If we are normal people we often think about how we can repay those that have done good to us. By normal I mean not terribly selfish people who never think about those who made it possible for them to live in this world. The list of people we have to thank is not short: there are parents of course, likely some other relatives there, mentors, certainly some teachers or professors, professional leaders that helped and guided us, and others. But we cannot, we must not, forget the founders of our parish. The parish did not spring forth from the earth just in time for you to arrive and take advantage of a parish church, a fine choir, trained clergymen, a parish cemetery, etc. The list is long. Our founders have done MUCH for us, yet if we are honest, we think of them rarely. If we never attend memorial Saturdays or services where the reposed are commemorated we may think of them… never. And that must be rectified.
The present iteration of our parish reaches back to 1981, when a few families founded St. Vladimir’s. But the Russian Orthodox presence in Ann Arbor goes back to the 1950s, when the St. Hilarion parish was founded. After Fr. Peter Demett reposed, the bishops were not able to send another priest and the nascent mission folded. The small number of those laboring for God’s glory in the 1950s and those who followed in the 1980s (there was some overlap between these two groups, not surprisingly) invested their time, talent, and treasure not just for themselves. They did it for us. Not knowing who would come after them, they tirelessly gave of themselves to plant Russian Orthodox Christianity in Ann Arbor. In other words, they invested in us, not possibly being able to comprehend the huge influx of non-Slavs who would come into the Church, the huge influx of Orthodox Christians from the former Soviet Union, and the continuing generations that would call St. Vladimir’s home. In other words, they had no idea for whom they were working, but they knew that they were working for God’s glory, and they knew that if they gave it their all He would take care of the rest.
We now stand on their shoulders. Almost all have gone to their eternal reward. Most are buried in Forest Hill Cemetery on the University of Michigan campus, and it is good for us to visit them there, which we do every year at least on Thomas Sunday, and whenever we bring another from their ranks to join their friends and loved ones there as they wait for the Common Resurrection. Their work in the Church Militant is done. They made their investment. They labored diligently and worthily. They used the talents the Lord gave them for His glory.
It is now time for us to take full and complete ownership of what they have gifted to us. And to emulate their spiritual feat. As a parish family we try to facilitate this ownership by having a monthly work day every second Saturday of the month where everyone participates. And this is good, and important. But this is not all. If we are to honor the memory of our founders we must follow their example and invest in the future. That is, to invest in those whom we do not know, but if the Lord wills, we will meet before we too go on to our eternal reward. We hope and intend to leave for the next generation a thriving eucharistic community, a school, a new church, a social hall, and more. But here we must say: success only comes before work in the dictionary. We need to work. We need to be motivated by those who had so much less than we do (almost all of them immigrants with just a few nickles to rub together) yet gave so much more of themselves: their time, their talent, and their treasure.
If we are to accomplish all the lofty goals listed above we need to be wise. We can’t do everything at once. We have to start one and finish one. We have started and finished our cemetery. We have started and finished our barn. We have started and finished our parking lots (more will be done as we build out future phases of our campus of course). We have started the school. Now we need to finish it too. And in finishing it we will tick another box: social space for our parish community.
This week we began the Nativity Lent. We began to prepare ourselves in earnest for the incarnation of the Lord that will be upon us in just a few short weeks. Forty days goes by in the blink of an eye, as we have learned from past experience. And we need to consider: what will I, as the Wise Men did, bring to the newly-born Christ? Of course, the ideal answer is that we will bring what they brought, that is, spiritual gifts. Gold fit for a King, Frankincense fit for the High Priest, and Myrrh fit for His burial. In other words, we must bring our souls: spiritually shining like Gold, spiritually fragrant like Frankincense, and spiritually repentant (taking advantage of the great gift that the Lord gives to us of repentance in this life, for there is no repentance in the next) in preparation for our own burial. Much of this work is spiritual, but the Magi’s gifts were material too, and we have to think about this in the light of our founders and what they gave to us. So let us first struggle spiritually, for this is always the most important of our duties as Orthodox Christians. But let us also find a way to bring at least a small additional treasure to the King of Glory, and let us participate in the <$4/week pledge drive that will make it possible for us to bequeath to our progeny (both physical and spiritual) a school that will educate our children and grandchildren (and their peers yet to come to the faith) in all that is true, and good, and beautiful; and social space in which these children and their parents can strengthen themselves through their interactions with other Orthodox Christians. And where those adults who continue to come to Christ through us unworthy ones will also be catechized and prepared to join the Ark of Salvation that is the Holy Church.
The Lord gave the cross of founding our parish and building our first facilities to those who have gone on to the next life. He has give us the cross of continuing their work and seeking to multiply the talents they passed on to us. The Lord was very clear about how this works – let us not delude ourselves into thinking that His words do not apply to us:
“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:14-30)
To be clear, there are none of us who have been given no talents. Perhaps we have been given five, perhaps two, or perhaps only one. The servant who was given one was not punished because he was given little. He was punished because he did not use what he was given! No matter how many talents we have been given we can, and we must, unless we want to share in the “reward” of the unwise servant who received one talent and wasted it, put our talents to use! Spiritually first – always. But materially too, according to how the Lord has blessed us. Most of us can find the <$4/week that it will take for us to build our school and our hall – assuming everyone (every adult member of the parish) pitches in. If we all do – we are done! If we don’t – perhaps read the parable above again. More slowly this time. :)
May the Lord grant us a spiritually profitable fast! And may He inspire us to zealously emulate our own selfless founders who gave us so much to us. How? By giving just as much as they gave to us and MORE to the generations that will come after us!
Asking Your Prayers,
Fr. Gregory
No comments:
Post a Comment