OrthoAnalytika
Today, Fr. Anthony covers Chapter Twenty-Three: ON TIMES OF DARKNESS with the faithful of Christ the Savior in Anderson SC. We changed the format a bit, having the class as we enjoyed our after-Presanctified collation of PB&J's, PB&B's, collard greens, and tobouli. Enjoy the show!
info_outline The Way of Ascetics - Chapter 22OrthoAnalytika
Chapter Twenty-Two: ON THE USE OF MATERIAL THINGS WE are made up of soul and body; the two cannot be separated in our conduct. Let the physical therefore come to your aid: Christ knew our weakness and for our sake used words and gestures, spittle and earth as media. For our sake He let His power flow from the fringe of His garment (Matthew 9:20; 14:36), from the handkerchiefs or aprons that were carried away from the apostle Paul's body (Acts I9:I2), yes, from the shadow of the apostle Peter (Acts 5:I5). Therefore use all that is of earth as a staff of remembrance on your troublesome wandering...
info_outline Homily - ForgivenessOrthoAnalytika
Matthew 6:14-21 Romans 13:11-14:4 In today’s Gospel, the Lord tells us to lay up treasures in heaven, how do we do that? It’s not hard. And it’s, it’s actually a lot easier than fully investing in your 401k. Because the amount of love that is available to your heart, to share with others, that will then compound back into your own heart has no limit – its source is unending. The problem is that we are so often closing our hearts. One of the things that I study as a political scientist is polarization. And there is no doubt – the data are clear – that our society is plagued by...
info_outline Bible Study - Job:8 to the EndOrthoAnalytika
Bible Study – Job Class Six: Job 8:1-11:1; 11:1-42:22 From the Orthodox Study Bible. JOB 8: [Bildad’s nonsense] TO THE EARS OF BILDAD, JOB’S SECOND RESPONDENT, a man even less tolerant than Eliphaz, the foregoing lament seems to be an attack on the justice of God and the entire moral order. Unlike Eliphaz, however, Bildad is able to make no argument on the basis of his own personal experience. He is obliged to argue, rather, solely from the moral tradition, which he does not understand very well. Indeed, Bildad treats the moral structure of the world in a nearly impersonal...
info_outline Homily - Prejudice, Objectivity, and PerseveranceOrthoAnalytika
Homily – Prejudice, Objectivity, and Grit St. Matthew 15.21-28 Gospel: Then Jesus left and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried; “have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; for my daughter is severely possessed by a devil.” But Jesus did not answer her at all. So his disciples came and pleaded; “send her away, for she is crying after us.” Jesus replied; “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Then she came and knelt before him saying; “Lord, help me.” And Jesus answered; “it...
info_outline Bible Study – Job 2:16-7:14OrthoAnalytika
Bible Study – Job Class Five: Job 2:16-7:14The trial of ideas begins.
info_outline Homily - Spiritual Investing?OrthoAnalytika
Homily on the Talents Main point: What do we with the riches God has given us? Multiply them! How? By investing all those riches in spiritual activities that provide a strong return on investment and having enough self-discipline not to waste them on activities that cause spiritual harm. There are many kinds of riches that the Bible and Tradition teach about; today we’ll talk about spiritual and monetary riches. How to Get a Good Return on Spiritual Riches • Baptized Christians have all received riches (the grace of Baptism – a life in Christ!): what do we do...
info_outline FSAW - Falling Short of the Glory of GodOrthoAnalytika
In this episode of "Father, Speak a Word," Fr. Gregory Jensen, PhD and Fr. Anthony talk about why we should celebrate our shortcomings (as we repent of our sin). The conversation is based on Fr. Gregory's substack article "." [The audio has been corrected.]
info_outline Bible Study – Job 1:13-2:15OrthoAnalytika
Bible Study – Job Class Four: Job 1:13 – 2:15 From the Orthodox Study Bible. Job Loses His Children and Property 13. Now there was a day when Job’s sons and daughters were drinking wine in the house of their elder brother, 14. and behold, a messenger came to Job and said, “The yokes of oxen were plowing, and the female donkeys were feeding beside them. 15. Then raiders came and took them captive and killed the servants with the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 16. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said to Job, “Fire fell...
info_outline Homily - What is a Home?OrthoAnalytika
Homily Notes on Zacchaeus Sunday: What makes a home? Walk in – can you tell (that a place is a home)? The feeling? · Feelings and intuition are unreliable; generally, they are the way the subconscious mind puts together other indicators · But to the sense our feelings are reliable, some places are haunted by memories of being home “The clutter?” There is something to this. · Imperfect indicator (museums have lots of stuff… & I hear there are homes with no...
info_outlineOur Faith: Orthodox Christianity
Asceticism II: on fasting
Review. Last week we talked about Christ’s prayer and use of Psalmody (Psalms 21-30); remember that we can also imitate His fasting. We also talked about kenosis (self-emptying) and that doing good is not just a sign of grace, but the way we open ourselves to it. Lastly, we talked about why we work; what is work’s purpose?
Warm-up I. We are made to worship God and serve others. Learning humility, patience, and the other virtues are necessary for us to do that well. But in kenosis, we do not disappear. We are not joining the Borg or some Universal Consciousness. Nor are we becoming possessed, like puppets; that is NOT what St. Paul meant when he said that it was no longer he who lived but Christ who lived in him.
Warm-up II. Who is our neighbor? Whom are we to love as much as him? Asceticism doesn’t just allow us to love and serve others well, it allows us to love and serve ourselves. If this is selfish, then we are doing it wrong (although self-care can feel selfish, especially if we are not well balanced). Self-care is NOT just about maintaining the tool so that it can serve (it is that and more).
Do Not Fast
- If it will harm the physical health of you or another
- Without prayer; without alms-giving; without humility
- With judgment against those whose rigor is different than your own
- According to your own will without guidance from your spiritual father
- Hoping to please God or out of fear of His wrath
Do Fast
- In imitation of Christ; in His love and with His purpose
- According the teachings of the Church, with the guidance of a spiritual father
- In conjunction with prayer, simplicity, almsgiving
- Other suggestions?
What You’ve Been Waiting For: THE RULES FOR FASTING
Remember that these are an ideal to strive for. For many, absolute adherence would be counter-productive. Fasting related to foods has many different degrees.
- The Standard Ascetic Fast (an aside on the role of hunger):
- No meat (anything with a backbone, so this includes fish)
- No dairy (or eggs)
- No olive oil
- No wine
- The Standard Eucharistic Fast: abstention from partaking of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ
- Complete Fast: totally abstaining from all food and drink
Outside of Lents and Feasts
- We follow the standard ascetic fast on Wednesdays and Fridays
- There is no Eucharistic fast (we can take Communion any and all days of the week)
- Complete fast from midnight until Communion on Sundays and any other days we plan to receive
Additional Fasting Periods (Lents and Fasting Days)
- Great Lent follows the standard ascetic fast (with modifications)
- The Nativity Feast (Advent) two periods (11/15-12/19; 12/20-12/24) that vary in strictness
- The Apostles Fast (from Monday of All Saints until the Feast of the Apostles on 6/29)
- The Dormition Fast (8/1- 14)
- Eve of Theophany (1/5), Beheading of St. John the Baptist (8/29), Elevation of the Holy Cross (9/14)
Special Fast-Free Periods
- Afterfeast of the Nativity of Christ to Theophany Eve (12/25 – 1/4)
- The first week of the Lenten Triodion (after Publican and Pharisee)
- Bright Week (week after Pascha; this extends to the Ascension for the Antiochians)
- Trinity Week (week after Pentecost)
Questions?
Next Week: Asceticism III – the work of silence