Fruits of Repentance

Having passed the preparatory Sundays before the Great Fast, we see on the Sunday of the Last Judgment the fruits of what the Church has been preparing us for since the Sunday of Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus?  Repentance.  Publican and Pharisee?  Repentance.  Prodigal Son?  Repentance.

But on this day, the Church gives us a concrete warning from the very lips of our Savior.  The warning is, “The time will come when repentance is no longer available.  Therefore do it today, while there is still time.”

Our Lord’s familiarity with us as fickle people is evident in the words He crafts for us to absorb today.  And His representation of human nature is equally evident.

We owe it to ourselves to look at the imagery the Lord gives us within this Chapter 25 of the Gospel of St. Matthew.  He starts with the parable of the ten virgins.  Fully half of them were clueless, while the others were shrewd.  The shrewd ones recognized that they were there to serve the Bridegroom, not He to serve them.  And so they came prepared.  “I don’t know when He’ll arrive, but when He does, I’ll assure that I’m ready,” and so they came with oil for their lamps to spare.

The foolish ones were only concerned about themselves.  “I’ll go to the wedding, He’ll come, and we’ll celebrate the wedding feast!  Let’s party!”  For this, they are separated from the Bridegroom’s joy.

The wise virgins, as they denied the foolish some of their oil, were not unloving of the foolish.  But serving the foolish ones was not why they were there.  They were present to serve the Bridegroom!  “We must serve our purpose, and if we help you, our goal is in jeopardy.  Go and get for yourselves!”

The parable of the distribution of the talents is a similar tale.  Those who were given more knew that they would have more required of them.  And so they labored—not so that they could give back to their Master His original gifts, keeping any increase for themselves.  No, their hearts were aligned toward pleasing their Master.  The wicked servant who hid his talent had no concern over improving his Master’s lot, a perspective which is itself self-serving.  And for it, he is condemned.

Listen to the words our Lord uses then at the Last Judgment.  He will separate sheep from goats.  Those who find favor will do so because they have served “the least of His brethren.”  Those who will be accursed will be so because they ignored these same people.

But listen to the words of “human nature” between the sheep and the goats!  Those accounted as sheep are astonished.  “When did we do these things to help You, Lord?  We don’t remember them….”  Those accounted accursed as goats are astonished as well.  “When did we deny You these things, Lord?  We don’t remember finding You in need…”

The sheep, in always doing good, can’t remember doing good to Christ.  The goats, in always serving self, can’t remember “being asked” to help Christ.  “Nobody told me I should look for You in other people….”

The fruits of our repentance are that which produces in us the desire to always serve others, to always do good.  Repentance defocuses us on self, re-focuses us on living as Christ showed us, being a servant to all.  God, the Creator of all things, came and put on my flesh to come and serve me.  Inside of that phenomenal recognition, if there is not a reflexive response to take up that Cross and follow where He has already led, then we’re doomed to be goats.  Today’s Gospel is a reminder and a warning.  It reminds us that there is still time to become a sheep.  It warns us that the time grows short before, if we do not choose to repent, we’ll be doomed to goat-hood.

Your Body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit Who Is In You

On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Saint Paul carries us to a place of discomfort before we get to hear the parable from our Lord.  He tells us clearly that our body no longer belongs to us, as he says clearly, “you are not your own.”  For when we accepted baptism into Christ, we put on Christ.  And in putting Him on, we gave our bodies to be His, we became the “temple of the Holy Spirit.”

Why is this important on this day?  Because as we consider the parable of the prodigal, we need to recognize in him that part of us that wants to conform to the world, and not to the Father’s love for us.  We, like him, are enticed beyond our limits to resist, and we choose to spend our precious Father-given resources on things that give momentary pleasure to the body, and simultaneously steal away precious opportunity to grow in spirit.

I can hear you resist.  “Father, I don’t spend wantonly on the kinds of things that the parable implies were the focus of the prodigal.”

Let’s use the Lord’s own words and try to understand His meaning, and how it indeed relates to all of us. 

St. Luke says, “The younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.”

The word used for “journeyed” is apodemeo, which means to go abroad, to visit a foreign land.  Whenever we leave the love of the Father, we place ourselves outside His love, which is a place foreign to His created home for us.  He created us to be with Him.  We neither will nor can we be fulfilled, satisfied, happy outside of being in His presence.

The word used for “far country” is chora, which translates to not just any ‘place,’ but an empty expanse, a place where nothing of import is.  It is the root from which we get the English word “chasm”.

The word used for “wasted” is diaskorpizo, which means to simply strew or scatter.  Literally it indicates that the prodigal could have taken all that the Father had and simply cast it to the wind, and the result would have been the same.

The Greek word translated as “prodigal” is asotos, and it carries the meaning of living riotously, dissolutely, giving absolutely no care for the morality or lack thereof of the actions.  The English meaning of “prodigal” means “recklessly extravagant.”  We need say no more.

Most of us earn comfortable livings.  How many things have I made into “gods” for myself?  Television?  Radio?  Social media?  Internet in general?

How many things do I on a daily basis give attention to that promote my own connection to the Father?  Almsgiving?  Praying for others?  Reading scripture?  Visiting the sick or imprisoned?

You see, we’re all straying in that empty expanse that the world attempts to convince us is in fact important, when in reality the world’s ‘important’ causes us to stray further from the Father and His love.

Our bodies are not our own.  We gave them freely as a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit.  By our ways of life, are we daily welcoming Him and living in His love, or are we driving Him out and boarding the doors?

The temple of the Holy Spirit must ever be open, so that the Father’s love will remain on us, in us, with us, as we attempt not to serve our own flesh, but to serve the least of His brethren. 

Time grows short.  We must seek His forgiveness, return to Him with the same repentant heart that the prodigal discovered.

The Father is looking for us, as well, waiting, for until we find our own repentance, we too are dead to eternal life, wasting our precious God-given life in this foreign land.  He waits to embrace us, too, seeing us chose His life by repenting for our own prodigal living.

Nativity and Gifts

Christs is Born!  Glorify Him!!!

The world that surrounds us would have us believe that the Feast we celebrate today is not about Christ, but about giving.  If the world would have its way, they would forcefully instruct us that the Lord is a fairy tale, but the mall Santa is real.

As Orthodox Christians we know a different side of the Feast.  And the giving of fruitcakes, video games, and high definition electronics isn't what it's about.

What are the gifts upon which we, as Orthodox Christians, focus?

We need to go to the Stichera on Lord I Call for Vespers for the Feast.  Here is what the Holy Orthodox Church teaches about gifts and the Nativity of our Lord:

What shall we offer You, O Christ,
Who for our sakes has appeared on earth as a Man?
Every creature made by You offers You thanks.
The angels offer You a hymn;
The heavens a star;
The Magi, gifts;
The shepherds, their wonder;
The earth, its cave;
The wilderness, the manger;
And we off You a virgin Mother.
O pre-eternal God, have mercy on us!

So you see, gifts on this day DO have meaning.  But our greatest gift to be offered on this day is defined in the third line of the above hymn - thanksgiving!  But more than this, the Holy Church's teaching shows us that there is but one single portion of all creation that does not offer praise to God for the miracle of the Incarnation.

What is that one single portion?  It is the remnant of mankind which, by deceit of the enemy, opposes God at all times.  For even as the Savior comes into the world as an Infant, there are those who already seek His destruction.  It was true in the time of His birth.  It has been true throughout all of history since.  And, it remains as true even today.

We all know the Nativity account.  A child is imminent, and the family responsible for Him comes to Bethlethem where they find no one who will accomodate a young woman who is delivering a Child.  If there was an inn (and Scripture tells us there was), you can believe that there were people in that place who had a room and were quite comfortable thank you very much, but could not and/or would not be bothered to give up their comfort for the sake of a woman and her Child.

The world didn't exactly welcome God into it, did it?  Did WE?  And to this day we treat Him still with perhaps not contempt, but at least indifference.  All those days He knocks at the doors of our hearts and asks to come in, but we "are full" - we have no room for Him to enter, no capacity to allow Him to change us from the earth-bound creatures we have become, no vision of our need to be heaven-bound as possessors of the promise He came into this world to assure to us.

Ergo, on this great Feast of the Incarnation of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, let us come to Him as did the shepherds - filled with the wonder inspired by the hymn of the angels.  Let us come as did the Magi, offering to Him that which we have.  Gold was the gift of a King.  We may have no gold, but we have that which is precious to the King, the desire to be obedient to His commands.  Frankincense was the gift of the High Priest.  We may have no frankincense, by we have that which is precious to the High Priest, prayers offering up our thanksgiving.  Myrrh was the gift of One Who is to be buried.  We may have no myrrh, but we have that which is precious to the One Who comes into the world to suffer and die for our sakes - the heartfelt desire to repent of our sins.

And so, we may come to God on this day, and on every day, bearing gifts that are precious in His sight.  Let us therefore run to the cave, as did those shepherds, so that we might fall down and worship God, Who came into the world in His love for us.  Those shepherds loved their sheep, but they abandoned them to go and find what the angels proclaimed to them, God With Us! 

For this is that Love, the Love of God, and it is the greatest of all gifts!

Christ is Born!  Glorify Him!!!!

What Good Is Fasting, Anyhow?

It's a question that's asked silently more often than aloud, but if truth be told, most of us who "hold fast to the Orthodox faith" have at some point in time considered the question.

We know the drill.  We fast every Friday.  And yes, we're supposed to fast on Wednesdays as well.  That's our "weekly" schedule.  But we also know that there are four fasting seasons.  There's the Great Fast, and second to it in duration is the Nativity or Advent Fast.  Next in duration - well, that's difficult.  The Dormition Fast always lasts for 14 days (Aug 1 thru Aug 14).  But the Apostles' Fast is "variable."  It begins on the day AFTER the Sunday of All Saints (one week after Pentecost), and extends until the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul on 29June.  So in those years when Pascha falls early, the Apostles' Fast is longer than those years when Pascha falls late.  I recall a year not so long ago when the Apostles' Fast was only one or two days long.  Of course, if you're lucky enough to worship on the Old Calendar, 29June comes 13 days later, so there's an additional 2 weeks to the Apostles' Fast!!

I just took a look at calendar 2019 ("New" Calendar, that is).  When one observes every prescribed Wednesday and Friday, and all of the days of each of the four fasting seasons, one fasts for a total of 182 days - almost EXACTLY half of the year.

But back to the title's question - What good is all this fasting?  What do I accomplish from it?

In too many instances we've heard people openly state, "I'll lose weight during the fast...."  Perhaps you will, but that's NOT the purpose of the fast.

The purpose of any fast is to put the body to war with the spirit, and to allow the spirit to emerge victorious over the body.  If we for a moment think that our lives are fully conformed to the fullness of the instruction and example our Lord gave us for living, we're deluding ourselves.  And in that separation from His perfection we should be striving for it as our goal, for He commanded us, "Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect..." (Mat 5:48)  Can we achieve that perfection?  No, but we won't even get closer to the goal unless we struggle, strive, FIGHT - spirit against body.

The body loves to eat, and to overeat.  The body loves to recline and rest.  The body calls to us to satisfy any number of "wants" including those of the more base fleshly desires.  Is there anything sinful in taking food?  No.  But when we overeat, our bodies become lazy, and we don't strive to labor to help those in need.  Is there anything sinful in the condition of human love?  No, when approached in the light of God's gift between husband and wife, it's a beautiful gift.  But when we focus on that any gift to extremes, we deny ourselves the vision of those around us who need to feel love from another person.  That love can be accomplished with a smile, or a kind word, or a visit to one ill and shut in.

Fasting allows us to gain control over those things in the world that we usually allow to effect control over us - the stimulus of an advertising sign showing delicious food, making us desire it; the stimulus of a person speaking with us and talking about another in an unflattering way, urging us to participate in that unrighteous talk.  When we fast, we consume time in other ways - giving alms, reading scripture, and yes - hearing our stomach's complain (growl) as we deny them what they crave.  That feeling and that sound remind our spirits that they are winning - and strengthen them for the battle!

So fast as many of those 182 days as you can.  In fact, fast more if you can!  Define your fast as not "just" from food, but from the passions that tear us down.  Then add to your fast cultivating the virtues that bring us closer to God's perfection.

If we can do this, we'll not need to ask what the fast is accomplishing in us!

The Journey of the Fast

Beginning.  Making a start.  Launching an effort.

What are the things that we as human beings do when we set out to accomplish something?  Let us say, for example, that we are planning "the vacation of a lifetime", a journey to see places and things we've longed to see for many years.  How would we go about the task of planning such a thing, and what would be the first things essential to assure success in attaining our goal?

For you see, it is that goal that brings focus to every action that we will take. 

And so we begin by laying into order all the things necessary to achieve that goal.  We start by study - we seek information about modes of travel, places we might pass through that could add to the joy of the journey.  We search out costs, maximizing the use of our resources in the trip, but not 'skimping' because, after all, this is the "vacation of a lifetime", and it needs to be as perfect as we can make it.  We look for travel guides, not the cheapest, but those who have reviews from others who have journeyed attesting to their benefits, to the degree to which their participation in the journeys of others.  We would have complete and total knowledge of every aspect of this "vacation of a lifetime" EXCEPT for what we would experience when we actually get TO our destination.

What better explanation is there, what better 'analogy', to our living our lives as we "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness"? (Mat 6:33)

For us, the "mode of travel" is our Faith.  Read Hebrews Chapter 11 to understand what "by faith" means to us, how it is "by faith" that all things are accomplished.  St. Paul goes so far as in attesting to the faith of so many of the forefathers that he say about them, "of whom the world was not worthy." (Heb 11:38)

Those of us who have embraced Holy Orthodoxy therefore "travel toward the Kingdom" by our Faith.  Holy Orthodoxy is our "ship" that carries us toward our destination, the Kingdom of Heaven.  Even this analogy is not an accident, for many Orthodox churches are built in the shape of an ark, the ship of Noah which saved the souls of those set aside by God before the flood.  And the book that contains our living instructions, the Canons of the Church, is known as "The Rudder" - the implement by which a ship is guided, steered upon stormy seas.

We add to our "journey" those places and events which make the journey more than it would be otherwise - the calendar of the Church, the Twelve Major Feasts which are in and of themselves joyous events, and they sustain us in our joy was we travel the seas of temptation, still seeking our "goal", our coming to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Our "travel guides" are the Holy Fathers.  Their teachings, their writings, their wisdom, their having lived and walked the paths that lay before us now attests to their qualifications as being sound and proper guides for us as we begin our journeys. 

The only thing that we cannot comprehend is the total joy and bliss that will exist upon our arrival at our destination. 

And so we set out on the journey through this year's Great Fast.  This is a "little journey" - with the goal of experiencing that joy we'll see at our Lord's Pascha.  The planning is also a microcosm of our life's goal of attaining the Kingdom.  So what is our plan for this present journey?

As we enter this year's Great Fast, we begin with yesterday's Forgiveness Sunday Vespers, where we prayed these words:

Let us hasten to humble the flesh by abstinence, as we set out on the God-given course of the Holy Fast, and with prayers and tears let us seek our Lord and Savior.  Laying aside all memories of evil, let us cry aloud: 'We have sinned against You, O Christ our King; save us as You saved the men of Nineveh in the days of old, and in Your compassion make us sharers in Your heavenly Kingdom.

Our plan is outlined for us by the Holy Church.  We have exalted our flesh, fed it, overfed it.  Our bodies have become our masters.  It is time for the spirits to be elevated, to "humble the flesh" by abstaining from food.  But we also must humble the ego by abstaining from that which feed it - gossip, idle talk, vain thoughts and pursuits, reading things that do not profit the spirit.

Our plan includes intensified prayer, and not just any prayer, but prayer which searches out the inner depths of our hearts, sheds God's divine Light on the darkest corners, so that we can find and root out that which is unclean and remains within.  This often brings us to tears, recognizing things we've forgotten, finding things we didn't know were there.  The Holy Fathers teach that our tears of repentance are another baptism, washing away the sins which caused these tears to flow from our eyes.

We do these things to seek our Lord and Savior.  And as we confess our sins to Him, we know His promise to forgive all we confess.  In this certainty, we lay aside all memories of the evil we have done, for it is wiped clean by His forgiveness, and in the joy that comes from this knowledge, we admit those sins freely, easily, openly, joyously. 

The reference to "the men of Nineveh" comes from Jonah Chapter 3, where the prophet finally accepts God's divine will and prophecies to the people of Nineveh that God will destroy their city because of their sins.  The book reveals,

So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 

 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 

 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water.

 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 

 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? 

They repented.  They fasted.  They no doubt prayed.  And, the result was,

Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

Our yearly journey to Pascha is made its best when we take part in the fullness of the Church during the Fast.  Our participation in the services helps our planning, fulfills our desire for maximizing the benefits of the trip, gives us the guidance to be had from the Holy Fathers through the hymnology of the Church.

This is our promise for this year's "journey" within the Great Fast!  The Fast began yesterday with this reference to Jonah.  Interestingly enough, this passage is read as one of the Old Testament Readings during the Holy Saturday Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil - the Liturgy at which the Resurrection of our Lord is first announced with the hymn, "Arise, O God, judge the earth, for to You belong all the nations!"

It is with the greatest joy that we invite you to journey the Great Fast with us at St. Herman's!  See our web page at www.sainthermanchurch.org for the calendar of the week!

Glory to Jesus Christ!

A Few Thoughts on Prayer

"You remember how you were taught to write.  Your mother put a pencil in your hand, took your hand in hers, and began to move it.  Since you did not know at all what she meant to do, you left your hand completely free in hers.  This is like the power of God in our lives."  (Metropolitan Anthony Bloom)

There are times in our lives (each of us) when we find ourselves confused, or lost, or sorrowful, or in despair, or any of a thousand other human conditions that would not exist if we didn't live in a fallen world and amongst our own sins.

When we are in such states, too often we turn to prayer is a manner that is not consistent with our Lord's teaching.  Perhaps we fall short of issuing demands to God (the ever-poignant "Give me patience and give it to me now!"), but we nonetheless pray with a singular focus that is self-centered.  Our words in some fashion lead us to a place of first-personness in our prayer.  "I need (this)."  "Lord, grant that I may receive (that)."  "Father, help ME by providing (something)."

The I/ME/MY portions of prayers are not totally what's at fault here.  It's true that The Lord's Prayer gives us direction to consider the first-person plural ("Give US this day our daily bread..." , or "forgive US OUR trespasses as WE forgive THOSE...").  Rather, it's the lack of focus on, "Lord, teach me to do Your will," and "Open my heart to receive and accept the path You would have me take."

When our prayers are offered, we need to know that they are always heard and always answered.  God's answers are not always aligned with our pleas, but He DOES answer.  In turn, WE need to listen and to find His answers in what results from our prayer.

For all who offer your prayers hoping for answers consistent with your pleas, do not stop!  Redouble your efforts to pray.  Continue to ask for what you, in your heart guided by the Holy Spirit, believe to be in your best interests (SPIRITUALLY, that is).  And then, live as though you know (not just believe) that your prayer is being answered.

Metropolitan Anthony again teaches, "A prayer makes sense only if it is lived."

Patron Saints

Today, 09 August, is a day on which we commemorate the "glorification" of our parish's patron saint, Saint Herman of Alaska.  It is an auspicious day in that we remember this glorification, or "canonization" in some uses, on this date in 1970, now 47 years ago.

Over a year earlier (on 13 March 1969), the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America issued an address concerning Father Herman, speaking to his holy life, his labors for the Church, and of the intention to canonize him on the following year's 09 August.

For us, who call ourselves his spiritual children, we are familiar with his life.  We know of his incredible journey from Valaam to Alaska.  We know of his life spent defending the native Americans, of working to heal them during times of epidemic, of establishing schools and orphanages to care for the children, of working miraculous deeds in defending them from tsunami and fire.  We know of his shortness of stature, and of his incredible physical strength.  We know of his humility (for some sought to ordain him to the Holy Priesthood, which he rejected as being unworthy).  And we know how he welcomed all who came in any need.

Today, as we celebrate this feast of his glorification, we offer prayers to God in praise of him, simultaneous with our prayers to St. Herman to intercede for us before God for our own needs.

As we offer these prayers, let us never forget the root of what it is that makes St. Herman, and indeed all of our Lord's Saints, "special", makes them "friends of God."

It is Love!

When one's life is guided by an unbridled love for all of God's children, and indeed for all of His Creation, this love cannot be contained.  It overflows the vessel of our being, and those who are near to us benefit from the overflow for they receive, not from us, but from the Source of all Love, that Divine Love of which we can only offer a dim reflection.  And yet, in reflecting that love, we follow where our Lord commands us to go.  We love neighbors as ourselves.  We love enemies.  We love without restraint or reservation.

Our Lord demonstrates to me the unlimited nature of His love if I find myself accepting of the fact that He indeed loves me, even in my sinfulness and unworthiness.  If God in His perfection can love me, how can I deny love toward any of my fellow beings, for we are all created in His image, are we not?  And if we are, then we MUST find the way to see our Lord within every other human being we encounter.

Our country and our world are torn apart by division, distrust, hatred.  These cannot be cured by resorting to human solutions.  It is only love that can repair the torn fabric of humanity.  You will say, "But Father, there are those who simply will not accept our love - what then?"  The answer is simple.  Love anyway!  Will others have their hatred converted to love by showing them hatred in return?  In how many instances in the Prologue do we find those persecuting the Church converted into Christians, not by cunning argument, not by well crafted sermons, not by intellectual engagement, but by showing love to them as they demonstrate their hatred and fury against us?

And so, on this day, we pray to our blessed Patron and ask him to intercede before our Lord so that we may engrave upon our hearts the words that he, Saint Herman, gave to us.  "For our good, for our happiness at least let us make a vow that from this day, from this hour, from this minute we will strive to love God above all else, and to fulfill His Holy Will."

Amen!

Entering the Great Fast

My brothers and sisters in Christ:

Glory to Jesus Christ!

We find ourselves at the threshold of the Great Fast.  It is a time for spiritual housekeeping and renewal.  It is a time for us to find (dare I say coerce) every possible way to extricate ourselves from the world and reconnect ourselves to the Church, and through Her, to our Lord.

The Great Fast is certainly a time for fasting!  Saint Seraphim of Sarov taught, "One should not think about the doings of God when one's stomach is full; on a full stomach there can be no vision of the Divine mysteries."  Thus, fasting from foods is clearly a spiritual benefit and requirement for this season, and indeed for every fasting day called for by the Church.

But I ask all to remember that fasting applies to more than just food.  Fasting as a regimen must also include reading scripture, reading the Holy Fathers, almsgiving, care for the poor and needy, increased prayer for self and for others, especially those hardest to love.  Guard the tongue as well.  Saint John Chrysostom teaches, "The evil speaker eats the flesh of his brother, and bites the body of his neighbor."  

Saint Herman's will enter the Fast in our normal fashion - by celebrating Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of Cheesefare, followed immediately by the Vespers of Forgiveness, in which we enter the Fast by requesting and freely giving forgiveness from one another of our sins.

Inside the first week of the Fast, there will be services every evening at 6PM.

Mon/Tue/Thu we will pray the Canon of Saint Andrew.
Wed/Fri we will celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
Saturday we'll celebrate Vespers at 6PM, before returning again on Sunday for 10AM Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great (Mar 05)

We pray that this Fast will bring great blessings and spiritual growth and healing to all, and that through this, our Lord will grant us to pray together, sharing His Body and Blood in the Eucharist many times during this Great Fast!

In anticipation of the services of this coming Sunday, let me in all humility ask of all of you to forgive me of my many sins, faults, and shortcomings.  Know in your hearts that I forgive all without reservation or constraint!

In Christ,
Father Basil

As We Enter the Advent Fast

The following words of wisdom come from Saint Ephraim the Syrian.  They are important for us to consider as we begin today to ponder our Lord's love for us in His condescending to take on our flesh, His Incarnation, the reason for God becoming man.

The facts themselves bear witness and His divine acts of power teach those who doubt that He is true God, and His sufferings show that He is true man. And if those who are feeble in understanding are not fully assured, they will pay the penalty on His dread day.

If He was not flesh, why was Mary introduced at all? And if He was not God, whom was Gabriel calling Lord?

If He was not flesh, who was lying in the manger? And if He was not God, whom did the Angels come down and glorify?

If He was not flesh, who was wrapped in swaddling clothes? And if He was not God, whom did the shepherds worship?

If He was not flesh, whom did Joseph circumcise? And if He was not God, in whose honor did the star speed through the heavens?

If He was not flesh, whom did Mary suckle? And if He was not God, to whom did the Magi offer gifts?

If He was not flesh, whom did Symeon carry in his arms? And if He was not God, to whom did he say, “Let me depart in peace”?

If He was not flesh, whom did Joseph take and flee into Egypt? And if He was not God, in whom were words “Out of Egypt I have called My Son” fulfilled?

If He was not flesh, whom did John baptize? And if He was not God, to whom did the Father from heaven say, “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased”?

If He was not flesh, who fasted and hungered in the desert? And if He was not God, whom did the Angels come down and serve?

If He was not flesh, who was invited to the wedding in Cana of Galilee? And if He was not God, who turned the water into wine?

If He was not flesh, in whose hands were the loaves? And if He was not God, who satisfied crowds and thousands in the desert, not counting women and children, from five loaves and two fishes?

If He was not flesh, who fell asleep in the boat? And if He was not God, who rebuked the winds and the sea?

If He was not flesh, with whom did Simon the Pharisee eat? And if He was not God, who pardoned the offences of the sinful woman?

If He was not flesh, who sat by the well, worn out by the journey? And if He was not God, who gave living water to the woman of Samaria and reprimanded her because she had had five husbands?

If He was not flesh, who wore human garments? And if He was not God, who did acts of power and wonders?

If He was not flesh, who spat on the ground and made clay? And if He was not God, who through the clay compelled the blind eyes to see?

If He was not flesh, who wept at Lazarus’ grave? And if He was not God, who by His command brought out one four days dead?

If He was not flesh, who sat on the foal? And if He was not God, whom did the crowds go out to meet with glory?

If He was not flesh, whom did the Jews arrest? And if He was not God, who gave an order to the earth and threw them onto their faces.

If He was not flesh, who was struck with a blow? And if He was not God, who cured the ear that had been cut off by Peter and restored it to its place?

If He was not flesh, who received spittings on his face? And if He was not God, who breathed the Holy Spirit into the faces of his Apostles?

If He was not flesh, who stood before Pilate at the judgement seat? And if He was not God, who made Pilate’s wife afraid by a dream?

If He was not flesh, whose garments did the soldiers strip off and divide? And if He was not God, how was the sun darkened at the cross?

If He was not flesh, who was hung on the cross? And if He was not God, who shook the earth from its foundations?

If He was not flesh, whose hands and feet were transfixed by nails? And if He was not God, how was the veil of the temple rent, the rocks broken and the graves opened?

If He was not flesh, who cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me”? And if He was not God, who said “Father, forgive them”?

If He was not flesh, who was hung on a cross with the thieves? And if He was not God, how did He say to the thief, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise”?

If He was not flesh, to whom did they offer vinegar and gall? And if He was not God, on hearing whose voice did Hades tremble?

If He was not flesh, whose side did the lance pierce, and blood and water came out?And if He was not God, who smashed the gates of Hades to tear apart it bonds? And at whose command did the imprisoned dead come out?

If He was not flesh, whom did the Apostles see in the upper room? And if He was not God, how did He enter when the doors were shut?

If He was not flesh, the marks of the nails and the lance in whose hands and side did Thomas handle? And if He was not God, to whom did He cry out, “My Lord and my God”?

If He was not flesh, who ate by the sea of Tiberias? And if He was not God, at whose command was the net filled?

If He was not flesh, whom did the Apostles and Angels see being taken up into heaven? And if He was not God, to whom was heaven opened, whom did the Powers worship in fear and whom did the Father invite to “Sit at My right hand”. As David said, “The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand, etc.”

If He was not God and man, our salvation is a lie, and the words of the Prophets are lies.  But the Prophets spoke the truth, and their testimonies were not lies. The Holy Spirit spoke through them what they had been commanded.

Choose Wisely

There's a scene in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" in which the movie's characters enter a chamber guarded by a knight (the Knights Templar, who else?) where there are myriads of "grails" (for us, "chalices"), only one of which is the true cup used by Christ at the Last Supper.  The true cup (in the movie) was to bring eternal life to the one who selected it and drank from it.  As the movie's villain enters the room, he's confronted with a choice, and he asks the knight, "Which one is it?"  The knight replies, "You must choose, but choose wisely, for the true cup brings life, but any false one brings death."

We're confronted with a choice in a short month (roughly) from now.  And there are many tempting alternatives.  Here in Ohio, our ballot will include five names of candidates.  And we will have the freedom to choose from any of the five.

But we all recognize that there are only one of two who can be or will be elected.  And so, we must hear the words of the knight echo in our heads - "Choose wisely."

We write this not to influence anyone's personal decisions per se.  Rather, we write to encourage all to ponder carefully their votes.

This is important!  This can and will determine your lives for the next four years minimally, and with ramifications on the judicial fronts, it will determine much about the lives of our children and even grandchildren.

Using a vote on one of the non-mainstream candidates may make us feel really good that we've not simply acquiesced to the poor choices that the two political parties have offered us.  And yet, in feeling good about such a choice, we will have abdicated our weightier moral responsibility of voting for a candidate to whom we've been led not by peer pressure, not by what we're told by any media (right or left), but by PRAYERFUL consideration of the histories, the moralities, and the evidences we can find that lead us to our selection, however unpalatable that choice may be for us.

This isn't easy!  But it's a choice that we MUST make - PRAYERFULLY - if we are to be able to look back at this year and say, "I tried, Lord."  Let's not find ourselves in the position of the movie's villain, who after picking the shiniest cup and drinking from it, dies in a pile of dust in a corner, only to hear the knight say wistfully, "He chose poorly...."

Practical Tips for Orthodox Living

I was going through "old archive files" from my PC from decades ago (literally), and came upon the article below.  The "original" was attributed to Mother Pelagia of Lesna Convent, who allegedly prefaced them with the remark:

"Orthodox families train their children from a very early age to acquire religious habits, in some of which I was myself, as a Protestant, brought up."

The following is her list, augmented periodically with references to her suggestions (in RED Italics):

1) Prayers are said morning and evening, either together as a family or individually.
2) A blessing is said by the head of the family before a meal, and a prayer of thanks afterwards.
3) On entering a room where there is an icon, cross yourself before it and say a brief prayer.

Every room should have an icon!

4) When leaving one's home, make the sign of the cross over the door and pray for its protection.
5) On seeing a priest, abbot or abbess, or even when phoning them or writing to them, always ask their blessing.
6) Before going to bed, make the sign of the cross over your bed and pray for protection during sleep.
7) When you hear of anyone's death, immediately say a prayer for their eternal memory.
8) If discussing or planning the future, say, "As God wills."
9) If you offend or hurt anyone, say as soon as possible, "Forgive me!", always trying to take the blame yourself.
10) If something turns out well, say, "Thanks be to God!"

11) If something turns out badly, if there is pain, sickness or any kind of trouble, say, "Glory to God in all things," since God is all good and, though we might not understand the purpose of these things, undoubtedly they have been permitted by God for good.

12) If you begin a task, say, "God help me,"  If someone else is working, say, "May God help you!"
13) Cross yourself and say a brief prayer before even the shortest journey.
14) For longer and more difficult journeys, ask a priest to say a special prayer.  If this is not possible, before departing say a prayer for your trip.
Example:  Lord Jesus Christ our God, the True and Living Way, be my Companion, my Guide, and my Guardian during my journey.  Deliver and protect me from danger, misfortune, and temptation, that being so defended by Your divine power I may have a peaceful and successful journey and arrive safely to my destination.  For in You I put my trust and hope, and to You, together with Your Eternal Father and Your all-Holy and Life Creating Spirit, I ascribe all praise, honor and glory, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.  Amen!
15) If there is a possibility of future trouble of any kind, either for yourself or for someone you care for, say an Akathist to the Theotokos, or to a Saint.
http://www.antiochian.org/sites/default/files/Akathist_Softener_of_Evil_Hearts.pdf
16) When you receive a blessing after a prayer, always remember to thank God.  If it is a small thing, add a prayer of thanksgiving to your daily prayers or make an offering.  For greater matters, as a priest to serve a Moleben.  But NEVER neglect to give thanks.

How Many Times?

A prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian:

How many times have I promised, yet every time I failed to keep my word.  But disregard this, according to Your grace.

Grant forgiveness, O Lord, and send strength.  Convert me, that I might live in sanctity, according to Your holy will.  Sanctify my heart that has become a den and dwelling place of demons.

I am unworthy to ask forgiveness for myself, O Lord, for many times have I promised to repent and proved myself a liar by not fulfilling my promise.  You have picked me up many times already, but every time I freely choose to fall again.

Therefore I condemn myself and admit that I deserve all manner of punishment and torture.  How many times have You enlightened my darkened mind?  Yet every time, I return again to base thoughts!  My whole body trembles when I contemplate this; yet every time sinful sensuality reconquers me.

How shall I recount all the gifts of Your grace, O Lord, that I, the pitiful one, have received?  Yet I have reduced them all to nothing by my apathy - and I continue in this manner.  You have bestowed on me thousands of gifts, yet miserable me, I offer in return things repulsive to You.

Yet You, O Lord, contain a sea of long suffering and an abyss of kindness.  Do not allow me to be felled like a fruitless fig tree, and do not let me be burned without having ripened on the field of life.  Do not snatch me away unprepared, do not seize me, who has not yet lit his lamp.  Do not take me away as I have no wedding garment.  But because You are good and You love us, have mercy on me.  Give me time to repent, and do not place my soul stripped naked before Your terrible and unwavering throne as a pitiful spectacle of infamy.

If a righteous man can barely be saved, then where will I end up, I who am lawless and sinful?  If the path that leads to life is straight and narrow, then how can I be granted such good things, I who have lived a life of luxury, indulging in my own pleasures and dissipation?  But You, O Lord, my Savior, Son of the true God, as You know and desire by Your grace alone, freely turn me away from the sin that abides in me and save me from ruin.

Hatred

This is such a bitter subject to deal with, for when we deal with it, it is usually for all the wrong reasons.

Hatred has been responsible for the currently 5 dead officers in Dallas.  But it has also been responsible for the deaths of 49 in the Orlando nightclub, and the nine murdered in the church in Charleston, and the 13 at Ft. Hood, and the 2996 dead on 9/11, and....  What of Syria, Ukraine, Kosovo, or if you're older (like some of us), what of Northern Ireland, or Watts, or Kent State?

You see, there is never an 'end' to destruction when hatred is involved.  Those who hate cannot be satisfied until only their perspective remains.  And the number dead, the atrocities committed in maiming and mauling innocents - these things do not matter to those filled with hate.

As followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are called to something greater than this.  We are called to love, not only those whom we know and trust, but also those who hate us.  We are to return love for hatred.

You will ask, "But Father, isn't there a righteous place for hatred?"  And the answer is, "Certainly there is!"  But if we follow where our Lord leads, we come to the understanding that righteous hatred is directed at evil, and not at people.  "You who love the Lord, hate evil." (Ps 97:10)  Before every Divine Liturgy, the priest performs a ritual cleansing of himself, washing his hands, and he offers a prayer from Psalm 26.  But in the text that immediately precedes this prayer, there is wisdom again about hatred, as the Psalmist teaches, "I have hated the assembly of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked."  And then the aforementioned prayer.  "I will wash my hands in innocence, so that I will go about Your altar, O Lord, that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works.  Lord, I love the beauty of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells.  Do not gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, men whose right hands are full of bribes, whose mouths are full of blood and treachery.  As for me, I shall walk in my integrity.  Deliver me and save me.  My foot stands on level ground.  In the churches, I will bless the Lord." (Ps 26:2-12)

We are indeed to hate evil.  And for this, there is much at which we must direct righteous hatred and indignation within our world.  This is not, however, to translate into our hating others.  St. John the Theologian taught us exactly because of our Lord's example, "Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.  He who does not love his brother abides in death.  Whoever hates his brother is a murderer..." (1John 3:13-15)

When hatred is allowed to change the human heart to bring that passion to bear upon another person, any other person, then we have left the path laid out for us by the Savior.  Consider His own path walked to gain our salvation.  Those whom He created, His own servants, spat in His face, beat Him with reeds and lashes, mocked Him, scourged Him, nailed His emaciated Body to the Cross, pierced His head with thorns, His hands and feet with nails, His side with a spear.  And what response did He give (in order to teach us, at times like this)?  "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

There is but one path for us to follow.  We cannot teach others the Love of Christ by returning hate for hate.  And take note that there is no room in any of these words, either from Scripture or from a sinful priest, for separation of interpretation based on something as insignificant as pigments in the skin or country of origin.

We pray for the souls of those departed, yesterday, and for all the yesterday's past.  And we pray that our Lord will bless us to receive the Spirit of Love for brother and sister from His Holy Spirit, that we might in our lifetime see the abolition, not of racial tension, not of terrorism, or of nationalism, but of their mutual root - the hatred of one person for any other!

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love each other, even as I have loved you." (John 13:34)

Election Season

If you're not watching the political scene in our country, you're disconnected.

As an Orthodox priest, I am not permitted to share with you anything other than that which the Church holds as relating to what is present before us - not to attempt to bias opinion one way or the other.  And so, it is with great care and much prayer that I structure this message.

We've heard from many that they are ever more disappointed in our political system, that the choices presented to us in each election cycle seem ever more unpalatable.  There have been comments to the effect (and I'm sure you've heard them), "I can't vote for either of these two," or, "I guess I'll have to vote third party" (whatever that may mean), or, "I'm just not going to go and vote."

And so, we enter this cycle already with a perspective of defeat.  We have taken the information available to us into our own hands, decided the options given us to be wanting, and chosen to not choose, to remove ourselves from the process because "the process is corrupt."  In short, we've placed ourselves into the judgment seat, and are washing our hands of the process....

Please look at what we've just said to ourselves, and to our Lord.  "I give up!"  Where in this is our turning to Him for guidance?  Where in this is our trust that He has a plan, that we are part of that plan, and that we have a responsibility (indeed, a divine one) to seek His will - even  in choices we cannot ourselves resolve.  Where is our understanding that our Lord does things like change defeat into victory?

He has a plan.  His plan includes us.  He has given us a great privilege to live in a country in which we still have the ability to select a candidate, imperfect though he or she may be.  

I can hear you ask, "Father, how do we make such a choice?  It's impossible!"

First, with God, all things are possible.  Next, we approach the choice with great fear and trembling, knowing that in our own sinfulness and with our own God-given talents, we are not capable of seeing what our Lord sees, of knowing what He knows.

But we are capable of turning to Him in prayer, seeking His guidance, asking that by His intervention we will be enabled to make the choice acceptable to Him.  There is a wonderful prayer from the Great Compline service in which we pray, "O Lord of Hosts, be with us, for we have no other help in times of adversity but You.  O Lord of Hosts, have mercy on us!"  

Our beloved country has turned our collective backs on our Lord for far too long.  We have eliminated Him from our schools, our courts, our public gathering places.  We have too long tolerated sin as choice, error as a lifestyle.  And while we love all humanity (recognizing our own sins, and our place as 'greatest among sinners'), we accept evil in our midst, because we've been told (not by the Church) that this is what a civilized society does.

If we can find it within our hearts to turn to the Lord for His guidance, to ask in humble and sincere prayer that He guide us and our country to conform to His divine will, our insecurities over something like an election will melt away.  And perhaps in the process we'll find ourselves changing the minds of the people around us to also seek and conform to God's will in our lives!  Can you imagine that day when our Lord blesses our faithfulness and multiplies His work by growing His Church in this country?

What is the point of this discussion?  As citizens of a country that once held the highest of standards in terms of living godly lives, in seeking His will throughout times of adversity and need, those of us who find ourselves in the society surrounding us today owe it not only to our parents and grandparents, but to our children and our grandchildren, to take up the responsibility given us, to pray intently to our Lord to reveal to us His will, to "do our homework," to study all we can about the virtues and liabilities of the candidates presented to us, and then, believing that our prayers will be answered, do our civic duty and vote for the most godly choice we find.  If you call it, "the lesser of two evils," you automatically accept defeat.  Rather, call it "the better of two alternatives," and then turn the one elected over into His hands, for ultimately that is where all civil authority lay, blessed by our Lord to serve His people.  

No one said this would be easy.  It may be disheartening and discouraging at times.  Will the one elected conform her or him self to the will of God in their service to this country?  God knows!  You know that the answer to that question is not always edifying.  But as those who follow the will of God, who call ourselves by His name, we have a responsibility to seek and to do His will.  Saint Peter taught it this way:

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:13).

Don't "not vote"!  Don't waste your vote!  Seek His will, and then trust the rest to His divine care - for us, His people!