Newsletter September 12, 2023

The Fasting of the Eyes

The image has invaded our current world and has now become the basis of our world. The image now occupies the widest space in all fields. The era of the printed word has passed, giving way to an age where words must accompany images to be taken seriously.

The image invades the human mind in today’s world, saturating memory, overwhelming consciousness, and burdening the intellect. The constant barrage of images affects our thoughts, both conscious and subconscious, burdening our imagination and leading to impure thoughts, which serve as a gateway to sinful acts.

The danger of images in this era comes from addiction to the use of social media, which demands constant engagement of the eyes and other senses. Information is now inseparable from one or more images, often accompanied by sensational or explicit news. This kind of content, driven by human curiosity and the thirst for knowledge, garners high readership. Information is conveyed through visuals, audio, and explanations, often accompanied by emotionally charged music, compelling the viewer to store what they see, hear, and read.

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We need to introduce ascetic practices related to the use of modern media and information consumption. We might consider setting specific times for information consumption, limiting it before and after receiving Holy Communion and on fasting days, utilizing this time for prayer, beneficial reading, or acts of love.

Being human, created in the image of God, demands that we live with inner freedom that makes us masters of our actions, rather than followers led by external influences.

Read the entire article:
https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/1738

Please remember that our full calendar continues to be available at our parish web site. Here is a link:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Calendar/calendar.php

Full schedule:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Prosphora/Docs/prosphora sched 2023 web.pdf

Full schedule:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Altar/Docs/epistle readers for 2023.pdf

Epistle: ST. PAUL’S LETTER TO THE GALATIANS 2:16-20

Brethren, knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Gospel: MARK 8:34-38; 9:1

The Lord said: “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.

I Am Adam

Fr. Michael Gillis

I have a wonderful ten-year-old boy in our church community named Levi, Levi Matthew. Levi was born with terrible birth defects, a condition—I don’t know the name of it—that usually limits the life expectancy of children with this condition to six months. Levi broke the record.

When I first told my spiritual father about Levi, his only response was to be quiet for a moment, shed a tear and eventually say, “I am Adam.” What he meant by saying “I am Adam” is that he is personally responsible for the suffering in the world. His sin, his failure to fulfil the divine image, is the cause of Levi’s suffering, of all the suffering in the world. This is similar to what Elder Zosimas in Dostoevsky’s Brother Karamazov says: “However mad it seems, it is true. For if I myself were righteous, perhaps there would be no criminal standing before me now.” The big difference between the two is that Elder Zosimas is a fictional character, while my spiritual father is a living person. There are real “Elder Zosimases” in the world. They are just hard to find.

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And even in the case of Levi or other people with serious handicaps, I would imagine that most of their suffering is not because of the physical pain they experience nor because of some existential questions that are going unanswered in their mind. I think most of the suffering severely handicapped people experience is because they are largely invisible. Because their humanity and personhood is often ignored by you and me, because we are uncomfortable in their presence, because we are too busy with our selfish pursuits to take the time to love someone who might not be able to love us back in a way that would make us feel good about ourselves. Yes, I think even for people who have been born with serious handicaps or have been injured in an apparently random accident, for these too, most of their suffering (but certainly not all) is due the sin and selfishness of others.

Because human beings are persons, and not autonomous individuals, each person’s sin affects everyone. There are no victimless crimes, you might say. Or you might also say, “I am Adam.”

Read the entire article:
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/prayingintherain/2023/09/i-am-adam/