WEBVTT 00:00:01.100 --> 00:00:04.320 Christ is risen. Christ is risen. Christ is risen. 00:00:04.660 --> 00:00:10.439 Christ is risen. Christ is risen. We've been 00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:18.420 separated for so long now, but I consider this 00:00:18.420 --> 00:00:21.120 time of the liturgy when we are not separated, 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:26.440 because the Spirit unites us. I consider this 00:00:26.440 --> 00:00:29.809 time a chance for me to speak with you. I call 00:00:29.809 --> 00:00:32.390 you during the week and you speak to me. And 00:00:32.390 --> 00:00:34.450 now I want to tell you something about the gospel. 00:00:36.030 --> 00:00:39.030 The message of salvation, which is that Christ 00:00:39.030 --> 00:00:41.929 rose from the dead. He is the first fruits of 00:00:41.929 --> 00:00:47.070 the resurrection. And we are waiting for the 00:00:47.070 --> 00:00:50.030 harvest. We will be raised from the dead too. 00:00:50.990 --> 00:00:53.149 And right now we have to live as if death has 00:00:53.149 --> 00:00:56.939 no dominion over us. Sickness has no... dominion 00:00:56.939 --> 00:00:59.280 over us other than the pain and the sorrow and 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:04.099 the difficulties, but ultimately it has no control. 00:01:04.200 --> 00:01:08.700 We are not slaves of it, neither sin, because 00:01:08.700 --> 00:01:11.480 we repent and we're forgiven. You heard the message 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:15.019 in the gospel. The Lord breathed on the apostles 00:01:15.019 --> 00:01:19.959 just as he breathed on Adam in the garden and 00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:24.379 infused a spirit and life within him. He did 00:01:24.379 --> 00:01:28.000 the same, yes, the word of God, both places, 00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:32.420 breathed on the apostles and gave them the grace, 00:01:32.680 --> 00:01:38.939 the ability, the capacity to forgive sins. So 00:01:38.939 --> 00:01:43.219 sin doesn't enslave us either because in Christ 00:01:43.219 --> 00:01:49.280 we're free from both death and sin. Let us also 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:52.180 be free from the uncertainty that is around us 00:01:52.180 --> 00:01:55.920 to some degree. There's so much of it. What can 00:01:55.920 --> 00:01:58.879 we know? What we read? What we hear? Is this 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:03.439 true? Is that true? Who knows? But we have to 00:02:03.439 --> 00:02:05.799 be obedient to our bishop, and that is one thing 00:02:05.799 --> 00:02:08.159 I know for sure, and I'm not uncertain about. 00:02:08.259 --> 00:02:12.539 So, we say this incredible verse at the entrance, 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:16.879 Wisdom stand aright in congregations, bless ye 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:19.020 God the Lord, from the wellsprings of Israel. 00:02:19.099 --> 00:02:21.900 And our congregation is there, funneled out across 00:02:21.900 --> 00:02:27.060 the city, not just all in one place. May it be 00:02:27.060 --> 00:02:33.240 that you become seeds of true faith, orthodoxy, 00:02:33.240 --> 00:02:36.800 faith in Christ, the risen one, throughout this 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:40.199 whole town, throughout this whole county. We 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:42.719 have to examine our life outside of the building 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:45.560 of the church, outside of the divine liturgy. 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:51.919 And that's what this gospel to me is about. We 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:54.620 can think about our own uncertainty, so many 00:02:54.620 --> 00:02:56.620 things we wish were otherwise now, but today 00:02:56.620 --> 00:02:58.539 we're going to contemplate on the uncertainty 00:02:58.539 --> 00:03:02.020 of the disciples, particularly one of them. Actually, 00:03:02.060 --> 00:03:04.240 he was quite certain about something. He was 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:07.860 certain that Jesus had been killed, because Roman 00:03:07.860 --> 00:03:13.759 execution squads do not make mistakes. But we 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:16.360 see the fear of the apostles in that upper room, 00:03:16.539 --> 00:03:22.419 and the faith of Thomas. The marvelous change 00:03:22.419 --> 00:03:26.840 which came over those men, which we see so clearly 00:03:26.840 --> 00:03:31.180 in the reading of the Acts of the Apostles. That's 00:03:31.180 --> 00:03:35.099 this week. Next week, so this week we meditate 00:03:35.099 --> 00:03:38.180 on the fear, the uncertainty, the coming to faith. 00:03:38.379 --> 00:03:40.879 Next week we're going to praise the faith, the 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:45.479 love and the care of the women disciples. Fear 00:03:45.479 --> 00:03:48.300 and doubt on the one hand, and on the other, 00:03:48.340 --> 00:03:51.550 an outpouring of sacrificial love. by the women 00:03:51.550 --> 00:03:55.169 boldness to go to the tomb both of these are 00:03:55.169 --> 00:03:58.050 normal human responses to the incredible things 00:03:58.050 --> 00:04:02.789 that took place in jerusalem these events are 00:04:02.789 --> 00:04:06.569 recounted for us today not so we can think about 00:04:06.569 --> 00:04:10.729 what happened but so that we can be inspired 00:04:10.729 --> 00:04:14.689 in our own life to ask god to change us to transform 00:04:14.689 --> 00:04:20.360 us to cause us to be in our uncertainty to be 00:04:20.360 --> 00:04:24.500 transformed into boldness. The angel said to 00:04:24.500 --> 00:04:27.139 the disciples there in Jerusalem at Solomon's 00:04:27.139 --> 00:04:30.319 Porch, a very public place of the temple, go 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:34.819 tell all the people the words of life. Words 00:04:34.819 --> 00:04:40.100 of life aren't us getting on the internet and 00:04:40.100 --> 00:04:43.980 having theological discussions or hitting people 00:04:43.980 --> 00:04:48.079 over with a Jesus stick. More on that in a minute. 00:04:49.129 --> 00:04:53.129 St. John, in chapter 20, describes the first 00:04:53.129 --> 00:04:55.930 day, Pascha Day, and Jesus came to the disciples, 00:04:56.009 --> 00:04:59.829 but Thomas was not there with them. Having tried, 00:05:00.050 --> 00:05:04.110 I suppose, being a practical man, to get back 00:05:04.110 --> 00:05:07.529 to what would be the new normal life after that 00:05:07.529 --> 00:05:12.129 crushing disappointment. Just get on with it, 00:05:12.230 --> 00:05:15.310 he probably thought. Jesus was wonderful, but 00:05:15.310 --> 00:05:18.000 it's another crucified Messiah. of which there 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:21.699 were many under the Romans. Being the pragmatic 00:05:21.699 --> 00:05:25.000 man that he was, and we can pick that up from 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:27.839 earlier in the gospel, when he heard that the 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:30.959 disciples said about Jesus, we have seen the 00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:37.899 Lord, he reacted just as they had reacted, no 00:05:37.899 --> 00:05:42.100 different, when the women came with the good 00:05:42.100 --> 00:05:45.579 news that Jesus was risen and the tomb was empty. 00:05:47.079 --> 00:05:51.040 You're all in grief. You're hysterical. This 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:57.600 can't be true. Dead people don't rise. And there 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:03.439 was fear and uncertainty. Their master was killed. 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:09.600 Now the authorities are coming for them. And 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:11.980 didn't Jesus say, they remember, not so long 00:06:11.980 --> 00:06:15.920 ago, only two days ago, if they have persecuted 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:20.720 me, they will also persecute you. So they were 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:24.800 behind locked doors. They'd also forgotten what 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:30.040 Jesus said in almost that same sentence. Ye now 00:06:30.040 --> 00:06:34.680 therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, 00:06:34.819 --> 00:06:39.740 and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no 00:06:39.740 --> 00:06:47.230 man taketh from you. Your joy may be full. Eight 00:06:47.230 --> 00:06:50.970 days later, and that's why we're here now. A 00:06:50.970 --> 00:06:53.509 week after Pascha. Eight being the number of 00:06:53.509 --> 00:06:55.910 eternity. The day beyond the seven days of the 00:06:55.910 --> 00:06:59.449 week. The day without evening. The Lord's day. 00:07:00.149 --> 00:07:03.110 Jesus came. The door is being shut. Came through 00:07:03.110 --> 00:07:09.250 the shut door. And Thomas was there. Thomas wanted 00:07:09.250 --> 00:07:15.970 real verification. Wanted to know. based on what 00:07:15.970 --> 00:07:19.170 he could see and understand. And that's the way 00:07:19.170 --> 00:07:24.470 we are. So the Lord is there with his wounds 00:07:24.470 --> 00:07:30.779 on his hands, feet, and his side. Pay attention 00:07:30.779 --> 00:07:33.139 now. One of the hymns last night at Vespers, 00:07:33.160 --> 00:07:35.720 which is why it's so important for us to be at 00:07:35.720 --> 00:07:38.519 Vespers, we hear things that will open an understanding 00:07:38.519 --> 00:07:40.959 for us. Besides, we're praising the resurrection, 00:07:41.259 --> 00:07:43.519 so how can that be bad? One of the hymns from 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:46.240 Vespers last night has Thomas speaking quite 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:49.379 theologically. He says this, Unless I see the 00:07:49.379 --> 00:07:54.319 wounds in which the great wounds of mankind were 00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:59.009 healed, and see that he is not a spirit, but 00:07:59.009 --> 00:08:02.230 his flesh and bones, risen from the dead, I will 00:08:02.230 --> 00:08:07.290 not believe. Our resurrection also will be bodily. 00:08:08.930 --> 00:08:14.870 These wounds of the Lord, they're signs. A sign, 00:08:15.089 --> 00:08:17.910 you're driving down the road, you see a sign, 00:08:18.129 --> 00:08:20.769 and you're prepared to see that sign and turn 00:08:20.769 --> 00:08:23.089 right. It tells you something about where you're 00:08:23.089 --> 00:08:26.069 going, what it means. These wounds are signs. 00:08:27.529 --> 00:08:31.149 St. John's Gospel is full of signs so that we, 00:08:31.290 --> 00:08:34.610 imperfect human beings, may be able to recognize 00:08:34.610 --> 00:08:41.690 our risen Lord as Thomas did. St. Gregory Palamas 00:08:41.690 --> 00:08:45.269 said this about the scars. He said, the scars 00:08:45.269 --> 00:08:49.809 are not erased when the suffering ceases, when 00:08:49.809 --> 00:08:53.610 the resurrection happens. Either for Christ or 00:08:53.610 --> 00:08:56.850 those who suffer, the martyrs, for example. but 00:08:56.850 --> 00:09:00.110 that the light of God shines forth in them. And 00:09:00.110 --> 00:09:02.450 when that light shines forth in the martyrs and 00:09:02.450 --> 00:09:05.309 those who bear wounds, we'll be recognizable 00:09:05.309 --> 00:09:08.870 by the divine beauty and the radiance of their 00:09:08.870 --> 00:09:14.110 wounds, not by their ugliness. The light will 00:09:14.110 --> 00:09:17.909 shine forth. God's light will shine forth. It 00:09:17.909 --> 00:09:21.809 was that sign in that wound of the Lord that 00:09:21.809 --> 00:09:25.029 led Thomas to perfect belief, more perfect than 00:09:25.029 --> 00:09:27.870 the other apostles, because none of them said, 00:09:28.029 --> 00:09:33.470 my Lord and my God. So clearly does the gospel 00:09:33.470 --> 00:09:37.549 proclaim the Lord's divinity to us. Let there 00:09:37.549 --> 00:09:42.990 be no doubt. The apostle also, Thomas, was named 00:09:42.990 --> 00:09:48.850 Didymus. The name means twin. Apparently, Thomas 00:09:48.850 --> 00:09:53.409 might mean that too. In an orthodox sense, My 00:09:53.409 --> 00:09:55.490 dear friend, Father Maximus, at the monastery 00:09:55.490 --> 00:09:58.210 tells me this. He says, in spiritual symbols, 00:09:58.490 --> 00:10:01.929 the wounds in the resurrection body of Jesus 00:10:01.929 --> 00:10:04.990 are the symbols that will lead us from doubt 00:10:04.990 --> 00:10:11.970 to belief, from belief to true faith, and finally, 00:10:12.049 --> 00:10:16.370 to the saving acts of knowledge. The saving knowledge 00:10:16.370 --> 00:10:20.269 will make us twins with Jesus. Our goal must 00:10:20.269 --> 00:10:23.720 be twinned. must be to be twinned with Christ 00:10:23.720 --> 00:10:28.720 in faith and love and knowledge, to become like 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:33.340 him. Now, if this were a normal Sunday, I would 00:10:33.340 --> 00:10:36.620 end here. But my time with you is so short anyway, 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:40.840 I'm going to say a little bit more. The Lord 00:10:40.840 --> 00:10:43.100 knew that Thomas wants the truth. The Lord knew 00:10:43.100 --> 00:10:47.519 that knows that we want the truth. In Greek, 00:10:47.580 --> 00:10:50.840 by the way, Thomas isn't called... Doubting Thomas, 00:10:51.019 --> 00:10:57.559 but faithful Thomas. Nevertheless, Christ rebukes 00:10:57.559 --> 00:11:00.820 the need of that kind of verification that he 00:11:00.820 --> 00:11:04.639 wanted. Our Savior blesses those who have the 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:07.379 kind of faith that Abraham had. What kind of 00:11:07.379 --> 00:11:09.480 faith did Abraham have? He's called the father 00:11:09.480 --> 00:11:14.240 of faith. Get thee out of thy country, the pre 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:16.440 -incarnate word of the Lord said to Abraham. 00:11:17.179 --> 00:11:19.980 Get thee out of thy country to a land that I 00:11:19.980 --> 00:11:23.480 will show thee. And you know the rest of the 00:11:23.480 --> 00:11:27.419 story and the promises made to Abraham. Hearing 00:11:27.419 --> 00:11:30.659 the word of God, that's the kind of faith. And 00:11:30.659 --> 00:11:37.080 faith is hard. Our doubts about the faith, of 00:11:37.080 --> 00:11:39.980 which many have many, and that's quite normal. 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:42.279 A thousand doubts don't lead to unbelief. But 00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:44.919 our doubts of the faith are not the kind of doubts 00:11:44.919 --> 00:11:49.889 that Thomas had, are they? Our questions are 00:11:49.889 --> 00:11:55.470 like, will God do this? Why doesn't God do this? 00:11:55.610 --> 00:11:59.870 Is God truly loving? Does God truly care? Why 00:11:59.870 --> 00:12:02.629 is there so much suffering? How can I believe 00:12:02.629 --> 00:12:08.009 if? That's a different kind of doubt. Doubting 00:12:08.009 --> 00:12:12.929 is not evil in itself, but only when doubting 00:12:12.929 --> 00:12:17.000 becomes a passion of denial. and often it becomes 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:20.419 something founded in our sins because we don't 00:12:20.419 --> 00:12:25.240 want to turn to Christ. When doubting denies 00:12:25.240 --> 00:12:29.259 the signs that God has given us mercy, so that 00:12:29.259 --> 00:12:31.779 we should believe and receive salvation, only 00:12:31.779 --> 00:12:35.320 then is doubting an evil. Otherwise, it's just 00:12:35.320 --> 00:12:39.539 the way our rational mind works. And I hope our 00:12:39.539 --> 00:12:44.440 parish and our parishioners are healthy enough 00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:51.379 To provide a loving place for questioning and 00:12:51.379 --> 00:12:55.159 wrestling with God. Because those are opportunities 00:12:55.159 --> 00:12:58.899 for discovering something, a deeper understanding. 00:13:01.559 --> 00:13:05.240 The Lord said to the disciples, as the Father 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:08.399 has sent me, even so send I you. Even after they 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:12.779 had their misunderstandings, their fear, they 00:13:12.779 --> 00:13:15.419 all ran away. What kind of disciples would they 00:13:15.419 --> 00:13:18.600 be? But the Lord said to them, when you receive 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:21.779 the Holy Spirit, he will bring to mind all things 00:13:21.779 --> 00:13:25.620 that you know that you have been told. People 00:13:25.620 --> 00:13:29.240 argue about religion all the time out of doubt 00:13:29.240 --> 00:13:32.779 on social media and together. But have you ever 00:13:32.779 --> 00:13:37.279 seen anything good that comes from that? Not 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:42.059 a chance. This is sharing information. Don't 00:13:42.059 --> 00:13:46.779 try to do that. Stay off social media and talking 00:13:46.779 --> 00:13:51.139 about religions. Just don't do it. Don't beat 00:13:51.139 --> 00:13:55.539 people over the head with Jesus Christ. Faith 00:13:55.539 --> 00:13:59.120 comes according to another law. That's the spiritual 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:02.100 law, which is the law of grace, which is the 00:14:02.100 --> 00:14:05.659 law of love and of humility and of living according 00:14:05.659 --> 00:14:07.899 to the resurrection. It's the law of revelation 00:14:07.899 --> 00:14:11.360 of Christ to the human heart. Listen to St. Nikolai. 00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:19.059 Some have seen the Lord and have said, My Lord 00:14:19.059 --> 00:14:23.100 and my God. Some only heard him and said, My 00:14:23.100 --> 00:14:26.240 Lord and my God. Some have only felt him and 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:29.879 said, My Lord and my God. Some have only observed 00:14:29.879 --> 00:14:32.620 him in the fabric of the events and the destinies 00:14:32.620 --> 00:14:36.179 of peoples and said, My Lord and my God. Some 00:14:36.179 --> 00:14:38.299 have felt his presence in their lives and cried 00:14:38.299 --> 00:14:42.360 out, My Lord and my God. Some have seen their 00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:45.690 sins. and know that Christ will heal them, and 00:14:45.690 --> 00:14:49.009 say, My Lord and my God. Some have recognized 00:14:49.009 --> 00:14:52.330 him by some sign to themselves or to others and 00:14:52.330 --> 00:14:55.129 cried out, My Lord and my God. Some have only 00:14:55.129 --> 00:14:57.730 heard about him from others and believed and 00:14:57.730 --> 00:15:01.669 cried out, My Lord and my God. Truly, these last 00:15:01.669 --> 00:15:04.929 ones are the most blessed. Let us exclaim with 00:15:04.929 --> 00:15:08.029 all our hearts, regardless of how we have come 00:15:08.029 --> 00:15:11.710 to recognize him or learn about him, My Lord. 00:15:13.230 --> 00:15:16.549 The church grew not from passing on information, 00:15:16.929 --> 00:15:20.850 but from the healings that took place and from 00:15:20.850 --> 00:15:26.870 the witness of the martyrs. We don't have either, 00:15:27.029 --> 00:15:31.210 which is why I look at that icon of St. Seraphim. 00:15:31.710 --> 00:15:34.450 It says, acquire the spirit of peace and a thousand 00:15:34.450 --> 00:15:37.009 souls around you will be saved. No, there's no 00:15:37.009 --> 00:15:40.950 time limit on that. But it's not happening because 00:15:40.950 --> 00:15:47.500 of me. So we need to beg God on our hands and 00:15:47.500 --> 00:15:50.639 knees to be more like the apostles, both in the 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:53.980 type of doubt they had and the faith that they 00:15:53.980 --> 00:15:58.860 came to and were transformed. With God's help, 00:15:58.980 --> 00:16:01.240 let it be. Christ is risen.