One millionth pageview! This means that since the blog's start, people from around the world have clicked on or "tuned in" to Pauca Verba (Latin for a few words). Pauca Verba started as a small Sunday bulletin for a residential school of young people who had lost their way. It later morphed into a weekend bulletin for parishes I pastored. Finally, a helpful parishioner introduced me to the idea of expanding the audience online. A priest is not law enforcement, lawyer, accountant or Mr. Fix-it. A priest is a pointer in spiritual things. That's the reason for the blog. Thank you for joining me here.
The icon at the top of this page is the Svenskaya Mother of God. We see the Mother of God enthroned, while holding securely her Infant Son who blesses us with both hands! Sts. Theodosius and Anthony of the Caves stand on left and right.
The icon's storyline is of a familiar kind. The blind prince, Roman of Briansk, with the help of his retinue, discovered the icon which was held up in an oak tree. Upon that discovery his sight was gradually recovered. Of course, we might recall that Gospel account where Jesus heals the man who was blind from birth (John 9). His coming to sight was gradual — first he saw the footpath, then his fellows, then the landscape beyond. Until 1288 the icon was kept in the Kiev Caves Monastery and eventually transferred to the Briansk-Svansk Monastery. Monks have always been the guardians of the icon.
But back to the miracle — this coming to sight is supposed to be our story too. First he saw the footpath! Ah, he begins to see the way! Get it? It is the inner way. Being able to see requires that we step into light. The spiritual way/path unfolds gradually, over a lifetime. I say it often: a person can live in outer religion (the doing of religious things) and remain in inner darkness. A hint that I am moving into light, or coming to inner sight is when I realize I've changed my mind about something that matters: "You know, I never thought about it that way." Or perhaps I have known a time when someone has said to me, "You know, there's something different about you lately." And that person isn't talking about my weight or wardrobe.
One high profile ad man says about his monied focus group participants, "They don't care about covid, they don't care about the political chaos, they don't care about climate change or our racial problems. They only care about protecting their money." These are not political issues, they are Incarnational (human) issues. God has become human in Christ. Maybe indifference is the greatest stumbling block to living the Christ-centered life.
Through cyberspace we smile and are glad before the Svensk Mother of God who holds the Christ on her lap for our welcoming. With the monks of the Cave Monastery we exclaim, "Rejoice O Lady, give to us on this God-blessed earth the gift of inner sight, that we may see the face of God and ourselves and others rightly.
