Mission Monthly – May 1997
“I love to pray in God’s Church, especially in the sanctuary near the altar because then I change miraculously through God’s grace; during the prayers of repentance and moments of tender emotion my soul sheds its thorns and chains of passions and I feel elated; all the fascination and charm of passions disappear; it is as if I die to the world and the world with its attractions dies for me; I become alive in God and He permeates me and I become one with Him in spirit; I become like a child who finds consolation on its mother’s lap, my heart is then filled with heavenly peace, my soul is illuminated by heavenly light, I see everything clearly, rightly; I feel love and affection for all; oh, how blissfully happy is the soul with God! The Church, truly, is an earthly paradise.”
St. John of Kronstadt
With the celebration of Holy Pascha now complete (if that is ever possible), and the rigorous liturgical schedule of Great Lent now behind us, the words of a young teenager uttered not so many years ago come to mind; “I wish Lent could be year ’round… I miss Church once Easter is over… I love this time of the year!”
Hearing these sincere and heartfelt words was truly a blessing, as one planning on entering the Holy Priesthood! No where else, except maybe from a few faithful friends and classmates from seminary, have I ever heard such enthusiasm for the Life of the Church which is oftentimes unrecognizable in our modern society. This young person knew the spirit which St. John of Kronstadt spoke of in the above quote.
What is the miracle of repentance and tender emotion? Can I really shed my thorns and chains? Will the world and its attractions ever die to me? Oh, to be alive in God, permeated and one with Him in spirit! O Holy Mother (Church), help me to know this heavenly consolation, peace, light, clarity, correctness; help me to know true love and affection for all; help me to know the bliss of a soul with God; help me to recognize you, truly, as an earthly paradise!
Yes, in truth, the spirit of Lent is not intended only for the times of the year when the Church asks a little something extra from us. The spirit of Lent and the specific times of the year which demand our discipline (asceticism) are, in fact, revelations of the Kingdom of God in our midst. They are the opportunities which a wise Mother offers to her child again and again, to right the wrongs, to correct the mistakes, to love instead of hate, to give instead of take.
Is it any wonder why this young person had such a clear vision of the life which Christ offers and reveals in the Light of His Resurrection?… The clarity of holiness and the clarity of victory in the midst of all of our falls… the surety of joy and the celebration in and through the unconditional love of community… the receiving of forgiveness and the conviction of the Resurrection! “O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?” Yes, the spirit of Lent is present “year ’round”. Great Lent and the other lenten fasts are our reminders. It’s up to us to nurture, celebrate and find that, “The Church, truly, is an earthly paradise!”