A Simple Multiple Choice Life

You are sitting by the side of the road selling boiled peanuts when suddenly Jesus Christ comes walking by surrounded by a crowd of followers. Do you…

A.      Keep selling your boiled peanuts as if nothing special is happening?

B.      Stop selling your boiled peanuts and sit perfectly still so you don’t disturb Him?

C.      Try to sell boiled peanuts to the crowd?

D.      Drop your boiled peanuts, cry out “Lord, Have mercy?” and then follow Him wherever He goes?

 

Sometimes life is just a simple multiple choice question.

 

We may not be selling boiled peanuts on the side of the road, but Jesus Christ IS approaching. With Christmas just around the corner, we will be continuously reminded by radio, television, the internet and our friends that Christmas needs our attention. Will we…

A.      Keep shopping at all hours spending more money than we can afford?

B.      Stop shopping and spend a quiet evening at home alone watching television?

C.      Try to get our friends to go out shopping with us?

D.      Forget about all the shopping, come to Church and rededicate our lives to follow Jesus Christ?

 

Sometimes life is just a simple multiple choice question.

What do YOU say?

If your neighbor says he’s always right, he’s arrogant….
If your neighbor says it always has to be his way, he’s selfish….
If your neighbor says you should do everything he says, he’s a dictator….

BUT….

If God says He’s always right, HE is….
If God says it should always be His way, He knows better than we do…
If God says we should do everything He says, we should…

What do YOU say?

How Should We Prepare for Christmas?

The arrival of December and the passing of Thanksgiving traditionally usher in the “official” Christmas Season with decorations, Christmas carols and holiday shopping, all supposedly in preparation to celebrate the birth of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, too often these days, we expend so much energy in our decorations and shopping that we forget the holiday is about our eternal salvation rather than Black-Friday or Cyber-Monday. In fact, for most Christians today, the only preparation for Christmas is just that, decorations and shopping and maybe a little cooking. And to make things worse, with the numerous holiday parties that crowd our calendar beginning sometimes even before Thanksgiving, most of us are too exhausted to truly celebrate Christmas when the day finally arrives.

 

This is NOT the Orthodox way to prepare for Christmas. We prepare for so many events in our lives; anniversaries, birthdays, namedays, weddings, baptisms, graduations, it would seem appropriate that we prepare for Christmas with greater importance than these other celebrations. The proper way to prepare for Christmas is with prayer and fasting. Beginning with November 15^th and lasting until the Divine Liturgy for Christmas, we are invited by the Church to fast AT LEAST from meat, in preparation to receive the gift of Christmas.

 

As Orthodox Christians, we should delay the celebration of Christmas until we have completed the Divine Liturgy for Christmas, after we have fasted and reflected upon our spiritual readiness for Christ in our hearts. We go to exhausting steps to ensure our homes are prepared to receive our dinner guests, but we forget to prepare our hearts to receive Christ. We clean our silver and china for our holiday meal, but we neglect to clean our hearts for the Divine Meal which is Holy Communion.

 

I urge you this year to reorient your life into a proper focus for the Christmas Season. I invite you to embrace the fast of the Church as a time to reflect and cleanse your souls and hearts to receive the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ on December 25^th. I encourage you to plan to fully engage in the worship and divine services of the Church for Christmas this year.

 

And then we will celebrate with family, friends, and our brothers and sisters in Christ. We will feast for two entire weeks until Epiphany in January in honor of the birth of our Lord, God, Savior Jesus Christ. But first…..WE PREPARE!

We are Our Worst Enemies

You’ve heard it said before that we can be our own worst enemies, and nothing can be truer when it comes to our relationship with Jesus Christ and our journey to heaven. Jesus was met by a certain rich man (Luke 18.18-27) asking, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Unfortunately for this man, and too often for us as well, he allowed self-righteousness and self-pity to stop him on his journey to eternal life. Our need to continuously place our ego and self-will ahead of the will of God will ultimately draw us away from God full. Thankfully the Church offers a variety of tools such as fasting to assist us in keeping our ego and self-righteousness in check so we can see more clearly the love, mercy and grace of God.

 

VIDEO Podcast: http://blip.tv/be-transfigured/we-are-our-worst-enemies-6454081

AUDIO Podcast: http://betransfigured.podbean.com/2012/11/25/we-are-our-worst-enemies/

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This Week’s Sermon also airs DAILY AT 12NOON Eastern on Transfiguration Radio at http://myocn.com/players/florence.sc/ or our mobile player at http://myocn.com/players/florence.sc/m/

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How Shall We Give Thanks to God?

It’s a typical question around Thanksgiving. “How should we thank God?” God who needs nothing has given us everything as we pray in the Divine Liturgy, “You have brought all things out of nothing into being.” How can we possibly give thanks to God, presuming of course, that we want to give thanks to Him in the first place?

Our ancient Holy Tradition has given us a clear understanding of how we should give thanks to God. We thank Him by making an offering to Him in worship. Cain & Abel, Noah after the Flood, Abraham after He rescued Lot and again after He promised life; these are all ancient examples of how, long before God established the Law with Moses, human beings expressed their gratitude to God. In fact the Thanksgiving Offering, which for us Christians is the Eucharist, is considered a communal experience between the he who offers and He who receives. It was believed in the ancient times that when offering a burnt offering to God on the Altar, God received the “burnt parts” while sharing the “cooked parts” with the person making the offering. This is why we say in the Divine Liturgy, “For You, Christ our God, are the Offerer and the Offered, the One who receives and is distributed.”

In the ancient world offerings were of many sorts; wine, oil, bread, wheat, animals, incense, and even money. These each represented an offering equal to our labor. For instance, Cain “brought a sacrifice to the Lord from the fruits of the ground,” (Genesis 4.3) representing the fruit of his labor. His brother Abel did the same, but from his flock of sheep. What represents the fruit of our labor? For most of us today, our money represents the fruits of our labor, but offering money is also nothing new. When Abraham wanted to thank God for saving his nephew Lot, he, “gave him a tithe of all.” (Genesis 14.20)

As Greek Orthodox Christians and especially as Americans, we have much to give thanks to God. We begin by coming to worship, most especially the Sunday Divine Liturgy ON TIME, and participating fully in the service by preparing for and receiving Holy Communion. Then we make our offering to God, which should represent not only our labor but the level of our thanks. The more we have to be thankful for, the more we should thank God. And when the offering is from our heart, as it was from Abel, the Lord will respect it. (Genesis 4.4)

The Fiscal Cliff is Nothing to Fear

NO MORE TWINKIES! That was this week’s top selling “bad news” among business closings and economic downsizing. The coming “Fiscal Cliff” seems to be all consuming these days and most Americans watch the daily news with fear and anxiety for an unknown economic future. But as Christians we do not need to fear the economic future, cliff or no cliff. So long as we keep our hearts focused upon Jesus Christ, we will safely pass over the fiscal cliff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

VIDEO Podcast: http://blip.tv/be-transfigured/the-fiscal-cliff-is-nothing-to-fear-6446537

AUDIO Podcast: http://betransfigured.podbean.com/2012/11/18/the-fiscal-cliff-is-nothing-to-fear/

YouTube: http://youtu.be/lCf-z544o_M

 

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So, What's the Big Deal about Fasting Anyway?

Today is the first day of the Nativity Fast so I thought I would share some thoughts about fasting in general and why the Orthodox Church considers the discipline beneficial. We are being asked by the Church to fast from AT LEAST MEAT until we celebrate the Nativity of Christ on December 25^th. It HAS to be more than just about the food right?

Right! First, we must acknowledge that it is in fact a spiritual discipline and not a diet. The fast is not merely abstaining from meat as much as it is being conscious of our spiritual season. I think more than ever our society has lost sight of the 40 days leading up to Christmas. It has become barely more than an extended shopping season when stores “make it or break it” in their profit margins for the year. When we, as Orthodox Christians, FAST by altering our daily diet, we are making a conscious effort to remain focused upon the spiritual season in which we find ourselves. The same holds true for the weekly fast on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year. The very fact that we have to be AWARE what day of the week it is JUST SO THAT we can fast helps us maintain our focus upon the Lord.

Second, we must come to the understanding that our ancient human fallen condition is selfish by default. Ever since Adam and Eve struggle with their will vs. the Will of God in the Garden, human beings have been engaged in a war between our flesh and our soul. St Paul characterizes this well when he says, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; and the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Romans 7.19) When we fast in general, but especially when we ALLOW the Church to guide our fasting, we are forcibly placing our will as below the Will of the Church, the Body of Christ. For example, when I tell my body, “There will be no meat for you for the next forty days because I’m offering our time to God EVEN though big juicy beef hamburgers are your favorite food,” we are taking control over our flesh in favor of our relationship with the Lord. It sometimes helps to consider fasting as “self-control training” and “giving up my will for God’s Will” rather than self-denial.  This is also why I don’t advise the “what shall I give up for Lent,” custom popular these days because when WE choose how WE shall fast, then it remains all about OUR will rather than God’s. It might seem trivial, but trust me on this one…..our will is VERY strong which probably explains the whole, “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,” thing. Fasting helps us focus on God’s Will rather than our own.

Finally, when we fast, we are making an offering of our selves directly to God as Saint Paul says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is you reasonable service.” (Romans 12.1) If we are seeking to unite our bodies with the Lord’s in Holy Communion, which we SHOULD seek, then the least we could do as a beginning is to make an offering to Him of our own flesh, not on the Cross as He did, but in fasting. It is important to remember that “sacrifice” in this context doesn’t mean “slaughter” but “sanctify.” Too often we envision sacrifice as killing rather than the actual “to make holy” which is true meaning in Latin of the word.

So this year for the Nativity Fast (also known as Advent) I invite you to embrace the Fast of the Orthodox Church and make an offering of yourself to God while training your will to be less focused upon your own desires by remaining conscious of the season ahead. Then Christmas will be a glorious celebration.

A Good Teacher Requires a Dedicated Student

A teacher is only as good as the student is willing to learn. Not student can learn without a dedicated relationship with a good teacher. Jesus often plays the role as our Good Teacher offering us guidance for our journey to heaven. Our role is to be dedicated students willing to put into action the knowledge that God brings to us. What does the Teacher offer? “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus then commands “Go and do likewise.”

 

Direct Video Podcast http://blip.tv/be-transfigured/a-good-teacher-requires-a-dedicated-student-6434013

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Go and do likewise…

We’ve all been there before. We all remember in school how our teacher would help us remember that we already knew the answer to a question. With the wise guidance of our teacher, we all know how to search our minds and our hearts to find the right answer for a variety of questions. But no question is as important as, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10.25)

 

The Gospel tells us a story of a certain lawyer who wanted to test Jesus by asking a question for which he already knew the answer. Jesus responded to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” (Luke 10.26) After the lawyer precisely quoted from the Law, Jesus said, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” Yet, the lawyer wasn’t satisfied with his attempt to challenge Christ as he pressed on “wanting to justify himself.” (Luke 10.28)

 

We all know how God wants us to live. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all you strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10.27) But are we satisfied or do we want to press Jesus further? The lawyer didn’t really desire to have eternal life. Why else would he press further once the Lord approved of his answer? The Gospel says, “wanting to justify himself,” because his heart was not pure.

 

It wasn’t enough for the lawyer to know the answer; he need to justify his own actions. The same is true for us. We already know how God wants us to live. The real question is, “Are we living how He desires or are we seeking to justify our own actions that fall short of God’s will in our lives?” God knows the condition of our heart, and when He says, “Go and do likewise,” He means it. The rest is up to us.

Tales from L.A. - "It Really Hurts"

I don't normally do this, but I thought this article by Fr John Bakas in Los Angeles was SO good that I asked his permission to repost it here. This article was published in the Orthodox Observer of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Here is the full text of the article...

TALES FROM L.A.

 

 

“It Really Hurts”

By Fr. John S. Bakas

 

 

From time to time, I get an email or letter that breaks my heart. I’m sure every one of our priests have had their hearts broken in similar fashion. It really hurts.

 

A few weeks ago, I received an email which read as follows: “My name is Dorothea. I was wondering if you may be able to give me some advice regarding my upcoming wedding ceremony.  My finance Paul and I are getting married early next year.  He was baptized Russian Orthodox and I, Greek Orthodox.  However, we are having a secular ceremony as we consider ourselves Agnostic, while relating to and living by Yogic and Buddhist philosophy. However, I have a deep desire to incorporate some of my Greek heritage into our wedding ceremony. My wish is to honor this part of my Greek culture and bring some of the tradition and ritual to the ceremony. Of course, I understand this is a very tricky thing to do, as the beautiful Greek rituals signify a sacrament that doesn’t quite fit our personal feelings and beliefs.”

 

I thought a great deal about this email and re-read it several times to get its full impact. I told Dorothea that it would be improper to make up your own spirituality as you please. It is syncretism at its worst. My words didn’t really matter to her. She was polite but very unbending. We rightly send Orthodox missionaries around the world, attempting to evangelize non-Christians in Africa, Southeast Asia, building churches and bringing the Orthodox Faith to them, yet right here in our own back yard we are losing so many of our own.  Just look around in any of our parishes and you will find the lost, the prodigals, the disconnected who have gone off as scripture says “to a far off land” far from Christ and His Church.

 

I’m afraid so many of us are conflicted about the role and purpose of our Orthodox Faith when it comes down to the parish level. Ask any three people what the role of the church is and you will probably get three different answers. I wonder if Dorothea and fiancé Paul in their spiritually formative years were truly exposed to our real faith, the faith of the Bible, the Fathers and the deep Christ centered worship services of our Holy Tradition. I wonder if their spiritual quest was drowned out by cultural and ethnic pressures and priorities. I wonder if they saw their priest as a true spiritual father, leading them on the road of salvation or a religious “country club” director dressed in black and wearing a cross directing traffic in the diverse expectations and demands of parishioners. Was their sacramental and prayer life more important than the social, athletic and cultural activities that often overwhelm the attention of our focus to our Triune God?  Have we lost the balance?  Do we offer programs just to keep our people involved to show numbers or do we encourage activities as “ministries” of the church leading people to Christ through social, athletic and cultural programs.

 

I suspect that the overwhelming majority of our people have never read the Archdiocesan Uniform Parish Regulations.  In the Mission statement for each parish in the Archdiocese the following is made abundantly clear. “The diakonia (ministry) of the Parish will include proclaiming and teaching the Gospel in accordance with the Orthodox Faith; sanctifying the faithful through God’s grace in worship, the Divine Liturgy and the other sacraments; enhancing its parishioners’ spiritual life; and adding to the numbers of the faithful by receiving persons into the Church through instruction, baptism and/or chrismation.  In addition, the Parish shall establish educational and philanthropic activities to foster the aims and mission of the Parish and to edify its parishioners in the Faith and ethos of the Church.”

 

Many well-meaning parishioners and even some parish councils do not fully understand the role of the priest.  Their clichéd role is not just “hatch” (baptism) “match” (weddings) “patch” (counsel) and “dispatch” (funerals). The U.P.R.s clearly states the fundamental role of the priest at the parish level.

“The Priest by virtue of his canonical ordination and assignment heads and administers the parish and exercise on its behalf the priestly duties, which consist in shepherding the Parish entrusted to his care, directing its orderly life, preserving its unity and keeping it faithful to its divine purpose.  He shall sanctify his parishioners through the administration of the sacraments and the performance of all other prescribed services of worship.  He shall also proclaim the Gospel and impart knowledge of the doctrines, traditions, canons and disciplines of the Church.  Further, he shall guide the growth and progress of the Parish in the Christian life through the performance of his pastoral duties.”

 

It seems so many have different expectations of the Church and Her clergy. What are yours? Are they in accordance with scripture and our Holy Tradition as taught unadulterated since Pentecost? Do we understand the Apostolic succession of the priesthood going back all the way to the High Priest, our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ who established the priesthood?

 

Our Lord’s final command to His priests, His Apostles, was the Great Commission. “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age.” MT.28:16-20

 

I wish someone would have shared the Gospel (Good News) with Dorothea and Paul in their formative years. Perhaps, there would now be an Orthodox priest performing their upcoming wedding. Even though it really hurts,  it’s still not too late. The prodigal son came to his senses and returned to his Father’s house. I pray for the return one day of Dorothea and Paul and so many countless other prodigals to their Heavenly Father’s house, our Orthodox Church.

 

 

Fr. Bakas is Dean of Saint Sophia Cathedral, Los Angeles and a faculty member of Loyola Marymount University, School of Theology.

 

Election Day, Christian Morals, and Political Compromise

In a free society it is understood that we live under a set of “agreed-to rules” and common morals that guide our daily interaction. These rules and morals are established, in our American context, through the election process wherein each citizen is granted an equal voice through the ballot box. The American political system, while many will agree has become corrupt and tainted, has been carefully crafted to protect against oppression and favor freedom. Our electoral system, especially our Presidential electoral system, was crafted to not only grant each citizen an equal voice, but to equalize political power across several sectors. We know this as checks and balances. The Electoral College for example allows for each State to determine, within certain guidelines, how that particular State will cast its electoral votes for President and Vice President. For example, the State of California, based upon population, has been granted 55 electoral votes out of a total 538 in the entire nation. So in California, after all the polling stations have closed and have reported their vote totals, the “winner takes all” system is used and the States casts its 55 electoral votes for a single candidate. There are I believe 2 States and currently split their electoral college votes, but most use the “winner takes all” method.

 

Why do I go through this? Because after watching and reading so many posts in the recent weeks about this election and how divided our nation is politically, I think it is important to outline what I believe “Political Compromise” really means….

 

Whether we are using our voice to vote for President of the United States or whether building codes should be rewritten, after the votes are tallied, we agree to live by a “majority rules” method of government. That means, as in the case of California, if the majority votes for President Obama, which it is suggested they will today, then those who cast their vote for Governor Romney, agree to allow the entire State to cast its 55 electoral votes for President Obama. That is political compromise.

 

Political compromise doesn’t mean compromising your values and convictions and changing your vote. Political compromise means, maintaining your values and convictions, WHILE allowing the majority to rule. And if your values and convictions are not in the majority, then there are built-in systems to change the policies through future elections.

 

How does this affect our morals? Morals are a system of beliefs and behaviors SHARED by a common group. For Greek Orthodox Christians, our morals are established by God and His Church. For others in America, their morals are guided by other sources. So as Greek Orthodox Christians living in America, we live by two sets of morals, our Greek Orthodox Christian morals and American morals PROVIDED that the American morals don’t conflict. As Greek Orthodox Christians, we embrace political compromise and allow the majority to govern, but that does NOT mean that we change our values and convictions, merely that we allow others their freedom to live their lives, sometimes even choosing to depart from God’s Church.

 

So when you enter the voting booth today, remember your Orthodox Christian values and convictions and cast your vote. But remember, even when your vote is not in the majority, you never have to compromise your values, just which values become law. That is true freedom which God intended. If we find ourselves as Orthodox Christians in the legal minority, which wouldn’t be the first time in history, that only means we remain a minority, not that have to stop living as Orthodox Christians – loving God with all our heart, mind, body and soul and our neighbor as ourselves.

 

Have a blessed election day.

Which Side are You On?

Throughout life we are faced with a deep chasm in our heart between the pleasures of life and a life dedicated to God. The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16.19-31) expresses what will happen if we spend too much time digging a canyon so deep we refuse to cross over to be with God. Fortunately for us, God has given us a chance to wash clear the chasm in our heart and cross to the other side in time to spend eternity blessed by God rather than remaining in torment. The choice is ours to make, but it must be now…before we die.

 

This week’s sermon (November 4, 2012) will air DAILY at 12NOON on Transfiguration Radio or you may download it directly following the links below. We also invite you to subscribe to our VIDEO or AUDIO Podcast via iTunes also using the links below.

 

AUDIO PODCAST - http://betransfigured.podbean.com/2012/11/04/which-side-are-you-on/

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A Line in the Sand

It is an old expression, “To draw a line in the sand,” which means to set a limit across which you refuse to cross or which you refuse to allow others (or even dare others) to cross. And it is something most of us do every day…normally regretting the outcome. When we draw a line in the sand we tell those around us that we are not willing to listen or negotiate our position. It is a statement of barriers rather than bridges, and it tends to limit progress rather than extend it, which is why most of us regret drawing them to begin with.

But there can be a good line to draw when it comes to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact the line has been draw for us by Jesus Christ and His Church. “And besides all this, between you and us there is great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.” (Luke 16.26) This is the line between heaven and hell; a line between loving God and hating Him.

About this gulf, Saint Gregory of Nyssa says, “This, in my opinion, is the gulf, which is not an earthly abyss, that the judgment between the two opposite choices of life creates. Once one has chosen the pleasure of this life and has not remedied this bad choice by a change of heart, he produces for himself a place of empty hereafter. He digs this unavoidable necessity for himself like some deep and trackless pit.” He has “drawn a line in the sand” across which he cannot pass, even he wanted to, after death.

My brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ has drawn a line in the sand and He expects us to choose sides…NOW before we die. Do you choose the pleasure of this life and an eternity of torment, or a life of service to others and the comfort of heaven? You must choose and you must choose soon before it’s too late.

My Papou was a Freedom Fighter

With the celebration of Greek “OXI Day” coming on October 28^th, I am moved to tell a story about my papou (that’s Greek for grandfather) and his story as a Greek immigrant. This story is a compilation of stories my father shared with me and my own research in 2007 and 2008 while living in Boston, MA. I decided one weekend during my years at Seminary that I would take some time to investigate my papou’s immigration story. Using the valuable resources at www.EllisIsland.org, I was able to discover the date my papou arrived in America and the location of his first address. Here is his story…

Angelo Haros (Ευἀγγελος Χαριλάου), my papou, was born in 1900 in the city of Constantinople (today knows as Istanbul, Turkey) and moved early as a child where he grew up living with his family in the city of Argyrokastro in what Greeks know as “Northern Epirus” (today Gjirokastër, Albania), also the birthplace of Albanian Communist leader Enver Hoxha in 1908.

According to shipping manifests I was able to view at EllisIsland.org, he arrived in America  in 1923, at the age of 23, (which is how he always gave dates when speaking of his own life history) and went to live in Waterville, ME. While in Waterville he worked, as most immigrants did, in the textile mills along the river, even living in a mill-owned boarding house with several other men. In 2008 I was blessed to travel to Waterville in search of his first American address. I found no building at that location, but after inquiring at the town Assessor’s Office, I was given a copy of the property tax files WITH A PICTURE from, if you can believe it 1922. Though the boarding house was gone, I was able to somehow connect to my papou’s first home thanks to the Assessor’s meticulous files. (As an aside, while investigating Waterville, ME, I can across the name of a “famous” Greek who went to Colby College in Waterville, the current Metropolitan of Pittsburgh, His Eminence Metropolitan SAVAS.)

After living is Waterville for only a few years, my papou returned to Argyrokastron. According to my father, Waterville was too cold. After being married to my yiayia (that’s Greek for grandmother) and having two children, my two aunts, the family returned again to America, this time settling in Chicago where my father was born in 1939. I laughed when my father said Waterville was too cold, because I couldn’t imagine Chicago was any warmer. I don’t suspect, though, that cold was the only reason he settled in Chicago.

There were two things about my papou my father has shared with me that helped fill in the blanks. When my papou arrived in Maine he was told they didn’t “like Greeks” so he changed his name from Harilou to Haros, also a common habit of Greek immigrants. While back home in Argyrokastron, war was rampaging the region among Greeks, Albanians, Germans, and Italians. When he arrived back in America, I imagine living among the large Greek population of Chicago was comforting to him and the family. My father also shared memories of his father hosting several men in secret in their home in Chicago. These men were discussing how they could assist the freedom efforts of the Greeks in Northern Epirus. For his efforts to assist the Greeks in Albania, he was honored by Patriarch Athenagoras, but was also not “free” to return to his homeland.

He spent the remainder of his life dedicated to his family and his Church making Chicago and America his home. He had a deep love for his homeland, but he never returned as the Communist Party held tight control over the only officially declared atheist nation in the world. He fell asleep in the Lord in 1984, at the age of 84, only 7 years before the fall of communism and the restoration of freedom and the Orthodox Church to his homeland.

When I read stories of the restoration and expansion of the Church in Albania I am comforted and smile when I think of how proud my papou would be to hear of the heroism of today’s freedom fighters such as Archbishop Anastasios of Albania who has led the Orthodox Church’s revival throughout Albania following the collapse of Communism.

Freedom is a gift from God and must be defended at all times. Learning my papou’s story helps me understand this. When I celebrate “OXI Day” this Sunday, the day the Greeks refused  to “hand Greece over to the Axis Forces” of Hilter’s Nazi Party, I will fondly think of my papou, the first freedom fighter I ever knew.

You Are in Complete Control

When we are face-to-face with the demons of life, it sometimes helps to remember that we are in complete control of our life. If we desire to be with God, then no demon, real or imagined, can keep us from His healing power. As Jesus travels from place to place, He comes to visit our hearts and offers to heal us from our demons. What is our response? Will we welcome Him or chase Him away as those swine herders did in the Gospel? (Luke 8.26-39) We are in control of our response…nobody else.

 

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Everyone Needs Christmas Cards

My wife has a greeting card business and she has just released her new Christmas Card design for 2012. 10% of all sales benefit Orthodox Christian Charity so you are helping Orthodox Charities AND sending loved ones and friends REALLY nice greeting cards. Check out her website...

http://www.shop.vscardbox.com/Christmas_c6.htm

Jesus’ Healing Tour; Next Stop….Your Heart

Throughout the Gospels, we hear of Jesus moving from town to town healing crowds of believers of everything from paralysis to demonic possession. At each of these events, there are always witnesses who are shocked by what they see with their own eyes. Sometimes the shock leads to a deep faith in Christ; other times, the shock leads to rejecting Jesus and sending Him away.

 

In the Gospel of Luke, we hear how Jesus heals a man who was being controlled by so many demons that, when asked his name, the demons replied, “Legion.” In sending the demons out of the man, Jesus allowed them to enter a heard of pigs. The pigs couldn’t endure the torment of the demons and “ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.” (Luke 8.33) As with every healing, many witnesses saw this event and some believed while others rejected God. The Gospel says, “Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes, asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.” (Luke 8.37-38)

 

Jesus has chosen to stop in your heart today and do some healing; we all need a little healing from Jesus. One thing remains….how will you react?

Everyone Has an Equal Chance at God's Love

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus explains that God chooses to “cast His seed” without hesitation and without discrimination to whomever receives His word. He says, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside…some fell on rock….some among thorns….and some fell on good ground.” (Luke 8.5-8) It is important to notice that God didn’t wait to make sure His seed would only fall on good soil. NOR did He worry about whether or not there were weeds “waiting” to choke out the good seed. When God sows His seed, He throws it out for everyone, no matter who they may be. It is then up to us to receive His word, nurture it in our hearts, and bear rich bountiful fruit.

 

Sometimes, as the parable teaches, demons come and snatch the good seed out of our hearts or our fruit may even rot on the vine. We should never be discouraged though, because next season, God will return to scatter His seed once again and we will have another chance to receive it, nurture it and bring forth fruit. Of course, we should do whatever is in our power to fend off the demons, but there will always be times, hopefully not too many, when we are not strong enough and we see the seed carried away from our hearts.

 

Sometimes, as the parable teaches, our hearts receive the seed but our world filled with many distractions, draws our attention away and, even when the seed sprouts, it doesn’t produce strong fruit. But again, we should not worry, because God will come again and scatter His seed.

 

When should we worry? When we give up trying to produce the fruit; that’s when. As long as we keep trying, then God will keep sowing. So if you look into your heart today and can identify with either the path, the thorns, the rocks or even the good soil, consider that God is sowing His seeds for you to receive. Your job is to do the best you can and bear the best fruit with what you have in your heart.

The Joy that Goes with Having Visitors

We all know what joy it brings to have guests visit our home, especially visitors that are important and special. We all know how exciting it can be when a famous person visits our town. We all know how people talk around town when a famous and important person is seen in our neighborhood. So we can imagine just how excited the crowd was after Jesus brought a young man back to life. They said, “A great prophet has risen among us. God has visited His people.” (Luke 7.16)

 

And we also know just how much work is required for that special visitor. Even if we haven’t personally hosted a special guest in town, just based upon what it takes to host a guest in our home, we can expect how much work is involved in hosting such a special visitor. So we also can imagine another reaction to Jesus when, “fear seized them all.”

 

It is a huge responsibility to host any visitor, let alone God, but the joy of hosting and being honored by such a guest, far outweighs the burden. If we can understand this about how the crowd reacted to God’s visit, maybe we can bring ourselves to have the same reaction to Him. Maybe we can express the joy and awe that the crowd experienced when they were visited by God.

 

Why????????????Because He visits our Church during EVERY Liturgy.

What Makes Me a Christian?

This Fall we are studying the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament to answer one simple question, “Why  did Jesus come?” You see in Genesis, the story of the beginning of life on Earth, we hear the original purpose of God’s creation, namely for us to live in communion with Him. In fact, a proper understanding of Genesis in this way encourages us to a closer relationship with a loving and merciful and loyal God, Who despite our many attempts to run away from Him, continues to reach out to His creation for the sole purpose of bringing us closer to Himself. A proper reading of Genesis reveals that God isn’t angry with His creation; He is patient always giving us another opportunity to repent and come closer to Him.

Whether it is the story of the Garden of Eden, the Flood, or the slavery in Egypt, God is always giving His people an opportunity to embrace Him and live in communion with Him. As we pray in the Divine Liturgy, he “did not cease doing everything” until He led us into Heaven. These stories in Genesis, especially the story of the Garden and the Flood, express God’s willingness to continually “start over again” with His creation never once allowing us, as humanity, to die. So when He took on flesh from the Virgin Mary and became Man for our salvation, we witness yet another opportunity for us “start over” and reestablish a relationship with Him.

Each time God allows us to “start over” He establishes a new covenant with us, first in the Garden, then with Noah, then with Abraham, and finally with the Holy Apostles and His Church. The presence of a new covenant does not mean that God goes breaks His previous covenant. God always keeps His promises. Instead He establishes a new promise (new to us at least) as He continues His original plan for us to live in communion with Him for all eternity.

Herein is the answer to our question, “What makes me a Christian?” God makes me a Christian. Being a Christian is not “of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1.13) You see, being a Christian isn’t something we declare, but something that God bestows upon us, once we have received Him (John 1.12) at our Baptism. When Jesus Christ took on flesh for our salvation, He was establishing a new covenant with humanity where He promised to conquer death once and for all. Just as in the Garden and in Noah’s Ark, the only “thing” we did as humans, the only role we played in the covenant, was to allow God to be God and our Father.

So being a Christian isn’t something we declare, it is something we are in our very essence when we allow God to rule as our Lord and King. In fact, at our Baptism we declare, “I believe in Him as King and as God.” It is only then that, having recited the Nicene Creed which outlines what we believe about God, that we are baptized into Christ. It is only then, having embraced Him as King that we are united to Him.

What makes me a Christian? BEING a Christian day and night; BEING dedicated to God as King and Lord; BEING united to God through Holy Baptism and Chrismation, and living as if it is true. Only one question remains….Are YOU a Christian? And if not, what options has God given you to “start over” and come closer to Him?

God’s new covenant is His Church. Just as Noah had to enter and live in the Ark in order to start over, we also must enter and live in the Church in order to start over. Why not take God up on His offer and start over by returning to Church (on time) and living the Orthodox Christian life with fervor?

What Are Your Priorities?

 

In the Gospel of Luke 5.1-11, we hear of three professional fishermen who, when Jesus calls them, immediately turn and give every bit of their attention to following Him. They could accomplish this in part because they had established their priority to find and follow the Messiah. What are your priorities? You might just find that following your priorities works best when Jesus is your priority. And if He isn’t, maybe now is just the time to refocus your priorities upon finding and following Christ.

 

This week’s sermon will air each day this week at 12NOON on Transfiguration Radio or you may download it directly using the links below…

 

Video Podcast via iTunes: http://blip.tv/be-transfigured/what-are-your-priorities-6366968

Audio Podcast via iTunes: http://betransfigured.podbean.com/2012/09/23/what-are-your-priorities/

YouTube:  http://youtu.be/-ufKL9pJZ5w

How Do You Get to Heaven? REPENT! REPENT! REPENT!

The old joke goes, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!” I heard this joke each Fall Semester during College. I was a music major in the University of Colorado College of Music, by far the best place to study music if you REALLY want to know, and every year during orientation, the Dean told this joke trying to inspire us to practice every day. He was attempting, through humor, to inspire us to set our priorities correctly as music majors hoping for a career in music. Of course I didn’t practice every day and well…I’m obviously NOT a professional musician. I wonder if that is a coincidence.

Over and over again we wonder why things in our life aren’t quite working out as we planned. And it isn’t because we’re not good at what we’re doing. I wasn’t a bad musician; I just wasn’t a very disciplined one because I didn’t enjoy practicing enough to be good enough for a career. I didn’t have my priorities straight…or did I? Over and over again Jesus asks what people want. “Do you want to be made well?” “What do you want me to do for you?” (Matthew 20.32) Jesus then gives clear and concise instructions on how to get there. “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew19.17) Over and over again we find ourselves walking away from God rather than toward Him.

Since I was 8 years old I knew I wanted to be a Priest. So during college, although I LOVED being a music major and although I LOVED playing my trombone and singing in the choir, deep down inside I knew I wasn’t going to be a professional musician. So long as music was enjoyable, I was all for practicing, but as soon as it became work or required effort, I looked the other direction. My priorities weren’t set for a music career.

So there were these fishermen. We know them as Peter, James and John. (see Luke 5.1-11) They had just finished a night of fishing and caught absolutely NOTHING. They were spending time cleaning and repairing their fishing nets when Jesus appeared to teach the crowds. Was it a coincidence that Peter’s boat was in just the right location for Jesus to teach? I doubt it. Jesus suddenly comes and commands them (He doesn’t ask) to push their boat out a bit into the water so He could teach. At just that moment they were forced to decide….between following Jesus or cleaning their fishing equipment.

You may be surprised to know they were WAITING for Jesus. You see these three men were disciples of Saint John the Baptist (see John 1.35-45) and had already set their priorities on finding the Messiah. So when Jesus, the Messiah, appeared next to their boat, they recognized Him. Since their priority was to find Him and follow Him, when He commanded them to put their nets aside for a moment and push the boat out so He could teach, they acted upon His command immediately. It wasn’t a difficult decision because they were just following their priorities.

You see, setting your priorities on finding and following Jesus doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work or that you shouldn’t provide for your children’s education. It DOES mean that when you are faced with choices, especially life choices, you should make your choices based upon your priorities. Of course you do already; it’s just that you may not recognize your priorities.

These three fishermen knew that following Jesus was, at that moment, more important than cleaning their nets. Once Jesus was finished teaching, He turned to them and said, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5.4) AH! Jesus knew, of course He did, that they were about to use their fishing gear again, so there would be time for cleaning AFTER the fishing was finished. Of course they were still confused. Peter said, “Master [notice Peter called Him Master because he recognized Him as his Master] we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” (Luke 5.5) The Gospel continues, “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish.” (Luke 5.6)

Herein lies the “deep” they were asked to enter. Saint Ambrose asks us to consider the deep water as symbolic of the deep faith that is needed to seek and follow Christ. It requires deep faith to follow (or even set in the first place) your priorities on finding and following Jesus Christ. In a world filled with people with priorities other than finding and following Jesus Christ, it won’t be easy for anyone to remain dedicated to this priority.

That is where repentance comes in. Each believer in Jesus Christ and many others who for their own reasons do not believe in Him, have at one time had the priority of finding and following God. The reality is that many times, life takes a turn toward different priorities, and people eventually either abandon their original priorities and establish new ones, normally pointing away from God, or they temporarily forget what their true priority was in the first place. Either way, they find themselves in a place where life just doesn’t work like it should.

What do I mean by life not working as it should? Often times, wealthy people find loneliness rather than joy in oversized homes; many teachers find it unfulfilling to teach despite being knowledgeable teachers. I wasn’t fulfilled playing music in college so I rarely had the desire to further my talent, which was God-given at that! In my life, I couldn’t feel fulfillment until I repented (changed my priorities) and focused my life on what God wanted for me rather than what I thought I wanted for myself. There were still times that I practiced and there were many times that I succeeded in music, so I’m not saying that things will never work, just that they won’t work like they are meant to work until  the priorities are correct.

How do we know the difference? Well, for starters we have to be willing to look inward and ask, “What ARE my priorities?” “Do I even want to find and follow Jesus Christ, God?” If the answer is “yes” and I pray that it is (otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this blog, and you probably wouldn’t be reading it) then when choices are presented in your life, you’ll have to choose based upon your true priorities. Only YOU know your priorities. Only YOU can decide if you want to find and follow God. Then the choices will be easier, not always easy, to following the Commandments of God and live in Communion with Him.

If you look into your heart and realize that either your priorities weren’t finding and following Jesus Christ, or that you have temporarily forgotten your priorities, now is your chance to repent and refocus your priorities on finding and following Jesus Christ to heaven. It really is that concise. And if things in your life aren’t working as they should, or as you thought they should, maybe that’s God’s way of telling you that your priorities are in need of correcting. Maybe your current struggle in life is God’s way of speaking to your heart and reminding you that He is waiting for you to follow Him. Maybe He knows, like He did when He commanded Peter to push the boat out, that a great catch is coming your way. You just have to put down what you’re working on and pay attention to God for now. The rest will come later.

If on the other hand your priority is to make lots of money have lots of lovers, well I suppose you just read the wrong blog…but I might suggest there’s a better way. There’s always a better way than walking away from God.

May your search for priorities and your journey to fulfill them be blessed by God. If not…REPENT! REPENT! REPENT!

Things Just Work Better When Our Priorities Are Correct

As the Lord was beginning His ministry, He traveled throughout the region inviting certain people to be His Disciples. One day, as a small team of fishermen were cleaning up from a long night of work, Jesus comes upon them and challenges them to refocus their priorities. Although they were making much needed repairs on their fishing nets, Christ redirected their attention by climbing into their boat to teach a crowd that had gathered.

 

After He was finished teaching, He said to the fishermen, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5.4) But they were tired from a long night of fishing and catching NOTHING! Simon said, “Master, we have toiled all night long and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will down the net.” (Luke 5.5) The catch was so great they needed help from another boat to bring it to shore. It was only when they set their minds to listen to Christ that they were able to catch fish that day. It was only once they had their priorities correct, that everything worked out for a great catch.

 

The same thing is true for our lives. There are, were, and will be, many times in our lives when our way of doing things just doesn’t seem to work out. Just then we have to look to Christ and say, “Nevertheless, at Your word….” And then we must redirect our efforts based upon the Lord’s teaching and Commandments. Then and only then will everything turn out the way it is meant to be. Then and only then will we have our priorities correct. Then and only then will we be true Christians.

You've Been Invited!

When Jesus Christ invites you to take up your Cross and follow Him, He invites you as a friend. You’ve been invited to join Christ on His walk toward the Cross and to join your life with His in Heaven. You’ve invited to come and know Him better so that when you offer your life to Him it isn’t a burden but an act of love. Many men and women over the centuries have joined Christ and become closer to Him through the Orthodox Church and her way of life. It is a way of life centered upon living in communion with God and joining Him that has been tried and test by the blood of martyrs. It is a way of life open to all believers in Jesus Christ and you’ve been invited!

 

This week’s sermon will air daily at 12NOON on Transfiguration Radio or you may download it directly…

 

Audio Podcast via iTunes http://betransfigured.podbean.com/2012/09/16/you%e2%80%99ve-been-invited/

Video Podcast via iTunes http://blip.tv/be-transfigured/you-ve-been-invited-6356263

YouTube http://youtu.be/BrujcGao92k

A Sacrifice is Only a Burden When It’s Forced

 

When our Lord invites us to follow Him, it is with an open invitation, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8.34) With this invitation Jesus isn’t forcing us to follow Him to the Cross, but simply inviting us to be a part of His loving Kingdom. The choice to follow Him is ours to make, freely.

 

If we think of the gifts we have offered our family and friends, it is when we desire to give the gift that it feels the most rewarding. If we feel obligated and forced to present our gift, then it doesn’t come with love and we typically experience feelings of resentment.

 

I encourage you to consider the invitation by Christ to follow Him as an open invitation of love and mercy. God will never force us to love Him, but when we do love Him, our offering to His Church and our brothers and sisters on the Earth seems like a natural outpouring of our love and that is never a burden.

There is Life in the Cross for Those Who Believe

One of the most famous verses of the Gospel says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have life everlasting.” (John 3.16) The real issue isn’t whether or not you believe but whether you believe enough to put your life in His hands. The time has come for you to put your belief in Jesus Christ into action.

 

This Week’s Sermon will air each day at 12NOON on Transfiguration Radio

 

Subscribe to our audio podcast via iTunes: http://betransfigured.podbean.com/2012/09/09/there-is-life-in-the-cross-for-those-who-believe/

Subscribe to our video podcast via iTunes: http://blip.tv/be-transfigured/there-is-life-in-the-cross-for-those-who-believe-6344337

YouTube http://youtu.be/Yct4Xikxqpo

Belief requires more than just lip service…It requires ACTION!

Every year during football season television crews scans the crowd and almost every time you will see the most famous scripture passage in the New Testament, “John 3.16,” but have you ever wondered what John 3.16 meant?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3.16) But the Gospel continues, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3.17-18)

The question of the day is, “Are you saved, or are you condemned?” Most would answer, “YES, I am saved!” In fact each of us (or our Godparents on our behalf) did at some point say we believe. But as time passes our belief becomes our condemnation because we do not LIVE as if we believe.

The Gospel explains, “This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3.19) Evil is nothing fancy; it is nothing more than not doing the will of God. God is Good….not living as God desires is evil.

Spend a few moments and ask yourself, “Do I believe in God? Do I REALLY believe in Him as Lord and King? Do I allow His will to govern my life?” If the answer to these questions is anything other than YES, please consider scheduling a confession and rededicating your life to Jesus Christ. Belief requires more than just lip service…It requires ACTION!

How Will You Respond When God Requests to See the Fruit of Your Faith?

The Parable of the Vineyard Tenants

Each new year we are called to reflect upon the fruits our faith has produced in the past year. Have your fruits produced this year? How will you respond when God comes calling to harvest the fruit of your faith? You are both the vineyard and the tenant, and therefore so is the Church. Take a moment and reflect how you have nurtured God’s vineyard this past year and commit to doing more for His glory in the next year.

 

This week’s sermon will air DAILY AT NOON on Transfiguration Radio or you may download it directly using the links below…

 

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! to our Audio Podcast via iTunes http://betransfigured.podbean.com/2012/09/04/how-will-you-respond-when-god-requests-to-see-the-fruit-of-your-faith/

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! to our Video Podcast via iTunes http://blip.tv/be-transfigured/how-will-you-respond-when-god-requests-to-see-the-fruit-of-your-faith-6336049

YouTube http://youtu.be/VhGURJEvKLU

Happy New Church Year

Since today is the beginning of the New Church Year, please enjoy a past Orthodoxy 101 Class on the Church Calendar...