God’s Holy Temple

Given the flurry of activity we experienced in the parish, not only in the preparations for the Open House, but in all of the hours and hours of labor and effort by the Building Team and volunteers, we have ‘arrived’ at a relative moment of calm and quiet . This is not unlike what we sometimes experience on Christmas – with all of the business in the ‘run up’ to the event, then a time to slow down, and reflect, ponder and share with others the deeper meaning of what is happening.

It is absolutely necessary that we do this.

In the Gospel of St. Luke, which bears the narrative of the Christmas story and Mary’s ‘perspective’ on this, we hear in several places that ‘Mary pondered these things in her heart.’ This is when the Church is at a special moment, in hearing the call to draw near to the Lord and probe the Mystery of His love for us, and in the process discover the meaning of ‘these events which came to pass’ in our midst. If we do not take this time, our understanding of God’s work, specifically within us as individuals, and as a community, will be shallow or non-existent. It would be as if something happened to Mary, or the Magi, or the shepherds, and nothing came of it — it was just ‘something that happened in the distant past…’

For us, the Orthodox Church has a deep and rich understanding of the interrelationship of God and His People, especially embodied in the imagery of the Holy Temple. At the Marian Feasts at Vespers we read the wonderful prophecy of Ezekiel (43:37 -44:4) which describes the ‘New Temple’ which would be fashioned by God and filled with His Divine Presence indwelling – filling the Temple with His Glory. This would take place in our Lord’s Incarnation – His divine filling of humanity in the person of Mary, Theotokos, in these our ‘latter days.’

When the priest, or deacon incenses the Temple in which we worship, we are to be reminded that we enter into this same Mystery — the Incarnate Christ dwelling among us. We are His Body — eternally joined to Him and being filled with His Divine energies, bringing us sanctification in the Spirit. The sanctuary in which we worship is a reminder of us that our hearts are the true sanctuaries of the indwelling of God. The beauty of the sanctuary is to remind us of the beauty of our creation and recreation in Christ, made new through Holy Baptism.

The fullness of the Incarnation of Christ is realized in His being Born. Therein is the ‘Theophany’ – the revelation to the world. For the events that came to sanctify Mary, through the Annunciation and Incarnation, are realized in Her giving birth. The fruits of Her surrender to the Lord are made manifest in the world . The cosmos responds with a star, symbolizing the arrival of the new Light of the world. What the world would see in those days was a Child in the flesh.

What the world sees now is a new Sanctuary. It is His Body, in the flesh — His Church. His Church has become visible. It is to reveal to the world the divinity within Her, revealed through the Holy Mysteries (sacraments) where human beings encounter the God Who created them, and receives the new life and Communion unto eternity with Him. And so, for the Church, we ponder in thanksgiving — what has God done in our midst? What is our response to this Gift. What does He call us to do, to invite others into His Holy sanctuary to discover the precious Life eternal that He reveals to us?

May the joy of this discovery be yours during this Holy season.

Fr Robert