Struggling in Sinai

St. Catherine’s Monastery sits at the foot of Mount Sinai. It was founded in the 6th century by Byzantine Emperor Justinian and is the oldest operating Christian monastery in the world. It was built on what is believed to be the site where God appeared to Moses in the Burning Bush. The monastery also contains the well where it is believed that Moses met his wife Zipporah (and still serves as the monastery’s main source of water).

The name St. Catherine refers to Catherine of Alexandria the 4th century martyr whose relics are at the monastery. The full name of the monastery is the Sacred Autonomous Royal Monastery of St. Catherine of the Holy and God-Trodden Mount Sinai. It is one of the most sacred sites of scripture, and throughout the land passing through various political changes (Egyptian, Roman, Ottoman, British, Israeli, etc), the monks of St. Catherine’s have always been there, praying and maintaining the site.

The monks are known for their ancient icons and for the world’s oldest continuously operating library, which includes the Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th-century Greek Bible, and the Syriac Sinaiticus, the oldest copy of the Gospels in Syriac.

In the 7th century, the Islamic prophet Muhammad granted the monastery a charter, known as the Ashtiname (or Testament) of Muhammad, guaranteeing protection to its inhabitants. According to monastery tradition, Muhammad frequented the site and had a great relationship and deep discussions with the Sinai monks.

Monday Motivation: It Will Be Quiet Someday

It's been a busy month, and I haven't written much, although there has been lots of mulling. I am hoping to get lots of my thoughts from my pilgrimage to Rome organized soon. 

But also, there's just a lot going on in the country and the world. A lot of not great things. A lot of noisy, stressful, chaos. So much happening at once. So much confusion and uncertainty. So much chatter and noise. 

I want hope. I want quiet. I want time to take a breath. And I have to hope that that time will come, that this period of chaos is just temporary, and we'll come through and be able to rest.

With These Words

Today is the 1,700th anniversary of the opening of the first Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council. Emperor Constantine had recently converted to Christianity. While he was forcing his subjects to convert, there was a surge of conversions and a surge of differing theologies. Constantine wanted unity in the empire; he didn’t particularly care about the doctrinal matters, only that heresies not break out into violent factions that he would have to deal with.

More than 300 bishops from all over the Roman Empire gathered in Nicaea, in what is now Turkey. Several important matters were discussed, but one of the most lasting was the Nicene Creed, the statement of belief that outlined the basic tenets of Christianity.

It is amazing to think that this creed has been continually proclaimed for more than a millennium. Reciting it every Sunday, one can forget its profoundness. They are bold statements, ones people have fought over, died over, found solace and salvation in.

The International Theological Commission released a document for this anniversary, going in depth on the meaning of the creed. In its opening, the document states: “This has remained in Christian consciousness mainly through the Creed, that Symbol which gathers, defines and proclaims faith in salvation in Jesus Christ and in the One God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Nicene Symbol professes the good news of the integral salvation of human beings from God himself in Jesus Christ. 1,700 years later, we are celebrating this event above all with a doxology, a praise of the glory of God, since this glory has been manifested in the priceless treasure of faith expressed by the Symbol: the infinite beauty of the God who saves us, the immense mercy of Jesus Christ our Saviour, the generosity of the redemption offered to every human being in the Holy Spirit.”