'Daily Bread'
Monday, Sept. 2, 2024
“God was the reason of true faith and good behavior and of the knowledge of technology among people.
While people continually felt God above them, before them, and around them, in the same way air and light is felt, they attributed and dedicated all their technological works and handiwork to Him, their Lord and Creator.
When the feeling of God’s presence became dulled and spiritual vision darkened, that is when pride entered into tradesmen and technologists, and they started to give glory exclusively to themselves for their buildings, handiwork and intellectual works, and began to misuse their work that is when the shadow of cursedness began to fall on technology.”
+ St. Nikolai Velimirovich, From the Complete Works of Bishop Nikolai [in Serbian], Book 12, p. 23. Translated from the Serbian by Marija Miljkovic.
Daily Scripture Reading
2 Corinthians 2:4-15 (Epistle)
4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.
5 But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent – not to be too severe.
6 This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man,
7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.
8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.
9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.
10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,
13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
Matthew 23:13-22 (Gospel)
13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’
17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’
19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.
22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
Ven. Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves (10th-11th c.)
The Kiev Pechersk Lavra is a major Orthodox monastery located in Kiev, Ukraine, also referred to as the Monastery of the Kiev Caves. Founded in 1051 AD, during the times of Kievan Rus' (a medieval state in Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century), the monastery has remained a major center of Orthodox Christianity in the Slavic world.
The monk Anthony is credited with founding the monastery when he settled in one of the caves that are now part of the Far Caves (also called the Caves of Theodosius). This occurred most probably in the year 1051, which is the traditional date for the foundation of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery. As the community grew to twelve monks new caves were excavated. Among those who joined Anthony in the early years were Theodosius and Barlaam. In 1057, Anthony, who desired a life of seclusion, named Barlaam as the first abbot and withdrew from the community to new cave in a hill that today is part of the Near Caves (also called the Caves of Anthony).
During the early times when Theodosius was abbot (1062-1074), a wooden structure was built over the Far Caves and the monks, whose number was reaching one hundred, moved out of the caves. As the monastery grew the need for rules that would govern the life of the community was recognized. Theodosius decided to use the rules of the Studion Monastery in Constantinople.
The Monastery of the Kiev Caves was supported generously by the princes of Kiev, who donated not only money but land and buildings as well. Also, many of the educated men of the area became monks at the monastery as it became the largest religious and cultural center of Kievan Rus'. Of these monks twenty became bishops during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Theological and Scientific Theories of Knowledge
George Mantzarides, Professor Emeritus of the Theological School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Orthodox Christian theology has always distinguished between two kinds of knowledge: the secular and the divine. Secular knowledge functions on the level of created matter and is unable to approach the uncreated, that is the divine, which reveals God’s purpose for the world.
Secular science is empirical in nature. It objectivizes the world and always and everywhere seeks objectivity. While it depends on the individual and makes its leaps through personal inspiration, it avoids subjectivity. As knowledge about changeable and relative things, scientific knowledge is changeable and relative. And as an attempt to understand the finite world, with its infinitude of dimensions and phenomena, it is always both finite and never-ending.
Divine knowledge is of a personal nature. It doesn’t function on the level of objectification and never becomes objective. It does, of course, lead to objectifications, but this is not its essence. Divine knowledge is the fruit of actual communion, the communion of love. This, too, has an empirical character, though its experience doesn’t function on the level of corporeal feelings, but on spiritual ones and on spiritual communion. As communion with God, Who is infinite and transcendent, this knowledge is infinite and transcendent. And it has these features, not because of uncertainty or relativity, but because of weight and infinitude.
The apophatic or negative approach of Orthodox theology is often stressed. And this emphasis is useful, particularly in academic theology. But this must not be allowed to overshadow its cataphatic or positive character, which is inherent in its empirical nature. The living God is revealed to us directly and personally. Of course, this revelation isn’t a manifestation of His essence, but of His energies. But the energy or grace of God is still God Himself. As Saint Gregory Palamas points out succinctly, although the energy of the grace of God differs from His essence, it is not severed from it, ‘rather it upholds those who have been granted association with the Holy Spirit’ [1].
Scientific knowledge is verified through experiments. But divine knowledge is also available as experience. With divine knowledge, however, there’s no possibility of forcing an experiment, because such knowledge is acquired freely, on the level of personal communion. Communion on this level coerces neither God nor people, but is a charismatic event granted by God to those who freely offer themselves. This self-offering to God on our part is achieved through the observation of His commandments. These engage our volitional energy with divine energy and make knowledge of God possible.
This week’s calendar reminders:
Monday 9/2: Matins 8:30 a.m.
Tuesday 9/3: no services or events
Wednesday 9/4: no services or events
Thursday 9/5: Matins 8:30 a.m.
Friday 9/6: Matins 8:30 a.m.
Saturday 9/7: No Catechumen Class 4:30; Choir practice 5 pm; Great Vespers 6 pm
Sunday 9/8: Divine Liturgy 9: 15 a.m.
