March 4, 2015

“Holy things for the holy people”
Eastern Orthodox invitation to Communion

I read an article recently by a priest who wrote about a personal dry spell, or desert journey, or struggle or whatever you want to call it.

In that article he talked about his Lenten discipline of wearing a cassock on a regular basis.  And by “regular basis,” I mean pretty much from the time his day starts until it ends.  He wears it at Morning Prayer, in the office, when he goes out to lunch, under his alb at Communion, when he visits parishioners and when he makes hospital calls.

His Lenten discipline began as a response to the aforementioned dry spell.  At some point, Sunday morning became just another thing to do.  Get to church early enough to unlock the building, turn on the lights, start the coffee, make sure everything is ready to go, get vested, get through the service, meet with people, schedule appointments, turn everything off, lock up, visit a parishioner or two and call it a day.  Sunday was not a Sabbath.  Sunday had become just another work day.  Holy Eucharist had lost its luster, its meaning and its mystery.  It had ceased to be Holy and had become ordinary, and the worshipful words of the service had become a tired, meaningless old script read too often.

This is something all priests need to be on guard against, and it was staring him in the face.  So he donned the cassock.

He donned the cassock to remind him of his calling.  He donned the cassock as a daily reminder of the Holy Orders he vowed to live into.  He donned the cassock to remind him of the burdens he carries as a priest.  He donned the cassock to remind him that he was a conduit for holy things given to holy people.  He donned the cassock to remind him to listen to the Spirit, because it is in our wilderness journeys that we are given a new way of being.

For this priest, the cassock reminds him of his daily walk with God and it reminds him of the dignity and benefit of those holy things of which we partake every Sunday.

Are you in a dry spell or living in the wilderness?  Know that God is preparing you for something new.

Has Sunday become just another day?  Has Sunday worship become just one more chore to check off the to-do list?  Not all of us can, or should, wear cassocks to remind us of our relationship with God and others.  But we should all remember that we are a holy people, and that our worship allows us to participate in and partake of holy things.

May your Lenten discipline allow you to listen for God doing something new.  May your Lenten discipline allow you to gain a deeper sense of the mystery that is our worship.  May your Lenten discipline remind you that you are a holy people.  May your Lenten discipline give you a greater awareness that we have the honor and responsibility of sharing in holy things.

This Sunday, may you once again see holy things given to a holy people.

Amen.