Third Tuesday in Great Lent

Kathisma 7 (Psalms 46-54)

“Thou hast loved evil more than goodness, unrighteousness more than to speak righteousness. Thou has loved all the words of engulfing ruin, and a deceitful tongue.” (Psalm 51)

Like so many of the Psalms inspired by events in David’s life, this one also has a story behind it. King Saul was jealous of David and his relationship with David had become poisoned. He wanted to kill David, but Saul’s son, Jonathan, was David’s best friend. Jonathan warned David one night that his father, King Saul, meant to kill David.

In a rush, David fled from King Saul. He went to the priest, Abiathar, and asked for supplies. Abiathar thought it was awfully suspicious that David would be so desperate, but David told him that he was on an urgent mission and needed food and a sword. Abiathar gave David the shewbread from before the Lord (which only the priests were to eat) and the sword of Goliath, whom David had slain.

This story may be familiar to you, but a lesser known person was also present: Doek the Idumean. Doek was an humble servant of King Saul, a keeper of sheep, but he witnessed David’s encounter with Abiathar. When King Saul was angry that David had escaped him, Doek stepped forward and tattled. He thought King Saul would reward him for his information, so he betrayed David and the priest.

King Saul called Abiathar and many other priests to himself, and there he commanded the soldiers to slay them for taking sides with David. The soldiers refused because they feared God and didn’t want to kill His priests, but Doek saw more opportunity here. He slew them all.

That is what this Psalm is about: Doek used his mouth to do evil. He used words to condemn men to death. He didn’t tell any lies, but he did speak about things he had no business speaking about. Why? Because he thought it would get him ahead. Doek is a classic back-stabber. He “loved the words of engulfing ruin.” He enjoyed doing damage with his words. Doek did it because he thought it would bring him earthly benefits. Doek thought that King Saul’s pleasure was worth more than God’s pleasure.

Silence is an important discipline. It isn’t only lying that we have to avoid. Doek spoke the truth, but the truth he spoke was ruinous. Even though he spoke the truth, it caused a lot of damage, and all because he didn’t mind his own business. He spoke a destructive truth in search of personal reward. A righteous man will laugh at such a person and say: “this is the man who strengthened himself in vanity.”

Third Monday in Great Lent

Kathisma 7 (Psalms 46-54)

“It is for this reason that we often read and chant this Psalm in the Church: that they that have not fallen might take heed, lest they fall, and that they that have fallen might take heed, that they may rise.” – St. Augustine of Hippo on Psalm 50

What is the value of Psalm 50? It is easily the most recognizable Psalm of repentance. We say or hear the words frequently enough. St. Augustine of Hippo says that there are two good reasons to saturate our lives with this Psalm.

The Psalm was written, as the superscription says, to express David’s repentance when the prophet Nathan was sent to him. David, you see, had been a very bad boy, indeed. He had seen a woman bathing who was not his wife, and he had desired her. She was the wife of one of his generals. David went to her, and soon she was with child. David tried to cover up his sin by tricking her husband into taking a vacation from war. He figured that if she and her husband lay together early enough, nobody might be able to do the math. When that didn’t work, he arranged for her husband to be killed in battle, then he married her.

Well, God wasn’t very happy with David. He sent the prophet Nathan to confront David. Now here is the watershed moment that St. Augustine speaks about: what do you do when you are confronted with your sin? David had already tried covering it up. Now it was out in the open. He could have been angry and defensive and had the prophet killed (he wouldn’t have been the first to kill the messenger). Instead, David admitted his sin. He wept bitterly and acknowledged that God was right to judge him.

That is why St. Augustine says we use this Psalm so much. It teaches us the proper response of one of God’s people when He catches us in our sin. We acknowledge our sin, confess it before the Lord, and declare Him just and right in His condemnation. We throw ourselves on His mercy and, though there may be consequences, we move forward with Him in a continuing relationship. That’s what David did. The baby born of his sinful union died. That was a consequence, and it hurt David deeply, but God had not abandoned David. He had not taken from David his Holy Spirit (as He had with Saul before David). Life would go on. Having fallen, David rose again.

In temptation, you may also meditate on this Psalm. Hear the anguish in the words and think of the consequences, and “take heed, lest you fall.”

Download this week’s Great Lent Daily Devotions as a PDF.

Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas

“Watchfulness is a continual fixing and. halting of thought at the entrance to the heart. In this way predatory and murderous thoughts are marked down as they approach and what they say and do is noted; and we can see in what specious and delusive form the demons are trying to deceive the intellect. If we are conscientious in this, we can gain much experience and knowledge of spiritual warfare.”  – St. Hesychios the Priest

Human beings are very special creations. We have the ability not only to think, but to think about thinking. We are able to observe and think about our own thought processes. Modern science refers to this as metacognition. The holy fathers encourage a disciplined use of metacognition they called watchfulness.

As the fathers describe it, it is the discipline of simply paying attention to what you think much the same way you pay attention to what you are eating during Great Lent. If something is unacceptable, it is not admitted. If that can of soup says it contains milk on the label, it goes back on the shelf. When you become aware of a thought that has sin in the label, you throw it out.

Today St. Gregory Palamas, along with countless other Holy Ascetics, encourage us to be careful not only of what goes into our mouths, but also what goes into our eyes and ears. Sure, you are not allowing any eggs or dairy to enter into your stomach, but of what use is that if you are allowing violence, sexual images, or immoral themes into your very mind!?

Be watchful. Watch what you watch. Watch what you read. Watch your internet browsing and your discussions. St. Paul tells us, “Whatever things are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, if there is any virtue or any praise, think about these things”. (Philippians 4:8) And St. Peter, having been chastised for his lack of watchfulness, later tells the Church: “The end of all things is near! Therefore, be clear-minded, self-controlled and sober in prayer.” (1 Peter 4:7)

“When we strive with diligent sobriety to keep watch over our rational faculties, to control and correct them, how else can we succeed in this task except by collecting our mind, which is dispersed abroad through the senses, and bringing it back into the world within, into the heart itself, which is the storehouse of all our thoughts?”       – St. Gregory Palamas

Second Saturday in Great Lent

Kathisma 6 (Psalms 37-45)

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why dost thou disquiet me? Hope in God, for I will give thanks unto Him; He is the salvation of my countenance, and my God.” (Psalms 41-42)

If you are paying attention, you will notice that the verse above serves as the refrain of Psalms 41 and 42. The Psalmist says this three times. This refrain divides these two psalms into three parts.

In the first part in Psalm 41, the Psalmist’s heart is cast down because he desires God so much it hurts, and yet God seems very far off. He is anxious to go to God and appear before His face. While other people see his pain and suffering and ask where his God is, he expresses his desire to go to God. It isn’t time to die yet, so the Psalmist goes to see God where God says He may be encountered: in the tabernacle. He doesn’t go as an obligation. He doesn’t go grudgingly. Instead, he goes to Liturgy with hymns of joy and thanksgiving. He goes as one who has a deep longing to be in God’s Presence. Lord, give us this kind of desire!

In the second part of Psalm 41, the Psalmist’s heart is cast down for a slightly different reason: his enemies are overtaking him. Things aren’t going well for the Psalmist and his enemies are mocking him in his distress. Even so, the Psalmist praises God’s faithfulness in times past. He has been through hard times in the past, but the Lord has always preserved him in them. He is thankful for God’s care and this gives him confidence in present struggles. How has God shown His care for you in hard times?

In the third part, Psalm 42, the Psalmist’s heart is downcast for the same reason he shared in the second part: evil men are persecuting him. He feels like God has forgotten about him and isn’t helping him. Have you ever felt that way? What did you do? The Psalmist prayed and went to Liturgy. ‘I will go in unto the altar of God, unto God Who giveth gladness to my youth.’ (Psalm 42) He remembers God’s faithfulness in the past and rushes to encounter God at His altar.

At the altar the Psalmist will give thanks, and it is no accident that we still offer up the eucharist, the ‘great thanksgiving,’ at the altar of God in the Divine Liturgy. Go to the altar of God as a hart panting after fountains of water (Psalm 41), for “the Spirit and the Bride say ‘Come… let everyone who is thirsty come, let anyone who wishes take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17)