Getting back on track …


Monday's Isaiah reading had the following verse:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” (9:2)


Light is a popular theme in the Byzantine Tradition. We sing about the Evening Light at Vespers as a “Joyful Light.” The lighting of the evening light was a Jewish home rite that was eventually baptized into Christian usage. The main part of the Vesper service is the Lamp-Lighting Psalms. Here, we include the various stichera (or church hymns) and the Joyful Light Hymn. Jesus is the Light.

We include in our vespers the beautiful Hymn of St. Simeon. Here, Simeon declares that Jesus is:

“A light of revelation to the Gentiles …”

which can also be found in Isaiah 42:6.

Isaiah writes some interesting things regarding this light. In Isaiah 51:4, he states:

“Listen to me, my people, and GIVE EAR TO ME, MY NATION; for a law will go forth from me, and my justice for a LIGHT to the peoples.”

This verse has been popularized in the Byzantine Christian Tradition in our Christmas Hymn, “God is with us.” Is this sung in your church?

Isaiah continues to be a source of our Byzantine tradition in 60:3:

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and THE GLORY OF THE LORD HAS LORD HAS RISEN UPON YOU.”

This becomes the basis of our hymn that replaces "It is Truly Proper" after Pascha:

“Shine in Splendor, O New Jerusalem ... for the Glory of the Lord in Risen upon you, O Zion ...”


Where else can you find the theme of LIGHT in our church traditions? in the Gospels?


Cantor Joe Thur
Deacon-student

[ 02-26-2002: Message edited by: J Thur ]

Yes, they sing this at my church, since they have Vespers.

In our tradition Light is mentioned very often:
1) "Glory to you, Who have shown us the Light" -- at the beginning of the Great Doxology at the end of Matins.

2) Troparia for Christmas and the Meeting of the Lord: "Sun of Righteousness","enlightening those who were in darkness",

3) Exapostilarion of Christmas: "Our Saviour, the dayspring from the East"

4) Prokimenon: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?"

5) Prayer of the First Hour: "Khryste ty svitlo istyne sho prosvichuye i osvyachuye vsyaku ludynu shcho prykhodyt' na svit" (Christ, You are the Light of Truth that enlightens and blesses every person on earth [approzimate translation])

6) Many Gospel passages: "You are the light of the world...nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket...(Matt 5:14-15)

Etc., etc., etc.

Daniil

This is a hair off topic, but another observation I had of the reading (Is 9:5-7):

Did you notice (assuming that it is in your translation) the change is tense in these verses? It says ...shall be burnt, and be fuel for the fire. For a CHILD IS BORN (capitalisation not mine, but here it is) to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, &c... His empire shall be multiplied, &c. What do you make of the change of tense from future perfect to present indicative and back to future? Is the Jew mentioned in the thread about Friday's Reading right, or is this a statement of the eternal generation of the Logos?

I alos note that darkness is equated to death (v. 2) in this passage. Thus light is life ("I am the Way, Truth and Life" signifying Christ is the path to the Holy of Holies). Who are those in the darkness? Those who "seek of Pythons, and of Diviners, who mutter in their enchantments (sounds like te modern New Age and other assorted occult movements)" Also those who refuse to hear the Word of God (8:20).

9:4 has a reference to "yoke" and "burden" ("For the yoke of their burden and the rod of shoulder...thou hast overcome..."). Compare Mt 11:28-30.

Akemner,

Light and darkness. We chant it in our daily prayers during Lent. They are usually found together like an ox and an ass.

Let me quote the passages from the Canon at Matins for Monday to help demonstrate that one doesn't have to go far to show how this important theme is found everywhere in our liturgical life.

From Ode 1:

"O faithful, let us completely drive away the DARK night of sensual pleasures and let us run to the LIGHT of truth, that we may share in the heavenly banquet."

"Let us sing to our God. He has delivered Israel form the bitter servitude of Pharaoh; He has led his people with the BRIGHT cloud and the pillar of FIRE."

"I praise the divinity in three Persons, the triple unity of LIGHT and life ..."

"Rejoice, O pure Virgin, the joy of Eve, for by your giving birth, her sorrow ended. Rejoice, bright cloud of the unsetting LIGHT, from whom has risen the SUN of justice, Christ our God."

From Ode 8:

"May our prayer make us resplendent in the radiant LIGHT of the Fast, and dispel the DARKNESS of sin."

"The Fast is our marvelous treasure and paternal inheritance, ... It gives strength to our bodies, and it ENLIGHTENS our spirits and our hearts."

From the Aposticha:

"O pure Lady, you are the LAMP that is never extinguished, you are the throne of the King ..."


From the Canon of Matins for Tuesday (today).

From Ode 2:

"Behold and see, I am the Son of God and the Savior of the world, the true LIGHT and the Giver of life."

From Ode 8:

"Initiated into the resplendent grace of fasting, let us shine with the BRIGHTNESS of virtues ..."

"O faithful, let us extol the holy Mother of God, the LUMINOUS cloud in which the Master of all camed down from heaven as rain on the fleece and was incarnate for us."

"By fasting let us purify our body, by abstinence our spirit, and by tears our heart. And with a purified soul, we shall meet Christ in the LIGHT ..."

"The FIRE of the divinity was born in the womb of the Virgin. Moses foresaw this in the bush that burnt without being consumed on Mount Sinai; Daniel saw this in an unknown mountain; while Isaiah saw this in a shoot growing from the root of David."

From the Aposticha:

"You were born from the Virgin in a manner past understanding, ENLIGHTENING those who cry out in the DARKNESS; O Christ and Lord, glory to You!"

At Psalm 140 (stichera #3):

"In this Fast may we receive the ILLUMINATION of our souls, O Lord, ... For the Cross already ILLUMINES your voluntary Passion, which in your goodness You allow us to behold, O Lord."

So, yesterday and today's liturgical services mention LIGHT and DARKNESS a number of times. It takes on a lot of meanings, but all dependent upon Christ.


Cantor Joe Thur
Deacon-student

[ 02-27-2002: Message edited by: J Thur ]

Wow! That's quite a list.

So do we just go on finding the word Light or Darkness in Liturgical Books, or will there be something else?

Daniil

Daniil,

You tell me. You have the freedom to comment all you want. The floor is now yours. Go for it! Don't hold back. I know you have that "something else" we all need to hear.

[ 02-27-2002: Message edited by: J Thur ]

Dear Cantor and Mentor,

This relates to iconography as well, especially to the "Mother of Light" in reference, of course, to the Mother of God.

The so-called "Black Madonnas" especially Our Lady of Czestochowa and others are "Black" to underline this theme of the "Mother of Light."

Anything that is placed up against the sun turns dark, and iconographers reflected this in depicting the Mother of God with darkened skin.

Many RC Marian statues are also made with dark wood e.g. pear wood and I saw, and venerated, one in the Cathedral of Chartres, Our Lady of the Pillar, on the left side of the main altar.

This also relates to the Song of Songs, but the "Mother of Light" theme is the strongest reference.

The Knights Templar who were in Ethiopia for a period, brought many Black Madonna icons with them into Europe and introduced this genre of religious image in the West.

Alex

Daniil asked if there would be something else. So, I decided to dig deeper into the theme of light in the Scriptures as related to our Isaiah passage.

In Isaiah 9:1-2, the prophet writes:

1 “But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.”

2 “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.”

Who is “He” in 9:1? The context is the Assyrian King, but in the end we may see that it is actually God Himself using the Assyrian King for his own plan. The land (or people) was treated with contempt, and this was a “light affliction” (as indicated in other translations). Later, he (or the Messiah?) will make it glorious or “heavy affliction” (as indicated in other translation).

What was the land of Zebulun and Naphtali? What was its significance?

Let's move ahead in time. I would like to consider now a passage from Matthew 4:13-16. It reads:

13 “… and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: 15 “the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles” 16 the people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, and those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a light dawned."

Matthew mentions the seacoast, the regions/lands of Zebulun and Naphtali, a place beyond the Jordan. He continues with that theme of light again by mentioning a people sitting in darkness (Isaiah states “walking in darkness&#8221) and both mention the “shadow of death.” Isa 9:1 finds parallels in the other three Synoptic Gospels too, especially Mark 1:21 and Luke 4:31. What is significant is that Jesus began his ministry in Capernaum, which is located by a lake in the area mentioned in Isa 9:1.

Isaiah 42:6 (considered to be written much later, aka Isaiah 2) mentions the “light of the Gentiles” again later:

"I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, …”

This is considered in Luke's account of blessed Simeon. Where in our Byzantine liturgies do we sing the Hymn of St. Simeon?

St. Paul makes a connection between this “light” and “understanding” (read: knowing like an ox and an ass) in the third chapter of his letter to the Church in Ephesus:

4 “… you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”

If one reads the Acts of the Apostles, one will notice that the first twelve chapters deal primarily with the Jews. The rest of Acts deal with the mission to the Gentiles. In fact, the structure of Acts has many correspondences between the two sections. It is as though Luke traced over (in words) the activities and words of the first twelve chapters with the message considered for the Gentiles. The book of Acts is a diptych. Hence, the significance of the turning point or crossover in Acts by the time Luke wrote the following:

46 “Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: "`I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'" 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”

The mission and speeches of Peter and now encapsulated in the mission and speeches of Paul. The Jewish mission now becomes the Gentile mission.

After admonishing the Pharisees for accusing the woman caught in adultery, Jesus speaks these words in John 8:12:

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John gives an excellent discourse from Jesus later in his Gospel; see chapter 12:

“35 Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. 36 Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. 37 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of ISAIAH the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" 39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as ISAIAH says elsewhere: 40 "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them." 41 ISAIAH said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him. 42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. 44 Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

Our prophet Isaiah is mentioned several times in Jesus' discourse on the light. Not even miraculous signs convinced those to understand and believe in Him. Note that in John's Gospel, belief usually comes after a miracle, whereas belief is usually a prerequisite for a miracle in the Synoptics.

So … that “something more” is Jesus Himself. Our liturgical tradition carries further the theme of light from the New Testament as did the NT authors carried forth the theme of light from the Old Testament. I can go on and on quoting the stichera in our Lenten Triodion, but one or two days worth is enough to see how the “light” permeates our understanding of Him.

Have you been blinded by the Light?


Cantor Joe Thur
Deacon-student

[ 02-27-2002: Message edited by: J Thur ]

Dear Cantor and Mentor Joe Thur,

After reading your copious response to Daniil's "is there more?" I suppose the moral of the story is: Be careful what you ask for, you might just get it - and get it good!

God bless,

Alex

Alex,

Daniil is more than welcome to comment.

Cantor Joe

Dear Cantor and Mentor,

Yes, absolutely!

I was just admiring your in depth knowledge of Scriptural Studies.

I have committed to reading scripture for one hour daily and so far, so good.

And also your commentaries!

What did you think of my post on the Mother of LIght?

Alex

Alex,

Wasn't the Black Madonnas due to the candles darkening their faces? Yes. Iconography usually depicts the saint 'glowing' from within, not dark, eh?

Notice how the iconographer also uses reverse perspective to show how the focal point is within the one viewing the icon and not on the distant horizon?

Cantor Joe

[ 02-28-2002: Message edited by: J Thur ]

Dear Joe,

I guess you don't accept the alternative explanation I've given.

Candles do darken faces, but not when the iconographer paints the dark faces to begin with.

But if that's your dogmatic definition, that's fine. Why bother engaging in a conversation about what is already pre-determined? Just point to the text where it says so.

Have a Great Fast.

Alex

[ 02-28-2002: Message edited by: Orthodox Catholic ]

Alex,

I just asked if they were darkened by candles? Our Lady of Czestochowa was covered by metal and stones all around except the face. The folks at the Polish seminary told me that it was because of the candles smoking the face since it was the only thing exposed.

What dogma and text are you referring to? I don't quite understand.

Joe

[ 02-28-2002: Message edited by: J Thur ]

Dear Joe,

Never mind, I was just being rambunctious since I am so giddy about our new home purchase.

I see that I shouldn't mess with you since you would easily turn my other cheek - several times

Back to the Scriptures, Friend, and "blessed is he who takes no offense at me!"

Alex

"I see that I shouldn't mess with you since you would easily turn my other cheek - several times."


Are you offended because I suggested that the icon's darkness was caused by candles burning? I'm sorry if this offended you.

Joe

Dear Joe,

You know me, Friend in Christ!

I always get my nose out of joint when anyone doesn't agree with me 100%!

It's one of those ethnic things, you know!

Forgive me, and I'll stay out of your hair . . .

God bless,

Alex

Getting back to our passage, I forgot to include a blurb about the Ikos at Matins for the feast of the Theophany:

"As the prophet [guess who?] foretold, a great Light, Christ, has shone upon Galilee of the Gentiles, upon the land of Zabulon, and the land of Naphtali. A people living in darkness have seen a great light shining from Bethlehem. The Sun of Righteousness, the Lord born of Mary, casts his rays upon all those who dwell on earth. Come then, O naked children of Adam, and let us clothe ourselves in Him that we may warm ourselves. For the Light that no one can approach, the One who is a protection and a mantle for the naked, the Light to those in darkness, has appeared and revealed himself today."

Our liturgical hymns can serve as a theology primer. It is becoming difficult for me to believe an iota of the idea that the authors of our hymns were adding traditions of men to the faith. One can begin to get a sense of the biblical mind at work. Handing down the faith (Tradition) is not simply something that stopped at the New Testament, but rather something that continued on after Pentecost. Our Church does Bible in such biblical ways!

Cantor Joe