A New Byzantine Pentecost

     Pope Benedict XVI has on many occasions proclaimed that the mission of the Catholic Church is to evangelize. He has also proclaimed that in order for the Catholic Church to carry out this mission a new Pentecost must take place.Many of us Byzantines have responded well to the popes call to evangelize. On the other hand, some of our response has amounted mostly to pious words and little action. It would seem that many of us lack the power and desire to share our faith. This is why the pope called us to experience a new Pentecost. For just like the Apostles before the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost many of us lack that driving desire to proclaim Christ.
     No one could have known Christ better then the Apostles. Yet, we find them afraid and hiding after Christ went to the tomb. When Christ was raised seeing their fear he told them to wait for the power that he would send them after he ascended to the Father, which was the coming of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit came into the Apostles on Pentecost the Apostles became consumed with a desire to share their faith with the world. Like the Apostles before the coming of the Holy Spirit we might have knowledge concerning Christ but lack that powerful desire to share him with others. However, unlike the Apsotles for some reason many of us have never connected to the Pentecostal experience.Consequently, we still have yet to realize the promise of Pentecost given to us through the sacraments. Without accessing this power we can't expect there to ever be any real desire for us to evangelize.
     It is not normal to have faith in Christ and lack a desire to share him with others. This desire of course is not something born out of normal human experience for it is a gift of the Holy Spirit. As I shared some of us have yet to experience this power from the Holy Spirit. St Symeon the New Theologian also recognized this as a problem in his day. He encouraged those who were even in the monastic life to discover the riches of the Pentecost experience. He said the following to his fellow monks, "come, bow and fall down together with me and do not rise until you have received the gift of God, as I, who am unworthy, have received this gift of grace (Catechesis 34 ) "You can bet if someone in a monastery could miss this profound gift there is no question that many of us can to. However, God is not hiding this encounter with the Holy Spirit and is waiting for us to seek it out.
     The Pentecost experience was not an event that was meant just for the Apostles. Neither is it just for an elite group of religious people or for only the Charismatic Roman Catholics. Concerning this St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his lectures taught, “The Holy Spirit is no respecter of persons, for He seeks not dignities, but piety of soul. Let neither the rich be puffed up nor the poor dejected, but only let each prepare himself for reception of the Heavenly gift.”The gift of receiving the experience of the Holy Spirit is for everyone. This is what the pope means when he calls us to a new Pentecost. Pentecost is an event continually open to the Church and as St Cyril says we need only prepare ourselves for this experience.
     Sometimes it takes humility but it is vital to ask ourselves if we have the same burning desire for sharing Christ that the Apostles had. When it came for the Apostles to receive this powerful desire they had to seek it out at the source, which was the Holy Spirit. Just like for the Apostles God is always ready to provide this gift of  experiencing the Holy Spirit if we seek it out. As St. Didymas once said, “The Holy Spirit is given to us providing we give occasion to receive him. For to obey God is optional, as is to believe. In those who have shared in the charismata, the Holy Spirit is given in proportion. In accord with this is ‘He will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! (Commentary on Psalm 36:9)".As the saint demonstrates if we do not have the gift we need only ask and give occasion to receive him.
     Without a new Pentecost we will not see much change in the growth of some of our churches. A church exists to evangelize but without no real ongoing encounter with the Holy Spirit this is not possible. Evangelization is not a skill we acquire just by being a Byzantine. Rather, it is a manifestation of a desire we receive out of a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, some of us for various reasons have yet to encounter the Holy Spirit in the way the Apostles did. However, the power is there, even though dormant, since we have received the sacraments. God is not holding anything back if we wish to avail ourselves of this power. We need only seek him out and wait for the presence of the Holy Spirit to manifest himself. When this happens we will discover a burning desire to share our faith with others.

John Paul II and the New Hesychasts

     Understanding the great need for spiritual renewal, Blessed John Paul the Great called the Church once to reconnect with the mystical traditions. In doing so, he encouraged reading the teachings of saints associated with the western contemplative traditions. The holy father even said that those who would bring spiritual renewal in our churches would be contemplatives(the New Evangelists). There has been a strong response to his call in the Catholic Church over time. In fact, the resources to tap into the western contemplative teachings since then almost seem endless. However, its important as Byzantines that we respond to this call by also looking at our own mystical traditions. We have a rich tradition called Hesychasm and it has much to offer to the spiritual renewal of our churches.
     In its traditional understanding Hesychasm is defined as the pursuit of stillness(hesychia) in Jesus Christ. It's also commonly known to be a tradition that has flourished in the context of Byzantine monastic communities. Basically, Hesychasm is a way for the (whole) person to experience God by achieving stillness (hesychia). In the teachings associated with Hesychasm, such as in the Philokalia, there are different systems that incorporate mental as well as physical activity. These systems help to purify a person, making them able to achieve 'stillness' and experience God continually. For example, in the most common practice associated with Hesychasm, the Jesus Prayer, the body as well as mind are engaged in the work of purification. The purification takes place in the body through recitation and in the mind by its focus on God. Its in hope that through these continual actions the (whole) person will grow in their experience of God.
     The activities used for purification in the tradition of Hesychasm are very diverse. You will find different fathers speaking about different activities to use in prayer and in daily life. However, even though there is diversity its important to understand the activities as synergistic, and not just as mere methods. Every action in purification, physical or mental, has a dual character. On one end its your own effort, but, on the other it is the work of God. This goes to demonstrate that we are the temples of the Holy Spirit(1 Corinthians 3:9), since in a temple there are always two at work, both God and man. This is a vital distinction to have because many times the actions Hesychasts employ are equated to practices in non-Christian religions or even therapeutic techniques. The difference rests in the fact that by working with the Holy Spirit we can give divinizing power and meaning to any action.
     In contrast to what can be found in the western contemplative traditions there are a few things worth noting. The activities used to prepare one for encountering God are not always of the same nature. In fact, in the west discursive techniques are often abandoned ,such as meditation, when a state of contemplation is achieved. The activities used are even often referred to as "the work" to get to the state. In Hesychasm the activates used in the traditions do not have the form of preparing a person for a state. As I said they are synergistic and remain a normal part of a lifestyle of ongoing purification and encounter. On the other hand, what the two traditions do have in common are moments of immersion in God where our activities do cease. It's in these moments that St. Seraphim of Sarov once said that we "cease to pray" and enjoy the presence of God.
     There will always be moments in the life of prayer in any tradition when God chooses to bless us as St. Seraphim described. However, these moments are not the goal in Hesychasm. The goal is to grow daily in experiencing who God is by becoming what He is through grace. The ongoing purification practiced by the Hesychast allows for a more and more richer experience of divinity in every aspect of what we are. For example, when my mind looks to Christ it is becoming Christ and when I do many prostrations my body is becoming Christ. In essence, Hesychasm is a very special way to live out our Byzantine tradition of Theosis. In fact, Hesychasm itself was birthed overtime from Byzantine spirituality and remains our most developed spiritual tradition.
     In his vision Blessed John Paul the Great saw the renewal of our Church coming from modern contemplatives. In translating this vision into our Byzantine tradition we can say that the renewal of our churches will have their foundation in the New Hesychasts. The New Hesychast unlike the old must be a person who can learn to incorporate this spirituality into all modern circumstances. This can only happen if we learn to take the teachings of Hesychasm, such as in the Philokalia, beyond the walls of the monastery and into ordinary life. It was never to be a tradition for specialized monastic and needs to be rediscovered and renewed in order to fuel the spiritual renewal that we all wish to see.
     Just like the western contemplative tradition, that Blessed John Paul the Great spoke of, Hesychasm can be a vital resource for renewal. Also, Hesychasm can be very simple. You can even be someone who works in front of a computer all day, stay at home parent, or even a garbage man. All you have to do is ask God to purify you through the action. It then becomes synergistic. You are exercising hope doing your best in the task (seeking hesychia) and He is making a way for you to become what HE is. This is no different than when we stand for long hours in prayer except in that there is a different level of intensity or intimacy. There is no part of the day that cannot lead us to encounter God! When St. Athanasius wrote "God became man so that men might become gods" he did not add "only on Sundays" or "clergy only". This was a saying for all people, of all times, and every moment. Through the practice of Hesychasm we can become what God is and be the vessels of renewal our churches desperately need.

(Note: for those who don't understand the Byzantine tradition on divinization. Man does not become another person of the Trinity. He participates in what God is making him a god by grace and never by nature. We are not born eternal beings but become so by participation in what God is. As it says in 2peter 1:4 "you may become partakers of the divine nature")

St. Nicodemos and Renewal

     One of the greatest contributors to our Byzantine tradition was St. Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain. His contribution was not necessarily in his wisdom but rather in his ability to translate the traditions of our Byzantine fathers into his modern time. Many of us are familiar with his greatest work the Philokalia, which remains 2nd to the bible as a source for Byzantine spirituality. Among many other works that we have today from the saint we see in his testimony an important aspect for spiritual renewal. The aspect that we see in him is the ability to communicate Jesus Christ in a way that people can respond to. He even had the following to say about reading the Philokalia, "Come all you who are participants in the Orthodox way, together, laymen, monks, all of you who seek to find the kingdom of God which is within you, as well as the treasure which is hidden in the field of your heart. And this is the sweet Christ".
     St. Nicodemos lived in a time when the Church of the East was under siege by the forces of an Islamic dominated society. There was no freedom of religion that we are used to and at times to stand up for what was right could mean the end of your life. It was under this context that we find St. Nicodemos trying to communicate Byzantine spirituality through his writings. It was essential that his brothers and sisters in Christ have immediate access to the message in his works because their lives might end soon. We may not be with these types of circumstance that the saint was in but it's vital that we to learn to communicate our spirituality effectively to others. If we take a quick glance at our own society the church seems to be under the domination of the secular forces that are slowly dismantling a culture that was once known as Christian. Those in our churches may not be losing their lives for their faith but the atmosphere that once nourished it is slowly being destroyed.
     The teachings of St. Nicodemos worked well in his time and his approach of making spirituality accessible to the common man is a pattern we should follow. Unfortunately, the saint lived over 200 years ago so what might have worked in his time might not in ours. It's a fact that if we handed out copies of the Philokalia to those in our churches most of them would have no clue at the message that it contains. Many of the teachings of St. Nicodemos are pretty much "greek" to the contemporary man and need to be translated into common understanding. The words do not need to change but rather it's the context that people are unfamiliar with. It's up to us to internalize his teachings and the teachings of our Byzantine spiritual tradition and communicate them in a way that a common person could grasp.
     What we find in the essence of St. Nicodemos and in the Byzantine tradition is the spirituality of Hesychasm. Hesychasm seems like a foreign concept to many Byzantine Catholics but this shouldn't be so. It's our own fault that we have failed to communicate this tradition properly by not teaching it in a way that people can understand. Basically, the word means to seek stillness in Jesus Christ. Stillness in this context means bringing your body and mind into a place where they can properly experience the presence of Jesus Christ. Being sinners we find that the body and the mind do not relate the way that they should to God. Hesychasm as a practice teaches the body and the mind to discover the gift of God's presence that is hidden within us.
     It is from the point of view of understanding Hesychasm that what we do as Byzantines begins to make sense. One example that I like to use in this regard is the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. A visitor seeing this tradition would be bewildered at the many prostrations that take place. However, a proper understanding of the tradition demonstrates that the body is being trained for the presence of Jesus Christ. In fact going through the Philokalia from this perspective we discover that its teachings show us various ways to train the body and mind to experience Christ. One way that many are acquainted with is the Jesus prayer. What is funny is that I have found many people using a prayer rope and practicing controlled breathing while saying the Jesus prayer without realizing what they're doing. It is in this Byzantine tradition as well as others that we find the body and mind  being trained for the presence of Jesus Christ.
     I believe if St. Nicodemos was among us today he would encourage us to learn how to communicate our traditions more effectively to others if we want to see renewal. The best way to start doing this is to learn to internalize what the spiritual fathers of our tradition have left us. We don't need to go around quoting the Philokalia we need to become a Philokalia. There are many riches that God wants to offer others from our tradition. It's up to us to make them accessible to others. The teachings of our fathers like St. Nicodemos are not difficult to grasp but we need to learn to speak them afresh in every generation.

St. Symeon and Renewal

     For St. Symeon the New Theologian the perception of the power and presence of the Holy Spirit should be a normal activity for Christians. He says," Do not say that without His presence it is possible to be saved. Do not say that one can possess the Spirit even if one is not consciously aware of it. Do not say that God cannot be seen by human beings. Do not say that humans may never see the light of God;Or at least that it is not possible for this generation. My friends this is never impossible.It is more than possible – for those who desire it." In response to this a priest once said that he wondered how many of those in his own church could share in this understanding. For in his experience of ministry many people seem to have never seen the action of the Spirit in their lives. It would appear that even though these people have received the sacraments they have yet to unlock the potential of them. From this point of view this perception that St. Symeon speaks of remains dormant for some.
     Perish the thought that any Byzantine Catholic would not be experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit. In our teachings we find countless references to the "experience" of God that we witness in our everyday lives. However, because we are weak and prone to sin sometimes we miss the reality that our tradition teaches. Even in his time St. Symeon spoke of the unfortunate consequences of those void of the experience of the Holy Spirit.. He says, "If the Holy Spirit is operative within us unknowingly and without our sensing His presence, obviously neither in eternal life which follows will we receive the perception of the Holy Spirit, neither will we behold the light of the Holy Spirit, but we will be dead and blind and unconscious, remaining then as we are now, and thus vain is our hope".
     St. Symeon in one way is telling us that our faith is pretty much dead if we do not perceive the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. This makes even more sense in our time because who would want to become a follower of our church's teachings if it's just mere rules and moral speculations that involve God. Contrary, in the Holy Scriptures and in the early church people were amazed at what the first Christians had. So much so that many were willing to be killed for the experience that they received by becoming a follower of Jesus Christ. This experience was not to be something that remains in our church's past for this gift is for all times and all people.
     Just as it was in St. Symeon's time there are those of us in need of spiritual renewal. There is so much potential that we have as Christians and God is not holding anything back. If for whatever reason we find ourselves having a dull and powerless spirituality St. Symeon invites us to, "come, bow and fall down together with me and do not rise until you have received the gift of God, as I, who am unworthy, have received this gift of grace". Having the active presence of God working in your life is a gift as the saint said. It is a gift that God eagerly wants to give us. We just need to be open to it and seek it.
     Without the action and power of the Holy Spirit we will never see renewal in our churches. No matter how many committees we create or changes we do in our worship we will end up void without the gift of Spirit. This gift if we become open to it is overflowing like a fire that sets everything around it ablaze. In this experience so many other actions and gifts of God become manifest in our churches. Saint Symeon taught us concerning them that we should , "strive that you may have part in His gifts and enjoy them, the gifts of which we, though unworthy, have been partakers through His unutterable goodness". By striving for these gifts we discover the source of how the various ministries and vocations flourish. Never have such things truly flourished under the works of pure human effort like the committees we create. Neither will the spiritual renewal that we seek in our churches.
     Those around us need to see the presence of the Holy Spirit. Unless we have this gift from the Spirit no one will see it. We need to look into our own lives and ask if we truly have what St. Symeon taught. If for some reason we find ourselves lacking we need to realize that God does not want to hold himself back. He is waiting to pour out his presence into our lives if we would be willing to seek it. This of course needs to be an ongoing activity for every person in our Church. There is always more that God wants to give. In this regard renewal for some of us or our churches might be just a prayer away. Perhaps God is just waiting for us to seek it out.

Elder Sophrony and Renewal

     We have all been given a unique calling as Christians. Sometimes we lose sight of this calling and at other times we may never have been properly introduced to it. For Elder Sophrony our calling as Christians means," believing in the resurrection of the dead; hoping for the 'adoption of sons' by the heavenly Father; receiving the divine image of being; becoming through the gift of the Father's love what he Himself is by His nature-a God". In all that we find in his profession we discover that our God desires for us something very special, which is to become what He is.
     With churches just about on every corner in our cities it's hard to see in our culture that we have accepted the gift that our God is offering us. Rather, it seems that evil in our churches is on the rise. With my own ears I have heard Christians justify abortions, claim that immoral acts are natural, and many have even tried to use the scriptures to support positions that are contrary to living a life in God. Elder Sophrony was no stranger to this in his time and claimed, "Christianity in its true dimensions has never yet been properly grasped by the great mass of people". It would seem that the understanding that we are called to be what God is has been lost.
     Sometimes we who think of ourselves as 'spiritual' need to be on our guard. For we are not strangers to the evil that we often see taking place in our churches. The scriptures teach us that there is no sin that we don't have in common with others (cor.10:13).In some ways we to are responsible for evils that we see because we to have failed in many ways to become what God is. Knowing our common weakness that we share with others the Lord instructs us not to Judge but says to clean up our own lives in order to help those around us see God (Matt.7:5).Elder Sophrony would say that this clean up takes " maximum" or ongoing effort and only then will it be given us to discover the mystery of becoming what God is.
     The demands that God puts before us might seem discouraging because many of us constantly fall short. I know in my own life it's been a series of ongoing failures but I have learned not to give up. The scriptures are clear that this work of becoming what God is comes from what God is doing in us (Philp1:6). No matter how many times we fail it's in our return to Him that we find God ever the more pleased in our commitment. When it comes to our return Elder Sophrony speaks of it as an "ever new creation". Speaking of those times that we return to God the elder would say, "The mind is filled with wonder. 'Being, how is it possible?' And we echo the Psalmist's praise of the wondrous works of the Lord. We apprehend the meaning of Christ's words, I am come that [men] might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.' More abundantly'--this indeed so". God never gives up on his people and is always offering them a chance at renewal and the abundance of his divine life.
     Looking into the Elder's teachings there really is one way that we can expect renewal in our churches. Only by learning to live as 'gods'. Through the gospel our Lord gives us an ongoing opportunity to share his divine nature. Our own personal failures or circumstances can never separate us from access to the divine life. Our God is always making us a way to escape our sinful condition (1cor. 10:13) and holds nothing back from us. We need only to cry out Lord Jesus Christ son of God have mercy on me a sinner and discover that this action becomes as the Elder would say, an" infinite creation".
     There is so little time that we spend here and God has so much to offer. Each day in itself holds "infinite" possibilities for each of us. There is more that God wishes to offer you so you should except great things for your life. In this expectation know that God wishes your brothers and sisters in Christ to know their value as well. It is through our own response to God that we can expect change not only in our lives but from everyone around us. We were all destined to become what God is by grace and it is only natural for those that see this life in us to desire it for themselves, which is the only way of spiritual renewal.

(Note: for those who don't understand the Byzantine tradition on divinization. Man does not become another person of the Trinity. He participates in what God is making him a god by grace and never by nature.We are not born eternal beings but become so by participation in what God is. As it says in 2peter 1:4 "you may become partakers of the divine nature")



The teaching from Elder Sophrony were from his book On Prayer (click)

St. Seraphim and Renewal

     At times we can go astray when understanding the simple message of our Lord Jesus Christ. When this happens our spiritual lives become dull, cold and introverted. Not being able to recognize our weakness we tend to often find fault in others or in our churches to why we are not experiencing a fruitful spiritual life. We even go as far to make it our mission to fix these problems that we see by becoming masters of the religious rhetoric and finding approval from the like minded. In this mission we might become the most spiritual knowledgeable or the most traditionaly devout but in the mean time we continue on a path away from what St. Seraphim would call the " simplicity of the original Christian knowledge".
     It is only by the grace of God that we can recognize those times that we go astray. When we do it becomes a time of personal renewal and a return to those "first works"--Rev.2:5. St. Seraphim in his teachings understood that before any renewal can take place we need to be able to comprehend the goal of the Christian life, which is to develop intimacy with God or as he says, "acquiring the Holy Spirit". According to St. Seraphim all of our religious activities do not constitute the aim of our Christian life. In everything that we find in our rich Byzantine tradition the saint would say these are " the indispensable means of reaching this end".
     The true Christian life according to St Seraphim is not as complicated as we often make it. The same could be said for the spiritual renewal that we long to see in our churches. We can't always expect ideal conditions when it comes to the spiritual atmosphere that we find ourselves in. On the other hand, there is nothing stopping us from "acquiring the Spirit of God". In our Byzantine churches we may never see an end to abuse or problems (its been going on now for 2000 years). However, there is nothing stopping us from the spiritual renewal we desire. To this I believe the saint would add that if we want to see our churches change we first need to change. Spiritual renewal begins with the individual and never by a restructuring of the external realities that we have in our traditions.
     In St. Seraphim's teaching we can realize that nothing is stopping us from intimacy with Jesus Christ or renewal. The church might not always be there, corruption may abound, but we can have access to the riches to the kingdom of God at anytime through prayer. The saint states that access to the kingdom is simple for he says, "prayer gives us it most of all, for it is always at hand, so to speak, as an instrument for acquiring the grace of the Spirit". What the saint is saying is very challenging because that which might be keeping us from renewal might be the fact that we don't spend much time in prayer seeking more of the Holy Spirit.
     The simple things that lead us to the kingdom of God might never be good enough for some of us. Even the scriptures testify that the preaching of the cross is foolishness to some. Our loving heavenly Father has made access to the kingdom so simple that even little children can grow in holiness. It is a marvel at times when people ask for spiritual counsel only to get dismayed when their spiritual fathers tell them to spend more time reading the bible or in prayer. When such simplicity becomes strange to us St. Seraphim's teachings could lead us to believe that this might be a sign that "we have almost abandoned the true Christian life". In the saints teachings it's not in the abundance of religious activities, perfected liturgies, or grand byzantine architecture but in learning to acquire the "utmost profit" in the simplicity of the many "abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit" where we find true spiritual renewal.
     God is holding nothing back from us! It is up to us to be willing to discover all that we can of him in the simple things, such as spending more time in prayer. This simplicity that St. Seraphim taught continues to be a source of renewal for many today. To this day many people make a pilgrimage to where he spent his earthly life. By being faithful to the simplicity of the basics of Christianity St. Seraphim continues to lead countless people in the path of salvation. He even had a saying that testified to this truth, "Acquire a peaceful spirit, and around you thousands will be saved". If we are willing I believe God can use each one of us to bring renewal into our churches by just following the simplicity that we find in Jesus Christ


The teachings that I used are from Saint Seraphim's conversation with Nicholas Motovilov (click) to read

Metropolitan William and Renewal

     At his recent enthronement Metropolitan William addressed an important question that he was asked. He was asked what is the most serious problem that his church faces. His response was the following:"We need to present Jesus Christ in a way that touches the lives of our people..in the same way our beautiful liturgy has been translated in the many languages of the people of many different countries we need a new method for teaching the faith that opens the mind to a deeper understanding of the spiritual life... God has not changed but..the world has radically changed....the cool things that we have received from technology have chilled and dulled our ability to see God" he then speaks about the his plans for renewal and states "the work begins today".
          The question we need ask ourselves now is how can we contribute to the work the Metropolitan spoke of. It is obvious that what might have worked in the past in our churches might not work in our modern time or in our current circumstances. Metropolitan William suggested looking for new ways to discover Christ and finding new methods in which to present him to others. Even though the gospel never changes our God is always presenting new ways for us to encounter him. It's up to us to look for these moments in which God makes himself known or even be open to him letting others discover him by our actions. The spirituality of our Byzantine tradition must be open and ready to speak to the experiences of the everyday man.
     Do to various circumstances and sin we tend to forget what our tradition is all about. This is why our new chief shepherd Metropolitan William has called for renewal. In his words you can hear what many other shepherds have been saying, which is a call to a New Evangelization of the Church. As Metropolitan William said "God has not changed " but pointed out that the world has. This why our shepherds refer to a "NEW" evangelization. It not new in content but its new its approach and application or methods. In this regard I have a few suggestions, which are based in Blessed John Paul the Great's teachings from Novo Millenno Ineunte.
     Before any Evangelization or Renewal takes place it's important that we first become honest with ourselves.Our Byzantine tradition teaches us that we are called to become everything that God is by grace and make this grace available to others. In many ways we often fall short of this call and even at times we have failed to make this call known to others. After an honest estimation of our spirituality we can then ask God for the help to change. In a prayer such as this you will find that God is more than eager to forgive us and give us not only the power to change but also the power to change the world.
      Even though we might take that first step of honesty we must expect that God wants actions. Desire and a simple prayer is not enough to change ourselves let alone our churches. God will respond to your desire but in turn he gives you power to facilitate an ongoing encounter with himself. In response, it's important that we set special times of each day aside, while learning to pray continuously, where we invoke God in more focused way. For some this daily experience is known as a prayer time or holy hour. Its during this time with God that a person develops in intimacy in a similar way that we do by spending individual time with a friend or a loved one.
     In addition to having a time in prayer each day its important to become acquainted with the mind of Christ. Many fathers of our Church have expressed in great detail that the only way to really known God's identity is by the Sacred Scriptures. As our Pope has been known for saying on many occasions echoing many other saints, "ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ". You don't have to be a bible scholar to understand some of the fundamental concepts of Holy Scripture. There are many translations and even bible studies that make knowing the fundamentals of Holy Scripture easy to grasp. Also, it's even possible to read with ease the scriptures that are used with our liturgical cycles that often have a special theme for each day. In studying the bible you will begin to see the identity of God and of his plans that he might have for you personally.
     Also, its important that if we really want to see changes that we learn to "reconnect with the mystical tradition of the Church". Blessed John Paul the Great shared this idea with the Church but when he first did this he only had the Latin tradition in mind naming a few saints of the West for sources. As someone knowledgeable with the Byzantine tradition I suggest the following four saints who I believe will facilitate the spiritual renewal that we are looking for. They are St. Seraphim or Sarov, St. Symeon the New Theologian, St. Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain, and Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov).It is through these holy men of God that we will discover new ways to develop our spirituality and also the spirituality of our churches.
     Next, in utilizing all the wonderful resources that we have it's important to remember that submission to Jesus Christ is a continual action. In gospel the Lord teaches us the following "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate.". There will never be a time when we can say that we finished. It takes continual effort to bring about change in our lives. It's in this effort that we establish a testimony for others to see God working in us. Holiness is a gift of God but it is a gift that shapes all our actions. It is this type of holiness that many are seeking for themselves. Those around us need to see that there is more to life than the daily grind. They need to see that they can have purpose and meaning and you might be the only one that can show it to them.
     Furthermore, we must realize that in establishing a testimony that the gift of holiness is not something just for ourselves. Its important that we become involved in our communities, workplaces, schools, and especially our parishes. Whatever circumstances that we find ourselves in we need to realize that we have a mission and this involves being open to personal relationships with others. Most often this fact is neglected at the level of the local church. The local church is place where Christian love needs to witness to the world.If this does not happen we miss out on a vital aspect of our spirituality. As the heathens used to say in the past, "look how they love each other". This love that we were known for in the past can only be recovered by learning to see the value of those in our churches.
     Finally, the most important aspect of any change that we wish to see is in our effort to proclaim the gospel. The proclamation of the gospel is not for a select few in the Church but is in essence the focal point of our identity as Christians. In the time of the foundation of the Church the apostles looked for every opportunity to share their faith with others. If they didn't' our churches would not exist. Likewise, we need to be open to the Holy Spirit giving us the same opportunity. This can be as simple as saying Jesus loves you or that you will be praying for that person. We don't have to go around quoting the bible or the priest's homily. We need to be real to the people that we encounter sharing with them our own experience of Jesus Christ. Likewise, we need to remember that those people who visit our parishes might be looking for a deeper experience with Christ. We need to learn to see this need and be ready to lead them deeper into Jesus Christ.God is looking to meet people and he wants to meet them through you.
     To conclude, I would like to express my gratitude in our new Metropolitan's vision. Under his leadership I hope to see a new spring time of the Byzantine Catholic church. As he said, "the work begins today". As for the future God is not waiting to work. Rather, he is waiting for each one of us to respond to his call for renewal. We need to work and we are each responsible for the direction of our churches and the future of them depends on our actions now.