We have witnessed and are filled with so much Grace dear ones, as we welcome these three new warriors for Christ into the midst of the Church this past Sunday. They have been in the desert of the catechumenate preparing…and now finally, their baptismal garments have been made full and complete as they enter into the fullness of the Church.
We welcomed these three warriors for Christ on a unique and special Sunday in the Church. On the second Sunday before Christmas, we remember and commemorate all of the Holy Forefathers and Foremothers…Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Rebekah, the Prophets, the Righteous Miriam, Susanna, David, Daniel…all of these righteous men and women who burned like candles of God in the darkness of paganism. They lived their lives in the hope of the coming of the Messiah and mankind’s deliverance from the slavery of the devil, sin, and death. We too, in the midst of this season of Advent, are living in that same anticipation and hope of what is to come in just 8 days…the coming of THE LIGHT that saves mankind from the darkness of the world.
There are three forefathers in particular that we hear several hymns from Vigil dedicated to that I wanted to give a special focus for this morning. Anyone who has read the Old Testament, or attended Christmas and Holy Week Services regularly know the story of the Three Holy Youths from the book of Daniel: Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael (or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Hebrew). The wicked King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon ordered that whenever anyone in the kingdom hears the sound of the trumpet, pipe, harp, or any kind of music, they are to bow down and worship in the direction of a golden idol that the king had set up.
Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, despite knowing what would happen to them if they disobeyed, refused to bow down to the idol because of their love for the One True God. The King, in a fit of rage, ordered them to be thrown into the midst of a fiery furnace. Rather than being burned alive, the men walked around the midst of the furnace as if it was a sweet mist surrounding them.
There is a particular section of this story that those that did not grow up in the Orthodox or Roman Catholic Church might never have heard, because despite it being not only in the early bible texts and in the ancient Liturgical tradition of the Church, this section has sadly been removed from many Protestant Bibles. While the three holy youths were walking in the midst of the fire, Azariah led them in an incredible prayer that I wanted to share a portion of with all of you…especially to our newest warriors for Christ who are about to embark on this incredible journey within the Church.
“Blessed are You and praiseworthy o Lord, the God of our Fathers, and praised and glorified is Your name unto the ages. You are righteous in all You did for us. And all Your works are true. Your ways are upright, and all Your judgments are true. The judgments You made are true, according to all You brought on us and on the holy city of our fathers, because in truth and judgment You did all these things on account of our sins. For we sinned and acted lawlessly to depart from You. We sinned in every way, and did not obey Your commandments. Neither did we treasure or do as You commanded, that it might go well with us.”
Azariah recalls how God has done so many wonderful things for us. He created us and the world around us to be perfect…yet because of the sins of mankind, we have destroyed what has been given to us. War, disease, famine, plague…none of these things were created by God but are rather a result of mankind’s fallen nature. Azariah remembers how his people were conquered and lost their inheritance before they were exiled and carried off into Babylon…yet despite how much his people (like us) have squandered the gift they were given…he knows that God is loving and merciful, if we remain humble and faithful enough to realize it:
“For your name’s sake, do not hand us over to the end and do not reject Your covenant. Do not withdrawal Your mercy from us for the sake of Abraham, Who is loved by You, and for the sake of Isaac, Your servant, and of Israel, Your holy one, as You spoke to them saying that you would multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand along the seashore…
…There is no place to bear fruit before You and to find mercy, yet with a contrite soul and a humbled spirit, May we receive mercy as with the whole burnt offerings of rams and bulls…so let this be our sacrifice before You today, and may it be accomplished for those who follow You, for there is no shame for those who put trust in You…
…Now we are following You with all of our heart…we are in awe of You and we seek Your face.”
It isn’t an accident that as soon as Azariah’s prayer was completed, a fourth figure appeared with the Three Holy Youths in the midst of the fire, conversing and consoling them as they walked through the flames. The Fathers of the Church identify this fourth figure as the Pre-Incarnate Christ…Who comes to all those who seek after Him.
To Nektarios, Anthony, and Monica…The Christian way of life is not an easy one to live, but it is a very simple one to understand. From this day and for all eternity, we are called to follow after Christ with our entire being. There are moments where this path will be difficult, and even some days where we might feel that we too have been thrown into the fiery furnace of life…but we do so knowing that there is no obstacle large or small that can separate us from the Light and Love of God, who surrounds all of us Who Seek after Him.