The Blessedness of Suffering - By Gebre Menfes Kidus

በስመ አብ ወወልድ ወመንፈስ ቅዱስ አሐዱ አምላክ አሜን።

The Blessedness of Suffering

By

Gebre Menfes Kidus (http://mysteryandmeaning.blogspot.com)

Suffering is the common denominator of human life. It is the inevitable fate of all who live. But most of us revolve our lives around the avoidance of suffering. And ironically, the more we pursue pleasure, the more pain we usually store up for ourselves in the long run.

No one enjoys suffering, and no one should deliberately seek to suffer out of masochistic motivations. But if we learn to understand and embrace it, then suffering can actually become a blessed gift. And as we learn to experience the blessedness of suffering, then we will also be able to ease the pain of those around us.

In order to understand and embrace suffering, we must first recognize and identify its causes. All suffering emanates from four primary sources: 1) suffering caused by our own sins; 2) suffering caused by others; 3) suffering caused by circumstances; and 4) suffering caused by the pursuit of righteousness. But regardless of what brings it about, how we respond to our suffering will determine whether it will strengthen us or destroy us.

Bitterness is the first obstacle we must overcome. Disappointment, heartache, frustration, and anger are natural responses to pain and suffering. And even when we acknowledge that our own sin is to blame, the consequences of our sin often seem more severe than we deserve.

So, how should we respond to the suffering that we have brought upon ourselves through our own wrongful actions? First, rather than cursing the consequences that we ourselves have manufactured, we must embrace the suffering rather than fight it. 

Anesthetization is never permanent, and unless we treat the disease that causes the pain, then the pain will only proliferate in the long run. Therefore, as we experience the consequences of our own sin, we must recognize that our suffering is proof that God is just and that His moral laws are immutable.

We can take solace from this realization, for the God that convicts is also the God that heals. The repercussive suffering that our own sin produces is actually an act of divine mercy. For if we embrace our temporal suffering in this life and allow it to drive us to repentance, then we will save ourselves from eternal suffering in the life to come.   

Physical pain is a natural warning that our bodies need mending, and the suffering we face because of our own sin is a natural warning that our souls need healing. And when the suffering we endure seems more severe than the sin we have committed, we should remind ourselves that it is better to be purified by the trials of life than to be punished by the fires of hell.

This brings us to the second cause of suffering: that which is caused by others. Unfortunately, in this fallen and sin sick world, the righteous often suffer more than the wicked. There is so much suffering inflicted upon the innocent by cruel, callous, and godless men. The wicked prosper and flourish as their evil goes unrestrained. At times, it seems that the God of justice is asleep. But King Solomon’s insight is very instructive here: 

"Because the sentence against evil-doers is not promptly executed, therefore the hearts of men are filled with the desire to commit evil – because the sinner does evil a hundred times and survives. But indeed it will be well with those who fear God, for their reverence toward Him; and it shall not be well with the wicked man, and he shall not prolong his shadowy days.” [Ecclesiastes 8:11-13] 

Suffering is inflicted not only by the overtly wicked, but also by selfish and thoughtless individuals who cause misery by their sheer disregard and lack of concern for others. The routines and responsibilities of daily life are made more difficult simply because people have abandoned the basic habits of courtesy, consideration, and respect. 

How then should we deal with the suffering that is caused by others? Again, we must start by forsaking bitterness; and we must not allow the desire for vengeance and retaliation to take root in our hearts. Our ability to embrace the suffering that is inflicted upon us by others will bring us closer to God. And as we endure suffering without hatred or retribution, we can have a profoundly positive impact on those who caused our pain. Suffering embraced and endured is not only redemptive for the victim, but it is also potentially redemptive for the victimizer. In fact, the Cross of Christ is the greatest proof of this spiritual truth. 

The prophets and Saints of history have demonstrated the power of forgiveness. It is always a great temptation to avenge the wrongs that are done to us; but this never brings about healing or peace. The incarnate God endured the sin and darkness of our defiled world, and He died the cruelest of deaths at the hands of sinful men. But Our Lord forgave even as He was being slain. He abdicated his divine right to save Himself, sacrificing His life for the sins of the world. The undeserved suffering of Jesus provides the model for us to follow. In fact, Christ commands us to follow his example- in every way. 

Many sages and spiritually minded social activists have emulated Christ by their embrace and endurance of unearned suffering. Their courage and consciousness helped to correct social injustices and change the hearts of erring men. And their sacrificial suffering made the roads of life a little less rocky for the rest of us. So whenever we suffer from the actions of others, we must remember that our response is critical to both the conditioning of our own souls and to the contribution of a healthy society.

The third cause of suffering is that which results from circumstances. Sometimes this can be the most agonizing type of suffering. This agony stems from the acts of chaos, confusion, and senselessness that permeate the planet. This global chaos seeps into our own small corners of the world, and none of us are unaffected by it. 

But the efforts to rearrange our circumstances never result in the satisfaction we seek. History is abundant with examples of sociopolitical movements that sought to establish an egalitarian utopia, but ultimately created only more misery and suffering. And, as individuals, we frequently fall into the same trap. We believe that more money, new relationships, a bigger house, or a better job will bring us the happiness we desire. In the futile endeavor to alter our circumstances, we often starve our souls and cripple our spirits. And those who are spiritually anemic usually make life more miserable for those around them.

However, by understanding the fact that our world will never be perfect, and by realizing that life will always be accompanied by unfavorable circumstances, we can focus instead on the cultivation of a productive response to our difficulties and hardships. We will preserve our sanity by accepting and embracing the reality of life's adversity, for many people drive themselves crazy trying to change things which are beyond their control.

     Helen Keller said:

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

The fourth type of suffering is that which results from the pursuit of righteousness. It is an invariable truth that light and goodness will be met with opposition from the forces of darkness and evil. The Bible says: 

"Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." [II Timothy 3:12] 

But those who willingly suffer in order to advance the cause of righteousness will always be blessed. The world is replete with political movements and social organizations that do everything except suffer for the sake of righteousness. Yet, Christ actually made suffering a prerequisite for following Him: 

"If any man wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me.” [St. Luke 9:23] 

True spirituality involves choosing to bear the cross of suffering for the cause of righteousness. It means practicing those disciplines that contribute to the cultivation of our souls and the enlightening of our minds. It means pursuing Paradise rather than pleasure. 

Fasting, service to others, working for social justice, prayer, worship, and self-denial are spiritual exercises that may involve suffering to some degree. These things do not earn us God’s grace, but they develop our spirits and bring us closer to the God with whom we are already in relationship. 

     Our Lord said: 

"Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you." [St. Matthew 5:11-12]

St. Peter gives us this encouragement: 

"…even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you… it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil… As a result, those who suffer in accord with the will of God hand their souls over to a faithful Creator as they do good." [I Peter 3:14, 17; 4:19]

And St. Mark the Ascetic* wrote: 

"Those who suffer for the sake of true devotion receive help."

Suffering has many positive benefits. For example: It is punitive, pointing us to repentance. It is healing for those who understand and embrace it. It is educational, teaching priceless spiritual principles to those who are willing to learn. It is productive, bringing about spiritual growth. And it is enlightening for all those who accept the purpose and design behind it. Therefore, know that suffering always has a remedial and redemptive effect. If we view our trials and adversities from a spiritual perspective, then we may find that suffering is in fact a blessing rather than a curse. 

How sad it is that so many people spend their entire lives in the futile attempt to avoid suffering. In order to evade suffering, they fall prey to materialism and carnal pleasures; and tragically, many resort to the exploitation and oppression of others in the process. The result of this is always the increase of suffering as addiction, disease, and the insanity which results from a perpetual violation of the conscience sets in. The more that people try to elude the law of suffering, the more pain they bring to themselves and to the world around them.

Yet by understanding and embracing suffering, we can find hope and we can find God. This is the blessedness of suffering; and what a beautiful blessing it is! The Creator always presents us with a choice. Will we choose to suffer for righteousness? Will we choose to embrace suffering when we experience it as the result of our own sin? Will we choose patience and forgiveness when others have harmed us? Will we choose to embrace the opportunity to strengthen our souls when the circumstances of life are bitter and difficult? 

All of us will suffer. This is an unavoidable fact of life. But the question is: how will we respond to the suffering that befalls us? The Creator has allowed us to determine whether our suffering will be for us a blessing or a curse. The choice is ours, and a wise response will bring blessed rewards.

"Suffering is the reality of the human condition and the beginning of true spiritual life. If used in the right way, suffering can purify the heart, and ‘the pure in heart shall see God.’ [St. Matthew 5:8] The right approach is found in the heart which tries to humble itself and simply knows that it is suffering, and that there somehow exists a higher truth which can not only help this suffering, but can bring it into a totally different dimension."
             -Father Seraphim Rose-

*St. Mark the Ascetic- St. Mark the Ascetic lived in the early fifth century and was a disciple of St. John Chrysostom (“The Golden Mouthed”). Known as “Mark the Monk” or “Mark the Hermit,” his spiritual treatises have had a profound influence on Orthodox Christian theology and thought. St. Mark the Ascetic wrote important discourses on baptism, repentance, and against Nestorius (Nestorius was a heretic who denied the unity of Our Lord’s humanity and divinity, and who denied Our Lady the Virgin Mary as the “Theotokos”, i.e. the Mother of God.) Some of his writings are included in The Philokalia** 

**The Philokalia- (Translated in Greek as “Love of the Beautiful” and in Russian as “The Love of Spiritual Beauty”) is a collection of ascetic and mystical writings composed by the Fathers of the Eastern Orthodox Church between the fourth and fifteenth centuries. It was first published in 1782, and elucidates the contemplative life of prayer and fasting. Although this work is much more prominent amongst Eastern Orthodox Christians, it contains valuable spiritual principles that are beneficial to all people of all spiritual faiths.

ወስብሐት ለእግዚአብሔር።

LET US SAY NO! (By Dewele)

በስመ አብ ወወልድ ወመንፈስ ቅዱስ አሐዱ አምላክ አሜን።

LET US SAY NO!

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is renowned for its rigid adherence of strict traditions of the fathers and upholding the faith that was once delivered unto the saints. She relentlessly fought wave after wave of heretical attacks that sought to undermine its orthodox foundations and introduce foreign doctrinal elements. The church fathers were cognizant of the threat posed by certain harmless and subtle looking alterations in the traditions of the church and they were quick to condemn and upon demand to give up their lives in defense of purity of the faith. Such zeal to go to great lengths to keep church customs and traditions unadulterated from ‘modern’ tampering might be seen as an unworthy endeavor by liberals and consequently be ridiculed. But it does not take deep insight to understand that if one doesn’t confront the enemy at the frontiers the core itself would soon crumble and degenerate into becoming a frontier itself.

What brings us to be reminded of the ordeals the fathers went through to maintain the orthodox tradition is the reluctance and clumsy compulsion being displayed by those concerned regarding the acceptable mode of artistic expression… specifically the recent debacle concerning sculptures of saints.

Recently, Bole Medhanealem Church is planning on building a fountain depicting sculptures of Christ. Apparently some of our brothers and regrettably the fathers too have thought it a crowning achievement in honor of Christ to build a fountain worth millions of Birr while several of our churches in rural areas with leaking roofs are struggling to maintain liturgical services for lack of incense and other basic stuff. Yet this is no longer a shocking phenomenon as we are now accustomed to extravagant adventures that often compromise the traditions. Our ears are too used to such heart breaking news coming from the way of the church for similar occurrences to incite any meaningful indignation and protest. We are often inclined to move to the next issue in conversations by shrugging our shoulders or at best managing some lip service. And this is testament that our tragic state of affairs is bound to continue and it doesn’t take a prophet to predict that only more bad news is going to come.

Are we paranoid? Look where tolerance and indifference gets you. It begun with the construction of Holy Trinity Cathedral which is infested with sculptures of several angels and saints – a totally unheard of matter in orthodox tradition. This was not surprising considering the fact that the cathedral was in the past shared between Roman Catholics and our church. Now several churches of Addis including St. Mary’s Church (5 kilo) and St. Stephan Church (Meskal Sq.) have incorporated sculptures into their ‘new look’. Where does it end? In fact this is just one example of a far larger process where orthodox values and canonical principles are slowing being usurped and undermined in favor of a more ‘glamorous’ looking alien western traditions.

Only decades ago the holy fathers showed great determination to keep the portrait of Abuna Petros – a well known patriot and source of inspiration for both church and country – from being built within the confines of the church – all for the sake of sticking to traditions. Nowadays the synod is even struggling to enforce its decision to remove the sculpture of the late patriarch Abuna Paulos. Quite a leap few decades has shown us… from erroneous paintings to sculptures of Saints and now to self celebrating popes not hesitating to erect portraits for their achievements during their own lifetime.

 Human fascination with images and often vainglorious attempts to glamorize the church through erection of magnificent buildings have often distracted the faithful and derailed their spirituality into unacceptable modes of worship. The Israelites were often seen to fall easily into this form of temptation – not heeding to the warnings of the prophets they frequently envied the hyped up rituals and ceremonies of the Babylonians which focused on portraits of idols.

The fathers were wary of the disastrous consequences of such flirting with pagan and idolatrous form of worship and sought to prevent the flock from falling prey to it. This controversy over the use of sculptures as acceptable mode of representation and worship raged over several centuries at times involving persecutions. The critical point and resolution is evident in the seventh ecumenical council of the Greek Orthodox Church (a council which our church sympathizes with although strictly not subservient to it). One author sums up the radical differences regarding the veneration of sculptors between the western (Catholic) and Eastern (orthodox) churches:-

Other novelties introduced at Rome include the use of statues instead of icons. The Evangelist Luke initiated the painting of icons. He painted the Theotokos [Holy Mother of God] in her lifetime and received her blessing to continue in that sacred art. The Orthodox Church neither venerates nor manufactures statues. … The images may be inscribed upon sacred utensils, divine Gospels, precious Crosses, robes, sheets, cloths, walls, boards and houses. To this class, also, is assigned images cast in wax, which St. John Chrysostom himself loved. No word is ever mentioned about the making of statues, sculptured figures or plaster of paris replicas. Many assert that the reason why the Church rejected the veneration of statues, apart from the legal observation and custom noted hereinabove, was in order to avoid entirely any likeness to pagan idols which were statutes of massive sculpture. A statue is too life-like, human a representation, confusable with the prototype, whereas it is obvious with a 2-dimensional representation that the icon is only a representation of another person to whom the actual reverence is felt and shown via the icon.

The veneration of icons, as opposed to statues, was once part of the tradition of Rome when it was Orthodox. All the ancient churches found in Rome and the rest of Italy have icons, frescoes, mosaics, and iconostases, which are lacking in later structures –the ancient churches themselves thereby testifying to the West that statues are a later papal innovation. Indeed, the Orthodox, pre-schism Popes stood forth as the chief defenders of icon-veneration when their Eastern Orthodox fellow Christians were suffering under the Iconoclast persecutions which lasted (off and on) for almost a hundred years (c. 754 –842 A.D.).

(Brief Orthodox Replies to the Innovations of the Papacy, True Orthodox Christianity Website)

In the good old days sharp condemnations and refutations were quickly heard when alien values start to creep into our traditions as is exhibited in our history. Forget giant errors like sculptures, even slight misplacement of artistic interpretations were bound to get the eyebrows of the fathers raised:

In the next reign [after Zar’a Yakob] came another [foreigner], a Venetian painter named Nicholas Brancaleone. His skill was greatly appreciated and he was commissioned by the king to decorate the walls of many churches with his paintings. One of his pictures, a Virgin and Child, caused a great commotion. According to Western convention he painted the infant Christ on the Virgin's left arm. Now the left arm is in the Near East considered less honorable than the right and the clergy raised a great outcry, declaring that Our Lord was dishonored and demanding that the picture be destroyed.

             (A History of Abyssinia, Jones & Monroe, 1935)

Where has our unwavering stance – a quality we have long been recognized for – melted to? What kind of hypnotic dizziness have we as a nation sank into? How long are we going to remain pathetically indifferent while we are being robbed in broad daylight of the very treasures our fathers fought blood and bones to deliver to us? The depressing situation we find ourselves in brings forth a rather grim/tragic comparison to the Amharic story of the clumsy guy who whisperingly said to his companion ‘keep quiet! The hyena is eating me’ 

SO WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? LET US STAND TOGETHER AND SAY NO!!!

ወስብሐት ለእግዚአብሔር።

Ortho-therapy: who needs a painkiller when they can get a cure?? (By Dewele)

በስመ አብ ወወልድ ወመንፈስ ቅዱስ አሐዱ አምላክ አሜን።

Ortho-therapy: who needs a painkiller when they can get a cure??

በቀደመው የዚህ ጽሑፍ ክፍል፦ በ1976 ዓ.ም በሀገራችን ተከስቶ በነበረው ረሃብ መነሾነት የዕርዳታገቢ ለማሰባሰብ የሆሊውድ ሙዚቀኞች ያቀነቀኑትን “We are the World” የተሰኘ ዘፈንበማንሳትና በተለየ መልኩም “As God has shown us by turning stone to bread”በሚለው የዘፈኑ የግጥም መስመር ላይ ልዩ ትኩረት በማድረግ የስንኙ ሀሳብ ከክርስትና አስተምህሮጋር ፈጽሞ የማይስማማ እንደሆነ ፡እኛ ክርስቲያኖች በጥበበ እግዚአብሔር የተዘጋጀውንና በሥጋሕይወታችን ላይ የሚሆንብንን ጉስቁልና ፡ ሕማምና መከራ በትዕግስትና በአኮቴት በመቀበልአጋጣሚውን  ለነፍሳችን ጥቅም እንዳናውለው የሳይንሱ አለም አቋራጭ “መፍትሄ ሆኖ” በመቅረብከእግዚአብሔር አንድነት እንደለየን ፡ …

በማያያዝም … የሰው ልጅ ተፈጥሮ በፈጣሪው አምሳል ለመሆኑ ዋቢ/አስረጅ የሆነችውን ለባዊት ነባቢትና መንፈሳዊት ነፍስ ዘንግቶ ሊለኩና ሊሰፈሩ በሚችሉ ጠባያት ላይ ብቻ መሰረቱን በማድረግ ፡ የሰውን ልጅ ስብዕና የሚያጠናው ሳይኮሎጅ … እንደ አንድ የጥናት ዘርፍ ያለበትን ውስንነት ፡ ከዚህም ውስንነቱ የተነሳ የሰውን ልጅ የሕይወት እንቆቅልሾች በበቂ ሁኔታ ለመመለስ አቅም አልባ የመሆኑን ሀቅ ፡ አልፎ ተርፎም የቆመባቸው/የሚያራምዳቸው ጽንሰ ሃሳቦች ከክርስትና አስተምህሮዎች ጋር አንዳችም ዝምድና እንደሌላቸው ለማሳየት ተሞክሯል። 

   

ከዚህ በመቀጠል ደግሞ ‘Orthodox Psychotherapy’  ከተሰኘ መጽሐፍ ያገኘነውንና ፡ የነፍስና የሥጋ ድኅነት ከኦርቶዶክሳዊት ቤተ ክርስቲያን አስተምህሮ አንጻር ምን እንደሚመስል የሚተነትነውን ክፍል እንደሚከተለው እናቀርብላችኋለን፦ (መልካም ንባብ)

ü  Christianity: as Introduction

ü  Orthodoxy: as Therapeutic Treatment

ü  The Priest: The Therapist

ü  Sickness/ Dying and Therapy of the Soul

ü How then is The Soul Cured?

Christianity: as Introduction

“በሥጋ የተገለጠ በመንፈስ የጸደቀ ለመላእክት የታየ በአሕዛብ የተሰበከ በዓለም የታመነ በክብር ያረገ” 1ጢሞ 3፦16

Many people interpreting the character of Christianity see it as one of the numerous philosophies and religions known from antiquity. Certainly Christianity is not a philosophy in the sense that prevails today. Philosophy sets up a system of thought which in most cases bears no relationship to life. The main difference between Christianity and philosophy is that the latter is human thinking, while Christianity is a revelation of God. It is not a discovery by man but a revelation by God Himself to man.

“በመሠረቱ ፍልስፍና እና ክርስትና በታሪክም ሆነ በዓላማ ምንም ግንኙነት የላቸውም። ፍልስፍና ማለት አንድን ሽፋን ነገር ፈልፍሎ ለማየት አይቶም ለማወቅ የሚረዳ የአእምሮ መሣሪያ መጽሔት ማለት ነው። ወይም የተደበቀ ምሥጢርን ፈልፍሎ የሚያወጣ የአእምሮ መንጠቆ ማለት ነው። … ፍልስፍና በሰው ጠባብ አእምሮና በሥነ-ፍጥረት ሕግ እንጅ ኃጢአቱ እንደ ግድግዳ ሆኖ ስለለየው የሰው ፍልስፍና እግዚአብሔር የሚያደርገውን ተአምራታዊ ድርጊት አያውቅም” አባ ጎርጎርዮስ (የቤተክርስቲያን ታሪክ በአለም መድረክ)

In the patristic writings, and especially in the teaching of St. Maximus, philosophy is referred to as the beginning of the spiritual life. However, he used the term `practical philosophy' to mean cleansing the heart from passions, which really is the first stage of the soul's journey towards God.

Yet Christianity cannot be regarded as a religion, at least not as religion presents itself today. God is usually visualized as dwelling in heaven and directing human history from there: He is extremely exacting, seeking satisfaction from man, who has fallen to earth in his sickness and weakness.

According to another view, man feels powerless in the universe and needs a mighty God to help him in his weakness. In this view God does not create man, but man creates God. Again, religion is conceived as man's relationship to the Absolute God, that is to say, the "relationship of the `I' to the Absolute Thou".

But Christianity is something higher than these interpretations and theories; it cannot be contained within the usual conception and definition of religion. God is not the Absolute Thou, but a living Person Who is in organic communion with man. Moreover Christianity does not simply transfer the problem to the future or await the delight of the kingdom of heaven after history and after the end of time. In Christianity the future is lived in the present and the kingdom of God begins in this life.

Where Orthodoxy is lived in the right way and in the Holy Spirit, it is a communion of God and men, of heavenly and earthly, of the living and the dead. In this communion all the problems which present themselves in our life are truly resolved.

Yet since the membership of the Church includes sick people and beginners in the spiritual life, it is to be expected that some of them understand Christianity as religion in the sense referred to above. Moreover, the spiritual life is a dynamic journey. It begins with baptism, which is purification of the `image', and continues through ascetic living aimed at attaining `likeness', which is to say communion with God. Anyway it must be made clear that even when we still speak of Christianity as a religion we must do it with certain necessary presuppositions.

The first is that Christianity is mainly a Church. `Church' means `Body of Christ'. There are many places in the New Testament where Christianity is called the Church. We shall only mention Christ's words:“አንተ አለት ነህ በዚያች አለት ላይም ቤተ ክርስቲያኔን እሠራታለሁ” ማቴ 16፦18 This means that Christ does not simply dwell in heaven and direct history and the lives of men from there, but He is united with us. He assumed human nature and deified it; thus in Christ deified human nature is at the right hand of the Father. So Christ is our life and we are `members of Christ'.

The second presupposition is that the aim of the Christian is to attain the blessed state of deification. Deification is identical with `likeness', that is, to be like God. However, in order to reach the likeness, to attain the vision of God, and for this vision not to be a consuming fire but a life-giving light, purification must previously have taken place. This purification and healing is the Church's work. When the Christian participates in worship without undergoing life-giving purification - and moreover these acts of worship also aim towards man's purification - then he is not really living within the Church.

This abstinence gives us the right to claim that Christianity is neither philosophy nor `natural' religion, but mainly healing. It is the healing of a person's passions so that he may attain communion and union with God.

Orthodoxy: as Therapeutic Treatment

In the parable of the Good Samaritan the Lord showed us several truths. As soon as the Samaritan saw the man who had fallen among thieves who had wounded him and left him half dead, “አይቶ አዘነለት ፡ ወደ እርሱም ቀረበ ፡ ቁስሉንም አጋጥሞ አሰረለት በቁስሉ ላይም ወይንና ዘይት ጨመረለት ፡ በአህያውም ላይ አስቀምጦ እንዲፈውሰው የእንግዶችን ቤት ወደሚጠብቀው ወሰደው” ሉቃ 10፦33  Christ treated the wounded man and brought him to the inn, to the Hospital which is the Church. Here Christ is presented as a physician who heals man's illnesses, and the Church as a Hospital.

It is very characteristic that in analyzing this parable St. John Chrysostom (the Gold Mouthed) presents the truths which we have just emphasized. Man went down from the heavenly state to the state of the devil's deception, and he fell among thieves, that is, the devil and the hostile powers. The wounds which he sustained are the various sins. As David says, "My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness" (Ps.38:5). For every sin brings bruises and wounds. The Samaritan is Christ Himself, who came down from heaven to earth to heal wounded man. He used wine and oil for the wounds. That is to say, by mixing the Holy Spirit with his blood, he brought life to man.

According to another interpretation, oil brings the comforting word; wine provides the astringent lotion, the instruction which brings concentration to the scattered mind. He set him upon his own animal: Taking flesh upon his own divine shoulders, he lifted it towards the Father in Heaven. Thereupon the Good Samaritan, Christ, led the man into the wonderful and spacious inn, this universal Church. He gave him to the innkeeper, who is the Apostle Paul and through Paul to the high priests and teachers and ministers of each church".

In St. John Chrysostom's interpretation of this parable it is clearly evident that the Church is a Hospital which heals those sick with sin, while the bishops and priests, like the Apostle Paul, are the healers of the people of God.

So the work of the Church is therapeutic. It seeks to heal men's sicknesses, mainly those of the soul, which torment them. This is the basic teaching of the New Testament and of the Fathers of the Church.

In the Church we are divided into the sick, those undergoing therapeutic treatment, and those - saints - who have already been healed. The Fathers do not categorize people as moral and immoral or good and bad on the basis of moral laws. This division is superficial. At depth humanity is differentiated into the sick in soul, those being healed and those healed. All who are not in a state of illumination are sick in soul...It is not only good will, good resolve, moral practice and devotion to the Orthodox Tradition which make an Orthodox, but also purification, illumination and deification. These stages of healing are the purpose of the mystical life of the Church, as the liturgical texts bear witness.

The Priest: The Therapist

“አብ እንደላከኝ እኔ ደግሞ እልካችኋለሁ … ኃጢአታቸውን ይቅር ያላችኋቸው ሁሉ ይቀርላቸዋል የያዛችሁባቸው ተይዞባቸዋል” ዮሐ 20፦21

It is the Holy Spirit and, in more general terms, the grace of the Holy Trinity which accomplishes the cure of sick Christians. The priest is a servant of this cure. The whole organization of the Church is divine-human. Moreover the grace of God works secretly in the priest.

However, in order for a person to be an Orthodox therapist and cure the spiritual ills of his spiritual children, he himself must previously have been healed as far as possible. How can one heal without having previously been healed or without having tasted the beginning of healing? St. Gregory the Theologian writes: "It is necessary first to be purified, then to purify; to be made wise, then to make wise; to become light, then to enlighten; to approach God, then to bring others to him; to be sanctified, then to sanctify...".

Sickness/ Dying and Therapy of the Soul:

“በደል ሁሉ ኃጢአት ናት ፡ ለሞት የሚያበቃ በደልም አለ” 1ኛ ዮሐ 5፦16

In church we often speak of the fall of man and the death which came as a result of the fall. Spiritual death came first, and bodily death followed. The soul lost the uncreated grace of God; the heart ceased to have a relationship with God and was darkened. It transmitted this darkening and dying to the body. According to St. Gregory of Sinai, man's body was created incorruptible and "such it will be resurrected” and the soul was created dispassionate. Since there was a very tenacious link between soul and body because of their interpenetration and communication, both were corrupted. "The soul acquired the qualities of the passions, or rather of the demons, and the body became like irrational beasts due to the condition into which it fell and the prevalence of corruption." Since the soul and body were corrupted, they formed "one animal being, unreasoning and senseless, subject to anger and lust". This is how, according to the Scriptures, man became "joined to the beasts and like them".

This sickness, bondage, impurity and dying of the soul is admirably described in the patristic works. Every sin is a repetition of Adam's sin, and with every sin we undergo the darkening and dying of the fallen soul.

በጥምቀት ከውሃና ከመንፈስ መወለድ አዲስ ሕይወት ያስገኝልናል ፡ በቅዱስ ቁርባንም መንፈሳዊውን ምግብ መብላት ወደ ሙሉ ክርስቲያናዊ ሕይወት እንድንደርስ ፡ ከፈጣሪያችንም መለኮታዊ ባሕርይና ክብር እንድንሳተፍ ያደርገናል። ዳሩ ግን በዚህ በክፋትና በበደል በተያዘ ዓለም ውስጥ የምንኖር ስለሆነ የተሰጠንን ጸጋ እንድንተውና ከብዙ መከራና ፈተና ውስጥ እንድንወድቅ የሚሆንበት ጊዜ አለ። ከሥጋዊ ፈቃዳችንና ከምድራዊ ኑሯችን ውሱኑነትና ደካማነት የተነሳ የሚያጋጥሙን የክፋት ኃይሎች መንፈሳዊና ሥጋዊ ሕይወታችንን በማጎስቆል ከእግዚአብሔር ፍቅር ይለዩናል ፡ ከባልንጀሮቻችንም ጋር በሰላም እንዳንኖር እንቅፋት ከመሆን ባሻገር ለልዩ ልዩ ሕማምና ደዌ ፡ ለጭንቀትና ለሥቃይ የተጋለጥን ያደርጉናል፡፡ ይህንንም የሚያውቅ ቸርና መሐሪ የሆነው አምላካችንና መድኃኒታችን ለነፍሳችንና ለሥጋችን ቁስል መጠገኛ የሚሆነውን የፈውስና የመዳን ምሥጢር አዘጋጅቶልናል። በመሆኑም ሰው ዕለት ዕለት በቤተክርስቲያን እየተገኘ ምሥጢራቱን ሊፈጽም ይገባዋል።(ትምህርተ ሃይማኖትና ክርስቲያናዊ ሕይወት)

St. Maximus teaches: "As the world of the body consists of things, so the world of the mind consists of conceptual images. And as the body fornicates with the body of a woman, so the mind, forming a picture of its own body, fornicates with the conceptual image of a woman". This is the darkness and fall of the mind/heart. Thus many problems which plague us come from this inner sickness. That is why the psychotherapists cannot help very much, since it is only Christ who can restore the heart deadened by passions.

So the mind/heart needs therapy, a therapy which the Fathers call quickening and purifying the mind/heart.

A great deal is said about purity of mind and heart in the teachings of the Lord and the Apostles. The Lord, referring to the Pharisees of his time who were careful of external purity and neglected inner purity, said:“እናንት ግብዞች ጻፎችና ፈሪሳውያን ፡ በውስጡ ቅሚያንና ስስትን ተሞልቶ ሳለ የጽዋውንና የወጭቱን ውጭ ስለምታጥቡ ወዮላችሁ!” ማቴ 23፦26

Actually when we speak of purifying the soul, we mean principally releasing it from the passions, or rather transforming the passions. Furthermore, purification is also the uniform development of the human being, which leads to illumination of the heart.

The heart is that which is in the image of God. We have defiled this image with sin and it must now be cleansed.

Briefly, we can affirm that man's cure is in fact purification of the mind, heart, and image, the restoration of the mind/heart to its primordial and original beauty, and something more: his communion with God. When he becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit, we say that the cure has succeeded. Those cured are the saints of God.

How then is The Soul Cured?

First we must emphasize right faith. We Orthodox attach great importance to preserving the faith, just because we know that when faith is distorted, the cure is automatically distorted. That is why we Orthodox give great weight to keeping the doctrine intact, not only because we fear the impairment of a teaching, but because we could lose the possibility of a cure and therefore of salvation. ንስሐ የሚገባ ሰው በቅድሚያ ንስሐ በመግባት ኃጢአት ሁሉ እንደሚሠረይና እንደሚደመሰስ ማመን አለበት!

Now in order to be cured it is essential to feel that one is ill. When a sick person is not aware of his illness, he cannot turn to a doctor. Self-knowledge is one of the first steps to a cure. Only when we know our state can we grieve about it.

It is an indisputable fact that most Christians today are unaware of their spiritual condition. We are dead in trespasses and not only do not perceive it but even have the feeling that we are filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, adorned with virtues. Unfortunately, this self-satisfaction which plagues us is destroying the work of salvation.How can Christ speak to a person who justifies himself? We are like the Pharisee in the time of the Lord who did not feel the need of a physician.

በነፍስ በሥጋ መጎዳትን ከማመን ጋራ ደግሞ ሰው ኃጢአቱን እያስታወሰ ሰውንና ፈጣሪውን መበደሉን እያሰበ በቁጭትና በቅንዓት መንፈስ ሊያዝን ይገባዋል። ይኸውም ከእንባ ጋራ የሚቀርብ እውነተኛ ሀዘን ተነሳሂውን ዳግመኛ እንዳይበድል የመንፈስ ቅዱስን ረድኤት የሚያስገኝለት አለኝታ ይሆነዋል። “አሁን ለንስሐ ስላዘናችሁ ደስ ብሎኛል እንጅ ስላዘናችሁ አይደለም … እንደ እግዚአብሔር ፈቃድ አዝናችኋልና … እንደ እግዚአብሔር ፈቃድ የሆነ ኀዘን ፀፀት የሌለበትን ወደ መዳንም የሚያደርሰውን ንስሐ ያደርጋል” እንደተባለ (2ኛ ቆሮ 7፦9) (ትምህርተ ሃይማኖትና ክርስቲያናዊ ሕይወት)

But the sense of being ill is not enough in itself. In any case a therapist is required as well. We have said before that this therapist is the priest, the spiritual father. He has first been cured of his own ailments or at least is struggling to be cured, and then he also cures his spiritual children.በሉቃስ 4፦23 “በውኑ ባለ መድኃኒት ራስህን አድን”  እንደተባለ.

እንዲህም ሲባል ደግሞ ኃጢአትን የማስተሰረይ ሥልጣን ለእነርሱ የተሰጠ ስለሆነ በሐዋርያት እግር ለተተኩት ለቤተ ክርስቲያን አገልጋዮች ለካህናት ኃጢአታችንን ከመናዘዝ ቸል ማለት አይገባንም። የአንዳንድ ችግረኞች ካህናትን ሁኔታ በማየትም ከአጓጉል ስሜታዊ አመለካከት (ከንቀት) ልንርቅና ይልቁንም ሥልጣንን የሰጣቸውን እግዚአብሔርን በማመን በትህትና መንፈስ ሆነን ኃጢአታችንን በመናዘዝ የኃጢአትን ሥርየት ልናገኝ ያስፈልጋል። “ኃጢአቱን የሚሰውር አይለማም ፡ የሚናዘዝባትና የሚተዋት ግን ምሕረትን ያገኛል” ተብሎ ተጽፏልና (ምሳ 28፦13)(ትምህርተ ሃይማኖትና ክርስቲያናዊ ሕይወት)

The therapist priest also recommends to his spiritual children an orthodox way, which is a way of orthodox devotion. Therefore in what follows we want to turn to that point, to describe the method which the sick person should follow under the guidance of his spiritual father in order to attain spiritual healing.

We want particularly to point to asceticism. The forceful practice of self control and love, patience and stillness, will destroy the passions hidden within us. St. Stethatos, disciple of St. Symeon the New Theologian, describes this ascetic practice: “Man has five senses, so the ascetic practices are five in number: vigils, study, prayer, self-control and hesychia¹. The ascetic should combine the five senses with these five practices: sight with vigils, hearing with study, smell with prayer, taste with self-control and touch with hesychia. When he succeeds in making these links, he quickly purifies the heart of his soul and by this refining makes it dispassionate and clear-sighted”.

1… HESYCHIA means stillness, and the practice of stillness in the presence of God is called HESYCHASM.

We can say briefly that to practice asceticism is to apply God's law, to keep His commandments. What is contained in Scripture is God's commandment, which must be kept by those who seek their salvation. This is seen clearly in the Beatitudes (ማቴ 5፦1).

“ትዕዛዙን እንጠብቅ ዘንድ የእግዚአብሔር ፍቅሩ ይህች ናትና” 1ኛ ዮሐ 5፦3

"Blessed are the poor in spirit" is the Lord's commandment that we should look for our spiritual poverty, that is, that we should experience our wretchedness. "Blessed are those who mourn" is the Lord's commandment to weep over the passions which we have in us, over our desolation. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness" is the Lord's commandment to hunger and thirst after communion with God. "Blessed are the pure in heart" is Christ's commandment to purify our hearts. When He says "blessed" it is as if He said: "Become poor, mournful, thirsting for righteousness", and so forth.

All these things show how essential the ascetic life is for healing and restoring the soul. And, የንስሐ ሕይወት ፡ ንስሐ በመግባትም የምንቀበለው ቀኖና ስለ ኃጢአታችን መከራን በፈቃዳችን መቀበልን የምንማርበት ዕድል ነው። ስለ እኛ ኃጢአትም ልዩ ልዩ ጸዋትወ መከራ የተቀበለውን ክርስቶስን ያሳስበናል። በኃጢአት በመሰነካከል በጥምቀት ያገኘነውን ጸጋ እንዳናጣ ንስሐ የጥምቀትን ጸጋ ያድስልናል ፡ ያጠነክርልናል። (ትምህርተ ሃይማኖትና ክርስቲያናዊ ሕይወት)

As we conclude this article, surely it has become evident to every reader who regards the Bible as a divine revelation, that there is a vast difference between modern psychology, and the wholesome principles of Christianity. Think about some of the vivid contrasts.

v Personhood: Psychology alleges that the personhood of man can be explained solely in terms of a materialistic substance. But both the Bible and common sense affirm that there is more to man than matter. His self-awareness, conscience, emotions, ability to reason, aesthetic sensitivity, etc., all argue that humanness is far more than mere molecules in motion.

v Human conduct: Modern psychology asserts that human conduct is the result of impersonal forces (environment) that have acted upon our species over eons of time. We are the products of time and chance. Ultimately, therefore, there is no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘evil’.
By way of vivid contrast, the Bible teaches that human conduct is the result of the exercise of man’s free will, and that bad choices, i.e., a violation of the law of God, as made known in the objective revelation of sacred scripture, have resulted in the numerous problems that afflict the human race today.

v Religious inclination: Psychology contends that man’s religious inclination (which, incidentally, is universal) is merely the result of an ignorant personification of the inexplicable forces of nature, endowing them with the “father” symbolism. But, the Bible teaches that there is a real Heavenly Father (ማቴ 6፦9), who genuinely cares for the human family, and who desires to rescue it from the consequences of its rebellion (ዮሐ 3፦16).

v Way of understanding human personality: Modern psychology declares that since man is an evolved animal, the key to understanding his personality is to be discovered in studying animal behavior. In opposition, the Bible affirms that mankind is separate entirely from the animal kingdom, and only humans possess personhood.

v Self love: Modern psychology teaches that we should love ourselves. Psychotherapists believe that getting a person to see the good things about themselves, or to like themselves better, would cure many self-destructive behaviors. The fact is that Jesus teaches us quite differently, in the Gospel of Matthew we read:“እኔን ሊከተል የሚወድ ራሱን ይካድ ፡ ጨክኖም የሞቱን መስቀል ተሸክሞ ይከተለኝ” ማቴ 16፦24 Paul actually condemned the love yourself mentality, he could not have said it any clearer: “ነገር ግን በኋላ ዘመን ክፉ ጊዜ እንደሚመጣ ይህን ዕወቅ ፡ ሰዎች ራሳቸውን የሚወዱ ፡ ገንዘብንም የሚወዱ ፡ … ከጽድቅም የወጡ ይሆናሉ” 2ኛ ጢሞ 3፦1

v  Self esteem: Psychology teaches that high self-esteem is essential to a healthy mind. But, the Gospels teach us the opposite of high self-esteem, humility. “እንዲሁ እናንተም ያዘዝኳችሁን ሁሉ አድርጋችሁ እኛ ሥራ ፈቶች ባሪያዎች ነን ፡ ለመሥራትም የሚገባንን ሠራን በሉ” ሉቃ 17፦10 “አቤቱ ከቤቴ ጣራ በታች ልትገባ አይገባኝም ነገር ግን በቃልህ እዘዝ ልጄም ይድናል” ማቴ 8፦8

Source Materials:

Ø Esther E. Cunningham Williams (2005). Orthodox Psychotherapy. Greece: Birth of Theotokos Monastery.

Ø ሊቀ ጉባኤ አባ አበራ በቀለ (1996 ዓ.ም). ትምህርተ ሃይማኖትና ክርስቲያናዊሕይወት አዲስ አባባ፡ ማኅበረ ቅዱሳን

ወስብሐት ለእግዚአብሔር።