Synaxis Study Group: The Ladder

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Ladder

'I have just seen the angels, and they showed me a page with all my many sins. I said to them: "The Lord said: 'Judge not, that ye be not judged.' I have never judged anyone and I hope in the mercy of God, that He will not judge me." And the angels tore up the sheet of paper.' Hearing this, the monks wondered at it and learned from it.

"But Adam did not wish to say, "I sinned," but said rather the contrary of this and placed the blame for the transgression upon God Who created everything "very good," saying to Him, "The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I ate." And after him she also placed the blame upon the serpent, and they did not wish at all to repent and, falling down before the Lord God, beg forgiveness of Him. For this, God banished them from Paradise, as from a royal palace, to live in this world as exiles. At that time also He decreed that a flaming sword should be turned and should guard the entrance into Paradise. And God did not curse Paradise, since it was the image of the future unending life of the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. If it were not for this reason, it would have been fitting to curse it most of all, since within it was performed the transgression of Adam. But God did not do this, but cursed only the whole rest of the earth, which also was corrupt and brought forth everything by itself; and this was in order that Adam might not have any longer a life free from exhausting labors and sweat..."

-Saint John Klimacos

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Synaxis Manifesto

4 Pillars of Synaxis
1) We gather because the Spirit of God brings the Word of God to us.
2) We gather because we are authentically human when in relationship with each other.
3) We gather to discuss the words of the Holy Fathers and Mothers because our relationship with them transcends time, space, and death itself.
4) We gather to celebrate the greatest gift that God has given us- the Other: God, neighbor, and our ancestors.

4 Canons of Synaxis
1) Synaxis is for everyone.
2) Synaxis has the text as teacher and the group as moderator.
3) Synaxis reads texts that are Orthodox Christian Classics which are any text that is written by an Orthodox Christian and is both loved by the Church and doctrinally formative.
4) Synaxis is organized by its elder members whose sole responsibility is to arrange a convenient time and place and to select and distribute the readings.

4 Foundations of Synaxis
1) Works of the Apostolic Fathers and Apologists (Particularly St. Iraneaos’ Against Heresies for its dogmatic, anthropological, and soterlogical significance).
2) The Works of St. Athanasios (Particularly On the Incarnation and the Life of St. Antony).
3) The Works of the Cappadocians (Particularly the Orations of the Theologian which were considered by the Church as Second Scriptures, the Letters of St. Basil together with his defense of the Holy Spirit, and St. Gregory Nyssa’s Catechism).
4) St. Maximos the Confessor.

Thy Kingdom Come...

The Messiah, this King, this new David, Himself, the expected Royalty, came and founded His kingdom, the Church, inaugurating it on the day of Pentecost through the descent of the Holy Spirit… At that moment the Church was born, the new Israel of God, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people”, a people dedicated to God. The event of Pentecost is not limited in time, however, but is an eschatological experience of the believer, daily living the life of Christ in the Church. So when we speak of the Church, we refer to an eschatological event, a permanent Pentecost.
-Archimandrite Aimilianos