Christ our mystic Pascha!

Kristos anesti!

Alithos anesti!

We have come to the end of the Great Fast at last! We wandered forty days in the desert preparing for the final battle. We then went into battle with Our Lord, were buried with Him in the deaths of our baptism as we pleaded to be delivered from the unjust man. The unjust man that is the Old Adam of whom we bury in the waters of baptism. And finally, we are pulled out of those waters to the New Adam uniting ourselves in the Life of Christ in His Resurrection from the dead. No more is the power of Death for us Christians! We have left that Kingdom. Our Kingdom is the Kingdom of Life! We rejoice today in the jubilation of Christ our Pascha, our mystic Pascha!

Pascha is the Greek word for "Passover". When the Egyptians held the Israelites under slavery, the Lord commanded that a lamb was to be slain and its blood painted over the doorstop of every home. The Angel of Death was to come and take the firstborn of every one who neglected this. The Israelites were thus protected by the blood of the lamb. And now Christ has become the Paschal lamb. Slaughtered on the night in which the Paschal lamb was slaughtered risen on the third day. Death regretted this mistake in swallowing Him up.

Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.
It was in an uproar because it is mocked.
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.

(St. John Chrystom's Paschal Homily)

Hades was enraged at its defeat. It had tried to pull Adam into the first sin damning the world but now the Creator of All has shown Himself to be the King of even Death itself!

"The sorrow of Christ's cruel death has passed, destroying the enmity of the former sin: and cleansing away all the strains of guilt. Sweetness of ineffable joy has followed, and the height of everlasting glory; which shall be given to all born again by Christ in baptism, after the exile of this world: as to men coming back from Egypt to Paradise. For, by the sacrifice of the true Lamb, the spiritual Israel was freed from the captivity of the devil's damnation: and the new people of God passed to the liberty of the heavenly dwelling; because Christ, rising from the dead, changed the old pasch into a new: and turned temporal into everlasting life." (Ven. Thomas à Kempis, Sermons on the Passion of Our Lord, XXXI)

The Church, Israel, has been freed from the bondage to the Devil. It has been freed from its bondage to sin. Christ came in the flesh condemning not the world but the sin that had held the world in bondage. Christ came offering restoration to the world and restoration to all. We celebrate this glorious miracle of the Resurrection every Sunday. We celebrate this miracle in our own very day-to-day lives as we become Christians. This Feast of all Feasts "happens daily and eternally in those who know its mystery, and so has filled our hearts with unspeakable joy and gladness." (St. Symeon the New Theologian, Discourses, XIII) "How wonderful it is to be steadfast in devotion to the Lord! May you also, O reader, wait upon Him, that you may learn from Him and transmit to others what you learn." (Bl. Theophylact, The Explanation of the Holy Gospel According to John, ch. 20)

We have come to the victory over Hades but it is not over yet. Our duty as Christians is to join into this eternal mystery of the Pascha through our baptism, through our partaking in the sacraments, through our own restoration. Christ came to heal the image of God which was damaged, like a pearl being thrown into mud (St. Anselm, Cur Deus Homo?, Bk 1, ch. 19), we are to be cleaned off and restored to our former glory. For the old sin is vanquished and its power over us is no more! Therefore,

"Are you happy? Increase your happiness with the present celebration. Are you unhappy? Forget your earthly sorrows and rejoice that heaven is opened to you. Are you a sinner? Do not speak of that: in the Resurrection all are righteous. Are you righteous? Rejoice even ore, over the triumphant righteousness of the Only Righteous One." (St. Philaret of Chernigov, Homily on the First Day of Holy Pascha)

The saints do not condemn any one. The saints join Our Lord in condemning sin in the flesh. But to those who are defeated and attached to their sins, the cross is their defeat. Like Hades, they are in an uproar. Like Hades, they wish this event had never happened at all. Like Hades, they are mocked, destroyed, annihilated. Like Hades, they are the ones captive to their sins, assuming falsely that they have full control but it is only the Will of God who has enslaved Hades who sustains all and holds all things together. Blessed Pascha to all who read this today or any day!

Christus surrexit!

Vere surrexit!

(And how can one who has heard this Charles Wesley hymn not include it!)

The Feast of the Humble King

We have arrived at Palm Sunday. The final week of the period of strict fasting. In the West, it is the final week of Lent. In my own Byzantine Rite, we ended the Great Lent on Lazarus Saturday the day before. The King has completed a foreshadowing of His Greatest Miracle to be performed and now enters the Holy Gates of Jerusalem. He enters it with a grand entrance fit for a King. A grand entrance fit for a True King, that is. For in this entrance He sets the example for all kings in which He is Lord over. The great and Ven. Thomas á Kempis writes the following:

"Who, while He was supreme and rich and powerful above all, as the Son of God according to the divinity; nevertheless, did not display the excellence of His majesty before the people by worldly pomp: but with much humility and meekness approached the city, rebellious against Him." (Homily XXVII on Palm Sunday)

This final entrance of Our King into the city takes onto the final journey with Him in His life. His journey toward the via dolorosa of Golgotha. We are invited to accompany Him in His glory, waving palm branches before the King and laying them down before Him as is fitting. We are invited with Him and His apostles to the upper room to become the final preparations for the crucifixion, anxiously and ever-examining our own lives to determine if we are worthy. He will ask us whether or not we truly love Him and if we love Him what we must ought do for Him. Some of us may deny Him thrice but be reconciled afterward. Some of us may betray Him to the enemy. Some of us may join Him first along His final journey, carrying the cross He will be executed upon. Some of may have been with Him and will remain with Him our entire lives. That is why the Ven. Thomas á Kempis further observes:

"[L]et us take note further pleasure in examining the apparel and appearance of our humble King, seated upon the colt of an ass: Who, when He was in the midst of rejoicing people, showed no smile, but wept."

Yes, He wept for it is unbecoming in the light of the adversities we face in our constant war against the enemy to start guffawing. There may be delightful moments and joyous moments in this spiritual life but we must always guard ourselves against the enemy's attempt to lure us into not taking this fight seriously. Or this journey seriously. We are beginning to reflect on and remember Christ's final week on this Earth before His death and glorious resurrection. We ought to have joy but we must remember this is not the victory march but the march of a King about to send His troops to battle. And a difficult battle lies ahead of us if indeed those who are most faithful could even slip up in this final struggle against the enemy. The Ven. Thomas á Kempis makes further note of what Our King rode upon:

"Christ, in the beginning of His conflict with the Devil, sat upon the cult of an ass."

Yes! All the fitting! For a King who would choose to be born in nothing more than a cave outside of Bethlehem and then to ride not upon a fine, thoroughbred horse but the colt of an ass! A donkey, the lowliest of creatures has been sat upon! Christ has come to lift up those who are not exalted but He has come to lift up those who are lowly and He has given the ass the highest place of all the animals for this festive day! This is the beginning of the conflict. Will you join with Christ in His conflict? Will you betray Him? Will you collaborate with the Sanhedrin in having the Romans put Him to death? Will you recognize He is truly the Son of God? Will you deny Him but reconcile yourself to Him again in the end? Will you carry on with Him unto the end?

St. Lydwine of Schiedham

"The truth is, care should be taken to keep such people from too much prayer and to persuade them, as far as possible, to take no notice of their fancies [visions and locutions]: the devil makes use of these weak souls to injure others, even if they themselves escape unhurt." (St. Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle 3.3)

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=245090

I start off with that note because St. Lydwine (also called Lydia) of Schiedham is a visionary. Of the Ven. Thomas à Kempis's works, his biography of her life is claimed to be the least original and indeed, he even claims to be indebted to a previous work on the subject of this holy virgin's life in his prologue and claims it as an abridgement of that prior existing work. St. Lydwine, whom the Latins call Lydia, was a holy virgin, committed to refraining from marriage even at the age of twelve as many suitors sought her.

She experienced a severe injury at the fifteenth year of her life. Some might even call this the first historically documented example of an undiagnosed case of ALS. We don't quite know what her exact ailment was. But for the first fourteen years of her life, she was well and normal. As she was travelling with companions of her own, she started to walk very quickly along a patch of ice. Her companions attempted to reach her but she ended up falling into a pile of shards of ice. Christ seems to have chosen to rescue her from marriage through this accident because afterwards, no suitors would pursue her further. But she was never isolated from human affection though.

I had read The Imitation of Christ prior to reading through this work of Thomas à Kempis and I honestly did not get a lot out of reading through that work. I had never read it before having falsely believed it to be a human work, potentially containing error as the author was never canonized. But upon discovering the truth of the author behind this work, I began to develop a curiosity toward Thomas à Kempis. Reading this work about this lovely saint and holy virgin, I began to fall in love with St. Lydwine. It wasn't so much the trials she suffered that moved me toward falling in love with her but the example she set in following them. I have seen many saintly examples as of recent that have shown increasing relevance in my current life but this one struck me.

I have felt more and more isolated this past year. Some days, I have been unable to get to church due to my irregular sleep pattern. St. Lydwine's accident completely incapacitated her. It forced her to be bedridden her entire life from the age of fifteen until her happy death. She was ministered the Eucharist but once a year every Easter. But she still opened her home to the poor, the widows, travelers, etc. She was never alone because she was always with Christ. She was in communion with Christ until her death. Even with the loss of both parents and the tragic death of her niece.

The exact chronology is unknown and it is unclear whether Ven. Thomas à Kempis wrote the abridgement in a specific chronological order.  We do know she experienced prophetic visions on many occasions. On one such occasion, it was given to her that her father would repose on the Vigil of the Conception of the Virgin Mary. There was another vision she received where she appeared to have been raptured to Heaven and her breasts had been filled with milk. A widow staying at her home was there when this occurred and the saintly virgin had the widow draw milk from her breasts. Still another rapture had her receive a crown of flowers which she instructed her confessor to adorn Our Lady with. He obliged. Visions are given to people who need them and do not seek after them. They are also given to people who know how to distinguish them. She received vision from a devil boasting he had thrown her frail father into a ditch and had left him to die but this vision, not wanting to shock the virgin, was countered by the rescue that happened as her father was rescued.

St. Lydwine grew close to all who visited her and the magnitude of her losses were greatly increased by the isolation of the life she lived from her accident leaving her bedridden. But she grew in prayer and served the hungry of spirit by showing them great faithfulness and an example. On one such occasion a group of men with evil intentions visited her, molested her, beat her niece as she defended the holy virgin, and then left away. The magistrates wanted severely to punish the perpetrators and her niece died from the wounds experienced but the saint warned the magistrates against retaliation and forgave the men for what had happened. Only in forgiveness will we ever be led to Heaven.

It was on the Tuesday of the Octave of Easter of the year 1433 that she reposed. Her body was visited by many and it was discovered that this virgin was so pure that black spots developed whenever impure men touched it. Her body had to be placed in such a location that people would not touch it causing disruption to the purity of her body. St. Lydwine is the patron of the chronically ill, ice skaters, and the town of Schiedham in the Netherlands. It was due to the work of Ven. Thomas à Kempis that her cult was made known to the Church in the 19th century and on March 14, 1890, she was canonized by Pope Leo XIII. Her feast day is celebrated in the Roman calendar on April 14. May we all learn from St. Lydwine through our own trials and isolations and may she pray for all of us!

Venerable Thomas à Kempis, Sermons On Christmas Night and Christmas Morning

The Ven. Thomas à Kempis might be among the most "buried" of medieval theologians in terms of his theological genius. While his prestige lies with his literary masterpiece of devotional work known as The Imitation of Christ many people are unaware of his other biographies of the members of the Devotio Moderna, the order whose principles he had been most greatly influenced by, or even his own treasure of sermons and meditations that he wrote while serving as the canon regular. Although there seemed to be a strong movement forming toward the establishment of a cult of the Ven. Thomas à Kempis in the 19th century with the biography on his life by Francis R. Cruise, for some reason, it was shutdown very abruptly. I think that because of this, people have tended to want to push him aside. Not to mention the fictional story that has been invented as the enemies of Thomas à Kempis claim he shall never be canonized on the grounds he was "mistakenly buried alive" and tried to scratch his way out of the coffin. I have shown that to be false in another post.

With all that stated, his sermons on the feast of Christmas Day and Christmas Night, while short, are deep and profound. There is not a moment without substance. It is impossible to do the writer justice by simply referencing one. His sermon on Christmas Day describes it as a feast of the soul. It is more than just the outward festivities that make for Christmas. Indeed, it is impossible to have these outward festivities without there being that ongoing feast in the soul. I have said many times that it is impossible for atheists to celebrate Christmas. It is a Christian holy day, not a secular feast. An atheist who denies the incarnation of God as man cannot possibly hope to understand or even come to an adequate celebration of Christmas. They are in denial of Christ himself. The Ven. Thomas à Kempis would very much agree. "For it is no feast to me: save it be in the heart. But indeed it is often celebrated outwardly on that account: that it may be the more joyously solemnized within."

He contrasts the spiritual with the carnal in this sermon drawing us to the attention that the Feast is not intended for all to partake in but only those with a spiritual mindset. "When therefore my interior man concords well and rejoices with the outward festivity; I seem to have now not a single but a double feast: for what is wrought without, is the more holily celebrated within." It is not possible for many to adequately celebrate this feast. "O great and happy feast: whose celebration is granted not to all, but to a few. How far are these holy solemnities from the lovers of the world; who relish only earthly things: and look to outward things alone." This is precisely why the carnal man who cannot accept the incarnation of God, cannot ever hope to celebrate this holy day. It belongs to Christianity, not capitalism or socialism. A solemn feast is only celebrated in the soul abiding mindful of God alone.

Perhaps the most emphatic statement he makes is the following

"Who would not be glad to be present among the hymning choirs of angels; where there is no discord of voices, no relaxing frivolity, no harassing occupation, no pressing need, no corrupting affection, no distracting imagination: no subject of disturbance, no occasion of of temptation, no carelessness, no disorder, no toil, no weariness, no fatigue: but sovereign tranquillity, supreme joy and honied sweetness, absolute concord and deifying brightness, full bliss and perfect security?"

It is that concept of transcendence, to be elevated to the divine reality, that the secularists and the carnal man are incapable of. They fail to understand the very holy day as they corrupt it with their own economic interests and desires of the flesh. "For therefore came the Light into the world to show us the way to Heaven: to enkindle our heart to the love of Itself, and draw us away from all earthly things; to give us the light of wisdom, and chase away the darkness of ignorance: to make us together with Itself sharers of the kingdom, children of grace, and coheirs of eternal glory."

Expounding on that very theme of light, the Ven. Thomas à Kempis elaborates on the meaning of Christmas Night. I remember hearing about the Midnight Mass schedule when I was an Anglican from our priest the Sunday before Christmas in 2017 and how it would start at around 11pm. I laughed at first not even fully understanding the holy day. He said, "You laugh but I've known some that have started even earlier than that!" The purpose of the Midnight Mass, one would think, is to be the first liturgy for Christmas Day as the Eucharist would be timed in such a manner to be administered at midnight on the day of. But if it comes earlier, than what is the Midnight Mass but a poor misnomer of an even greater reality?

In the Byzantine tradition, we start our Nativity Festivities on the day before with the Vesperal Divine Liturgy. Later in the night, we celebrate the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Holy Nativity. The Ven. Thomas à Kempis reflects in his sermon on Christmas Night that the medieval tradition was not that far removed from our own Byzantine tradition.

"To-day night is turned into day and great brightness: for to the righteous of heart a light is risen up in darkness, the merciful and compassionate Lord. Let this night be blessed for ever and numbered among the days of solemnity. Let them bless it who are wont to bless the day; and praise it all the children of the light: for therein is born Christ the Son of God, the Light of eternal light....And when the day shall have dawned: may the Son of Justice, Who is born, shine into the hearts of all them that love Him: and may fresh devotion  again rise in the hearts of all that celebrate."

Not only does Thomas à Kempis maintain that night has been turned into day by the exuberance of the holy light, he also makes a direct reference to the resurrection in the very incarnation of God as he points to fresh devotion being risen up once again in our hearts. In the Byzantine tradition, we call this the Winter Pascha. Just as in Pascha, the Vesperal Divine Liturgy is celebrated in the midday of the previous day and the Paschal Feast is celebrated in the Evening, so too it is with the Nativity. For on Holy Saturday, the Immortal God lies dead in a tomb, the Creator of All has been hanged on a tree, and day has turned into night. In the Nativity, the Immortal God has taken on mortality, the Creator of All has assumed created nature, and night has been turned into day. This is why our Vesperal Divine Liturgy occurs in the mid-morning and our midday liturgy for both feast days occurs at night. It is not without coincidence that his birth occurs around the same time as the Winter Solstice. For as the created light begins to come into the world once again, so now the Light of the World shines in the midst of our darkness. 2020 has been a dark year for so many of us but it is at the point in which we feel most distant from God that he is nearest to us. May we all realize how near God is to us in the present darkness. So near that the night has turned into day.