Author: Rev. prof. Alexander Treiger (Dalhousie University)
Keywords: Melkite Homily, Lent, speech, temptations, restraint, Confession, cleansing, healing
Abstract:
Aside from the historical and philological introduction, as well as the critical apparatus, specific features for academic writing, another important aspect of the present study is represented by the very text of the homily concerning the reason and purpose of lent, written by Michael, Melkite Archbishop of Damascus. The text is both a lesson and a prayer, this being signalled by formulas such as: “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, God is one […] Bless, Lord, and have mercy on your people gathered in your temple!” From the very beginning, the author asks his listeners to pray to God for his inspiration in what he must tell them at the beginning of the Great Lent. In his homily, he emphasizes the importance of introspection, and of physical and spiritual restraint for the cleansing of sins. This cleansing or purity must cover the whole being of the one who fasts, who must tend towards the cleansing light of the virtues with all his senses and actions, “as befits the simplicity of our essence”. He talks vividly about “shaking off the dust of our laxity”, about the benefits of admitting our transgressions through the Sacrament of Penance and continuous prayer for forgiveness of sins, while constantly evoking the Lord’s mercy: “do not despise us forever, for Your name’s sake, do not abolish Your covenant [with us], and do not take Your mercy away from us!”. He emphasizes the cathartic role of fasting in the lives of those who believe, by literally bringing them back to life and opens the arms of their mind towards God, as did Moses and the righteous Simeon, who were so close to God. The appreciation shown by the author for the ascetic struggle even becomes poetical: “Behold, the grace of the fast has come to us. Behold, owing to it, restraint of desire is shining forth splendidly. Behold, the most delicious scent of purity [ascends in] supplication”. The fast must not be ignored. It is but a small segment of our earthly lives and a special time of the year, dedicated to our relation with God and to our salvation. The fast leads us on the path for righteously receiving the precious gifts. The shepherd also asks his listeners to understand that, before anything else, God has an infinite love for those who do penance and use their discernment to better themselves. Those who find balance in their lives shall not be “completely deprived either of [this life’s] fortunes here or of [the afterlife’s] blessings there, if only they use both parts chastely and modestly”. The final part of the homily emphasizes the thaumaturgical role of the fast on the relation between man and God, due to the cleansing of the sins, thus allowing the rational being to reach the hight of its calling, to “a glory whose splendour has no end”.
(English translation by Damian Anfile)
Pages: 182-194