Who Stands Beneath the Cross of Jesus?
As today is the feast day of the Exaltation of the Precious and Lifegiving Cross, the reading for today included John’s account of the crucifixion.
There, toward the end, was that gut-wrenching scene where we learn that Jesus’ own mother was standing beneath her Son’s torture instrument while watching him die. He turns to her and says, indicating John (the only apostle who stayed): “Woman, behold your son.”
Then he turns to him and says, “Behold your mother.”
“Behold your mother.”
Newly Orthodox, I am still learning the truth behind the experience and teachings of the church, but this is one that my Protestant upbringing has made difficult for me to absorb.
“Behold your mother.”
Yes, He was certainly speaking specifically to John, telling him to care for her, which he did from that day onward. In fact, some friends of mine visited the house in Ephesus where he took her and cared for her. While they were there, on a cruise, they asked for her aid in conceiving a child, which they had been trying to do for some time.
That night she conceived.
But how quickly we forget that we are in Christ, that the Church is the body of Christ. If she is the mother of Christ, then she is the mother of all who are in Christ.
If He honors His mother, as surely He does, having spoken the command to honor parents from His own heart, then surely we also ought to honor His mother and ours.
Surely we can all agree, Protestant and Orthodox, on that.
So today, as we remember and worship beneath the precious and lifegiving cross, let us do in the radiant presence of her who has stood here with us from the beginning – who has been standing here long before ever we approached in fear and trembling.
And let us rejoice that we are indeed in Him who has conquered death by dying.
Rev. Schmemann on Eternity and Time
Eternity is not the negation of time, but time’s absolute wholeness, gathering and restoration. Eternal life is not what begins after temporal life; it is the eternal presence of the totality of life.
Christianity is a blessed memory; it is really the conquering of all fragmented time; it is the experience of eternity, here and now. All the religions and spiritualities which tend to annihilate time are false religions and pseudo-spiritualities.
Fr. Alexander Schmemann, Journals, 4/13/73
Annunciation and The Holy Cross
THE ALL-HOLY VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD THE WORD
CRIED WEEPING AND LAMENTING:
SUCH ARE THE GOOD TIDINGS OF JOY THAT GABRIEL BROUGHT ME.
GO FORTH THEN, CHILD, TO FULFILL THE SECRET COUNSEL//
AND THE DIVINE PLAN OF SALVATION!
The Glorious Juxtaposition
I, THE PRODIGAL, HAVE FALLEN FROM SONSHIP.
I HAVE LIVED WITH SWINE AS A SLAVE,
EATING FOOD BELOW THEIR FARE!
TURNING FROM EVIL TO GOOD, I CRY IN REPENTANCE:
FATHER, I HAVE SINNED BEFORE HEAVEN AND BEFORE YOU!//
GRANT ME GREAT MERCY AS I RETURN.
I, THE PRODIGAL, HAVE FALLEN…
OUR GOD HAS SHOWN MARVELLOUS THINGS
IN HIS CHOSEN AND SAINTS.
REJOICE AND BE GLAD, YOU HIS SERVANTS!
HE HAS PREPARED CROWNS AND HIS KINGDOM FOR YOU!//
BUT DO NOT FORGET US, WE ENTREAT YOU!
The Quenched Flame
RAISED UPON THE CROSS, O MASTER,
THROUGH THE WOOD YOU QUENCHED THE FLAME OF SIN!
SUFFERING DEATH BY YOUR OWN CHOICE,
YOU HAVE SLAIN THE ENEMY!
THEREFORE I ENTREAT YOU:
PUT TO DEATH THE DESIRES OF MY FLESH;
ENLIVEN MY MISERABLE HEART, CLEANSING ME FROM ALL DEFILEMENT
THROUGH THE FAST THAT KILLS THE PASSIONS,//
FOR YOU ARE THE MERCIFUL ONE!
We do love to keep the fire burning.
The Prayer of a Prodigal
I, A PRODIGAL, CONFESS THAT I HAVE SINNED, LORD.
FROM WHERE I FELL AND HAVE NOW BECOME WRETCHED,
I DARE NOT LIFT MY EYES TO GAZE AT HEAVEN!
I HAVE SINNED BEFORE HEAVEN AND BEFORE YOU;
I AM NO LONGER WORTHY TO BE CALLED YOUR SON.
I CONDEMN MYSELF, SEEKING NEITHER DEFENDERS NOR ACCUSERS,
BECAUSE MY VERY LIFE OF WRETCHEDNESS JUDGES ME,
MY NAKEDNESS CONFIRMS THE SHAME IN WHICH I AM CLOTHED!
TENDER-HEARTED FATHER, ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON AND HOLY SPIRIT,//
RECEIVE ME IN REPENTANCE AND HAVE MERCY ON ME!
I come to a prayer like this in the Lenten Triodion and I realize that I hardly know how to repent. I hardly know how to examine my own soul, perhaps because I, a man of unclearn lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips, tend to be too rationalistic so I find it difficult to follow the analogy into my own heart.
And yet, what could be more obvious than that I have fallen such a great distance, I have wandered so long a journey, I have sinned so deep a sin and am no longer worthy to be called a son of God.
And yet…
Repentance
The fathers tell us that to be aware of our sin is a gift from heaven greater than a vision of angels.
Archimandrite Sophrony
LORD, IN THIS HOLY SEASON,
BE MERCIFUL TO US!
GIVE US THE GRACE TO WEEP FROM OUR HEARTS ALWAYS BEFORE YOU,
WASHING AWAY THE POLLUTION OF OUR SOULS;
GROWING EVER MORE OBEDIENT TO YOUR COMMANDS,
THAT IN OUR FASTING WE MAY TRULY PLEASE YOU!
AT THE PRAYERS OF YOUR APOSTLES WHO BROUGHT THE WORLD SALVATION,
GRANT US ALL TO SEE YOUR HOLY PASSION!
O LORD, GLORY TO YOU!
Repentance begins when we see our sins – or at least when we begin to see them. When we discover what we are in our essence as the icon of God, when we begin to see true God in Christ, then we begin to repent for we begin to see how vast is the abyss between what we have made of ourselves and what we are. Or we pull back from the abyss of our souls and we deny ourselves the sweetness of repentance.
Open to me the gates of repentance.
The Light of Our Souls
HAVING UNDERTAKEN THE SPIRITUAL FAST, BRETHREN,
LET US SPEAK NO LIES WITH OUR TONGUES,
NOR GIVE EACH OTHER A CAUSE FOR SCANDAL.
BUT ILLUMINING THE LIGHT OF OUR SOULS THROUGH REPENTANCE,
LET US CRY TO CHRIST WITH TEARS://
REMIT OUR FALLS IN SIN, LOVER OF MANKIND.
The Pure Bridal
RESTRAINING THE PASSIONS WITH THE BRIDLE OF PURE FASTING,
LET US ALL IN PERFECT FAITH
STRIVE TO RAISE OUR MIND TO HOLY CONTEMPLATION!
LET US DESPISE THE PLEASURES OF THIS EARTHLY LIFE,//
THAT WE MAY GAIN THE LIFE OF HEAVEN AND DIVINE ENLIGHTENMENT!
Striving in faith is the only means we are granted to “gain the life of heaven.” To strive apart from faith is to fail before beginning – to set oneself on a false path. To have faith apart from striving is to create a false path out of thin air and walk on it with no feet. If there is no striving, there is no faith. If there is faith, there is striving. One cannot believe in the promises of God and not be moved to seek them.
Let us, therefore, restrain the passions, incapable of faith as they are, and receive live for our faith and strength for our striving.
The Sanctifying Light
DIRECT OUR STEPS, O LORD,
AS WE SET OUT ON THE SECOND WEEK OF THE FAST.
SHINE THE SANCTIFYING LIGHT OF YOUR COMMANDMENTS ON US
AND MAKE US WORTHY TO OFFER YOU AN ACCEPTABLE PRAYER ON BENDED KNEES:
FOR YOU ARE OUR FATHER AND WE ARE THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS://
WE SING YOUR PRAISE WITH FEAR AND CALL ON YOUR NAME!
