From Here to Eternity

Memorial Feast of St. Leo the Great

"Our great dignity is tested by death--I mean our freedom.  When the 'parting of the ways' comes--to set one's foot gladly on the way that leads out of this world.  This is a great gift to ourselves, not to death but to life.  For he who knows how to die not only lives longer in this life (if it matters) but lives eternally because of his freedom...So he who faces death can be happy in this life and in the next, and he who does not face it has no happiness in either."--Thomas Merton

Last night I had the pleasure of celebrating Vespers with the Orthodox Christian Fellowship at Western Kentucky University at WKU's spare but lovely Chandler Memorial Chapel.  Father Michael Nasser, pastor of the local Holy Apostles Orthodox Mission, presided with guest BishopThomas of the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest.  The prayers were ethereal and hauntingly beautiful and I was awed by the great common stream of liturgical prayer and faith shared by all Christians, especially Catholic and Orthodox. 

After the service, Bishop Thomas gave a brief talk on "An Ancient Faith in the Modern World."  He emphasized that Christianity is not meant to be a lifestyle and belief system that seeks to accomodate changing times.  Rather, Bishop Thomas stressed that Christianity is essentially a path that begins in the present moment but culminates in eternity.  It is only from this perspective - that we are children of God created to give praise and worship (as we did at Vespers) - that anything makes sense.  And from this perspective, not much of the modern world makes sense.

The modern world, Bishop Thomas noted, suggests that this present moment is all that exists and all that matters.  And if this is true, then nothing matters.

Which is not to say that, from the Christian perspective, that the present moment is meaningless.  To the contrary, it is in this present moment that we must begin our encounter with God.  As Jesus reminds us in today's Gospel:

"The kingdom of of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or 'There it is.'
For behold, the kingdom of God is among you" (Luke 17:21)

He is referring, of course, to Himself, but also to His eternal presence among those who trust in Him.  We encounter the kingdom here in the modern world, but faith and discipleship prepares us for a world far beyond this one.

Holy One, bless us this day with a vision of eternity and faith courageous enough to set our eyes firmly on our destiny.  Amen.