GOSPEL MESSAGE & RECORDING
At the time of our Baptism, Holy Chrism is used to anoint us. As children, it is spread over the entire body, as an adult, it was used to mark the sign of the Cross over us. Either way, it is as St. Philoxenos writes, “Neither the wetness of water in which we are baptized, nor the oiliness of the oil with which we are anointed, remain with us after our death, but the Holy Spirit, who is mingled in our souls and bodies through the oil and water, does remain with us, both in this life and after our death.” We have been sealed eternally; we have been marked with an eternal mark that is the seal and mark of the Holy Spirit.
We receive our seal through the anointing with Chrism, but did you know there is only one other place in which we use Holy Chrism? When a Church is consecrated, Holy Chrism is used to mark the sign of the Cross on each wall of the Sanctuary, and the Tablito (the rectangular piece of wood on which the Holy Eucharist is placed) is smeared all over with Chrism. My dear brothers and sisters, the reason why I bring up the usage of Holy Chrism is that today is Hoodhosh Eetho (Dedication Sunday). We are to recall our Baptism where we were dedicated to becoming Holy Sanctuaries of which God dwells and in which we offer our Liturgy. It is stated in the Book of Steps, “Since we also know that the body is become a hidden temple and the heart a hidden altar for ministry in the spirit, we should show our eagerness at this visible altar and in this visible temple, so that, as we labor in these, we may have rest forever in that church in heaven which is free and magnificent…”
The life of one who is called the Temple of God is threefold; the building up of our Patristic Biblical understanding, the growth of our inner Spiritual Life through Hesychasm, and the formation and foundation of our Spiritual Life through our participation in the Life of the Church. The reason why I bring this up is the fact that the offering that we place at our Altar, which is our heart, is the continuous struggle of living as a Christian through these three pillars. We learn where the center of our being is through the teachings of our Fathers and, specifically, we learn the right way for us to engage that very center which is our heart. Through the Life of the Church, or participation in the Holy Sacraments, we build up a beautiful Altar along with a Chalice and Plate to offer up our sacrifice. And the sacrifice that we offer is, as St. David the Psalmist writes, a “broken and contrite heart.” It is through the denial of our passions and the return to an inner state of peace that we, as Orthodox Christians, can offer up ourselves to Him Who offered up Himself for us.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, if this is the first time you have heard of these three pillars of Orthodoxy, then look to take the first steps in each pillar. Try, if you haven’t already done so, to pick up Patristic literature and take your time digesting it. If you would like a recommendation, I would start with The Sayings of the Desert Fathers. If you do not have a consistent prayer rule, then start small. Even doing the Qaumo along with the Jesus Prayer at a set time is a good starting point. And finally, as you all are already doing, immerse yourselves in the Life of the Church through participating in the Holy Sacraments that are given to every single one of us freely. We have all been dedicated to God as His Holy Temple, the very place in which the Holy Spirit dwells. Let us build up that Holy Temple, which is our own Spiritual lives, so that God may descend upon us as a living icon of the burning bush, rather than, as St. Philoxenos writes, “as smoldering embers.”