at
least to the third or fourth century, draws special attention to
the forthcoming communion, and to the spirit of holiness with
which the Holy One is to tbe received. The people respond:
"One is holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ to the glory of God the
Father. Amen" (cf. Phil 2:11). Then they sing the Communion

APPENDIX 341

Hymn proper to the day, ending with a triple "Alleluia!"

breaking OF the BREAD: During the singing, the priest divides the
consecrated particle into four parts and places them on the paten
in the form of a cross, while saying, "Broken and distributed
is the Lamb of God, he is broken but never divided; he is being
constantly eaten, yet never consumed; he sanctifies those who
receive him." "The Breaking of the Bread" is the oldest name
of the Eucharistic Liturgy, or Mass. It symbolizes Jesus' Pas-
sion and death (cf. Acts 2:42).

commingling: The priest takes the top particle, makes the sign
of the cross with it over the chalice, and says, "The fullness
of the Holy Spirit," then drops it in the chalice. This represents
Christ's resurrection when his body and soul were reunited.

COMMUNION: The priest takes the bottom particle, professes his
belief in Christ and confesses his un worthiness. He then receives
the body of Christ and drinks some of the precious blood from
the chalice. Meanwhile the people recite the Communion Prayer:
"Lord, I believe and confess that you are the Christ, Son of
the Living God ..."

In the Byzantine Rite, the faithful receive under both species.
The priest drops all the particles in the chalice and invites the
people: "Approach with the fear of God and with faith." They
respond, ' Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! God
the Lord has revealed himself to us!" (Ps. 1 17:26-27)

Using a small gilt spoon, the priest gives each communicant
a small particle soaked in the precious blood, saying to each one,
"The body and blood of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus
Christ is given to you. N.,for the remission of your sins and for
everlasting life," thus giving each one a personal gift.

Then the priest blesses the people with the chalice containing
the left-over particles and says, "Lord, save your people and
bless your inheritance" (Ps 27:9). Redeemed by the blood of
Christ, the faithful have ceased to be a rejected people and
have acquired the right to be called the people of God. They
respond:

u2 APPENDIX

"We have seen the true light,
we have received the heavenly Spirit,
we have found the true faith,
and we worship the undivided Trinity,
for it has saved us!"
The priest replaces the chalice on the altar and prays: ' 'May
you be exalted above the heavens, O God, and may your glory
be over all the earth," He takes the chalice, saying silently,
"Blessed is our God," then turns to the people, exclaiming,
"Always, now and for ever and ever!" He returns the chalice to
the table of preparation and consumes the rest of the sacrament
either then or later.

thanksgiving after communion: The people sing their thanks-
giving and praise for having been allowed to share "the holy,
divine, immortal and life-giving mysteries," adding the petition
that God keep them in his holiness. The short litany is recited,
then a prayer expressing gratitude for the sacrament and a
request for strength and protection along God's way to salvation.

D) CONCLUDING RITE

dismissal: Succeeding generations have added more and more
prayers, so that it is now quite long. First, the priest tells the
faithful they may "go forth in peace." This was probably the
original and only dismissal. The people answer, "In the name
of the Lord!"

prayer before the ambO: Standing at the ambo, a semi-circular
platform before the royal doors, the priest again asks God's
blessing on the faithful, and peace for the world, the Church,
the clergy and public authorities. While silently reciting a short
prayer for joy and gladness, he returns to the altar while the
people sing three times: "Blessed is the name of the Lord, now
and for ever and ever" (cf. Jb 1:21; Ps 112:2)

The priest then imparts the final blessing and they respond,
"Amen!" He recites a short prayer praising Christ; the people
praise the Holy Trinity; the priest faces the people and pro-
nounces the final dismissal: he asks Christ to give mercy and
salvation to all, through the intercession of his immaculate
Mother, of the apostles, of St. John Chrysostom and of all the

APPENDIX

343

saints. The liturgy ends with the peoples' "Amen!" confirming
all that has taken place.

344

INDEX OF PROPER NAMES

Abraham 69,98,101,153,193,303

Abel 193

Adam 42,62,66, 1 19ff.,2l5,243

Addai & Mari, Liturgy of, 314

Alexander the Great 87

Ambrose of Milan, St. 41,261,275

Anatolius of Constantinople, Patr., 167

Andrew of Crete, St., 133

Annas 86,116

Anne, St., 145,146

Anthony 86

Aphraates 286

Apollinaris 98

Archelaus 95

Arms 46, 104

Arsinoe 144

Athanasius, St., 142f.,158,207,222

Athenagoras 46

Augustine, St., 261

Barnabas 280
Bartimaeus 85
Basil the Great, St., 68,74,93,109,

142,193,207,222,231

— Liturgy of, 135

Caiaphas 86

Celsus 89

Cicero 27

Clement of Alexandria, St. 143,222,

273
Clement of Rome, Pope St. 2 If. ,46,

164f.,167,290
Cleopatra 86

Constantine, Emperor, 10
Cornelius, Pope, 166,291
Cyprian, St., 166,187,290
Cyril & Methodius, SS., 20
Cyril of Alexandria, St., 142,158,166,

207,274
Cyril of Jerusalem, St., 35,49,166,196,

211,263,265,274,314

Damasus I, Pope, 18

Daniel 66,75

Darius 87

David 92,131

Der Gomidas Keumurgian 293

Dioscoros of Alexandria 167

Dostoevsky 122

Einstein, Albert 55

Eleazar 144

Elijah 1 19

Elizabeth 145

Ephraem 286

Epiphanius, St. 143,207,280

Eusebius 166

Eutiches 106

Eve 70,82,146,155,215

Ezekiel 35

Flavius Josephus 87

Gabriel, Archangel, 42,66

Gamaliel 90

Gregory of Nazianzus, St., 142,193,

196
Gregory of Nyssa, St., 142,158,166,

193,207,274,275
Gregory Thaumaturgus 142

Haggai 93
Helvidius 143
Herod the Great 67,86
Herod Aggrippa 67
Herod Antipas 86,93,94
Hyppolitus 285

Ignatius of Antioch, St., 2lf., 46,

165,183,197,273,280,290
Innocent I, Pope, 286
Innocent III, Pope 47
Irenaeus, St., 46,143,180,211,260,290
Isaac 286
Isaiah 92,100,109,117,138,208,22),

285

Jairus 95

Jeremiah 34

Jerome, St., 143,147

Jesse 92

Job 73

Joel 204

John the Baptist, St., 97,99,205,285,

339
John Chrysostom, St., 21,68,109,143,

154,166, 193, 196, 210, 253,274ff,,

286,299,314,324,342
John of Damascus, St., 135,251,274
— Anthem of, 315
John Paul II, Pope, 186

INDEX OF PROPER NAMES

345

Jonah 125

Joseph, St., 66,67,95

Joshua 37

Judas Iscariot 72,108,111,115,168

Julius Caesar 87

Justin Martyr, St., 46,143,146,236,

273,303
Juvenal of Jerusalem, Patriarch, 167

Laban 144

Lawrence, Deacon St., 193

Lazarus 17,97,320

Leo, Pope St., 167

Liberius, Pope 166

Livingstone 27

Lot 69,74

Martha & Mary 97

Martin, Pope St., 167

Mary, Mother of God, 38f.,42,92,138,

145, 146ff., 193,229,330
Mathias 168

Maximos of Antioch, Patriarch, 167
Melchisedech 193
Methodius, Cyril &, 20
Micah 92

Michael, Archangel St., 66,69,75,145
Moses 28, 35f. ,6 1 , 1 02, 223 ,23 1 ,302f .

Nestorius 105f.,142,330
Nicodemus 102,205
Noetus 46

Octavius Augustus, Emperor, 86
Origen 142,145,260,273,286

Paul VI, Pope, 169

Photinus 46

Polycarp, St., 46,146,180,260

Pontius Pilate 86,88,98,117,119,127

138,153
Porphyry 89
Praxeas 46
Priscillian 46

Quirinus 86

Raphael, Archangel, 69

Sabellius 46

Satan 67,70ff., 111,113,263

Seraphim of Sarov 210

Serapion 275,285,314

Simeon 205

Solomon 37

Sozomen 166

Stephen, Deacon St., 193

Tertullian 49,241,314

Theodore the Studite 166,199,231

Thomas, St., Apostle, 102,129f.

Tiberius, Emperor 86

Titus 320

Tobias 66,69,74

Tobit.73

Valentinian II, Emperor
Victor, Pope 166,286
Vladimir Prince of Kiev, 250

Zechariah 66,1 1 1,1 15,205

346

INDEX OF TOPICS

Abortion 241

Acathist Hymn 148

Actual Grace 216

Agility 324

Ambo. Prayer before the, 342

Angels 65ff.

— Fallen 69

— Guardian 74
Anointing of the Sick 285ff.
Anthem of St. John Damascene 315
Antioch 109

Apostles, Twelve, 161
Apostles' Creed 22,24,142,322
"Apostolic Constitutions" 265,314
"Apostolic Tradition" 285
Athanasian Creed 22
Athos, Mount, 275
Atonement 120

Babylon 66
Babylonians 303
Baptism 257ff.

— Immersion 266

— in emergencies 262

— Kinds 260

— Necessity of, 260

— Rite of Solemn 262
Beatitudes 137,227
Bethany 97
Bethlehem 67,92

Big Bang Theory 55
Blasphemy 235
Blessing of Water 109
"Book of Life" 263

Caesarea 67

Caesarea Philippi 102,125

Chastity 244

Canadian Bishops 244

Canon Law 177

Capernaum 102

Capital Punishment 19

Cardinal Virtues 220

Catechumens, Liturgy of the, 134

Chalcedon, Council of, 166

Cherubic Hymn 249,334

Christ, Brother and Sisters of, 143

— "Firstborn" 144

— Shepherd of the Church 171
Church 153ff.

— Architecture 1 89f f .

— Bride of Christ 157

— Mystical Body of Christ 155,157

— The People of God 157
Collegiality 163,168,176
Code of Canon Law 177
Confirmation-Chris mat ion 268ff.
Commandments 227ff.
Communion 340

— of Saints 313
Conscience 27,224
Constantinople 251

— Council of, 24

— Second Council of, 142
Constitution of the U.S. 19
Council, First Ecumenical 275

— of Chalcedon 166ff.

— of Constantinople 24

— of Constantinople, Second, 142

— of Ephesus 142f.

— of Jerusalem 1 63 , 1 69

— of Nicea 24,193,302

— Vatican II 23,157,168,172,187
Creation 51ff.

— of Man 77

Creed, Apostles', 22,142,322

— Athanasian 22,24

— Nicene 22,24,265,335
Crucifixion 1 17ff.
Cursing 235

Damnation 309
Day of Illumination 109
Death and Judgment 307ff.
Death of the Soul 218
Demonic Possession 73
"Didache" 223,236,241,280
Divinization 250
Docetists 142,273
Dualism 59

Easter Eggs 1 38
Ecumenical Council, First, 275
Egypt, Flight into, 94
Eighth Commandment 245
Emmanuel, 92,143
Encyclical Letters 175
Ephesus, Council of, 142f.
"Epistle of Barnabas" 241
Eternal Life, 324

INDEX OF TOPICS

347

Eucharist 27 Iff.
Euthanasia 240
Evolution 62
Exorcism 264

Fallen Angels 69

Fatima ISO

Feast of Lights 109

Fifth Commandment 240

Final Destiny of the Just 319ff.

Final Impenitence 281

Final Judgment 322

First Commandment 229

First Ecumenical Council 275

Flight Into Egypt 94

Fourth Commandment 239

Free Will 31,57,62,77f.,115, 120,216

Gadara 102

General Councils 174

Genera) Judgment 101

Gerizim, Mount, 33

Gethsemane 67,97f.,126,303

Gifts of the Holy Spirit 208

Gnosticism 179

Gnostics 142

God, Nature of, 28ff.

Golgotha 72,1 13,1 18,296,307

Good News 153ff.

Grace, Actual 216

Grace, Kinds of, 254

Graven Images 221

Great Entrance 335

Green Holidays 213

Guardian Angels 74

Hagia Sophia 25 1
"Heaven on Earth" 189,249
Holy Mysteries 12
Holy Orders 298ff.

— Celibacy of Clergy 292

— Different Orders 291

— Indelible Character 291

— Married Clergy 293

— Transmission 290

Holy Spirit, Indwelling of, 212
Holy Spirit, Gifts of, 208
Holy Spirit, in the Gospels 204
Holy Supper 94
Holy Week 133ff,

"Humanae Vitae" 244
Hymn of the Incarnation 330
Hypostatic Union 104,106

Iconoclasm 221
Iconostas 75
Icons 38,136,195

— of the Mother of God 149

— of Vladimir, Kazan, Kursk, etc. 150
Indwelling of the Holy Spirit 212,218,

221
Immaculate One 145
Immortality 79,82
Impassibility 324
Indissolubility of Marriage 297
Infallibility 172f.
Innocents, Massacre of, 94
Istanbul 293
Icato-Greeks 1 1

Jamnia Synod 1 8
Jericho 86

Jerusalem 31,33,35,42,67,132,138,
163,216,320

— Council of, 163,169

— Matins 135

— New 325
Jesus Prayer 230

Jews 15,42,43,47,101,119,127,138,

161,212,312,320,337
Judea 67
Judgment 38,48

— General 101
Just War [9

Kanon of Easter 135

Kanon of St. Andrew of Crete 133

Kazan, Icon of, 150

Kiev 149

Kindomof God 153ff.

Kiss of Peace 136,335

Kursk, Icon of, 150

La Salette 150

"Last Farewell" 315

Last Supper 102,lllff., 126,161, 185,

206,272
League of Nations 184
Life, Kinds of, 217
Lights 194
Liturgy, Byzantine 249ff.

348

INDEX OF TOPICS

Liturgy of Addai & Man 314
Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom 329ff.
Liturgy of St. Basil the Great 135
Liturgy, of the Catechumens 134
Liturgy of the Presanctified Species

134,154,198
Lourdes 150
"Lover of Mankind" 96

Magi 92

Magisterium 172

Man 77ff.

Manichaeism 59

Maronites 1 1

Maoism 24

Massacre of the Innocents 94

Matrimony 295ff.

— Ceremony 298

— Decree of Nullity 298

— Indissolubility 297
Marxism 25

Mercy Killing 240
Monophysitism 47,167
Monotheletism 107
Mother of God 141ff.,193

— Cult 229

— Devotion to, 147

— Dormition 147

— Icon of, 149

— in the Liturgy 148
Mount Gerizim 33

Mystical Body of Christ 23,221,259

Natural Law 223

Nazareth 66,85,95

New Jerusalem 325

Nicea, Council of, 24,193,302

Nicene Creed 22,265,335

Ninth Comma ndc me nt 243

Noah's Ark 265

Novgorod 196

Nullity, Decree of, 298

Oaths 234

Office of Paraclisis 149
Original Sin 79ff.,225,260
Ownership 245

Pantheism 56

— Evolutionary 57
Paraclisis, Office of, 149

Passover 212

Penance, Sacrament of, 279ff.

"Penitentials" 277

Pentecost 206,212,257

Personal Sin 224

Pharisees 97,100,281,312

Polytheism 59

Pool of Siloam 38

Pope, Successor of Peter 165

Possession, Demonic 73

Prayer Before the Ambo 342

Presanctified, Liturgy of 134,154,198

Procession from the Father 206

Prostrations 133

Purgatory 312

Real Presence 274ff.

Red Corner 40

Resurrection 125ff.

— of the Dead 320

Royal Hours 93

"Russian Primary Chronicle" 250

Sacrament of Reconciliation 279ff.

Sacramentals 301

"Sacramentary" of Serapion 285,314

Sacraments I85ff.,252

Sacrilege 233

Sanctifying Grace 79,82,208

Sanhedrin 90,101,1 16

Satanism 22 1

Second Coming 320

Second Commandment 233

Second Council of Constantinople 142

Secret of Confession 283

Separated Brethren 187

Service of the Lord's Suffering 134

Seventh Commandment 244

Signs of the Church 1 79ff .

Siloam, Pool of, 38

Simony 233

Sin, Material, Mortal, Venial 225

Sin Original 79 ff. ,225,260

Sin, Personal 224

Sixth Commandment 243

Soul, Death of the, 218

Soviet Press 33

Soviets 39

Subtil ity 324

Succession of Peter 186

INDEX OF TOPICS

349

Sumerians 303
Superstition 232
Supreme Court 19
Synergy 145
Synod of Jamnia 18

Temptation 73
Tempting God 233
Ten Commandments 223ff.
Tenth Commandment 244
Theological Virtues 220
Third Commandment 236
Tradition 21ff.
Transubstantiation 274

Trinity 4 Iff.
Twelve Apostles 161

Unbaptized Child 261
United Nations 184

Valentinians 92

Vatican D Council 23,157, 168, 172ff.

187
Virtues, Cardinal 220
— Theological 220
Vladimir, Icon of, 150
Vows 234

Water, Blessing of the, 109

350

INDEX OF FOREIGN WORDS

AchU
Agape 37
Aionios 310
Akhrantos 145
Anamnesis 338
Anaphora 334
Antitnension 198
Apokatastasis 254,323
Apotaksis 263
Artophorion 198
Ar/oj 136
Asraar 253

Bafcfai 137
Basiieia 153
Basilica 189
Bum 217
fl'fcor 144
Bogoroditsia 142
Bohorodichen 331
Bohoyavlenie 109

Cheiovikoljubets 296
Cherubikon 75

Deipara 142
Diakonia 291
Diakonikon 197
Diakonnyk 197
ZMfa'ri. Dikirion 199
DMos 198,334

Ecclesia 157
Eitefon 198
Efctertia 109,304,329
Eleison 124
£mfy(on 198
Ependysis 198
Ephaploma 198
£pi e/wi s 2 1 2 , 27 5 , 3 38
Epiphania 108
Evangelion 333
Ex Cathedra 174

Hagia Sophia 25 1
HaHe/ 112
Hosanna 337

Iconostas 194
Iconostasion 75

ttos 148
Zfifcwj 198

/nutria 198

tfanon 133,287
Katasarka 198
Katasarkion 198
Koimesis 147
Kovcheg 198
Kiriakon 189
Kyvor 198

Zj«o 192
Logos 103

Megalynarion 146
AteMnoia281, 303
Mistere 253
Moleben 149
MysterUt 253

Waits, iVflvw 192

Odigitria 150
0«s(a 274

Panhagia 145
Pantocrator 122,123,193
/Voiwia 319,337
PasWw 135,137
Phetonion 287
Pomytuj 124
Prokeimenon 265,299
Pronaoj 192
Proskomide 197
Proskynetaria 193
Prothesis 197,329
Prototokos 144
Bryfw 192
fjycAe 217

Qa/ia/ 157

Ripidi'a 198
flippy 198

Sanctus 337
Shalom 332
Sfefci>wft 34
So/ea 197
Sphragis 270
Stratchitza 198

Syntaksis 263

Ttfinfjro 253
Tajne, Tajny 253
Templon 194
Tetrapod 137,193
Theotokos 141
Theopoiesis 221
Theosis 221,325
7n'*(ri, Trikirion 199

Kom 60f.

Zhetvennyk 197

Zoe 217

Zoe Aionios 218

351

352

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^O^O^

THE REVEREND
CASIMIR

KUCHAREK

A native of Michigan, Father Casimir Kucharek changed from the Latin to the
Byzantine-Slav rite in order to do specialized missionnary work among the
Ukrainians of Saskatchewan, Canada. He is a graduate of Maryknoll College,
Lakewood, N.J., St. Joseph's Seminary, Edmonton, and the Propaganda Uni-
versity in Rome. In addition to regular courses in theology at the Propaganda,
he studied Slavic languages and the Byzantine-Slavonic Liturgy at the Pontificio
Collegio di S. Giosafat in Rome.

His facile command of modern languages (he is fluent in, or has reading
knowledge of English, Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Slovak, Italian, Spanish,
French, German, besides Old Slavonic, Classical Greek, and Latin) has suited
him especially for research in Byzantine-Slav liturgical studies. His monumental
Byzantine-Slav Liturgy of St. John Chrysonom has been acclaimed as the best
and most comprehensive commentary on the Divine Liturgy to date.

Besides his parish work since his ordination in 1956, Father Kucharek has
served as a member of almost every Preparatory Commission for the First Pro-
vincial Synod of the Ukrainian Metropolitan See, held in Winnipeg in 1962,
and of the various Eparchial Liturgical Commissions preparatory to Vatican II'
He has lectured at Yorkton's St. Mary's Seminary, the University of Saskat-
chewan's St. Joseph's College Extension, and Fordham University's Graduate
School of Eastern Christian Studies, the John XXIII Institute (where he was
given permanent honorary membership in its Academic Council). At present
he is secretary for the Ukrainian Catholic Theological Society of Canada, a position
he has held for over ten years.