The Paradox of Tradition

Ecclesiastical tradition does not put the voice of the past in the place of the voice of the present; in it the past does not kill the present but gives it full force... Tradition must be creative and at the same time conservative. There is no contradiction between these two elements but they are essential and are indispensable to each other. Tradition cannot be conserved unless be continually developed. And it cannot be developed unless it takes place on the shoulder of the past.

“Conservatism” and “Development” are two facets of the same process, which we call holy tradition.

It is worthy to note that this development of the life of the Church is realized not by the act of individuals but the act of the Church, as a witness of the Holy Spirit who lives in the Church, and without declination from her apostolic and patristic mind.

+ Fr. Tadros Malaty, Traditon and Orthodoxy, 53-54

The Mind of Christ and the Advent of the Holy Spirit

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He shall guide you into all the truth:
for He shall not speak from Himself; but what things soever He shall hear, these shall He speak;
and He shall declare unto you the things that are to come” (John 16;12-13).

The new instruction of the Gospel message belongs not to those who are not yet moulded by the Spirit into newness of life and knowledge, and they cannot as yet contain the mysteries of the Holy Trinity.

The exposition then of the deeper mysteries of the faith is suitably reserved for the spiritual renovation that was to proceed from the Spirit when the mind of those who believed on Christ would no longer allow them to remain in the obsolete letter of the Law but rather induce their conversion to new doctrines and implant in them thoughts enabling them to see a fair vision of the truth.

And that before the Resurrection of our Saviour Christ from the dead, and before partaking of His Spirit, the disciples were…clinging to the legal dispensation, even though the mystery of Christ was clearly superior to it, one might very readily perceive.

[...] When, by being enriched with the grace that is from above and from heaven, they had their strength renewed, according to the Scripture, and had attained to a better knowledge than before, then we hear them boldly saying: But we have the mind of Christ.

By the Mind of Christ they mean nothing else but the advent of the Holy Spirit into their hearts, revealing unto them in due measure all things whatsoever they ought to know and learn.

When then “He,” that is the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He shall guide you into all the truth. See how free from extravagance the expression is: note the soberness of the phrase. For having told them that the Comforter would come unto them, He called Him the Spirit of Truth, that is, His own Spirit. For He is the Truth.

[...] The Spirit of Truth then, He says, will lead you to complete knowledge of the truth. For as having perfect knowledge of the truth, of which He is also the Spirit, He will make no partial revelation of it to those who worship Him, but will rather engraft in their hearts the mystery concerning it in its entirety.

For even if now we know in part, as Paul says, still, though our knowledge be limited, the fair vision of the truth has gleamed upon us entire and undefiled.

As then no man knoweth the things of a man, according to the Scripture, save the spirit of the man which is in him, in the same way, I think, to use the words of Paul, none knoweth the things of God save the Spirit of God which is in Him.

Since He is My Spirit [says Jesus], and as it were My Mind, He will surely speak to you of the things concerning Me.

+ St Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376-444): Commentary on John, Book 10 [on John 16:12-13].

Communion Prayer of Philoxenus of Mabbug

When you have extended your hands and taken the body, bow, and put your hands before your face, and worship the living Body whom you hold. Then speak with him in a low voice, and with your gaze resting upon him say to him:

I carry you, living God, who is incarnate in the bread, and I embrace you in my palms, Lord of the worlds whom no world has contained. You have circumscribed yourself in a fiery coal within a fleshly palm—you Lord, who with your palm measured out the dust of the earth. You are holy, God incarnate in my hands in a fiery coal which is a body. See, I hold you, although there is nothing that contains you; a bodily hand embraces you, Lord of natures whom a fleshly womb embraced. Within a womb you became a circumscribed body, and now within a hand you appear to me as a small morsel.

As you have made me worthy to approach you and receive you—and see, my hands embrace you confidently—make me worthy, Lord, to eat you in a holy manner and to taste the food of your body as a taste of your life. Instead of the stomach, the body’s member, may the womb of my intellect and the hand of my mind receive you. May you be conceived in me as you were in the womb of the Virgin. There you appeared as an infant, and your hidden self was revealed to the world as corporeal fruit; may you also appear in me here and be revealed from me in fruits that are spiritual works and just labors pleasing to your will.

And by your food may my desires be killed; and by the drinking of your cup may my passions be quenched. And instead of the members of my body, may my thoughts receive strength from the nourishment of your body. Like the manifest members of my body, may my hidden thoughts be engaged in exercise and in running and in works according to your living commands and your spiritual laws. From the food of your body and the drinking of your blood may I wax strong inwardly, and excel outwardly, and run diligently, and to attain to the full stature of an interior human being. May I become a perfect man, mature in the intelligence residing in all my spiritual members, my head being crowned with the crown of perfection of all of my behavior. May I be a royal diadem in your hands, as you promised me, O hidden God whose manifestness I embrace in the perfection of your body.

St Philoxenus of Mabbug

From pontifications

Feast of Annunciation

Today is the Feast of Annunciation in the Coptic Orthodox Church. Happy Feast everyone!

Icon of the Annunciation, Deir Al-Surian, Wadi Natrun

"Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit . 

Today is revealed a mystery that is from all eternity.

Thee Son of God becomes the Son of man 

that sharing in what is worse he may make me share in what is better.

In times of old Adam was once deceived

he sought to become God but receive not his desire

now God becomes man that He might make Adam God.

Let creation rejoice let nature exult 

for the Archangel stands in fear before the Virgin 

and saying to her "rejoice" he brings to her 

the joyful greeting whereby our sorrow is relieved.

O thou who In thy Merciful compassion 

was made man o our God glory to thee."

+ Idiomelon of the Feast of Annunciation, Tone 2

A Tree called Beauty

Fr Johnathan has a beautiful reflection on his blog:

http://janotec.typepad.com/terrace/2016/04/lonely-gods-and-a-tree-called-beauty.html

lonely gods and a tree called beauty

Two Commands of Love

"The last type in Mother Maria’s analysis is the ‘evangelical’ type. She begins by distinguishing this from the way ‘evangelical’is often used –which she sees as marked by sectarianism, moralism and a ‘distorted and impoverished view of salvation’–and also from attempts to ‘Christianize’ or ‘enchurch’ society, which are only milder versions of the same thing.

O Cross of Christ

"Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The cross that is raised today is like a multi-faceted diamond. The cross that is raised is what our enemies, the enemies of the faith, call us; we are, "The People of the Cross."

We are the People of the Cross, this is how we are defined by the people who martyr our brother and sisters... "The People of the Cross" - that means you, and me, and all of us here, we are the People of the Cross. 

And the cross is the revelation of who God is, the cross is the revelation of how God saves, the cross is the revelation also of what is behind human fear and violence. This is the same cross that today we see in our churches, the same cross that St. Paul said in his epistle I want to be crucified on, this is the cross that St. Paul says is the only reality he wants to know; "I only want to know among you Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

Forgiveness

FORGIVENESS

That God forgives us, let us forgive men,

As temporary guests, we are on this earth.

Prolonged fasting and prayer, in vain is

Without forgiveness and without true mercy.

God is the true Physician; sins are leprosy,

Whoever God cleanses, God also glorifies.

God rewards with mercy, every mercy of men,

That one perishes without mercy, who returns sin with sin,

With pus from pus – infected wounds, pus is not cleansed,

Neither is darkness from the dungeon dispelled by darkness,

But pure balm heals the wound of pus,

But the darkness of the dungeon, a light disperses.

To the seriously wounded, mercy is like a balm,

As a torch, in her [mercy] everyone rejoices.

This the ignorant says: I have no need of mercy!

But, when he is overcome by misery, he cries out for mercy!

Men bathe upon the mercy of God,

That mercy of God awakes us to life!

That God forgives us, let us forgive men,

As temporary guests, we are all on this earth.

+ Hymn of Praise from The Prologue of Ohrid, http://thehandmaid.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/that-god-forgives-us/

Inner Conviction

"Many preachers speak about personal appearance and decorum and stress the importance of keeping a dignified outer appearance, while the important thing is really the purity of the heart. for if the love of God enters into the heart, all traces of immodesty disappear automatically without the need for preaching.  Correcting the inside is the foundation. Yet we tell young men off for the length of their hair, and we tell the girls off for their clothes and long fingernails, and we forget the heart!

Our young people need to know what strength means, and what beauty is, in a spiritual way... Likewise, they ought to know the meaning of real freedom; is it an internal freedom from sin, or is it an indifference or not caring?! Perhaps this change of outlook is what the Apostle Paul meant by his words: “but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” (Rom 12:2). We want a generation and people who judge values by spiritual standards which they are convinced are true.  Then all their energies can be directed towards the Good. The outward appearance is a sign of something in the heart, and its goodness or its correction will come about through inner conviction not through censure and force. So let us begin with the inside then!"

+ HH Pope Shenouda III

The Treasure Within

"the Church must convey the importance of the rites and rituals of the faith, starting with the initiatory rites of Baptism and Chrismation. Our life in Christ begins at Baptism; it ought to supply for us a firm foundation upon which we can build our lives. The Lectionary provides a wellspring of lessons on Baptism; through the ordinary proclamation of the Scriptures, priests can bring to the fore the importance of Baptism. Likewise, the Church year itself—especially the feasts of Epiphany, Easter, and Pentecost—offers many wonderful examples of renewing of our lives in Christ through water and the Spirit. The Collects, chants, and prayers of these festivals supply ample material to inspire such preaching and teaching."

+ Fr William C. Mills