Discerning the Will of God

Posted: December 16, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: The Eucharist and Living the Eucharist | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I am a convert to the Orthodox Church.  My faith in Christ began in an evangelical context while a pharmacy student at Washington State University.  I am thankful for this.  Their particular evangelical flavor was not a shallow, fluffy variety, but one which took the Christian faith seriously and practiced it with a joyful fervor.  My companions were all college age like me at the time, and like me faced many life decisions — many of minor importance, but some of great significance.  This all involved for us discerning the will of God for our young lives.  This discernment of the will of God was often perplexing for many.  The desire to follow Christ faithfully and to be in God’s will — perfectly — was drawn from the Scriptures.  Two passages came into play:

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29: 11 – 13).

Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your (humon) mind, that you (humas) may discern (dokimazein) what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12: 2).

Concerning these two passages from Scripture it is important to note a few things.  Regarding the verses from Jeremiah, the context was the return of Jews to Jerusalem and Judaea from the Babylonian captivity:  this was for the entire Jewish people, not for one person.  Then, regarding St Paul’s words from Romans, the “your” and “you” is not singular, but in the second person plural (humon, humas).  In other words, these words are directed to the entire church in Rome as one united body of faith.  And the word dokimazein can be translated not only as “discern,” but also “test,” “prove,” or “demonstrate.”

With the focus on discernment, discovering the will of God was, then, perplexing when misunderstood in the singular, or in the personal.  I recall many conversations that included the complaint:  “I’ve been praying, but I still don’t know what God wants me to do.”  Looking back, such a process of discernment now seems like figuring out a puzzle, or guessing under which shell the nut is hid.  That such a specific will in all matters of one’s personal life is unlikely.  Adhering to this approach to discover God’s will in everything now seems delusional, and could lead to confounding indecision.  (Furthermore, continued indecision can lead to anxiety and depression.)

Now I move forward in time 40 years.  My youngest son, a devout Orthodox Christian, recently had a conversation with me about figuring out his future.  He is a journeyman residential electrician, but wants to better his income and have a more satisfying career.  Regarding his career, he is uncertain whether he should pursue commercial work, go to lineman’s school, or seek a a college degree in project management.  He also wants desires marriage and family, and wants to find a faithful wife. (Does anyone know a faithful young woman in her twenties?)  Thus, he could fall into the same dilemma as did my peers when I was young.  Well, he didn’t ask for specific advice, but as any good father would do, I offered advice.  My advice came from the words of St Paul found in 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18:

Rejoice always.  Pray constantly.  Give thanks for all things:  for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

Quite general or generic, yet his words are profound and offer the greatest guidance that can be given.  In all situations and in all circumstances — good, bad, or indifferent — these words apply, and when practiced, will put one in God’s will.  Anyone can rejoice, pray, and give thanks when things are going well.  But, things don’t always go our way.  When faced with challenging, distressing, and upsetting circumstances, or people, one can still rejoice, pray, and give thanks for them.  This is the way of holiness and growth in Christ, and it is the way of the Saints.  With these determined decisions and actions the Holy Spirit is free to work in our lives and transform us and better form the image of God within us.  More importantly, with these three faithful attitudes and actions we begin to form our future and cooperate with God’s will. 

Our present, in part, forms our future.  Let me give an example from grapevines.  I have several vines on my property.  Grapevines are aggressive growers.  They send out tendrils to attach to fixed structures.  This is done for their growth.  With joy, prayer, and thankfulness in all situations the consequent actions serve as our own tendrils reaching out to the presently unknown future.  Tendrils sent out with such intent will entwine, likely, with correspondent consequences established to achieve God’s intended outcomes our personal lives — always being our salvation.  Allow me to slightly rephrase this thought.  With such a holy perspective, circumstances, encounters, and the random events that happen can be transformed, sending forth healthy, whole, and holy tendrils ahead of us — tendrils that God, in his omnipotence, can pull toward himself and toward the good.  Again, such a holy, eucharistic perspective and consequent actions trans form us. Thus, we are capable of more and more holy, joyful, prayerful, eucharistic actions in all the circumstances we encounter in this huge, expansive, and often difficult reality called the present.

This is truly how we establish God’s will in our lives.  However, this does require patience — also a virtue which will allow us to perceive God’s will.  Living the Christian life in this faithful manner will allow us to see truth and meaning when we read words like these from the Scriptures:

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.  He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.  All the paths of the Lord are mercy and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies (Psalm 25/24: 8 – 10).

We live in disturbing and distressing times.  We seem to be pressed on all sides.  These times will test us.  Fear and worry do us no good.  A determination to rejoice, being ever prayerful, and living eucharistically (by giving thanks in, with, and for all things) will guide us and direct our ways.  When we don’t know what to do, or what decisions to make continue patiently with joy, prayer and thanksgiving.  Also engage with the words of David in Psalm 5: 8,

Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make you way straight before me.

In Christ the Good Shepherd who leads us,

Fr Irenaeus

The Conception of the Theotokos and Freedom in Christ

Posted: December 12, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Etcetera, The Eucharist and Living the Eucharist | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Every year on December 9 the Orthodox Church commemorates the conception by St Anna of the Theotokos (Mother of God), that is Mary.  The Gospel reading’s concluding verse for this commemoration is found in St Luke 8:21:  “…these are my mother and my brothers:  those who hear the word of God are are doing it.”  Concerning this day, and pointing to the Incarnation of God the Son in human flesh, St Paul writes these words:  “When the fullness of time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman born under the Law in order that those under the Law might be set free” (Gal 4: 4 – 5).

We have this brief history regarding St Anna:

St Anna holding Mary

Saint Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary, was the youngest daughter of the priest Nathan from Bethlehem, descended from the tribe of Levi. She married Saint Joachim, who was a native of Galilee.  For a long time Saint Anna was childless, but after twenty years, through the fervent prayer of both spouses, an angel of the Lord announced to them that they would be the parents of a daughter, Who would bring blessings to the whole human race.The Conception of the Virgin Mary by Saint Anna took place at Jerusalem. The many icons depicting the Conception by Saint Anna show the Most Holy Theotokos trampling the serpent underfoot.

And we have this from the day’s troparion: 

Today the bonds of barrenness are broken:  God has heard the prayers of Joachim and Anna.  He has promised them beyond all their hopes to bear the Maiden of God, by whom the Uncircumscribed One was born as a mortal Man; He commanded an angel to cry to her [Mary]:  “Rejoice, you who are full of grace, the Lord is with you.”

Again we read from Gal 4: 4 – 5: 

When the fullness of time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman born under the Law [of Moses] in order that those under the Law might be set free.

This epistle reading for the day’s commemoration comes from St Paul:

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a free woman.  But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, the son of the free woman through promise…So, brethren, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman (Gal 4: 22 -23, 31).

The descendants of Abraham were born of the free woman — Sarah.  Christians are the spiritual, faith descendants of Abraham, and so, are also born of the free woman.  We are also spiritually born of God (see St John 1: 12 – 13).  Being so born, we are now in Christ to be free and no longer bound to sin!  In Christ we are freed from sin, not just the penalty of sin!

Icon of the Annunciation

We note this holy day for a specific reason:  We will come to the Feast of the Annunciation when the Archangel Gabriel comes to Mary and declares to her God’s salvific purpose for her.  In responding to the Archangel’s words she replies, “May it be done unto me according to your word.”  From Mary’s words come the Incarnation of God the Son in human flesh:  “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (St John 1: 29).  He sets us free from the death of sin.  He destroys death by death.  He gives to us his Light and Life of his Resurrection.  From Mary’s words will also bring he coming of the sanctifying Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost who, by baptism, joins us to Christ.  Thus, we share in Christ’s life, and the life of God in the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Orthodox Church.

WE ARE FREE IN CHRIST.  “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5: 1)

We are additionally free to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5: 22 – 23).  This fruit is the polar opposite to what we were once held in bondage, that is,  the fruit of the flesh: immorality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like (Gal 5: 19 – 21).  Of this foul, poisonous fruit St Paul warns us:  “…as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God” (Gal 5: 19 – 21).  St Paul then instructs us, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal 5: 24).

I return to our Lord’s words, ““…these are my mother and my brothers:  those who hear the word of God are are doing it.”  There was another Gospel reading for December 9.   We also read from St Luke:  

Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many I tell you, you will seek to enter and will not be able.  When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord open to us.’  He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’  Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’  But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity! (St Luke 13: 24 – 27).

What about those who were locked out.  It all seems a bit unfair at first glance.    Consider this — They ate and drank, listened to him, but did not do what they heard from Christ.We must determine what we will do and not do that we might walk on the narrow path and enter through the narrow door.  I quote from a portion of the Prayer of the hours: “…Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, set aright our minds, cleanse our thoughts…”

The battle is in the mind.  We have the Holy Spirit; Christ is in us; we have the Father.  We are thus empowered — we lack nothing.  We have the Eucharist to solidify our union in Christ, and to cleanse us of our sins, and to receive his victory over sin, darkness, alienation from God and all of creation.  We have the sacrament of Confession additionally for the forgiveness of sins, and to put us back on the narrow path when we lose our way.

We have all we need “to hear the word of God AND DO IT!

In Christ who frees us,

Fr Irenaeus