Mission Monthly – August 2003

“But Thou, O Lord most loving, long-suffering and merciful, hast not given me over to perish in my sins, but dost ever await my return.”

Pre-Communion Prayer of St. Basil the Great

Oftentimes the familiar is suddenly and wonderfully highlighted against the background of life's routine. How does a scripture read a hundred times suddenly sparkle with new meaning? How does a prayer prayed countless times surprisingly become an inspired source of comfort or illumination? During the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the recent Parish-Life Conference I asked myself these questions. The priest's role at the liturgy is minor when the bishop presides, which that day left me time to read pre-Communion prayers when I normally would have been preparing the Eucharistic offering. When I read these words of St. Basil I was overcome with a new sense of warmth and assurance and was reminded again of the limitless depth of each word given by God to His Holy Church!

When God seems far away and the challenges of each day appear to mount beyond one's ability to stand; when sin's grip looks to restrict one's ability to loosen the tight hold of temptation; when the devil's deceit steals from us our trust in God's strength and mercy; it is words like these which lead us back to a place of hope and peace. In our fallen state it is natural from time to time to feel as though we are “perishing.” Yes, the life we have been given in this world is blessed as “good” (Genesis 1:4-31) and God in His Advent has promised us a life of “abundance” (John 10:10) but we can never forget that this life is tainted with sin and our ultimate enemy, death. Despite God's promise and the goodness of this life, we are perishing.

When God gave mankind His law, it was then that our sins were revealed (Romans 3:20). God knows that we are unable to follow His laws by our own strength and that even though the law is good eventually man would need His grace to “fight the good fight” (1 Tim. 6:12). In Christ we are given this grace, and ultimately victory; even though our bodies are still subject to the consequence of the fall, in the resurrection our souls are no longer held captive by the devil's deceit. It is our faith in this victory which helps us lift our heads when we are cast down under the hopeless weight of our sins. It is our faith in this victory which encourages us to fight the fallen inclinations of our flesh. It is our faith in this victory which stirs us to return as many times as necessary to the waiting arms of our “most loving, long-suffering and merciful” God.

Here it is important to recognize the need for repetition in our relationship with God. When we take a long, hard and honest look at life we see repetition in virtually ever quadrant of daily routine. Some people are so caught up in routine that even the slightest variation can cause an upset affecting many other areas of their lives. When a man travels he plans and follows a specific route. Should he depart from his route he might find himself lost along the way. The more he travels that route the more familiar he becomes with it. While at the beginning of his travels his face might have been buried in his map, as the number of trips increase the more he is able to lift his head to see and appreciate the scenery of his route. The more familiar he becomes with his route the more he may be able to slightly alter his route to explore other aspects of his journey without veering from his proven route and from his final destination. So it is in our relationship with God; with prayer and with worship. Repetition in prayer is criticized in some circles as “dead” or “man-made” but to Orthodox Christians it is the basis of our journey towards God's Kingdom. We do not claim that others cannot find their own way but what we do know is that we have a well-worn path before us, prepared by centuries of repetition and triumph. Why would I want to depart from this path? Why can't I appreciate the energy and wisdom that has been put into the clearing of this path? Is it not better for me through repetition to become good at walking this proven path rather than to spend so much energy carving my own and possibly missing the finer points of progress that can be made once a certain level of skill and proficiency is attained? I believe this is what happens when we become good at the routine and repetition of worship and prayer. The Holy Spirit comes in His time to comfort, inspire, reveal, abide and, maybe most importantly, reconcile.

Clarity can be elusive so I am thankful when it comes. We have very simple tasks set before us; to recognize our need for God and to trust in His welcoming and merciful nature. We should be impressed by God's love and nurture, leading always to the increase of faith. We should be patient and appreciative in our repetition, knowing that God has given us these words in surety to prepare our hearts to receive His true touch and to lead us always back to Him.