WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.339 and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:16.019 Glory to Jesus Christ. Glory to God. This is 00:00:16.019 --> 00:00:20.239 the Sunday after Ascension, the Sunday before 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:24.960 Pentecost. It's a Sunday called the Sunday dedicated 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:28.160 to the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. 00:00:29.439 --> 00:00:32.240 convened by Emperor St. Constantine, depicted 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:36.020 back there on the wall, in the year 325. And 00:00:36.020 --> 00:00:39.119 you may say, 325, that's a long time ago. What 00:00:39.119 --> 00:00:41.979 does that have to do with me at all? But if you 00:00:41.979 --> 00:00:44.899 recite the creed, and it's in our prayer book 00:00:44.899 --> 00:00:48.700 for morning prayers every day, then you have 00:00:48.700 --> 00:00:51.780 something to do with that council. I'm going 00:00:51.780 --> 00:00:54.399 to let you read the little article that's in 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:57.579 the weekly bulletin, or something about that. 00:00:58.170 --> 00:01:01.149 this feast day is explained, rather than go into 00:01:01.149 --> 00:01:04.109 it today. Instead, I want to speak about the 00:01:04.109 --> 00:01:09.170 words of the gospel, particular words about knowing. 00:01:11.049 --> 00:01:14.450 This is John chapter 17. The last time you heard 00:01:14.450 --> 00:01:19.030 this in church was on the matins of Holy Friday 00:01:19.030 --> 00:01:23.530 on Thursday night of Holy Week. It may seem odd. 00:01:23.609 --> 00:01:27.680 We're reading a gospel. Before Pentecost, after 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:30.540 Ascension, but the gospel comes from before Jesus 00:01:30.540 --> 00:01:34.319 was crucified. The night he was arrested, the 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:38.640 day before he was crucified. And did you hear 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:41.920 those intimate words he spoke to his father in 00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:46.180 that prayer? And all his consideration, all his 00:01:46.180 --> 00:01:50.159 care is for his beloved disciples, not for himself. 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:55.480 Christ prayed. He said these words, and this 00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:57.739 is what I'd like to focus on, just this sentence. 00:01:58.500 --> 00:02:02.319 And this is eternal life, that they may know 00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:06.439 thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom 00:02:06.439 --> 00:02:11.599 thou hast sent, that they may know thee. These 00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:16.020 are important words, words of our Savior himself. 00:02:17.879 --> 00:02:23.740 We know a lot of things. We know about a lot 00:02:23.740 --> 00:02:27.099 of things. But there's a difference, isn't there? 00:02:27.580 --> 00:02:34.419 Between knowing and knowing about. There's quite 00:02:34.419 --> 00:02:37.139 a few of you I probably don't know much about. 00:02:38.219 --> 00:02:42.159 But you come to confession and I know you. And 00:02:42.159 --> 00:02:45.439 you know me. You see, there's a difference there. 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:49.639 When Jesus used the word know, he didn't mean 00:02:49.639 --> 00:02:52.789 know about God. and this is eternal life, that 00:02:52.789 --> 00:02:55.930 they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus 00:02:55.930 --> 00:02:59.169 Christ, whom thou hast sent. He didn't mean know 00:02:59.169 --> 00:03:02.849 about. It's not about facts. It means about being 00:03:02.849 --> 00:03:07.449 intimate with and the experience of someone else. 00:03:08.729 --> 00:03:12.229 Knowing God is different than knowing about him. 00:03:14.849 --> 00:03:17.310 I've read, for example, a number of books about 00:03:17.310 --> 00:03:19.909 World War II, this being Memorial Day weekend. 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:22.939 And I know a lot, I think, about some of the 00:03:22.939 --> 00:03:25.340 important people involved in conducting the war. 00:03:25.620 --> 00:03:28.819 But I don't know them, and I can't possibly know 00:03:28.819 --> 00:03:32.219 them. But with God, the story is very, very different. 00:03:33.560 --> 00:03:38.159 He has revealed himself in Christ, the perfect 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:43.520 revelation of the Father. In him, God became 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:49.919 man and dwelt among us. And John says, This young 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:55.020 man writing as an old man, he says, and we beheld 00:03:55.020 --> 00:03:59.400 his glory. And that by believing, he says somewhere 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:02.780 else, he says, all that was written, even the 00:04:02.780 --> 00:04:07.620 entire world couldn't hold all the books that 00:04:07.620 --> 00:04:11.759 would be written. That Jesus is the Christ, the 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:16.620 Son of God. and he says that ye may have, you 00:04:16.620 --> 00:04:20.220 believe so that ye may have life in his name. 00:04:21.699 --> 00:04:24.939 John's not revealing facts about Jesus' everyday 00:04:24.939 --> 00:04:29.660 life, is he? The apostles tell us their experience. 00:04:29.939 --> 00:04:34.180 The saints have the same experience. The fathers 00:04:34.180 --> 00:04:36.319 of the first ecumenical council, which is why 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:39.560 today we celebrate them, have the same experience 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:44.310 because the church is affirming today Crucial 00:04:44.310 --> 00:04:48.029 for us. Who is it that rose from the dead? Who 00:04:48.029 --> 00:04:51.449 is it that descended into heaven? Who is it that 00:04:51.449 --> 00:04:59.350 we call Lord? Now, we can recite the creed. I 00:04:59.350 --> 00:05:01.689 believe in God the Father. And we'll sing it, 00:05:01.709 --> 00:05:05.269 and it's a glorious thing. And we might know 00:05:05.269 --> 00:05:10.569 a lot about it. Can you speak from experience 00:05:10.569 --> 00:05:16.709 in that creed about Jesus? How do we get experience 00:05:16.709 --> 00:05:22.329 of Christ in the greatest possible way? It's 00:05:22.329 --> 00:05:25.610 essential that we do. One saint says this. He 00:05:25.610 --> 00:05:28.949 says, true communication with God, communication 00:05:28.949 --> 00:05:32.949 means communion, is not simply thinking about 00:05:32.949 --> 00:05:38.149 God. Neither is it a loving disposition toward 00:05:38.149 --> 00:05:43.569 God. Instead, it is perfect knowledge of him. 00:05:44.269 --> 00:05:48.649 He says these incredible words, surprising. He 00:05:48.649 --> 00:05:51.250 says, it's a grasping of God in the sense of 00:05:51.250 --> 00:05:54.430 taking possession of him, making him your own. 00:05:55.629 --> 00:05:59.389 Having experience of God as living. He says, 00:05:59.430 --> 00:06:05.069 if I am unable to love God truly with a love 00:06:05.069 --> 00:06:11.170 that is true, then God for me is not a living 00:06:11.170 --> 00:06:17.379 God. He is a dead God. What's the first prerequisite? 00:06:17.399 --> 00:06:20.360 Here's a checklist that I borrowed from His Eminence 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:24.319 Archbishop Michael of New York. Here's a checklist 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:28.740 on how we make progress in our Christian life 00:06:28.740 --> 00:06:33.740 to know Christ. First prerequisite. There's only 00:06:33.740 --> 00:06:35.899 four things. This is not going to take all day. 00:06:37.240 --> 00:06:39.939 But what I will tell you will take the rest of 00:06:39.939 --> 00:06:44.800 your life. And it will bring you joy. And it 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:47.019 will bring you sorrow. And it will bring you 00:06:47.019 --> 00:06:51.100 difficulty. There will be opposition to it. But 00:06:51.100 --> 00:06:53.579 God is the Lord over all. Isn't that what we 00:06:53.579 --> 00:06:57.899 sing? The disciples were glad when they received 00:06:57.899 --> 00:07:00.560 the blessing that thou art the Son of God and 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:03.899 the Redeemer of the world, the entire world. 00:07:04.100 --> 00:07:08.680 So here's the first prerequisite. To strive to 00:07:08.680 --> 00:07:15.100 attain purity of heart. Sincerely strive to desire 00:07:15.100 --> 00:07:20.959 purity of heart, pure to know Jesus and his entire 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:25.879 life, to desire Jesus. The heart has to desire 00:07:25.879 --> 00:07:28.720 us. The mind is one thing, but to know Christ 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:31.060 with the heart and desire, because what's it 00:07:31.060 --> 00:07:33.620 say? What does Jesus himself say? Blessed are 00:07:33.620 --> 00:07:36.259 the pure in heart, for they shall see, which 00:07:36.259 --> 00:07:41.079 means to know God. And we say in Psalm 50, O 00:07:41.079 --> 00:07:44.660 Lord, Cleanse my heart. Make it white as snow. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:47.420 And we say in the prayer we're going to sing 00:07:47.420 --> 00:07:51.319 next week, The O Heavenly King, the Comforter, 00:07:51.319 --> 00:07:52.939 the Spirit of Truth, have presence everywhere 00:07:52.939 --> 00:07:55.959 and fill us to all things. Cleanse us from every 00:07:55.959 --> 00:07:59.040 impurity. What kind of impurity? The impurity 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:08.180 of the heart. Secondly, that prayer to the Holy 00:08:08.180 --> 00:08:12.319 Spirit. we must pray to the Holy Spirit to guide 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:16.019 us to know Christ. Since no one comes to the 00:08:16.019 --> 00:08:18.519 Lord Jesus Christ except by the Spirit of God, 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:22.939 we have to be careful where we get our guidance. 00:08:24.019 --> 00:08:30.560 We're guided not by ourself or the world. We're 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:38.269 not guided in just our mind. Remember, It's an 00:08:38.269 --> 00:08:42.669 axiom, I think, of this life. That we are shaped 00:08:42.669 --> 00:08:45.970 in our thoughts, in our actions, in our mind, 00:08:46.009 --> 00:08:49.730 in our soul, where our treasure is or isn't. 00:08:49.769 --> 00:08:53.509 We are shaped by what we allow to shape us and 00:08:53.509 --> 00:08:57.970 form us. What choices, what priorities we have. 00:09:00.409 --> 00:09:04.220 We're shaped by what we allow. to influence us 00:09:04.220 --> 00:09:07.019 and set for us what is the most important thing 00:09:07.019 --> 00:09:10.279 and what is not important. Where your treasure 00:09:10.279 --> 00:09:13.899 is, there is your heart. St. Paul says this very 00:09:13.899 --> 00:09:17.779 concisely in Romans chapter 12. You hear it all 00:09:17.779 --> 00:09:20.759 the time. It's not just religious mumbo -jumbo. 00:09:21.320 --> 00:09:27.159 He says, be not conformed to the world. Let the 00:09:27.159 --> 00:09:30.620 hearer understand. But be ye transformed by the 00:09:30.620 --> 00:09:35.500 renewing of your mind. that ye may prove what 00:09:35.500 --> 00:09:39.679 is that is good and acceptable and the perfect 00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:44.240 will of God. The life of the Spirit in the church. 00:09:44.360 --> 00:09:46.480 This is what we're talking about, the tradition 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:50.399 of the church, which is not a dead thing, no, 00:09:50.539 --> 00:09:53.960 but something that challenges us to renew us, 00:09:54.080 --> 00:10:01.559 to cleanse us from all impurity. After desiring 00:10:01.559 --> 00:10:04.980 purity of heart, After praying to the Holy Spirit, 00:10:05.059 --> 00:10:07.379 and we do these things continually, the third 00:10:07.379 --> 00:10:09.799 thing I would suggest from Archbishop Michael 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:16.379 is this. Read the scriptures. Read the scriptures. 00:10:16.500 --> 00:10:20.179 Saint Tikhon of Zodonsk says that the scriptures 00:10:20.179 --> 00:10:27.200 are a love letter from God to us. Yes, some of 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:29.759 the scriptures is story. Some of it is history. 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:33.149 Some of it is... A letter from a lover who is 00:10:33.149 --> 00:10:37.169 terribly disappointed in us. But it's a love 00:10:37.169 --> 00:10:42.350 letter. It's a revelation of God's plan. His 00:10:42.350 --> 00:10:45.429 actions, his mercy, his goodness, his wisdom, 00:10:45.470 --> 00:10:49.330 light, his joy, his sorrow. His constant search 00:10:49.330 --> 00:10:53.509 for us. Read the scriptures daily. Read the words. 00:10:54.070 --> 00:10:58.590 But more important than reading the words, receive 00:10:58.590 --> 00:11:03.460 the word. Accept the word. Live by the word. 00:11:03.940 --> 00:11:08.980 And by living by them, you heard, we enter in 00:11:08.980 --> 00:11:12.899 the words of St. John, into eternal life. Again, 00:11:13.100 --> 00:11:17.139 our priorities, what we allow ourselves to be 00:11:17.139 --> 00:11:22.059 shaped by, to influence us, has a great impact. 00:11:22.379 --> 00:11:25.980 And number four, in receiving this love letter 00:11:25.980 --> 00:11:32.139 daily from God. We make the commitment to what? 00:11:32.220 --> 00:11:36.200 To love him back. That's all. To love him back. 00:11:36.779 --> 00:11:39.759 How do we love somebody? I think we all know 00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:42.500 how we love somebody. We can love terrible things, 00:11:42.580 --> 00:11:46.100 by the way. We can love horrible and harmful 00:11:46.100 --> 00:11:49.919 things. But let love of God, who created us, 00:11:49.940 --> 00:11:52.919 be the most important thing. Make a commitment 00:11:52.919 --> 00:11:57.029 to love him. Jesus says this. in his final words 00:11:57.029 --> 00:12:00.250 to his apostles before he is arrested. He who 00:12:00.250 --> 00:12:05.750 has my commandments has them. Who has his commandments. 00:12:06.129 --> 00:12:08.850 It's not something external, some rule book that 00:12:08.850 --> 00:12:11.789 you have to examine to make sure you're not on 00:12:11.789 --> 00:12:14.409 the wrong page or doing the wrong thing. No, 00:12:14.509 --> 00:12:21.679 it's the natural universal law. Of morality and 00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:24.679 ethics from God. The spiritual life. He who has 00:12:24.679 --> 00:12:28.019 my commandments and keeps them. It is he who 00:12:28.019 --> 00:12:31.419 loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by 00:12:31.419 --> 00:12:34.840 my father. And I will love him. And show myself 00:12:34.840 --> 00:12:44.059 to him. Prayer then. Is the response. As we try 00:12:44.059 --> 00:12:48.840 to love God. And the way we know him. To speak 00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:51.980 with him every day. We have our prayer book to 00:12:51.980 --> 00:12:54.299 teach us how to pray. We have our own words. 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:56.340 We have the prayer of the church in which we 00:12:56.340 --> 00:12:58.559 pray with one another. Where two or three are 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:01.200 gathered together, Christ says, I am there in 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:05.139 the midst of them. We don't need a password to 00:13:05.139 --> 00:13:09.799 log on to that network. He is always listening. 00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:12.840 But we're not always listening or tuned to the 00:13:12.840 --> 00:13:16.080 right channel. Our attention is fixed elsewhere. 00:13:17.419 --> 00:13:20.480 Now that the Lord has ascended into glory at 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:23.159 the right hand of his Father as the risen and 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:26.200 glorified God -man, he is not confined to Jerusalem 00:13:26.200 --> 00:13:30.559 or Palestine, but he is everywhere by the Holy 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:35.340 Spirit, present to us. I could add three more 00:13:35.340 --> 00:13:37.960 things, but this would take three more pages. 00:13:38.340 --> 00:13:42.059 But let me just mention, coming to confession, 00:13:42.220 --> 00:13:47.539 we experience... His giving of purity of heart 00:13:47.539 --> 00:13:51.919 and the unburdening of our sin. Coming to Holy 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:55.200 Communion, we experience his healing presence 00:13:55.200 --> 00:14:01.320 within us. Coming to worship as much as possible. 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:04.220 You know what I tell catechumens? Good catechumens 00:14:04.220 --> 00:14:07.539 come to lots of church services. Bad catechumens 00:14:07.539 --> 00:14:10.440 don't come to many. Don't be a bad catechumen. 00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:14.779 Come to as much as possible. That's enough for 00:14:14.779 --> 00:14:17.840 now. May the Lord enlighten our hearts to know 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:21.200 him. Maybe I could say this and leave you with 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:24.639 this thought. You know, there's a saying, it's 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:29.059 not what you know, it's who you know. That's 00:14:29.059 --> 00:14:32.779 very true with Jesus Christ. To our Lord be glory 00:14:32.779 --> 00:14:35.700 now and ever, to ages of ages. Amen.