SOAYO

God is beyond all our concepts. The reason why we use icons in the church is so that we are reminded that no picture, no view of God, no concept of God will ever be sufficient to describe him. They remind us that we are finite and God is infinite. This is the heart of Orthodox theology. This is what prompts us to say that God is a mystery. Mor Ephrem the Syrian puts it in the following way:

Give me Lord that of the two [silence and speech], I make use of with discernment

Let me not debate presumptuously, nor remain silent rashly

Teach a helpful speech, that I may gain silence of discernment.[1]

He puts it differently in another hymn:

Who is not amazed, Lord, that you are the Creator of all creatures

Humans want to inquire into you and they do not even know what their souls are.[2]

There is a gap between God and us. If God is God then he is beyond us. Ephrem the Syrian looks into the human heart and realizes that we don’t even comprehend ourselves fully and completely, so how can we ever talk about inquiring into the One who is beyond everything? Ephrem does suggest that we can speak analogously about God. That is, our language about God does have meaning but it does not capture the essence of God only what he has revealed to us through Revelation (in nature and in Scripture and in the Church).

So how do we relate to God now that we know that God is beyond? By prayer. Ephrem’s hymns were used and still are used in the liturgy of the church. They help us relating to God. They help us put words on our desires, on our hunger for him, our search for him. By prayer, we communicate, in our way with the One who communicates himself constantly to us in our daily lives. Jesus himself is the greatest teacher. He spent hours in prayer, he spent hours in silence and solitude where he could spend time with his Abba, Father. From his prayer he came back refreshed, inspired and ready to continue with the heavy ministry that he was carrying out. Jesus he prayed, not for himself only but for his followers and those who did not yet follow him that they may encounter him and be led to freedom and truth. We are included in his prayers to his Father, he chooses and calls each and every one of us, in his prayers, to be something great; so potentially great that you would be tempted to worship that person if you saw him or her.[3] In the Orthodox Tradition this is called theosis in Greek which means that we can participate in the divine nature. Athanasius of Alexandria said that “God became man so that we can become gods.” This is the what Lewis is talking about and this is what God is calling us to be, holy, sanctified, free, awesome.

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[1] Ephrem the Syrian’s 1^st hymn on Faith. Stanza 19

[2] Ephrem the Syrian’s 3^rd hymn on Faith. Stanza 14

[3] Compare C.S Lewis Weight of Glory. Especially the end.

Download this form first, then click the link for your age below.

Retreat Dates:
Ages 12-17: August 5-7              Click Here

Location: Warwick Center – Warwick, NY

Pickup location: [To be announced shortly] @ 12 PM on Friday

Drop off location: Church of the Virgin Mary, Paramus, NJ @ 2 PM on Sunday

Cost: $100

First 25 to register, return consent form with check will attend retreat.

Every year the Archdiocese in collaboration with S.O.A.Y.O. and the local youth groups host a single youth retreat. This year we have adjusted our vision to make these events more spiritually engaging, with an emphasis on our Syriac heritage and encouraging brotherly bonds between the youth groups of a number of parishes from all over the diocese.

We will depart on Friday at 12:00 noon this Friday August 5. The retreat will be hosted at the Warwick Center in Warwick, NY (www.warwickcenter.com). We will be returning to Paramus, NJ on Sunday, August 7 at 2:00 PM.

During our stay there, our youth will make new friends from sister parishes, learn more about our heritage and identity, while providing them with the spiritual nourishment that is so vital to their upbringing in these times. You will be comforted to know that a member of our clergy will be with the youth during the entire retreat. This will be highlighted with a visit by His Eminence Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim, who will spend valuable time with our children on Saturday and perform Holy Mass for them on Sunday morning. In addition the junior youth will be chaperoned by a group of hand picked chaperones that will be paired with the junior youth on a 5 to 10 youth to 1 chaperone ratio to provide proper guidance during their time at this year’s retreat.

Please sign your children up at www.soayo.com.

Should you have any questions please contact nataliemghazal@gmail.como or jenniferlatte@hotmail.com or contact your local parish clergy with any inquiries.

We look forward to seeing you and your children this Friday at noon.

Natalie Ghazal and Jen Latte