by Milica Yaksich

  It is truly a wonderful thing to receive a gift. It is even more special when the gift is one given from the heart that was obviously chosen to warm the heart of the one receiving it. Regardless of size or price, such a gift impresses more than the one painstakingly chosen to impress, for it honours both the recipient and the giver whereas the other honours neither. As we grow older and more experienced we realize that many things in actuality are not as attractive, interesting or useful as one may think. This is not necessarily a sign that we have become jaded or cynical, simply more discerning. Gifts are often associated with celebration, for it is through giving that we express love and share joy. The word celebrate is often interchangeable with the word glory, but though the meaning of "to celebrate" and "to glorify" or "give glory" are the same, the sense, or feeling that those words impart is quite different. We can analyze, strip away the superficial and unimportant, define, and even theorize, but in the end all that really matters is truth and what we believe that truth to be. Belief or faith transcends all material considerations, for we believe with our hearts and not necessaily with our eyes and minds. So it is that the gifts we receive from God are received through our hearts.

  St. Symeon the New Theologian describes the outward signs by which the saints are recognized and states that it is their speech which truly and accurately reveals their real identity, saying: "What the heart does not have, the mouth is unable to produce". For the Lord says: "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil"(Mt 12:35). Now, let us consider the depths of the spirit here, how the Lord did not say only that "from his good heart he brings forth good, but added "from the treasure of his heart" in order for you to learn that none of us can have a dumb and empty heart. Either each person possesses through good works and true faith the grace of the Spirit, or else, because of faithlessness and inattention to the commandments and accomplishment of evil, he carries around in himself the wicked devil. That you not think that He means that they have the treasure of the Spirit who only keep His commandments in part, and in part despise them, but that it is only for those who keep them all, He makes it clear by saying: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him...and I and my Father will come to him and make Our home with him." (Jn 14:21-23)

  In order to have a good heart, in which the whole Godhead dwells, which is that "good treasure", one must live according to God's commandments. What greater gift can one receive than the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Lord dwelling in us? The Lord, however cannot dwell with sin and such great "treasure" cannot dwell in the heart of the man who transgresses a single commandment, or neglects and fails to accomplish any of them. "Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven" (Mt 5:19). It is not that any commandments are actually "least", but that we consider them to be so. St. Symeon the New Theologian explains: "For by our thinking lightly of idle talking, or of lusting after something belonging to our neighbour, or looking at something with passion, or despising and insulting someone, we become indifferent and forget Him Who has placed all these actions under judgement.". So, what does He say about them? "On the day of judgement men will render account for every careless word they utter" (Mt. 12:36), and elsewhere: "You shall not covet anything of your neighbour's" (Cf.Ex 20:17); and again: "Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart" (Mt 5:28); and: "Whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says 'you fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire" (Mt5:22).

  "The sting of death is sin" (I Cor. 15:56). Sin is the transgression of any of God's commandments, whether we consider them more or less important. There are, in fact, no lesser commandments, no less serious transgressions, for how can anything which in any way separates or distances us from God not be serious? Everyone who trangresses any of the Lord's commandments: not to lie, not to covet, not to steal, not to talk idly, not to speak harshly to one's brother..."has been pricked by the sting of death which is sin, and into the wound left by the bite of sin the devil, like a worm, slips in immediately and is found to dwell" (St. Symeon N.T.)

  The devil is the evil treasure living in the hearts of those who sin and have not had their hearts cleansed through tears and repentance. True repentance through tears and confession not only cleans our hearts, but it is like a medicine that heals the wound of the heart and the scar which the sting of spiritual death has opened in it. It casts out and puts to death the worm which had nestled there and makes the heart healthy and good again, so that it may once more be worthy to recieve the "good treasure". Thus it is that at confession the priest instructs the penitant to confess all and not hold anything back lest they go away unhealed. The one sin that truly can never be forgiven is the one that is not confessed. Just as there can be no "good treasure" living in the heart of the man who only keeps some of the commandments and neglects others, there can be no true absolution for the man who knowingly only confesses some of his sins or does not seriously strive to change his ways, for if there is no attempt to change then there is no real repentance.

  Those who do not cherish the special gifts of the heart that God grants to those who love Him, those who are ignorant of the sweetness and joy of purity and oneness with God, or who don't believe in it, have hearts full of wounds, full of sin. They are spiritually dead, thinking that health is the satisfaction of their passions. Some even boast whenever they accomplish some wicked indecency of sin, and count their shame a glory. Sadly they do not know what true joy and glory are.

  The Lord Our Saviour said to us: "I have not come to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Me." (Jn 3:17) "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son , that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." ( Jn 3:16). There will be many gifts, many joys, many pleasures during this season during which we give glory to the birth of Our Lord. None is as great as the gifts God has given us. Now that I am nolonger a child I can see what is true treasure and what is tinsel. Confession and communion is not just meant for one or two fasting seasons in the year. Would you deprive your body of food or go without that clean fresh feeling of bathing for months at a time? Then consider, when was the last time you fed your soul with Holy Communion and when was the last time you washed and healed your heart with repentance and confession? Would you take a precious gift and throw it away? I pray not. Give glory to God and celebrate the precious gifts of the heart that He gives us when we remember Him with fasting and prayer and when we receive Holy Communion after cleansing our hearts with the tears of repentance and confession. Glory and praise to God in the highest and on earth peace and good will to all! I pray we may all know the joy of a pure heart full of the good treasure.