St. LukeDiocese Orthodox Christian Church of the South, Orthodox Church in America The Rev. Father Basil Henry, Priest 1415 Woodstock Ave. • Anniston, Alabama • www.stlukeanniston.org/ basilncana@yahoo.com • (256) 235-3893
Sunday, April 10th, 2011 • 5th Sunday of Lent Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt
Martyrs Terence, Africanus, Maximus, Pompeius, and 36 others, including Zeno, Alexander, and Theodore, at Carthage (250). Prophetess Huldah (Olda) (IV Kings 22:14). St. Miltiades, pope of Rome (314). Hieromartyrs James, priest, and the deacons Azadanes and Abdicius, of Persia (ca. 380). The Holy Martyrs of Kvabtakhevi Monastery (Georgia), who suffered during the invasion of Tamerlane (1386). Nun-martyr Anastasia, abbess of Uglich, and 34 nuns with her (1609). New Martyr Demos of Smyrna (1763). New Hieromartyr Gregory V, patriarch of Constantinople (1821). New Monk-martyr Chrysamhus of Xenophomos, Mt. Athos (1821). Constcration of Joasaph (Bolotov) as Bishop of Kodiak, Alaska (1799).
Announcements
Next week will begin Holy Week services, beginning with Divine Liturgy for Lazarus Saturday at 8 a.m. We will begin making plans soon for our Pascha banquet. The cover photo is of a chapel dedicated to the Prophet Elias and is located in Vagia of Aegina island,Greece.
This Week’s Service Schedule & scripture readings Monday, 4/11
No Service
Isaiah 48:17-49:4
Genesis 27:1-42
Proverbs 19:16-25
Tuesday, 4/12
Morning Prayer 8 a.m.
Isaiah 49:6-11
Genesis 31:3-16
Proverbs 21:3-21
Isaiah 58:1-12
Genesis 43:26-32; 45:1-16
Proverbs 21:23-22:4
Isaiah 65:8-17
Genesis 46:1-7
Proverbs 23:15-24:5
Vespers 4 p.m.
Isaiah 66:10-24
Genesis 49:33-50:26
Proverbs 31:8-31
Vespers 4 p.m.
Hebrews 12:28-13:8
John 11:1-45
Divine Liturgy Hebrews 10 a.m. 12:28-13:8
John 11:1-45
Presanctified 4 p.m.
Wednesday, 4/13 Matins 8 a.m.
Thursday, 4/14
St. Martin, Pope of Rome
Friday, 4/15 Saturday, 4/16
Divine Liturgy 8 a.m.
Sunday, 4/17
Hours 9:40 a.m.
Lazarus Saturday Palm Sunday
Service times are subject to change. Please check with Fr. Basil if in any doubt.
This Week’s Fasts Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Great Fast
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Great Vespers “Lord, I Call”
words of the Prophets and understand: Christ is the Redeemer of the world and all powerful!
sunday (Tone 5)
Lead forth my soul from prison, that I may confess Thy name!
St. Mary of Egypt (Tone 6)
Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice!
O praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him, all ye people!
By Thy precious Cross, O Christ, Thou hast put the From the morning watch even to the night, let Israel hope in devil to shame. By Thy Resurrection, Thou hast bluntthe Lord! ed the sting of sin and saved us from the gates of death! You stood before the doors of the Church, polluted with We glorify Thee, O Only begotten One. evil and unable to enter. Accused by your own conscience, O wise one of God, you converted to a better The righteous await me, till Thou shalt reward me. Christ was led as a sheep to the slaughter in order to way of life. Looking upon the icon of the blessed Mothgrant Resurrection to the human race! The princes of er of God, you condemned all your past sins, O Mother hell were frightened by this, for the gates of sorrow Mary, and went to bow before the precious Cross. were lifted. Christ the King of glory had entered, sayFor with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous ing to those in chains: “Go forth!” And to those in redemption, and He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. You stood before the doors of the Church… darkness: “Come to the light!” Having worshipped at the holy places with great joy, you O, great wonder! The Creator of the invisible suffered in received saving grace for your journey of virtue. You set the flesh in His love for man and rose again immortal! out in haste to follow the narrow path. You crossed the Come, O sons of nations, let us worship Him! Deliv- river Jordan, and went to live where the Baptist had ered from error by His compassion, we have learned to dwelt. Through self-denial you tamed the savagery of the passions; through violence you broke the rebellion of sing of one God in three Persons! your flesh, taking the Kingdom of God by force. Let Thine ears give heed to the voice of my prayer!
We offer Thee our evening worship, O never setting For His mercy hath been confirmed upon us and the truth of the Lord remaineth forever. Light, Who came in these last days to the world in the You lived alone in the wilderness; as you erased the flesh; Who even descended to hell to dispel its darkimages of sin from your soul, God marked it with the ness. Who hast revealed the light of Resurrection to imprint of holiness. Filled with the spirit, O Blessed the nations. Glory to Thee, O Lord and Giver of light! Mother, you walked on the surface of the waters; by If Thou observest transgression, Lord, O Lord, who shall your prayers you ascended from earth to heaven. Since stand? For with Thee is propitiation. you stand before Christ, O glorious Mary, entreat We glorify the Leader of our salvation; by His ResurrecHim with boldness to save our souls! tion from the dead, the world was saved from deceit. St. Mary of Egypt (Tone 4) The assembly of Angels rejoices as the deceit of demons Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit… is overthrown. Fallen Adam rises as the devil falls. The power of your Cross has worked a wonder, O For Thy name’s sake have I waited upon Thee, O Lord; my soul Christ. Through it a harlot became a champion of the hath waited upon Thy word; my soul hath hoped in the Lord. The guards were instructed by the lawless ones: “Hide ascetic life. She cast aside her weakness and bravely the rising of Christ, take money and say: ‘The body fought the Devil, and having won the prize of victory, was stolen from the tomb while we were asleep.’” But she ceaselessly prays for our souls. who has heard of a body being stolen, a body embalmed and naked, with its grave clothes left behind in the tomb? Do not be deceived, O Jews, study the
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Dogmatikon (Tone 5)
St. Mary of Egypt (Tone 2)
Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…
In the Red Sea of old, a type of the Virgin Bride was With the sword of abstinence, you cut down the corrupt prefigured. There Moses divided the waters. Here Ga- desires of your soul and the passions of your flesh. With briel assisted in the miracle. There Israel crossed the the silence of the wilderness you strangled your sinful sea without getting wet. Here the Virgin gave birth to words and thoughts. You watered the desert with the Christ without seed. After Israel’s passage, the sea re- streams of your tears. You made the fruits of repentance mained impassable. After Emmanuel’s birth, the Vir- grow for us. We celebrate your memory, O holy one. gin remained a Virgin. O ever-existing God, Who Theotokion (Tone 2) appeared as Man, O Lord, have mercy on us! Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Aposticha
sunday (Tone 5)
We magnify Thee in songs of praise, O Incarnate Christ and Savior. By accepting the Cross and death for our sake, as the Lord and Lover of man, Thou didst overthrow the gates of hell, and didst arise on the third day, saving our souls. The Lord hath become King; with beauty hath he clothed himself.
A new miracle surpasses all ancient miracles! Who knows of a Mother who gave birth without a man, who carried in her arms her Creator? This birth is the will of God! Since thou didst carry Him as an infant in thy arms, O most pure one, and since thou didst possess motherly boldness before Him, do not cease praying for us who honor thee, that He may be bountiful and save our souls!
Troparia
By being pierced in the side, O Lover of man, Thou hast sunday (Tone 5) poured out drops of life and salvation for all. By accept- The Word who with the Father and the Spirit hath no ing death in the flesh, Thou hast granted us immortal- beginning, and for our salvation was born of a Virgin, ity. Thou hast freed us by being placed in the tomb, and let us faithful hymn and worship, for He was pleased hast resurrected us with Thyself in glory, as God! Glory to ascend the Cross in the flesh, and to endure death to Thee, O Lord and Lover of man! and to raise the dead by His glorious resurrection. For He hath established the world, which shall not be moved.
St. Mary of Egypt (Tone 8)
Thy crucifixion and descent into hell are awesome, O Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit… Lover of man! Thou hast captured it, releasing the an- The image of God was truly preserved in you, O cient prisoners. Thou hast opened Paradise and given Mother, for you took up the Cross and followed Christ. it to us! Grant us purification of sins, who glorify Thy By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh for it Resurrection on the third day! Make us worthy of passes away; but to care instead for the soul, for it is Paradise and save us, O Lover of man! immortal. Therefore your spirit, O holy Mother Mary, Holiness belongeth to Thy house, O Lord, unto length of days! rejoices with the angels. For our sake, Thou didst accept death in the flesh, to rise from the dead on the third day! Heal us from our Resurrectional Dismissal Theotokion (Tone 8) Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. earthly passions, and restore us from our evil transFor our sake Thou wast born of the Virgin and endured gressions; and save us, O Lover of man! crucifixion, O Good One, destroying death by death and revealing the Resurrection as God. Do not despise the work of Thy hand! Reveal Thy love for mankind, O Merciful One! Accept the Theotokos who is praying for us, and save the despairing people, O our Savior!
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Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great Beatitude Verses
Troparia
sunday
Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.
sunday (Tone 5)
The Word who with the Father and the Spirit hath no The thief on the cross believing Thee to be God con- beginning, and for our salvation was born of a Virgin, fessed Thee earnestly from his heart, crying aloud: ‘O let us faithful hymn and worship, for He was pleased Lord, remember me in Thy kingdom.’ to ascend the Cross in the flesh, and to endure death and to raise the dead by His glorious resurrection. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Let us with one accord praise as Savior and Creator Him St. Mary of Egypt (Tone 8) Who made life flower for our kind by the wood of the The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mothcross and Who withered the curse coming from the tree. er, for you took up the Cross and followed Christ. By Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh for it By Thy death, O Christ, Thou hast destroyed the might passes away; but to care instead for the soul, for it is of death and hast raised with Thyself those dead from immortal. Therefore your spirit, O holy Mother Mary, the ages praising Thee as our true God and Savior. rejoices with the angels. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Kontakia
St. Mary of Egypt (Tone 3) The holy women having come to the tomb, O Christ, Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit… sought to anoint Thee, giver of life, with myrrh, and an Having been a sinful woman, you became through reangel appeared to them crying aloud: The Lord is risen. pentance a bride of Christ. Having attained angelic St. Mary of Egypt life, you defeated demons with the weapon of the Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, Cross. Therefore O most glorious Mary, you are a and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. bride of the Kingdom. The armies of the angels rejoice, seeing a life equal to theirs in you, and they cry out, holy Mary, giving glory Steadfast protectress (Tone 6) Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. to the Lord. Steadfast Protectress of Christians, constant Advocate Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. before the Creator; despise not the entreating cries of The hosts of demons tremble at the strength of your us sinners, but in thy goodness come speedily to help endurance! How you, a naked and solitary woman, in us who call on thee in faith. Hasten to hear our petia wonderful way, put them to shame. tion and to intercede for us, O Theotokos, for thou Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit… dost always protect those who honor thee! Mary worthy of all praise, you shone like the sun and illumined the desert with your brightness. Shine on Prokeimenon me also, that I may be glorious with your light. SUNDAY (Tone 5) Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us, and guard us from the Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. generation and forevermore. Virgin, illumined by the glory of your Child, the angels proclaim to us all peace on earth and good will Vs: Save me, O Lord, for there is not one holy man left. towards the human race. St. Mary of Egypt (Tone 4)
Vs: God is wondrous in His saints, the God of Israel. ~5~
Epistle Reading
SUNDAY
Hebrews 9:11-14
Brethren, Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
St. Mary of Egypt Galatians 3:23-29
Brethren, before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Alleluia Verses
SUNDAY (Tone 5)
Vs: I will sing of Thy mercies, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim Thy truth from generation to generation. Vs: For Thou hast said: “Mercy will be established forever; My truth will be prepared in the heavens.”
Gospel Reading
SUNDAY
Mark 10:32-45
At that time: Jesus taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will
be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise.” And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant of James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
St. Mary of Egypt Luke 7:36-50
At that time: One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house, and took his place at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to
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you.” And he answered, “What is it, Teacher?” “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Please note Holy Communion is reserved for Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves beforehand. All are welcome to receive the blessed bread and Father’s blessing after services.
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St. Mary of Egypt
At the end of the coming week Great Lent will be over. Next Saturday is Lazarus Saturday, which is followed by Palm Sunday, the Entry of our Lord into Jerusalem, and then by Passion Week. However, today we commemorate another entry into Jerusalem, not the Entry into Jerusalem of our Lord, but the entry into Jerusalem of Mary of Egypt. Who was she and what is her significance today? Born in Alexandria in Egypt in the middle of the fifth century, as a young girl Mary fell into the vice of prostitution. For seventeen years, from the age of 12 until the age of 29, she lived the life of a harlot. However, once finding herself in Jerusalem, out of curiosity, she went to see the Precious Cross of Christ. She found that she was unable to enter the church where St Helen had placed the Cross, for some invisible force prevented her from entering in. So frightened was she at this that she asked the Mother of God through an icon at the entrance to the church, why this was. The Mother of God replied to her that Mary first needed to repent and obey her. Only after promising to do this was Mary allowed to enter the church in Jerusalem. After then entering and venerating the Cross, Mary heard the Mother of God telling her: ‘If you cross the Jordan, you will find true peace’. So shaken was Mary by these events that she did
indeed forsake all her old life and, having taken communion, she crossed the Jordan, and went to live there in the desert. We do not know the exact details of her day-to-day life, but we do know that she dwelt there as a hermitess, eating plants, living in torments and struggle with passionate thoughts, and eventually obtaining the grace to work miracles, crossing the Jordan as if on dry land. She lived naked and became withered and emaciated, as we can see in the icon of her, but nevertheless she survived there for some forty-eight years. Then she was discovered by a pious monk, Zosimas, who is portrayed in the icon together with her. It was to him that she related her life which we have today. The Life of St Mary teaches us many things. Perhaps the first and most obvious lesson we can learn from her is that we should never judge, never pre-judge. Who will be saved? It is impossible to answer this question, for it is never too late to repent, even for us. Humanly
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speaking, when we consider the life of Mary until her twenty-ninth year, we might think that salvation had become impossible for her. And yet the service to her calls her ‘the greatest of saints’. Humanly speaking, we are condemned; but by the grace of God everything, including the height of repentance, is possible. No man has the right to judge another. The Life of St Mary of Egypt also teaches us something about human nature. In each of us there is the desire for worldly pleasures, for amusement and entertainment, for food and drink, for the pleasures of the senses. But there is also the desire for pleasures of a higher sort, pleasures that are lasting, which we may call joys. Those joys are so much higher than the fleeting pleasures of the senses that they alone
constitute the path to lasting happiness. Societies which are devoted only to the satisfaction of the pleasures of the senses, pleasure-seeking societies, are societies without lasting joys, they are full of sad faces. The Life of St Mary teaches us that the values of the Church are quite different from those of the world. She went out into the desert and had nothing, no friends, no home, no possessions, no clothes and hardly any food and drink. The world looked for pleasure, the satisfaction of the senses, money and power, but St Mary was moneyless and powerless in the world. Today’s Gospel confirms the choice of St Mary, for it says that those who wish to be great must be servants. This is upside down from all the ways of this world. But our Lord preached this and like Him St Mary lived this.
Indeed, as we have already said, the Church calls St Mary ‘the greatest of saints’. The use of this word ‘great’ may surprise. In everyday life, we use ‘great’ in other meanings. The world speaks of ‘great politicians’, ‘great soldiers’, great film-stars’, ‘great performances by sportsmen’, ‘a great holiday’, ‘a great car’, ‘a great amount of money’. But the Church calls St Mary ‘great’ and a thousand and a half years after she lived we ask for her prayers, but not for those of any politician or soldier or filmstar or sportsman. Let us think more carefully before next we utter this word ‘great’. And as this last week of Great Lent begins, let us also ponder on the words of the Mother of God, which led Mary to her salvation through repentance and her greatness: ‘If you cross the Jordan, you will find true peace’. These mysterious words are today also addressed to each of us; the interpretation of their mystery is open to the souls of each of us, but only if we ask the Mother of God and St Mary to guide us. And then we shall find our own ‘entry into Jerusalem’.
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St. Martin, Pope of Rome
Saint Martin was born in Tuscany. He had been the papal delegate at Constantinople; upon the death of Pope Theodore, Saint Martin was elected his successor. At this time the Emperor Constans II, also known as Constantine Pogonatus (reigned 641-668), was seeking support of his confession of faith called the Typos, which espoused the Monothelite heresy, that is, that there is only one will and energy in the Incarnate Son of God.
But the newly-consecrated Pope not only did not accept the Typos, but convened the Lateran Council of 649 (attended by 105 of his bishops, and Saint Maximus the Confessor, who was then in Rome), which anathematized the Typos and the Monothelite heresy. Because of this Saint Martin was seized by an imperial force in 653 and brought to Constantinople, where he
was charged with sending money to the Saracens and conspiring with them, and blaspheming against the most holy Mother of God. Though innocent of these accusations, he was exiled to Cherson on the Black Sea, where, after many sufferings and privations, he received the crown of his courageous confession in the year 655.
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The Week of Lazarus Saturday
The week following the Sunday of St Mary of Egypt is called Palm or Branch Week. At the Tuesday services of this week the Church recalls that Jesus’ friend Lazarus has died and that the Lord is going to raise him from the dead ( Jn 11). As the days continue toward Saturday, the Church, in its hymns and verses, continues to follow Christ towards Bethany to the tomb of Lazarus. On Friday evening, the eve of the celebration of the Resurrection of Lazarus, the “great and saving forty days” of Great Lent are formally brought to an end: Having accomplished the forty days for the benefit of our souls, we pray to Thee, O Lover of Man, that we may see the holy week of Thy passion, that in it we may glorify Thy greatness and Thine unspeakable plan of salvation for our sake. ... (Vesper Hymn)
ing and death.
Lazarus Saturday is a paschal celebration. It is the only time in the entire Church Year that the resurrectional service of Sunday is celebrated on another day. At the liturgy of Lazarus Saturday, the Church glorifies Christ as “the Resurrection and the Life” who, by raising Lazarus, has confirmed the universal resurrection of mankind even before his own sufferAt the Divine Liturgy of Lazarus Saturday the baptismal verse from Galatians: As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Gal 3:27) replaces the Thriceholy Hymn thus indicating the resurrectional character of the celebration, and the fact that Lazarus Saturday was once among the few great baptismal days in the Orthodox Church Year. Because of the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead, Christ was hailed by the masses as the long-expected Messiah-King of Israel. Thus, in fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, he entered Jenrsalem, the City of the King, riding on the colt of an ass (Zech 9:9; Jn 12:12). The crowds greeted him with brancfies in their hands and called out to him with shouts of praise: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! The Son of David! The King of Israel! Because of this glorification by the people, the priests and scribes were finally driven “to destroy him, to put him to death” (Lk 19:47; Jn 11:53, 12:10). ~9~
By raising Lazarus from the dead before Thy passion, Thou didst confirm the universal resurrection, 0 Christ God! Like the children with the branches of victory, we cry out to Thee, O Vanquisher of Death: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord! (Troparion). Christ --the Joy, the Truth and the Light of All, the Life of the world and its Resurrection -- has appeared in his goodness to those on earth. He has become the Image of our Resurrection, granting divine forgiveness to all (Kontakion).
The Orthodox Faith > Doctrine > The Symbol of Faith
Man The differences between men and women are real and irreducible. They are not limited to biological or physical differences. They are rather different “modes of existence” within one and the same humanity; just as, we might say, the Son and the Holy Spirit are different “modes of existence” within one and the same divinity, together with God the Father. The male and female are to be in spiritual as well as bodily union. They are to express together, in one and the same hu- tween the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit as to manity, all of the virtues and powers that belong to how each of the Divine Persons lives and expresses the human nature as made in the image and according to common nature of God. There is an order in the Trinity. the likeness of God. There are no virtues or powers that There is even a hierarchy if we do not take this term belong to man, and not to woman; nor to woman and to mean some difference in nature between the Father, not to man. All are called to spiritual perfection in truth Son, and Holy Spirit, but merely the way in which the and in love, indeed in all of the divine virtues of God Divine Persons relate to one another and to man and the world. For in the Trinity itself the Father alone is given to His creatures. the “source of divinity.” The hostilities and competitions between man and woman that exist in the present world are not due to their re- The Son is the expression of the Father and is “subject” spective “modes of existence” as created by God. They are to Him. And the Holy Spirit, of one essence and fully due rather to sin. There should be no tyranny of men over equal with the Father and the Son, is the “third” Perwomen; no oppression, no servitude. Just as there should son who fulfills the will of the Father and the Son. The be no striving of women to be men, and to hold the male Three Divine Persons are perfectly equal. This is a dogposition in the order of creation. There should be rather a ma of the Church. But they are not the same, and there harmony and unity within the community of being with is an ordered relation between them in which there are “priorities” in being and acting which not only do not its natural created order and distinctions. destroy the perfection and perfect unity of the Godhead, The oneness of nature with the distinction of various but even allow it and make it to be perfect and divine. modes of being within Divinity, the Most Holy Trinity. It is the Trinitarian Life of God which is the Divine For in the Divinity of the Trinity itself there is a perArchetype and Pattern for the being and acting of male fect unity of nature and being, with real distinctions beand female within the order of creation.
Sin The word sin means literally “missing the mark.” It means the failure to be what one should be and to do what one should do. Originally man was made to be the created image of God, to live in union with God’s divine life, and to rule over all creation. Man’s failure in this task is his sin which has also been called his fall.
The “fall” of man means that man failed in his God-given vocation. This is the meaning of Gen 3. Man was seduced by evil (the serpent) into believing that he could be “like God” by his own will and effort.
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In the Orthodox tradition the eating of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” is generally interpreted as man’s actual taste of evil, his literal experience of evil as such. Sometimes, this eating is also interpreted (as by St. Gregory the Theologian) as man’s attempt to go beyond what was possible for him; his attempt to do that which was not yet within his power to realize.
the children of Adam, i.e. all who belong to the human race, share in this tragic fate. Even those born this very minute as images of God into a world essentially good are thrown immediately into a deathbound universe, ruled by the devil and filled with the wicked fruit of generations of his evil servants.
This is the fundamental message: man and the world Whatever the details of the various interpretations of need to be saved. God gives the promise of salvation the Genesis story, it is the clear doctrine of Ortho- from the very beginning, the promise which begins to doxy that man has failed in his original vocation. He be fulfilled in history in the person of Abraham, the disobeyed God’s command through pride, jealousy and father of Israel, the forefather of Christ. the lack of humble gratitude to God by yielding to the And the Lord said… to Abram [later named Abraham] temptation of Satan. Thus man sinned. He “missed the “I will make you a great nation… and by you all the fammark” of his calling. He transgressed the Law of God ilies of the earth will be blessed (Gen 12:3; also 22:15). (see 1 Jn 3:4). And so he ruined both himself and the creation which he was given to care for and to cultivate. Abraham believed God; and from him came the people By his sin-and his sins—man brings himself and all cre- of Israel from whom, according to the flesh, came Jesus ation under the rule of evil and death. Christ the Saviour and Lord of Creation (see Lk 1:55, 73; Rom 4; Gal 3). In the Bible and in Orthodox theology these elements always go together: sin, evil, the devil, suffering and The entire history of the Old Testament finds its fulfilldeath. There is never one without the other, and all are ment in Jesus. All that happened to the chosen children the common result of man’s rebellion against God and of Abraham happened in view of the eventual and final his loss of communion with Him. This is the primary destruction of sin and death by Christ. The covenants meaning of Gen 3 and the chapters which follow until of God with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (whose name the calling of Abraham. Sin begets still more sin and was changed to Israel which means “the one who strugeven greater evil. It brings cosmic disharmony, the ulti- gles with God); the twelve tribes of Israel; the story of mate corruption and death of everyone and everything. Joseph; the passover, exodus and reception of God’s Man still remains the created image of God—this can- Law by Moses; the entrance into the promised land by not be changed—but he fails to keep his image pure Joshua; the founding of Jerusalem and the building of and to retain the divine likeness. He defiles his human- the temple by David and Solomon; the judges, kings, ity with evil, perverts it and deforms it so that it cannot prophets and priests; everything in the Old Testament be the pure reflection of God that it was meant to be. history of God’s chosen people finds its final purpose The world also remains good, indeed “very good,” but it and meaning in the birth, life, death, resurrection, asshares the sorry consequences of its created master’s sin cension and glorification of God’s only Son Jesus the and suffers with him in mortal agony and corruption. Messiah. He is the one who comes from the Father to Thus, through man’s sin the whole world falls under the save the people from their sins, to open their tombs and rule of Satan and “lies in wickedness” (1 Jn 5:19; see also to grant eternal life to all creation. Rom 5:12). The series The Orthodox Faith is intended to provide basic,
The Genesis story is the divinely-inspired description comprehensive information on the faith and the life of the in symbolic terms of man’s primordial and original pos- Orthodox Church for the average reader. The author is Fr. sibilities and failures. It reveals that man’s potency for Thomas Hopko, Dean Emeritus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, eternal growth and development in God was turned Crestwood, NY. instead into man’s multiplication and cultivation of These articles are available as a set of four books—commonly wickedness and his transformation of creation into the known as the Rainbow Series and are available for purchase. devil’s princedom, a cosmic cemetery “groaning in tra- Please speak with Father if you are interested. vail” until saved once more by God (Rom 8:19-23). All ~11~
An Orthodox monk and his horse. Photo by Katerina Man’shine.
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