Monday of the Holy Spirit

We know that life as an Orthodox Christian can be difficult, especially in a society that considers Christianity nothing more than a code of ethics. For most in America, being a Christian is about being a ‘good person’ and being nice to strangers. Being Orthodox Christian is more than just a code of ethics, though it includes ethics as well. Being Orthodox Christian is about becoming Holy.

Everything about our life as Orthodox Christians centers around the journey to what we call Theosis, or divination. It is the journey to becoming like God as Saint Athanasios said, “God became man so that man could become [like] God.” We don’t become God, but by being in Communion with Him, we become like Him, and this is all made possible by the Holy Spirit.

Yesterday was the Feast of Pentecost, the coming the Holy Spirit upon the Church to guide the Church into all the truth. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church has established a way of life designed for us to become like God. When we follow the way of the Church, the Holy Spirit assists us to love like God loves, to forgive like God forgives, and to live eternally like God lives. Without the Holy Spirit, we are just wandering through the dark wilderness of life.

In the tradition of honoring the ‘main characters’ of a feast of the day after the feast, today the Church honors the Holy Spirit. Take a moment today and give thanks for the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit we would be lost, but with the Holy Spirit we are found like the lost sheep in the Gospel lesson for today.

The Lord said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. For the Son of man came to save the lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven, for where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” – Matthew 18.10-20