Podvig – Our Most Important Commitment
Encyclical to the beloved in Christ Members of the 2012 Australian Conference
The Church of Christ will exist until the end of the ages. Of this there is no doubt. “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt.16:18). For us it is not a question of whether the Church shall exist, although we should always support its existence, but the question is will we be in the Church at the Second Coming? At the head of all Church sacred ministry is the Holy Eucharist, the remembrance of Christ's redemptive sacrifice for the sins of the world, His sufferings, death and resurrection. “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matt.20:28). We thank God for His unutterable benevolence and love toward mankind. The remembrance of Christ's salvific sufferings through the Eucharist is the basis of His Church, the basis of our Orthodox faith.
I have already written to you concerning the importance of the Holy Eucharist in my previous epistle and now I repeat so that you may firmly remember, that if your first priority is not the Divine Liturgy, served in the Truth, in accordance with regulations established by the Holy Church and given the Holy Spirit is well-pleased, then our Orthodox way of life will be a superficial illusion. All of us are currently experiencing difficult spiritual times and more than ever each individual must look deeply into his soul and determine: in what state is his Orthodox faith, his zeal for the Church, his readiness to take up his cross and follow Christ?
People who live in the hope of inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven can be sorted into three categories. Some act out of fear; they repent of their sins, try to do good, perform works of mercy and observe Church rules out of fear of being excommunicated from the Church and cast into fiery gehenna. They likewise raise their children in fear of smoldering embers, fire and brimstone. This is a salvific approach, but at the same time if the parents do not devote the appropriate amount of attention to the teaching of the Church on the goodness of God, then those children grow up with a negative impression of God (this topic deserves separate treatment).
In the second category are those who, observing the faith and the commandments of love toward God and one's neighbor, go regularly to church and perform deeds of mercy in order to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. They lead a pious life and die in “the hope of resurrection and eternal life”. And may no one think that there can be anything negative in such a Christian manner of life. For such a person will hear the benevolent words of the Lord: “Oh good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your Lord.” Can there be a level higher than this, if this manner of life is praiseworthy and salvific?”
Yes, there is a third and supreme category. It consists of those who have completely followed Christ. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24). These people have “renounced” themselves; they no longer are concerned about their health and do not esteem even their very lives. “For whosoever desires to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matt.16:25). They do everything without thinking of themselves, not for personal gain or praise and not even for their own salvation, but for the sake of the glory of God! In their hearts and souls they have completely dedicated themselves to the first and highest commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul , and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind...” (Lk. 10:27). Only he who voluntarily endures privations can have within himself true love for God and neighbor. His entire life is a podvig and he sacrifices himself. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn.15:13).
When the Israelites made a golden calf for themselves, the wrath of God was kindled against them, and God said to Moses: “(I will) consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation”, and Moses said: “(Lord), this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” (Ex. 32:10,31,32). …if not, then erase me also from Thy book of Life. What a wonderful example of self-sacrificing love! In a similar manner, a father or mother would without sparing themselves, cast themselves into fire or water in order to save a son.
The person who joyously fulfills those things required by the Lord God, without expecting any reward receives God's mercy and love.
“Doth he {the master} thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was out duty to do.” (Luke 17:9-10).
We must ask ourselves in which category are we. Why does our conscience reproach us for our indifference toward our salvation? Because we have entirely lost the notion of “podvig” and our lives bear witness to this.
Our parents suffered through much. They were pursued and persecuted by the godless regime. Each bore his cross without murmuring. This severe life strengthened them spiritually. God, in His wise providence preserved and led them to freedom abroad. Not knowing the language, having no modern conveniences to which we are accustomed, even abroad they continued to be patient laborers, most often working for us, and not for themselves. Their priority was the free true Church. They were more concerned for our spiritual upbringing than for earthly goods. The first thing they did was to gather family and friends, and began to have Divine Liturgy served in homes and establish parishes. Later they would build divine temples. The spiritual life was flourishing, thanks to which in many regards our lives were joyful.
But this material well-being brought us something undesirable. In comparison to our parents we have turned out spoiled. Our parents are not at fault for this for they only wished us well through their labors, cares and prayers for our health and earthly well-being. We ourselves became preoccupied with earthly “happiness”, a very powerful lure.
It had previously been unheard of that a pleasant temperature in homes would be automatically maintained without our efforts. In the midst of harsh winter we buy and enjoy tropical fruits. An enormous assortment of foods which are accessible to us, fill the stores. King Solomon, who, as it is written, had everything that his heart desired, did not have such a variety in which we do not see anything unusual. And how many attractive amusements exist thanks to the “magic” of technology?
Unnoticeably for us, all of this has had an effect on us. We have preserved the faith of our ancestors, but the notion of a personal podvig has become secondary. Therefore, while it is not too late, while satan has not yet seduced us and our children into accepting the stamp of the anti-Christ, we must diligently look at ourselves, at our children and pay attention to how they spend their time, and be concerned over their souls. It seems to us that we are trying to observe a Christian life in ourselves and in our children, but in fact we have strayed very far from the “narrow, thorny” way of the cross!
Worst of all, contemporary music, sordid amusements, lasciviousness, the striving to keep in fashion and the other temptations have had a significantly stronger influence on our children than on us, just as earthly pleasures had a stronger influence on us than on our parents. We know what podvig is, but our children, even though they say they believe in God and love the Church, have no idea what podvig is!
“The judgment is at the door!” Only the faithful who are within the true Orthodox Church see this. It is obvious for us that all the others who have already landed in the anti-Christ net are concerned only over their earthly well-being. They prefer not to think about the Dread Judgment. The fact that it is at the door is not pessimism; it is REALITY! The fact that the servants of the anti-Christ have already taken everything into their own hands – this is not pessimism; it is reality! And we face the danger of perishing because we are spoiled – this too is not pessimism but reality!
The anti-Christ will not have to threaten us with torture for not accepting his stamp. He will simply seize our comforts and pleasures which we have grown to consider vital and in panic we will flock to him. “How are we going to exist then?” - the misfortunate people will then say. “We can't sell or buy and yet we have small children! Do we really need to get by without this stamp, identification card or secret number which no one else sees or knows whether I have it?” (Evidence of loyalty to the anti-Christ may be in any form.)
Recently I heard, how state psychologists have determined that if there is a power failure in cities and food and gas deliveries cease, the population would last for only one week before people begin attacking their neighbors, particularly if hope is lost in the restoration of power. The contemporary Orthodox person is in danger of becoming one of this populace. He has become so coddled in technological comfort that he is no longer capable of carrying his cross, to undertake any sort of spiritual feat, even out of fear of ending up in fiery gehenna. “I'll survive somehow,” that person will say, but in actual fact he will not stand to the end, he will not retain loyalty to Christ even unto death! “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Rev.2:10).
It is imperative for us to overcome the lure of earthly happiness and we can overcome it with God's help. We know that our priority must be prayer. Do we pray? Good. And of what importance is fasting to us? Our ancestors approached the matter of fasting very seriously, but for us it has become of lesser importance, far from what it should be. Fasting must be second only to prayer! Fasting is not a tradition. Fasting is indispensable for us. The holy fathers say that prayer and fasting are two wings without which we can not ascend from the earth and draw near to God. We must direct due attention to fasting as a salvific podvig without which we will perish! Yes, the Church identifies fasting with podvig. “Having labored in a good podvig, we finished the course of the fast” - hymns the Church at the end of the fortieth day of the Great Lent. Without podvig we will not be able to withstand the coming temptations of the anti-Christ. It is precisely now that we must pull ourselves up and “labor in a good podvig”, not waiting until the net of the anti-Christ lowers itself over us.
One must not be despondent. The Holy Spirit Which is found only in the true Church, will help us. God in His power will set us and our children straight and keep us all from soul-destroying decisions. But on our part we must prepare ourselves for a severe life, victimization and persecution, to deprivation and sorrows. Podvig – bearing one's cross consists of this. Without this cross we cannot be saved. “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” says the Lord. With God nothing should frighten or disturb us.
† Bishop Stefan, of Trenton and North America
December - 2012
