(2/98)
To the clergy, laity and friends of the Melkite Eparchy of Newton:
"When the Lord was coming to His voluntary passion, He said to His Apostles: Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be betrayed as it is written concerning Him. Come, then, and let us accompany Him with clean conscience; let us be crucified with Him and die for His sake to the pleasures of life, that we may live with Him and hear Him say: No longer do I ascend to the earthly Jerusalem to suffer, but to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God; and I shall raise you up with me to the Jerusalem on high in the kingdom of heaven."
(Service of the Bridegroom, Monday of the Holy Week)
The season of the Holy and Great Lent is the time to "purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.( 2 Cor. 7:1) and to deepen our intimacy with Christ. It is an invitation to become closer with the One who gave His own life for our ransom, to be the only owner of our lives. God is calling us during Lent to walk in the light as children of light, in peace, joy and self control.
When we are separated from a loved one, parent, spouse, child, a brother or sister, or a close friend, we do what we can and sacrifice what ever is necessary to remove the impediment, in order to be with the ones we love. We may have to change locations, change jobs, rearrange our schedules, correct bad habits or acquire good manners.
What then impedes us from living the will of God? What hinders us from being the men and women God created us to be? As human beings there exists in us a certain tension, a certain struggle of tendencies between the flesh and the Spirit that is a residue of our first parents fall, a consequence of sin. This is not a new or hidden struggle. St. Paul tells us, "Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness… drunkenness, carousing and the like." These are the sins that could be called "carnal". St. Paul speaks of other sins that separate us from God: "enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, and envy." All of this constitutes the works of the flesh. (See Gal 5:19-21.)
In contrast to these evil works, Paul tells us of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, such as "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control." (Gal 5:22-23) We need to put the things of the flesh subject to the Spirit. "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." (Gal 5:25)
The season Great and Holy Lent is the propitious time to grow closer to God through fasting, abstinence, prayer, and acts of charity. Very simply stated:
We are reminded of the Christian way to eat and live. Self denial is not a punishment, but rather a healthy response to God’s love. Rejoice! Self control is not bondage; it is freedom which enables us to be our true selves. If we are hungry for more than our bodies need, it is not material food that we are hungry for, but rather spiritual nourishment which only God can provide. "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4) When the body feels the hunger, the soul realizes that God is the nurturer and He is the object of our desires.
The season of Lent is the propitious time to learn moderation in our eating habits. "We should eat to live and not live to eat." It has been said also: "Half of what we eat is good for us, and the other half is good for the Doctors and the hospitals," When we overeat, we hurt our health and destroy our body which God gave to us for His service and the service of others. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, writes St. Paul. "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you ? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple." (1 Cor.3:16-17)
The ancient and venerable rules of fasting and abstinence have been handed to us from centuries past by our holy Ancestors. We must conserve them as much as possible. Mother Church in recent times has recognized the habits and the needs of the faithful in modern days. She has alleviated some of the strict rules of the past to ease the conscience of its beloved children. The present dispensations offer a strict minimum without which we may be missing the whole blessing of this holy Season. Do we want to be stingy with God in our offering and in our sacrifice? Of course not, for God is never stingy with us. Let us ask God how much He would like us to fast over the minimum required by law and listen closely for His answer within us or through our spiritual counselor. Let us give Jesus lordship over our entire beings, so that we may receive His gifts and live to our fullest potential in His grace and in the light of His Face.
In order to achieve the victory of the sprit over the flesh. we need the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, our counselor and paraclete. His Holiness Pope John Paul II in preparing for the Millennium has declared 1998 the Year of the Spirit. During this Holy and Great Lent, let us ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the things of the flesh in our lives that hamper the life of the Spirit in us and hinder us from being the men and women whom He has called us to be. He is the One who created us in His image and likeness. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us put to death the things of the flesh, and to bring to life in us the fruit of His rich favors. How beautiful is the prayer which we recite before the reading of the holy Gospel at the Divine Liturgy: "Master who love mankind, … set in us the fear of Your blessed commandments, so that trampling all carnal desires, we may begin to live according to the spirit. Both willing and doing everything for Your pleasure."
Yes! God loves us just as we are, but He loves us too much to let us stay where we are; but He impels us to improve. He wants us to be closer and more intimate with Him, so that we may experience the power, grace, and freedom of the children of God. And let us not forget that, in order to be acceptable, our fasting should be coupled with prayer and good deeds.
As we prepare for our Pascha/Easter, the King and Master of all days, the feast of feasts and Season of Seasons, let us crucify our worldly desires that we may rise with the Risen Lord in grace and truth. May God the Lover of Mankind bless us and our families and all our loved ones. May He fill us to overflowing with His Spirit. May He open our hearts, minds, and spirits to repentance, to conversion and to the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory for ever and ever.
+ John A. Elya
Eparch of Newton