The Theological Virtue of Hope
The theological virtue of hope goes hand in hand with the theological virtue of faith. St. Paul in his letter to the Romans tells his readers that Abraham, “in hope believed against hope that he should be the father of many nations. (4:18) Hope, just like faith, is in that which is not seen. Again St. Paul tells the Romans, “For in this hope we are saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (8:24-25)
The classical definition of hope would be the assurance of the good outcome of our lives lived by faith in God. In hope we have a conviction that our lives built on that faith in God will produce fruits. Hope brings us confidence even in this world of darkness and sin. It is also the confidence that the light of the loving God will bring us forgiveness and also brings us the help that we cannot do on our own.
The Psalmist writes, “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and shield. Yea out hearts are glad in him, because we trust in His holy name. Let Thy steadfast love, O Lord be upon us, even as we hope in Thee. (Psalm 33:20-22)
SO what then would we say is the opposite of this virtue of hope? Two things would fall into this category, despondency and despair. The spiritual tradition of the Church would teach that the state of despondency and despair is the most grievous condition that one can possibly find themselves in. Despondency is the worst and most harmful of the sinful states possible for the soul. This of course is from a spiritual sense. If we have no hope then nothing else is possible for us.
If someone falls in faithlessness that person can be chastised and convinced. If another is proud they can be humbled, impure he can be cleaned, weak strong, wicked righteous. But if one is despondent and full of despair their heart and soul will be dead and unresponsive to the grace that only God can give and the support of those around him.
The 6th century Saint Isaac of Syria in his Directions on Spiritual Training relates the following to his spiritual children, “The force of despondence overwhelm him and oppress his soul; and this is a taste of hell because it produces a thousand temptations: confusion, irritation, protesting and bewailing one’s lot, wrong thoughts, wanderings from place to place and so on.”
For one to rise from this state of despair and despondency he must remain steadfast and have patience. He must be a person of faith even when there is no conviction or feeling that such would be appropriate. The person must take one day at a time and immerse themselves in Scripture reading, liturgical worship, fasting, prayer, and work. St. Benedict would advise the person to remain stable in ones place to and to “what you are doing” and to do it as well as you can will all attention. The important part of recovery would be to find spiritual friends and a spiritual guide during this time.
There is no virtue in feeling weak and helpless in the presence of that which is evil. There is no virtue to consider yourself totally at the mercy of all that is evil and sinful in the world and in your life. Rather it is a virtue that one always is “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation” and knowing and believing that the final victory is God’s and God’s alone (Romans 12:12).
Giving Thanks
So what are we thankful for? Use the comments section to list what you are most thankful for during this season of thanks.
I am most thankful for:
Family
Friends
A Parish that is beginning to have a vision
That Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior
How about you?
Orthodox Daily Prayer Part II
For those of you who have been using the Orthodox Daily Prayer podcast I need to apologise I have not uploaded the files for tomorrow and Friday. I will get back on course during the weekend. iTunes has accepted the podcast so I just need to get the technical stuff working and you will be able to subscribe with iTunes.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Shepherd of Souls 37
Episode 37 is now online and available from iTunes. This week we look at the sources of Orthodoxy and continue with the music of the Boston Byzantine Choir.
Orthodox Daily Prayer
I have begun a new podcast called Orthodox Daily Prayer. I will endeavor to keep it updated daily with Morning and Evening Prayer. This is a condensed version of the prayer cycle of the day as printed in the Orthodox Study Bible. It will eventually be available on iTunes but I am waiting for their approval. For now you can follow this link. I will also place a permanent link on the sidebar and on the parish website at http://www.stmichaelorth.org/.
Keep in mind that for Orthodox the daily cycle begins with evening prayer. So the evening prayer that is on the site now is for Monday.
Entrance of the Theotokos
Archbishop Nicolae’s Meditation on the Feast of the Entrance in the Temple of the Mother of God 2008
On the 21st day of the month of November we celebrate the bringing to the temple of Jerusalem of the Virgin Mary. The dismissal hymn sung at the Vespers and Matins reveal the significance of this feast: Today is the prelude of God’s generosity, the herald of the coming of salvation for all mankind. In the temple of God the Virgin is revealed to all, her presence foretelling the coming of Christ. With all our hearts, let us, therefore cry out to her: Rejoice, O Fulfillment of the Creator’s plan.
This is the forefeast of the Annunciation of the Incarnation of the Savior of the world. The bringing of the Virgin to the temple shows us, before its fulfillment, the Annunciation, the good will of God toward His creation. This act of the holy parents Joachim and Anna, of offering the Holy Virgin for service to the Temple reveals to us the fulfillment of the plan of the Creator to redeem the human race.
Let us remember that Joachim and Anna were God-fearing people who respected the guidance of the Old Law, but did not have children, which according to the beliefs of the Judean people, meant that God did not look favorably upon their family. God chose these righteous and faithful people to be “the prelude of God’s generosity” because they had promised that should God bless them with a child they would offer this child for service to the Temple, for service to God. Through the fulfillment of this promise, not only was the blessing of God poured upon them, but the gift which they received from God became a gift to the entire creation. God had turned His face toward them, but also toward the entire humanity.
The Entrance of the Mother of God in the Temple is the feast which heralds the benevolence of God, but also of the faithfulness of Joachim and Anna, who kept their covenant with God. Their faithfulness to God has brought them grace upon grace. Although they were advanced in age, they continued to pray for child. They continued to believe that their prayer would be heard and that matters which are impossible to man are possible to God. They believed that only God could change the purpose of their life, and He could bring the blessing for which they wished their entire life. And they were thankful for the gift received from God.
It is appropriate for all those who are faithful to be thankful; all of us who believe in God the Creator, Preserver, and Savior. It is appropriate to be thankful at this time when we prepare for the national holiday of Thanksgiving. It is appropriate to set aside for ourselves a moment of reflection and thanksgiving. Reflect on the history of the American colonists who sought for a land of liberty and well being. Likewise, reflect on the history which followed since that time, a history which has shaped this longing of the first colonists for religious freedom. Our reflection is made whole through thanksgiving. As we gather as families for this holiday, we thank God for the good things He has showered upon our forefathers, but also upon us.
Let us give glory and thanks to God for all things.
Blessed Thanksgiving,
† Archbishop NICOLAE
Ordinations
On Friday I had the privilege to participate in a deacon ordination. I had not been to an ordination since my own almost five years ago. It is wonderful to be able to participate and welcome a new brother to the ranks. That is not the end of the story however.
The ordination was the beginning of a weekend full of ordinations. Like I said on Friday we ordained one deacon. Yesterday we were to ordain the new deacon a priest and another to the deaconate. Then today the deacon will be ordained a priest and another man will be ordained deacon. Tow of the three are converts to orthodoxy and have brought their congregations into the fold. This has been a years long journey for them that, as I told them on Friday is only just beginning. So Axios Fr. Kevin and Axios Fr. Christopher!
Theological Virtue of Faith
There are many different types of virtues, cardinal virtues, theological virtues, western virtues etc. I am focusing on the theological virtues for the purpose of this series. A theological virtue is so named because the object of these virtues is the divine being the Theos if you will. Other virtues have vice as the extreme and are only virtues when they are maintained between the two extremes of virtue and vice. Theological virtues do not contribute to a vice at the positive extreme. There is no vice in having an unlimited amount of faith, hope, or love when God is the object.
So what is the virtue of faith and how can we define it? My dictionary defines faith in several different ways. 1. Confidence in or dependence on a person, statement, or thing as trustworthy. 2. Belief without need of certain proof. 3. Belief in God or in the Scriptures or other religious writings. My theological dictionary defines faith in some of the same ways but adds this one; Belief and trust in Christ as one’s savior. No doubt this is a decidedly Christian view. Basically faith is a belief without proof but also steadfastness in this belief.
Faith is the foundational virtue of all Christian belief. We cannot go any further in our discussion if we do not have faith. Faith is the natural possession of all human beings that are wise and virtuous. Without faith in humanities ability to know, to do well, and to find meaning in life then nothing wise or virtuous can be achieved.
In his letter to the Hebrews St. Paul defines faith in these words, “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) Faith then is the confidence in the spiritual capabilities of humanity and in the goodness and power of God. Faith is a gift from God that is given to all and accepted by all who are open to activity of God in their lives. (Ephesians 2:8)
Sometimes we have the tendency to believe that faith is a blind leap into the dark and the unknown. Sometimes the Church has used faith to explain everything that we do. “We just need faith.” But genuine faith is in fact not a blind leap it is not an irrational or unreasonable acceptance of the unreasonable and the absurd. Faith that is rooted and grounded in our reasonable nature that is made in the image of God is genuine. If we do not have faith in the Scriptures this becomes the epitomes of foolishness and absurdity. “The fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none that does good.” Psalm 14:1-2) “The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any that act wisely that seek after God. (Psalm 53:1-2)
As humans, we were made to have faith in God. We were created in His image and likeness and to worship God the creator of all things. If we do not have belief in God then we pervert human nature and this is the cause of all evils. The weakness of our faith in God is rooted in sin, impurity and finally pride. This is not something on the intellectual level but it is in fact our suppression of the truth of God and our refusal to acknowledge God with honor and thanksgiving.
Those of us who wish to be spiritual are people who live “by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) The spiritual person then is one who, by the grace of God, is faithful in all things.
The Church Today
A Meditation by Vicar Bishop Ioan Casian of Vicina
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
The Orthodox Church, on the night of Pascha, gives witness to this great mystery of the coming of the Lord. St. John the Evangelist has said it this way, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us…” (I John 1:1-2).
The Church is the new temple in which resides the grace which restores man to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the laboratory of the love and holiness of God given to us men, it is the new life of the Trinity which has been incarnated and communicated to us through the Church in the Holy Mysteries.
The Paschal period particularly accentuates the Apostles’ need to be strengthened in their faith, for even though they had accompanied the Savior for more than three years and had seen His miracles and witnessed His word of power, they were still confused at His resurrection. This shows us clearly that man needs something more than the word, something constitutive—the grace of God which brings new life. In fact, the Savior tells them at His Ascension, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the ends of the earth”(Acts 1:8).
The Holy Apostles received the mission to proclaim the word, but not just in any way. The work of salvation is not human, but divine. In the Church, God gives us Himself, making us partakers and fellow-laborers in salvation. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the Holy Mysteries, we receive from the power of God’s grace, which profoundly illumines and renews mankind and the entire world. From the beginning until now, the Church, through its ministry manifested in the Holy Apostles, the Holy Fathers, and all the Saints, reveals the new life. In every time and epoch, Tradition has represented the way in which man has understood and translate into deeds this understanding of how to live that new life.
For those of us today who are involved in the life of the Church, society expects us to give authentic responses to the problems of our time, in the spirit of the Holy Scriptures and Holy Tradition. Therefore all of us—both the young and those who are older, men and also women, simple people as well as scholars—are one body and each of us members working toward the same goal—salvation.
In our Archdiocese in North America we find ourselves in a specific context, which requires a spiritual strategy that is adapted to the major problems that confront us—to name a few: Christian identity and witness, universality and specificity, the perennial and the contingent, tradition and renewal, mission, new and renewing standards, etc.—just to mention a few. To all these things the Church must respond with its message to become exemplary history. The response we give as members of the Church, modeled on the image of Christ, must incarnate the commandment of love of neighbor which God has given us, and which our forefathers and mothers have demonstrated in founding churches as witnessing communities of faith in God.
May Christ the Lord illumine us through His grace, that through our ministry we may be living stones of the spiritual edifice which is the Church—the Body of Christ.