Last week’s ordinations of Protodeacon Edward Jordan to the priesthood and the reader David Pasivirta to the diaconate in Calgary was truly remarkable in so many ways; yet nothing new, in that they were the continuation of a beautiful pattern of ordinations that have marked the life of our blessed Archdiocese – especially in the last few years (including our own Dn. Greg, and Dn. John).
Any ordination is wonderful! Indeed a profound blessing that strengthens the Church’s proclamation of the Lord’s saving love, and verifies His abiding presence, even if there are only “two or three” gathered together in His name (Mt. 18:20). What is interesting, is that the majority of these men and their families were quite content in doing what they were doing – serving God and neighbour alike in serving their communities and even the Church as a whole; humbly with no other motive than to be Christians.
The Gospel that was read for Fr. Edward and Dn. David’s ordination (Luke 14:1-1) provided a context that qualified their (and others) ordination. In the second part of this Gospel, the Lord offers a parable that contrasts the expectations of honour and authority, with demonstration of humility.
“…When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The paradox is that those who would normally be honoured as having or wanting authority, are the ones who end up bearing the shame of exalting themselves; yet those who humbly recognise that they have no authority, let alone honour, that end up being glorified, “for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Although I don’t know everyone who has been ordained in the last year or so, I do know more than a few of them. In these cases, I have never observed the desire for honour or authority, or the expectation that they could better serve the Lord by being ordained. Rather, these men and their families (like Fr. Edward, and Dn. David and others) have only ever sought to serve, and serve, and serve the Lord and His Church, as labourers, council members, deacons, choir directors, camp counselors, friends, doctors, and teachers. Although their contributions were (and are) profoundly important, there always was (and is) a willingness to defer to the honour and authority, of those whom they serve, with no expectations of doing bigger and better things. .
To be honest, if I told Fr. Edward, Dn. David, Fr. Gregory Wright or Theodore Matson (St. Herman’s in Langley BC) a year ago – that they would be ordained this December, they would have thought I was crazy. Or to put it in the context of the Gospel read at the ordination – if they were told that they were to occupy the “best places”at the wedding feast, that it our Divine Liturgy, they would have thought a huge mistake was made. For they all humbly recognised the honour and graciousness of occupying even the “lowest place”at this feast!
I can think of no better gift in which to be set aside and consecrated – for it is nothing less than the love of God and neighbour (Jn. 15:12-13). I can think of no better quality in which to be honoured and exalted – for it is nothing less than the desire to serve rather than be served (Mk. 10:45). I can think of no offering better leaders in which to bear witness to the saving work of the Lord – for it is nothing more than what the Lord does for all humanity (Mt. 19:28-30).
It is something to consider that these ordinations share the very same content of Christmas, as manifested in the humility and condescension of the Lord. It is humility – rather than honour or authority – that reveals the Lord’s love; through these gifts, qualities and its witness. For it is the Lord who willingly takes “the lowest place” in “taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” And in His boundless love, He voluntarily takes on humanity’s shame, dishonour (not honour), and disdain (not exaltation) going even lower, “being found in appearance as a man became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross”. It is this humility that is the context for His glory and honour, as “God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name” (Phip. 2:6-9).The wonder is that this honour and authority is bestowed upon us by the grace of the Holy Spirit – elevating us to the “best spaces” sharing in His divine life as “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people” (1 Pet. 2:9)
This season (as does all scripture) sets forth the template and standard for our life in Christ – and especially for those who are called to serve Him, in serving the Church, the Body of Christ. The ordination of Fr. Edward, and Dn. David, and all those new deacons and priests (including our blessed deacons at St. Nicholas) is the revelation of what God is doing for us – as witnessed in their humility and desire to do nothing less than to serve God and neighbour alike.
May the Lord open our hearts, that we might see the lengths that the Lord goes to save us, in his humble nativity; and see the humility of Fr. Edward and Dn. David as revealed in their ordinations. So that we might truly be exalted and saved in that divine love and by that “grace divine which always heals that which is infirmed, and completes that which is lacking…” and which elevates those who humble themselves, to find the love of God even in those “lowest places”.
May the Lord grant the newly ordained Fr. Edward, Matushka Victoria, and the Dn. David and Diakonisa Lauren – and their families many blessed years!