11th Grade AY2024 Final Book-Chapter 2 PDF

Lesson 2: Temple of God Lesson Goals I can explain how the indwelling of the Holy Spirit received during Holy Baptism and Holy Chrismation sanctifies us and makes us the Temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). I can identify the connection between Chrismation and the Consecration of the Ch...

Lesson 2: Temple of God Lesson Goals I can explain how the indwelling of the Holy Spirit received during Holy Baptism and Holy Chrismation sanctifies us and makes us the Temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). I can identify the connection between Chrismation and the Consecration of the Church. I can defend why God sets apart what is holy. Holy Things Think about something that you have set apart as valuable (a Cross, jewelry, an autographed baseball, etc…). These are just material objects. Sanctification takes a thing, a place, or a person and sets that apart for use only for the sacred. Something that is sanctified is offered back to God with a promise of purpose and identity, and the Holy Spirit is called to be the Perfector and Fulfiller and make it or them holy. Sanctification is the act of being set apart and made holy. This is an important concept in Orthodoxy and the reason for much of what we see at our Church. Have you ever witnessed the sanctuary being used for anything else but worship? The chalice used to hold the real Body and Blood of our Lord is never used for any other purposes. Similarly, the sanctuary (or madhbaha) is used for our worship alone and we never allow other programs or events to take place in that sacred space. During the Elevation of the Holy Mysteries in the Holy Qurbana, we are reminded that God alone is Holy: Priest: Holy Things to the holy and pure. People: The One Holy Father, the One Holy Son, and the One Holy Spirit, alone is holy! Amin! Scripture as well reminds us that for Christians the only measure is God alone (Leviticus 12:44; Revelation 15:4). God makes other things holy (Genesis 2:3; Exodus 3:5; Exodus 26:34, etc.) and makes the people He has chosen Holy (Exodus 19:3). Those who approached God were commanded to be Holy (Leviticus 20:7-8). God loved His children and did not want them to fall into corruption and die. 9 Restoring Creation Our relationship with God is made possible because Christ “redeemed us with His precious sufferings” (our response during the Elevation of the Holy Mysteries in the Holy Qurbana). Our identity as a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:9) became more intimate with an invitation to be the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16) through Holy Baptism and Holy Chrismation. The original purpose for man was to be caretakers of His creation (Genesis 1:28). Mankind was chosen to become His presence in the world (1 Peter 2:9). God made everything good, and man at the crown of His creation. It was through Adam’s free will that misery, suffering, sin and evil came on us and on the world at large. The salvation of the world, therefore, required pre-eminently the healing of man and the redemption of humanity. The saving work of God accomplished through the Incarnation is to both individual and corporate. This divine work is carried through the work of the Holy Spirit in each of us as individuals and the Church as a whole. (Ephesians 2:19-22; St. John 14:16; St. John 14:26). 10  Salvation, accomplished by God through the suffering, death, and resurrection of His incarnate Son, is perfected through the continuing work of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ revealed to His disciples that after His crucifixion and resurrection, the coming of the Holy Spirit will guide them to all the truth. (St. John 16:12-15; Acts 1:4-9). It is our faith that the Holy Spirit in His fullness dwells in the Church for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. To perfect this restoration of all creation, in accordance with God’s plan and intention, is the task placed on each of us, who are joined to the Church. (Ephesians 2:12-22; Ephesians 1:9-11) Holy Chrism The Baptismal service begins with the anointing of the candidate with the Oil of Gladness [Psalm 44:8 (45:7)] as the sign of Christ coming into the life of the person leading from darkness to light. After special prayers for the blessing of the water, specially prepared perfumed Oil called Holy Chrism or Holy Myron is poured into the water. The use of Chrism is sacred in the Church, and St. Paul refers to its importance: “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). The making of Chrism is such an important and sacred act in the Church. The use of this Holy Oil in only Holy Baptism and the Consecration of a Church shows the importance of the consecration of this oil. The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church became an autocephalous Church in 1912 and ever since is able to prepare it’s own Holy Chrism. In other words, the sacrament of consecration of Holy Myron is one symbol of autocephaly of our Holy Church. It can only be led by the leader of the Church, His Holiness the Catholicose, with the consent of the bishops and the participation of at least 12 priests, 12 deacons, and 12 subdeacons. The oil is carefully prepared using over 50 ingredients from all over the world. His Holiness and the bishops fast and pray for the consecration of Holy Myron, preferably for 40 days. The Consecration of Holy Myron is done on an as needed basis, when the Church is in need of more Chrism. This usually happens once in about ten years according to our current need. 11  Moses Bar Kepha (9th Century Church Father) writes that the priest pours the Chrism to show that it was for the sake of our regeneration by baptism that the Word of God came down and emptied Himself even unto the enduring of the cross and death. He further expands that the Myron (Chrism) that is poured upon the water here typifies the Holy Spirit. For as the Spirit of God brooded upon the waters in the beginning of creation, that it might impart to them generative and fertilizing power, so also here the Holy Spirit “broods” upon the waters of baptism, through the pouring out of the “Myron” upon them, that it may impart to them power to bring forth spiritual sons of a heavenly Father. Chrismation is the reception of the Holy Spirit as well as the seal of Christ, “the sweet fragrance of Christ, the mark and sign of true faith and the perfection of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”. Having put on Baptism and Chrismation, let us not forget St Paul’s reminder (1 Cor. 3: 16, 17) of the dwelling of the Holy Spirit as the temple of God and the great calling it is to be anointed to participate in the priesthood of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2: 9,10). As St Cyril of Jerusalem teaches, “While the body is anointed with visible ointment, your soul is sanctified by the Holy and Life-giving Spirit. Having put on the whole armor of the Holy Spirit after Holy Baptism and the mystical Chrism to stand against the power of the enemy, (you) vanquish him saying, I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me. When you are counted worthy of His Holy Chrism, you are called Christians.” Holy Chrism - Consecrated and Sanctified Church We place the primary vocation of man to be worshiping God, as a liturgical being to fulfill the very purpose for which he was created, to live in communion with God and His creation. The Christian, initiated to the life in Christ through baptism and chrismation, gathers together with the heavenly community. The heavenly community comprising the living and departed, the saints, hosts of angels and the baptized participate in the Holy liturgical worship especially the Holy Qurbana; the celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ. Today as baptized Christians, we have God in us. As St. Paul asks each of us, “do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). 12  In the Old Testament, the temple was regarded as the dwelling place of God, a sacred space consecrated for worship and communion with the Divine. This physical sanctuary was set apart as a holy place, devoted to the reverence of God and the spiritual needs of His people. Similarly, the Church today, consecrated with Holy Chrism, serves as our modern sanctuary—a place designated for gathering, worship, and prayer. It is in this sacred environment that we come together to commune with one another and with God, and where Sacraments are able to manifest in this world. Moreover, Holy Chrism plays a vital role in this consecration process. When we receive the anointing of Holy Chrism, we are not only consecrated as individuals but also made holy through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. We also become living temples of God! This allows us to embody His grace in our everyday lives. Just as the Old Testament temple was a physical representation of God’s presence, the consecrated Church and also the faithful who are anointed by Holy Chrism continue this tradition, fostering a deeper connection with God and among the community of believers. Reflection Questions 1. Considering the significance that the same Holy Chrism used in both the consecration of the Church and the newly baptized individuals, what implications does this have on your ongoing spiritual growth and commitment to living a life that reflects Christ? 2. How would you justify the importance of maintaining a regular spiritual life so that one does not become a “Sunday-only Christian”? 3. How does the Holy Spirit’s presence during the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Chrismation contribute to our spiritual growth in the Orthodox faith? 13