~By Metropolitan Saba (Isper)

Metropolitan Boulos (1929-2008) served as metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Akkar and Dependencies across Lebanon and Syria.

If you love your neighbor less than you love yourself, then it would be difficult for you to write about a person like Metropolitan Boulos (Bandali), who lived Christ’s second great commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” in its absolute evangelical sense, which is rarely duplicated throughout history. He embodied the phrase of the Bible that says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

What is remarkable about Metropolitan Boulos is his complete and constant self-forgetfulness for the sake of his fellow man. Requests made to this merciful metropolitan did not stop for a single moment throughout his life on earth. This means that he never once cared for himself because he was constantly preoccupied with the souls of others. Those who lived closely with him described his home, his room, his clothes, his food, and his poverty in a way that reminds us of the stories of unmercenary saints.

For those who claim that this kind of love is impossible in our self-centered age, Metropolitan Boulos, with his holy life, stands as living proof of the error of their claim, and as a witness to the extent of the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of God’s pure ones.

I was a high school freshman when I first heard of “Father” Boulos Bandali. Young people from Koura, North Lebanon, who were displaced with their families due to the war in Lebanon (1975–77), told us about a priest in Bishmizine, where people rush from their villages to participate in his liturgy. They described him as the angels are described. My friends and I thought that they were exaggerating. But when we met him for the first time in Latakia, Syria, while he was on a spiritual visit to encourage us to practice confession, we were amazed at what we saw. How does a person live with all this meekness? From where does he get all this tenderness? How does he possess this amount of kindness and a constant smile? In our young minds, we could only imagine him coming from the icons of our glorious Church.

We learned from him the art of listening, and when we grew up, we understood how much humility and self-denial listening requires. He would listen with sensitivity to the confessions of the youth and would try with all delicacy to direct us to the point that we sometimes felt like he was the one confessing, not us. I remember that, through his gentleness, he once made me ashamed of my sin and cause me to despise it very much, without reprimanding me with a single harsh word, although I deserved more than one harsh word at the time.

These encounters came within the framework of the Orthodox Youth Movement and its activities. I remember the way we used to rush to him when he arrived to receive his blessing! On the day we heard that he became Metropolitan of Akkar, we, the youth of Latakia, decided to go and congratulate him after his enthronement. At that time, most of us had experienced confession at least once with him. We met him in a very small village in Wadi al-Nasara, called Bhazina. He had been in the archdiocese for less than a month. He came to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in that village. We were shocked by how small and poor the church was, from the liturgical items to the chanting. We found him celebrating the Liturgy as if he were in heaven, not aware of the poverty around him. It took me years and great toil to learn how to serve in such poverty in my former archdiocese (Bosra, Houran and Jabal Al-Arab, Syria). I could not see beyond the material beauty to reach the sight of the “Beloved Son,” Who transcends all beauty.

He shook our hands, one by one, after the Liturgy. Our presence brought him indescribable joy. He made us feel that we were his consolation, and some of us believed it!

We were later startled by something we learned about him. He stayed up at night writing letters to his spiritual children after his pastoral status as a bishop no longer permitted him to meet them in person as before. We learned that his bed was in a car, not in a bedroom. He spent most of his time sleeping being driven in a car from one region to another in his vast archdiocese (102 parishes) which extended across Lebanon and Syria.

Metropolitan Boulos planted in the Church a seed, without which the Church could not grow spiritually and physically. He gave great care to institutions, such as the Akkar Diocesan School, which he established and expanded. It is now one of the most successful schools in North Lebanon. But his focus on human beings was the most important. Everything he had was for his fellow man. For him, there was nothing—no institution, no money, no endowment—unless it was for the sake of the neighbor, a service to the neighbor, and a way for the salvation of the neighbor.

The love he implanted, the kindness he distributed, the tenderness he gave—all are images of the compassionate face of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. The God whom Metropolitan Boulos (Bandali) worshiped is the God of love, to Whom all should bow in reverence and veneration. May God help us through his intercessions.

By Metropolitan Saba (Isper)

Today there is widespread misconception among believers between “being worthy” and “being ready” to receive Holy Communion. Whoever refrains from partaking of the chalice of Holy Communion due to unworthiness is confusing this with unreadiness. No human being is worthy of God dwelling in Him and uniting with Him. Who among us acquires perfect purity and who is among us is without sin? No human being is worthy of this great blessing. God dwells among us and in us because of His overwhelming mercy, His utmost love, and His condescension that is incomprehensible to the human mind. Therefore, there will never come a time when we will be worthy of the Eucharist. Rather, when we think that we have become worthy, we have fallen into the greatest sin, that is, into pride, the root of all evil.

Yet, we must prepare ourselves to receive the Lord. Just as a person prepares to welcome an important guest into his home by cleaning and arranging it, and then he dresses in clean and appropriate clothes, so the believer prepares to receive the Lord in the “house” of his or her soul. So, on the one hand, only a spirit of contrition and the conviction that I am a sinner and not worthy at all, relying on God’s vast mercy, can enable me to approach the chalice. On the other hand, I must seek to respond to God’s abundant mercy by committing myself to the appropriate preparation for Holy Communion that the Church has appointed in general, and the prayer rule which my spiritual father gives me personally, lest I become complacent and take the Lord’s mercy for granted, and then forget the importance of my role in my salvation. In short, we must realize that we are always unworthy, and yet must strive to partake worthily, through the necessary preparation.

Based on the teachings of the Gospel, the Church has established several means to help us prepare for Communion: the sacrament of Confession, the pre-Communion prayers, reconciliation with others, and correcting our bad habits, in addition to abstaining from food and drink from midnight before the Divine Liturgy and arriving on time to participate in the Divine Liturgy. Adherence to these instructions is essential and important in order to partake of the Holy Body and Blood of the Lord in a worthy manner, that is, with proper preparation. The Apostle Paul says: “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:27). So, what should we do about this? The Apostle answers: “Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Cor 11:28).

We should not understand the relationship between the sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist in a mechanical or legalistic manner, but rather as something vitally and essentially connected. Some may argue that one should not partake of the Eucharist until after confession, but others disagree. To confess every time before receiving Communion is difficult to do, even in monasteries. However, it is absolutely unacceptable to receive Holy Communion constantly and not confess at all. The best practice is to both confess and receive Holy Communion according to the guidance of one’s spiritual father.
Let us not forget to examine our conscience thoroughly on the eve of the Divine Liturgy. This puts us on the right track, protects us from falling into a routine of approaching the chalice unprepared, and keeps the flame of longing for Christ burning within us. It is also a good practice to read the pre-Communion Canon and Prayers the night before the Divine Liturgy.

Proper preparation allows us to approach the divine mystery with contrition of heart and a conviction of our unworthiness, because we are sinners, and we must rely entirely on the mercy of the Lord, saying: “O Lord Master, I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under the roof of the house of my soul; but as thou desirest, O Lover of mankind, to dwell in me, I make bold to draw near.” Let us draw near in the fear of God which keeps us in constant and fervent communion with Him. We should call to mind the pre-Communion admonition: “If thou desirest, O man, to eat the Body of the Master, approach in fear, lest thou be scorched, for it is fire. And, before drinking the divine Blood unto communion, first reconcile thyself to them that have wronged thee. Then dare to eat the mystical food.

By Metropolitan Saba (Isper)

Interestingly, in the Gospel, the Lord described His people as a little flock. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). This may seem that Christ’s flock is not large in number. Even His disciples were few during His short life on earth. But this same description holds true today: those who are faithful to the Lord are not great in number. Many may bear Christ’s name, glory be to Him, but this is not enough.

In this description, the Master presents a concept that began in the Old Testament with Abraham and continued to the New Testament. The Old Testament describes those who are faithful to the Lord as “the faithful remnant.” Not all of those who considered themselves believers and worshippers of God were sincere. Still, in every generation, an elite crop of righteous ones appeared and increased in righteousness until the coming of Christ. They submitted their will to the will of God. They were able to read the signs of the times with faith and know God’s purpose when others tried to replace it with their own intentions and interpretations.

In the New Testament, God’s journey with humanity took an upward, purifying, and edifying direction. Perhaps this journey was for the emergence of this faithful remnant, which would reach its height in the Mother of God. The righteousness of those who were steadfast in faithfulness continued, giving us the Virgin Mary, Joseph the Betrothed, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist, and many others like them.

Why do the faithful remain few, even though they are the leaven that leavens all the dough?

To the end, the faithful one clings to God and His Word, so God gives him the blessing of reading His unfathomable purposes, even if he does not understand these divine purposes at first.

When the forces of the Assyrian Empire were approaching Palestine (in the eighth century B.C.), and the people faced grave danger, the Prophet Isaiah took the initiative to sharpen resolve and strengthen morale. He called for true repentance, saying: “In repentance and obedience is your salvation, and in quietness and trust is your strength” (Isaiah 30:15). The king also led a major religious reform movement, with the aim of purifying worship and returning from widespread apostasy. The prophet did not pay attention to the king’s movement, because he considered every official and imposed reform to be an external reform that does not affect the human heart. God wants internal reform that changes the human heart. The prophets led this teaching, completed by Christ, when the desired religion becomes a religion of inner purity, of which good deeds are an expression and reflection, and not an end in itself.

Isaiah believed that only a little remnant of believers would listen and be saved from destruction. “If the Almighty Lord had not left us a remnant of survivors, we would have become like Sodom and like Gomorrah” (Isaiah 1:9). “Only a remnant of them will return” (Isaiah 10:22). “Establish prayer for the remnant of the people” (Isaiah 37:4).

More than a hundred years later, in the time of the Prophet Jeremiah, the Babylonians attacked the Holy City (Jerusalem). The prophet called for religious reform, that is, repentance. The rich, under fear and malice, hastened to free their slaves. It quickly became clear that they were not motivated by piety and faithfulness to the Lord and His law. Rather, they sought to appease Him out of fear, and to relieve themselves of feeding the slaves while under attack and the threat of famine. As soon as Nebuchadnezzar ended his attack, and the people felt that the danger had passed, they hastened to re-enslave their slaves.
Like Isaiah, the Prophet Jeremiah was enthusiastic about reform that leads to repentance and salvation. Jeremiah emphasized that the reform that does not begin in the heart remains superficial and fragile and becomes subject to rapid decay. The prophet was convinced that true effective reform is not imposed by force, nor is it implemented by decrees and laws, but rather by radical reform that reaches the heart. He called for circumcision of the heart, not of the body: “Plough your land that is not plowed, and do not sow among thorns. Make a covenant with the Lord in your hearts, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 4:3-4).

In every generation, people want to justify their conscience in various ways, without going into their depths and changing themselves. They keep vacillating between God and the mortal world, or eternal life and temporary life. Humans
want to gain earth and heaven, not based on the teachings of heaven, but rather those of this world. This is why they are enslaved to the demands of ego, the pride of luxurious living, and vainglory. They spend their lives wandering and searching for salvation and meaning.

What Jeremiah said in describing his people is true in every era and place: “Be amazed, O heavens, and tremble, and be astonished at this! My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and they have dug for themselves broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (Jeremiah 2:12-13).

Sincere believers would never trade God for anything else, no matter how much they suffer. They do not honor Him with their lips, but rather with their hearts. You see them washing and purifying themselves, removing the evil of their deeds from before His eyes, and refraining from wrongdoing. They learn kindness, seek justice, help the oppressed, defend the fatherless, and plead for the widow (Isaiah 1:16-17).

You can be an extremely committed believer and a dedicated servant in the church. But do not fall into temptation and think your heart will be the same as the heart of your God. Instead of imitating Him and rising to His level, you distort His image and make it resemble your fallen image, bringing Him down to your level.

If you consider yourself a believer, do not imagine that your faith guarantees His favor. On the contrary, your faith holds you to a greater responsibility, and your account will be based on what you know, as our Lord says in His gospel. Live your faith sincerely in order to be saved and be an example for the salvation of those around you.

Christmas remained connected to the feast of Epiphany, in the early Church, until the fourth century. After Christianity became a recognized religion in the Roman Empire, and then the state religion, the Church made the birth of the Lord in the flesh an independent feast, separated it from Epiphany, and appointed the feast of the sun as its date. The feast of the sun was a popular pagan feast, accompanied by celebrations unworthy of Christians. The Church had baptized, or Christianized, the pagan feast and shifted its center from the visible sun to Christ, the “sun of justice,” as the Church chants in the apolytikion of Christmas. In the Orthodox Churches, theologically, attention is focused more on the feast of the Epiphany than on Christmas. The theological significance of the Feast of the Epiphany makes it the third feast, after Easter and Pentecost.

The feast of Epiphany is popularly called the “diving” (in Arabic, ghattas). The verb “diving” is parallel, in meaning, to the verb “baptized” in the Greek language. Hence, the literal meaning of the word “baptism” in Greek is “immersion.” Therefore, Orthodox people consider this holiday as a feast for everyone whose name is “Ghattas,” like our metropolitan of Baghdad and Kuwait. In Orthodox countries, it is customary for a priest to go out with the faithful people, after the Holy Liturgy on the morning of the feast to a lake, seashore, or river, where he throws a metal cross. Young people dive into the water to retrieve it. This tradition is still alive today.

However, the ecclesiastical name is Epiphany, because the Hypostases (Persons) of the Holy Trinity were clearly revealed to mankind, for the first time, during the baptism of Christ. Mankind heard the voice of the Father, saying: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17), the Son was present and baptized, and the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove, which descended on him. This revelation is obvious in the well-known apolytikion of the Feast: “By Your baptism O Lord…” The hymn of preparation for the feast talks about the appearance of Christ and its cause: “Christ appeared wanting to renew all creation.”

It is also called the Feast of Lights, in ancient Greek tradition, because, according to the Christian faith, baptism is illumination by the light of God. Our liturgical tradition calls those who are ready to receive baptism “those who are ready for enlightenment.” We pray that “the Lord will enlighten them with the light of knowledge and true worship.” While the kontakion of the feast brought the two themes together: “Today you have appeared to the world, O Lord, and your light has been shined upon us.”

St. John the Baptist prepared the way for Christian baptism. His call to repentance was thus: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight’ (Mark 1:3). His baptism was a declaration of repentance, and a call to abandon a life of sin, while Christian baptism is for the forgiveness of sins and the acquisition of the grace of divine sonship. The Master, who is innocent of sin, humbly accepted the fulfillment of John’s baptism, “for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness” (Mt. 3:15), presenting himself as a model to those for whose salvation he came.

The Gospel of St. Matthew says that “heavens were opened” (Mt. 3:16) immediately after Jesus’ baptism. It’s the first time this expression had been used. After Adam and Eve fell from Paradise, heaven was closed to man, and now it opens again with the coming of the Messiah, who will restore the divine glory man had lost when he refused to live in God’s bosom and care. Also, when heaven was reopened, the voice of the Father was heard, and the Holy Spirit descended. God clearly reveals his Trinitarian mystery to humankind. From that moment on, he no longer only invites humanity to know him, but he will give it, through Christ, the desired salvation and reopen the way for it. Heaven is no longer far away; God is among us.

December 5: Venerable Saba the Sanctified

(From The Prologue from Ochrid by St. Nicholai Velimirovich)

The unknown village of Mutalaska, in the province of Cappadocia, became famous through this great luminary of the Orthodox Church. St. Saba was born there of his parents John and Sophia. At the age of eight, he left the home of his parents and was tonsured a monk in a nearby monastic community of St. Flavian (Feb. 16). After ten years, he moved to the monasteries of Palestine and remained longest in the monastery of St. Euthymios the Great (Jan. 20) and St. Theoctistus (Sept. 3). The clairvoyant Euthymios prophesied of Saba that he would become a famous monk and a teacher of monks, and that he would establish a lavra (a cluster of monastic cells) greater than all the lavras of that time.

After the death of Euthymios, Saba withdrew to the desert, where he lived for five years as a hermit in a cave shown to him by an angel of God. Afterward, when he had matured in the monastic life, he began by divine providence to gather around him many who desired the spiritual life. Soon, such a large number gathered that Saba had to build a church and many cells. Some Armenians also came to him, and for them he provided a cave where they would be able to celebrate services in the Armenian language.

When Saba’s father died, his aged mother Sophia came to him, and he tonsured her a nun. He gave her a cell located at a distance from his monastery, where she lived a life of asceticism until her death.

This holy father endured many assaults from all sides: from those who were close to him, from heretics and from demons. But he triumphed over them all: those close to him, by kindness and indulgence; the heretics, by his unwavering confession of the Orthodox Faith; the demons, by the sign of the Cross and calling upon God for help. He had a particularly great struggle with demons on Mount Castellium, where he established his second monastery.

In all, Saba established seven monasteries. He and St. Theodosius the Great (Jan. 11), his neighbor, are considered to be the greatest lights and pillars of Orthodoxy in the East. They corrected emperors and patriarchs in matters of the Faith, and to everyone they served as an example of saintly humility and the miraculous power of God.

After a toilsome and very fruitful life, St. Saba entered into rest in 532 at the age of 94. Among his many wondrous and good works, let it at least be mentioned that he was the first to compile the Order of Services for use in monasteries, now known as the Jerusalem Typicon.

For Consideration

A man may be great in some skill, as a statesman or a military leader, but no one among men is greater than a man who is great in faith, hope, and love.

The greatness of St. Saba’s faith and hope in God is best shown by the following incident: One day, the steward of the monastery came to Saba and informed him that the following Saturday and Sunday he would be unable to the strike the semantron1, according to tradition, to the summon the brethren to the communal service and meal because there was not a trace of flour in the monastery nor anything at all to eat or drink. For this reason, even the Divine Liturgy was not possible. The saint replied without hesitation: “I shall not cancel the Divine Liturgy because of the lack of flour; faithful is He Who commanded us not to be concerned about bodily things, and mighty is He to feed us in time of hunger.” Saba placed all his hope in God. In this extremity, he was prepared to send some of the ecclesiastical vessels or vestments to be sold in the city so that the brothers would be deprived neither of the divine services nor the customary meal.

However, before Saturday, some men, moved by divine providence, brought thirty mules laden with wheat, wine and oil to the monastery. “What do you say now, brother?” Saba asked the steward. “Shall we not strike the semantron and assemble the fathers?” The steward was ashamed because of his lack of faith and begged the abbot for forgiveness.

Saba’s biographer describes this saint as “severe with demons but mild toward men.” Once, some monks rebelled against Saba, and for this they were driven from the monastery by order of Patriarch Elias. They built themselves huts by a river near Tekoa, where they endured privation in all things. Hearing that they were starving, Saba loaded mules with flour and brought it to them personally. Seeing that they had no church, he built one for them. At first, the monks received Saba with hatred, but later, they responded to his love with love and repented of their former misdeeds toward him.
May we have his intercession before God.

1 A long piece of wood, shaped for resonance and struck rapidly with a mallet.