WEBVTT 00:00:01.610 --> 00:00:04.030 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 00:00:04.030 --> 00:00:07.849 of the Holy Spirit, amen. Glory be to Jesus Christ. 00:00:10.230 --> 00:00:15.890 Today is the third Sunday of Lent, the middle 00:00:15.890 --> 00:00:20.489 of Lent, and the Church liturgically places before 00:00:20.489 --> 00:00:27.120 us the Holy Cross. Twice a year, The church reminds 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:31.140 us about the centrality of the cross in Christ's 00:00:31.140 --> 00:00:35.899 life and in our life by placing it in the center 00:00:35.899 --> 00:00:41.299 of the church. But I want to focus, before we 00:00:41.299 --> 00:00:44.159 return to that, I want to primarily focus our 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:49.280 attention on the epistle reading, which is taken 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:54.829 from the epistle to the Hebrews. And it sets 00:00:54.829 --> 00:00:59.049 out one of the major themes of the epistle to 00:00:59.049 --> 00:01:04.730 the Hebrews, that the forgiveness of sins and 00:01:04.730 --> 00:01:09.790 the reconciliation with God is accomplished by 00:01:09.790 --> 00:01:14.870 Jesus Christ once and for all in that full and 00:01:14.870 --> 00:01:18.829 perfect sacrifice which he offered to the Father 00:01:18.829 --> 00:01:23.390 on the cross. The sacrifice which brings about 00:01:23.390 --> 00:01:29.290 what those continuous and daily sacrifices in 00:01:29.290 --> 00:01:33.409 the temple could not accomplish, the permanent 00:01:33.409 --> 00:01:38.709 reconciliation of human beings with God, which 00:01:38.709 --> 00:01:43.469 occurs once and for all by Jesus, our great high 00:01:43.469 --> 00:01:48.549 priest, at the altar of the cross. And so this 00:01:48.549 --> 00:01:51.609 is why this theme is... is i think particularly 00:01:51.609 --> 00:01:58.290 prominent in today's epistle reading saint paul 00:01:58.290 --> 00:02:04.269 says we see then that we have a great high priest 00:02:04.269 --> 00:02:10.349 jesus of course for every high priest is taken 00:02:10.349 --> 00:02:14.909 from among men and is important and is appointed 00:02:14.909 --> 00:02:20.009 for men in things pertaining to god that he may 00:02:20.009 --> 00:02:24.490 offer both sacrifices, both gifts and sacrifices 00:02:24.490 --> 00:02:29.310 for sins. These are the high priests of the old 00:02:29.310 --> 00:02:35.210 covenant of the temple worship, to offer sacrifices 00:02:35.210 --> 00:02:42.009 for sins. But then Christ did not glorify himself 00:02:42.009 --> 00:02:47.740 to become a high priest, but it was he, who said 00:02:47.740 --> 00:02:50.900 to him, in other words, the father said to him 00:02:50.900 --> 00:02:56.280 in another place, you are my son, today I have 00:02:56.280 --> 00:03:00.599 begotten you. And he also says in another place, 00:03:00.900 --> 00:03:06.199 you are a priest forever, according to the order 00:03:06.199 --> 00:03:10.360 of Melchizedek. Melchizedek, of course, that 00:03:10.360 --> 00:03:15.080 strange and enigmatic person who appears out 00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:20.240 of nowhere. and meets Abraham in the book of 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:24.659 Genesis and brings an offering to God to him. 00:03:27.159 --> 00:03:32.599 This is, as I said, the central message of the 00:03:32.599 --> 00:03:37.199 epistle to the Hebrews, that Jesus is the new 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:40.719 high priest, not according to the Old Testament 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:45.680 priesthood, but a new priesthood which he establishes. 00:03:45.979 --> 00:03:50.419 which eclipses the temporary priesthood of the 00:03:50.419 --> 00:03:56.319 old covenant. You are a priest forever, not according 00:03:56.319 --> 00:04:00.039 to the Aaronite priesthood, but a priest forever 00:04:00.039 --> 00:04:06.860 according to the order of Melchizedek. To offer 00:04:06.860 --> 00:04:11.740 sacrifice for sin, which he did on the cross, 00:04:12.020 --> 00:04:16.889 and at each and every divine liturgy, which in 00:04:16.889 --> 00:04:21.589 a way is a mystically unbloody representation 00:04:21.589 --> 00:04:27.089 of what Christ accomplished, again, once and 00:04:27.089 --> 00:04:34.550 for all, in a bloody way on the cross. This idea 00:04:34.550 --> 00:04:41.430 and theme is reflected in one of the prayers 00:04:41.430 --> 00:04:46.649 of the Divine Liturgy. And I've always thought 00:04:46.649 --> 00:04:52.790 about that one of the unfortunate practices of, 00:04:52.870 --> 00:04:56.009 there's a whole history behind this, but one 00:04:56.009 --> 00:04:59.529 of the unfortunate practices of our contemporary 00:04:59.529 --> 00:05:04.269 liturgical worship is that the real important 00:05:04.269 --> 00:05:08.870 prayers at the liturgy are the ones that are 00:05:08.870 --> 00:05:14.600 said mystikos, or silently, by the priest. Sometimes, 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:17.540 nowadays, some of these prayers are read aloud, 00:05:17.879 --> 00:05:22.699 such as the prayer of consecration, the anaphora. 00:05:23.379 --> 00:05:27.000 But it is these prayers, actually it is a litany, 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:33.540 which is an introduction to the prayer. And so 00:05:33.540 --> 00:05:38.959 we have, sort of ironically, we have the introductory 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:41.879 liturgy, but it doesn't culminate in the prayer. 00:05:42.670 --> 00:05:46.930 But be that as it may, the prayer that I want 00:05:46.930 --> 00:05:52.449 to call your attention to is a prayer which is 00:05:52.449 --> 00:05:56.769 said by the priest as a choir is singing the 00:05:56.769 --> 00:06:00.389 cherubimic hymn at the time of the great entrance. 00:06:01.250 --> 00:06:04.269 This, a number of priests I've talked with, and 00:06:04.269 --> 00:06:07.189 they share my feeling that if we could single 00:06:07.189 --> 00:06:12.660 out one prayer that is dearest. to us as priests, 00:06:13.019 --> 00:06:19.560 it is this prayer, which is in a way unique for 00:06:19.560 --> 00:06:23.819 two reasons. Number one, it's about the only 00:06:23.819 --> 00:06:29.480 prayer in the liturgy in which the priest uses 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:37.040 the first person singular, I, I, I. Normally, 00:06:37.220 --> 00:06:41.740 throughout the liturgy, the priest prays in the 00:06:41.740 --> 00:06:46.500 first person plural, we. So the priest speaking 00:06:46.500 --> 00:06:52.360 with and on behalf of the people offers this 00:06:52.360 --> 00:06:57.300 praise and worship to God. It's unique in the 00:06:57.300 --> 00:07:00.879 sense that, as I said, one of the few where the 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:05.579 priest speaks I and me, first person singular. 00:07:05.899 --> 00:07:09.939 And then also it happens to be Historically, 00:07:09.939 --> 00:07:14.160 one of the latest additions to the liturgy probably 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:19.420 was included in the liturgy somewhere in the 00:07:19.420 --> 00:07:24.160 Middle Ages, 12th, 14th century. Can't say for 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:28.939 sure. But as I said, for many priests, it is 00:07:28.939 --> 00:07:31.079 their favorite. That's what I'm going to share 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:34.199 with you. Because this prayer says precisely 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:38.439 what St. Paul said in the epistle to the Hebrews. 00:07:39.050 --> 00:07:46.569 says today. The priest says, No one who is bound 00:07:46.569 --> 00:07:50.829 with the desires and pleasures of the flesh is 00:07:50.829 --> 00:07:54.569 worthy to approach or draw near to serve thee, 00:07:54.629 --> 00:07:59.649 O King of glory. For to minister to thee is great 00:07:59.649 --> 00:08:05.439 and awesome, even to the heavenly powers. Nevertheless, 00:08:05.699 --> 00:08:08.660 through thine unspeakable and boundless love 00:08:08.660 --> 00:08:14.600 for man, thou didst become man, yet without change 00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:18.420 or alteration as ruler of all, and did become 00:08:18.420 --> 00:08:24.120 our great high priest, and commit to us the ministry 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:30.980 of this liturgical and unbloody sacrifice. Therefore, 00:08:31.379 --> 00:08:37.210 I, priest speaking first person singular. Therefore 00:08:37.210 --> 00:08:41.090 I entreat thee, who alone are good and ready 00:08:41.090 --> 00:08:46.730 to listen, look down on me, a sinner, thine unprofitable 00:08:46.730 --> 00:08:51.990 servant, and cleanse my soul and my heart from 00:08:51.990 --> 00:08:55.769 an evil conscience. And by the power of the Holy 00:08:55.769 --> 00:09:00.169 Spirit, enable me, who am endowed with the grace 00:09:00.169 --> 00:09:04.049 of the priesthood, to stand before this, thy 00:09:04.049 --> 00:09:08.210 holy table, and to perform the sacred mystery 00:09:08.210 --> 00:09:12.149 of thy holy and pure body and precious blood. 00:09:12.889 --> 00:09:17.309 For I draw to knee near to thee, and bowing my 00:09:17.309 --> 00:09:21.509 head I implore thee, do not turn thy face away 00:09:21.509 --> 00:09:24.990 from thy servant, nor cast me out from among 00:09:24.990 --> 00:09:29.450 thy children, but make me thy sinful and unworthy 00:09:29.450 --> 00:09:34.149 servant, worthy to offer gifts to thee. Now, 00:09:34.190 --> 00:09:39.269 for thou art the offerer and the offered, the 00:09:39.269 --> 00:09:43.169 receiver and the received, O Christ our God. 00:09:43.590 --> 00:09:46.529 And we ascribe glory to thee together with the 00:09:46.529 --> 00:09:49.889 Father, some everlasting, and the all Holy Spirit, 00:09:50.090 --> 00:09:53.230 now and ever and to ages of ages. Amen. But there 00:09:53.230 --> 00:09:57.750 is the key also, and a connection with the epistle 00:09:57.750 --> 00:10:03.669 to the Hebrews, Thou, meaning Christ, is the 00:10:03.669 --> 00:10:08.470 offerer and the offered. He is the one who makes 00:10:08.470 --> 00:10:15.149 that offering on Golgotha. He makes that offering, 00:10:15.250 --> 00:10:19.730 and what is that offering? It is himself. It's 00:10:19.730 --> 00:10:24.269 him being crucified on the cross. The offerer 00:10:24.269 --> 00:10:29.360 and the one who is offered. The receiver. and 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:33.220 the received. He receives the offering as God, 00:10:33.419 --> 00:10:40.919 and he is what is received, the offering. So 00:10:40.919 --> 00:10:47.360 it's a beautiful prayer, which reflects the great 00:10:47.360 --> 00:10:51.639 high priesthood of Christ, the new high priesthood 00:10:51.639 --> 00:10:55.940 of the New Testament, the new covenant. This 00:10:55.940 --> 00:11:00.019 is what St. Paul is speaking about in Hebrews. 00:11:00.500 --> 00:11:06.059 And by the way, Hebrews happens to be my favorite 00:11:06.059 --> 00:11:11.120 epistle. I was once asked by, I was debating 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:12.940 whether or not to share this with you, but I 00:11:12.940 --> 00:11:17.419 will. I was once asked by a non -Orthodox theologian, 00:11:17.460 --> 00:11:21.539 well, what's your favorite epistle? And this 00:11:21.539 --> 00:11:23.700 always is sort of, I'm wondering what's behind 00:11:23.700 --> 00:11:27.299 that question. He had no ulterior motive. It's 00:11:27.299 --> 00:11:30.240 like getting caught in that, what's your favorite 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:33.720 scripture saying? Well, you know, I've got several. 00:11:34.259 --> 00:11:37.159 But there's nothing wrong with that. Some people 00:11:37.159 --> 00:11:40.820 have favorite scripture sayings. But I said the 00:11:40.820 --> 00:11:43.919 epistle to the Hebrews. He said, oh, you have 00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:47.580 a high Christology. And I replied, is there any 00:11:47.580 --> 00:11:52.000 other kind? The high Christology of who Christ 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:56.659 is, the great high priest. who offers this sacrifice, 00:11:56.779 --> 00:12:01.440 full and perfect, once and for all, to the Father. 00:12:04.779 --> 00:12:11.179 Leading us to what it has to say today, which 00:12:11.179 --> 00:12:17.340 is precisely what our Lord himself says in the 00:12:17.340 --> 00:12:24.309 Gospel. Whoever desires to come after me, must 00:12:24.309 --> 00:12:30.210 take up his cross and follow me. The intimate 00:12:30.210 --> 00:12:34.929 connection between following Christ and taking 00:12:34.929 --> 00:12:40.250 up the cross in imitation of Christ. Now we can 00:12:40.250 --> 00:12:46.710 interpret the cross to us in many different ways. 00:12:47.580 --> 00:12:51.059 We can look into our life and say, all of us 00:12:51.059 --> 00:12:57.019 have some kind of cross or crosses to bear. It 00:12:57.019 --> 00:13:00.940 might be a sin or a bad habit that we have or 00:13:00.940 --> 00:13:06.139 something, a very close member of our family, 00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:11.019 whatever, that we feel should be closer to God 00:13:11.019 --> 00:13:15.580 than what they are. The cross might be difficult 00:13:15.580 --> 00:13:19.389 people. Either in our family, extended family, 00:13:19.730 --> 00:13:23.070 or difficult people in the workplace to get along 00:13:23.070 --> 00:13:27.289 with. We all have crosses. But I think for each 00:13:27.289 --> 00:13:31.690 and every one of us, the greatest and the most 00:13:31.690 --> 00:13:37.629 difficult cross, the heaviest cross, is to follow 00:13:37.629 --> 00:13:43.009 Christ. To follow him perfectly, completely, 00:13:43.269 --> 00:13:51.279 unreservedly. Christ expects of us unconditional 00:13:51.279 --> 00:13:57.500 surrender to him. Not to have any strings attached, 00:13:57.960 --> 00:14:02.759 but to do our best in this world to follow him 00:14:02.759 --> 00:14:08.000 perfectly. This also I think is very appropriate 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:11.320 at the time of Lent too, because we see when 00:14:11.320 --> 00:14:16.740 we try and do extra acts of charity, fasting, 00:14:18.180 --> 00:14:21.399 avoiding sin perhaps a little bit more diligently. 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:26.379 Whatever we try to do during Lent, don't we see 00:14:26.379 --> 00:14:31.440 our own weakness and helplessness? No matter 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:36.679 how hard we try, we don't really make it, so 00:14:36.679 --> 00:14:40.399 to speak. I think this is good for us spiritually 00:14:40.399 --> 00:14:44.100 because we can never get to a point and say, 00:14:44.179 --> 00:14:49.700 aha, I've achieved. My goal in life. No, our 00:14:49.700 --> 00:14:53.159 goal in life is a constant struggle. A constant 00:14:53.159 --> 00:14:58.179 struggle to day by day and hour by hour conform 00:14:58.179 --> 00:15:02.720 ourself as much as possible to our great high 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:06.639 priest who loved us so much that he suffered 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:10.399 and died on the cross. And the more we share 00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:15.279 in his effort and in his love, the more we follow 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:19.490 him. and the more happiness and fulfillment we 00:15:19.490 --> 00:15:23.690 find in this world and perfect joy and blessedness 00:15:23.690 --> 00:15:26.309 in the kingdom to come. Amen.