The Holy Prophet Haggai (6th c. BC)
Hebrews 5:11-6:8; Luke 21:5-7, 10-11, 20-24
Nativity Fast. Abstinence from meat and foods that contain meat.
Read Hebrews 5:11-6:8
I’m sure that we have all heard of the importance of ‘continual learning’ a motto that we hear over and over again. No matter where we work the expectation placed on us is that we should be willing to develop professionally in order to stay current with the changing times. We hear in popular psychology that a person who is positive toward learning and open to self-development tends to enjoy life more and even live longer. St. Paul reminds us today that this applies even more so to our spiritual life. Each of us should be continually learning—from the Scriptures, the Holy Fathers and the Church— growing our faith and developing our spiritual faculties.
St. Clement of Alexandria says, “To assimilate the right affirmations and reject the rest is not the product of simple faith, but of faith engaged in learning. Ignorance involves a lack of education and learning.” (Stromateis 1.6.35). Jesus says, “ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matt 7:7); in other words, engage the spiritual life, strive to grow in understanding, and seek Him out. Those who do this will find the ‘pearl of great price’ (Matt 13:45-46).
The activity of spiritual study and engagement of faith not only benefits us personally but also helps those entrusted to us. St. Paul expected that the Hebrew community would have by this time been able to become ‘teachers’ of others. He expected that they would be living up to the Gospel imperative given to us by Christ Jesus: to bring the Gospel message to all the nations (Matt 28:19-20) and expand Christ’s Kingdom in the hearts of others. This is God’s calling for each of us. Whether that means helping our children understand the faith so they can make it their own. Or strangers that God brings into our lives so that we can help them come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is the work of the Church that we are all called to engage in.