Rules and Rituals
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“Fasts and vigils, the study of Scripture, renouncing possessions and everything worldly, are not in themselves perfection, as we have said; they are its tools. For perfection is not to be found in them; it is acquired through them. It is useless, therefore, to boast of our fasting, vigils, poverty and reading of Scripture when we have not achieved the love of God and our fellow men.” (St. John Cassian)
“…there is often no faith in people, but there is a lot of ritualism in them. It was precisely ritualism that destroyed the Jewish high priests who crucified Christ. They believed in rituals, they kept the Sabbath, but they did not have love—they did not do what the Lord calls on us to do: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength… And… you shall love your neighbor as thyself (Mk. 12:30–31). If only we lived like this and strove to find faith in salvation and healing, and not just followed endless laws and rules! People will always invent new ones. Lawmakers come up with new laws every single day—that is their job. Does this make it any better on earth? Answers can vary. But the Lord has written all the laws in the Holy Scriptures, which are unshakable, unchangeable and eternal.” (Hieromonk Silouan Mezhinsky)
“Christ does not tell His chosen disciples that He is making them ascetically perfect, nor does He tell them to perfect liturgical rubrics. He doesn’t send them forth into the world to police the behavior and morality of others. Christ wants them to focus on their fellow humans, whom they are to love as Christ loves (John 15:12). He wants the church especially to seek out “the lost”, sinners, the sick – the very people He became incarnate to seek out. We are not to avoid or despise them, but to bring them the Goodnews that God loves them – let them decide what to do with the Goodnews. He wants the Church not to condemn sinners, but to work on reconciling them to God. The members of the Church today need to have the same focus that Christ promised to His first disciples – other people. We are to love them and witness to them about God’s love and His kingdom. The Jews made the mistake of making the Law more important than people. Christians should not repeat this same mistake. Christ came not to fill hell with sinners, but to empty hell of sinners by rescuing them from death. The object of Christ’s love is people, not rubrics, rules or regulations.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)
“But the liturgy is not merely a teacher of truths—it is also a formator of souls. In its richly layered symbolism, dramatic poetry, and ritual action, the Mass [liturgy] molds the imagination as much as it enlightens the intellect; one who regularly participates in it learns not only facts or concepts but a distinct way of interacting with God, his fellow man, and indeed all of creation…The liturgical life of the Church has a two-fold purpose: the worship of God and the spiritual formation of the people of God. As cited earlier, there must be a movement from “flesh and blood” to “spirit and life.” It is this spiritual transfiguration that is operative in the life of the Church.” (Ben Reinhard, Father Stephen Freeman)
“Ritual is part of the word spiritual for a reason. Being spiritual is not about feeling spiritual, it is about becoming more loving and learning to love others as Christ loves us. Our rituals in the life of the Church, conducted in the right mindset and with the right heart, free us from self-focus, open our minds and hearts to Christ, and allow us to draw closer to Him. This is what the sacramental life is about. Rituals are how we worship and grow in love.” (Sacramental Living Ministries)
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