Message from Fr. Peter Andronache

The interplay between the suffering and resurrection of Christ, which are present in so many hymns during Holy Week, is something that we can continue to meditate on during the Paschal period, as well. 

Let us look at two hymns from the services for Holy Monday. In the ninth ode of the canon we hear

“An example take from Me,” You, O Lord, said to Your disciples. “Do not have a haughty mind, but rather associate with whatever is humble. And you shall indeed drink the cup that I myself am drinking, and in the Kingdom of My Father, you shall be with Me together glorified.” 

And in one of the hymns of the praises, repeated in the presanctified liturgy:

Come, then, and with our minds now purified, let us also go with Him and be crucified with Him and die for Him to the pleasures of this life, so that we may also live with Him and hear Him when He says, “No longer am I going up to the earthly Jerusalem to suffer there, but rather I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God as well. And I will raise you up with me to the Jerusalem on high in the Kingdom of heaven.”

We have the promise of eternal life, repeated, in a different form in each hymn. He, as the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep, as Life itself, will raise to eternal life those who believe in Him and follow Him. 

The hymns also remind us of the path that leads to the resurrection. The first hymn speaks of not having haughty thoughts and, instead, choosing humility – not looking for opportunities to put ourselves on display, not boasting, listening to advice from trusted people,– is one part of cleansing our minds so we can follow Christ. 

I used the words “choosing humility” because often, humility is a choice. Many times each day – often in minute things – we are presented with the choice of doing what we want or doing something else (either something that needs to be done, or something that someone else wants us to do and for which we do not have a good reason not to do it). We may not think of these choices as having to do with humility, but humility plays a big (though often not obvious) part in how we make our decisions. Implicit in many decisions is an evaluation of whose priorities are more important, mine or someone else’s. 

Obviously, there are times when there are objective considerations that give a task a higher priority. A trivial example – if we are in the middle of cooking bacon (can you tell that, even though I am writing about Holy Week hymns, I am writing after Pascha?), a child’s request to read a story will need to wait. This decision does not rely on my perception of priorities, but on the objective fact that most people do not like burnt bacon. And, of course, there are other, less trivial considerations that come into play in making decisions. However, each day we are also presented with choices where the main consideration is simply whose priorities get to play a bigger role in making the decision. Consciously considering the priorities of others and choosing to set ours lower in such circumstances is part of cultivating a mind that is not haughty.

The second hymn is a bit more subtle and should not be misunderstood. When it speaks of dying “to the pleasures of this life” it does not say that we should be sad and miserable. In the Resurrection, the entire universe is filled with joy and, indeed, joy should be a characteristic of every Christian. The hymn, then, is saying that there are false pleasures – things that appear pleasant, but in the end do not satisfy, things that take our eyes off the Kingdom. 

The hymn is chanted close to Pascha and it speaks of minds that have been purified. Through the journey of Lent we have purified our minds through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, through the sacraments of confession and the Eucharist. This then allows our minds to see more clearly, to look behind the facade and see into the meaning of the things we do, and identify the true pleasures – those which belong not just to this world and life, but also to the next. In this way, we live the life in Christ, partake of His joy and peace, and are lifted up to the Jerusalem on high.

As we continue to rejoice in the Resurrection, may the Lord grant us humble and pure minds, that we may walk in His ways at all times. 

Christ is risen!

With love in Christ
+Fr. Peter