Category: religion

The New Torah

August 11th, 2022

The extraordinary witnesses of the life of Jesus and that of the Torah: The Christian understanding of Christ as God

The faith of billions of humans is categorized under the title of Christianity: but often this title becomes nothing else than a label by which we identify for an hour a week. This was however not the case for the early Christians, for Christianity was not a categorization of the week, but something they risked their lives for. It was in Christ, who not only redeemed the world but sets in motion the second millennium. The Early Christians are aware of this, and thus the hymnology and liturgical worship of their time are centered on the contextual reality of transforming oneself to be Christ-like (theosis). Jesus was not just a prophet that must be followed, but someone to fully imitate and strive towards becoming like. Unlike Moses, Christ is seen as the fulfillment of all prophets rather than the beginning of the law. Christ is God.

In John

In contrast with the synoptic gospels, John moves forward towards presenting the origins of Jesus not based on a sense from conception bases, but one that is cosmological. In the same narrative as Genesis, John marks clearly an understanding that a New Origin is in sight. Echoing Genesis 1:1, he writes in the beginning. This cosmological writing in the prologue of John is to fully denote that Jesus is directly (if not even He himself is) wisdom. John makes this typological connection by using contrast to Old Testament verses such as Wisdom 9:19 and Sirach 24:9. This presupposes the pre-creation/pre-existence of Christ in a cosmological mystical matter in which he is associated with the power of creation and redemption of Psalm 33:6, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth”. This is quickly identified by Church Fathers in “The Trinity” by Augustine (De Trinitate, 6.2)*. Modern Scholars often will try to downplay such, however, such thought is present in the Greco-Roman Jewish world in which the Logos is associated with the fruit of creation such by Philo of Alexandria (Leg. all, 3.315)*. Furthermore, the Aramaic word memra “word” which is translated into Greek as logos here presents a notion of the transcend door or way towards the supernatural. Christ contains the divine name (Davar) like Moses did in Exodus, and as the angel of God who represents God in a direct first person also does in Exodus 23:20, but Christ at the same time is the holder of wisdom (hokhmah/sophia). Christ is the Theios Logos.

The Divine Name

The divine name is a reference to the tetragrammaton the four Hebrew letters about the name YHWH. Those that contain the name engraved into them, have the power to heal or part waters. This is referenced in Jewish texts such as the Sanhedrin 38b:14*. In this verse on the Sanhedrin is presented that the gentile heretics (38b:13) misunderstand the concept of the sole God and create a partnership attempting to reconstruct the existence of God beyond the concept of the single God. This is a clear defense of the Christian reading of Genesis 1:26 “let us create man in our Image”. If such, are Christians completely misunderstanding the concept of the Theios Logos? I would disagree, while in “Who is the Heir of Divine Things” Philo represents the Divine Name as a categorization occurring within an archangel in which the archangel is tasked to divide light and darkness (Heir, 205-206)*. This is however no issue since the angel is a representation of the office given by God as “messenger/intermediate”. In this sense, we can categorize that Jesus also partakes of this office as the Lamb of God. Augustine explains this well, the angel is a reference to an office, but not nature (Enarrationes in Psalmos 103:1-15)*. The angel of God is an equivalent to the presence of God via his Holy name such as Genesis 16:7; 22:11,14 for the example given. Such can occur within a person such as Moses or within an angel. However, the direct narrative of the spirits (now referring to the nature and not the person) is referred to alone by a word such as Numbers 20:16. This is seen as well among Origen on the Principles in which the Three Angels that visit Abraham not only represents the Angels themselves but the Divine Presence and reality of the Trinity.

The Divine Name in Christ is thus codified to go beyond that in which temporally became to be known to Moses. In Moses, the name is revealed in the human consciousness in a progressive matter finally manifesting in the burning bush in which is manifested. Christians however, especially John, are working to narrate from a different tradition. One which was found among Aramaic-speaking Jews and as well among the Essenes. The notion of the divine name davar is united with the wisdom, Memra, and personified as a “second god” or a personification of God in the fullness. A text known as Enoch 3 attempts such a similar presentation, however, the Christians are combining the tradition of memra with that passed down to them and preserved among the Qumran texts of the Messiah. The Messiah is the personification of God, for He himself is God. This is seen in the Targumim which is an early translation of the Bible to Aramaic. The Memra allows the True Presence of God (Shekhinah) to be manifested not just as the name but as a literally personified mediator who holds the doors between the natural and the supernatural. Christians’ building of these traditions is presented by accommodating Mary into iconography as the burning bush for she is the Ark of the New Covenant. This was not done by fabricating some new literal tools of literal analysis, but by borrowing the allegory of the targumic tradition from Exodus 3:12-14 and Genesis 1. In the targumic tradition, the Memra as a hidden personification is present with the Father, representing the “H” of the Tetragrammaton (יהוה‎). The mystery of the Memra is slowly manifested into the world from the world is created through him and by him (Gen 1:3), to speaking to humans (Gen 3:8-9), revealing the divine self (Gen. 18:1), punishing the wicked (Gen 19.24), saving (Ex 17:21), and ultimately also redeeming (Deut 32:39). The Christians thus authentically building from the targumic tradition present that the fullness of the revelation of the Memra occurs in the personification of the Divine in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

It is thus from the beginning the Memra was present in the creation. The Memra created, mediated, revealed Himself progressively, Punished the wicked, saved and redeemed. The Memra is thus ultimately manifested into Christ upon which the Divine Presence is not foreign for the Divine Will and the Human will, just like the natures, remain separate and are always in one Person. A person whose existence manifests the wholeness of God illuminating the mind of mankind towards a constant and progressive restoration in which scripture is revealed, transformed, and implemented into the eschaton of the Eucharist.

The Messiah: Jewish-Christian Realities

The original Christians were not a foreign group brought into Judaism, but rather a native group within Judaism that eventually became its own movement from a Jewish perspective as they were negated status due to differences in theological views. The understanding of the Messiah is a continuing representation presented in the Hebrew Bible. The topic of whether Christians misunderstood the concept or Jews changed as an aftermath of the Christian movement spread is a well-debated topic throughout centers. Here, I do not attempt to prove the Rabbinic views as wrong, but simply to point out that perhaps the centralization of theology on the Messianic prophecies was not as centralized as some modern scholars argue. The ancient world as seen above by the previous example of God’s name was a very diverse reality. One in which no group truly owned a monopoly of monotheism or Messianic prophecies, but rather influenced each other as metaphysically time and history progressed, and God revealed Himself to the people. The tradition of Jesus, that which Christianity became and has spread for the last two millenniums is not one that began in the first century due to Greco-Roman influences, but rather is one of the many continuities of the ancient world and the ancient faith by which originates in Abraham and his people.

Jesus is presented not as a mere body, but rather as the one who is the holy one. The holy one is the son of the Highest (Luke 1:31:35) and is in accordance with the Septuagint born from a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) and has the power to judge every nation and all knees will bow to him (4Q 246)*. Jesus as the archetype of Daniel represents that which Daniel as a type represents. Daniel submits other nations to the might of God via the miracles which God reveals, meanwhile, Jesus, as the holder of the Divine Name and Wisdom, reveals the fullness/telos nature of humankind and will as Paul says in Philippians 2:10 which foreshadows the perfection of Isaiah 45 as well:23. A matter of figure in which the Messiah is a holder of the Divine Name is not to amaze us. The Didache and 2 Baruch also point us to the notion of eschatological realities within the early communities. While the Essences saw the notion that God will bring vengeance to the enemies, Christ taught to forgive them. Meanwhile, other extra-biblical writings such as the Testament of Asher present similar notions as the Shepherd of Hermas and the Didache. The narrative of the way and the manifestation of the presence of God. Christianity importantly seems to return to decentralized worship of God. Where the second temple following the customs of the first is centralized in Jerusalem and all sacrifices must be made there, the third temple occurs in the presence of the Lord through the manifestation of the reality of God in the bread and wine. While in Judaism the priesthood is alone for the descendants of Aaron, in Christianity it is gifted to all. There is a strong connotation among the early Christian movement to reform itself to re-encounter many symbolic realities ingrained in the very ancient Hebrews.

The New Torah

Christ is therefore taking upon a spiritual nature of the Torah contained. The Torah is traditionally the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh)/Old Testament. It marks as God’s direct word to Moses in which the Divine name is contained. The Presence of God inhabits the Torah, thus, touching the scrolls is not allowed. The utmost reverence in given to the Torah, for it gives Israel the laws which will restore the world. Christ is the same, in the Eucharist, the outmost eschaton is marked for it represents the full presence and divinity of God. Christ is called the Word. Moses as the word gave us the Torah, but Christ as the Word allows us to partake directly of the Divine Natures. New commandments are given to us by Christ without ascending to a mount but rather descending to the Earth. Christ is transformative and outstanding. He saves and redeems. He serves the purpose role of the re-establishing of pure human nature as a reality. The ultimate form of restoration. Therefore, the resurrection as well as the day in which ancient Christians met is marked on the 8th day. The day of regeneration and restoration. Christ is the epoch of the progressive restoration and the mark which alludes to the return of mortal nature to the Divine being.

Notes

* De Trinitate, 6.2: By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made firm:” Lord were the righteous made strong. “And all the strength of them by the Breath of His Mouth” (ver. 6). And all their faith by His Holy Spirit.

*Leg. all (Allegorical Interpration) 3.175: And God also causes us hunger, not that which proceeds from virtue, but that which is engendered by passion and vice. And the proof of this is, that he nourishes us with his own word, which is the most universal of all things, for manna being interpreted, means “what?” and “what” is the most universal of all things; for the word of God is over all the world, and is the most ancient, and the most universal of all the things that are created. This word our fathers knew not; I speak not of those who are so in truth, but of those who are grey with age, who say, “Let us give them a guide, and let us turn Back” unto passion, that is to say, to Egypt.

* Sanhedrin 38b:14: Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Any place in the Bible from where the heretics attempt to prove their heresy, i.e., that there is more than one god, the response to their claim is alongside them, i.e., in the immediate vicinity of the verses they cite. The verse states that God said: “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26), employing the plural, but it then states: “And God created man in His image” (Genesis 1:27), employing the singular. The verse states that God said: “Come, let us go down and there confound their language” (Genesis 11:7), but it also states: “And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower” (Genesis 11:5). The verse states in the plural: “There God was revealed [niglu] to him when he fled from the face of his brother” (Genesis 35:7), but it also states in the singular: “To God Who answers [haoneh] me in the day of my distress” (Genesis 35:3).

*Heir 205-206: 205) And the Father who created the universe has given to his archangelic and most ancient Word a pre-eminent gift, to stand on the confines of both, and separated that which had been created from the Creator. And this same Word is continually a suppliant to the immortal God on behalf of the mortal race, which is exposed to affliction and misery; and is also the ambassador, sent by the Ruler of all, to the subject race. (206) And the Word rejoices in the gift, and, exulting in it, announces it and boasts of it, saying, “And I stood in the midst, between the Lord and You;” Neither being uncreate as God, nor yet created as you, but being in the midst between these two extremities, like a hostage, as it were, to both parties: a hostage to the Creator, as a pledge and security that the whole race would never fly off and revolt entirely, choosing disorder rather than order; and to the creature, to lead it to entertain a confident hope that the merciful God would not overlook his own work. For I will proclaim peaceful intelligence to the creation from him who has determined to destroy wars, namely God, who is ever the guardian of peace.

* Enarrationes in Psalmos 103:1-15: “Bless the Lord, O my soul! and all that is within me, His holy Name” (ver. 1). I suppose that he speaketh not of what is within the body; I do not suppose him to mean this, that our lungs and liver, and so forth, are to burst forth into the voice of blessing of the Lord. There are lungs in our breast indeed, like a kind of bellows, which send forth successive breathings, which breathing forth of the air inhaled is pressed out into voice and sound, when the words are articulated; nor can any utterance sound forth from our mouth, but what the pressed lungs have given vent to; but this is not the meaning here; all this relateth to the ears of men. God hath ears: the heart also hath a voice. A man speaketh to the things within him, that they may bless God, and saith unto them, “all that is within me bless His holy Name!” Dost thou ask the meaning of what is within thee? Thy soul itself. In saying then, “all that is within me, bless His holy Name,” it only repeateth the above, “Bless the Lord, O my soul:” for the word “Bless,” is understood. Cry out with thy voice, if there be a man to hear; hush thy voice, when there is no man to hear thee; there is never wanting one to hear all that is within thee. Blessing therefore hath already been uttered from our mouth, when we were chanting these very words. We sung as much as sufficed for the time, and were then silent: ought our hearts within us to be silent to the blessing of the Lord? Let the sound of our voices bless Him at intervals, alternately, let the voice of our hearts be perpetual. When thou comest to church to recite a hymn, thy voice soundeth forth the praises of God: thou hast sung as far as thou couldest, thou hast left the church; let thy soul sound the praises of God. Thou art engaged in thy daily work: let thy soul praise God. Thou art taking food; see what the Apostle saith: “Whether ye eat or drink, do all to the glory of God.” I venture to say; when thou sleepest, let thy soul praise the Lord. Let not thoughts of crime arouse thee, let not the contrivances of thieving arouse thee, let not arranged plans of corrupt dealing arouse thee. Thy innocence even when thou art sleeping is the voice of thy soul.

*4Q 246 (Aramaic Apocalypse/Apocrypha of Daniel): “He will be called great and he will be called Son of God, and they will call him Son of the Most High…He will judge the earth in righteousness…and every nation will bow down to him…”
The Second Coming and the Last Days

July 9th, 2022

In the Evangelical world and in many other protestant circles, the second coming is something to look forward to at the end of the days alone. It is not rare to find a protestant preacher that decides to dress as a prophet and announce a major apocalyptic event throughout time. The protestant dreams of this second coming which is better referred to as the Parousia among the Fathers of the Church are often one involving merely the destruction of society as they perceive it rather than a cosmological reality. However, for the Catholics and the Orthodox, the second coming is an ongoing reality with indeed a finite end. In this sense, the Church does not just signify a detached Sunday event within reality in which we get together to eat some pierogi or dolma. The church marks a continuation of the Incarnation in which the Eucharist marks the final eschaton. This end is fully achieved in the reality and the mystery of the Eucharist. On the other hand, the Church exists in a continuous and progressive reality marked by the community of the saints (Rev 5:8). The second coming is therefore not solely a future event, but one which continues to develop with the last days; these days being the ones in which we inhabit.

Some [liberal] scholars take the position of Jesus being a failed prophet. This is given in the interpretation of the verses of Matt. 24:34-35; Mark 13:30-31; Luke 21:32-33. These verses denote (paraphrasing) a sense that none of those who converted to the Jesus movement within the first century would die before the second coming occurs. In short, these scholars take the position that the second coming would occur within the first or early second century. Thus, turned the Jesus movement, which is later called Christianity, into an apocalyptic Jesus sect. The evidence for such belief fades once we take a deeper look throughout the Old Testament using typological tools. “My words won’t pass away” are a reference to Isaiah 40:8 and 45:10. The never-ending words are marked on the idea of the eternity of the word of God, “The word of God will stand forever”. These realities rather than marking an apocalyptic end seem to reflect more on Jesus and/or the authors of the gospels marking Isaiah as an archetype of the Messiah, Jesus. The generation mentioned by Jesus seems to create a confessional statement rather than a nominal historical one. This is seen in Mark 8:38 in which the confession of Peter is linked together to Peter and the Church. Further belief is oriented in the similar language used in Isaiah 51:6 and 54:10; the eschaton of Israel is marked by a continuous and never-ending reality in which God never abandons his people, but offers a continuous purification. Thus, the argument on Jesus being a failed prophet only takes place if one places liberal scholarship as a non-bias entity, but I would not argue for such an event since the reality is one of the nuances and deeper than understanding history as mere events within human consciousness.

Then, moving into the deepness of the Christian faith, we can approach to analyze the Parousia from its metaphysical reality. The abandoning of Christ or simpler said of God occurs always from the perspective of the choice of men as marked in John 6:66. In this sense, the reality of the Parousia is the moving of the soul and the whole nature of humanity towards the end/goal (telos). This reality occurs in the doublet which the liturgy represents. The liturgy both indicates a mark in which the reality of worship is simply marked by entering a space within the physical time (Chronos), and as the eternal ongoing relationship that guides men towards the restoration of all the cosmos; theosis. This liturgical restoration is marked both in eternity and the time of eternity that we experience as we enter liturgical worship. Eternal time among the Fathers is called Kairos and appears often throughout the bible to denote a season (e.g. Acts 13:18). The season of Kronos known as the last days is marked by the beginning of the Holy Spirit in Pentecost and the continuing movement within Chronos until it’s eschatological completion once the reality and fullness of the Eucharist become a true symbol σύμβουλον. This is because the last days as denoted previously are a continuation of the confession of the community. The Church not only exists in a denotation of eternal time but also as a continuation of the incarnation.

The Church is not merely an ecclesiastical body of politics, nor a mystical hidden structure conformed of those that accept the faith. The church is exactly the continuation of the body of Christ which manifested a human and divine nature via the incarnation. The Church, thus as a continuum of the Incarnation indicates that through a visible sacramental reality the faithful belong to the body of Christ. The shorter way to explain what this means is that we participate in the death and resurrection of Christ which shapes us to allow us to achieve salvation not by our works, but by the sacramental grace which alone exists in the Church. This is because the Church exists within Christ and contains as the Incarnate messiah did, a hypostatic union between the Divine Nature and Human nature. In this sense, theosis/sanctification occurs through the participation of the metaphysical reality of the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord which allows us as 2 Peter 1:4 indicates become partakers of the Divine Natures as indicated in Rev 5:8 which denotes that we become intercessors. Something that Paul took further to declare us as Judges of Angels on 1 Cor. 6:3.

As stated in the communion of the Saints, this partaking of the divine nature appears in an archetype of Deut. 32 and Psalm 82. This archetype in which angels participate in the reality of God and the ordering of the world is denoted not just by Biblical texts, but also by Jewish folklore. On the other hand, men serving as the type of this Divine Council can be seen manifested in the restored world and heaven via the grace of Christ which flows as a river of fire. The Parousia is, therefore, both a continuous and finite event. The finite event is marked by the restoration of the cosmos at the end of the cosmological liturgy as denoted by Cardinal Jean Danileou and St Maximus the Confessor. This end marks the final blessing of the liturgy in which the church reaches a full eschaton and thus the judgment of all souls and the restoration of the cosmos marks the culmination of all the sacraments. The reality of grace bestowed upon the sacramental union distributed to the Church becomes manifested as one in a lake of fire marked both as the love and righteousness of God. A final transformation of the Cosmos and the perfection of the Divine Plan among all mortal creatures thus takes place in which men finally join Christ sitting to the right of the Father.
The Multi-Dimension of Scripture

June 10th, 2022

The Christian tradition is a wide and in-depth tradition. It ranges from Mesopotamia to the Pillars of Hercules. In recent times a nominalist school whose influence takes root in Ockham and Spinoza nominalism and historicity have become the normative interpreted look at scripture in academia. This normative take on academia interprets scripture as a simple base of historical human occurrences that move from a pantheon of human-Esque gods (such as the Greek pantheon) moving toward a singular idea of a god represented in a matter of a theophany (a visible manifestation of an uncreated god). Thus, this form of scholarship gathers the mind of many secularists such as atheists or modernist Christians. This presented interpretation allows for a deconstruction of doctrine and dogma in the light of historical intent and archeological findings allowing thus for the removal of what some might refer to as “traditional Christianity” from the pulpit. This, however, does not represent a problem for Catholics since our faith contains a multi-dimensional spectrum of interpretation and narrative regarding the meaning of scripture which expanded from multiple schools of theology and has created an ocean of knowledge and life.

Levels

Out of the many writers, Origen, the teacher of many great Saints (both directly and indirectly) presented an in-depth version of layers of scriptural interpretation. It is important to note that the many Saints who Origen influenced have been St Gregory of Nyssa, St Gregory the Theologian, St Basil the Great, St Ambrose, St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas, St John Henry Newman, and more. Origen has been a key theologian for the Christian tradition across time and geography. For Origen, the interpretation of the biblical texts contains a threefold dimension: surface history, mystical interpretation, and what he calls the third explanation. Each of these layers explores a different pragmatic meaning of scripture and its absoluteness. Modern academics often display a sensation that Origen and other church fathers did not care about history and often adventured into the realm of pure analogy, however, this is simply false. While we must indeed emphasize that history was not as important as a metaphysical reading of Scripture for the Fathers, history remained a key component of their Christian formation. Thus, a multi-level Christian interpretation drawing across multiple schools of theology and philosophy marks a concrete understanding of the exploration of thought and truth for the Christian reader.

Surface History

Modern scholars often see scripture as the simple cause and causation of events. They often diminish the traditional reading of events as unlikely, or outright ahistorical. Yet, at the same level, they insert often a narrative of their own choice as the authoritative interpretation. The reality of many early events of the biblical texts is that there is a lack of concrete archeological findings, thus in a positive, and contemporary mindset, all of the historical readings are simply a form of theories, all equally presented on both an academic and spiritual fields. The most remarked authors from a modern interpretative field Dr. Francesca Stavrakopoulou and Dr. James Kugel, both have presented a Zeus-esque theory of the early modern god of the Hebrews; this, in short, is a human-made characterization of a deity. For the common evangelical or protestant church that lacks an in-depth tradition, such presentation it’s a danger to its faith. Nevertheless, for the Catholic, even if such a modern presentation might be true, does not affect the in-depth dogmatic and doctrinal fundamental readings of scriptures. Let us first then begin, as the first layer it’s presented, the surface history interpretation it’s solely the surface reading of the story. The surface historical narrative focuses on the environmental factors which influence the human author towards the writing of the interpretative factors. Even the existence of an early human-esque view of the Hebrew deity would not represent a problem for the Catholic mindset. Within the frameworks of Newman’s theory of doctrinal development, there is an implication of the existence of the development of revelation. This development of revelation presents a framework of God using the language and culture known to the people that He reveals to prepare them for a continuous manifestation of the essence of God. In this form of speaking the surface historical marks just the environmental explanation behind the motivation which led the human authors to take the “pen and the paper” to describe events that led to the motivation of God into the pen-stroke.

Mystical Interpretation

The mystical or spiritual interpretation refers not to an esoteric form of reading but rather a moral one. It focuses on the morality involved in the education necessary to interpret scripture as well as the ethical and moral narrative for the church. A necessary reading before metaphysics, following the formulation presented by Plato and Aristotle, Origen serves as a base on the reading. This reading focuses then on the necessary things a Christian must do to live a good life. Furthermore, there are levels of necessity on education that prepares the single unit individually to prepare for a life of education and prayer. This of all the layers, the most direct, leads to the simple understanding of the good Christian.

The Third One

The third and most interesting position it’s that of a metaphysical and hermeneutical reading. Origen often refers to this reading as well as the hidden one, since in his belief, it requires training in both the oral and written traditions to understand them. It takes the notion of a Christological reading of the Old Testament to draw toward a sense of understanding regarding the presence of Christ since the beginning within the Father. Origen marks such Triune hermeneutic commentary in many places from the angels that appear to Abraham, to even the connection of the Church and Christ in Songs of Songs. This, a theological reading that employs methods of the other two levels becomes the key interpretation of the church in which we focus on the supernatural consequences and causes of the fall and redemption of humankind. To comprehend this notion, we can touch a bit on another neo-platonic influenced tradition. In the Rabbinic Judaic tradition of the Kabbalah, we encounter a neo-platonic preposition of the position of the laws and commandments as a way to redeem humankind. Through the laws and the commandments of human nature, it’s driven towards the transformation of its nature and redemption which by the knowledge and living off the Torah adopts an angelic-like nature. Following such practices, which Origen also held in many regards. Origen takes the transformative process of the view of grace and love via the teaching of theosis. Theosis- remarks as the transformative effect of the essence which through the mysteries (which the west refers to as both sacraments and sacramental) redeems the fallen nature by the sacrifice of Christ. In a good matter, this is well presented when the liturgy occurs for we are taken from Earth to heaven. The liturgy always occurs in the eternal time-Kairos rather than the temporal time-Chronos. In this matter the third reading it’s a sacramental and hidden one in which the transformative essence of God exists among the texts, but cannot be seen by the surface reader.

Conclusion

Overall, the matter of understanding for the church fathers it’s that tradition truly is a stumbling rock against the contemporary reading of scripture. Tradition allows us to have an ocean of drinkable water that allows us to challenge and compete against the nominalist spectrum of historical accounts that negate any possibility of a theophany existing. In this matter, the notions take the possibility of interpreting the texts through a spectrum of historical, ethical, and metaphysical narratives. In this sense, God can reveal across cultures and traditions. It transforms paganism and the people. For God saw everything, and He saw it as good, thus the nature of humankind it’s one of goodness that God can continue to see even among our sins. In this sense, the surface historical accounts simply narrate the environmental controls which allowed the authors to experience the interpretation to narrate and write down a multitude of historical, fictional, and romantic texts.
The Devil: Among Us

March 24th, 2022

Often throughout the development of religion with culture, we have expanded the concept of the devil in a historical framework of Christianity. Is not to be repeated the endless amount of academic articles in linguistics and Jewish eschatology. It is common knowledge among those that study Judaism, the Bible, and early Christianity that the devil, often called Satan, the adversary was not a single character, but a culmination of multiple points. In the fictional story of Job, the adversary is relieved as a gambler that allows mankind to walk the path towards the angelic state. Yet often, beyond all these characteristics, the devil remains beyond the character as a substance of adversary and evil as present among us. The devil serves as the ultimate conceptualization of the problem of evil that walks among us.

The Harmonies

Evil is something that consumes the human mind and heart. It transforms the being into something corrupting that is eroding and dying slowly. It reminds us of the story of Tolkien’s creation of the Orcs in Lord of the Rings. In this world, Sauron knew that he couldn’t corrupt the harmonies, so after the supreme deity of the world created the elves (which among the humans reflected the perfection of the harmonies in creation), Sauron, tricked elves into his dominions and with experiment corrupted them. The same allegorical frameworks exist among humanity, the devil, in this case, is presented in the allegorical frameworks of the serpent. The serpent serves as the adversary against the harmonies of God’s creation. When God created anything, He saw them as good, on the other hand, the serpent saw an opportunity. The corruption of humankind is then corruption of the divine essence that inhabits humankind, but such corruption can only be dealt with in the aftermath of the creation. The Harmonies is a concept that can be found across cultures and thoughts. Plato explains in Timeaus that the perfect number in which all harmonies exist is related to the divine number seven. Such a number reflects even across the Jewish astrology in which seven was associated with God, the Divine. Such coincides of containing the number seven as the perfect harmony and the divine number to describe God it’s not a mistake but rather a result of ancient astrology and astronomy. With such not separated yet in those times the allegorical combination of number and heavenly bodies occurred. Seven was associated with the seven known heavenly bodies: Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter which are created to dance in harmony around the Earth.

The Devil in Rome

The Devil then is a manifestation of the difficult norms into which society drives itself. The adversaries of history that oppose the greater good of Israel and then of the Church become emotes of the corruption of harmony. The devil is then manifested as external deities, kings, and the so-called false prophets. All of them, in the mind of the authors of scripture, serve to encapsulate the diminishing of the Divine Goodness. Of course, from the author’s perspective, that which is good contributes to the restoration of the human world into the essence of God. The narration of the harmony thus indicates a fallen state in the genesis with a direct plan of redemption of Israel. Anything else would be considered an adversary to the plan. It is then not to amaze us of the dichotomy which exists in the book of Revelations. On one hand, a prophetic reading in which inspiration contains no time, an infinite prophecy in a finite world. The second reading is a political narration against the Roman Empire and Nero Caesar. Revelation then incorporates a similar narrative as Daniel does. With the incorporation of critiquing a government in a spiritual narrative, the government then becomes the narrative against the greater good. In this then the devil is appropriated to the form of the antichrist and given to Nero. Contrary to Christ, Nero saw the sword and the death of the mission. All biblical scholars agree that the Antichrist is a play in numerology to describe Nero while showing Rome as the description of the corrupted hell and Earth. Thus, the author once again reflects the devil upon a human figure.

Among Us

The devil then taking into a narrative of evil is seen not as an individual figure as the medieval have interpreted. Concepts of devils and demons develop, in The Clouds by Aristophanes the reflection of what a demon entails. In the ancient world, a demon would signify either an angel or a corrupted angel (modern view of demons). In this same concept, the devil, throughout time plays a factor in the playing of society. The devil is seen as the current leaders, professors, and anyone who deviates from the common good to promote a corruption of the harmonies and essence. In this matter, each of us, when we sin, when we cause evil, we become incorporated of the devil.
I found Thee O Lord…

November 24th, 2021

I needed the Lord. My heart was confused seeking the light of the Lord. I wanted to find love and knowledge. My heart cried upon the Lord. My mind wondered about the intellect that the fathers talked about in many writings. I needed Jesus, and no one knew… I needed love, and no one knew. The reality of where I was five years ago and where I am now it’s completely different. I was surrounded by the demons that tried to control me and I could not find happiness, but in the depths of the world, he reached to me.

Myself with monks from the UGCC Skete in Michigan’s Peninsula

I did not know what Christianity was, nor did I know who Christ truly was [is]. Christ had become more of the ideology of a perfect God on which we based metaphysics than my savior and someone I knew personally. Yet, in the days of my internal struggles and in which I encountered depression; I was able to discover Byzantine Christianity. At first, I was reluctant, it was an expression of Christianity foreign to me. I knew nothing besides internet blogs (and word of advice, do not get your theology from blogs). Thankfully, I encountered many friendships that I made that helped me out of that hole of darkness that I was living in.

Myself with a friend and a monk from Duchovny Dom, 2020, Oregon, USA

To the many priests that I have met, thank you. To the many friends that I made mad, forgive me. First and foremost, I thank Fr Tom for the many years of spiritual guidance and for putting up with my many crazy views. To Fr Justin Mcdonnell for the many years of spiritual guidance and friendships that have developed over the last five years. To Fr Athanasius McVay, a great thanks for all the inquiries on the history of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. To Metropolitan Borys for listening to me, I am very thankful for giving the time to a young man that needed Jesus… and finally to Abbot Nicholas of Holy Resurrection monastery for opening the doors to his monastery for me to visit when I needed the most. I am especially very thankful for the many kind hours, he spent talking to me in private. To the many Orthodox and Catholic priests that I have not mentioned here, for there are many of you… thank you. Those five minutes of chatting or emailing me back truly changed me. To all my friends from various churches, thank you for your different perspectives and mutual friendship. My life has been completely transformed in the last five years… and I am thankful for that.

Myself serving in the Feast of the Theophany of Our Lord, 2014 Holy Transfiguration Monastery

In the Ukrainian Church, in her history and love, I hope to find a permanent home. I hope to grow along with her, struggle with her, defend her, and one day, be called onto the ages of ages while serving her. I am not Ukrainian, yet, the Lord has set me on this path. My ancestors inhabited mountains, and I hope to inhabit a life with people whom the Lord has blessed with many martyrs. In the moments of darkness, I found the beauty of Fr Omelyan Kovch, Fr Roman Lysko, Kyr Vasyl Velychkovsky, Kyr Andrii Sheptypsky, and Kyr Josyf Slipij… and every day, I discover the beauty of another saint hidden amid the Ukrainian church. I do not know where I will be in five years, but I do know that my salvation will not be possible without the prayers of my brothers and sisters and the Ukrainian Church that transformed St Volodymyr as well as me.
Reflections on Fr Cyril Korolevsky, an adopted Son of Rus-Kyiv

October 26th, 2021

A few reflections on the biography of Fr Cyril Korolevsky

It wasn’t theology that captured him when he visited the Melkite church in Paris. It wasn’t a dislike of the Roman rite that moved him East. It was beauty that moved him East. He saw what the first Ukrainians saw in Constantinople. He was moved by what moved St Volodymyr, Divine beauty. The chants, hymns, icons, everything that connected with him. I reflected upon such a matter. It was not the theology that moved me East, it was not theology that moved me East. If I wanted Neo-Platonism, I could just read Carmelite and Franciscan theology. If I wanted some of the beauty of mystery, I could have joined the SSPX. What captivated me in the East was the fullness of the mystery of God that the West lacks, or at least does not have to the same degree. Just like Fr Cyril, who was born a Latin in France and loved to attend the mass and read Latin off his Misal, so could I identify with him. But, there was something there that I dreamed of and yet I did not know until I discovered the East.

The beauty of the East it’s mystical. The East taught me that God is not a being to comprehend systematically. Adding labels of philosophy for God only limits our perspective of God. In the East, our relationship with God is in an eternal dance in time. We dance surrounded by Him for He is love. It is so clear in the prayer life and the liturgical life of the East that we are loved by God. God is not a formula, but an unreachable mystery. In the East, the mystical beauty balanced even the life of a scholar like Fr Cyril, and it balances my life. In the East, mystery supersedes any systematic theological framework because of this, the soul of someone like me does not hurt. In the West, without mystery, I slowly drift towards Acadia, but in the East, there is the perfect balance necessary for me to grow and run towards God.

Fr Cyril struggled a lot. He came to know Eastern Catholicism during the time that Rome even discouraged Latins to receive communion if the bread was leavened. Yet, he did not give up, he worked hard and structured a plan. Even after painful nights in which he had to study in questionary colleges with professors that did not know much about academics. But, father found ways around it. I guess that somewhere else where I identify with him is in the book-buying addiction. He became his professor in this sense of the word. Fr Cyril not only dreamed about union, but he also worked hard for it. He worked so hard in improving the churches through the congregation of Eastern churches of which he was a pillar that made it possible. His works were so important for the de-latinizations of the Byzantine churches and his heart was of gold. His friendship with Metropolitan Andrej was also beautiful. Joining the mission of evangelizing Russia was not a dream but a reality for him. His works became so important that even the Russian Orthodox Church in Western Europe used his liturgical work. Fr Cyril was a hero, a man that loved the East. He was someone that contemplated God and all e could do was love God. Fr Cyril slowly confirms the idea that the UGCC it/’s the place where I belong.
The Dangers of the Self-Tradition

October 23rd, 2021

It is often in modern discourse when it comes to our religious tradition that we find ourselves at odds with what our church teaches. Such matter of occurrences is normal, and as it matter of fact, I recommend a good faith crisis to grow. Nevertheless, we often have our favorite politicians, athletes, actors, singers, and philosophers… but should we have a favorite theologian? A matter of fact is that religion is not some sort of self-relationship, but rather a communal relationship (at least Christian speaking). The relationship of a Christian is ultimate with God, but it also it’s secondary to the Church and thus not a theologian.

           The self-tradition might be more common for us living in the first-world countries of the west. We have been moved to believe in some sort of cultural aspect such as the American dream. We are called to be self-made and self-independent. The post-modern western culture especially focuses on the individual good rather than the communal good. The relationship of the person to the community is often emphasized rather than the relationship of the community to the unity of the family. It is not to amaze us then that people reflect these values upon their faith system because they feel the need to be safe.

           The main problem with the self-tradition is that it will slowly lead us to realize no Church fits us. This is because we will slowly realize that what we want is not what the Church wants for us. There are many aspects which a person can take upon such occurrences. The person can church-shop, but eventually, they will just continue to leave until there is no church for them left. The other option it’s to straight go into a deconstruction of faith that will lead them to no longer need the self-tradition because their faith would no longer exist. In either occurrence, both cases of the self-tradition it’s assured to lead towards complete spiritual suicide… a literal hell.

           The self-tradition often begins with our favorite theologians. We start to categorize our faith upon them. Then without realizing it, we begin to reflect their personal exegesis upon all texts so we can reflect the conclusion that we desire. I by no means state that one should not read theologians; however I do mean to state that we should not have only one favorite theologian. The healthiest walk is to have a multitude of theologians to read, study, and appreciate (or at least understand) multiple traditions to challenge oneself. One should even explore the writer that we dislike. But, more importantly, remember theology reflects the inner prayer life. If the inner prayer life is focused on the shortcoming of others, then we will have a horrible theology. This remains true even if the focus on others because we are concerned with their salvation. The focus can be positive or negative but we remain in danger of even self-worship. We elevate the opinion we hold as true, and can no longer take any valid criticism. This is a result of the self-tradition we imposed via our favorite theologian. That one theologian, as great as he or she can be, the theologian will always remain a solo voice in the wilderness of the world.

           The solo voice of the theologian remains by itself. A man alone cannot fight a citadel, but a whole tribe can. The unity of multiple traditions and voices it’s what the Church is. The Church attracts the best of the minds to discourse, dialogue, and sometimes to annoy everyone else, but there is something key here. The Church alone brings us the balance of all traditions and thus focuses on the middle path which is the path of God. When we read the world through our favorite theologians, we become easily detached from other opinions. Eventually, we will become defensive and one day we will walk away from the truth thinking we are walking toward it. No human-inspired book is infallible, and no human thought can be perfect. By shattering the possibility of self-tradition, we are already walking towards the best possibility, communal love.
Why the UGCC?

October 20th, 2021

It has been about five years, half a decade since I discovered Byzantine Christianity. It has probably been about four since I discovered a church that stole my heart in the best of all matters, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC). In College, as I was returning to the faith after a few years of existentialist crisis, I was able to discover the beauty of Byzantine chants, liturgy, and prayers. I was introduced to the whole wide world beyond the systematic theology and analysis of faith that I had lived in for a few months. By sort of accident, while researching the option of becoming Orthodox, I encountered a man that stood out to me. The name of that man that since the first time that I have encountered seemed to me like a hero was, or better state is, Pat. Josyf Slipyj. It is in his life that a simple boy, from a humble family that originates from the villages of the mountains of Mexico, became in love with such a foreign Church.

Patriarch Slipyj was not just a scholar. He was a man filled with love, compassion, and wisdom. He stood for me, not as a giant of the times, but as a man who with kindness remains reachable to the world. It was through him, that I read so much about the beautiful land of Ukraine. The history, customs, and struggles of the people. Even though I am not from the land of Ukraine, I have encountered so much that I could relate to. When the Mexican people encountered the secularism of the then president Calles after the Mexican revolution that implemented Marx’s views on the government which made the Church and state supposedly separated. Even though the government claimed such separation it took ownership of the churches, it created a state church and tried to convert the people by force. It persecuted us, closed our churches, sold them, transformed them into businesses, etc. I could see that pain, suffering, and after stories as well within the UGCC. Separated by an ocean, and yet I felt like I was not reading about a foreign Church, but my own Church. The stories of Met. Sheptypsky, Fr Omelyan Kovch, and Fr Roman Lysko brought me love and taught me about Christ in similar ways as the story of Fr Miguel Pro did. To die for Christ, and to live for him by defending the gospel not with swords, but with love.

Iconostasis of the Immaculate Conception, Philadelphia, PA, USA

I haven’t had the opportunity to live near a UGCC community. I have done the best with what u have by attending Latin and Orthodox Churches. It is not perfect, but it helps me until I can move to be near a parish. Yet, I have fallen in love with its history, tradition, and culture. Some people have tried to talk me out of joining the UGCC. They tell me it is a church for Ukrainians, that I will need to learn Ukrainian, or that not every Ukrainian likes foreigners. Yet, if I looked for a perfect church, I would die looking for one. The church in any of her beautiful ways has imperfections. She is a hospital for the sinners, not a monument made of perfect stones. The church needs men willing to bleed for her, cry for her, laugh with her, and stand with her. In my short life of 24 years, all I can say is that I desire to do that with the UGCC. I love her, and I hope that she will love me back.
The Church it’s not Perfect

October 19th, 2021

Putting my thoughts on paper it’s often something that I struggle with. It is not because I am unable, but because I do not want to come out as uncharitable to others, or to encounter others who are uncharitable towards my work. Yet as time has passed, these written thoughts have become perhaps fundamental to my understanding of the ecclesiastical categories which the Churches, or rather said, the Church observes. Nevertheless, it is in this world of confusion, secularism and everlasting technological advances that the fault of institutions either religious or secular have come to light from multiple sources.

The Church is imperfect… it would be a lie to say otherwise like often many sides of the churches have done so. This is the focus of my thoughts, we have fixated ourselves on the thought of respect and obeying. While these are good, they have been abused by those in charge of the church to rule her according to their political views rather than truly spreading the message of Christ. Looking at Catholicism, how often haven’t we experienced the bias in the historical views that the Church was not influenced by political powers like “those Orthodox” were? Yet, looking from the Orthodox point of view, a similar argument is made towards Catholics, how greatly influenced by the Franks are the Roman bishops that they have been corrupted and fallen into error. Both sides like to point fingers at each other while talking about perfection, yet neither takes the necessary step to look at one’s sins.

I am by far a scholar, and I am much less of a historian, I write this as a layperson that has read a lot of books on Orthodox and Catholic theology and history. The Church and I will speak of both as one (and even if you disagree with this, please continue to read) it’s destroyed. She was fractured into multiple pieces on the call of the emperors, princes, kings, and bishops. Divided and made easier to be conquered by the forces of the secular world, that which it’s falling. We ignore the truth in front of us, the historical reading and re-grouping of the Church. The so-called nobles have walked over her to shape her plenty of times not after Christ, but after themselves. The reason we dislike tyrants such as Henry the VIII is not that they erred, but because they preached something we have been told is wrong by our bishops. Yet, both East and West have indeed even canonized men whose controversial involvement in the Church has left even in some cases genocides and wars. I am not claiming that the Church has lost its mystical characteristic handed down by the Apostles, rather they have become opaque by the secularity of the daily world.

The Franks messed with the Church, The Germans messed with the Church, and so did the Byzantines, the Spanish, and all who had power. They wanted to be only themselves. The church then served them as an institution to regulate citizens, slaves, and even other nobles. The Church was perhaps for [many] of them, not a Divine institution, but it was indeed a great political arm to control. In these matters, how can we not but be saddened by the current state of the Church? Some in error like to blame the last council which the Western held in Vatican City as the pivotal point that allowed for such decay. Yet, if they have tried to read the historical accounts of Christianity rather than allowing their pride to consume them, they would have realized that Vatican II was not the pivotal point, but that these errors date back to the ancient Church.

Now, for those that know me, all of you know fairly well that I desire to be a priest, and yet, I put these thoughts forward. First, all I can say is that I will be obedient to my bishop, but I will also be honest. I will not hinder in the shadows hiding my thoughts and opinions on these key topics. The reality of the situation calls for such. Second, it is only in recognizing these major spots of sins and error that have opaqued the light of the church as within her human characteristics that we can only hope, and hope is all we can do, to rescue her from the crumbling place she is at. Third, I believe in her. I do not mean these in just mere aspects of faith, even though, I will honestly say they are included and rooted in my views. I believe that within her historical account the pride of men can still be killed by the knights of the church, just like St George’s faith showed us to. The church dedicated to the faith of Christ, and the servitude of those in need remains there even if often opaqued by even modern political ideologies. It is thus that I desire to join her, sacrifice my day and night for her and her children, bleed, sweat, laugh, cry, yell, sing and smile all for her and Christ will always remain.

At the same time and matter in which these occur, I want to emphasize the aspect of which events occur. The Church needs to accept her past, I am not asking her to even apologize, while that might be eventually the end goal. I am asking her to accept the aspects which have hindered her. To accept her faults and to continue works for union among one another aspects of the church. As a church, we do not have the option to claim any more pride, we are a church of sinners. There is no perfect church, but the church cannot be perfect. She is a church for sinners, she works to spread the necessary bread for the beggars while herself being in need. In reality, the church is a paradox, a matter which we cannot ignore. Prayers and asking for miracles are great, but we are the hands of Christ, the feet of Christ, and the mouths of Christ. We are here to answer those prayers in need. We are not the new hope, we are the last hope.

Category: religion

The extraordinary witnesses of the life of Jesus and that of the Torah: The Christian understanding of Christ as God

In John

The Divine Name

The Messiah: Jewish-Christian Realities

The New Torah

Notes

Levels

Surface History

Mystical Interpretation

The Third One

Conclusion

The Harmonies

The Devil in Rome

Among Us

`Notes`