DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF ST. JOHN, ARCHBISHOP OF SHANGHAI AND SAN
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ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN WITNESS (USPS 412-260)
is published monthly by St. Nectarios American Orthodox Cathedral,
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JUNE 2006, Vol. XL, No. 6(1561)
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. PENTECOST 2006 SERMON OF METROPOLITAN MOSES
2. MINISTRIES OF SERVICE
3. ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM: HOMILY ON ST. MATTHEW
4. NEW ITEMS FROM THE BOOK CENTER
When the soul cleaves to the lord, and the Lord pities and loves,
coming to it and cleaving to it, and the intention from that time
remains continually faithful to the grace of the Lord, they become one
spirit, one composite thing, one intention, the soul and the Lord; and
while the body belonging to it is prostrate upon earth, the intention
of the soul has its conversation wholly in the heavenly Jerusalem,
mounting even to the third heaven, and cleaving to the Lord, and
ministering to Him there. And He, while sitting in the throne of
majesty on high, in the heavenly city, is wholly in company with the
soul, in the body that belongs to it.
Saint Macarius the Great
1. 2006 PENTECOST SERMON OF
METROPOLITAN MOSES OF SEATTLE
This great day of Pentecost is the culmination of the purpose of
the incarnation. The New Adam, Christ, has lead the way, trampling down
death by self-sacrificing love, He has risen and Ascended in the human
nature that He put on for our sake. And now our Savior sends the
Comforting Spirit.
In the scriptural readings for the feast, the Holy Spirit is described
by different and contradictory words, in the Gospel His indwelling is
described as "rivers of living water" and in the reading from the Acts
of the Apostles the Holy Spirit descends in the form of tongues of
fire. This is to demonstrate that the operation and action of the Holy
Spirit is diverse: manifesting cooling refreshment in some cases and
fiery zeal and enlightenment in others. The tongues of men were
confounded at the building of the Tower of old and now by the grace of
God, the fiery tongues illumine the Apostles in order to bring all men
into unity.
The grace of the Holy Spirit was in the Old Testament, but in a
different manner. Our Savior Himself articulated the difference when
told the Apostles, "He is with you and shall be in you." (John 14:17)
In the New Testament dispensation the gift of the Spirit is the gift of
the indwelling of God. The great day of Pentecost was the beginning of
the Priesthood of the New Testament. It was only after this, that
the Apostles began to "break bread" that is, to offer the Mystery of
Holy Communion for the faithful to partake of and, 'be permeated with
the fragrance of Christ,' as Saint John Chrysostom has said. In one
sense we are all part of a priesthood, by the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit, as Saint Peter wrote in his First Catholic Epistle:
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people for His possession; that ye should show forth the praises of Him
Who hath called you out of darkness into His wondrous light; Who in
time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; who had not
obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."
Not all perform the Mystery of the priesthood, but all participate and
partake of this Mystery in the bond of love. The Holy Mysteries are a
corporate act of the entire Church, in the bond of love. "Where two or
three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of
them." (Matth 18:20) And "Many grains become one bread," in the words
of Saint Cyprian of Carthage.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit were given on this day of Pentecost, but also
the very structure of the Church was established. Because we live in an
age of confusion, it is essential to our salvation for us to understand
this structure.
The Church structure was not set up as one would set up an earthly
organization. For example, the founding fathers of this country
examined all of the various pertinent forms of government, discussed
their advantages and disadvantages and chose to set up a republic with
elected representational leadership. In other words they looked at
already existing structures and decided from among them.
It was not so with the Apostles. The structure of the Church is not the
work of the minds of men, but an embodiment of the mystical reality of
the faithful participating in the Body and Blood of Christ. The very
word Church, in the epistles of Saint Paul, refers to the Eucharistic
gathering in the local city. The Eucharist is central to all.
As it is written in the 6th Chapter of the gospel of Saint John "The
Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give
us His flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Amen, amen, I say unto
you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye
have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath
everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh
is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh,
and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him." (John 6:52-56)
The local Church partakes of Spirit through the unity that is embodied
in the Eucharist through the local bishop. The priests perform every
Mystery in the name of the local bishop and are his ambassadors. Saint
Ignatius of Antioch speaks of this charism in his epistle to the
Ephesians:
Come together in common, one and all without exception in love, in one
faith and in one Jesus Christ - so that with undivided mind you may
obey the bishop and the priest, and break one Bread which is the
medicine of immortality and the antidote to death, enabling us to live
forever in Jesus Christ." (St. Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to
Ephesians Chapter 20)
And, again, in his epistle to the Smyrneans:
Apart from the bishop, let no one perform any function pertaining to
the Church. Let the Eucharist be held true which is offered by the
bishop or one to whom the bishop has committed this charge. Wherever
the bishop appears, there let the people be; as wherever Christ is,
there is the Catholic Church. (St. Ignatius of Antioch's Epistle to the
Smyrneans Chapter 8)
How are we to understand this authority? All priestly authority flows
from Christ. It is commonly understood in the Orthodox Church that when
one kisses the hand of a bishop or a priest he is kissing the hand not
of the individual person but the hand of Christ through the person who
holds this office. There is a humorous story of one of one occasion
when an illustrious warrior prince of Serbia approached a priest for a
blessing. The priest was from a rustic background and not very
understanding, so he protested and said 'you should not kiss my hand.'
The warrior prince replied, 'You numbskull, I am not kissing your hand,
I am kissing the hand of a priest!'
Saint Antony the Great was the most greatly renowned ascetic of his
day, yet he had chosen to never receive ordination. Whenever any of the
clergy visited him, even if it were a deacon, he would give them first
place because of their office in the Church and would ask them for a
word of edification. -So much did the men of God respect the clerical
ranks found in the Church.
For the sake of humility, the various offices in the primitive Church
were seen as ministering (diakoniai) service. There is an old parable
that demonstrates how the clergy should be humble that Photios
Kontoglou used to like to retell that goes something like this:
'There was a large wonder working icon that was placed on a mule for
the sake of transporting it from one place to another. On the way, from
time to time, some of the faithful met the icon and bowed and made the
sign of the cross over themselves. After some time, the mule began to
attribute these bows to himself. The owner of the mule then understood
what was happening and took the icon off of the mule and gave it a few
cracks of the whip.'
It is good for any of us who perform a service for the Church to
remember this parable and not behave like the mule.
In one of his homilies, Saint Makarios the Great admonishes:
"...Suppose there were a king, who entrusted his treasure to some poor
man. The man who received the charge of it does not hold it for his
own, but always acknowledges his poverty, not daring to squander out of
another's treasure. He bears continually in mind, not only that the
treasure is another's, but "it was a mighty king who entrusted me with
it, and whenever he pleases he takes it away from me." So ought those
who have the grace of God to esteem themselves, to be humble-minded and
to acknowledge their poverty. As the poor man who received the charge
of the treasure from the king, if he presumes upon the treasure that
belongs to another, and is proud as if [the] wealth was his own, and
his heart conceives arrogance, the king takes away his treasure, and
the man who had it in charge is left poor as he was before; so if those
who have grace presume, and their hearts are puffed up, the Lord takes
His grace from them, and they are left such as they were before
receiving the grace from the Lord." (Homily 15 of Saint Makarios the
Great)
The Apostle Paul himself, in his epistle to the Corinthians, makes it
clear that no Church authority is subject to cults of personalities,
but we begin and end in Christ, the Alpha and Omega:
"For when one saith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are ye
not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom
ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted,
Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that
planteth any thing, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the
increase. But he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and every
man shall receive his own wage, according to his own labour." (1Cor
3:1-8)
The office of bishop is seen as a service to the Church, but it also
carries with it a great responsibility and authority. As it says in the
resurrection account of the Gospel of Saint John: "And when He had said
this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy
Spirit: Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and
whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." (John 20:22-23)
We see clearly from Church History, the canons and the very
ecclesiastical arrangement of the Church that bishops are required to
be judges. This is not a light matter. Saint Photios the Great,
lamented being elected Patriarch of Constantinople and wrote to Pope
Nicholas, "...How can I not mourn that previous peaceful life, now
lost? I knew from the first that the Patriarchal throne was exceedingly
stormy and surrounded by great cares. I knew of the difficulties of
governing the masses of the people, their mutual quarrels, their envy,
rebellions, and mutterings if something is not to their liking, and the
scorn and haughtiness that follow unless one gives them their own way.
What am I to do now that I have been placed in power? At times I will
have to be strict even towards friends; I will have to disregard even
kinsmen since I must be sharp and hard with transgressors. All of this
will bring out their hatred and envy...." (The Life of Saint Photios
the Great By Justin Popovich, from the On The Mystagogy of the Holy
Spirit, Translated by Holy Transfiguration Monastery Boston, Studion
Publishers 1983, Page 44.)
The saint knew full well that he would be judged if he did not exercise
the responsibility of judging rightly that was given to him, as the
Holy Spirit spoke through the Prophet Moses:
"Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment. Thou shalt not respect the
person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty, but in
righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor." (Leviticus 19:15)
The greater the authority in the Church, the more fearful the
responsibility, as our Savior said, "For unto whomsoever much is given,
of him shall be much required: and to whom they have committed much, of
him they will ask the more." (Luke 12:48)
Because we live in the west and perhaps some may be influenced by the
ecclesiastical culture of the heterodox that surround us it is
important to note the abuses against Church structure in western
Christendom.
The first abuse against the episcopate, properly understood, was when
the Church in Rome attempted to claim supreme authority over the Church
and subject all bishops of the world to the notion of "papal
supremacy." In doing this, the then reigning bishop in Rome sinned
against the conciliar structure of the hierarchy. From the very
beginning the Apostles and their successors the bishops gathered in
council to resolve difficulties in the Church. As the decree from the
first council in Jerusalem expressed it, "For it seemed good to the
Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these
necessary things..." (Acts 15:28)
The next deviation from the structure of the Church that existed from
the time of the Apostles came from Protestantism, that 16th century
phenomenon which rejected Holy Tradition and based all of its new ideas
on the premise that the Bible is subject to private interpretation.
(This is contrary to Saint Peter's admonition, "Beloved, know this
first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not of old time by the will of man; but holy men
of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (2Peter 1:20-21)
The Protestant Episcopalians, broke from Rome and maintained some
semblance of a hierarchical, that is, a Top--down, structure, but
ignored canonical precedent.
The Presbyterians, adopted a Bottom-Up structure, democratically
electing their leaders without any input from a higher authority. These
leaders were given the title, "elder," and had the authority to preach,
teach and administer. Each congregation would send representatives to
general assemblies. These general assemblies would be the highest
authority for them, without any regard to tradition.
The Congregationalists emphasized the right and responsibility of each
local congregation to make its own decisions concerning its own affairs
and details of doctrine without having reference to tradition or a
higher authority. This structure here is neither Top-Down nor
Bottom-Up, but every congregation for itself.
Thus, the laity have the initiative in a Congregationalist structure,
just as the ministers have it among the Presbyterians, just as the
bishops (supposedly) have it among the Episcopalians - hence the names
(originally nicknames) for these denominations - congregation,
presbyter, episcopus, being the core of the nick-name.
We live in a country that began with Protestant origins and are
presently in the midst of a culture war between those that believe in
some authority in the Bible and humanists that do not believe in
objective truth. Since neither of these groups understands Traditional
Orthodoxy, we need to know and understand our faith in a profound way
so as not to be infected by their erring beliefs, that is, not be drawn
off of the royal highway of Orthodoxy, either to the left or to the
right.
The descent of the Holy Spirit was a manifestation of extraordinary
Grace and the teaching of the Holy Trinity. Let us proclaim the Holy
Trinity by our unity. Let us seek unity through the bond of love and
the grace of the Eucharist, understanding that all of the ministries
and gifts of the Church were established by Christ Himself through the
Apostles. Let Holy Tradition be our guide and not the confused ideas of
the nations that surround us.
Amen.
_______________________________________________________________________
2. MINISTRIES OF SERVICE
From "Eucharist, Bishop, Church" By John D. Zizoulas, Page 60-61
But here too, as has been remarked in another case, Christ is a
great paradox in His relationship with the Church. While He is
worshipped in heaven, He is at the same time present on earth and in
the Eucharist, thus transforming the heavenly state into an earthly and
historical reality. Thus Eucharistic worship on earth does not
constitute a reality parallel to that of heaven, but is the heavenly
worship itself (mystical identity). In precisely the same way, the
paradox of the relationship between Christ and the church is also
extend to the forms of ministry. The fact that the ministries in the
primitive Church were always understood in humility as "ministries of
service" (diakoniai) does not mean that they were devoid of authority.
In precisely the same way as the heavenly worship was truly represented
typologically in the Eucharist on earth so the authority of Christ was
truly reflected in the ministers of the Church. The Church ministries,
therefore, were not understood as existing in parallel with Christ's
authority, but as expressing the very authority of Christ. As the one
Lord and ruler of the Church, Christ does not govern in parallel with
an ecclesiastical administration on earth, but through it and in it.
The ministries that exist are antitypes and mystical radiations of the
very authority of Christ, the only minister par excellence. The rank of
Apostle, for example, was not understood in the primitive Church as an
authority existing in parallel with the authority of Christ, but as the
very authority of Christ. In a similar manner the bishop, as we shall
see shortly, was understood as occupying the "place of God" and as the
"image of Christ." In this way, Christ remained the only minister and
the only one holding authority in the Church. Ministries had no
authority except as images and representatives of Christ. This makes
the Church a theocratic unity. But this authority of Christ was not
expressed except through the ministers of the Church; the law of which
had a human as well as a divine character. This was made possible
mainly because of the Divine Eucharist which identified heavenly
worship with earthly and Christ with His Church in a manner that was
mystical and real.
So thanks to the Eucharist and, therefore, chiefly in it, the various
forms of ministry grew up in the primitive Church, and these in turn
gave rise to the various "orders" in the Church and produced her law as
a strictly Christocentric reality. All the ministries of Christ were
reflected as historical realities in the Church in a way that created
order and, therefore, "orders." In other words, while Christ was
identified with the whole Church which was His body, and, therefore,
all the members of the Church were "sharers in Christ," the powers or
ministries of Christ were not expressed through all these members, but
through certain ones. Thus Christ was regarded as the "apostle," but
this did not mea
n that in His Body all were apostles. Christ was the "teacher," in the
Church there were not "many teachers." He was the deacon, but this
property of His was expressed through a particular order which received
a special charism for this. This held good for all the ministries of
Christ which are mystically reflected in the Church. In the same way,
the unity of the Church came to be the unity of a body, but in
diversity of charismata which is equivalent to a unity in law and
hierarchy.
This title is available from St. Nectarios Press.
________________________________________________________________________
3. ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM: HOMILY 19 ON ST. MATTHEW
Translated by Rev. Sir George Prevost, Bt., 1851.
Revised American edition by Rev. Matthew B. Riddle, 1888.
"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of
them." [Matt. 6:1]
1. He roots out in what remains the most tyrannical passion of
all, the rage and madness with respect to vainglory, which springs up
in them that do right. For at first He had not at all discoursed about
it; it being indeed superfluous, before He had persuaded them to do any
of the things which they ought, to teach in which way they should
practise and pursue them.
But after He had led them on to self-command, then He proceeds to purge
away also the alloy which secretly subsists with it. For this disease
is by no means of random birth; but when we have duly performed many of
the commandments.
It behooved therefore first to implant virtue, and then to remove the
passion which mars its fruit.
And see with what He begins, with fasting, and prayer, and almsgiving:
for in these good deeds most especially it is wont to make its haunt.
The Pharisee, for instance, was hereby puffed up, who saith, "I fast
twice a week, I give tithes of my substance." [Luke 19:12] And he was
vainglorious too in his very prayer, making it for display. For since
there was no one else present, he pointed himself out to the publican,
saying, "I am not as the rest of men, nor even as this publican."
And mark how Christ began, as though He were speaking of some wild
beast, hard to catch, and crafty to deceive him who was not very
watchful. Thus, "take heed," saith He, "as to your alms." So Paul also
speaks to the Philippians; "Beware of dogs." [Philippians 3:2] And with
reason, for the evil beast comes in upon us secretly, and without noise
puffs all away, and unobservedly carries out all that is within.
Forasmuch then as He had made much discourse about almsgiving, and
brought forward God, "Who maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the
good," [Matt. 5:45] and by motives from all quarters had urged them on
to this, and had persuaded them to exult in the abundance of their
giving; He finishes by taking away also all things that encumber this
fair olive tree. For which same cause He saith, "Take heed that ye do
not your alms before men," for that which was before mentioned, is
"God's" almsgiving.
2. And when He had said, "not to do it before
men," He added, "to be seen of them." And though it seems as if the
same thing were said a second time, yet if any one give particular
attention, it is not the same thing, but one is different from the
other; and it hath great security, and unspeakable care and tenderness.
For it may be, both that one doing alms before men may not do it to be
seen of them, and again that one not doing it before men may do it to
be seen of them. Wherefore it is not simply the thing, but the intent,
which He both punishes and rewards. And unless such exactness were
employed, this would make many more backward about the giving of alms,
because it is not on every occasion altogether possible to do it
secretly. For this cause, setting thee free from this restraint, He
defines both the penalty and the reward not by the result of the
action, but by the intention of the doer.
That is, that thou mayest not say, "What? am I then the worse, should
another see?"--"it is not this," saith He, "that I am seeking, but the
mind that is in thee, and the tone of what thou doest." For His will is
to bring our soul altogether into frame, and to deliver it from every
disease. Now having, as you see, forbidden men's acting for display,
and having taught them the penalty thence ensuing, namely, to do it
vainly, and for nought, He again rouses their spirits by putting them
in mind of the Father, and of Heaven, that not by the loss alone He
might sting them, but also shame them by the recollection of Him who
gave them being.
"For ye have no reward," saith He, "with your Father which is in
Heaven." [Matt. 6:1]
Nor even at this did He stop, but proceeds yet further, by other
motives also increasing their disgust. For as above He set forth
publicans and heathens, by the quality of the person shaming their
imitators, so also in this place the hypocrites.
"Therefore when thou doest thine alms," saith He, "do not sound a
trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do." [Matt. 6:2]
Not that they had trumpets, but He means to display the greatness of
their frenzy, by the use of this figure of speech, deriding and making
a shows of them hereby.
And well hath He called them "hypocrites" for the mask was of mercy,
but the spirit of cruelty and inhumanity. For they do it, not because
they pity their neighbors, but that they themselves may enjoy credit;
and this came of the utmost cruelty; while another was perishing with
hunger, to be seeking vainglory, and not putting an end to his
suffering.
It is not then the giving alms which is required, but the giving as one
ought, the giving for such and such an end.
Having then amply derided those men, and having handled them so, that
the hearer should be even ashamed of them, He again corrects thoroughly
the mind which is so distempered: and having said how we ought not to
act, He signifies on the other hand how we ought to act. How then ought
we to do our alms?
"Let not thy left hand know," saith He, "what thy right hand doeth."
[Matt. 6:3]
Here again His enigmatical meaning is not of the hands, but He hath put
the thing hyperbolically. As thus: "If it can be," saith He, "for
thyself not to know it, let this be the object of thine endeavor; that,
if it were possible, it may be concealed from the very hands that
minister." It is not, as some say, that we should hide it from
wrong-headed [skaioús, "on the left hand"] men, for He hath here
commanded that it should be concealed from all.
And then the reward too; consider how great it is. For after He had
spoken of the punishment from the one, He points out also the honor
derived from the other; from either side urging them, and leading them
on to high lessons. Yea, for He is persuading them to know that God is
everywhere present, and that not by our present life are our interests
limited, but a yet more awful tribunal will receive us when we go
hence, and the account of all our doings, and honors, and punishments:
and that no one will be hid in doing anything either great or small,
though he seem to be hid from men. For all this did He darkly signify,
when He said,
"Thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." [Matt.
6:4]
Setting for him a great and august assemblage of spectators, and what
He desires, that very thing bestowing on him in great abundance. "For
what," saith He, "dost thou wish? is it not to have some to be
spectators of what is going on? Behold then, thou hast some; not
angels, nor archangels, but the God of all." And if thou desire to have
men also as spectators, neither of this desire doth He deprive thee at
the fitting season, but rather in greater abundance affords it unto
thee. For, if thou shouldest now make a display, thou wilt be able to
make it to ten only, or twenty, or (we will say) a hundred persons: but
if thou take pains to lie hid now, God Himself will then proclaim thee
in the presence of the whole universe. Wherefore above all, if thou
wilt have men see thy good deeds, hide them now, that then all may look
on them with the more honor, God making them manifest, and extolling
them, and proclaiming them before all. Again, whereas now they that
behold will rather condemn thee as vainglorious; when they see thee
crowned, so far from condemning, they will even admire thee, all of
them. When therefore by waiting a little, thou mayest both receive a
reward, and reap greater admiration; consider what folly it is to cast
thyself out of both these; and while thou art seeking thy reward from
God, and while God is beholding, to summon men for the display of what
is going on. Why, if display must be made of our love, to our Father
above all should we make it; and this most especially, when our Father
hath the power both to crown and to punish.
And let me add, even were there no penalty, it were not meet for him
who desires glory, to let go this our theatre, and take in exchange
that of men. For who is there so wretched, as that when the king was
hastening to come and see his achievements, he would let him go, and
make up his assembly of spectators of poor men and beggars? For this
cause then, He not only commands to make no display, but even to take
pains to be concealed: it not being at all the same, not to strive for
publicity, and to strive for concealment.
3. "And when ye pray," saith He, "ye shall not be as the hypocrites,
for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of
the streets. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward." [Matt.
6:5]
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast
shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret." [Matt. 6:6]
These too again He calls "hypocrites," and very fitly; for while they
are feigning to pray to God, they are looking round after men; wearing
the garb not of suppliants, but of ridiculous persons. For he, who is
to do a suppliant's office, letting go all other, looks to him alone,
who hath power to grant his request. But if thou leave this one, and go
about wandering and casting around thine eyes everywhere, thou wilt
depart with empty hands. For this was thine own will. Wherefore He said
not, "such shall not receive a reward," but, "they have it out:" that
is, they shall indeed receive one, but from those of whom they
themselves desire to have it. For God wills not this: He rather for His
part was willing to bestow on men the recompence that comes from
Himself; but they seeking that which is from men, can be no longer
justly entitled to receive from Him, for whom they have done nothing.
But mark, I pray thee, the lovingkindness of God, in that He promises
to bestow on us a reward, even for those good things which we ask of
Him.
Having then discredited them, who order not this duty as they ought,
both from the place and from their disposition of mind, and having
shown that they are very ridiculous: He introduces the best manner of
prayer, and again gives the reward, saying, "Enter into thy closet."
"What then," it may be said, "ought we not to pray in church?" Indeed
we ought by all means, but in such a spirit as this. Because everywhere
God seeks the intention of all that is done. Since even if thou
shouldest enter into thy closet, and having shut the door, shouldest do
it for display, the doors will do thee no good.
It is worth observing in this case also, how exact the definition,
which He made when He said, "That they may appear unto men." So that
even if thou shut the doors, this He desires thee duly to perform,
rather than the shutting of the doors, even to shut the doors of the
mind. For as in everything it is good to be freed from vainglory, so
most especially in prayer. For if even without this, we wander and are
distracted, when shall we attend unto the things which we are saying,
should we enter in having this disease also? And if we who pray and
beseech attend not, how do we expect God to attend?
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4.NEW ITEMS FROM THE BOOK CENTER
(CI) THE CHURCH'S IDENTITY: Established through Images according
to Saint John Chrysostom by Protopresbyter Gus George Christo. This
work views St. John Chrysostom's conception of the Church through
human, social and natural images. The scriptural nature of St. John's
imagery offers a clear conception of the Church's origins, connection
with the Old Testament and its relationship to the Triune God, the
Saints and the Martyrs of both the Old and New Testament. An excellent
treatise. Paper 444pp. d$23.00
(MOA) MONUMENTS OF ORTHODOXY IN ALBANIA by Georgios
K. Giakoumis, photographs by Grigoris Vlassas. The documentation of a
trip made in the mid 1990's to the sites of all of the Orthodox
churches and monasteries in Albania. Although many are ruins, there are
some fine examples of Byzantine iconography and architecture. Many
full-color illustrations and maps and a well-written description of
each site. 193pp. Large format Cloth e$90.00
Quantities limited.
(TM77) TCHAIKOVSKIJ: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
and GRETCHANINOV: Vespers. The Liturgy is chanted by the National
Choir of the Ukraine "Dumka", and Vespers by the Bulgarian Mixed Choir.
A 2-CD set of beautiful Slavic chant. e$15.00