A Promise is not a Contract

All this talk about promises this week and it makes me wonder if there were any reason God would break His promise. In our human experience people break their promises all the time. One reason is because one person in the relationship doesn’t live up to the bargain. Since one person broke their promise we feel there is no need for us to maintain our promise. The truth is, this is a contract relationship rather than a genuine promise. When God makes a promise, He is not limited to whether or not we uphold our end of the bargain.

Take Noah in today’s reading as an example. As soon as stepped out of the Ark we hear of hem getting drunk and losing control. One might expect that God would go back on His word after Noah’s behavior. The Scriptures just finished calling Noah righteous, and today we hear of him cursing his own family. Where is the righteousness in cursing your family?  Every time we turn around humanity is cursed from within, but not from God.

God is steadfast in His promise to rescue us from this fallen world. Nothing we can do, nothing YOU can do, will make God break His promise. When God makes a promise, it isn’t a contact, it is a promise. That shouldn’t give us license to act ungrateful. But it should remind us that God’s love for us is worthy of our love in return. Take a moment this week and think how you might be able to express your love for God. As Orthodox Christians we express our love for God in the way we treat others. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me more than these......fee my sheep.” (John 21.15) Today is a good day to feed someone.

Here are today’s Old Testament Readings:

Isaiah 26:21-27:9 (RSV) -  For behold, the LORD is coming forth out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed upon her, and will no more cover her slain.  In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.  In that day: "A pleasant vineyard, sing of it!  I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest any one harm it, I guard it night and day;  I have no wrath. Would that I had thorns and briers to battle! I would set out against them, I would burn them up together.  Or let them lay hold of my protection, let them make peace with me, let them make peace with me."  In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots, and fill the whole world with fruit.  Has he smitten them as he smote those who smote them? Or have they been slain as their slayers were slain?  Measure by measure, by exile thou didst contend with them; he removed them with his fierce blast in the day of the east wind.  Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be expiated, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: when he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to pieces, no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing.
 Genesis 9:18-10:1 (RSV) -The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.  These three were the sons of Noah; and from these the whole earth was peopled. Noah was the first tiller of the soil. He planted a vineyard; and he drank of the wine, and became drunk, and lay uncovered in his tent.  And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.  Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it upon both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father's nakedness.  When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, "Cursed be Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers."  He also said, "Blessed by the LORD my God be Shem; and let Canaan be his slave.  God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be his slave."  After the flood Noah lived three hundred and fifty years.  All the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.  These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth; sons were born to them after the flood.
 Proverbs 12:23-13:9 (RSV) - A prudent man conceals his knowledge, but fools proclaim their folly.  The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.  Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.  A righteous man turns away from evil, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.  A slothful man will not catch his prey, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.  In the path of righteousness is life, but the way of error leads to death.  A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.  From the fruit of his mouth a good man eats good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.  He who guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.  The soul of the sluggard craves, and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.  A righteous man hates falsehood, but a wicked man acts shamefully and disgracefully.  Righteousness guards him whose way is upright, but sin overthrows the wicked.  One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.  The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man has no means of redemption.  The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

It’s What You Don’t Do that Matters Most

On the Third Sunday of the Triodion, known as “Judgment Sunday” in the Church, the Gospel of Matthew 25.31-46 teaches one of the well known Parables of the Last Judgment. In the story we hear the words, “When did we see you...” both from those in heaven and those in hell. For those in heaven, Jesus says, “I was hungry and you fed me...etc.” and for those in hell, He says, “I was hungry and you didn’t feed me.”  In truth neither actually saw Jesus, so what really is this Gospel story about?

As part of the Triodion and the Church’s effort to inspire us to change our lifestyle during Great Lent, we are reminded that how we treat other people, especially the poor and needy, makes a difference in how we experience eternal life. For those who were experiencing heaven, their life was filled with love and service for others. For those in hell, although they were willing to serve Jesus Christ, when it came to others in need they were unwilling to recognize the need to help. Our Great Lenten journey, which begins in just eight days, will be affected in how we recognize our relationship with others.

In this parable, those in heaven were there not because they did anything incorrectly or acted in a sinful manner. The way the parable plays out, they actually didn’t DO anything at all, and that was the problem. By doing nothing, they kept to themselves when others were in need, in effect not living as human beings. We are only authentic human beings when we are in a relationship with other human beings. When we love, it is because we act with love toward another human being. Anything other than love toward another human being is self-love which leads to hell. This is why those who were unable to see Jesus Christ “in” those in need were experiencing hell.

So what can change? ... WE can change.

We have been given the opportunity by God, today, to change our lifestyle and live with love toward others rather than with self-love. We have been given the opportunity during Great Lent to change the way we look at our fellow human beings, and I’m not just speaking about our fellow Greeks or members of the Church. If we want to find ourselves in heaven, in the end, then we will be able to “see” Jesus Christ in the face of every human being. We will be able to recognize the need for our help for those who are hungry, homeless, sick, or just down on their luck. We will be able to reach into our pocket and rather than seeing only ourselves, see the needs of others. But we will never see Jesus “in” others so long as we are focused on ourselves.

Great Lent offers each of us a unique blessed opportunity to accomplish both. We are invited by the Church to both change our inner soul through prayer and fasting AND change the way we love others by reaching out and helping those in need. In fact we are only saved in both our internal efforts and our external acts of love. How does prayer and fasting help us reach out to others? As Saint John Chrysostom teaches...

When we truly fast, we learn to be without. When we learn to live without, then we learn to not want for much. Then, without being so focused on our “wants” we can truly see the needs of others and serve them with genuine love. We will then see Jesus “in” the others rather than seeing others just as a group of people needing things we would rather keep to ourselves. It is when we do nothing at all that neither our inner soul nor our external actions glorify God. It’s when you do nothing that we will find ourselves in hell.

Are You Ashamed?

It seems every day we are given the opportunity to confess our love for God, either in words or often more importantly in actions. Many times we are faced with a split second decision to either confess God or deny Him. Sometimes our quick decisions are words that come from our mouths, but NORMALLY this decision has more to do with our actions than our words.

How will we respond to the homeless man on the sidewalk?

How will we look the request for food?

How will we treat the stranger who attends Christmas Liturgy?

Saint Paul says, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God.” (2 Timothy 8)

The quick responses that face us everyday speak more about our hearts than the well chosen words we choose to use on Facebook or through emails. If we are willing to embrace the words of Saint Paul, then our actions (not just our well chosen words) will BE a living example of the gospel of Christ.

Just something to think about as Christmas draws near...

Every Good and Perfect Gift is from Above

It is tempting to think that our success has everything to do with our hard work. It is even more tempting to think that the fruit of our success are meant for our pleasure. Neither is true. In fact no matter what our vocation, whether we are fishermen or farmers, our only part in our success is a bit of hard work. Everything else is a gift from God and that gift has a purpose. When we were married the priest asked God to bless us so that we could help others. Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to thank God for the blessings He has given to us by reaching out and helping other this year.

It isn’t an “Either Or” Game

It can be very tempting to dismiss the needs of others by claiming we have other obligations. We can’t feed the poor because we to build a new Narthex. Some say we shouldn’t expand the Church because we need to feed the poor. St John Chrysostom often wrote about the spiritual danger of having golden chalices while the poor were outside the Church starving. But he never suggested we had to choose between one and the other. Consider today’s Gospel reading...

Gospel Reading: Luke 11:42-46 (RSV) - The Lord said to the Jews who had come to him, "Woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market places. Woe to you! For you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it." One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, in saying this you reproach us also." And he said, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers."

The key words here are “These you OUGHT to have done WITHOUT neglecting the others.” Feeding the poor and tithing to the Church is not an either or but a both and. If we are going to live a life dedicated to Christ and His Church we must learn to tithe our income to His Church for the work and blessings of the Church while still doing the other important charitable work that calls our hearts.

It is about time we start listening to the Church and ignore the world

When it comes to our physical health we would never tolerate a doctor not being honest about a serious illness. But when it comes to our spiritual health, many would rather ignore or deny that our soul is suffering with serious illness. Like the paralytic found in John 5.1-15 who says, “I have no man to put me into the pool,” many of us try to go it alone by dragging ourselves along while the healing is right in front of our face. Christ healed the paralytic and He can heal our soul when we take full advantage of the life of the Church He has given to us. Just as a medical doctor prescribes treatment, the Church has a treatment available to heal our soul. One problem seems to stand in the way. The world continues to lie to us about how sick our soul really is. We wouldn’t allow our friends to convince us to ignore our doctor; why do we allow society to convince us to ignore the Church?

 

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT:

Hello, my name is Father Athanasios Haros, and I'm the Pastor here at the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Florence, South Carolina, and I'm your host for Be Transfigured Ministries. Here at Be Transfigured, as we say, we invite you to live a new life in Christ. We feature our sermons and our Bible studies and other special events in the life of the Church. We do it to inspire you to join us living a new life in Christ. I'll hope you'll join us. I'll be back in a moment after this video to share some information about our ministry.

Just as if we were going to the doctor's office and we had done all of our blood work and we have gone through all of these different tests, and we're sitting and we're waiting in the doctor's office, and we're waiting to hear the detailed report from the doctor. Is our blood work okay? Is our heart okay? Is this okay? Is that okay? We sit there in the doctor's office paying very close attention to the doctor. That's the kind of attention I want you to give today to the Gospel, because just as we go to the doctor to hear about our physical illness, we come to the Church to hear about our spiritual illness. I'm going to say that again. Just as we go to the doctor to hear about our physical illness, we come to the Church to hear about our spiritual illness.

The reality is my brothers and sisters we are all sick. We are all very sick, and if we had gone to our physical doctor and we were very sick, and we went in and we sat in the office, and the doctor came and he sat down next to us, "Hello, how are you doing? How was your morning? How was your garden?" We would say, "Fine, thank you. Now, get to the important things." The doctor said, "Good to see you. Okay, I'll see you next time." We would want our money back, or at least maybe our insurance company would want their money back, but we wouldn't tolerate that kind of behavior from our doctor. We would not stand for it one moment. We would go find another doctor, because what doctor in his good reputation would sit us down in his office just to say hello and to send us on our way. We want to know what's wrong with us inside.

That's the kind of attention we have to give to this morning's Gospel and to the Church. We are here to hear about our souls. We are not here this morning my brothers and sisters simply to have a nice conversation, "Hello, how are you? How is your garden? We'll see you next week." The reality is we are sick. Our souls are very sick, and I would hope that you would want the Church to be as honest with you as you would want your doctors to be. I would hope for the glory of God that if the Church came to us and listed the various spiritual sicknesses that are affecting us, we would want the Church to be honest. We wouldn't want the Church to lie to us, just like we wouldn't want to go to the doctor and have the doctor know that we have a terminal disease. We don't want to go to the doctor and have the doctor not tell us that we're dying of cancer. We want to know what's wrong with us.

So my brothers and sisters, this morning I'm here to tell you our souls are very sick. I'm sorry, but that's the truth. We are not like the man in this morning's Gospel. For 38 years, he was sick and had no one to help him. The cure was there waiting for him. All he had to do was get into the Pool of Bethesda. At certain times of the year, the Holy Spirit would go and he would turn up the waters, and according to the tradition, the first person in the pool would be healed from whatever disease he had, and so for this man, for 38 years, the cure was right in front of him, but he said to the Lord, "I have no man to put me into the pool."

He was all alone. We are not alone. We have the Church. We don't have the excuse any longer to say, "We don't have anyone to help us get better," so I am going to work on the understanding that we want to get better. I am going to work on the understanding that we are here today to hear how our soul can be healed by God, deal? You don't have to answer because that's the understanding I'm going to have anyway.

Here's the deal, our soul is suffering, and the world around us is playing games with it. The world around us my brothers and sisters continues to tell us that our soul doesn't matter. The world around us continues to tell us that there's no relationship between our body and our soul. The world here to tell us that men can interchange with women and women could become men. This is a lie. It is an absolute lie my brothers and sisters that these things don't matter to our eternal soul. It's about time we start listening to the Church and ignoring what the world has to say.

We wouldn't go to our doctor who tells us and shows us the Cat Scans and shows us the MRIs and shows us the blood work, and he says, "Look, you have cancer of the liver, you have to do something," and then we go outside and we have a cup of coffee with our friends, "Don't worry about your liver. You don't need your liver." We wouldn't do that, but that's exactly what we do when we're talking about our soul. We ignore the advice of the Church. We ignore the diagnosis of the Church, and I understand, none of us wants to be sick. You go to your doctor's office on a regular visit, and you hope that the checkup is okay. You hope to hear everything is just fine, but as we get older, we know that more and more things are going to go wrong with us. Our bodies begin to wear out.

As Greeks we say, γεράμετα. We have old age. We have the things that are simply part of getting old, but when the doctor gives us advice, we listen to it. If the doctor says, "You have to start going to the gym," we go to the gym. If the doctor says, "You have to stop eating sugar," we stop eating sugar. If the doctor says, "You have to stop eating red meat," we stop eating red meat. We do everything the doctor tells us to do, and we do almost nothing the Church tells us to do. Why is that? Is it simply because we don't believe that we are sick? Okay, but sometimes we go to the doctor thinking we're healthy, and this is the case especially with women who have been blessed in their annual exams to discover very early that they might have cancer. The doctors will tell us even before the symptoms are there, if we can catch certain illnesses early enough, we can be cured from them.

There are even times we go to the doctor thinking we're not sick, and the doctor finds something hidden in there. The doctor says, "Thankfully we found it early, and we can go and get it taken care of." The same is true with our soul. Even though we may not think our soul is sick, my brothers and sisters, it is in a terminal condition. If we do not begin taking seriously the life that God has given us in the Church, and that is the therapy, that is the way of life, that is the medicine of our soul. If the doctor tells us to take pills, we take pills. The doctor says, "Get exercise," we get exercise. The doctor says, "Change your way of life," we change our way of life.

The Church is telling us this morning my brothers and sisters all those same things. The first question that Christ asked the paralyzed man, 38 years he had been sick, Jesus says, "Well, do you want to be healed?" As if Christ is challenging the man. 38 years, you haven't done anything about this. Are you sure you want to be healed? Then once he is healed, Christ says, "Go sin no more, lest something even worse happens to you," and so we merely reiterate Christ's question this morning. My brothers and sisters, do you want your soul to be healed?

If you do, it's time to listen to the Church, and this is what the Church has to say. The way of life that has been going on for 2,000 years in the Church, fasting every Wednesday and Friday. If we're not even trying this, my brothers and sisters, we are ignoring the medicine and the therapy of the Church. The Sacramental Life, Holy Confession, Holy Communion, this is the therapy and medicine of the Church. If we are not participating, if we are not taking advantage of the Sacramental Life of the Church, we are ignoring the therapy and our soul continues to get more and more sick, the way of life of the Church, taking care of the poor, living a holy life.

Unfortunately, many of us struggle with greed and selfishness. The poor can take care of themselves. I did it, they can do it. Nobody helped me, why should I help them? Those lazy good-for-nothings, let them get up their feet and get a job. All of these answers my brothers and sisters is ignoring the therapy of the Church. Those answers are not helping our soul. Ultimately, coming to Church as often as we can, participating in all of the services of the Church not just Divine Liturgy once a month or once every couple months, but Divine Liturgy every Sunday, Orthros, Paraklesis, Great Vespers, the Blessing of the Waters that we celebrate most months on the First of the month.

The services of the Church my brothers and sisters is the therapy for our soul, and we wonder sometimes why we struggle with depression. We wonder why we struggle with anxiety. We wonder why we struggle with these struggles, because God is not a real part of our life. We are like this man thinking that we can simply drag ourselves along and we're thinking we're going to get better, but we need God, and God has given us His Church, and so brothers and sisters, we are in this wonderful Pascha season and we are greeting each other with Christos Anesti, Christ is Risen! In this greeting, it's supposed to bring us joy and hope that the sickness and the struggles of the world have been conquered once and for all.

We don't have to sit by the pool and drag ourselves along. We can be made better by God, but we have to cooperate with him. We have to take advantage of the tools that he has given us in his Church, and so my challenge for you this morning my brothers and sisters, summer is coming, I know some of you are planning to travel to Greece. I know when you're there, you're going to have Churches there to go to, but for those of us who are still here, don't take the summer off from Church. If it's Sunday morning, be in Church on time, and if you just start there, making a commitment to God and to yourself, if it is Sunday morning, I am going to be in Church unless I am physically ill or unless something is completely beyond my control.

If we're not willing to make that level of a commitment for our soul, then it's like telling the doctor, "Don't worry doc, I think I know how to deal with this cancer thing myself. I don't have to worry about your therapy." We wouldn't do it with our bodies, and I'm asking you that we don't do it any longer with our soul. We owe it to our soul to give it the attention that it needs so we can be cured by God as well. Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen! Christos Voskrese! Christos a Inviat! Chistos Anesti!

Well, I'm back, and I hope this video was an inspiration to you. I hope it helps you live a new life in Christ. Please share our message of hope with your friends and family, and invite others to live a new life in Christ. Find more information about Be Transfigured Ministries by joining us on our website at LiveANewLifeInChrist.org. You can also find many of our videos on the Orthodox Christian Network, our partners at MyOCN.net. As we say at Be Transfigured, until next week, God bless you and don't forget a new life in Christ.

Be Transfigured is a production of the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Florence, South Carolina and presented by the Orthodox Christian Network. Contributions in support of this ministry may be sent to Be Transfigured 2990 South Cashua Drive, Florence, South Carolina 29501 or online at our website at www.LiveANewLifeInChrist.org.

Be Steadfast in Great Lent

The fourth week of Great Lent starts off with advice for to remain steadfast. “He who is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die.” (Proverbs 11.19) It has been a long three weeks, but with the Veneration of the Holy Cross yesterday recalling our need to embrace the struggle of Great Lent and meet our Lord at the Cross, today we begin another week of intense prayer, fasting and almsgiving to defeat evil in our lives.

Last week I suggested making an appointment for Holy Confession. I pray you took advantage of your Spiritual Father and offered your confession. This week I would like to encourage you to seek out a ministry in your Church, or better, in your town or city, where you can serve other people in some sort of charity. Today’s reading in Proverbs also reminds us, “One man gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.” (Proverbs 11.24) We grow closer to our Lord, richer in blessings from God, when we serve and give to others.

As you contemplate the second half of Great Lent, now that you have, more or less, perfected the fasting part of your journey, move it to the next level and add charity into the mix. Attend the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts, Great Compline, and any other services you can attend in the Church, but don’t neglect serving others with charity. Great Lent is a journey of prayer, fasting, AND almsgiving. Without any one of these, you won’t have the full benefit.

Next Stop; The Cross

Beginning today you are going to notice a change this week in the way the Church keeps Great Lent. Today is the mid-point (Sunday wise) of Great Lent and the Church lifts up the Holy and Precious Cross of Our Lord as a reminder of our destination. Much in the same way as a cross-country road trip, as we approach our destination, we are offered road signs that help us keep focused. Without them, we might lose hope that we will ever reach our destination.

Today’s Gospel is from Mark 8.34-9.1 -  “The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

There are two main points I wish for you to understand about the Holy Cross and your Great Lenten journey. First, it is voluntary. Christ didn’t say, “Hey, get behind me,” but, “If anyone wishes to come after me.” Second, it is about placing heaven as more important than this world. “For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?”

Great Lent is a voluntary journey for someone who desires to follow Christ into Heaven, and the Church has developed this season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to remind us that if we are in a battle between the passions of this life and the glory of the next. That’s where the Cross comes in to play. Besides being the vehicle of Christ’s Holy Passion and therefore gives us life, the Cross becomes our vehicle for choosing Christ.

When we deny ourselves as expressed in our fasting from passions, we voluntarily join ourselves to Christ and dedicate our souls to His way of life. When we take up our cross, expressed in our Great Lenten journey to struggle against worldly things by helping the poor and attending more Church services, we voluntarily follow Christ into heaven.

Great Lent has been a struggle to keep the past three weeks. You may have even broken the fast or missed Church a few times, or more. That’s ok, because you still have three weeks ahead to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ. It won’t be easy, but it is worth it.....Next stop....the Cross!

The Fight Against Greed

Today’s Reading from Old Testament: Isaiah 5:7-16 - Thus says the Lord: For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry!  Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.  The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing: "Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.  For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah."  Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening till wine inflames them!  They have lyre and harp, timbrel and flute and wine at their feasts; but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands.  Therefore my people go into exile for want of knowledge; their honored men are dying of hunger, and their multitude is parched with thirst.  Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure, and the nobility of Jerusalem and her multitude go down, her throng and he who exults in her.  Man is bowed down, and men are brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are humbled.  But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.

It was just Friday evening during the first Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, that we heard Jesus say, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” (John 15.5) If we combine the reading from Akathist and today’s reading from Isaiah, we can understand that we (Orthodox Christians) are not a new established Church, but a continuation of the ancient people of God, the House of Israel that is referenced in today’s reading from Isaiah.

Look again at the state of the vineyard as described today by the Prophet Isaiah. The Lord saw bloodshed, selfishness, people who cared more about parties than the Word of God. We also read of the murder of Abel by Cain in today’s reading from Genesis, the first bloodshed in the Lord’s vineyard. Greed is the root of every human sin. We either want something we don’t have, or we have something we don’t want others to have.

Our Great Lenten journey is about defeating our passions by increased prayer, increased fasting, and increased almsgiving. As you continue through your second week of Great Lent this week, consider how you might show signs of greed in your interactions with others. We ALL have these tendencies as an inheritance from Adam and Eve. But God is righteous and has put in motion a plan to save us from ourselves....if only we allow Him.

Have a blessed Lent,

Father Athanasios

Can You See God?

On the third Sunday of the Triodion, known as Judgment Sunday in the Orthodox Church, the Church turns our attention toward the Parable of the Last Judgment. We are taught by this parable the world will be divided between those who see God and those who don’t see God. In telling the story, Jesus exalts those who fed Him, clothed Him, gave Him a drink, and visited Him in prison. Those who are condemned, according to Jesus, are those who didn’t do these things. You should read the entire account in Matthew 25.31-46. In short, Jesus says, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25.40)

The Parable of the Last Judgment isn’t about feeding the poor, although we should feed the poor. What makes feeding the poor part of our salvation is when we can SEE GOD in the poor. If we cannot see God, then even if we feed the poor, we will be lost. As I have said before, even Atheists can feed the poor but their actions will not save them. Every human being is created in the Image of God, and if we truly believe in Him, we will be able to see His Image in each other as human beings.

As we learned last week with the Parable of the Prodigal Son, each human being sins, but when we really love God, we can see past the sin and see God in them. Today the Parable of the Last Judgment drives the point still deeper into our hearts to warn us that our final judgment will depend on whether or not we can see the Image of God in each other. Great Lent is just around the corner. The Church is calling us to reflect in our hearts about our love for God and how that translates into how we see other people, and Judgment Sunday is a great reminder that saying we love God isn’t the same as SEEING Him.

The Role of Spiritual Discipline, what we call Ascesis

Today the Orthodox Church commemorates the memory of the father of monasticism, Saint Anthony the Great. To perfect his calling of dedicating his entire life to Christ, Saint Anthony lived in the desert as an ascetic in response to Christ’s challenge to “see all that you have and give to the poor.”(Matthew 19.21) Saint Athanasios knew him personally and considered his love for God second to none, and that God’s grace filled his life. When we consider the life of Saint Anthony, we understand the spiritual benefit of the ascetic life, without necessarily spending our life in the desert.

The Greek word, ‘ασκησης, can be translated as, exercise, and when used in the spiritual sense refers to various disciplines or practices that help shape our soul and guide our journey closer to Christ. Saint Anthony lived a life of prayer and fasting with only the most basic food, but not all Christians need to leave the city and live in the desert to life a life dedicated to God. By prayerfully being guided by our spiritual father, the spiritual disciplines of the Church – prayer, fasting, almsgiving, the sacramental life – we can grow closer to God.

Just as living in the desert brought grace to Saint Anthony, following the daily disciplines of the Church, will help you not only grow closer to God, but His Grace will also grow. Who knows....maybe someday the world will remember your grace-filled life and dedication to God. It all begins with spiritual discipline and ascesis. 

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.

Giving Tuesday

I learned something yesterday. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving has become known (or is in the process of becoming known) as “Giving Tuesday” during which we are encouraged to give to charity. Charities asking for donations during the holiday season isn’t a new thing. In fact, I was just working on our Church “Christmas Appeal” yesterday coincidentally of course. So why I am blogging about “Giving Tuesday” today?

Today’s Epistle Reading: St. Paul's First Letter to Timothy 5:22-25; 6:1-11 - TIMOTHY, my son, do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor participate in another man's sins; keep yourself pure. No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. The sins of some men are conspicuous, pointing to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good deeds are conspicuous; and even when they are not, they cannot remain hidden. Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be defamed. Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brethren; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these duties. If any one teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching which accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit, he knows nothing; he has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, and wrangling among men who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. There is great gain in godliness with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs. But as for you, man of God, shun all this.

The human struggle between greed and generosity is an old struggle, and many have “wandered away” from the true teaching of the Church in hopes to become wealthy. Still something bothered me yesterday about “Giving Tuesday” that I wanted to share. WHY do we even NEED a day to encourage people to give to charities? Is it to soothe our guilty consciences? Do we somehow know that our shopping sprees and wealth building is leading our soul away from God? Or have professional fundraisers perfected the “art of the ask” when it comes to charitable giving?

I watched an interview yesterday with a representative from the organization spearheading “Giving Tuesday” and what struck me was the lack of purpose behind the giving. According to the organizers website, ">GivingTuesday connects diverse groups of individuals, communities and organizations around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving.” And then it occurred to me.... “Giving Tuesday” is a MOVEMENT, and I am always skeptical of movements. Movements are mean to “move people” from one place to another, so my question is, “To where does the “Giving Tuesday Movement” desire to move the world if not toward the Church? There is NO mention of God or religion among the information for volunteers and organizations. The only reference to God/Church/Religion was a list of religious organizations that profited from the movement. What I DID find was a bunch of gimmicks used to increase fundraising dollars. Even the list of religious organizations was more of a “you can get some too” presentation without praise for the actual Christian work being done. The implication was “Just list your cause and you too can be rich.”

As Christians our giving is not a movement, nor is it a gimmick; and it is most certainly NOT a tool to unite the globe. It is an expression of OUR LOVE FOR JESUS CHRIST. If all “Giving Tuesday” is going to accomplish to increase the donations collected for charitable organizations rather than bring Jesus Christ into the hearts of the people, isn’t Giving Tuesday just another “love of money” exercise under the disguise of giving?

And then there was another post I came across yesterday from Pflag urging people to stop donating to the Salvation Army because the Salvation Army opposes gay marriage despite the hundreds of thousands each year who benefit from the outreach and assistance which they otherwise would not receive if not for the Salvation Army. I found the post painfully ironic since we are often told to ignore a minor detail like abortion in favor of the great work of Planned Parenthood as reasons why we should fund that organization.

Ultimately I’m quite sure many good and holy organizations received benefit from “Giving Tuesday” yesterday, and for that I am thankful. But when our Christian life is limited to “doing good things” than we no longer need Christ. We become a “Dogooder” rather than a Christian.

Don’t Ruin Christmas!

A month ago, in a mall in Charlotte, NC., shoppers were taken by surprise to discover a “Glacier Experience” had replaced the traditional Christmas Tree to feature Santa Clause for their annual holiday pictures. Almost immediately shoppers led protests and social media online went viral with outraged parents bewailing their children’s ruined Christmas. Boycotts ensued....and eventually Simon Malls replaced the glaciers with Christmas Trees. Just weeks after the glacier fiasco, Starbucks made news with a plain red “holiday” coffee cup. Again shoppers went viral online with their anger and accusations that the company was being politically correct and some even suggested persecuting Christians. Starbucks, unlike Simon Malls, has not changed their decision, but it should be noted the Starbucks annual “holiday” cup has never said Merry Christmas, but rather included snowflakes and candy canes designs.

It seems a shame to me that Christians have turned Christmas into such a secular and commercialized holiday, even to suggest somehow shopping mall decorations and coffee cups could ruin Christmas. And let’s not forget the Santa Clause image we see in stores IS and HAS BEEN a commercial endeavor for many decades. The world has long since forgotten the story SAINT Nicholas, the ORTHODOX Christian Bishop of Myra. If anything has ruined Christmas, it has been using Christmas to sell toys and gadgets simply to increase profit margins for large corporations. Twinkly lights and snowflakes hanging from a fur tree don’t “make” Christmas anymore than Santa and his elves make Christmas.

Christmas is the queen of Feasts as Saint John Chrysostom says. Without Christmas, there would be no Pascha, and without Pascha, our life would be in vain. To prepare to celebrate the coming of the Creator of the Universe into creation requires more than lists of good little boys and girls, or waiting in line to sit on the Santa’s lap. It requires prayer, fasting, reading the Scriptures, Holy Confession, remembering and helping the poor, attending Divine Liturgy often, and being prepared to receive Holy Communion – the Body of Blood of Christ – at EVERY Divine Liturgy. If anything can ruin Christmas, it would be forgetting to prepare our soul to receive God.

Fortunately for us, we have another chance this year to “get it right” and worry more about our souls than our Christmas stockings.

• Serve the Poor
• Read and Study the Scriptures
• Fast.
• Schedule Holy Confession
• Attend Divine Liturgy OFTEN

When it comes to your spiritual journey, the struggle is EVERYTHING

We have arrived at the “half-way point” of our Great Lenten Journey, and the Church brings our attention solidly upon the Holy Precious and Life-Giving Cross of our Lord. In the Gospel for the Third Sunday of Great Lent we hear Jesus Christ challenge us to join Him on the Cross. “For whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34) The life of every Christian is found in the Cross, both the Cross of Christ and OUR cross which we carry through our daily struggles.

We know that anything of value is worth the hard work it takes to achieve. A good crop, a well built house, a successful business – these each are possible only with hard work and dedication. The same is true with our spiritual life in Christ. If we desire a good outcome, it will require hard work and dedication. That is why, half-way through Great Lent we hear the words of Christ, “For whoever desires to save his life will lost it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8.35-36)

It isn’t too late to dedicate the rest of your Great Lenten Journey to the hard work it will take to prepare your soul to encounter Jesus Christ in His glorious resurrection on Pascha when we will receive the eternal Light and sing, “Christ is risen from the dead!” Embrace the struggle that is Great Lent by fasting, increasing your prayer life, attending extra Church services, and serving the poor. As Christ says, “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8.37)

Courting Jesus

Each year for 48 days every Orthodox Christian experiences Great Lent and Holy Week, but most do not know what it is, let alone how to make the most of it. For many Orthodox Christians, Great Lent and Holy Week is nothing more than several weeks of longer (and more) Church services and a special diet. In fact, for most Orthodox Christians, other than Divine Liturgy being longer on Sundays and the Priest constantly droning on and on about Great Lent in his sermons and the announcements after Church, we would hardly ever notice a difference between Great Lent and the rest of the year. But I am convinced that much of this would change if we had a better understanding of what Great Lent and Holy Week actually was all about, so I wanted to take a few moments to answer this very important question, “What is Great Lent and Holy Week”?

Historically, Great Lent and Holy Week developed in the early centuries of the Church for two main purposes; a few days to prepare for the celebration of Holy and Great Pascha with intense prayer and fasting, and 40 days to prepare for baptism with intense prayer, fasting, and learning. Eventually the two merged together to form a longer period of 48 days we now know as Great Lent and Holy Week. But almost everyone in the Church is already baptized, so why does the Church continue this practice of such a long period of intense fasting and prayer? What are WE preparing for?

The answer rests in the prayers of the services for this period. In the ancient Church, Christians believed that Christ would return immediately, so the few days before Pascha, is a period to prepare to welcome Him back, and therefore prepare for the final judgment and paradise. You will notice in the hymns especially during Holy Week, this idea of being vigilant waiting for the return of Christ is written throughout the services. So Great Lent and Holy Week is a period during which time we prepare ourselves to greet Christ and be forever in paradise with Him.

I might compare it to a courting relationship. We spend several weeks getting to know more about Jesus Christ by praying, fasting, and helping the poor (all things He commanded us to do in life), so that when He returns for us, we will be ready for our marriage to Him. We will know Him, and we will be comfortable in His presence. Can you imagine marrying a person you have never met? Even in past centuries when arranged marriages were common, a bride and groom would spend time courting, to learn about each other.

So this year, during our Great Lent and Holy Week experience, I invite you to spend time “courting Jesus” and getting to know more about Him. You can learn “everything there is to know” about Jesus in His Church – reading His Word, fasting, serving others, attending Church services – otherwise spending time with Him, lest we forget that He has promised to be present in the Church for us to encounter Him.

You may have already been baptized, but do you know everything there is to know about Jesus? Are you prepared to spend all eternity married to Him? Great Lent and Holy Week are for you to get to know Jesus; don’t waste another opportunity!

It Doesn’t Matter WHAT You Serve....It Matters WHOM You Serve

On the Third Sunday of the Triodion, known as “Judgment Sunday,” the Church offers us a glimpse at the future judgment. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” (Matthew 25.31-32) At that moment, we will not have any other opportunity to prepare ourselves. We will not have any other opportunity to correct any mistakes. At that moment, WE WILL BE JUDGED! The Judgment is coming, and cannot be avoided.

Thankfully, Christ has already given us the criteria He will use in our judgment. We will be saved from eternal torment based upon whether or not we have served Jesus Christ by serving OTHERS. Thankfully, Christ has already helped us understand, that when we serve OTHERS, we serve Him. Thankfully, Christ has already made clear for us, that it is only when we can see Him in the hungry, naked, thirsty, stranger, sick, and in prison, that we can be saved from eternal torment. Thankfully, Christ as prepared us now, because we won’t have time later.

With Great Lent only one week away, the Church is calling us, and calling us loudly; to remind us that we have only the time we are alive in which to prepare for the judgment that is coming. Great Lent is an opportunity for us to prepare for judgment with devout prayer, fasting, repentance, and serving OTHERS. Great Lent is a time for us to realize that it doesn’t matter what you serve, but WHOM you serve.

Church as an Opportunity Rather than an Obligation

With the coming of Great Lent in February, it brings along with it, the sense of obligation to God and His Church. During the weeks of Great Lent, the Church invites us to increase our daily prayer, increase our fasting, increase our reading of the Holy Scriptures, increase our assistance to the poor, and increase our participation in the Divine Services of our Church. To assist us in responding to these invitations, the Church provides us with daily fasting guidelines, daily Scripture readings, daily Lenten prayers for the home, and additional, almost daily services in the Church.

All this increased spiritual involvement is supposed to draw us closer to God, but oftentimes the actual result is that we are pushed further from God. We end up at the end of Great Lent, after weeks of hearing the Church invite us to “dig deeper into our souls” and discover the great love that God has for us, feeling exhausted rather than refreshed. We feel limited by the Church rather than free. We feel as if the Church has beaten us down rather than lifted us up. Why do we feel this way?

After twenty centuries of guiding her faithful through Great Lent, the Church’s way of life has been met with a sense of obligation rather than opportunity. The way of life of the Church has been seen by most as forced upon the people rather than welcomed by them, and the result has been for most faithful to reject the way of life of the Church. We choose freedom rather than obligation.

You will hear many faithful complain that the Church expects too much of her people, but in reality the Church INVITES her faithful to the journey that is Great Lent. You will hear many faithful complain that the Church limits our life too much during Great Lent, when in reality the Church FREES us from the slavery of the flesh and worldly passions. You will hear many faithful complain they “have” to go to Church, when in reality attending the Divine Services FREELY is the only genuine worship of God. You will hear many of the faithful speak of obligation to the Church, when in reality the entire way of life of the Church is an OPPORTUNITY to draw closer to God.

Fasting is an OPPORTUNITY to rededicate your entire body to God.

Reading the Holy Scriptures is an OPPORTUNITY to hear God speaking to your heart.

Prayer is an OPPORTUNITY for you to speak to God.

Helping the poor is an OPPORTUNITY to share the love you have for God with others.

Attending Divine Services is an OPPORTUNITY to leave the world behind and enter Heaven.

Great Lent is an OPPORTUNITY rather than an obligation.

I invite you to welcome the OPPORTUNITY of Great Lent this year and draw closer to God. You might even thank me for it later.

Can You Hear God Calling?

The world is filled with distractions, from busy street sounds to hectic lifestyles, many of which can stop us from hearing God’s voice. The story of Zacchaeus teaches us the benefit of filtering through all the commotion in our life so we can focus on God. Until we can eliminate the clutter from our lives, we will continue to be lost, unable to hear God calling us to safety. The Orthodox Christian way of life offers us an opportunity to learn to filter through these distractions of wealth and comfort, and welcome God into our hearts.

What Christmas IS and ISN'T About

Christmas isn’t about gathering family together, although many families do gather at Christmas...

Christmas isn’t about giving and receiving gifts, although many give and receive gifts at Christmas...

Christmas isn’t about decorating, although many decorate with lights and ribbons at Christmas...

Christmas isn’t about enjoying a banquet, although many will enjoy a great banquet at Christmas...

Christmas IS about celebrating, IN CHURCH, with Divine Liturgy, the coming in the flesh of the eternal Word of God for our salvation. As Orthodox Christians we PREPARE for the celebration with prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and Holy Confession. As Orthodox Christians we honor God’s Nativity by living a holy life, free from the passions of wealth-building and power-grabbing.

What about those “others things” we do during Christmas?

We gather as family at Christmas to worship God IN CHURCH. We give and receive gifts at Christmas to remember the Magi’s offering to God. We decorate our homes at Christmas to welcome the King into our lives. We enjoy a banquet to celebrate our new life in Christ.

Have a blessed Christmas