WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.380 Glory to Jesus Christ. Dear brothers and sisters, 00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:17.679 it can be hard to hear such profound words as 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:20.500 we listen to through the Epistle and Gospel and 00:00:20.500 --> 00:00:26.480 kind of track with it and get the picture. And 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:29.739 especially we need to remember that these are 00:00:29.739 --> 00:00:33.679 the scriptures appointed for our commemorating 00:00:33.679 --> 00:00:38.280 the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, 00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:46.119 all Holy Fathers, hierarchs. So I want to, because 00:00:46.119 --> 00:00:48.119 of this, because it can be a little difficult, 00:00:48.179 --> 00:00:52.320 I want to repeat some major touch points in the 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:57.460 scripture that is appointed for today. A couple 00:00:57.460 --> 00:01:01.079 from, first from the epistle to the Hebrews. 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:06.379 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken 00:01:06.379 --> 00:01:11.920 the word of God to you, whose faith follows. 00:01:13.420 --> 00:01:17.459 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and 00:01:17.459 --> 00:01:21.719 forever. Do not be carried about with various 00:01:21.719 --> 00:01:27.549 and strange doctrines. If there were two verses 00:01:27.549 --> 00:01:32.569 that orient us towards the Holy Fathers throughout 00:01:32.569 --> 00:01:36.810 the ages, the councils who decided and defined 00:01:36.810 --> 00:01:40.310 the faith for us, and especially in our living 00:01:40.310 --> 00:01:45.650 out our lives here in a parish, in a diocese, 00:01:45.650 --> 00:01:49.670 especially how much it applies to our dear and 00:01:49.670 --> 00:01:54.890 beloved hierarchs. They've spoken the word of 00:01:54.890 --> 00:02:00.730 truth to us. And their faith is manifest in front 00:02:00.730 --> 00:02:04.769 of us as hierarchs so that we can stay on track 00:02:04.769 --> 00:02:08.629 and not be carried away with various and strange 00:02:08.629 --> 00:02:11.969 doctrines which the world loves to layer onto 00:02:11.969 --> 00:02:19.689 us. Self -help, self -care, improvement, self 00:02:19.689 --> 00:02:22.780 -improvement. all kinds of philosophies that 00:02:22.780 --> 00:02:26.159 are meant to alleviate things about our lives. 00:02:27.139 --> 00:02:30.759 But we instead hold true to the gospel and to 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:32.939 the words of the fathers, the decisions of the 00:02:32.939 --> 00:02:37.120 councils. And also in the gospel, there's phrases 00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:40.020 that I think are, that I'd like to pop out for 00:02:40.020 --> 00:02:44.099 you from that wonderful prayer, the great prayer 00:02:44.099 --> 00:02:53.300 of our Lord. In John 17, now they have known 00:02:53.300 --> 00:02:58.800 that all things which you have given me are from 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:03.020 you. That's Christ speaking. And they have believed 00:03:03.020 --> 00:03:08.819 that you sent me. Holy Father, keep through your 00:03:08.819 --> 00:03:15.740 name those that you have given me, that they 00:03:15.740 --> 00:03:22.030 might be one as we are. While I was with them 00:03:22.030 --> 00:03:24.610 in the world, I kept them in your name. Those 00:03:24.610 --> 00:03:28.189 whom you gave me, I have kept. And these things 00:03:28.189 --> 00:03:31.610 I speak in the world, that they might have my 00:03:31.610 --> 00:03:37.830 joy fulfilled in themselves. And thus we hear, 00:03:37.930 --> 00:03:41.449 as the apostles heard the prayer, that was for 00:03:41.449 --> 00:03:44.110 them, and for all who followed him right down 00:03:44.110 --> 00:03:51.169 to the current age. Now I want to focus on something 00:03:51.169 --> 00:03:54.789 that is said earlier in the prayer. Something 00:03:54.789 --> 00:04:00.430 that we can take to heart personally. Back in 00:04:00.430 --> 00:04:04.370 verse 2 of that same chapter. That he should 00:04:04.370 --> 00:04:07.909 give eternal life to as many as you have given 00:04:07.909 --> 00:04:14.349 him. And this is eternal life. Are you ready? 00:04:16.750 --> 00:04:23.269 That they may. know you, the only true God. And 00:04:23.269 --> 00:04:29.870 Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. It's so easy 00:04:29.870 --> 00:04:32.029 to breeze over that phrase, that they may know 00:04:32.029 --> 00:04:36.449 you, the only true God. But eternal life and 00:04:36.449 --> 00:04:40.889 salvation, salvation as we seek to experience, 00:04:40.970 --> 00:04:48.209 is to know God. He says it. And this is like 00:04:48.209 --> 00:04:53.730 to know you, the only true God. There was a young 00:04:53.730 --> 00:04:56.850 man once who earnestly prayed in his loneliness 00:04:56.850 --> 00:05:01.329 and search for meaning. He prayed something like 00:05:01.329 --> 00:05:08.730 this, as I've heard it be told. God, I want to 00:05:08.730 --> 00:05:12.550 know you. I don't want to know about you. Now, 00:05:12.569 --> 00:05:14.350 why would someone not want to know about God? 00:05:15.790 --> 00:05:20.290 He wanted to know God. He didn't want to know 00:05:20.290 --> 00:05:25.370 about him. St. Maximus the Confessor addresses 00:05:25.370 --> 00:05:29.129 this. He says to know God is to participate in 00:05:29.129 --> 00:05:34.110 him. Knowledge of God is not intellectual, but 00:05:34.110 --> 00:05:40.370 existential. It rings in your whole being when 00:05:40.370 --> 00:05:44.529 you have this insight, these intuitions, these 00:05:44.529 --> 00:05:49.639 hopes. These feelings, these even fears that 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:54.980 are based in divinity. Maximus says it is life 00:05:54.980 --> 00:05:59.959 itself to know God. It is life itself. And he 00:05:59.959 --> 00:06:03.500 draws a sharp comparison between knowing about 00:06:03.500 --> 00:06:07.819 God. Now that involves, you know, discursive 00:06:07.819 --> 00:06:11.399 intellect. You know, you reason and you study 00:06:11.399 --> 00:06:15.040 theology and you get concepts. And you can learn 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:18.319 about historically how he treated his people. 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:21.759 You get to know about him that way. Not that 00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:24.259 you don't do that, but the important thing is 00:06:24.259 --> 00:06:27.379 knowing God. And this requires the purification 00:06:27.379 --> 00:06:32.600 of the noose, as Maximus says, which becomes 00:06:32.600 --> 00:06:38.240 a dwelling place for the divine presence. Eternal 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:41.980 life and knowing God is not a reward after death. 00:06:43.310 --> 00:06:46.050 But it's the present reality of your communion 00:06:46.050 --> 00:06:56.149 with him, with the divine. Wow, so how do we 00:06:56.149 --> 00:07:00.889 do that? How do we come to know God in this way 00:07:00.889 --> 00:07:05.970 of oneness and communion? Well, you have it in 00:07:05.970 --> 00:07:09.750 front of you because it begins by behaving like 00:07:09.750 --> 00:07:16.410 a Christian. In all things. I mean all things. 00:07:17.589 --> 00:07:20.209 I was on the telephone just yesterday with someone 00:07:20.209 --> 00:07:22.449 who had been working, doing some work for me. 00:07:22.610 --> 00:07:27.490 And oh, does he love working for the guy who's 00:07:27.490 --> 00:07:30.610 next to the church. The retired priest. He loves 00:07:30.610 --> 00:07:32.810 the idea of being here and doing that. And he's 00:07:32.810 --> 00:07:35.709 so pleasant and proper around me. And we were 00:07:35.709 --> 00:07:39.910 on the telephone call while he was driving. And 00:07:39.910 --> 00:07:42.069 all of a sudden, it was like, I'll talk to you 00:07:42.069 --> 00:07:44.689 later. Great. See you later. And he didn't hang 00:07:44.689 --> 00:07:47.550 up his phone, and I didn't hang up mine. The 00:07:47.550 --> 00:07:51.449 very next thing I hear is a list of expletives 00:07:51.449 --> 00:07:55.629 about the traffic and the person and just a barrage 00:07:55.629 --> 00:08:00.970 of this bad, bad mood and behavior towards someone 00:08:00.970 --> 00:08:04.310 else on the road. Now, doesn't that give you 00:08:04.310 --> 00:08:06.269 a picture of something I think we're all guilty 00:08:06.269 --> 00:08:09.899 of? We try to be in really good behavior when 00:08:09.899 --> 00:08:12.720 we come here. And it's, good morning, Father. 00:08:13.579 --> 00:08:18.279 Oh, God bless you. Oh, good morning, Matushka. 00:08:18.420 --> 00:08:21.500 Oh, it's good to see you today. How are you? 00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:27.379 We have to get way beyond that in the way we 00:08:27.379 --> 00:08:29.740 live the Christian life and everything we do. 00:08:29.860 --> 00:08:33.690 In Romans 12, St. Paul says, Do not be conformed 00:08:33.690 --> 00:08:36.629 to this world, but be transformed by the renewing 00:08:36.629 --> 00:08:40.990 of your mind, that you may prove what is that 00:08:40.990 --> 00:08:43.870 good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 00:08:44.009 --> 00:08:46.929 And in this case, mind is transformed from the 00:08:46.929 --> 00:08:51.549 Greek word nous, which is what St. Maximus talked 00:08:51.549 --> 00:08:56.750 about. The place of existential perception and 00:08:56.750 --> 00:09:04.370 being. And St. Paul goes on, 9. Let love be without 00:09:04.370 --> 00:09:07.629 hypocrisy, abhor what is evil, cling to what 00:09:07.629 --> 00:09:10.809 is good, be kindly affectionate to one another 00:09:10.809 --> 00:09:14.730 with brotherly love, in honor, giving preference 00:09:14.730 --> 00:09:18.889 to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent 00:09:18.889 --> 00:09:23.009 in spirit, or serving the Lord, rejoicing in 00:09:23.009 --> 00:09:25.769 hope, in patience, in tribulation, continuing 00:09:25.769 --> 00:09:29.610 steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs 00:09:29.610 --> 00:09:35.730 of the saints. given to hospitality. It all starts, 00:09:35.950 --> 00:09:40.710 your coming to know God, all starts with Christian 00:09:40.710 --> 00:09:44.129 behavior and all things, and allowing yourself 00:09:44.129 --> 00:09:46.590 not to be conformed to the way the world would 00:09:46.590 --> 00:09:50.269 have you behave, but by the renewing of your 00:09:50.269 --> 00:09:55.490 mind, which is in Christ Jesus. Read the rest 00:09:55.490 --> 00:09:58.149 of Romans 12 in your home. You know, St. Paul 00:09:58.149 --> 00:10:01.850 gets a lot of bad... Bad press from people who 00:10:01.850 --> 00:10:04.409 don't like the fact he lays down the rules of 00:10:04.409 --> 00:10:07.330 what is or isn't going to kill you versus give 00:10:07.330 --> 00:10:11.110 you life. You don't let a kid go play in the 00:10:11.110 --> 00:10:15.149 highway. Duh. It's not time to be, well, what 00:10:15.149 --> 00:10:17.110 do you want to do, Johnny? Do you want to play 00:10:17.110 --> 00:10:19.129 out there or don't you think it would be better 00:10:19.129 --> 00:10:23.129 to come on in off the highway? Paul doesn't do 00:10:23.129 --> 00:10:28.350 that much. He doesn't coddle to us. That he gives 00:10:28.350 --> 00:10:33.070 us one choice. Conform yourself to Christ. Do 00:10:33.070 --> 00:10:35.789 everything it means to do that. That's your choice 00:10:35.789 --> 00:10:43.169 if you want life eternal. Salvation always and 00:10:43.169 --> 00:10:47.090 continuously and forever is purification by continuously 00:10:47.090 --> 00:10:51.009 focusing on Christ. Seeking him in prayer, worship, 00:10:51.129 --> 00:10:57.340 and doing it out of love. And of course, recognizing 00:10:57.340 --> 00:11:00.820 in humility who you are, and allowing the synergy 00:11:00.820 --> 00:11:04.820 of your will and your desire to do what's right, 00:11:04.899 --> 00:11:07.860 no matter how many times you trip, repenting 00:11:07.860 --> 00:11:11.279 and doing it again, enabling His grace to work 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:15.139 within you. Our guarantee that this is it is 00:11:15.139 --> 00:11:18.159 pretty real. It's the fact that He gave His only 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:22.600 begotten Son for us, whom He loves, that we should 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:26.860 not perish, but have everlasting life. Our hope 00:11:26.860 --> 00:11:32.100 is in him who so loved the world this way. So, 00:11:32.139 --> 00:11:39.539 try to remember this. Try to go out, not just 00:11:39.539 --> 00:11:42.039 here, not just at Agape Meal, but when you hit 00:11:42.039 --> 00:11:45.840 the highway, the timer's running. Let's see how 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:47.840 you do. Glory to Jesus Christ.