Daily readings and reflections, available at
http://www/orthodox.net/scripture
These reflections and others are also posted on the blog:
http://stnicholasdallas.blogspot.com/
5
32nd Week After Pentecost v Wednesday
The text of the scriptures, followed by short reflections.
James 3:11-4:6 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet
water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries?
either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out
of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have
bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against
the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly,
sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion
and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good
fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of
righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. From whence come
wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts
that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to
have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye
ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may
consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not
that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore
will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the
scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud,
but giveth grace unto the humble.
Mark 11:23-26 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say
unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and
shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which
he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray,
believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand
praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also
which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not
forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your
trespasses.
Oil or wine on the menu today.
Today's scripture is a perfect example of the "oil and wine" that our
Lord mixes in His teachings to us, which I have mentioned many times,
and just recently in the blog.
"Oil" is the soothing teachings of Christ, which are meant to console
and comfort us, to give us hope and strong faith. "Wine" is the
astringent teachings of Jesus: His rebukes and harsh sayings - things
that should make us tremble if we are not living as we aught, and wake
us up from our slumber.
Today, we have teaching that is the finest, smoothest, warmest and
most soothing oil to some, but the most bitter and frightening wine to
others:
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any:
that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your
trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is
in heaven forgive your trespasses. (Mark 11:26)
Our Lord spoke about forgiveness and the conditions for it many times.
When he taught us to pray, He included "and forgive us our debts as we
forgive our debtors". In today's passage, it is even more clear: we MUST
forgive if we are to be forgiven.
For those who hold grudges, have vendettas, remember wrongs, and
indulge in the false sweetness of anger towards others, these words are
terrible and bitter wine. If a person continues to not forgive others,
then God will continue to pour this wine into his wounds, and in other
areas of his life, attempt to bring the blind one to his senses. Since
lack of forgiveness has as its mother pride, the words of the Brother of
the Lord, which we also read today, apply fully to such a one: "God
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."
These very same words are as oil to the humble, because our Lords
words comfort the sinner who forgives other sinners: "And when ye stand
praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also
which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.", and in other
place, even more comforting: "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:
condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be
forgiven" (Luke 6:37)
Our 'Lord gives only ONE condition for our forgiveness; we must
forgive others. What a comfort this is to the humble! The humble
considers himself incapable of any works of righteousness, and perhaps
such a one fails in many ways that a Christian may be measured, but he
possessed in abundance that most important and indispensable virtue: he
forgives others!
The marvelous grace that we are able to retain from forgiving others
will eventually positively affect every area of our soul; from this
virtue, which is grounded in love for others, self-awareness and
humility, will flow all the other virtues.
If you cannot stop sinning, then cultivate in yourself the virtue of
forgiving others. This is truly the east way to salvation! If you have
trouble forgiving, pray to be able to forgive! An absolute must is that
you MUST pray for those you have trouble forgiving. At least say "Lord
have mercy upon the soul of ____" everyday. You cannot make ANY progress
in the spiritual life without forgiving (or, at least, attempting to
forgive with all your might) others. Any supposed progress is a sham,
since our Lord's words, above, guarantee us that if we do not forgive,
we will not be forgiven.
My parish has heard many times this admonition: "If you cannot stop
sinning, at least be kind!" The kind think of others, and minimize
themselves. The kind forgive others. Therefore, "IF YOU CANNOT STOP
SINNING, AT LEAST FORGIVE OTHERS!"
----------------
Gleanings from the Fathers about forgiveness.
Did you see that brother who was negligent and lazy, who did not go
down to the all-night vigils and did not do his duties, whom the
brothers knew and held to be a negligent brother? When, therefore, he
became sick and the hour of his death drew near, the brothers gathered
to hear something beneficial, or to comfort him, or in case he wanted to
say something to them, but they saw him rejoicing, cheerful.
One brother was scandalized and said, But what do we see in you,
brother? We see you rejoicing, while you approach death? But our thought
says to us that you were not a violent man and how do you have this
courage and this rejoicing face? On what do you base this thing?
Yes, brothers, he said, really I was a negligent person and I did not
fulfill my duties. But I achieved one good thing, by the grace of God --
not to criticize any brother and not to scandalize anyone; and never did
I allow my heart to have something against my brother of the monastery
when the sun set. And inasmuch as I did not judge my brother, I believe
that God will not judge me, even me, for He said, Judge not, that you
not be judged (Mt. 7:1); and as long as I did not judge, I will not be
judged.
The brothers marveled and said, Brother, very easily you found the way
of salvation. And the brother died with much joy. Elder Ephraim of
Philotheou Mount Athos, "Counsels from the Holy Mountain". Quoted from
http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/judging_others.html
'And forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors.' For we have
many sins. For we offend both in word and in thought, and very many
things we do worthy of condemnation; and 'if we say that we have no sin'
(I Jn. 1:8), we lie, as John says...The offenses committed against us
are slight and trivial, and easily settled; but those which we have
committed against God are great, and need such mercy as His only is.
Take heed, therefore, lest for the slight and trivial sins against you,
you shut out for yourself forgiveness from God for your very grievous
sins. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Catechetical Lectures: Lecture 23 no. 16)
Quoted from http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/forgiveness.html
Do we forgive our neighbors their trespasses? God also forgives us in
His mercy. Do we refuse to forgive? God, too, will refuse to forgive us.
As we treat our neighbors, so also does God treat us. The forgiveness,
then, of your sins or unforgiveness, and hence also your salvation or
destruction, depend on you yourself, man. For without forgiveness of
sins there is no salvation. You can see for yourself how terrible it is.
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, Journey to Heaven Quoted from
http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/forgiveness.html
If you want cure your soul, you need four things. The first is to
forgive your enemies. The second is to confess thoroughly. The third is
to blame yourself. The fourth is to resolve to sin no more. If we wish
to be saved, we must always blame ourselves and not attribute our wrong
acts to others. And God, Who is most compassionate, will forgive us.
Modern Orthodox Saints I, St. Cosmas Aitolos).Dr. Constantine Cavarnos.,
INSTITUTE FOR BYZANTINE AND MODERN GREEK STUDIES., Belmont,
Massachusetts., pp.81-94. Quoted from
http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/forgiveness.html
Not only is it wonderful that He forgives us our sins, but also that
He neither uncovers them nor does He make them stand forth clearly
revealed. Nor does He force us to come forward and publicly proclaim our
misdeeds, but He bids us to make our defense to Him alone and to confess
our shins to Him. And yet, if any judge of a worldly tribunal were to
tell some captured highwayman or grave robber to confess his crime and
be excused from paying the penalty, this prisoner would with all
alacrity admit the truth and scorn the disgrace in his desire to go
free. But this is not the case in baptism. God forgives our sins and
does not force us to make a parade of them in the presence of others. He
seeks one thing only: that he who benefits by the forgiveness make learn
the greatness of the gift. St. John Chrysostom, Baptismal Instructions.
Quoted from http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/forgiveness.html
Abba Zeno said, 'If a man wants God to hear his prayer quickly, then
before he prays for anything else, even his own soul, when he stands and
stretches out his hands towards God, he must pray with all his heart for
his enemies. Through this action God will hear everything that he asks.'
The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Trans. by Benedicta Ward. Quoted
from http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/forgiveness.html
Do you not see, brethren, that we toil for nothing when we pray, if we
have enmity against someone? And again the Lord says, -If you offer your
gift at the altar, and there you remember that someone has something
against you, leave your gift before the altar, and go first and be
reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift-.
Therefore, it is clear that if you do not do this first, all that you
offer will be unacceptable, but if you do the Master-s bidding, then
implore the Lord with boldness, saying, -Forgive me my debts, Master, as
I have forgiven my brother, so fulfilling your commandment. I, weak
though I am, have forgiven-. For the Lover of mankind will answer, -If
you have forgiven, I too will forgive. If you have pardoned, I too will
pardon your sins. For I have authority on earth to forgive sins. Forgive
and you will be forgiven-. St Ephrem the Syrian, 'Three Short
Discourses', from 'http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ephrem/3disc.htm'
Quoted from http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/forgiving_others.html
Rightly did the Lord say, -My burden is light-. For what sort of
weight is it, what sort of toil is it to forgive one-s brother his
offences, which are light and of no importance, and to be pardoned for
one-s own, and immediately justified?
He did not say, -Bring me money, or calves, or goats, or fasting, or
vigils-, so that you could say, -I have none, I cannot-, but he ordered
you to bring what is light and easy and immediate, saying, -Pardon your
brother his offences, and I will pardon yours. You pardon small faults,
a few halfpennies, or three pennies, while I give you the ten thousand
talents. You only pardon without giving anything, I nevertheless both
grant you pardon and give you healing and the Kingdom.
And I accept your gift, when you are reconciled to the one who is your
enemy, when you have enmity against no one, when the sun does not go
down on your anger.
When you have peace and love for all, then your prayer is acceptable,
and your offering well-pleasing, and your house blessed and you blessed.
But if you are not reconciled with your brother, how can you seek pardon
from me? You trample on my words, and do you demand pardon? I, your
Master, demand, and you pay no attention, and do you, a slave, dare to
offer me prayer, or sacrifice, or first fruits, while you have enmity
against someone? Just as you turn your face from your brother, so I too
turn my eyes from your gift and your prayer.- St Ephrem the Syrian,
'Three Short Discourses', from
'http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ephrem/3disc.htm'. Quoted from
http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/forgiving_others.html
Antioch had another Patriarch who was compassionate and merciful; his
name was Alexander. One of his secretaries once stole some gold from
him, fled in fear and came to the Thebaid in Egypt. He was found
wandering around by the bloodthirsty barbarians of Egypt and of the
Thebaid; they took him to the remotest corner of their land. When the
godly Alexander heard about this, he ransomed him from captivity at the
cost of eighty-five pieces of gold. When the captive returned, the
bishop was so loving and gentle with him that one of the inhabitants of
the city once said: 'There is nothing more profitable or advantageous
for me than to sin against Alexander." THE SPIRITUAL MEADOW of John
Moscos. Quoted from
http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/forgiving_others.html
Keep your mind from malicious thoughts of your neighbors, knowing that
such thoughts are hurled by diabolical power, to keep your mind from
your own sins and from seeking God. Our Holy Father Elias of Egypt,
November 3, Prologue Quoted from
http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/judging_others.html
When we judge our brother, we censure ourselves in a great sin. When
therefore, we shield our brother, God will also shield us from great
sins. When we uncover our brother, we drive off the grace of God from
over us and we are given over to fall into the same things, so that we
learn that we are all weak and the grace of God carries us. Whoever
guards his tongue, that one guards his soul from great sins and falls.
Elder Ephraim of Philotheou Mount Athos, "Counsels from the Holy
Mountain". Quoted from
http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/judging_others.html