OrthoAnalytika

Today Fr. Anthony talks with Fr. Adam Roberts about his pastoral counseling practice.   Fr. Adam is the priest of St. Paul Orthodox Church in Katy TX, the Dean of St. Athansius College, a co-founder of Camp St Thekla, the author of several books, and has a Masters of Theology in Pastoral Counseling from the University of Balamand. In his counseling, he has counseled married couples as well as youth and young adults who are struggling with purpose and identity.  You can read more about his practice here. Enjoy the show!

Luke 18:35-43. Once again demonstrating that there is some overlap between a homily and a hostage situation (30 minutes!), Fr. Anthony talks about the life in Christ being less a moment of pure enlightenment and more about turning the long, slow slog of life into a graceful movement from joy to greater joy. Enjoy the show!

Galatians 6:11-18 St. Luke 18:18-27   Today Fr. Anthony uses the Apostle Paul’s call for a “new creation” instead of a fulfillment of the Law to help us evaluate the man’s challenge to the Lord.  Along the way, he shares the meaning of the commandments in the “new creation” and uses the metaphor of mountain climbing to help us understand Christ’s call to give everything up and follow him.  He notes that we are rich in worldly ways, making it as hard for us to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven as the camel getting through the eye of a needle.  He forgot to turn on his microphone before the actual homily, so he recorded this reprisal on the drive home. Enjoy the show!  

Seals, Scrolls, and Wrath  Excursus on the Three Senses of Scripture Literal – Straightforward reading of the text. Ex: The outside writing on the scroll, the man Jesus Allegorical – Heavenly meaning veiled in the literal Ex: The inside writing of the scroll, the God-Man the (contains both the physical (literal) and the unseen (spiritual) Moral – What are we to do with this revelation? Ex: Paul’s obedience to the revelation of Jesus Christ to be an Apostle - “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26.19); contrast with Jonah Tools of Interpretation: Scripture and Tradition Analogia Fidei (or “Analogy of Faith”): Scripture interprets Scripture New is Old revealed; Old is New concealed “This grace hid itself under a veil in the Old Testament, but it has been revealed in the New Testament according to the most perfectly ordered dispensation of the ages, forasmuch as God knew how to dispose all things.” - Saint Augustine Working Principle: Scripture is not divided. One part illumines other parts since all parts have God as its source; contrast to a mere academic approach that divides book based on different authors   Scripture testifies to Tradition: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” – 2 Peter 1.20-21 “Holy men” (literally ἁγίου ἄνθρωποι) can be interpreted simply as “saints” ἅγιος – adjective often used as a noun that can be translated “holy ones” or “saints” God is Holy and the source of all holiness; people considered holy, or of God, have a place of authority and deference in the Church in terms of practice and teaching

THE GOSPEL (For the Ninth Sunday of Luke) The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (12:16-21) Context; 13 Then someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But Jesus said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator between you two?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” The Lord spoke this parable: “The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ Every moment is an opportunity for grace, or to put it another way, to prepare for death – and eternal life. There will be a judgment: how have used the opportunities that God has given us? How have we prepared our soul? How have we prepared the souls of our neighbor (union!!!) And he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’ Let’s look at how the man has prepared his soul. St. Nikolai: the dog and the lamb. He has killed his soul and moved his passions into its place! The one talent. How has he prepared his neighbor. The original settting. St. John Chrysostom. But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” As He said this, Jesus called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” There will be a judgment. Three types of preparation.

In this class, we review Vespers service components, work on matching pitches in hand offs, and chanting clearly and consistently.

Fr. Anthony riffs on the subject of beauty, sharing how a life lived in Mystery satisfies our insatiable longing for communion with the perfectly beautiful, good, and true and how beauty manifests itself in this world in how it works with the marred and imperfect.

Revelation: Lesson 8 Revelation 4:1 – 5:1 Andrew of Caesarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ed. David G. Hunter, trans. Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou, vol. 123, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2011), 81–90.   4:1. After these I saw, and behold, an open door in heaven! And the first voice that I heard was like a trumpet [47] speaking to me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after these.” [Compare to the Ascent of Moses]. 4:2–3. 2 And immediately I was in the Spirit. And behold, a throne stood in heaven, 3 and one sitting upon the throne who appeared like the stone jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow was around the throne that looked like an emerald. … First, jasper, meaning, as pale green, the evergreen at once both the life-bringer and bestower of the food of the divine nature, through which every seed brings forth young sprouts. … And the rainbow like an emerald shows the variety and blooming virtues of the angelic orders. 4:4. And around the throne twenty-four thrones, and sitting on the thrones twenty-four elders wrapped in white garments, and upon their heads gold crowns. [49] … by the twelve elders those who excelled in the Old, and by the twelve others those who excelled in the New. … 4:5a. From out of the throne came flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. 4:5b–6a. 5b And seven torches of fire burn before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God; 6a and before the throne like a glass sea like crystal. …  The glass sea designates the multitude of the holy powers, and also the clarity, spotlessness, and calmness of the future life. …  4:6b. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, four living beings, full of eyes in front and behind: The throne is shown by this to be signifying the reign and resting-place of God, in which and around which he saw the seraphim, being taught through the multitude of their eyes their ability to see God with regard to the divine light, and also that those eyes behind and in front receive light and knowledge from God. 4:7. And the first living being like a lion, the second living being like a calf, the third living being had a face like a man, and the fourth living being like an eagle flying. These living beings, we think, were also seen by Isaiah…   4:8a. And the four living beings, each of them having six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, … 4:8b. And they do not rest day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!” These holy powers do not rest, never ceasing the divine hymnody and offering the threefold blessing to the Tri-hypostatic Divinity. And the who is and who was and who is to come we said means the Holy Trinity. 4:9–10a. 9 And whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanksgiving [53] to him who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, 10a the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. [LITURGY!] 4:10b–11. 10b They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “You are worthy, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” They say, “You, Master, are the cause and the provider of the crowns of victory, and thanksgiving is due to You from all things as creatures.” About the Small Scroll Sealed With Seven Seals Which No One Who Has a Created Nature is Able to Open 5:1. And I saw in the right of the One who was seated on the throne a small scroll covered in writing on the inside and outside, sealed with seven seals. … The seven seals, which no one of created nature is able to loosen, either the fulfillment of the scroll, which is obscure and unknown to all, or the dispensation of the one “who searches the depths of the Spirit of God.” The scroll also means the prophecy which Christ himself said in the Gospel according to Luke had been fulfilled, which things occurring thereafter are to be fulfilled in the last days.  

The Good Samaritan and Veteran’s Day  St. Luke 10:25-37  Introduction.   The Deeper Magic of Unity. The Division of Mankind into Nations. The Demons,  our Fallen Psychology, and the Reification of Separation. The Coming of Christ, Pentecost, and the Promise of Unity.  And this is where we find ourselves today. We know that Christ has brought an end  to our division and allows us to be One as He is One; joyous, peaceful, and  continually progressing through the endless stages of perfection in peace … but  still living in a world where lives come to an end and violence between nations  ceases only so long as strength and vigilance are maintained.  The Good Samaritan   The need for our enemies and why our love for them actually brings us the light of  objectivity. Christ as the ultimate “other.”   Veterans Day  And so we come to the juxtaposition of this Epistle with our celebration of  Veteran’s Day.  On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month; temporary cessation of  hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I.  And yet we still have war. People and nations still prey on and threaten one  another. Even when we are between wars, we no not have the peace of Christ, but  the peace of strength. And where we do not have the peace of strength, we have  war and the lessons of martyrdom. Our Church prays and works for the Peace of  Christ; and as that peace is worked for and anticipated, we pray for and support the  peace that comes from military might. This is the practice and teaching of the  Church.  Right after the anaphora we pray:  We also offer You this spiritual worship for the whole world, for the Holy, Catholic,  and Apostolic Church, and for all those who live in purity and holiness. And for  those in public service; permit them, Lord, to serve and govern in peace, that in  their tranquility we may lead a calm and quiet life, in all Godliness and purity. From our Morning Prayers:  Lord, save and have mercy on our civil authorities; protect our nation with peace,  subduing our every foe and adversary. Fill the hearts of our leaders with peaceful,  benevolent thoughts for your Holy Church and for all Your people so that we, in  their tranquility, may lead a peaceful and quiet life in true faith and in all  godliness and purity.  And from St. Paul (1 Timothy 2:1-2):  First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and  thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, so  that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.  And how is this peace that we pray for maintained? Through the sacrifice of men  and women in our armed forces and police who are willing to put our security and  comfort ahead of their own. [a note on the special sacrifice of Christian warriors].  It is obtained and maintained by soldiers, sailors, marines, and first responders who  are willing to suffer, to fight, to die, and yes, even to kill – not out of glory or any  kind of sinful passion; but only so that we – in the peaceful space their efforts create and sustain – might pursue perfection in Christ, and through this an end to  all wars achieved not through military victory or a well thought out and executed  set of treaties and institutions; but through the union of all people and nations into  one humanity, humbled and perfected in Christ.  We thank all of our veterans and those serving now for your willingness to live the  kind of life that allows us the freedom to pursue true and lasting peace.  We pray that Lord our God grant that we always be so blessed with men and  women [like these] who are willing to sacrifice their lives for us and we pray that  He gives us, the civilians, the strength and commitment to live in such a way that  their efforts are not squandered through our impiety, selfishness, and unwillingness  to live and spread the Gospel.  Allow all of us to surrender ourselves to you, Lord, through the Cross, so that our  Union may be eternal and the peace between us become real and unending. Check out this episode!  

Today, we talked about the kind of culture we should have at the kliros (to include risk aversion and gentleness). We worked on intonation and antiphonal psalmody, and talked about being patient as our skills develop.