“Through the Holy Spirit every soul is made alive; and exalted in purity, and illumined by the Holy Trinity in mystical holiness” (“The Song of Ascent,” Vigil service of the Orthodox Church)
We Orthodox Christians claim to be the Church of the Holy Spirit par excellence, and indeed we are. Unlike most others we follow the sacrament of baptism immediately with the gift of the Holy Spirit that comes to us by Chrismation. It’s done in order that the newborn infant is not deprived of those gifts, and that he or she is not deprived of the grace that comes in Jesus Christ through the Holy Eucharist.
When the celebrant of the Holy Eucharist chants the very words of our Lord, God and Savior at the Last Supper, the phrases most Christian communions treat as the words transforming bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, we add on an invocation, calling upon the Holy Spirit to bless and complete the action of God on the altar table. Yet if we are to embrace and take full advantage of the Holy Spirit surrounding us and within us, we should also see the universe with the eyes of the Spirit. Everything is beautiful, all gives God glory in its unique manner. One cannot recognize that without the insight of the Holy Spirit. If we were truly awake to the Spirit, we might notice the varieties of all living things in the way that Aristotle enumerated and compiled in order, systematizing all flora and fauna on our behalf. We would develop the curiosity of Leonardo Da Vinci, utilizing his eyes in ways far transcending ordinary looking. We would relish the varieties of races, nationalities and people, exploring the intricacies of individuals, not only human beings, but animal life and other varieties of life forms found in plants, flowers and trees. To enjoy the newness that comes with constant learning of different experiences is also a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Praise the Lord may it happen to you, so that you will pick out the splendor in everything, especially in the first time of all you experience. Nothing later, no repeat ever quite captures the joy of a fresh discovery. May you recall and relish the delight of a newborn infant taking on the challenge of adjusting to a world of light and experiencing objects, persons and sounds for the first time. Or the newness of a colt struggling to stand and move on those thin stick legs, a chick tapping eagerly yet cautiously through the shell of its world, or viewing springtime’s return after a frigid winter. It’s fascinating watching athletes preparing their bodies before a game or musicians tuning their instruments. To share the excitement of scientists gazing at something new and unexpected in their microscopes or telescopes, breaking through old ways of seeing things in a new millennium for the benefit of all humanity. All this comes about through the precious, ubiquitous presence of the Holy Spirit.
What shields our eyes from realizing all that and more? What keeps our hearts from bursting with the celebration of life in all its forms? The cloud of depression, or the agony of sin infecting our souls like a spiritual virus that blares out negative thoughts and reminders of our failures. The antidote for these diseases is the awareness of Jesus Christ who came to raise us from a living death, the agony of defeatism and frustration that hinders us from celebrating the fullness of life. Christ and the Spirit are ever ready to free us from all that oppresses, suppresses and thwarts our progress towards the Father’s Kingdom and to enjoy all the loveliness that He created for our delight.