Our Venerable Father Athanasius of Athos (c. 1003)
Polyeleos Feast. Abstinence from meat and foods that contain meat.
Read
Galatians 5:22-6:2; Luke 6:17-23
Some would lament that readings like Luke’s recounting of the Beatitudes don’t make it into the usual Sunday lectionary cycle, but is that the only way Eastern Catholic’s imbibe scripture? This text is woven into the liturgy during Festal and Sunday periods. As a result, the Beatitudes, the unique summary of Christ’s preaching, is proclaimed at the Sunday experience before a critical mass of congregants. Of particular note, the Ruthenian and Galician tradition, who emphasize congregational singing, the beatitudes are ideally sung by the faithful. This means that the heart of the Christian message is proclaimed and embodied by the entire Church, the entire body of Christ. It is not a message to be predicated by a small coterie of clerical elites. Rather, it is for all.
St. Athanasius of Alexandria prescribes the singing of the psalms as a way to fine-tune the soul. By extension, the ability to sing the texts of the liturgy provides a spiritual medicine for us. It opens us up to hearing the gospel in a new way when we internalize it through the singing of our minds and hearts. This is the logic of the liturgy it is a spiritual preparation to receive the entire Christ in the mysteries of his body and blood. But the liturgy of the Word comes before the liturgy of the Eucharist to begin the process of opening up. Yet even the Gospel requires a certain spiritual preparation, as the priest prays before the proclamation of the Gospel: “Let the light of your divine Knowledge shine brightly in our hearts, that we may understand the proclamation of your holy Gospel.” Certainly, the beatitudes which we sing to participate in the priest’s invocation to the Lord for understanding.
The gift of song is in itself its own consolation. It lifts up normal human language into something extraordinary. It provides in itself the content of the beatitudes. Song can satisfy the hungry with good things, turn sorrow into laughter, and make occasions of revilement the stuff of rejoicing.