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Father's day

6/18/2021

 
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name…”. With these words from the Gospel of Matthew, Christ teaches the disciples how to pray to God. The idea that God can be approached as a father boggles the mind. Is He not transcendent, above all “earthly” notions and concepts? The answer to this question is of course yes; He is above the “earthly” concept of fatherhood, but the question itself is flawed.
 
Since the advent of Scholasticism in the West, beginning with Augustine and reaching its highest in Thomas Aquinas, there have been attempts to define God by what we humans see in the “natural order”. This method says if we look around and find what is common to all fathers we can deduce what God’s fatherhood is like. This method, used by both the Roman and Protestant churches, I bound to produce error. How can a world fallen into imperfections and sin accurately portray, in any meaningful way, the perfect and righteous God? True we all have fathers and they all do certain things in common, but all of this is colored by the fallen world. This is why Christ says, “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” God is the example to be imitated not us.
 
The correct model, the Orthodox model, is to look into Scripture, the Word of God which reveals Him to us, and see how God acts as a father and then say, “This is what human fathers should do.” Our examples abound in the Bible: the compassionate father of the prodigal son, Abraham in  his sacrifice, Jacob and his wisdom. Yes, God in scripture is stern, but He is also fair; He is loving, but He commands respect. God demands that we strive toward Him not out of a misapplied ego, but because, in this case, “Father knows best.” We human fathers make mistakes, we correct too harshly, we dote too readily. Our fatherhood is affected by the world around us which seeks individuality instead of community. Fathers should sacrifice for their offspring and be heeded by their offspring because they have sacrificed. They should love their children and the children should obey the fathers because of that love. The rules and disciplines should be evident and not of whimsy. This is perfect fatherhood, the fatherhood of God: love without measure, expectation without limitation. This is the heavenly revelation not an earthly concept. 

The Feast of Ascension

6/7/2021

 
After His glorious Resurrection, Christ remained with His disciples for forty days. This forty day period has great significance within Scripture. The number forty is a sign of completion. Moses and the Israelites wandered for forty years, until those that had challenged God were no more. Likewise, Christ wandered in the desert for forty days after his baptism while resisting the devil’s temptations, doing what Israel had not been able to. These forty days have been a preparatory time. The Church has read from the Gospel of John in order to open the meaning of the scriptures to new Christians. It has been a time of celebration as the risen Lord has dwelt among us in the risen and transfigured body.
 
This is why the Antiochian Archdiocese, and the whole of the Patriarchate in fact, has a no fasting period from Pascha to Ascension. This tradition follows the admonishment of Christ, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as the bridegroom is with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” (Mark 2:19) During these forty days the Church triumphant is here on earth in the presence of Christ and his followers. We celebrate the great joy of having our Lord with us. Nevertheless, He will ascend and we will return to the worlds as the Church militant, struggling to remember the triumph of Christ over death.
 
This separation has meaning too. Christ does not wish to be parted from us but it is necessary for two reasons. First, as He said, “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do no go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart I will send Him to you.” (John 16:7) Christ must ascend that the Holy Spirit may come and continue the work of salvation. Through the Spirit truth is proclaimed unto the whole world and Christ’s words to Thomas, “more blessed are they who have not seen and yet believe” find their fulfillment. The Spirit can only reveal the heart of men after they no longer have the risen Lord standing right in front of them.
 
Second, Christ also said, “You have heard me say that I am going away and coming back to you…I am going to my Father, for My Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28) In His ascension Christ takes his body, which is the same nature as our body, and presents it to the Father and sits down at the right hand of God with a human body. This act reaffirms humanity’s place in creation. We were created in God’s image and likeness. Through Christ’s actions human nature is once again true to its original purpose. We are glorified in our bodies because Christ has been glorified in His, if we are imitators of Him and His sacrifice. Thus St. Athanasius said, “God became man that man might become like God.” Human nature is deified in the person of Jesus Christ. This great mystery can only happen if Christ ascends and presents Himself, and by extension us, to God the Father in love. 

    A Good Word

    In the Tradition of the Orthodox Church the request to receive a "good word" is a request to both receive a blessing and to receive wisdom from a spiritual elder in our desire to follow after Christ. May these homilies and writings be to the Glory of God!

    Authors
    Fr. Joel Gillam is the Pastor of St. George Orthodox Church. He is Spiritual Advisor to the Young Adult Ministry in the Diocese, and is a graduate of St. Vladimir Seminary.

    Deacon Joseph Clark is the assistant at St. George Orthodox Church. He has a background in Criminal Justice, and currently teaches the Catechumen classes at St. George.

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...in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians. (Acts 11:26)