Vol: 5 Issue: 12
Kiahk 1728 / Dec 2011
The Syrian Orthodox Church
Its contributions to the ascetic life By: H.H. Mor Ignatius Yacoub III This Church strengthened the Ascetic life and founded from the 4th Century onwards hundreds of monasteries which were occupied by thousands of monks and nuns who trained themselves in the virtues of piety, celibacy, chastity, humility, obedience, silence, self-imposed poverty, fasting and prayer. Besides, they bestowed favour upon human society by taking a deep interest in education and the arts. An everlasting wealth is found in the thousands of volumes of manuscripts which they wrote. While they instructed many people, they attracted many others to the Christian fold. We can realise the magnitude of the activities of this Church in this field from the fact that, in the fifth century, there were in the mountain of Edessa alone three hundred monasteries occupied by ninety thousand monks, in St. Matthew's monastery east of Mosul-Iraq twelve thousand, and in the following century there were six thousand and three hundred monks in St. Basus monastery near Homs, Syria. In the same period, one hundred and thirty-five abbots in southern Syria signed the declaration of faith. We are sure that the number of our monks and nuns in that golden age was about six hundred thousand. The most famous one among these monasteries is the monastery of St. Mark in Jerusalem, because it is the very house of Mary the mother of John-Mark, where our Lord Jesus Christ observed the Passover and His Last Supper, washed the feet of His disciples and entrusted to them the Sacrament of his body and blood. To this house he came after His Resurrection, while the doors were closed, and granted His disciples the Holy Priesthood. After his Ascension, the disciples gathered together along with His mother and brothers in this house to pray regularly, and it was here that the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Afterwards it was consecrated a Church in the name of our
Lady. A Syriac Estrangelo inscription of the sixth century engraved on the inside of the right hand side of the entrance to this Church confirms this fact. This inscription was discovered in September of 1940 when the old plasterwork of the Church was removed for renovation. The following is its correct translation: - "THIS IS THE HOUSE OF MARY THE MOTHER OF JOHN SURNAMED MARK. AFTER THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST TO HEAVEN, THE APOSTLES CONSECRATED IT INTO A CHURCH AFTER THE NAME OF MARY, GOD-BEARER." It was rebuilt in 73 A.D. after king Titus had destroyed Jerusalem.
Congratulations
to all the Year 12 Students for their results
Year 12 boys having dinner at the monastery the night before their results Joined by Fr Wissa & Fr Joshua Tadros. Page 2
Congratulations to Fr Joshua’s First Liturgy
On Sat 3 Dec 2011
New Publication Available in February The Crucified Jesus is a 20th century classic that has been finally made available in the English language. It is a group of contemplation on the events that took place during Holy Week. The last chapter has contemplations of the last words of Christ on the Cross.
Makes a Great Read for Lent Page 3
On How the Beauty of Monastic Life Is Preserved and On How It Can Be a Means for God to Be Glorified By: St Isaac the Syrian
The monk ought to be in his appearance and all his actions an exemplar of profit to those who see him, so that by reason of his many virtues which shine forth like sunbeams, the enemies of truth, when they look upon him, will involuntarily confess that the hope of salvation which the Christians have is firm and unshakeable, and from every side will run to him as a refuge. And so the horn of the Church will be exalted over Her enemies, and many will be moved to emulation of his virtue, and will come forth from out of the world; and he will be venerable among all because of the beauty of his life so that on his account the mouth of the sons of the Church will be opened and their head will be exalted above all religions. For the boast of the Church of Christ is the monastic way of life. In every aspect, therefore, the beauties of a monk's life should shine forth, namely: in elevation above the visible world; scrupulous non-possessiveness; perfect contempt of the flesh; sublime fasting; constancy in silence; orderly discipline of the senses; careful watch over the sight; the cutting off of all contention with any man over anything pertaining to this age; brevity in speech; purity from the remembrance of wrongs; simplicity with discernment; sincerity and ingenuousness of the heart coupled with sound judgment, alertness, and acumen. And further, the following is proper to him: to know that the present life is unavailing and fleeting, and that the true and spiritual life is near at hand; not to be known or observed by men; not to fetter himself by companionship and union with any man; to have a quiet dwelling-place, a cramped abode, paltry and mean possessions; to flee men always like a wild ass, and unflaggingly to persevere in prayers and readings; not to love honour, nor to rejoice in guests; not to bind himself with this life; courageously to endure temptations; to divorce himself from worldly rumours and from inquiries into worldly affairs; continually to take thought for and to keep in mind his true country; to have a sad and furrowed countenance; to weep without pause day and night; and more than all these, in things both small and great to keep guard over his chastity and to cleanse himself from gluttony. For these are a monk's manifest beauties stated in brief, and they bear witness to his dying utterly to the world and his nearness to God. We ought at all times, therefore, to give thought to these virtues and acquire them for ourselves. But if someone should ask what need have I to state these things separately and not speak about them generally and in brief, I answer that it is done of necessity, in order that when a man, who takes care for his life, looks for one of the aforesaid things in his soul to find whether he is lacking in one of them, he may learn his deficiency in each virtue from these distinctions, and this list will serve as a Page 4
reminder to him. And should he acquire in himself all the virtues stated, then knowledge of others also, which I have not mentioned, will be granted to him. And he will be, for men and the holy angels, a cause for ascribing glory to God. Thus from here, before he departs from this life, he will prepare for his soul a place of repose. To our God be glory unto the ages. Amen. (From: The ascetical homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian, homily eleven)
Boys from St Mark Church
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Fasting as the Beginning of All Virtues By: Patrik Hagman “In a full belly there is no knowledge of the mysteries of God” By: St Isaac the Syrian Of all forms of ascetic techniques that St Isaac employs, fasting is probably the one that is most difficult to understand for modern man. This is due to some important differences between our time and that of St Isaac. First, the understanding of how the body works, and the use of food, is completely different. While we today understand that there are certain parts of our diet that are bad for us (like sugar and saturated fats), we take for granted that food on the whole is essential and good for us. Ancient man had a completely different view. Peter Brown gives a good description of the understanding of the ancients: The ascetics of late antiquity tended to view the human body as an ‘autarkic’ system. In ideal conditions, it was thought capable or running on its own ‘heat’; it would need only enough nourishment to keep that heat alive. In its ‘natural’ state ― a state with which ascetics tended to identify the bodies of Adam and Eve ― the body had acted like a finely tuned engine, capable of ‘idling’ indefinitely. It was only the twisted will of fallen men that had crammed the body with unnecessary food, thereby generating in it the dire surplus of energy that showed itself in physical appetite, in anger, and in the sexual urge. In reducing to which he had been accustomed, the ascetic slowly remade his body. He turned into an exactly calibrated instrument. In other words, for the ancients, eating as little as possible was not seen as a way to destroy or harm the body, it was considered a way to give it back its natural health. There is the famous description of Antony the Great, who, when coming out of the desert fortress after twenty years of serious fasting, looked exactly the same as when he entered. The successful ascetic was probably regarded with the same envy as those who today are constantly able to keep a balanced and healthy diet. Isaac considers fasting to be the foundation of all virtues. Fasting makes it hard to sleep, which means it will be easier to practise vigils. Out of fasting, the will to pray is born. It helps to preserve chastity. Fasting makes the ascetic penitent. The person who despises fasting will also be weak in all the virtues. All this known to everybody, St Isaac says, indicating the strong tradition of fasting he is living in. St Isaac sums up the importance of fasting thus: This means that a man, who is wise, shall lay down a fair law for his belly, by sitting alone, untroubled, constantly. Proceeding from here he will reach the subduing of the senses, then watchfulness of the mind, then calming of brutish Page 6
passions moving in the body, then quiet thought, then enlightened impulses of the spirit. Then application to excellent works, high and subtle images in the mind. In brief: the liberation of the true man and the renewal of the soul and the resurrection with Christ in the Kingdom. So fasting For St Isaac the Syrian, lays down the foundation on which the entire ascetic project is built. If this foundation is weak, then everything that follows it will be unstable as well. (From: Patrik Hagman “The Asceticism of Isaac of Nineveh� Oxford University Press)
Servants prep class from Archangel Michael Church
Right: Boys from QLD at the monastery
Arch angel Michael Church boys during a retreat at the monastery Page 7
H.E. Met. Malki’s visit to the Monastery Bishop Anba Daniel and the fathers of the monastery thank H.E. Met Malki very much for his visit and for bringing his congregation with him. H.E. has promised to make this a yearly event.
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