90. Learn the Lessons of Creation

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Open your eyes to see the whole creation as an icon that points you beyond itself to the Uncreated Creator Himself, the God of Heaven. Give thanks to God for the beauty of all things and for everything He provides you from the creation. Stand in awe of the great majesty of the wonders God has made and also pay attention to the simple lessons of small things. With your five senses, learn from the Creation how to live the Way that transcends the five senses. The same One Who made the heavens and the earth reveals to us all theological knowledge, indwells and guides His Church, and leads us on the Path of Holy Tradition toward a deeper experience of Himself. With the help of the world, learn more about what it means to be a stranger in the world who belongs to the Heavenly Kingdom.

Read: Proverbs 6.1-11; Wisdom of Sirach 18.1-7; 42.15-33; Psalm 9.1-6; Psalm 148; Ecclesiastes 7.13; Song of Songs 1.1-2.17; Wisdom of Solomon 13.5; Romans 1.20-21; Luke 12.22-34

 

Text copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees

89. Giving Cheerfully

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Keep in mind that all of your money and all of your possessions belong to God. He has poured out His blessing on you by entrusting you with whatever material wealth you have, whether you have a little or a lot. You are an account manager, a steward, for God’s resources. The material things you legally own have been given to you so that you may take care of yourself and your family, and also so that you may give generously to support the Church and to love your neighbor.

The love of money leads to evil. Money itself is not evil. Be watchful that what you own does not gain ownership over you. Maintain authority over your possessions by using what you have been given wisely. Regard financial success as a divine blessing that involves responsibility. Keep a spiritual perspective and do good with what you have so that your desire to hold on to your wealth and to gain more possessions does not control you. Whether you are rich, middle class, or poor, stay vigilant and stand against the enslaving passions of envy and greed.

The acts of thankfully offering a portion of what God has given you back to Him through His Church and of giving alms for the sake of your fellow human beings is part of the ascetic aspect of the Way. In other words, generous sacrificial financial giving in a spirit of faith, thanksgiving, and love, is an important part of the spiritual therapy your soul needs. The act of giving helps you fight against the delusional attachment to the temporary things of this world, while providing a method for you to give thanks to God, express love to others, and invest in the future eternal heavenly kingdom.

The practice of tithing, that is, a proportional offering of 10% of one’s income to your parish, is encouraged as the ideal minimal standard. In many countries, where the support of the priest and the operation of the parish depends on the regular, sustainable support of the members of that parish, the practice of tithing remains an effective practical approach. This standard should not be approached legalistically. Like the practice of fasting, the act of giving is both something we do together as Orthodox Christians and also something each of us does individually as an expression of faith and love with joy and gladness.

Read: Genesis 14.17-20 (Hebrews 7); Numbers 18.21; Deuteronomy 14.22-29; Malachi 3.8-12; Matthew 6.19-21; 24-34; Luke 8.1-3; 12.13-21; 21.1-4; Acts 5.1-11; 11.19-30; 1 Corinthians 16.1-4; 2 Corinthians 9; 1 Timothy 5.17-18

 

Text copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees

88. The Sacred Canons

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87. Is Your Heart Wax or Clay?

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How you experience God’s Grace (Energy) depends upon the disposition of your heart. Since God has created you with the freedom to use your will, you choose whether your heart will be humble, soft, obedient, and open to God’s Grace or, conversely, whether your heart will be prideful, hard, self-willed, and closed to God’s Grace. In other words, you determine whether your heart will be like wax or like clay. When the same sun shines down on both wax and clay, the wax softens, but the clay hardens.

When the Holy Scripture speaks of God hardening someone’s heart, understand that the same Grace that hardened the heart of one person would heal and sanctify the heart of another. Again, you choose whether or not to allow the Divine Grace to work within you.

If your heart is humble like wax, God will impress his seal into your heart so that you may be conformed to His likeness and act according to His will.

Read: Exodus 7-15

 

Text copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees

86. The Lunar Lamp

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When you see the moon, especially in its full phase as night, remember our ministry as the Church, and your own individual purpose, to serve as light upon a world blinded by darkness.

You cannot reach your potential if you allow yourself to be obscured by the shadows of the world, that is, the sin, ignorance, and distractions around us. Remain full and bright through repentance, prayer, and the full Life of the Church. Reflect the Light of Christ so that your life may provide the much-needed light of Love and Truth to others. When the night is darkest, the eyes need light most to see the Way.

Read: Genesis 1.16; Psalm 8; 148.3-6; Wisdom of Sirach 43.1-10; Matthew 5.14-16

 

Text copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees