Lessons

Forgiveness: Expect to do it often. You cannot control what evil someone does to you, but you certainly are responsible for your own response to whatever someone does to you. Do not react with passion, but respond with love.

If you refuse to forgive, you make yourself a holier-than-thou self-righteous judge over another human being. Do not forget that you are a sinner, too! By setting yourself in judgment over someone else, you assume the position of moral superiority. Have you forgotten that your own sin condemns you before the Judge who knows every secret of your heart? Repent and forgive.

Withholding forgiveness may give you a sense of power and control over a situation and over another individual. We have a tendency, because of our pride and self-will, to want to exert control when something happens that we can’t control. In other words, we are tempted to lose internal self-control (which we have acquired though our ascetic therapy) as a reaction to our loss of external control over the people and events around us. Unforgiveness does not give you control. That is an illusion. In reality, unforgiveness gives the passions control over you and may give the offender control over your thoughts and emotions. If you do not forgive, you chain yourself to the offender. All you have to do is think of that person or what happened to you and you will get angry and upset again. Under these conditions, it makes it easy for the offender’s words, action, even presence, to tempt and provoke you further. Your mind will keep thinking about what happened over and over like a hamster running on a wheel, but you will find no relief or freedom. You will run aimlessly as a prisoner in the cage you have built and locked from the inside. When you forgive, you act in accordance with the Way. In the same moment that you grant freedom to someone else in the Name of Christ, your chains are loosed and the door of your prison swings open. You are free!

If someone hurts you, be careful not to spread the poison of your passion and your negative grudge-keeping attitude to others by dramatically telling them the story. Chances are that in your version of the story, you will be the innocent victim. In doing so, you create drama, manufacture an atmosphere of tension and anxiety, then draw others into your own sin, and infect them with the influence of your passions, especially anger and resentment. Look at what you have done. You have successfully spread a problem between two people – you and another person – into a problem between the other person and the entire informal resentful mob you have gathered around your own single biased perspective. Instead of doing this, forgive. Be an agent of peace, a passionless ambassadors for the Kingdom of Heaven. If others happen to discover how you were hurt, encourage them to fight fire with water, that is, with the refreshing spring of love, peace, and forgiveness, dismissing the offence, letting it flow into the past like water rushing under the bridge, instead of unsuccessfully trying to fight fire with more fire, fanning the flames of anger and resentment.

Others may become angry because they love and care for you. They are upset that you have experience injustice. Remind them that from a spiritual perspective forgiveness produces justice. Sin and death, with all the secondary symptoms, including the passions, are aspects of the great injustice against humanity. These things were never supposed to be part of our human experience. Forgiveness, then, brings justice because forgiveness is a judgment of condemnation against sin, death, and chaos, and, having removed these obstacles, allows one to fully experience of Life, which makes the human person whole. Forgiveness also restores the relationship, making it whole as well, as far as possible.

We must forgive, because God forgives us. In fact, we pray for God to forgive us as we forgive others. Even if the offender is not sorry or doesn’t ask forgiveness, forgive freely and move on. Forgiveness does not imply that the offender did not do evil against you, but it releases a fellow human being from the debt you think is owed to you. Allow the Grace of God to pay any debt on the offender’s behalf because forgiveness attracts Grace and gives you far more positive, good benefits than you would receive from holding a negative debt against someone.

When you forgive, be prepared for the temptation of unforgiveness to rise up within you. Resist this temptation as often as it presents itself. Remind yourself that you have already forgiven and pray for the one whom you have forgiven. Ask the Master to forgive you for your sins, give thanks for His mercy, and ask Him to give you the compassion and strength to pour out forgiveness on others generously. The power of His divine forgiveness can work through you so that you can forgive beyond what is humanly possible, even to love your enemies.

Since you are a sinner, someone will likely be offended by you, even if you have not intended to do so. When someone believes or feels that you have sinned against them, do not justify your words or actions, but humble yourself and ask forgiveness saying, “Forgive me.”

Remember, forgiveness is not just for the benefit of another person, but for the health of your soul. Whatever you receive from another, be sure to give the gifts of humility, compassion, love, and forgiveness in return.

Read: Genesis 8.11; Matthew 6.9-15; Luke 17.3-4; Colossians 3.12; Ephesians 4.29-32; 1 John 4.7-21

 

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

A stringed instrument reminds us of the proper harmonious relationship that should exist within the congregation among the Bishop, Priests, Deacons, and all the people (laity). In your particular parish, do your part to nurture a spirit of unity by making sure your string is in tune. In other words, make sure you maintain the right attitude that contributes to order instead of chaos. Love your Bishop. Love your Priest. Love your Deacon. Love your bothers and sisters in Christ.

Be humbly obedient to the Bishop and Priest in your heart, thought, and action as a son or daughter to a father. When you practice real inner obedience, you do so because of a sincere desire to be freely obedient with joy, even if you dislike the instructions or disagree with the reason behind them. True spiritual obedience leads to peace and positive action that flows from a positive attitude.

Since parishes are made up of different kinds of people with different backgrounds, expectations, and opinions who have varying degrees of awareness of their own spiritual sickness, relational friction sometimes develops. Repent of your own sins instead of judging others. If you have not been given the responsibility of dealing with other people’s imperfections, evaluating other people’s contributions to the Church, or policing other people’s actions, don’t take that burden upon yourself. Avoid controversies that trouble your mind and heart unnecessarily. If someone tries to pull you into conflict, do not take the bait. A string should not be tuned to another sting that is out of tune, but to one that is rightly tuned.

Worship God with love and thanksgiving for all that He has given you. Carry out your work in the parish as an offering to God. Be at peace. Forgive others. Pray for everyone. Remain silent or be an ambassador for peace. Receive correction from the Bishop and Priest humbly. Remain teachable. Be attentive to your salvation.

When a parish functions like the harmonious strings of an instrument, a beautiful, prayerful, reverent atmosphere is created and maintained in the church temple and among the people. You cannot force other strings to be in tune, but you can ensure that your string is perfectly tuned as an example to others. Be mercifully lenient with others and keep adjusting yourself through repentance that you might, through Grace, attain a more perfect pitch.

Read: Titus 2.1-15; 1 Timothy 4.1-16; 2 Timothy 4.1-8; Ephesians 4.1-16

 

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

 

 

The Church exists in the world for the salvation of human beings. It exists to accomplish its purpose because God loves us. As an Orthodox Christian, embody the life of the Orthodox Church. Carry the Holy Tradition in your heart and express the Way of Christ through your thoughts, words, and actions.

Within the Church, you have access to the Divine Medicines and sacred therapy that can heal you and bring you to your full potential and purpose in life. Always be mindful that the Life-restoring Treasure within the Church has not been given to you to hoard for yourself. You hold the opportunity, the responsibility, and the privilege to share the Way of Life with others. Introduce the people around you to their “Unknown God,” the One Who created them, loves them above all others, and calls them into communion with Him. As a patient who is being treated for the disease of death in the Divine Hospital under the care of the Great Physician, spread the word to everyone afflicted with the same terrible condition that you know where to find the one Physician who can cure them and give them new life.

Together, we actively and boldly work to evangelize, inviting everyone into the Holy Orthodox Church. Evangelism is an expression of God’s love for humankind and our love for others. Some believers publicly proclaim the Gospel, while others privately and personally share the message of the Church with their family members, co-workers, and friends as opportunities arise. Others may invite a group of people to their home for a discussion with their Priest, bring acquaintances to class sessions on the Orthodox spiritual life, or, at least, sincerely share their own experience being an Orthodox Christian. One approach to Orthodox evangelism is “Come and see,” an invitation to see Orthodox faith and practice in action. This compliments the “Go and tell” approach, requiring us to take the initiative to communicate the Faith to others.

A suitable sign for our evangelistic mission in the world is the ancient Labarum. The Chi Rho, a sign representing Christ, stood on top of the vertical pole of this military standard. The horizontal beam, giving the Labarum a cross shape, held a cloth banner that draped downward. (In some later versions, the Chi Rho appeared on the banner itself).

St. Constantine’s army marched under the Labarum as they progressed toward unifying the Eastern and Western halves of the Roman Empire. From the uniting of the Empire in the fourth century until the fall of the Imperial capital of Constantinople over a thousand years later (in 1453), the Holy Orthodox Church stood firmly-established at the center of the Empire and ministered to the people on behalf of Christ.

 

Although originally a military symbol, today the Labarum serves as a sign of our containing mission to boldly and fearlessness take the Gospel to the world so that our fellow human beings experience the triumph of Truth over lies, Life over death, Humility over pride, Peace over chaos, and Selfless Love over self-love.

Bring the message of Jesus Christ into the midst of people’s lives. Since you have found the Physician, do not neglect to tell others about the cure!

Read: Matthew 28:16–20; Luke 38-39; John 1.35-51; Acts 1.1-11; 2.14-47; 13.1-3; 17.16-34; 1 Corinthians 3.6-9; 2 Corinthians 5.20; Ephesians 4.11-16; 6.10-20; 1 Peter 3.13-17

 

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

If you live the Orthodox Way, you are well-equipped with a compass and a map for orienting yourself and finding your direction every step of every day. Each day you make a series of choices. Some of these choices involve deciding among a series of good options instead of decision between good and evil. Other choices are decisions between what is good and what is evil, what nurtures life and fosters death, what draws harmony and peace and what invites chaos and confusion. The more you acquire the mind of the Church and the heart of the Saints, the more you will be able to make beneficial decisions and outwardly do good for the benefit of yourself and others. When you feel like reacting to a situation because your passions and emotions trouble you, calm yourself, determine the direction you should take, and respond carefully. Do not be rash to storm down a path without figuring out whether that path will ultimately take you to a dark place you do not want to go.

The path of life may take you to secluded places where you, alone, must drawl from what you know, Whom you know, and who you have already prepared to become. Often, the path of life is more like walking down a noisy city street than a quiet forest path. Here, the residents are ignorant of the Way and may even show hostility to your Faith because it contradicts their own beliefs and lifestyles. You will encounter people who may be nice and well-meaning, like the Lotus Eaters, but who will try to convince you to stray from the Way that leads toward your true potential, purpose, and the kingdom where your heart belongs. Beware of the deception of others, both intentional and unintentional due to ignorance.

Avoid self-isolation. Remember that you are not alone. Your Priest is a both guide and fellow-traveler, along with your other companions, your brothers and sisters in Christ, spiritually bound together in a shared Orthodox Faith and life. We are all going in the same direction toward the same destination on a single quest. Together, let us all support and help one another stay on the Path of Life. Intentionally surround yourself with good, faithful, committed fellow travelers dedicated to the Way. There is safety in numbers as long as you keep good company.

Read: Proverbs 9.1-18; Matthew 7.15; 10.16; 1 Corinthians 3.1-23; Ephesians 2.19; 1 Peter 2.1-25

 

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

We are surrounded by symbols that communicate particular religious beliefs, political platforms, ideological positions, corporate identities, product trademarks, practical instructions, and so on. A single symbolic image may have different meanings. For example, an upside down cross could be used to represent an anti-Christian attitude. On the other hand, an upside down cross could represent the Holy Apostle Peter, who, when facing martyrdom in Rome because of His faith in Christ, requested in humility to be crucified upside down. St. Peter believed himself unworthy to die upright in the manner of His Master.

As Orthodox Christians, we have been given knowledge of the true God. We can take symbols from the world that have meant one thing and give that symbol new meaning informed by knowledge of the true God in order to communicate the Gospel and the fullness of Holy Tradition. Giving old symbols new meaning requires communication and education. Orthodox Christians must always guard against falling into syncretism, that is, attempting to integrate false ideas into the true teaching of Holy Tradition. Any former meaning that contradicts the Truth is thoroughly rejected, but positive aspects of the former meaning that are in harmony with the Orthodox Tradition may be kept.

In order to emphasize that an image is being used to represent an Orthodox meaning, a Cross, Chi Rho, or other traditional Orthodox sign may be integrated into the design to clarify the message.

The dragon and phoenix compliment each other as an image of harmony within Chinese culture, especially harmony between Emperor/Empress, husband/wife, and male/female. Whatever its historical or popular meaning today, we can use this image to remind us of the Orthodox Way.

Within the Church, the serpent-like dragon can be an image of the Devil, who is the Serpent in the Garden of Eden and the seven-headed Great Red Dragon of the Apocalypse. A dragon killed by a sword or spear may represent victory over the demonic powers and triumph over the passions of the soul through prayer and fasting. Significantly, the serpentine dragon can also represent the bronze serpent in the Old Testament, a sign of God’s healing power, and, most significantly, the Crucifixion of our Lord. Christ spoke of His death on the cross, saying,

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3.14-16).

In Greek mythology, the phoenix experiences rebirth after death. According to some stories, the bird combusts into fire, then rises to new life from its own ashes. For centuries, the phoenix has been recognized as a suitable symbol for the resurrection of Christ and, by extension, our general resurrection at the end of the age. We can certainly apply this meaning to the Chinese Phoenix (a Fenghuang to be more precise), even though this bird’s story is different according to traditional Chinese mythology.

Paired together, the dragon and phoenix can serve as a sign for the Orthodox Way, the path of bearing the Cross and living new life as children of the Resurrection. We should be reminded of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, the King of All, Who was lifted up on the Cross, died, was buried, and bodily rose from the grave to immortality for our salvation. By extension, of course, we should also be reminded of the love between a husband and wife, who each strive to put to death self-love in order to love the other so that they may more perfectly live as disciples of the Crucified, Resurrected Lord.

A belief within ancient Greek culture that the the peacock’s flesh did not decay after death provided early Orthodox Christians with another a sign of resurrection and immortality. The beautiful, bright plumage of the peacock, full of eyes like the Cherubim, may also serve as a sign of the Divine Mystery. Since the peacock has remained a familiar motif in Chinese culture, representing virtues and high status, this beautiful bird provides another image representing the Way of Christ.

In Chinese culture, the fish is a sign of good fortune. Since ancient times, Christians have used the fish to represent Christ Himself. The word for fish in Greek (ixthus) has been understood as an acronym for the phrase, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. So, a Chinese representation of a fish can remind us, not of good luck or material prosperity,  but of the One who blesses us, pours out His Grace upon us, and provides us with everything we need for the good of our salvation. Since the fish represents Apostles as fishermen who fish for human beings, drawing them into the kingdom of God, the fish can also remind us of our work to proclaim the Gospel to the world and to bring people into the Church.

For Taoists, the  taijitu (太极图), a circular black and white symbol, depicts the duality of complimentary opposites, yet an Orthodox Christian can simply be reminded to maintain proper harmony among the various aspects of your spiritual life, involving both body and soul, directed toward the true and living God.

Read: Numbers 21.6-9; John 3.14-16; Ezekiel 10; Luke 5.1-11; 9:12-17

 

Text copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees / Photos of dragon and phoenix with cross and chi rho copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees