The following is the Preface that was sung at Mass this past 22nd Sunday after Trinity [i.e. 23rd Sunday after Pentecost]:
V. It is very meet and just, right and available for our salvation, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Everlasting God. Thou Who dost therefore punish them that wander away from Thy Law, and dost mildly refresh them that have been chastized: that Thou mayest drag us away from all evil works, and make us turn unto doing good works; for Thou wantest not to come upon that which Thou dost condemn, but rather that which Thou dost approve; for when we ought jointly to be afflicted as we deserve, Thou nevertheless dost temper justice in order to correct us; nor dost Thou administer unending correction for punishment; for Thou dost rightly correct us, and gently forgive us; in one case there is truthfulness, in another case mercy; Thou That dost set us in order by the law, that by drawing close Thou mayest not set us down to perish for ever, and by sparing Thou dost grant us the time needed for correction; for Thou so afflictest us with the evils of the present, that Thou mayest lead us to the good things of the future; Thou dost so comfort us with good things that are temporary, that Thou informest us about those things which are eternal; for which we do ever praise Thee with loving acknowledgment both in times of prosperity and in times of adversity. Through Christ Our Lord. Through Whom Angels praise Thy Majesty, Dominions adore, Powers tremble. The Heavens, and the Heavenly Virtues, and the Blessed Seraphim unite in one glad voice in extolling Thee. Together with whom, pray Thee, that Thou wouldest command that our voices should have entrance, humbly confessing Thee, and saying:
[Holy, Holy....]
Our ancient Western Orthodox Fathers remind us that as Christians that we must go through suffering in this life, and that the correction of punishment that we endure as children of the Lord is to bring us to a purified state in this life, to prepare for the Paradise after death; as the Preface says, God does not "administer unending correction for punishment" for the Christian in this life; however, this is to preserve us from the unending punishments of Hell in the next life, where the punishment is not for correction, but is the desert of man's sin, unrepentant, having, sadly, turned away from the Lord's correctives in this life, and finding himself, therefore, sorrwofully, in hell. May the Lord preserve from such, and may we cooperate with the Grace of God that lead us to salvation eternal!
No comments:
Post a Comment