When It Comes to the Church, Hoarding is Never Blessed 

 There is a popular TV program which features stories of family members struggling to assist their loved ones to let go of years’ worth of “stuff” that has been piling up in their homes. In many cases, the hoarders originally held on to items of value, but after years of being ignored, what was originally meant for good, had become wasted. We watch the anguish as their lives are turned inside out. What was meant for good, since the hoarders never used them, was eventually taken away.

In some ways, our Greek Orthodox Church can fall trap to the same struggle. We have in our possession something that originally had great value, but many times we have invested energy in holding on, rather than using what we possess. I’m not referring to “stuff” the Church owns, though we do have many physical items that collect dust rather than getting used for good. What we possess is much greater than anything physical, and MUCH greater than any items as seen on TV. We possess the Gospel of Christ. We possess the Orthodox Christian Way of Life. We possess the truth.

In the Gospel lesson today, we hear about a group of people who had been given a great possession, but rather than share the blessing with others, they tried to keep everything for themselves. Just as on TV, it didn’t end well for the hoarders. In fact it ended worse, because in the Gospel story EVERYTHING was taken away and given to someone else. At least on TV, the hoarders are allowed to keep some of what they have

The Gospel of Christ, and the Church, have been given to us for a purpose, and the purpose is not so that we can hold on and keep them for ourselves. In fact, the Gospel and the Church are not ours at all, but they belong to God. He has made it perfectly clear that we are to share them with the world. If we refuse to share what we have with the world, according to today’s Gospel, we run the risk of losing it all, and we will find ourselves on the outside looking in as God gives the Gospel and Church to someone else. Imagine the anguish we will feel at that moment when we realize we wasted an opportunity.
As we find ourselves on the threshold of a new Ecclesiastical Year on September 1st, maybe we should declare some sort of slogan for the Church. How about “The Year of the Church?” This can be the year that we embrace using what God has given to us for others, rather than hoarding everything for ourselves. When it comes to the Church, hoarding is never blessed.

+Fr. Athanasios C. Haros

Dear St. Nicholas Cathedral Family, 

Last week we had an overview of Holy Communion within the Divine Liturgy. I want you all to follow along with the communion prayers today so that you can see the beauty of the words, and see the parallels between what these prayers say and how we can take them with us when we leave. Moving forward in our exploration of the Divine Liturgy let me ask you this question, “What do you do after you receive Holy Communion?” 

The Divine Liturgy booklets include instructions, specific to points within the service. for the people and the Priest. After Holy Communion, I wish it read in bold, “DO NOT LEAVE THE CHURCH, LET US GIVE THANKS BEFORE YOU LEAVE!” The Liturgy does somewhat imply that sentiment as we see the word “Ὀρθοί,” literally meaning “upright or arise.” As a direction to the people, I believe it means to be fully alert and attentive. We also see this word used before the Entrance and the Gospel, but why to you think the Liturgy writers would use it after Holy Communion?  

Imagine this; You just received the greatest gift you could ever fathom, and it was the exact gift you have always wanted. Would you then take the gift and not say thank you to the person who gave it to you? Now put yourself in the givers shoes; Imagine giving a gift to someone that you painstakingly hand-crafted and the person you gave it to doesn’t even acknowledge the gift you gave by saying “thank you.”

After Holy Communion, we just received the greatest gift we could ever receive by partaking of “the divine, holy, pure, immortal, heavenly, life-giving, and awesome Mysteries of Christ!” Thus when we see “Ὀρθοί” written in the Liturgy, I urge you to be fully present and attentive; to “worthily give thanks to the Lord.”

By receiving communion there must be a continuous commitment to one another and our whole life to Christ our God. Because in the prayer that comes next, the priest reads, “We thank You, loving Master, benefactor of our souls, that on this day You have made us worthy once again of Your heavenly and immortal Mysteries. Direct our ways in the right path, establish us firmly in Your fear, guard our lives, and make our endeavors safe, through the prayers and supplications of the glorious Theotokos and ever Virgin Mary and of all Your saints. For You are our sanctification and to You we give glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.”

Each one of us have our own path and our own journey. Each Sunday at Divine Liturgy, and through partaking in Holy Communion, we all become like one; we are unified together by Christ as brothers and sisters.

So the Liturgy ends, we leave, and then what? Through the work of the people, the Liturgy doesn’t end. Do we stop aiming for that perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless life? Do we not commit ourselves, and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God? No, the Liturgy creates a challenge for us to keep being active in our journey towards being unified to each other but most importantly to Christ.

With Love in the Lord,

+Fr. Sampson N. Kasapakis

Memorials

Irene Cassianos | 40 Days
Chris Chrysakis | 3 Years
George Shoemaker | 10 Years
Karen Moraitis | 14 Years
Eleni Moraitis | 25 Years
John Agala Hondroulis | 60 Years
Nicholas & Anna Moraitis | 60 Years