Saint Nectarios the Wonderworker
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Meditations from Father Michael |
What’s In Your Mayonnaise Jar?
There is no question that the computer has truly become an important and vital part of our
lives. While there is always the danger of misusing it, it is nonetheless a tremendous
tool in education and in communication. Now if you have a computer, I’m sure you are
involved in e-mailing your friends and colleagues—with my Church Messenger work and other
Diocesan and church-related responsibilities, I probably receive about 100 e-mail messages
a day. And usually several times a day, a will receive a message that someone has sent out
to a lot of people—some type of inspirational or humorous or patriotic message—and the
message always ends something like this: “Please pass this on to five of your friends.”
Now I must publicly confess: I have NEVER passed on even ONE such message to anyone!
Indeed, I would be hard-pressed to come up with 5 friends in the first place!
Now having said that, I want to share a message I received the other day with all of our
readers. It’s about golf balls…pebbles…sand…an empty mayonnaise jar and a cup of coffee.
Now that’s quite a variety of items, isn’t it, and I’m sure you are dying to know where
I’m going with this! Well…it seems a philosophy professor brought all of these items into
his class one day and spread them out on his desk. First, he took the empty mayonnaise jar
and filled it with golf balls and asked his students if they thought the jar was full.
They agreed that it was. Then he took a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He
shook the jar lightly and the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls,
settling on the bottom of the jar. He asked the same question and got the same response
from the class. Next, the professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into a jar. Of
course, the fine sand filtered through the golf balls and the pebbles. Was the jar full
now? Not quite…the professor was able to pour the cup of coffee into that mixture and it
soaked into the sand and finally filled the jar that everyone thought was already full.
Then the professor proceeded to explain this somewhat bizarre experiment. “THIS JAR
REPRESENTS YOUR LIFE,” he said. “The golf balls are the things that are really important
to you, such as your faith, your family, your friends, your health, your favorite causes
and passions—and if everything else was taken from your life, it would still be full.
“The pebbles are the secondary things in your life—things like your job…your house…your
car—things that you certainly have room for in your life but are far less important.
Finally, the sand represents everything else: all of the “small stuff” in life that we all
worry about far too much. If the sand had been put in the jar first, indeed, there would
not have been room for the golf balls and the pebbles. In life,” the professor concluded,
“if you spend all your time and energy focusing on the sand, you will never have room for
the things that are important.”
What a beautiful lesson! What a Christian lesson! So I pose this question to you: “What is
in your mayonnaise jar? If you are like most people, I suspect you will admit that there
are more pebbles and sand and far too few golf balls in it. Sadly, we are a society that
is obsessed with possessions and when we are obsessed with possession, we become possessed
by possessions! We are a society that worries about the wrong things and becomes “fired
up” and excited for the wrong reasons. We are a society where values and priorities are
totally out of sync—especially for those of us who profess to be Orthodox Christians. We
are a society that spends far too much time anxiously striving to “make a good living” and
not enough time on living a good life. When is the last time we truly paid attention to
things that are meant to bring us spiritual happiness and joy? When is the last time we
consciously felt the need to answer Christ’s call to love one another or the need to do
the things He tells us are necessary for our salvation? When is the last time we sat down
to eat as a family, or played with our children, or went for a walk with our spouse, or
picked up the phone and called a family member we haven’t seen in awhile? The way we
answer these questions will say plenty about what is in our mayonnaise jar!
Now if you have been paying close attention, you should have noticed that I have said
nothing about the cup of coffee that the professor poured into the jar. A student noticed
this also and questioned the professor about it. He simply smiled and said: “THERE IS
ALWAYS ROOM IN OUR LIVES FOR A CUP OF COFFEE WITH A FRIEND!”
You may want to do just that today and share this story with someone…or 5 someone’s!
Wanted: 24/7 Christians…Part-Time Help Need Not Apply!
A recent issue of the Staten
Island Advance carried an article that caught my attention. It was entitled “Church
that never closes” Going Strong! The article told of an innovative approach taken by a
small church on Staten Island—the Reformed Church of Prince Bay—in an effort to fulfill
what the members perceived their true mission to be. Back in July, the parish launched a
program to keep their little edifice opened around the clock—24/7 as we like to say in
today’s jargon. A sign is posted outside that invites people to “Come in and pray…always
open”. Since July, over 800 visitors above and beyond their weekly worshippers have
graciously accepted this invitation and have stopped in at all hours to simply do what
they are urged to do: PRAY. Many people will attach prayer requests to a special “prayer
tower” in the church’s sanctuary. Others return to post acknowledgements of prayers that
have been answered. Sometimes one of the pastors is there reading scriptures or simply
being available for those who may want to talk about some personal concern. At other
times, those who stop are alone with their thoughts—and with their God. Now 40 years ago,
this story probably would not have made the news at all—it was quite common to leave one’s
church unlocked—even in urban areas. Society has changed, however, and unfortunately, so
has the reverence and respect most people used to have for houses of worship. Now it
should be said that this “church that never closes” has security guards constantly on duty
at a cost of $8,000 a month to the congregation, so while the parishioners apparently have
a great deal of trust in the Lord, their trust in their fellow man is not quite so strong!
We applaud the Reformed Church of Prince Bay for this unique plan for doing the
Lord’s work. This story, however, in an indirect way, brings to light a troubling attitude
that has crept in today’s Church and her members: the lack of desire to “commend our
entire life to Christ our God.” Keeping a building opened constantly is one thing—keeping
our faith alive non-stop is another. Let’s be honest: we are no longer “24/7 Christians”
and the work of the Church is not carried on diligently 24/7 by her members. Worse yet,
there are those who think that when we lock up on Sunday the work of the parish and our
work as Orthodox Christians is finished for yet another week. While we Orthodox pride
ourselves in saying that we are much more than a “Sunday Church,” in many instances, this
is exactly what we have become. While we jokingly like to say that a priest only works one
hour of the week, the truth of the matter is that this is the length of time that many
“good” Christians devote to their spiritual lives!
We live in a schedule-driven world—a world where we push ourselves and
our families repeatedly to be in a certain place at a certain time. We have become masters
of allocating the necessary time for the “proper” activities in our daily lives. Yes, we
have become slaves to clocks, calendars and set routines, and the Church, instead of being
a way of life for us, has been relegated to the same mechanism that governs the rest of
our daily lives. We view our religious life as part of our overall personal planning
process instead of being the motivating force behind everything that we do. When we close
the doors behind us on a Sunday morning after services, we must realize that we cannot
leave behind what we have learned and what we have received on any given Sunday. We ARE
called to be followers of Christ 24/7—from the day of our baptism, there is never a
moment—never a second in our lives that we are NOT Orthodox Christians! There is never a
moment—never a second—when we do not represent Christ—when our words, our deeds and our
actions are allowed to stray from the example set for us by our Lord. The doors of our
hearts and our minds can NEVER be locked to the teachings of Christ or to the disciplines
of our faith. We get no time off…we can take no “vacations” from practicing our faith.
There can be no limitations placed on our prayer life…no restrictions placed on our
ability and desire to do good works. God is “on duty” at all times…ARE WE?
What’s a Five-Letter Word for “Opposite of War?”
It was a sweltering summer afternoon with a gentle breeze barely offering relief from the oppressive heat. A middle-aged man sat in a shaded area of a nearly deserted park, working on a crossword puzzle with a cold beverage in his hand and his faithful dog at his side. Now this idyllic scene doesn’t really sound like anything out of the ordinary, does it? It could well have unfolded in your town or mine. After all, what better way could there be to enjoy one of those “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer?” What makes this “Norman Rockwell-like” picture so unique and unusual is this: the man—Thomas Hollenbeck—has been sitting in the same place in the same park—Lafayette Park directly across the street from the White House—since June 3, 1981! For 26 years he has been keeping a peace vigil. His dog “Wise Guy” has been with him for the past 8 years. For 26 years, he has remained in his now-familiar spot 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, relieved at times by friends who share his passion for peace—displaced on occasion by the police whenever demonstrators in front of the White House might mean bad publicity. He doesn’t rant or rave or sing protest songs. He doesn’t deliberately cause disturbances so that he can be arrested and draw greater attention to his cause, although he has spent his share of time before judges and magistrates, debating charges brought against him by those who would like to have him evicted from the park. He merely sits, speaking only to those who approach him and explaining his purpose only to those who are genuinely interested in hearing about it.
What are your initial thoughts about someone who would choose to live such an unconventional life? Surely he must be a worthless drifter, you might say, content to simply waste his life away doing nothing constructive. Perhaps he is merely a rabble-rousing activist, trying to stir up trouble or controversy. Certainly he couldn’t be up to anything good! Or could he be? On that August afternoon, I was one of the few who showed genuine interest in what Thomas had to say. I discovered that he once ran a highly successful jewelry business in New Mexico. He had it all: a beautiful home…a loving family…three cars…large bank accounts. He also had a Bible, and the more he read it, the more he realized that his life was in direct contrast to the life Christ expected of His followers. One day, Thomas decided that he had to literally embrace the Gospel message Christ presented to the young lawyer: “…sell all and then, come, follow Me.” He also came to the conclusion which has placed him in Lafayette Park for a quarter of a century: that God’s children should live in peace and harmony. Citing the words of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane--he who lives by the sword will perish by the sword--, Thomas also concluded that nuclear weapons and ALL WEAPONS, for that matter must be laid aside if world peace is to become a reality. He vowed to keep his vigil until everyone “lays down their sword and shield down by the riverside.”
Admittedly, Thomas may be waiting a long time. After all, the first recorded murder in the Book of Genesis—Cain killing Abel—occurred when only four people walked the face of the earth!! Eras of lasting peace have been few and far between in the history of modern civilization and there is nothing on the horizon to give us much hope for any significant change in the warring nature of mankind. Iraq….Afghanistan…Iran…North Korea…where next? And yes, Christ Himself did speak of “wars and rumors of wars.” He warned of “nation rising up against nation and kingdom rising up against kingdom.”
Maybe, then, we really can’t change the course that has been plotted for us.
But we must try. Christ also said something else that we must never forget: BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS, FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED THE CHILDREN OF GOD! Whether or not we agree with the possible political elements of Thomas’ cause and his manner of expressing it, we cannot argue with his commitment. It is a commitment we make at every Divine Liturgy when we pray for “…the peace of the whole world…” and for “…healthful seasons, the abundance of the earth and for peaceful times.” Are these merely hopeless, empty prayers? Only if we really don’t truly believe in their obvious message.
My parting words to Thomas were this: “let us pray that you won’t have to sit here for another 26 years.” These were his parting words to me: “someone else may have to take up my cause.” And someone else will, for we cannot give up on something so important. Until the day when “…God will wipe away every tear from their eyes and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, and there shall be no more pain…” (Rev. 21:4) may peace, that wonderful five-letter word, be our total commitment as well.
Protopresbyter Michael Rosco
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Stay The Course!
“Stay the course!” I’m sure we have all heard this expression. Simply put, it means that we must steadfastly keep on the path we have begun, never wavering or faltering in the face of any and all obstacles. For months now, these words have probably been the most often-used phrase in the news of current affairs as commentators and politicians alike dissect the war in Iraq on a nightly basis. This may soon change since the Administration has recently told us that this phrase is no longer applicable to their current position on this conflict!
This meditation, however, will have no political overtones, but it will focus on an even greater, more dangerous battle that each of us wages on a daily basis—a battle with “casualties” mounting with each passing day. The war of which I speak is spiritual warfare with Satan, our greatest enemy and most formidable foe. “Stay the course,” while applicable to many challenging experiences in life, has no greater impact than when used in reference to our spiritual lives. It can be said that it often takes us awhile to “find the course” and embark upon the proper way set out for us by the Lord. Even some of the Church’s greatest saints wrestled greatly with sin and temptation before discovering the real road leading to salvation. Indeed, for some of us, this “discovery” comes only after a lifetime of struggling. Once we are headed in the right direction, though, nothing should be allowed to deter us from “fighting the good fight” and “running the good race.” For you see, as Orthodox Christians, something marvelous awaits us at the end of the course that has been charted for us: the Kingdom of God.
In a moral and ethical sense, it is never easy to “stay the course,” for it is a rough and rugged one. The world and its many pleasures can be quite alluring. Temptations call out to us from every direction. Even our Lord had to face temptation before embarking upon His public ministry. To be sure, Satan uses all of the wiles at his disposal to place us upon the path of “least resistance.” We must all be aware of where that path will take us: it will ultimately lead us away from God and directly to our destruction. Yes, “staying the course” is a full-scale struggle, but no one ever said that following our Lord would be easy. Still, we must take comfort in Christ’s very words: “He who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22) The words of Saint James give us hope as well: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12) “Stay the course!” In this case, at least, it truly is the proper policy and the path leading to victory.
Protopresbyter Michael Rosco
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“Gone Fishing’…”
The Gospel lesson for the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost places one of Christ’s strongest commands before us: FOLLOW ME, AND I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN. (Matthew 5:19) This much-quoted verse contains two words that are linked together to explain to us exactly what direction our Orthodox Christian way of life must take: follow and fishers.
When our Lord said “Follow Me” to Andrew, Peter, James and John as He walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, it was not so much an invitation to be saved as it was a calling to service. And it is a call that directly goes out to all of us—not just the original Twelve. Have you ever given any thought to what it really means to follow Christ? Simply put, to follow Christ means to set aside our own goals, our own pleasures and our own needs as we totally embrace the purposes for which we have been created. And what are those? TO KNOW CHRIST, AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN. His priorities must be our priorities. Following Christ means sacrifice…it means commitment…it means putting aside things that may be important to us. And it means becoming a FISHERMAN!
Now I love the outdoors and outdoor activities. When I was growing up, I was constantly outside playing baseball, football, basketball…you name it, and I did it. I still enjoy running and hiking…but the one outdoor activity I never attempted was fishing! So what I’m going to say next is obviously not speaking from experience, but rather from observing others and talking with those who, indeed, are fishermen. A fisherman must be very patient—he knows that he will not start catching fish the instant he puts his line into the water. It may take hours—yes, a fisherman realizes he may sit an entire day and not catch anything. But he can’t get discouraged. Tomorrow is another day…he keeps on trying. There are obstacles fishermen must face…the weather…other fishermen…again…he keeps on trying. From what I can gather, there is another component that goes into being a successful fisherman: the right bait.
It isn’t too difficult to see why Christ referred to His followers as fishers of men. “Catching men” is also a slow process, which requires plenty of patience. We face obstacles as well. We live in an unbelieving society that, quite honestly, is filled with people who aren’t looking to be “caught,” and they will do everything possible to avoid being “reeled in” by someone asking them to commit to a life of sacrifice and service. But we must always find hope in the fact that we have the “right bait”: the WORD OF GOD. A lot of people fish at night…I never understood this until I was told that fish are attracted to light—the bright lights of wharfs, piers and fishing boats are all conducive to a good catch! As we go about as Christ’s fishermen, we must always remind ourselves that Christ is the LIGHT that we must stress. We are doing HIS WORK…not our own—this is an extension of “following.” We are not the leaders…we are not the light. We are only the reflection of the light which is Christ. Following and fishing…these are the duties and the challenges given to every Orthodox Christian.
Protopresbyter Michael Rosco
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“And You Shall Be My Witnesses…”
In the beautiful season between Pascha and Pentecost, our daily scriptural readings detail how the Apostles continued Christ’s work through the power of the Holy Spirit as recorded in the Book of Acts. In this timely writing of the Evangelist Luke, we hear inspiring accounts of Christ’s first followers taking the Word of God to every part of the known world. To Jew and Gentile alike, they spread the message that has become the foundation of our Orthodox Christian faith: that salvation lies in our belief in the Risen Lord.
It is unfortunate that we—clergy and laity alike—often forget that we, too, are called to be witnesses for Christ “to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Through our own apathy and spiritual laziness, we often neglect the clear reality that each of us has been called to be an “evangelist.”
Witnessing for Christ can take on many different forms. To be sure, proclaiming the Good News is an evangelical function that is incumbent upon all Christians. Witnessing, however, also comes through our simple, daily actions. Preaching the Word of God is one thing—living it is another. Remember: the original role of the deacons in the early Church was to carry out the daily distribution of food to the needy—particularly the widows, who had become a neglected group in the society in which the first Christians lived. The Apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, continued the miracles of Christ in many tangible ways: healing, forgiving, loving and serving. By virtue of our own baptism—when the Great Commission to “Go and teach all nations” was proclaimed to us in the Gospel lesson that day—we were given the same “assignment” of continuing Christ’s work through our own lives. We are His hands for helping the suffering…His ears for hearing their pains…His mouth for speaking up for the overlooked and lost…His heart for loving the unlovable.
In today’s Orthodox Church, there are several fine apostolates that afford us opportunities to put the beautiful words of our faith into action. International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC)
are two charitable and philanthropic groups that are
committed to feeding the hungry…sheltering the
homeless…comforting those who suffer…educating those who
thirst for knowledge. Certainly we can not only support
their work financially, but join in their work with our own
presence. But opportunities also abound in our own parish
families and local communities. Anytime we become involved
in easing the pain of those in need in some small way, we
are fulfilling our calling to witness for Christ.
We have all been given the same “power” as the Apostles. Do
we have the same energy and commitment as they did? That is
the operative question!
Protopresbyter Michael Rosco
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Making a U-Turn Along the Road of Life
To say that “Bill” was down on his luck would be an understatement of monumental proportions. In the course of a year, his wife died, he lost his job, he lost his driver’s license and he lost his home. He was literally “living on the streets” in Asbury Park, New Jersey—surviving through the kindness of friends and the charity of strangers. He knew his life had “bottomed out” when he was forced to cash in an 1881 Morgan Silver Dollar given to him by his father in order to purchase some necessities. One of the items he bought that chilly winter day was a local newspaper. His attention was drawn immediately to a story entitled “Rising from Katrina”—a detailed article about a recent New Jersey Deanery trip to the Gulf Coast, where 24 volunteers aided IOCC and Habitat for Humanity International in rebuilding parts of Louisiana devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
Something in that article touched his heart.
A carpenter in better days, “Bill” felt compelled to call the phone number at the end of the story to get further details about the next humanitarian effort planned by the Deanery. He signed up for the trip and, as the saying goes: “The rest is history.”
“Bill” was part of the team of 18 volunteers that journeyed to the St. Tammany region along the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain some 30 miles from New Orleans. When the trip began, his unlucky streak continued: he arrived safely in New Orleans, but his luggage did not! It would not arrive until Friday—the day before the group was to return to New Jersey. Other than that, however, the week turned into a potentially life-changing experience for “Bill.”
As it turned out, he, indeed, had carpentry skills that were put to good use. For the first time in a long time, he felt needed and appreciated. For the first time in a long time, he felt the warmth of genuine friendship and Christian fellowship. For the first time in a long time, he had the opportunity to eat three home-cooked meals a day. For the first time in a long time, hope replaced despair in his life. And to think: all of this happened because someone who was greatly in need of help and assistance himself was willing to help others with greater problems than his. Isn’t that what we often say to comfort those who are struggling: “There is always someone who has it worse than you?”
I would love to tell you that the story of “Bill” had that fairy tale ending of “…and he lived happily ever after” but it’s much too early to say that. He claims he is a “changed man” but he still must face many difficulties and battle many personal demons. God gave him a fresh start—the rest is in “Bill’s” hands now.
May we all offer a small prayer for one of the “least of the Lord’s brethren” who gave the “most” of himself for others during this one special week. Indeed, let us pray that this carpenter will continue to place his life in the hands of the “Son of a carpenter:” our Lord Jesus Christ!
Protopresbyter Michael Rosco
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Take and Eat, This is My Body…In Delicious Milk
Chocolate!
Those of you who do not live in the Greater New York
Metropolitan Area may not have had the “privilege” of seeing
the following story covered by your local news media. During
Holy Week, the swanky Roger Smith Hotel in midtown Manhattan
planned on displaying a bizarre sculpture in its prestigious
Lab Gallery.
The work was fashioned by artist Cosimo
Cavallaro, and the story behind it certainly falls into the
category of “you can’t make this stuff up!” What was this
“masterpiece” created by Mr. Cavallaro? A 6 foot high, 200
lb. milk chocolate statue of Christ, with His arms extended
as if hanging on an invisible cross. Oh, one more
thing…Jesus is depicted totally in the nude!
There was a tremendous uproar—led by the Catholic
Archdiocese of New York—over this outrageous display, which
was cleverly titled “My Sweet Lord.” Thankfully, good taste
prevailed (pardon the pun!) and the statue was removed
before the exhibit formally opened.
In typical and
predictable fashion, the director of the Lab Gallery
resigned in protest, claiming people were “jumping to
conclusions and getting upset over nothing” and that Mr. Cavallaro’s “creative rights” were being infringed upon by
removing the sculpture. Mr. Cavallaro, whose other
“artistic” ventures included the repainting of a Manhattan
hotel room with melted mozzarella cheese and garnishing a
four-poster bed with 300 lbs. of processed ham, expressed
“great disappointment” in the closing of the exhibit,
claiming his work of art provided an opportunity for a
unique “spiritual happening.”
Mr. Cavallaro offered this
explanation for his controversial sculpture: “I was only
trying to provide a totally new way for people to experience
Christ: through their sense of taste."
Apparently Mr. Cavallaro—who professes to be a good
Catholic—must have forgotten that experiencing Christ
through our sense of taste is nothing new. It’s been around
for 2000 years…and it’s called Holy Communion! At every
Divine Liturgy, we are afforded the opportunity to “taste
the Heavenly Bread and the Cup of Life.” Christ told His
followers: “Unless you eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of
the Son of Man, you have no life in you.” This is an
essential teaching of our Holy Orthodox Faith. One would
assume, however, that when our Lord instructed His Apostles
to “Take and eat, this is My Body…” He did not envision them
satisfying a “chocolate fix” by doing so!
Mr. Cavallaro
achieved his 15 minutes of fame with this thinly-veiled
attempt at making a mockery of one of our most precious
Christian doctrines. Let us not give him or his blasphemous
work one more second of attention.
Protopresbyter Michael Rosco
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