Without today there is no Tomorrow

Today the Church commemorates the Feast of the Annunciation, the day the Church remembers when Archangel Gabriel told the Panagia (All Holy) Virgin Mary she would give birth to God. In Greek the day is known as Ευαγγελισμος which translates as “Good News”. Thus the coming of God in the Flesh is Good News for tomorrow.

Although there is no direct connection to the Feast today and the Great Fast in terms of timing for the Feast, for me it is a pleasant coincidence that half-way through the period dedicated to preparing for Christ’s Passion, we are reminded of His coming in the Flesh. After all, if He had not come in the flesh in the first place, there would be no Passion. If there had been no Passion, there would be no Great Lent, and without Great Lent, today would just be another day for us to awake, go to work, and worry about tomorrow.

Thankfully God did come in the flesh. Thankfully He did hang on the Cross and die for our salvation. Thankfully He rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. Thankfully we are preparing during the Great Fast so we could share the same Good News with others. So enjoy today and remember tomorrow is another opportunity to prepare for God.

Here are today’s reading:

Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 2:11-18 (RSV) - BRETHREN, he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, "I will proclaim thy name to my brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee." And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again, "Here am I, and the children God has given me. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage. For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.
 Gospel Reading: Luke 1:24-38 (RSV) - In those days, Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias conceived and for five months she hid herself, saying, "Thus the Lord had done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men." In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you! But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.      

Today’s Award for “Best Supporting Actor” goes to....

Throughout the year the Church celebrates many feasts. These feasts commemorate the life of Christ, the life of the Panagia (Mother of God), the lives of the Saints, and even Church history. In many cases, such as yesterday’s feast of the Presentation of Christ, there are one or more “key players” the Church honors with additional feast day celebrations. Today is an example.

Besides Christ, the key player in yesterday’s feast was Saint Symeon who was seeking Christ. It was Saint Symeon who the Holy Spirit inspired to proclaim the infant Jesus as Messiah. It was Saint Symeon who gave us the beautiful prayer...

"Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."

You can find many of these types of feasts on the Church Calendar if you look for them. Take a moment today and look through your Church Calendar. Read the Scriptures readings for the Feastdays and then look for the Saints who are commemorated on the day following the Feast. Look for Saint John the Baptist following Epiphany, the Theotokos following Christmas, Archangel Gabriel following the Annunciation and more.

Today we award the “Best Supporting Actor” to Saint Symeon, a righteous and devout man who was seeking Christ.

What are you waiting for?

Today is Groundhog Day and many awake from sleep scurrying to hear whether or not Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow. According to legend, if he exits his burrow and sees his shadow we can expect six more weeks of winter. While not scientific, thousands gather around his burrow and wait....and wait...surrounded by newscasters and smart phone camera. The anticipation can I’m sure be riveting. It made me think....what are we waiting for?

Today is also, and arguably more importantly, the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. The Temple Priest Symeon was told by God that he would not die before he set his eyes on “the Lord’s Christ.” The Gospel tells us that St Symeon as a righteous and devout man who was waiting for the Messiah. Here is the entire passage...

Gospel Reading: Luke 2:22-40 (RSV) - At that time, the parents brought the child Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons."  Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Symeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Symeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."  And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four.  She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.  And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.  And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.  And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

There is a great difference between waiting for a silly groundhog and Christ. On the one hand the results of Punxsutawwney’s shadow, or lack thereof, brings anxiety to millions who live in cold climates. On the other hand, setting our eyes upon Christ brings comfort to those who await His presence. Of course we are still waiting, but not our wait is comforted by the words of God. “Fear not for I am with you.” (Genesis 26.24) We wait for the return of Christ to bring us home to paradise.

I suppose somewhere there is a connection between Groundhog Day and the Feast of the Presentation. We’re both waiting for some good news. The difference is.....Groundhog Day is a marketing scam to draw millions of tourism dollars to a small town in Pennsylvania. The Feast of the Presentation of Christ is not a marketing scam. It is a real joyful reminder that God has come to rescue His children. The wait is over....He has come.

From Darkness to Light

In just a few days the Orthodox Church will celebrate the Feast of Theophany, often also called the Feast of Lights. In today’s Gospel reading we hear about a man who came to Jesus in the dark. He came because he was seeking the Kingdom. As Nikodemos encountered Jesus and had a dialogue with Him, he was being led from darkness to Light. Consider today’s reading:

Gospel Reading: John 3:1-15 (RSV) - At that time, there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nikodemos, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him." Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nikodemos said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The Spirit blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, and you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nikodemos said to him, "How can this be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."

The comparison between darkness and light is common the Scriptures. The darkness represents the world and light represents God and heaven. The only way to make it out of the darkness is to have an encounter with God. Light shines in darkness and exposes truth. As the Church today begins the celebration of the Feast of Theophany, the Feast of Lights, I invite you to consider whether you desire to remain in darkness or desire to journey toward the Light. 

Christ is Risen!

The day you have been working so hard for has arrived. Today is the Feast of Feasts, Holy and Great Pascha. Many of you have been with us for our entire Great Lenten Journey, while some have just arrived during Holy Week. To each of you, we here at Be Transfigured (it really is just me) would like to congratulate you for the effort. But as always at Be Transfigured, your work isn’t over yet...

Just because we are celebrating the Feast of Pascha, doesn’t mean that we still don’t have much further to climb and grow in order to achieve what we Orthodox call “Theosis” or Divination. Great Lent and Holy Week weren’t about getting to today, but getting to heaven. Today is a joyous landmark for sure, but tomorrow the “real work” begins.

Once the excitement of Pascha has settled, your souls will still crave to spend time with God. Only without Great Lent and Holy services to attend it will require more dedication on your part to make the time to attend Divine Liturgy and as many other services your local Orthodox Christian Parish offers. Without constant posts about Lenten recipes and fasting techniques, it will require more dedication on your part to keep the Wednesday and Friday Fast throughout the year, although THIS WEEK OF PASCHA is fast free.

So don’t fret, don’t panic, don’t sit on your laurels! Enjoy the Feast of Feasts with a glorious banquet and start putting into action the tools you have learned during your Great Lenten and Holy Week Journey. I’ll see on the other side of Pascha (as I am writing this in advance as I will be asleep early Sunday morning) so have a blessed Pascha and as we say at Be Transfigured, Don’t forget to live a new life in Christ.

Christ is Risen!

Father Athanasios

What is a Synaxis?

Today is the Feast of the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel, and I’m guessing most don’t know that that means. In Orthodox circles lately we’ve been hearing the word “synaxis” a lot in reference to the recent gathering of the heads of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church as they prepare for the coming Great Synod in June. We might be able to put two and two together that synaxis refers to bring (at least) two things (or in the case of the Church, people) together in one place, and we would be correct. What in the context of today’s calendar even known as the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel, it only mentions one angel, name Gabriel. How can that be a synaxis?

Sometimes you just have to take a step back to see more clearly. The Church as brought together two celebrations on the calendar, namely yesterday’s Feast of the Annunciation and today’s honoring of Gabriel as he was a ‘main player’ in the Feast. This is quite typical in the Church to honor a ‘main player’ in a Feast the day after.

Other examples include:

Feast of Christmas on December 25 – Synaxis of the Theotokos on December 26

Feast of Theophany on January 6 – Synaxis of Saint John the Baptist on January 7

Feast of Pentecost (this year) June 19 – Monday of the Holy Spirit (this year) on June 20

Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos on September 8 – Synaxis of Joachim and Anna on September 9

Just another blessed opportunity to learn from the Calendar. Just as you can tell the important people in someone’s life by looking at their day timer, you can better understand the important people in the life of the Church by paying careful attention to the Church calendar.

Remember today oil and wine are allowed because it is Saturday.

Have a blessed Lent,

Father Athanasios

A Lost Opportunity to Celebrate

Today is the Feast of the Annunciation, which is the commemoration of when Archangel Gabriel told the Panagia (All Holly Mother of God) that she was going to bear a son, and He would save the world. The Greek word of the Feast is Ευαγγελισμός which translates to “Good News” from which ultimately we receive the word Gospel. The Feast is always during Great Lent and is celebrated by easing the fast, and fish is allowed.

For many American Orthodox Christians for whom the Great Lent fast is limited only to meat, today’s sense of celebration is lost. “Why do we eat fish? I thought we were supposed to be celebrating?” are the two common questions I hear. It wasn’t until recently (past twenty years or so) Greek Orthodox parishes in America stopped hosting steak dinners for Greek Independence Day, also celebrated today. Many still can be heard complaining the Church is forcing them to fast when they should be celebrating.

This is one prime example of how the understanding and appreciation of the Orthodox Christian Faith can be lost if the Faith is not being fully practiced. For those attempting the strict fast during Great Lent, the offering of fish today is a delight to the stomach and tongue. It becomes a genuine celebration. When we embrace the idea of feasts AND fasts on the Church calendar, then we appreciate both. You cannot feast unless you fast, just as you can’t have joy without sorrow. Today is a feast, so express with joy and celebrate with a fish sandwich at the very least. The fast will continue again tomorrow, though as with last weekend, oil will be allowed. Until then....enjoy the feast.

He Who Condescended for our Salvation

Most of us think of this word in the negative. “I would NEVER condescend to....” or “He was so condescending....” that when we hear the word used in reference to Jesus Christ our ears sort of perk up?....or at least they should.

Today is the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, which commemorates Christ’s 40-day blessing according to the Law. You can read the entire story in the Gospel of Luke 2.22-40. It was a big day for humanity as the righteous Symeon was blessed to hold the infant Christ in his arms. He had received a vision from God that he would not die before setting his eyes on the Christ. When he held Christ in the Temple, he prayed...

Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.

There are so many great things about today, but I wanted to touch on the word condescension with my post for today. As part of the dismissal prayer, the Priest begins, “May He Who condescended to be held in the arms of the Righteous Symeon for our salvation, Christ our God....” This formula is used for more Feasts of Christ. For Epiphany it read, “May He Who condescended to be baptized in the Jordan by John...” etc. You get the point. But when we hear the word condescended we must not think negatively toward what God is accomplishing, but with thanks.

You see, for the Creator of the world to dare to allow the world to see Him, let alone hold Him in their arms as with today’s Feast, this is a moment of God’s great mercy as He condescends (literally comes down to our level) to save us. But it doesn’t end there.....we are only saved when He returns to the Father bringing us with Him, restored to our true humanity in communion with God. God doesn’t merely come down to our level, but LIFTS US UP to His level in heaven. That is what makes it a great mystery.

Many people today talk about the need for the Church to come down the level of the people, but unfortunately I fear most believe the Church should stay down at our level. If Christ had come down, and then stayed, we would never have been saved. Remember we can only be saved when we are LIFTED up with Christ. If the Church does not work to lift us up, we will remain fallen. So, be thankful when the Church struggles to lift you up. Don’t fight against the Church, because she is only trying to save you.

Follow the Light

As the Church celebrates the Feast of Epiphany, Light has
come into the world to lead us out of darkness. The problem is that the world
is filled with obstacles that obscure our view of the Light, and we often find
ourselves lost in the darkness. Thankfully God has provided us with His Church
to help remove the distractions and obstacles so we can see the Light and
follow the light. Having Light shining in the darkness only helps if we can see
it, but if we don’t follow the Light of the Church we will remain in darkness
and lost forever. 

We Have Seen the Light

In every Divine Liturgy, following Holy Communion, we sing the hymn, “We have seen the Light, the true Light, we have received the heavenly Spirit; we now have found the true faith, by worshiping the undivided Trinity, Who has saved us.” This declaration of faith is a confirmation that Jesus Christ is the same Light that God has promised His people. We hear in the Gospel that Jesus traveled to Galilee after John the Baptist was arrested. There is a direct reference to Jesus, Who is the Light, being seen in the darkness. This was prophesied by Isaiah (see Isaiah 9.2)

We live in a world surrounded by darkness and temptation, no differently than those in Galilee at the time of Christ or Isaiah. With the celebration of the Feast of Theophany (God Revealed), the hymn from the Divine Liturgy makes more sense, but only if we allow the Light to illuminate our path. Having light shine in the darkness only has value if it leads out of the darkness. This was beautifully expressed during our candlelit celebration for Theophany last week. The Altar was filled with light while the faithful were in darkness with lit candles symbolizing the Light in the darkness. As we approached for Holy Communion, we approached the Light and left the darkness behind.

With the New Year and New Year Resolutions still lingering, we have an excellent opportunity to act upon the words of Christ. The Gospel sets a beautiful image set in Galilee, as a light in darkness. Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4.17) Now is the perfect time to follow the Light out of the darkness. Start the New Year with repentance and leave the darkness behind. 

Learning from the Church Calendar

Today’s Gospel Reading: John 1:29-34 - At that time, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." And John bore witness, "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."

The day after the Feast of Theophany the Church commemorates the Synaxis of Saint John the Baptist, the Prophet and Forerunner. You can always tell what the Church teaches about a saint or feast by the way the calendar fluctuates. For example, yesterday was the Feast of Theophany and even though it was a Wednesday, it was a fast-free day. Compare that with the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, another of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Church, but if the Feast happens to fall on a Wednesday or Friday, the fast is only lightened (fish and oil are allowed) but not eliminated. There are many other ways to understand the Church teachings by interpreting the services used to celebrate the feasts. Take notice of the Scripture readings and hymns and you will better understand the expression of the Church.

For example, since today the Church honors the memory of Saint John the Baptist, who lived a life of total humility and always turned attention toward God rather than himself. It speaks volumes that the Church highlights a Scripture reading in which John the Baptist positions himself was not even knowing who Jesus was until AFTER the Baptism. YET.....moments before actually baptizing Jesus, he said, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” (Matthew 3.14) It seems clear that John the Baptist knew who Jesus was. They were cousins after all. So was this false humility?

There was never any false humility in John the Baptist. In today’s reading, true to form for the Baptist, our attention in turned toward God’s revelation of Jesus rather than John’s rank. We can be assured of John’s greatness by focusing on the words of Christ Who said, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11.11) What better way to celebrate the greatest humble man than to emphasize God’s revelation rather than his greatness! The Church is filled with examples of such nuances in the services and calendar of the Church. In this new year I encourage you to make more effort to pay attention to the Church calendar and learn from the choices the Church has made in our celebrations.

The Gift of Grace in Water

When Jesus entered the Jordan River to be baptized by John,
it wasn’t He who was blessed, but creation. Ever since the beginning of time,
God has given us His creation in order to glorify God and to assist us to live
in Communion with Him. The Feast of Theophany celebrates the revelation of the
Holy Trinity at the Baptism of Jesus Christ, and the gift of grace present in
the water of the Jordan River, and by extent all of creation. This gift of
grace is extended through the Great Blessing of the Waters by the Church each
year during the celebration of Epiphany, and distributed throughout the
Community as a blessing for all to share. (This sermon was offered during a candle lit Liturgy for Theophany, the Feast of Lights.)

Seeing God in 2016

Saint John said in his Gospel, “No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” (John 1.18) That HAD BEEN true until God revealed Himself in His glorious incarnation. Not since Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden had a human being set his eyes upon God. All that changed with the Christ’s Holy Nativity.

Beginning today, the Church celebrates Theophany (God Revealed) and the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ. For just over thirty-three years the world was able to set their eyes upon God in the Flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. For us as Orthodox Christians, this is fully expressed in our Holy Tradition of Icons which depicts Christ, but not the Father nor the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is often (such as the Icon of Theophany) depicted as a dove and the Father as a “ray” from Heaven.

But how do we see God now in 2016? Each human being is created in the image of God so that is one place to start. When you look at your fellow humans – friends, family and foe – consider that you are looking at the image of God. Another way we see God is in the Church. The Church mystically is the Body of Christ present in the world, continuing the work that He began. When you participate in the fullness of the sacramental life of the Church – Holy Water blessings, assisting the poor, worshiping in the Church as a community, receiving the sacraments, and in the love the Church presents to the world.

The world is filled with pain and suffering, and if the work of the Church is to continue the work begun by Christ, then it is also the work of the Church to be a light in the darkness and a refreshment to those who thirst. When the Church DOES this work, the Church allows people to see God, and ALL THIS because the Holy Trinity was revealed to us on Theophany at the Baptism of Christ.

Show us also Your Divine Theophany

On Christmas Eve during the Royal Hours of Christmas, a special prayer service offered on Christmas Eve morning, we sang the following hymn:

Today He who holds the whole world in His hand is born from a Virgin. (3)

He who in essence is impalpable is swaddled in rags as a mortal. God who established the

heavens of old in the beginning is lying in a manger. He who rained down manna for

the people in the wilderness is breastfed with milk. He who is the Bridegroom of the Church

is summoning Magi. And He, that Son of the Virgin, is accepting their gifts.

We adore Your Nativity, O Christ. We adore Your Nativity, O Christ. We adore Your Nativity, O Christ.

Show us also Your divine Theophany

Christmas has always been celebrated as part of the Feast of Theophany, and yet many of us pay little attention or make little effort to attend services for Theophany. The Feast in which God for the first time reveals Himself as Trinity is one of the greatest moments in human history. It is during the Feast of Theophany the Church extends the blessings of God to the entire created world. When Jesus entered the Jordan River to be baptized by John, He sanctified all of creation by His presence in the water. The Church continues the work of sanctifying creation when we celebrate the Great Blessing of the Waters on Theophany. Through the blessing of the waters, our homes, businesses, our own lives and the entire world receives the blessings of the Jordan – the blessings of God.

Today is the “End” of Christmas

There is a term in the Church, called “Apodosis, or Leave-taking”, which represents the end of a particular festal period. For example, the Apodosis of Pascha is the day before Ascension. Just as with Pascha we stop greeting each other with, “Christ is Risen” after the apodosis, today (The Apodosis of Christmas) will be the final day we greet each other with, “Christ is Born!” Tomorrow begins another festal period for the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord on the Eighth Day.

So why does the Church speak about the Twelve Days of Christmas if December 31^st is the Leave-Taking? Both feasts, Christmas and Circumcision, lead up to Theophany and the Baptism of Our Lord. In fact, in the earliest centuries, Theophany was the main feast with very little emphasis on the Nativity narratives. The Church began placing emphasis on Christmas only in the Fourth Century, not that 1600 years doesn’t make it an ancient feast.

The Church celebrates Theophany as the appearing of the Holy Trinity in creation, while Christmas was the birth of the eternal Son of God. Once the Church extended the celebration to include the Nativity, it was natural to “link Christmas to Theophany,” so much that the hymns for the Royal Hours of Christmas actually include the words, “We worship Your Nativity O Christ, show  us also you Divine Theophany.” The hymn is sung in the same manner as Holy and Great Friday when the Church prayers, “We worship your Passion O Christ, show us also Your Holy Resurrection.” Just as the Passion LEADS to the Resurrection, the Birth LEADS to Theophany. Thus.....the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Christmas Has to Mean Something

More than half of all Americans consider Christmas a
“cultural experience” rather than a religious holiday. We all know at least one
person, maybe even a family member, that considers Christmas just about
decorations, gifts and a big family dinner. But if the God Who created the
universe really became a human on this day we call Christmas, then that has to
mean something. Calling God our savior is more than just a few words. If He
came to save us, we have to want to be saved. If Christmas is just another day
for family to gather around the dinner table, then it isn’t Christmas.
Something so significant and life changing – life saving – as God becoming a
baby has to mean something.

The Church - Protector and Shepherd

Before ascending to His Throne, Jesus commanded the Apostles to remain in Jerusalem to await the Holy Spirit. Before departing for his trial, Saint Paul warned the Church that wolves would come to attack the Church, some even from within. Ever since, we have been waiting for the return of Christ, comforted and shepherded by the Holy Spirit, while protected by His Church. But we cannot be shepherded if we insist on ignoring the Church and wandering away from her wings. The Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, protects us from the wolves while leading us to heaven. We must be vigilant against the attack of the wolves, and learn to recognize when someone is teaching against the Church. At those moments we must run to the Church for protection.

Has Pascha Changed the Way You Live?

A couple weeks ago we were blessed to come together and celebrate another Pascha – the Feast of Feasts – the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We prayed, we sang, we lit our candles, and we feasted. But has your life changed at all? Other than spending a few hours in Church during Holy Week, is your life different this month than it was last month? If the answer is, “NO,” then you’re missing something in the celebration of Pascha.

As Orthodox Christians, we believe that Jesus Christ, the Eternal Incarnate Word of God, took on human flesh, lived as a human being for thirty-three years, was crucified, died and was buried, and was RESURRECTED on the Third Day – all so that death no longer had any power over the rest of us humans. This is the Good News that we sing at every service for forty days after Pascha.

Christ is Risen from the dead

By Death trampling upon death

And to those in the tombs

He has granted life!

For the first Christians, this Good News gave a new hope that life, despite its challenges (and there are many) is greater than what we experience on Earth. Life begins here on the Earth, but last for all eternity (thanks to Pascha) with God in Heaven. This new hope changed the way the first Christians lived their daily lives. It changed the way the first Christian interacted with other members of society. It changed the way the first Christians understood the Love of God. Has it changed you?

The Christian Way of Life, the Orthodox Way, is a life dedicated to living in total communion with God AT ALL TIMES. It is a life in which God’s love shines in the way we interact with others. Do we guilt, shame, force, or otherwise trick others into certain behaviors or situations? God would never use guilt or shame to force us to love Him. OR do we show respect for the freedom of others and live OUR lives honoring God. Do we share our financial blessings with those who are in need? Do we share our time with others who are lonely? Do we share our knowledge with others who are struggling? The first Christians were known for the love and assistance they shared with others, including the very enemies who were killing them.

The first Christians lived a life that was radically different than at any other time in human history BECAUSE of Pascha, and the hope that the Good News offered. The Good News hasn’t changed....has it changed you?

We Have Seen the Light

During every Divine Liturgy we sing the words, “We have seen the Light,” but it is what we do AFTER the Divine Liturgy with the Light that really matters. Many who have received the Light of Christ, fail to make good use of the Light in their lives. Some even reject it. Just as with any gift we receive or plan we make, it requires more than just good intentions for us to be successful and for the Light of Christ to grow within our hearts. All good intentions aside, if we do not make good use of the Light that has been given to us at our Baptism, Jesus will take it away and give it to someone who desires for it to grow. What have you done with the Light you have received?

Every Great Fire Begins with a Small Flame

During the Feast of Epiphany we sang, “When you were baptized in the Jordon, O Lord, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. And the words of the Father bore added witness, naming You His beloved Son. And the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the certainty of that word. O Christ, You revealed Yourself as God, and brought Light into the world. Glory to You!” Jesus Christ is called “The Light of the World” which is also why Epiphany is also known as The Feast of Lights.

On the Sunday following Epiphany, the Gospel also speaks about Light. “, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” (Matthew 4.16/Isaiah 9.1-2) As we are still celebrating the Feast of Epiphany, the Feast of Lights, we also receive the same blessing. Light has dawned in our darkness. We no longer have to walk in the darkness of sin. But there is more...

The Gospel also tells us of how the world immediately fought against God, first by arresting John the Baptist. “Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.” (Matthew 4.12) As Jesus brought the Light into the darkness, it immediately began to grow bright with the calling of the Disciples and spreading like wildfire with the public teaching of Jesus. What began as a single Light in His Baptism has become a great Light in His Church over the centuries. But it all begins here at His Baptism and spreads through our hearts.