God didn’t call us to uncleanliness, but to Holiness
 /1 Tes. 4:7/

Welde Tensae

This message revolves around KIDEST, the second week of the Lent for the Ethiopian Orthodox church. Literally, KIDIST could mean “hallowed, holy, sanctified, etc.” This week, which for this ecclesiastical year falls from 22/06/01 E.C./ 01/03/09 onwards, has taken this name following St. Yared’s devotion of hymns that  deal with the Holy Sabbath of Christians on top of the Old Testament Jewish Sabbath. Though the saint has focused on the Christian Sabbath, passages and hymns sorted out for the Sunday Mass do indicate that the church takes the week as an opportunity to preach the sanctity of life broadly to its faithful. In addition to preaching the holiness of the Christian Sabbath, the faithful are, therefore, taught more on the hallowed life they are expected to lead as Christians.

1. Holiness of Sabbath.
 
Observing the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments of God. Ex. 20:8-11. This command is emphasized at different parts of the Laws. Violating such a law of the sabath is, thus, as grave as the violation of others such as the commands that have to do with God, parents and fellows. The Sabbath was strictly observed during the Old Testament with total abstention from work.  Anyone who violated this was not only ostracized from society but also was condemned to death. Ex.31:14015; Numb. 15:32-36. God was protecting the day so much so that is served as a sign of the creator-creature relationship between God and man. Ex.31:13.

Now, we are in a New Testament Age  of  salvation is and ,without ruling it out, the Lord Christ has shown in deeds and words that the Sabbath is there to do holy things and not to sit idle in the name of holiness. To this end, the Lord Christ used to teach on the Sabbath at the synagogue; he has also healed the infirm on this day. His “violation” of the Sabbath, thus, formed part and parcel of the accusation leveled against Him by the Jews. Yet, He has defended His hallowed works of salvation executed on the Sabbath. Mt.12:10-13; Jn.9:14; 16-24; Lk.13:10-16; 14:1-6; Mk.2:23.

While we give the due regard to the Old Testament root we have, we now have a Christian Sabbath. We observe the weekends, Saturday and Sunday, as one. Yet, our hope rests not on the symbol, Saturday, but on the concrete one, Sunday. It was on Sunday that the Lord started His Creation.Gen.1:15.On this day, Christ was born and men and angels have sung together .Unity and peace was declared.Lk.2:1.He also resurrected on this day and preached hope and victory to man.

A Christian is expected to observe the Day of the Lord, the Christian Sabbath, performing holy things that would please the Lord. Though a Christian who has been busy on weekdays on other engagements of life is expected to show more devotion to spirituality on the Christian Sabbath, his life is expected to be a sanctified one every time, living as per God’s word.

2. Holy Life

How one should lead his life to be holy in the eyes of God is made clear in the passages and the hymn selected for the KIDIST Mass.

To begin with the selected verses of the gospel to be read for the Mass by the main priest of the event, it is Mt.6:16-25in which we are instructed how to fast and make the most out of our riches spiritually. We are advised not to fast like hypocrites if we want to be holy. They disfigure themselves to win admiration from under the sun thereby making their reward earthly and not heavenly at all.

We are, however, instructed to anoint our heads and wash our faces not to show a sad countenance in the name of fasting. It is not anointing and washing in the literal sense that we are advised to do. We rather anoint and wash ourselves in devotion showing good conduct, meekness, love and other virtues which are noticeable to the Lord who would reward us openly for what we have given Him secretly. We have to feel happy for the sacrifice we are making.

Hypocrisy comes when we feel more important than those who may not be fasting. We do not know if there are factors that forced them not to fast even if they want to. We also do not know if they repent as we dwindle spiritually. The first may be last and vice versa as we learn from the robber who opened the heaven before Adam.

Let us remember our sins first before taking non-fasters as less important ones. We have no authority at all of judging others for judgment is up to the Lord. If we are treading along the road of holiness, we have to present our fast not to earthly appreciations of mortals but to the Heavenly Lord alone. It is this that could differentiate us from the Jews who have ended in vain because of their zeal to be points of earthly talk of admiration. A true man of spirituality is never an attention-seeker. He never fasts, prays and believes for worldly consumption. He always visualizes the reward in heaven and his sacrifice is only and only to win that. It is not to feel or act as though we are more important than the others that we Christians fast; it is to cleanse our own flesh, better and give more power to our soul. Hypocrisy has no place in Christianity.

Fasting devoid of hypocrisy is one key aspect of spiritual life; equally important is giving to the poor for we are told not to lay up our treasures on earth which is susceptible to moths, rust and thieves. We are instructed to put our treasure in heaven where none of these could touch it and, thus, our heart will be set there rest assured. To lead a holy life, we are advised to serve only one master which is the spiritual law. We could not serve devil and God together and make each happy. Holy life necessarily demands to go for God and say no to the Demonic rule. We could not love hypocrisy and miserliness and heavenly reward of God at the same time. In being hypocrites and misers, we are becoming unholy and this pleases the Satan who takes us to his hell. To belong to the stock of God, we have to be meek enough with no sense of hypocrisy and share what we have, however meager it might be, with the needy that lack their basic wants. This inscribes for us a heavenly name of glory which no evil could erase. For ever, we will live in ecstasy praising the Lord for His reward to our ups and downs in this world which we tolerate because of our longing for the eternal blessing.

In view of this, St. Peter advises us thus: Therefore, gird up the lions of your mind, be sober and rest your hope fully up on the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children not conforming yourselves to the former lusts as in your ignorance. But, as He who called you is Holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, be holy, for I am holy.” 1Pet.1:13-16.

Formerly, our minds were hungry for unholy things such as hypocrisy and miserliness. We loved them because we were ignorant of the in- comparable reward Jesus Christ would give us in His Judgment. Now, we are Christians; we know whom we are serving. We crave fore the heaven and not for deadly lusts of ignorance. Now, we have to work for holiness modeling after our holy Lord, Jesus Christ.

As Christians, we have to follow the examples of holy men such as Cornelius who used to invite God’s messengers to listen to the word of God. The Christian Sabbath gives us a better opportunity to do so. We could go to church, could invite fathers, read or browse Christian sources and get closer to God. The holy Sabbath, if celebrated thus, could make us holier and thus more pleasant to God, who would reward us when He comes. (Acts .10:17-33).

St. Paul has, similarly, taught us the kind of life we shall lead as we are called for cleanliness. We have to avoid sexual immorality, love our brothers, and be hopeful of the afterlife in contradistinction with the Gentiles. (1Tes.4:1-13). As we are committed to worshipping  the Lord who has honor and majesty before Him, and  who loves to see strength and beauty in His sanctuary, our life should be hallowed enough. Our strength and beauty is the increasing neatness we aspire to achieve as we live in the house of God. Such a sanctity comes when we fast and pray with no hypocrisy, no miserliness, no hatred for a brother, no hopelessness. Learn more from our fathers while reaping their blessings. Devote the time you have, Sunday or another, for a holy life such as this.

Do not spare time for earthly fornications, wastage of resource and other evils. Remember always that we are called for holiness and not for uncleanliness. Amen!!

May God Bless us, Amen.