Our topic today will be about the
teaching of the Church on the toll-houses, which is the term that the Church
uses to describe the demons that afflict, interrogate, and examine the souls
after their separation from the body, that is, at the hour of death. It is a
teaching that, although represented by many Fathers, by sanctioned Fathers, is
not well known to Christians.
I have to tell you that even when
I finished seminary, I still had not heard about the toll-houses. I hadn’t
heard about the toll-houses while being a seminarian. It is not being taught at
the seminary. It is a very serious and very valid teaching and council by many
Holy Fathers. The reason, however, why it is not being taught is because people
don’t want to hear of difficult and unpleasant things which disturb us. But
this is to our disadvantage. We must hear of the difficult, and must try to
escape the unpleasant. What purpose is there in emulating the ostrich by
sticking our heads in the sand in order to not see the danger? It will happen
inevitably.
In fact, it is in Holy Scripture,
as the Lord Himself says: Thou fool, this night they shall require thy soul of
thee (Luke 12:20). They seek for it. It is a matter of fact, stated in the Holy
Scripture. There are other passages in the Holy Writ. For example, in another
verse our Lord says: For the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in
Me (John 14:30). St. Basil the Great remarks that he found nothing in Christ,
because He is sinless. In us, however, he will find something. [1]
There are myriads of examples
which consolidate this teaching on the toll-houses. But they don’t teach it, I
repeat, so that we won’t worry and lose our cheerfulness, and so we won’t give
up our worldly joy. However, if we had an awareness of what our soul will
undergo at this procedure of examination by passing through the toll-houses, we
would be more vigilant.
There is another very nice text
of St. John of Damascus, which speaks of what I had said immediately after the
sermon. Listen to how beautifully he speaks: “The men enlightened by God say
that the deeds of men are tested at their final breath as with a scale. If the
right side surpasses the other side, it is clear that the one who has passed
away will be with the angels on the right. [And if the two sides are equal,
God’s love for man will surely prevail. But, as the divine men say, if it tips
slightly to the left, even then the mercy of God will fill what is missing.
Behold, three divine judgements of the Master: the first is just; the second is
merciful; the third is supremely good. After these three is a fourth, when the
evil deeds are in great excess. Alas, brethren; this judgment is certainly most
just, too–justly decreed for the condemned.]” [2]
We hear the philosophers and the
modernized theologians who disparage all these things. But they don’t say
anything meaningful. Not whatever such-and-such theologian, and such-and-such
secularized bishop and patriarch say. But what do the enlightened say, the
saints? The exceptionally enlightened St. Damascene, such a great philosopher,
relates what the enlightened ones say. Being enlightened himself, he proclaims
what the illuminated say….
I say these things so they can be
heard by the theologians and clerics, so they don’t think that these are the
words of “illiterate people” about the toll-houses. Very great theologians say
these things, very great Holy Fathers.
1. St. Basil the Great, Exegetic Homilies, Homily on Psalm 7,
FOTC, vol. 46 (Washington D.C., 1963), pp. 167-168. (PG 29:232C-233A.)
2. St. John of Damascus (On Those Who Have Fallen Asleep in
the Faith), PG 95:272B. (In Greek). Fr Theodoros cites the first two sentences
of St. John’s excerpt.
The text here is derived from multiple parts of a homily
given at St. Anthony’s Church, Thessaloniki, November 18, 2012; index
00:00-2:30; 22:20-22:50; 27:30-27:45; www.impantokratoros.gr/CC372816.el.aspx
Source:
https://ignisdivine.substack.com/p/protopresbyter-theodoros-zisis-of
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.