Is there spiritual life and sanctity today?

By  Archimandrite Kyrillos, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Essex 

My immediate answer to both parts of this question is a very affirmative ‘Yes’. God does not change. Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and for ever. And the nature of human beings has not changed either. Since Adam, humans are dignified with such a power over their own destiny that they can to a great degree turn their backs on God, on spiritual life, on the quest for holiness. But until the end of the world, there will always be people who, even if they are in the minority, will call down God’s grace upon the earth and their fellow humans. That the world continues is proof that there is holiness today. Saint Silouan said, ‘I tell you that when there are no more men of prayer on earth, the world will come to an end.’

In other words, spiritual life, and holiness, which is its fruit, do not exist only in the past. We can see holiness in our predecessors and learn from them, but we are not examining spiritual life like an exhibit in a historical museum. It is a living reality to which we are all called. Every human being has a spiritual dimension. God is not partial: He calls each one into existence with personal love, and endows each human with the potential to share His own life. St. Peter using the terminology of his time said that we are called to ‘become partakers of the divine nature’ [2 Peter 1:4]. And that is what holiness is: ‘Be holy, for I am Holy, and I will that you have all that I have, unreservedly.’ This is God’s invitation to us all, whatever our place in society, or our rank in the Church: the rank of the laity, or that of the clergy. St. Silouan writes: ‘Everyone in this world has his task to perform, be he king or patriarch, cook, blacksmith or teacher, but the Lord Whose love extends to everyone of us will give greater reward to the man whose love for God is greater.’  And again: ‘Not everyone can be an emperor or a prince; not everyone can be a patriarch or an abbot, or a leader; but in every walk of life we can love God and be pleasing to Him, and only this is important.’

Spiritual life is life which takes into account the spiritual dimension of human beings. Working at our relationship with God is not like a hobby for a certain category of person, as people say, ‘He or she is the religious type’. It is not an optional extra. It is what makes our life really human. Biology and psychology, when they exclude the divine input into the human make-up, give an incomplete picture. Secular man is merely a superior animal, and actually sub-human. Without spiritual effort we will not cultivate our spirit. It cannot be obliterated, but it can be stifled and atrophied, ignored or denied. Only if we live a life which is spiritual will we ever be fully ourselves, fully reintegrated as persons. Spiritual life includes our psychological and our physical aspects. What I think and do on every level of existence affects my soul. And when my soul is touched by God’s grace, my thinking, my feeling and my body are also blessed.

"Πολλές φορές ψυχραίνονται οἱ σχέσεις μεταξύ τοῦ ζευγαριοῦ. Πῶς εἶναι δυνατόν νά ἀντιμετωπισθεῖ αὐτή ἡ κρίσις;"

ΜΑΚΑΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΓΕΡΩΝ ΑΡΣΕΝΙΟΣ ΠΑΠΑΤΣΙΩΚ

Εαν θέσουμε σαν πρώτο το θέμα της κολάσεως, τότε δεν μιλάμε για παράδεισο!

Δεν τίθεται πρόβλημα. Αυτές είναι οι συνέπειες της ζωής. Ο Γολγοθάς των σφαλμάτων τους και οι αμαρτίες τους είναι εμπειρία γι’ αυτούς της κολάσεως.Η ψυχρότης μεταξύ τους είναι συνέπεια των αμαρτιών τους.
Ο Θεός είναι δίκαιος και μπορεί να κάνει οτιδήποτε. Μόνο ένα πράγμα δεν μπορεί να κάνη: Να καταπατήσει τον λόγο Του. Επειδή η πρώτη εντολή που δόθηκε στον παράδεισο ήτο αυτή: «Από δέ του ξύλου του γινώσκειν καλόν και πονηρόν, ου φάγεσθε απ αυτού...» (Γεν. 2, 17). Και έφαγε ο πρώτος άνθρωπος. Η συνέπεια ακολούθησε αμέσως, επειδή υπάρχει και θεία δικαιοσύνη, και όχι μόνο έλεος. Και κάνει ό,τιδήποτε για να μάς σώση απ’ αυτές τις πτώσεις. Τις μετά από τον Αδάμ τις συνεχίζουμε εμείς. Αυτές λύονται μόνο με το μυστήριο της εξομολογήσεως.
Δεν μπορούμε να ομιλούμε για τον διάβολο, χωρίς να ομιλούμε πρώτα για τον Θεό. Μέσα στην δημιουργία υπάρχει ο διάβολος μόνο κατ’ άνοχήν.
Εμείς δεν μπορούμε να τούς μάθουμε να αγαπούν. Στην αγάπη δεν υπάρχει τίποτε το διανοητικό. «Δεν ξέρω γιατί εκείνον τον αγαπώ». Η αγάπη δεν έχει ούτε αρχή, ούτε τέλος. Υπάρχει από τότε πού υπάρχει και ο Θεός, διότι ταυτίζεται με τον Θεό.
Συνεπώς, για να θεραπευτεί αυτή η εμφανιζόμενη μεταξύ τους ψυχρότητα, θα πρέπει να διάγουν μια αληθινή χριστιανική ζωή.

What Distinguishes Compassion from Sentimentality?

By Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin)

Compassion is founded on love for someone: love renders the other party as it were, another "self," one with you. Sentimentality is grounded in self-love: it makes one sad not as the result of the suffering of the other person, but rather from one's own ruined mood; instead of striving to put an end to suffering in the world, it strives to put the images of suffering out of one's field of vision.

Art and literature predispose the human soul toward imitation, toward emotional involvement in a given situation. One who becomes accustomed to feeling the emotional state of characters on stage, in TV series, and in novels, himself begins to function as an actor, "playing at life." Art encourages the development of an elevated fluidity in the state of one's mind - often to a pathological level - and to an emotional transfer to the given image one faces. Love is pained for the other person; it is pained because that person is feeling pain. Sentimentality feels pain for itself; it is pained because a negative image of someone else's suffering has intruded upon its consciousness and evoked negative, unpleasant emotions.

Love is grounded in a desire for others' good, while sentimentality rests on a desire for personal emotional comfort. It sees the suffering of others as an unpleasant dissonance in its personal emotional peace. A sentimental person cannot love; rather, he can fall in love, create idols for himself, serve them, and with them, fill up his soul. The flip side of sentimentality is cruelty. For a sentimental person, what lies beyond the bounds of direct experience is foreign and inconsequential. In Saint-Exupery's "Le Petit Prince," the author blurts out: "Should my little star go out, what care I for all Creation." In other words, that little star with which I have fallen in love is more important to me than all Creation.

A sentimental person is ready to weep at the sight of a sick dog and at the same time remains deaf and indifferent to the suffering of millions of people, just as long as he does not have to see their suffering. Sentimentality is not love, but rather, morbid impressionability, chronic, suppressed hysterics taking the place of love.

Source-stjohndc.org

How to Live According to the Faith. By Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow

 

Metropolitan Saint Philaret of Moscow

Faith in Christ has existed on earth for almost 2,000 years now, and is in no way overcome. Hundreds of thousands of people have joyously borne terrible torments out of love for Christ, for faith in Him. And if in present times there have appeared men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith (II Tim. 3:8) and stood against the Faith and the Church of Christ, all their efforts are in vain: the Lord said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against [His Church] (Matt. 6:18). Let us look at ourselves. Is there among us firm faith and love for Christ? Do we not stifle it with our passions, laziness, doubts?




Ah, friends, without faith in the Lord Christ there is no salvation!


We must by all means kindle in ourselves the spirit of faith, that is, stimulate it, feed it with prayer, the Word of God, patience, sincere remembrance of the Savior Who suffered for us. All of this can be done every day.




What to Do in the Morning


When you wake up, first of all let your soul and heart say "Glory to Thee, O Lord, Who has preserved us this night! Glory to Thee, Who has shown us the light! Lord, bless this day for us!" In doing this, think about how God gives you the day which you could not give to yourself, and devote the first hour, or perhaps the first quarter hour of the day given you and offer it as a sacrifice to God, in grateful, supplicatory prayer. The more zealously you do this, the more you will sanctify your day, the more strongly you will protect yourself from the temptations that we meet every day.




The Dwelling and Clothing of the Christian


From the start of the morning and throughout the day, make the thought about Christ the soul of your life, the moving force of your actions. So, for example, if you glance over your dwelling, remember Christ in the manger, in swaddling clothes, lying on straw, all this life not having a place to lay His head, finally imprisoned, nailed to the Cross, and thank God for your house, your shelter, however humble and poor it may be. Do not envy magnificently decorated mansions: the mansion of Christ is a pure heart!


As you dress in your simple clothing, remember Christ stripped naked and then robed in the clothing of mockery. Do not dwell on apparel, do not follow slavishly the whims of fashion, but try to garb yourself in goodness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, gazing mentally on the meek and humble heart of Jesus.


If you are eating a meal, remember the vinegar and gall that Christ tasted, and do not demand plentiful, luxurious food and drink: the heavenly Guest loves to enter not the house of feasting, but always to the one that opens the door of his heart to Him. Place in your heart Christ suffering and dying on the Cross, and in His unseen presence mortify your passions and lusts.


Contact with people


Later, when you deal with people, both relatives and others, before saying a word, think about what will be its effect, and think even more seriously before you do something in their presence, for actions speak louder than words.


Worldly Affairs


If you are undertaking anything, before asking any other adviser, ask the advice of faith. Appeal in the words of the Apostle: Lord, what wilt Thou have me do? (Acts 9:6). Is what I would undertake pleasing to Thee, Lord? If it is pleasing, bless it; if not, do not let me do what is displeasing to Thee. And then listen to what the Lord tells you in your conscience, in your reason, in the counsels of pious and wise people and, having begu n the course that you select, pray in your heart, O Lord, make haste to help me (Ps. 69:1).


Absences


If you are going anywhere, go with God, as our pious forbearer said as a farewell, walk before me as the Lord Himself demanded (Gen. 17:1); always see Him before you, for He is at thy right hand (Ps. 15:8). As much as possible keep in your thoughts and in your heart that God sees you, so that you may be both ashamed and afraid to attempt anything unworthy before the eyes of God.




Word and Feelings



If you enter the company of people, behave with extreme caution. If you hear a word of praise for yourself there, be careful: praises frequently conceal flattery and can arouse in you self-satisfaction and neglect of your further improvement. If you hear an insulting or humiliating word, take care not to become inflamed with anger which worketh not the righteousness of God (James 1:20). Answer the one who insults you either with silence or a meek word of truth. If you hear a word that accuses a neighbor, be careful that you not take part in the sin of someone else's tongue. Do not join in words that are more harmful to the one who judges than to the one being judged. If you hear a word that saddens one with bad news, be careful lest your sorrow become stronger than your common sense; dissolve it with hope in God's mercy and with the warm prayer: O my Rejoicing, deliver me from them which have encircled me (Ps. 31:7). Endure without complaint sorrows and misfortunes. Sorrows are inescapable on the path leading to the Kingdom of God! Many are the sorrows of the righteous! Christ Himself endured them; the Mother of God endured them as well. Without sorrows we will not be saved, but even in the depth of sorrow believe that the Lord loves you truly, and is only testing you. Remember: you sometimes return home from afar by a bad road, in a storm, in frost, or in terrible heat, but you go patiently, willingly; likewise patiently go by the difficult and sorrowful path to the heavenly home, the Kingdom of God.



Caution Regarding Harmful Books



If you see in a letter or a book a word of unbelief, irreverence, or indecency, turn your eyes away from it quickly, do not entice yourself with the thought of reading it out of curiosity or for amusement. Do not touch filth. Do not play with fire. Do not desire to experience the taste of poison.



In general, in your relations with people be peaceable, just, compassionate, do good even to your enemies, imitating Him Who shines His sun on both the evil and the good.



If you will live and act in this manner, then, when you pray, nothing will obstruct your prayer's path to heaven.

Attending Church

When the time comes, and especially the time put aside for God and His temple, a feast day or the hour of Divine Services, hurry to tear yourself away from business and worldly cares and voluntarily and zealously offer yourself to God in His church. When you enter the church bring to mind the promise of the Lord to those that gather in His name: there am I in the midst of them (Matt. 18:20), and stand reverently in church, as before the very face of Christ, and pray to Him that he sanctify you by His holiness, animate you by His prayer, and enlighten you with the word of the Gospel and the Grace of the Mysteries. Take note of this, too: in the church, angels serve with us and guard the holiness dwelling there. Once, in the Lavra of Saint Theodosius near Jerusalem, Abba Leontius, coming one Sunday to church to receive the Holy Mysteries, saw an angel standing on the right side of the Holy Table, and when the elder, being afraid, turned to run to his cell, the voice of the angel called to him: "From the time this Holy Table was consecrated, I have been charged to stay by it." Remember this, beloved, and stand reverently. And, if you feel that only your body is standing in church, while your mind thinks of home, or the market, or a place of merriment, collect yourself. Hurry to bring back your mind that has strayed, join it to God in your heart, force it to strive towards God, Who looks upon you. When you hear the word of God, open up not only your bodily ears, but your spiritual ones as well, open your heart, receive this heavenly Bread and with it nourish not only your memory, but also your life and work.

On Communion

When you are preparing to be a communicant of the Body and Blood of Christ, or are simply present at this Mystery, cleave in mind and heart to the Cross and the Tomb of the Lord, to the Body of Christ, suffering, dying, buried, risen, glorified and believe that your faith's touching Him will be more substantial than the touching of His garment by the woman with an issue of blood, and Christ's power [will] go out (Luke 8:46) to purify and elevate your powers of soul and body.

How to Celebrate Feast days

Having left church and returned home, do not rush to worldly business on days dedicated to God: business that you illicitly conduct in festal times will bring you no benefit. Realize most of all that if you do not come to thank and glorify God in His church, then you can be sure that He will not send down His blessing on your business outside the church (Haggai 1:9). And if sometimes you decide to excuse yourself from attending the church, be in fear lest you suddenly be overtaken by death and lest it be said of you: Remember that thou in thy lifetime received thy good things... but now (in eternity) thou art tormented (Luke 16:25). God preserve you from this fate.



Never forget that your soul is also God's temple, and if at any time an impure thought and evil desire draws near to your soul, and will draw your body as well towards sin, hasten to protect yourself with the words said to the first Christians, and consequently to you: Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (I Cor. 3:16). Then say to yourself: how can I dare to ruin the temple of God, by sin and inequity! How can I be so bold as to insult and alienate the Holy Spirit!

What to do in the evening

Now the day has ended - you are going off to sleep. Ponder the thought that God gives you rest from labors, and take the first fruits of the time of your rest and dedicate it to God with pure and humble prayer. Its fragrance will draw an angel close to preserve your rest. While preparing for sleep, remember death, of which sleep is an image and threshold, and with a prayer of faith surrender yourself to Him that is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25). But when you can conquer sleep, or when it does not conquer you, remember [the Lord's] name in the night (Ps. 118:55). Such should be the constant disposition and activity of the believer that he may gradually draw near to that state of soul in which the holy Apostle Paul says of himself: I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me... Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me (Gal: 2:20)!



Translated by Seraphim F. Englehardt From "Orthodox Life" [in Russian], No. 10, 1952

St. John Maximovitch- ON THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE

 

THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE

By St. John Maximovitch.

Many people believe that to live according to the faith and to fulfill the will of God is very difficult. Actually—it’s very easy. One needs only attend to details, to trifles, and try to avoid evil in the slightest and most trivial things. This is the simplest and surest way to enter the world of the spirit and draw near to God. 

A man often thinks that the Creator demands great things of him, that the Gospel insists on complete self- sacrifice, the abolition of one’s personhood, etc., as a condition of faith. A man is so frightened by this that he begins to be afraid of becoming acquainted with God, of drawing near to God, and hides himself from God, not even wishing to look into God’s Word. “If I can’t do anything important for God, then I’d just better stay away from things spiritual, stop thinking about eternity, and live ‘in a normal way’.”

There exists at the entrance to the spiritual realm a “hypnosis of great deeds:” one must either do some big thing or do nothing. And so people do nothing at all for God or for their souls! It is very strange—the more a man is devoted to the little things of life, the less he wishes to be honest or pure or faithful to God in those same little things. And, moreover, each one must adopt a correct attitude toward little things if one wishes to come near to the kingdom of heaven.

Wishes to come near: In this is summed up all the difficulties of the religious life. Often one wishes to enter into the kingdom of heaven quite unexpectedly, in some miraculous and magical way, or, by right—through some kind of great feat. But neither the one nor the other is the right way to find the higher world. One does not enter God’s presence in some wondrous manner while remaining indifferent on earth to the needs of the kingdom of God and its bright eternity, nor can one purchase the treasures of the kingdom of God by some kind of eternal act, however great that act might be. Yet good deeds, holy deeds are necessary for one to grow into a higher life, a bright will, a good desire, a heavenly psychology, a heart that is both pure and fair.

A glass of water: Verily, verily I say unto you that whosoever offers one of the least of these but a cup of cold water, in the name of a disciple, shall not lose his reward. In this saying of the Lord is the highest expression of the smallness of the good. “A glass of water”—this is not much.

Communicating in good spirit: In every communication between people there must without fail be a good spirit: this spirit is Christ, openly manifest or hidden. “In the name of a disciple:” this is the first step in communicating with another person in the name of Jesus Christ Himself.  Many people, not as yet knowing the Lord and the wondrous fellowship in His Name still have among themselves an unselfish, pure and human fellowship which brings them ever closer to the Spirit of Christ.

The lesser good is necessary: As a matter of fact, the lesser good is more necessary for mankind than the greater. People can get along with their lives without the greater good; without the lesser they cannot exist. Mankind perishes not from a lack of the greater good, but from an insufficiency of just this lesser good. The greater good is no more than a roof, erected on the brick walls of the lesser good.

The lesser, easier good was left on this earth for man by the Creator Himself, who took all the greater good upon Himself. Whosoever does the lesser, the same creates—and through him the Creator Himself creates—the greater good. Of our little good the Creator makes His Own great good. For as our Lord is the Creator who formed all things from nothingness, so is He more able to create the greater good from the lesser.

Through such lesser, easy work, done with the greatest simplicity, a man is accustomed to the good and begins to serve it with his whole heart, sincerely, and in this way enters into an atmosphere of good, lets down the roots of his life into new soil, the soil of the good. The roots of human life quickly accommodate themselves to this good earth, and soon cannot live without it... Thus is a man saved: from the small comes the great. “Faithful in little things” turns out to be “faithful in the greater.”

Our moral sense: Lay aside all theoretical considerations that it is forbidden to slaughter millions, women, children, and elderly; be content to manifest your moral sense by in no way killing the human dignity of your neighbor, neither by word, nor by innuendo, nor by gesture. Do not be angry over trifles against your brother vainly (Mt 5:22) or in the daily contacts of life speak untruth to your neighbor. These are trifles, small change, of no account; but just try to do this and you will see what comes of it.

Prayer: It is hard to pray at night. But try in the morning. If you can’t manage to pray at home than at least as you ride to your place of employment attempt with a clear head the “Our Father” and let the words of this short prayer resound in your heart. And at night commend yourself with complete sincerity into the hands of the Heavenly Father. This indeed is very easy.

And give, give a glass of cold water to everyone who has need of it; give a glass filled to the brim with simple human companionship to everyone that lack it, the very simplest companionship...

O wondrous path of little things, I sing thee a hymn! Surround yourselves, O people, gird up yourselves with little works of good— with a chain of little, simple, easy and good feelings which cost us naught, a chain of bright thoughts, words and deeds. Let us abandon the big and the difficult. That is for them that love it and not for us for whom the Lord in His Mercy, for us who have not yet learned to love the greater, has poured forth the lesser love everywhere, free as water and air.

Vol. 12, Issue 05-06 Orthodox - Heritage,

Saint Gregory Palamas-On the Sunday of All Saints

“Truly “God is glorious in his saints” (Ps. 68:35 Lxx). Let us call to mind the martyrs’ superhuman struggles, how in the weakness of their flesh they put to shame the evil one’s strength, disregarding pain and wounds as they struggled bodily against fire, sword, all different kinds of deadly tortures, patiently resisting while their flesh was cut, their joints dislocated and their bones crushed, and keeping the confession of faith in Christ in its integrity, complete, unharmed and unshaken. As a result there were bestowed on them the incontrovertible wisdom of the Spirit and the power to work miracles. Let us consider the patience of holy men and women, how they willingly endured long periods of fasting, vigil and various other physical hardships as though they were not in the body, battling to the end against evil passions and all sorts of sin, in the invincible inner warfare against principalities, powers and spiritual wickedness (Eph. 6:12). They wore away their outer selves and made them useless, but their inner man was renewed and deified by Him from whom they also received gifts of healing and mighty works. When we think on these matters and understand that they surpass human nature, we are filled with wonder and glorify God who gave them such grace and power. For even if their intentions were good and noble, without God’s strength they could not have gone beyond the bounds of their nature and driven away the bodiless enemy while clothed in their bodies.

“That is why, when the psalmist and prophet declared, “God is glorious in his saints”, he went on to say, “he giveth strength and power unto his people” (Ps. 68:35 Lxx). Carefully consider the force of these prophetic words. Whereas God, according to the psalmist, gives all his people strength and power – for He shows no partiality (cf. Acts 10:34) – He is glorified only in His saints. The sun pours down its rays abundantly upon all alike, but they are visible only to those with open eyes. Those with clear-sighted, pure eyes benefit from the pure light of the sun, not those whose vision is dimmed because illness, mist or something similar has afflicted their eyes. In the same way, God richly bestows His help on all, for He is the ever-flowing, enlightening and saving fount of mercy and goodness. But not everyone takes advantage of His grace and power to practise and perfect virtue or show forth miracles, only those with a good intent, who demonstrate their love and faith towards God by good works (cf. Jas. 2:20-26), who turn away completely from everything base, hold fast to God’s commandments and lift up the eyes of their understanding to Christ the Sun of righteousness (Mal. 4:2). He not only invisibly holds out a helping hand from above to those who struggle, but we also hear Him speaking to us and urging us on in today’s Gospel. “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men”, He says, “him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32).

“Notice that we cannot boldly proclaim our faith in Christ and confess Him without His strength and assistance. Nor will our Lord Jesus Christ speak out on our behalf in the age to come, recommend us to the heavenly Father and make us His kin, unless we give Him reason to do so. To make this clear, He does not say, “Whosoever shall confess me before men”, but “Whosoever shall make his confession in Me” (Matt. 10:32), that is to say, whoever is able, in Christ and with His help, to declare his faith with boldness…”

Source- diakonima.gr

AN EXEGESIS ON WOMEN’S HEAD COVERINGS

  BY DEACON JOSEPH GLEASON

          For two thousand years in the Orthodox Church, the tradition has been for women and girls to veil their heads during worship, whether at Church for the Divine Liturgy, or at home for family prayer time.  What is the Scriptural and Patristic evidence for this tradition, and why is it important?  In this article, we will take a look at head coverings in the Old Testament, head coverings in the New Testament, head coverings according to the early Church, head coverings in icons, and head coverings today. 

Head coverings in the Old Testament

          Centuries before the birth of Christ, women’s head coverings were an accepted practice for God’s people.  It was not merely an option for those who wished to be holy.  Rather, it was a matter-of-fact expectation that all women would cover their heads.  When the Holy Spirit inspired Moses to pen the first five books of Scripture, women’s head coverings were simply assumed to be the normal practice. In the Book of Numbers, when a unique ceremony is performed that requires an uncovered head, Scripture makes a point to say that the woman’s head covering needs to be removed: “the priest shall stand the woman before the Lord, uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands.” (Numbers 5:18) Of course, such a requirement would make little sense, if women did not normally keep their head covered.  Even earlier than this, in the Book of Genesis, we read about Rebecca, on a journey to meet her future husband Isaac: “Then Rebecca lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; for she had said to their servant, ‘who is this man walking in the field to meet us?’ The servant, ‘it is my master.’ So she took a veil and covered herself.” (Genesis 24:64-65).

          

Her godly discretion is a model for women today.  She did not flaunt her physical beauty. Rather, she veiled herself, increasing her allure through an outward display of modesty.  Women’s head coverings can also be found in the story of Susanna.  It is the captivating story of a beautiful, virtuous woman who was falsely accused, and later vindicated by the wisdom of young Daniel.  Susanna wore a veil that covered not only her head, but her face as well.  Scripture looks disapprovingly upon the removal of her veil. “Now Susanna was exceedingly delicate and beautiful to behold but those wicked men commanded that her face should be uncovered, (for she was covered,) that so at least they might be satisfied with her beauty.  Therefore her friends and all her acquaintances wept.  (The story of Susanna/Daniel 13:31-33).  In this passage of Scripture, virtuous people approve of women head coverings and veils, while ungodly men seek their removal.

Head coverings in the New Testament

          Women’s head coverings are one of the many points of similarity between Israel and the Church. Godly women had covered their head for thousands of years prior to the advent of Christ. And when the New Testament Church was born, godly women continued the practice.  In St. Paul’s first epistle to the Church in Corinth, he instructs everyone to follow the holy traditions which have been received: “Now, I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.” (1 Cor. 11:2).  Women’s head coverings are one of the holy traditions which the Church had received, and St. Paul spends the next several paragraphs discussing them.  He says that head coverings manifest honor, in the context of worship:

1.   Every man praying or prophesying, having his head  covered, dishonors his head. (1 Cor. 11:4).

2.   Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head. (1 Cor. 11:5).

The message is pretty clear:  It is honorable for a woman to wear head coverings during worship, but it is dishonorable for men to wear them.  This is why men remove their hats for prayer, even to this day.  Not content to make his point only once, St. Paul reiterates himself a few verses later.  Women are to cover their heads, and men are not to do so:

1.   A man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of god; but woman is the glory of man.

(1 Cor. 11:7).

2.   The woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. (1 Cor. 11:10).

The Old Testament reveals that this holy tradition is ancient, but it only begins to hint at the reasons.

          Here in the New Testament, we are given some reasons for the practice.  According to 1 Corinthians 11, head coverings manifest woman’s honor.  They also are important because of the angels.  Angels are present with us when we pray, and when we worship.   While we may not fully understand why head coverings are important to the angels, it is sufficient for us to know that this reason is given in Scripture.  If Scripture says that women’s head coverings are important to the angels, then it is something we should take seriously.

Head coverings according to the Early Church Father

          St. John Chrysostom (407 A.D), in a sermon at the Feast of the Ascension, spoke both of angels and the veiling of women:  “The angels are present here.  Open the eyes of faith and look upon this sight.  For if the very air is filled with angels, how much more so in the Church!  Hear the Apostle teaching this, when he bids the women to cover their heads with a veil because of the presence of the angels.”

Origen, another prominent teacher of the early Church said: “There are angels in the midst of our assembly.  We have here a twofold Church, one of men, the other of angels.  And since there are angels present, women, when they pray, are ordered to have a covering upon their head because of those angels.  They assist the saints and rejoice in the Church.”  The Apostolic Tradition was written in the second century, and the author is believed to be St. Hippo of Rome.  This book has instructions for catechumens, including this:  “And let all women have their heads covered with an opaque cloth.”

And St. Cyril of Alexandria, commenting on First Corinthians says: “The angels find it extremely hard to bear if this law that women cover their heads is disregarded.”

Head coverings in the Icons

Icons in the Orthodox Church are a visual guide to the Faith, a short picture book of Christianity. Icons teach us about the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and about the lives of many Christians who have gone before us.  Icons also teach us about head coverings.  Virtually every icon of an Orthodox woman displays her wearing a head covering. As far as I know, the only exception is St. Mary of Egypt, and she was a solitary saint who lived alone in the desert, far away from any people. Among the female saints who participated in society, all of them wore head coverings, and their head coverings are shown in the icons.  Even Mary the Mother of God, the most blessed woman in the entire universe is shown in icons wearing a head covering.  Can you think of a better role-model for women?

Head covering Today

In our Church, all women and girls are asked to wear head coverings, in obedience to God’s command in Scripture, and out of respect for the holy traditions of the Orthodox Church.  Just inside the front door of the Church, we keep a basket of head coverings, just in case a woman forgets hers at home and needs to borrow one for the day.  Head coverings are also worn at home during family prayer time.  While honoring God’s direction is a reward unto itself, there are many other benefits as well. For example:  Head coverings manifest a woman’s honor.  As St. Paul points out in Scripture, a woman brings honor to herself by covering her head during prayer.

Head coverings encourage humility.

Godly women come to church to focus on worship, not to draw attention to themselves.  A girl may be tempted to show off an attractive hairdo. When a woman wears a head covering, this temptation is removed.  She can focus on prayer, instead of on hair.  

Head coverings save time.  In today’s culture, it can be tempting to spend a lot of time and energy on hairstyles.  But head coverings are quick and easy.  It takes a lot less time to put on a head covering that it does to prepare a hairdo for display.

Head coverings help us show love and consideration for our brothers.  Godly men come to Church to focus on worship.  But the flowing locks of beautiful women can be distracting.  By veiling her hair, a woman can display her modesty, and remove an unnecessary distraction.  A mainstream theological journal recently published an article about women’s’ head coverings.  Soon after, the author of the article became a member of the Orthodox Church in the article; she beautifully illustrates the iconic purpose of head coverings:  

“My wearing a head covering is not only a symbol or sign that I am in agreement with His order, but that I visibly, willingly submit to it.  With submission comes blessing.” Christa Conrad.

In an issue of The Handmaiden, a lady name Elizabeth gives her testimony about wearing head coverings: “For twelve years I have worn a scarf at all times.  I now perceive that it has been and continues to be essential for the pilgrim journey and salvation of my soul. The bottom line for me and a growing number of my sisters remains obedience.  And with it comes a sense of being in our rightful place in God’s ordered universe, rejoicing with the angels.  Now I gratefully say, I am in the presence of the great I AM, at prayer and in Church, surrounded by the angelic host, worshipping our Lord and King.  To God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be the glory, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Fr. Thomas Moore, Holy Apostles Orthodox Church, Columbia, SC.

Why do children lose faith in God?

Why is it that some people are able to know God and believe in Him until the end of their days, while others lose their faith while still young ? How does this loss of faith occur and by what means can faith be preserved or renewed ?

Before answering these questions I would like to say a few words to those who say that religious beliefs should not be “foisted upon” children.

Religious faith cannot be foisted upon a person; it is not something which is alien to man, but, on the contrary, it is an essential need of human nature, it constitutes the primary content of man’s inner life.

When we take care to have a child grow up truthful, good, when we develop in him a correct understanding of and a taste for beauty, we do not foist upon him something alien or extraneous to his nature; we only help him to extract this from within himself, we help him recognize within himself those traits and movements which are common to all human souls.

The same should be said concerning knowledge of God.

According to the principle of not foisting anything upon a child’s soul, we would generally have to renounce all assistance to the child in developing and strengthening the talents and capabilities of his soul. We would have to leave him to his own devices until he grew up and decided which principles to adopt and which to reject.

But in this case we would not have guarded the child from external influences, but would have only made these influences chaotic and arbitrary.

Let us return to the question of why some people retain in their hearts a constant and unshakeable faith until the end of their days, while others lose it, sometimes completely and sometimes returning to it with great difficulty and suffering?

How a turning point in religious life occurs.

It is at such a time that a turning point in religious life may occur. The previous path of life has led to a dead end. One’s inner condition seems abominable, although the young man or girl perhaps cannot yet classify is as being sinful. There is a desire to find a true and lofty meaning of life, since to live without finding such a meaning means to lead a pitiful, colorless, aimless and senseless existence.

At this fateful moment when the young life reaches a turning point, suddenly, by some unknown and mysterious means, a certain light appears in the soul, a certain fresh and joyous feeling, a certain hope that life is not meaningless.

Where does this certainty that life is not meaningless come from? What is life? Up to now the young mind had been inclined towards a mechanic view of the world - life is an aggregate of atoms and forces, and their constant movement and interaction; life is a causal collection of manifestations, whose sum total composes the entire picture of cosmic, earthly and human existence. And suddenly within this huge, boundless and soulless mechanism the young soul begins to perceive the presence of something living, great, wise and beautiful - the presence of God.

From where does this feeling arise?

Many circumstances can contribute to it; the main thing is that the young person’s faith in his own infallibility has been broken, he has deeply felt his inner bankruptcy. He no longer feels support within himself. A need has arisen for another, more powerful support.

The soul stands at a certain crossroads. It finds itself in a state of instability. Former influences and attractions have lost their power over it. New forces have not yet determined themselves within it. At this moment every jolt, no matter how insignificant, can have an extraordinary and decisive influence on one’s entire life.

The sweet religious experiences of one’s childhood, emerging from the soul’s subconscience, the ringing of church bells heard unexpectedly, a religious book coming to hand, a meeting and conversation with a profound believer, a visit to a monastery, the silent and mysterious beauty of nature and many other factors can contribute to a successful exit from the turning point of the soul. The long-forgotten childhood faith will awaken, and will sweetly burn within the soul as a brightly-shining guiding light. Life will suddenly gain meaning, there will be a desire to live and work in the name of the new ideal flaming in the soul. The old materialistic view of the world will have turned out to be insolvent. The new religious world viewpoint will warm the soul and give meaning to life.

Remembering my own youth, I find in it a confirmation that it was precisely along this path, a path of an internal drama lasting many years, that we returned to our lost religious world view and ideal. The religious feeling which awakens in the soul immediately lights up the world and life in a totally different manner. The young soul begins to perceive the beauty and the majesty of the universe, attains a belief in the lofty meaning and purpose of life, the heart opens up to an acceptance of the Gospel. One feels the desire to go to church, to attend services, to go to confession and partake of communion, even though some heretic thoughts often remain. And when these new needs and thoughts begin to manifest themselves in the young soul in place of the chaos through which it had passed, then one can boldly say that such a soul has been saved. There begins a new period of spiritual life, when, having set himself firmly upon the rock of faith acquired through bitter experience rather than reason, a person consciously begins to build his life upon such a foundation.

Protopriest Sergey Chetverikov.

New Creation in Christ: How Jesus Changed Us and Our Marriages

 Fr. Josiah Trenham
“If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold new things have come.”[1] We come to the Holy Gospel at last and to the Christian way of life! The fullness of time has come and God has sent forth His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. How everything has changed! No aspect of human life remains as it was before Christ came. Everything has died with Him, and everything has been raised and transfigured in Him. All for us has been redeemed, transformed, deified, elevated, and, in a word, made Christian.

When Jesus came to earth He found us with lame limbs, weak and failing, and He perfected our bodies and restored them to a healthy condition, just as He corrected, molded, improved, and fulfilled the Old Law. St. Ephrem the Syrian describes some of the healing effects of the Incarnation on human nature in his Hymn 37 On Virginity,

 “His body was newly mixed with our bodies, and His pure blood has been poured out into our veins, and His voice into our ears, and His brightness into our eyes. All of Him has been mixed into all of us by His compassion, and since He loves his church very much, he did not give her the manna of her rival. He had living bread for her to eat. Wheat, the olive and grapes, created for our use- the three of them serve You symbolically in three ways.  With three medicines You healed our disease. Humankind had become weak and sorrowful and was failing. You strengthened her with Your blessed bread, and You consoled her with Your sober wine, and You made her joyful with Your holy chrism.”[2]

God has become man, the chasm bridged, the mediation effected, righteousness perfected and modeled on the earth, death slain, the devil defeated, sin atoned for, the curse annulled, Hades destroyed, Christ resurrected, the God-man ascended, Paradise opened, human flesh enthroned in heaven, the throne of David occupied, the Kingdom established, the demons trampled, and man dignified. God is with us! Understand all ye nations and submit yourselves![3] 

The Resurrection of Virginity and Marriage

The newness of Christian man expresses itself clearly in his marriage and sexual life. With the redemption and elevation of human nature has come the redemption and elevation of everything associated with it, including marriage. With the resurrection of Jesus Christ has come the resurrection of holy virginity, lost at the Fall. All of the outrageous and unspeakably glorious Gospel realities enumerated above have provoked an immense sea change in our way of life.