Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism. 

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written. 

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.



February 3, 2025

February: Day 2: Teaching 3: The Reception of the Lord

 
February: Day 2: Teaching 3:
The Reception of the Lord
 
(It Is Dangerous To Doubt Matters Of Faith)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. When King Ptolemy, the founder of the famous Alexandrian library, intended to translate the books of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek, then 72 wise men were chosen from among the Israelites who thoroughly knew the Hebrew and Greek languages.

Among these 72 wise Israelites was a certain Symeon, a righteous and pious man. Translating the book of the Prophet Isaiah and stopping at his famous prophecy: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive in her womb and bear a son" (Isaiah 7:14), he doubted this and, having thought a little, took a knife and wanted to scrape out this section, as if unworthy of credibility, and replace the word "virgin" with the word "married woman." But suddenly an angel appeared before him and, holding his hand, said: "Believe what is written; you will see with your own eyes the fulfillment of this incomprehensible prophecy." Symeon abandoned his intention, and from that time began to expect the fulfillment of the words of the Prophet Isaiah.

And finally he waited. In the Old Testament there was a law according to which women who had given birth to male children could not come to the Temple for 40 days (this law is observed in our country too). On the fortieth day they were obliged to come to the Temple to receive a purification prayer from the priest and to sacrifice two turtledoves or a lamb, depending on their means.

Jesus Christ was born, and the 40th day after His birth had come. And behold, Mary and Joseph, fulfilling the law, took two turtledoves and went with the infant Jesus to the Temple. At the very time when they entered the Temple, Righteous Symeon came there, by the inspiration of God, and saw the infant Jesus, took Him in his arms and, beholding in Him the Consolation of Israel, cried out: "Now let Your servant depart in peace, Master, according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel" (Luke 2:20, 32). Thus, the words of the prophet Isaiah came true and the expectation of Righteous Symeon was fulfilled: he received the Lord in the Temple, born of the Most Holy Virgin; that is why this feast is called the Reception of the Lord.

II. a) Christian listeners! The teaching of our faith contains much that is mysterious and incomprehensible to our mind. Be afraid to doubt anything; as faith teaches, so believe: the incomprehensible cannot be comprehended, and there is no need to comprehend. Let us not wait for the miraculous appearance of some angel who would enlighten us and interpret for us what we do not understand: we have an angel, a faithful teacher and interpreter - the Holy Church, let us obey her, let us believe her in everything.

b) Righteous Symeon, before his death, saw the fulfillment of an incomprehensible mystery, which he once dared to doubt. Before death, listeners, our eyes will be opened, and we will learn what we now do not want to know, and we will then be convinced of what we now doubt. Yes, before death we will learn and be convinced that on the other side of the grave there is another life - eternal, about which we now care so little. Before death we will learn and be convinced that in the future life torment awaits sinners - eternal, which we now fear so little. Before death we will learn and be convinced that there is a just God, who rewards everyone according to his deeds, Whom we now fear so little. We will clearly learn and be completely convinced then of everything that the Holy Church teaches us, to which we obey so little; but alas! perhaps our eyes will not then be opened to joy.

c) Righteous Symeon saw salvation before his death, but the sinner will then see his doom; Symeon's heart was filled with consolation, but the sinner's heart will be filled with despair; Symeon said before his death: "I go in peace," but the sinner will be forced to say: "I go with trembling," expecting torment in hell.

III. O Lord! Grant us to repent before the end; do not allow us to die in sins; send us such a death as the Righteous Symeon died; open our eyes now, that we may see and fear Your terrible judgment. Amen. 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

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