“Good teacher, what good things shall I do that I may have eternal life?”, so asks the rich, young ruler of Jesus (Matt. 19:16). There is an oxymoron at work here in the young man’s question? If Christ is only a “good teacher,” then how can He possibly know what the man should do to “have eternal life” let alone to give it? As St. Justin Popovic puts it, “No one is sufficiently good to be able to give the greatest good: eternal life. Only the Perfect Good—and that is God, the God-Man—knows and has the Perfect Life, Eternal Life, and can give it…”
In our humanistic and secular culture today, Jesus is often described in such terms as “good teacher,” prophet, or even friend, but all such notions of Jesus fall far short of the Savior of mankind that Christ God is revealed to be through His words and deeds, testified by numerous eyewitnesses, in His fulfillment of the prophecies, and in the changed lives of countless of His followers since then and to our own day.
Christ God sees into the heart of the rich, young ruler. He sees what he is lacking. Following Christ demands that we relinquish our vain attempts to follow Christ in word alone, to make Him in our hearts into little more than “friend” or “good teacher.” To have eternal life, we submit ourselves, our control, to the One who can save us, who sees what we are still lacking, who knows where our heart is, and who offers us a new way, a new life, that leads to eternal life.
In Christ’s love, Fr. Robert+
This week at Holy Archangels:
- Wednesday, Aug. 29, 6:30 p.m., Daily Vespers, Confession offered; 7:30 p.m., Continuing Bible Study on the Gospel of St. John, Location: St. John’s Boathouse.
- Saturday, Sept. 1, 6 p.m., Great Vespers with the Matins Gospel. Confession following.
- Sunday, Sept. 2, 9:30 Hours and Divine Liturgy followed by Trapeza.
Looking Ahead:
- Saturday, Sept 8, 9:30am Hours, 10am Liturgy for the Nativity of the Theotokos
Prayer Requests:
➢ Please pray the hand-maiden of God, Mihaela, and her new baby, Maria
➢ Please pray for Azariah (Brian) as he looks for a teaching position.
➢ Please pray for our Mission that we may find a full-time Choir Director.
➢ Please pray for Fr. Robert and family as they look to sell their house and move to Annapolis. Please also pray for a safe delivery of their baby boy.
➢ For healing for Marion’s sister, Carol
Troparion (Resurrection) Tone 3
Let the heavens rejoice!
Let the earth be glad!
For the Lord has shown strength with His arm.
He has trampled down death by death.
He has become the first born of the dead.
He has delivered us from the depths of hell,
and has granted to the world//
great mercy.
Troparion (for the Martyrs) Tone 4
Your holy martyrs Adrian and Natalia, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.//
Through their intercessions, save our souls!
Troparion (Holy Archangels) Tone 4
Commanders of the heavenly hosts,
we who are unworthy beseech you,
by your prayers encompass us beneath the wings of your immaterial glory,
and faithfully preserve us who fall down and cry to you:
“Deliver us from all harm, for you are the commanders of the powers on high!”
Kontakion (Resurrection) Tone 3
On this day You rose from the tomb, O Merciful One,
leading us from the gates of death.
On this day Adam exults as Eve rejoices;
with the Prophets and Patriarchs//
they unceasingly praise the divine majesty of Your power.
Kontakion (Holy Martyrs) Tone 4
Martyr of Christ, Adrian,
you kept the words of your godly and devoted wife Natalia in your heart.//
With her you accepted every kind of suffering and obtained the crown of victory!
Kontakion (Holy Archangels) Tone 2
Commanders of God’s armies and ministers of the divine glory,
princes of the bodiless angels and guides of mankind,
ask for what is good for us, and for great mercy,
supreme commanders of the Bodiless Hosts.
