Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

On Tuesday, December 13th, we will serve a Liturgy at 7am in honor of the Holy Apostle Andrew, the First-Called. This is the Saints-Day of our dear Father Andrew… please join us if you can!

Wednesday evening Bible Studies continue this week at 7pm… in the coming week we will begin studying the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians. The Zoom link for the Bible Study is HERE. 

Our weekly catechism class will be held as usual at 6pm on Friday. All are invited to join Fr Andrew as he goes over the teachings of our faith and provides answers to questions. The link to join these classes is HERE.

Saturdays at 2pm we are continuing our Spiritual Discussions – our current text is ‘Purification, Illumination, Deification – an overview of the Orthodox Christian spiritual life’. All are welcome to attend 2pm in the Church Hall.

Our parish Feast Day is December 25th!  Our church "namesday" is a very important day for our church family and community. There is a sign-up for the various tasks needed to help make this day a success. Please sign up promptly to ensure we have all bases covered.  We need EVERYONE's participation-men, women, and children!  If you plan to attend, please plan to help provide for the meal in some way!  Please sign up HERE.

We are continuing our collection of gifts for our ABODE Adopt A Family for Christmas!!  There are a lot of empty slots still available, especially for 11 year old girl Mia.   All gifts must be NEW and WRAPPED and LABELLED with the recipient's name and returned to Cathy Kozachenko as soon as possible but absolutely no later than SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18TH.  Thank you so much for your generosity!  Please sign up for gifts using this link: St Herman's Adopt a Family Christmas 2022

On December 18th at 3:30 pm in the church hall, we will have our annual St Nicholas party for children of the church of all ages.  Father Martin will teach the children about St Nicholas.  There will be crafts, carols, and cookie decorating.  If your children will attend, please RSVP to Nina Nielepko TODAY, so she knows how many supplies to order/buy.

On January 8, we welcome the return of the Christmas Dinner Dance party.  The party will be held at St Mark's Hall from 5 to 10 pm.  Space is limited so please hold your space by making your payment by check to St Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church or via Zelle with dinner dance in the memo.  Please give your payment to Nina Nielepko is your are paying by check.  Children 7-17 are 20$, 18 and over are $50.

With blessings,

Fr Martin

The Triumph of Divine Love for the World

Archimandrite John (Krestiankin)

My dears, our friends, children of God, children of the holy Orthodox Church! Today is a special day—the day of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, the day of the triumph of the Holy Orthodox, Catholic, and Apostolic Church; of the Heavenly Church Triumphant and the earthly Church Militant. And this is a day of the joy of the incarnation of the Son of God, of the fullness of the Godhead on earth in Him, and of the fullness of the Godhead in His Body—in the Church of Christ.

His Body is all those who go through the podvig of life in faith and truth, in the bosom of the Church; it is everyone, beginning with the Holy Apostles: the Apostles themselves and the teachers of the Church, its patriarchs, holy hierarchs, holy fathers, and the people of God—the laity who hold onto the true faith and who have lived by it and who live by it even now. It is all of us, gathered in church after the first week of our Lenten podvigs and clothed now in the white robe of justification, having tasted of the Divine life, having united with the Lord in the Mystery of Holy Communion.

We heard in the Gospel reading today the high evaluation and praise from the Lord, Who searcheth the heart, for the future Apostle Nathanael: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! (Jn. 1:47). And this is the praise of the Christian, this is the praise of the Church of which the Lord spoke: Here is a Church in which there is no guile, no vain imaginings of men, which is in true in all of its teachings, Sacraments, services, authority, and in its whole structure

This Church, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15) in the words of the Apostle Paul, is a glorious Church, having neither impurity nor blemish. By what bloody podvigs, by what struggles with the enemies of truth, by what and how many deaths of zealots for the purity and holiness of the faith and the Church has Orthodoxy been acquired, preserved, and transmitted to us!

Today we see the earthly Church dejected and burdened with various troubles and sorrows (and this has been an almost constant state for the Orthodox Church from the day of its founding), and we wonder: Is there anything about which to rejoice? But you know, my dears, the Triumph of Orthodoxy will ever be celebrated in the Church, for this triumph is not of the visible glory of Orthodoxy, but of the only thing that gives life to the world, and which no external troubles or enemies now can take away—it is the triumph of Divine love for the world and the eternal life of the world in this love and by this love.

And for us, for every one of us, there remains only one personal question: Will we be participants in this Divine love? Will we preserve for ourselves and for our posterity that which Christ Himself gave to us and which His faithful followers in the Church have handed down to us in purity?

Let us remember, dear ones, that in order for us to be true Orthodox Christians, we must have a living and constant communication with the Orthodox Church in its prayers, teachings, and Sacraments; we must know our faith, study it, be imbued with it, live by its spirit, and be guided by its rules, commandments, and statutes. And most importantly—we must constantly restore the image of a true Orthodox Christian within ourselves through deep repentance, after the example of the holy people of God who have lived at all times.

The first Triumph of Orthodoxy was established when, in the struggle with iconoclasm, the Church defended its right and duty to venerate icons of Christ, the Mother of God, and the saints, and thus defended the truth of the Divine Incarnation. And now the Church continues to celebrate, and will celebrate until the end of the world, the appearance of images of the Living God within it. For even now God reveals Himself in people who have acquired and manifested within themselves this priceless treasure, this sole pearl, of which the world is not worthy—a person like unto God in holiness of life.

So let us pray now, my dears, to those who have illumined and still illumine the path to truth for us by the holiness of their lives.

Let us also pray for those who by their labors and ailments preserve fidelity to the true God in our day.

Let us entreat the Lord that we might not be strangers to this fidelity and these labors. Amen.

Forgiveness Sunday

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have arrived now at Forgiveness Sunday – the gateway toward our season of repentance that is the Great Fast.

Before we can begin our journey of repentance and healing, the Church calls us to set aside our resentments, our judgments of one another. We must knock down those walls we build between ourself and others that allow us the delusion of thinking we’re isolated and separate. We must realize the part that we play in the disease and disorder of this world.

Today we are called to ask forgiveness of one another. We must ask forgiveness not just of those whom we may have personally offended by our selfishness – but in addition to asking forgiveness of those whom we have directly offended, we must also beg forgiveness of one another for the part we all have played in contributing to the sin that affects this world that we share. Every sinful thought, word, and deed we commit tips those scales of good and evil in the direction of evil. God help us to wake up and stop contributing to that storehouse of evil that spills out in destruction across the world! None of us are innocent and none of us can stand aside and presume to judge the disease of the world as if we had no part in it.

We must instead realize and understand that every good and pious thought, word, and deed can help tip that scale of good and evil toward the good. Every prayer, every sigh, every tear, every selfless gesture of courtesy and kindness contributes to the good and has ripples across the world!

We must wake up and understand that what we do, what we say, and what we think deeply matters! Apostle Paul calls to us today… ‘now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand.’

Today, on Forgiveness Sunday, we are given a special opportunity to awaken from our spiritual drowsiness and blindness. We are called to begin our Lenten journey shaking off the shackles of our lack of forgiveness - with our eyes open to the awareness of the presence of God and to the impact that each one of us has upon one another. May this Lenten season be a season of repentance for each of us.  

The Last Judgment is Within Us

Sergei Komarov

Just what the Last Judgment is, every person knows to some extent—even if he has not read the Gospels or heard a Christian sermon; even if he has no faith at all. He knows because every person has a conscience. Even before the books of judgment are opened and the Impartial Judge pronounces His sentence about our eternal lot, even in this earthly life, the stern voice of conscience will condemn us. Just like the Heavenly Judge, this accuser is just and incorruptible, because the conscience is Vox Dei, the voice of God in man. It performs the small rehearsal of the Last Day of the Lord, evoking a nagging feeling of guilt and shame before the final judgment of our iniquity.

But of course, our earthy existence leaves us the right not to obey this testimony and do whatever we want; but the inner voice of conscience will nevertheless continue to reproach us to the end of our days, reminding us of our wrongdoing. The apostle Paul wrote about this in his epistle to the Romans. Talking about the pagans, Paul notes, Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another (Rom. 2:15). Of course, this relates to Christians just as much as it does to pagans, because the law of grace does not invalidate the law of conscience.

The apostolic words allow us to imagine an interesting picture. On people’s hearts, as on a kind of scroll, is written the divine law of conscience, which raises its voice independent of our wishes. Furthermore, in the soul of every person both believing and non-believing a certain inner parliament is constantly in session. Besides the voice of conscience, other speeches and proclamations are heard—our desires, feelings, mind, and will. The speakers take their turns, various “legislative projects” are discussed, and resolutions are passed. The voice of conscience can be compared to the speech of the supreme ruler—the president. His opinion has the advantage over the noisy meeting. But there is an opposition party that speaks in counterweight to the president, in which one can discern the whispering of the enemy of mankind. It is his ancient occupation to place the president’s orders under doubt.

The final verdict remains to be voted upon. Here more important is the personality of the person who is weighing pro et contra. St. Theophan the Recluse says about this, “Who is the decider? The free personality of the acting individual. And no one can decide why this person is inclined toward one or another side, and his decisions cannot be fitted into any laws that would make these decisions predictable.” Thus, a person makes his own decision, and the session closes—so that the next one can open.

This inner parliament will be working at the Last Judgment also. True, the discussions and resolutions will be about not today’s but past deeds will have the aim of evaluating them spiritually and morally. To this conclusion leads the continuing speech of St. Paul: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another; In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel (Rom. 2:15-16).

How interesting that St. Paul relates all of this inner mental council to the Last Judgment. It turns out that on that day, the parliament of our heart will take upon itself a judicial function, and even before God’s sentence the person will be judged by his own conscience. In the present life this council can make mistakes in its decisions or avoid the pangs of conscience. But on that day, the judicial process will be overseen by the all-seeing eye of God, and there will be no mistakes. Our own judicial parliament (fulfilling a judicial function and headed by Christ) will accept an honest and final decision regarding us.

The holy fathers confirm and elaborate upon the apostle’s thought. In the words of St. John Chrysostom, “On the day of judgment our own thoughts will take the stand, now condemning, now justifying, and the person at that judgment seat will have no need of any other accuser.” St. Basil the Great ponders it in the same way. In his opinion, the Last Judgment will be more of an inner event than an outward order—it will take place in the person’s conscience, memory, and mind. Moreover the judgment will happen with lightning speed: “Probably through some unspeakable power, in a flash of time, all the deeds of our life will be imprinted in the memory of our soul as in a picture.” “There is no need to think that much time will be spent as everyone looks at their deeds; both the Judge and the findings of God’s judgment will with unspeakable power and in a moment of time appear before the mind, and all will be vividly depicted before us; and in the realm of the soul, just as in a mirror, each will see the image of what he has done.”

Such a picture of the Last Judgment somewhat breaks the usual stereotypes, isn’t it true? As it turns out, no one is going to be dragged anywhere like a caught thief. Before God’s sentence each person will catch himself and find himself in his own hell. I don’t know what others may think, but for me this inner judgment seems much more terrible than the torments of sinners on a Bosch canvas. When it’s all clear to you yourself, when you understand that your whole life was wrong and there is no second chance, and your conscience burns inside with an unbearable fire—that is the most horrible hell. Hell is too late, said Dostoevsky, and this “too late” taken together with the torments of conscience is truly more terrible than both Dante’s hell and the fantasy of the ingenious Hieronymus.

This is why we call it the Dread Judgment, although there is no such phrase in the Bible. In general a Christian should expect the Judgment Day with joy and hope. We should pronounce along with the Armenian poet Gregory Narekatsi:

I know the day of Judgment is near,

And we’ll be accused of quite a lot,

But isn’t God’s judgment still a meeting with God?

Where will the Judgment be? I’m going there!

But sins worry us, and we have little faith; and the fear of punishment weighs us down. And our conscience—the one that is already empowered to judge—suggests to us the lines of the Church prayer: “When I remember the day and hour of Thy terrible, threatening, and incorruptible judgment, O Christ, I tremble for I do wrong, my deeds are shameful and evil, for which I alone am to blame.”

And after these words of the Church we would like to pronounce our own, simple words: O Lord accept us who repent, have mercy on us, who do not know how to rejoice in Thee. Allow us to meet Thy coming with repentance. We believe that Thou wilt not turn us away, but will accept us and forgive us—because the One Who said, repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mk. 1:15) will never reject faith and repentance.

Thus, the apostle Paul, and after him the holy fathers say that God’s judgment will be preceded by the indisputable testimony of the human conscience. No one can challenge the Judge’s final pronouncement on man’s final lot, for the conscience of the one accused will confirm the sentence. We already know by experience something akin to the Last Judgment in this life, when our conscience judges our thoughts, words, and deeds. Only on that dread day the voice of conscience will be like a bared sharp sword. For now this sword is covered with the rust of our cunning and self-deceit, but on the day of the Lord all rust will vanish, and the sharpened blade of conscience—God’s voice in man—will separate righteousness from iniquity and distinctly determine our eternal lot. And this is worth thinking about and worrying over.

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

(Luke 15:11-32)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we come to the heartbreaking and yet ever-hopeful Gospel parable of the Prodigal Son. What is presented before us today is an illustration of repentance, diligence, and of steadfast love.

In this parable, our Lord tells us of a man who had two sons. These sons lived with their father where all that was necessary and good for their wellbeing was provided and available. In addition, the father had seen to it that each son would receive a generous inheritance of his wealth to take care of their future needs.

The younger son, demonstrating impatience, lack of contentment, and succumbing to the seductions of the world, asked for his inheritance in advance and left his home to go to a far country where he wasted his money and himself on the lusts of this world. It did not take long for him to squander his inheritance and for the fleeting enjoyments of his passionate pursuits to evaporate into the emptiness of depression and poverty and regret. He fell so low that he even envied the food of the pigs he was attending to.

At this lowest point, the Gospel tells us that he ‘came to himself’… he came to a moment of realization, of seeing clearly the state he was in, and this was a moment of crisis. The young man lamented his sorry state and turned in repentance – reasoning that he would go home and, even if he could only be hired on as a servant within his father’s estate, he would be better off than continuing in his current misery. And so, he took action and in humility he returned to his home.

The following scene always gets to me… The Gospel tells us that even while the son was still a long way off, the father was watching for him. And when he saw the distant figure of his long lost son approaching, he ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, I am no longer worthy to be called thy son.’ But the father was overjoyed to recover this lost sheep that was his son and commanded that a great feast be prepared in celebration of the return of he who was lost and is now found.

What strikes my heart about this scene is not only the beauty of this reconciliation of the father and the son, not only my recognition of myself in the figure of the repentant prodigal son, but I also look with inspiration upon the generosity and the constancy of the love of the father – who spent each day of his son’s long journey away from home, watching and waiting for his son’s return.

That outpouring of love from the father never ceased, it never changed. The thing that changed was the son. It was he who went off to a far country… removing himself from the constantly offered love of the father.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is the same with us. This is the story of mankind and God, our Father. Our Heavenly Father is also unchanging in the offering of His love to us, His sons and daughters. But we go off to ‘far countries’… places of our self pursuits, our vanities, our sins. God watches and waits with hope for our return.

This parable of the Prodigal Son is a beautiful illustration of repentance. But the parable does not end with this happy reconciliation of the father and his prodigal son… it goes on to tell us about the other son; the faithful son, who had stayed behind all those years and diligently carried out his father’s work, doing everything right and remaining home at his father’s side. Yet, when the errant younger brother finally returns from his escapades, the older brother is jealous and indignant over the attention lavished upon the prodigal. If anyone was to be rewarded with the fatted calf, it should have been him! Like the Pharisee of last Sunday’s Gospel, the elder brother did all the right things, yet his heart was hardened by his self-justification and pride.

And this brings us back to the remarkable generosity and constancy of the love of the father.

Neither the prodigality and repentance of the one son, nor the faithful dutifulness of the older son changes the steadfast love of the father. Both sons misunderstood the nature and the stability of their father’s love. One thought that he could lose it by straying so far away… the other thought that he could earn it by doing everything right. The reality is that the father’s love remained constant in its outpouring toward his children.

And so it is with God’s love toward us. His love is constant and true. This fact is a source of tremendous hope and consolation. But I think that it can also be a source of temptation… a temptation to become presumptuous of the mercy of God. We often say God’s love is unconditional. Well, that is half true… God’s love toward us is unconditional, however our ability to receive that love is very much conditional. The variable factor is us. We are the ones who create conditions which remove ourselves from being able to receive that love of God. Repentance is the act of ‘coming to ourselves’ as did the prodigal son. And having come to ourselves, and seeing our condition, we then may turn around and approach our loving Father.

This is the call of our Lord’s Gospel parable and this is the call of our Holy Mother Church as she prepares us for Great Lent. It is a call of repentance! It is a call to a correct understanding of what our Lenten efforts should be about! It is a call to the breaking of our hearts to see the constancy of our Father’s Love… a Love and a Light which is offered to us to the degree to which we will receive it.

May God grant that each and every one of us will take the opportunity provided to us in this season of repentance to change our condition and to open our hearts to God’s steadfast love.

Sunday of Publican and Pharisee

In today’s Gospel, our Lord tells us that two men went into the temple to pray – one was a Pharisee who was diligent in keeping the fasts and all the rules of the Jewish law and the other was a Publican, a lowly and despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood in the temple with great confidence and pride, thanking God that he was not like other men. He fasted twice a week, he gave a tenth of everything he owned… he did all the right things. Meanwhile, the Publican stood in the back of the temple and could hardly raise his eyes to heaven, crying out “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us: I say to you, it was the publican who went away justified rather than the Pharisee – ‘for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’

What a powerful and poignant picture the Church places before us as we begin to prepare ourselves for the season of Great Lent.

So often, when we think of the approach of Great Lent, we think of the hardships of fasting, we think of more frequent and longer Church services, we think of the call to minimize our worldly distractions – in a word, we think of all the things which the Pharisee was focused on.

How often is it the case that when we think of the approach of Great Lent, we think about breaking our hearts open in repentance and love for God? How often do we think about better attuning ourselves to helping our family, our friends, our neighbors, and even strangers? In a word, how often do we think of the season of Great Lent as a special time given to us to humbly come before God and to draw nearer to Him?

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, if we approached the season of Great Lent as the Publican, we would look forward to it as a time to draw nearer to the One Whom we most love! May God grant that this be so for all of us.

In addition to our commemoration of the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, today is also a special day for our Church… today we celebrate the holy new martyrs and confessors of the Russian Church - those millions of Christian souls persecuted, tortured, and killed for their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is not only spiritually profitable, but I would dare say, it is becoming more and more essential for us to study the lives of the martyrs of those who suffered under the atheistic yolk of the 20th century. These men and women saw their once Christian land dismantled bit by bit until it reached a critical point wherein the dam burst and Godlessness poured out its poison upon their nation.

These times of trouble were not so long ago in places like Russia, Romania, and other lands where atheistic communism took hold. And we have people with us today, in this very Church, who lived under these intolerable conditions – where going to Church was a crime that could jeopardize the wellbeing of your family and could land you in the Gulag for many years, if you were fortunate enough to survive.

We would do well to listen to the voices of those who lived through this… because they have much to tell us both about the warning signs of a society losing its grip, and also about how one’s faith might survive under almost impossible conditions.

What I have gathered over the past many decades of reading from and listening to these voices is that we must be firmly grounded in the Truth. We have to know what truth is and we have to build a strong relationship with the One Who is Truth Himself.

When the society around us loses its grip and doesn’t know which way is up and which way is down, we have to have the faith and the strength to navigate those stormy waters with a sure grip on the rudder – which is Christ. We have to build a strong foundation of prayer and of knowing the Holy Scriptures. We should work to memorize our prayers and to memorize verses of Scripture which can guide us and console us should the situation ever arise when our prayer books and our Bibles will no longer be available. (Whether that dreadful day ever happens or not is irrelevant to the benefits we will derive from putting to memory these things and to firmly grounding ourselves in prayer and Scripture.)

The cloud of witnesses that we commemorate today, the holy new martyrs and confessors of the Russian Church, are guiding lights for us. I encourage you to study their lives, to see how they retained their dignity in the most undignified circumstances, to marvel at their strength of faith in the face of mockery, intimidation, imprisonment, torture, and even death. These are the heroes we should be looking to if we are Orthodox Christians. May their steadfastness and their courage inspire us to be faithful to our Lord and to our Holy Faith no matter what!

The words of the Apostle Paul from today’s Epistle reading for the martyrs expresses this the best: ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: For Your sake we are killed all the day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all things we are more than conquerors, through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

May we stand strong in that faith and in that hope that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Zacchaeus Sunday

(Luke 19:1-10)

Over the course of the next several Sundays we will be presented with different themes which spiritually prepare us for the season of fasting and repentance… today we hear of Zacchaeus, and then in the following Sundays we shall hear of the Publican and the Pharisee, the Prodigal Son, and the Final Judgment of all mankind. Our holy mother Church is guiding us through these Sundays to warm our hearts and set our minds upon the proper context for us to approach the fast in the right spirit, so that we can reap the greatest benefit from the blessing of the Great Fast.

Today we read the Gospel account of Zacchaeus, a despised tax-collector, a man who came to get a glimpse of Jesus as He was passing by, but because of his short stature and the great crowd of people, he could not have a clear view. So Zacchaeus, in his zeal, climbed into the branches of a sycamore tree to get a view of our Lord as He passed by. When Jesus came along this way, He made a point of stopping and looking up to Zacchaeus, calling out to him to ‘make haste and come down – for I desire to stay in your house this day’.

Each time we hear the Holy Gospels, we must recognize and realize that the Lord is speaking to us, here and now. We must ask ourselves – what is God saying to me?

Just like Zacchaeus, our sins make us ‘short of stature’ spiritually. Our vision of God is often lost and obscured because we cannot see past the obstacles of the world and our daily concerns. These worries, distractions, and temptations block our view from seeing God. We should take inspiration from Zacchaeus… we must take action and find the means to somehow climb above the tumult of the worldliness in which we live in order to gain perspective and get a glimpse of God. We must pull ourselves up from the obstacles of the world… we do this primarily through prayer, through a conscious awareness of God in our daily lives.

Once we’ve raised ourselves above the worldliness of our lives, we then need to have the courage to ‘go out on a limb’ and step forward in faith and trust. We must take the risk of reaching out to God in faith… How often do we hesitate to put our faith in God because we are bothered by doubts and cold heartedness of the one side, or by a sense of defeat and futility on the other side?

Look at the example of Zacchaeus… what drove him to climb up that tree and to go out on that limb? He was certainly breaking the mold of the typical tax-collector, who were generally seen as men of terrible selfishness… opportunists who preyed upon their fellow countrymen in order to gain the favor and money of their Roman lords. Zachhaeus could easily have listened to the voices of his rational, calculating, ‘tax-collector’s’ mind and doubted all that he had heard about the miracles of Christ. Or, on the contrary, what if he had faith in Christ, but gave in to the faintheartedness that must have whispered in his ears that he was nobody, that Christ would never look his way, that there was no point in trying because he would forever be a nothing.

Neither of these voices prevailed in the case of Zacchaeus, because both of these voices are coming from the same place… they are two sides of the same coin… they are the voices of self-centeredness, of self-preoccupation.

One side tells us that we don’t have all the facts we need to proceed with confidence, that we don’t have all the answers, so we must not take any risks. This is placing all of our trust in our self and in our limited knowledge and perception of things. Placing our trust in ourselves puts us on a very short leash indeed! It is arrogance and pride to presume that we have all the answers or that we are the measure of all things.

The other side tells us that we are no good… that we’re beyond repair, that there is no hope. We see our sins stacked before us and they are the same week after week after week. There is no hope! Maybe we think we’re being humble thinking along these lines, but this is actually the other voice of pride and self-preoccupation. If we succumb to this kind of defeated thinking, then it shows us that we are trusting in ourselves and not placing our trust in Christ. The Scriptures tell us:‘With men it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.’ 

Zacchaeus was despised, he was short of stature, he was probably pushed aside as he attempted to maneuver himself in the crowd to gain a view. But he did not submit to doubt, nor did he submit to defeat… his thoughts were directed toward Christ and he climbed that tree motivated solely by zeal and love for Jesus Christ. He did not over think it… he acted out of a pure heart. And, what do we hear in the Beatitudes?... ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’

Brothers and sisters in Christ! This must be our attitude toward Christ as well. This must be our attitude toward the blessed season of Great Lent. Let us lay aside the thoughts that pull us toward a calculating sense of superiority, of scrutinizing the wisdom of the Church to prescribe what is best for us. Let us lay aside the thoughts that pull us toward the other side of defeat and an expectation of hopelessness before we even begin…

Christ approaches… let us remove all obstacles and raise our point of view above all that distracts us from seeing our Lord. Let us approach all things from a pure heart… a heart that is burning and melting with love for God and that strives to please Him simply as a response of love.

If we can begin to prepare our hearts in this way, then we position ourselves to be in the right place for Christ to see us and to exclaim, ‘Make haste to come down, for today I must stay at your house!’ …For ‘today salvation has come to this house, for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’

Sunday After Theophany

(Matt. 4:12-17)

We hear in today’s Holy Gospel a quotation from Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, Light has dawned.’ This quote from the prophecy of Isaiah is presented to us by the Evangelist Matthew in the context of his description of Christ’s baptism by John in the Jordan.

The great event of Christ’s baptism is the manifestation of the Holy Trinity and Christ shines forth His Light to the world. Indeed, in the Kontakion of the feast of Theophany we sing: ‘Thou hast appeared today to the whole world, and Thy light, O Lord, hath been signed upon us who hymn Thee with understanding. Thou hast come, Thou hast appeared, the Light unapproachable.’

Christ’s appearance to mankind brings Light to the world. But as we hear in the opening verses of the Gospel of St John: ‘In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.’

The Light of Christ’s love and truth shines upon us and upon the whole world, but we do not comprehend it. Indeed, so much of the reality of the spiritual life which surrounds us – the presence of God, the life of the Church, the temptations of the evil one – all of this remains obscure to us, and we go about our lives like blind men and women.

If our spiritual eyes were truly open and we could see the crafty deceptions of the demons, if we could see the tireless protection and prayers of our guardian angel, if we could perceive the patient knocking of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the closed door of our heart… Oh, dear brothers and sisters, if we could only see the both the beauty and the seriousness of the life given to us in which to work out our salvation – perhaps then we would heed the call of our Lord Jesus Christ from this morning’s Gospel: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’

This awareness of the presence of God is that ‘one thing needful’ which sets everything else in proper perspective. As the Gospels teach us: ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added unto you.’

The Light of Christ has shone upon the world, yet the world clings to its darkness and we go about our lives as blind men…

The Gospel reading for this Sunday tells us about a certain blind man who sat by the road begging. When the crowd surrounding Jesus started to pass by, he asked what was happening and was told that Jesus of Nazareth was approaching. In the boldness of his hope and faith, he began crying out: ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Those around him warned him to keep quiet, but he just cried out all the more: ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’

And our Lord heard his cries and commanded that the blind man be brought to Him. Christ asked the blind man: ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ The blind man replied: ‘Lord, that I might receive my sight.’ Then Jesus said to him: ‘Receive your sight, your faith has made you well.’ And immediately, his sight was restored.

Here is a beautiful lesson set before us!

With this feast of the Theophany and with the Gospel readings appointed for this day, we have a clear and accurate picture of the reality of the state of mankind, the intercessions and revelation of God, and instruction guiding us toward our healing from the blindness which besets us.

That accurate picture of the reality of the state of mankind is expressed by the Gospel as ‘a people who sat in the darkness’. It is very much like the famous analogy of Plato who speaks of men who sit with their backs to the entrance of the cave and content themselves with seeing the shadows on the wall. The Light and the Life awaits them outside the entrance of the cave, but they prefer the darkness and can scarcely believe that another world exists.

Yet with the baptism of the Lord, the fulness of the Trinity is made manifest! The voice of the Father bears witness to His Son and the Spirit in the form of a dove confirms the Truth of His Word. With the coming of Christ, the Light shines in upon the darkness and we are invited to come into that Light.

And what clear and beautiful instruction is given to us in the example of the blind man from today’s Gospel… sensing the presence of the Lord, the blind man calls out to him: ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’

This simple prayer has been echoed and loved by Christians since the time of Christ’s ministry here on earth. ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner’. This prayer, in its great simplicity, yet deep profundity, expresses the essence and the heart of our faith.

This prayer, the Jesus Prayer as it has come to be known, is also a Theophany… a revelation of the Trinity. In it we confess our Lord Jesus Christ. We declare Him to be the Son of God – which references the Father. And the Apostle Paul tells us that no one can declare Jesus Christ as Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. So, you see… in this simple prayer, we find the revelation of the Holy Trinity.

And in this prayer we ask God to have mercy on us. In doing so we are not merely asking God to have clemency on us, but to extend His lovingkindness and His grace upon us. We are calling down grace and asking God to transform us by the grace of His mercy.

This simple prayer brought sight to the blind man who called out in faith. And this prayer can illumine our darkness as well if it said with sincerity, humility, and attention. Don’t get caught up in fulfilling a certain quantity of prayers and don’t take up the prayer as a technique to achieving some expected spiritual state. Let this prayer be your companion and consolation in life… calling out God when you face temptations: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ Calling out to Him to bring His presence into your day to day life and struggles. Calling out to Him as a time-tested expression of our love for Him and of our longing to draw close to Him… ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God grant that we all may be spiritually sensitive enough to recognize the presence of this great Light which has come into the world – our Lord Jesus Christ. May we then also have the humility to see ourselves as we really are and to call out in all sincerity and hope: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ And may we be granted those longed-for words from our Savior: ‘Receive your sight, your faith has made you well.’

The Holy Theophany

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we celebrate today the great feast of Theophany upon which we commemorate the baptism of our Lord… a day which marks the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry and a day in which ‘the worship of the Trinity was made manifest’! The word Theophany means the appearance of God. On this day, Jesus Christ was baptized and the voice of the Father spoke out calling Him His beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove to rest upon Him. It is a startling and powerful revelation of the true nature of God as Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The great event of Christ’s baptism is the manifestation of the Holy Trinity and Christ shines forth His Light to the world. Indeed, in the Kontakion of the feast of Theophany we sing: ‘Thou hast appeared today to the whole world, and Thy light, O Lord, hath been signed upon us who hymn Thee with understanding. Thou hast come, Thou hast appeared, the Light unapproachable.’

Christ’s appearance to mankind brings Light to the world. But as we hear in the opening verses of the Gospel of St John: ‘In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.’

The Light of Christ’s love and truth shines upon us and upon the whole world, but we do not comprehend it. This is the great tragedy of mankind and of ourselves…

We see the world entangled in sin and darkness – and, if we are honest with ourselves, we see that we participate in this too. How do we move out of that darkness and into the Light of Christ?

Our Lord gives us the prescription in His first sermon coming out of the waters of the Jordan… He exclaimed: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

To repent means to make a change… to turn from one way to another way.

This glorious feast of Theophany occurs at the start of a new year. It is a perfect time to make positive changes in our life… to repent and to cast off that which encumbers us and to embrace all that will lead us to love God more fully.

For God has given us all that is necessary for our salvation. With this feast, He has revealed Himself to us in the fullness of the manifestation of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And in this startling revelation, we get a glimpse into the reality of the living presence of Love which defines the very Being of God! Within the Person of God there is a relation of self-giving love. This sets the God of Christianity apart from any and all other conceptions of God and it is a unique and telling revelation which sets the tone for how we might attain our salvation and union with God.

The God Who reveals Himself today is a God of intimacy. He cares for His creatures and wishes to enter into communion with us. By the Holy Spirit, God blesses and permeates His creation, bestowing His Life-Giving Grace upon things and upon us.

Today we celebrate the Great Blessing of Waters. It is an amazing thing that God grants this manifestation of His grace to us. Ordinary water, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, becomes extraordinary, becomes sanctified, holy.

And isn’t it this way with all things? By the grace of God, ordinary things may become extraordinary and holy. A simple piece of painted wood – through prayer and God’s grace becomes a holy icon, a window into heaven. An ordinary human life, through prayer and the grace of God, may become sanctified, may become holy.

This is part of the mystery and glory of Jesus Christ. He renews all things – all of creation rejoices in God that we may be united with Him!

On this great feast of Theophany, let us remember and renew our own baptismal vows… We vowed to renounce Satan and to unite ourselves to Christ. Our only hope of fulfilling this important and essential vow is by heeding the call of Christ to repentance… by making a conscious step of determination to be united with Christ and by our humble submission to the grace of God.

Glory to God that He provides us with such an abundance of grace! The waters of Theophany shower us with God’s blessings, protection, and grace. What a tremendous gift indeed!

May each and every one of us draw strength and consolation from the outpouring of grace given to us through the healing and sanctifying waters of Theophany. I urge you to take advantage of the blessings offered to you by the Holy Church and invite the priest to sanctify your homes with the holy waters of Theophany. This begins the new year in the right way - with spiritual refreshment and encouragement. May the light of the appearance of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, enlighten and fill our lives with blessings and joy!  

Sermon for the Sunday After Nativity

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday after the feast of the Nativity, the Holy Church commemorates the righteous kinsmen of the Lord –David the King, Joseph the Betrothed, and James the brother of the Lord.

David the King is that remarkable ancestor of the Lord who we know from the Old Testament and whose voice we hear echoing in all of our prayers and church services as we read from his beautiful Psalms. David was the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a simple shepherd boy, who was the unlikely chosen one of God to be anointed king. Even though the older brothers were taller, stronger, and more mature, we read the following: ‘The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ (1 Sam 16:7)

Our second kinsman of the Lord is Joseph the Betrothed. Joseph was of the lineage of King David and, as we know, was the protector and guardian of the Holy Virgin Mary and our Lord Jesus Christ. Joseph was an elderly man and a relative of the young Virgin Mary who had dedicated herself to God – being raised within the temple. As today’s Gospel reading illustrates for us, Joseph was an attentive and obedient servant of God. At the promptings of the angel, he escorts the young Virgin Mother and her Divine Child out of harm’s way and remains in exile until the angel appears again to tell him they may return.

And our third kinsman celebrated today is James the brother of the Lord, one of the sons of Joseph, who became the first bishop of Jerusalem and was an important figure in the life of the early church. We see many references in the writings of Apostle Paul regarding how disputes were brought before the council of Apostles and Fathers of the Church and how James, as bishop, mediated and pronounced judgment – showing the good order and hierarchy of the church even in these earliest of times.

What a great mystery it is that God, the Creator of all that is, should deign to entwine Himself into the lives of His creatures so intimately, that He would have his creatures be His kinsmen.

It is a great mystery and a divine unfolding of the revelation of the truth and love which God extends to us.

The Apostle Paul speaks to us this morning of the source of the truth that he preaches to the world. He writes in today’s Epistle that, ‘The gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.’

Truth is not a human concept, truth is not that which agree to be true, or what we might wish to be true… Truth is a Person, and that Person has revealed Himself to us.

We begin to perceive Truth as we begin to have relationship to the One Who is Truth Himself, as we take on more and more aspects of the attributes of our Beloved Lord – the source of truth and love and all that is beautiful and worthy.

How do we go about understanding the truth of God?

Do we hit the books and pour ourselves into the study of theology? There is a time and a place for that, but we do not perceive truth solely by the workings and strivings of our mind and fallen understanding of things… we first and foremost perceive truth through the struggle of purifying our heart. As the Lord has told us, ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’

St Athanasius speaks eloquently about this when describing how we should approach the truth as revealed in the Holy Scriptures and teachings of the saints. He writes, ‘But for the searching and right understanding of the Scriptures there is need of a good life and a pure soul, and for Christian virtue to guide the mind to grasp, so far as human nature can, the truth concerning God the Word.’

What a different approach this is than what we might be used to… As Apostle Paul states in his letter to the Romans, we must not be conformed to this world, but we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

This holy season of the Nativity of our Lord is a feast where the revelation of God is made manifest in the most dramatic and intimate manner. The Way, the Truth, and the Life enters into human history, taking on human flesh and blood, becoming a member of the family of mankind with relatives like David the King, Joseph the Betrothed, and James, his brother. Fully human yet remaining fully divine… and thus transfiguring all aspects of our existence through His direct experience of the human condition.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, when our Lord came into this world, the world did not have a place for him… And, as we heard in today’s Gospel, at the start of His young life He experienced exile into the lands of Egypt as the proud and mighty of this world sought to kill Him.

What about today? We can see that things are much the same with the ways of this world. The proud and the mighty still seek to kill Him and to remove Him from their plans for this world. Yet amid the confusion and the chaos of the world, there still remains that quiet and humble manger which awaits the coming of the King. That quiet and humble manger is found within every human heart.

With the Nativity of Christ, let us make welcome room within our hearts to receive Him. May we strive to never banish Him from our hearts, sending Him into exile by our proud and mighty selfishness. God reveals Himself to the pure in heart… let this be our prayer as we go forth into this new year… that God would grant us quiet humility and purity of heart so that we may be transformed by His Truth and Love.

Sunday Before Nativity

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… I greet you this morning at the beginning of a new year. In a few moments we will pray together for God’s blessings on the new year before us and pray that we all might experience health, salvation, and all good things. We all wish for happiness and peace in our world.

But where is that peace to be found? As we look at the world around us, we sadly see so much suffering… nation fighting nation in wars, brother against brother in hatred and killing… Why is the world so broken? And the question placed before me so often is: Where is God in all of this? Can’t He do something about it?

The answer to that question is ‘Yes, of course God can do something – and He has.’ But what God has done is so little understood by us and so contradicts what we think we would want Him to do. We may dare to even place the blame for the presence of evil in this world upon God and standby passively demanding that it is up to Him to stop it.

In thinking this way, we disassociate ourselves and our behaviors, words, and thoughts from having any impact or responsibility for the sorry state of the world. We do not realize that our sins, our anger, our lack of love – all of these things contribute directly to the unfortunate state of things. As Professor Ivan Andreyev wrote in his book on Moral Theology: ‘All for one and one for all are guilty: this is the essence of the social ethic of Christianity… We are all guilty, for we are sinful; we do evil, contribute our evil to the universal storehouse of evil. And this evil accumulates into an immense universal energy of evil and seeks for its incarnation the vessels of bodies without grace, and when it finds them it becomes incarnate in them and they perform great evil deeds. Let each one think of himself – what were you doing at the time when some evil deed was performed? Perhaps it was your sin, your immoral deed, your malice, which turned out to be the last little drop which caused the vessel of evil to overflow. This is the way we must reflect, if we are Christians.’

If we can have the humility to begin to glimpse this reality of our interconnectedness to all things, then we may begin to understand the depth and the breadth of what God has done for us.

We stand today on the threshold of the great feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. The significance of the incarnation of Christ is something that goes so far beyond what our human solutions might come up with… our desire that God would step in and overpower us. No, God’s plan in the incarnation is an act of extraordinary compassionate love which addresses the brokenness of the world at its core… within each individual human heart and soul!

The Evangelist John proclaims: ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.’

The suffering and brokenness of the world is not a concept or an impersonal problem to be overcome. It is a collective issue of the consequences of the lives of each and every individual human being. And the way out of that brokenness takes place within the life of each and every individual human being.

The Divine Lord became human in order to restore all that it means to be human back to its intended nobility.

When we contemplate the fact that God Himself has taken on humanity and become a man born in time and place, a man of flesh and blood, submitting Himself to cold and heat, to friendship and loneliness, to hunger and fullness, to joy and to sorrow, even unto torture and death... we should not only be astounded by the generosity and compassion of God, but we also must recognize that God – having passed through the human experience – understands our own sorrows and trials in the most intimate way possible… for He has endured them all.

And not only has He endured our pains and sorrows, but as God, He has triumphed over them and has transformed them – giving us hope and opening them up as a door toward our own healing and salvation.

People see the sorrows and misfortunes in the world today and they say: ‘Where is God?’ Why doesn’t He do something?’…

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… God does not stand impotently by, at a distance from the sorrows of the world! He descended from His Heavenly Throne to enter into the misery that WE have created of this fallen world. He bore everything upon Himself and He has triumphed over it. He does not rob us of our freedom, He does not overpower us – with a stroke of His hand solving things by spiritually lobotomizing us, making us obedient robots. He calls to us from His humility as a babe in a manger and as the Heavenly King Who suffered and healed all for our sakes. He knocks on the door of the individual human heart and promises to heal us if we will allow it.

Let us watch and pray as we await the awesome Nativity of our Lord. Let us reflect on how incredible it is that He who cradles the universe in the crook of His arm deigns to be cradled as a child in the arms of a young virgin. May the words of the Holy Evangelist John the Theologian resound in our soul, that Christ ‘was the True Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  …And of His fulness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.’ Amen!

Sermon for Sunday of Holy Forefathers

Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom)

Among the saints commemorated two weeks before the Nativity of Christ, I would like to draw your attention to the Prophet Daniel and the three young men who were cast into the fiery furnace for refusing to worship idols.

Regarding the Prophet Daniel, I want to say just one thing: He was thrown to the wild beasts because he refused to spend even a single day without prayer. He chose to risk his life rather than do something that so many people do so easily every day—neglect worshiping God, fail to praise His name, fail to express faithfulness to Him, and fail to offer intercessory prayer for others before His throne. For Daniel, even to save his life, it was unthinkable to abandon these acts of devotion. This is something for us to reflect upon.

As for the three young men who were cast into the fiery furnace, I want to highlight two points. First, they were willing to be burned alive rather than worship the idol of the king—an image of earthly power—and to turn away from God to serve earthly values. Do we not often do the same, day after day, by submitting to every command of the world, serving all its earthly values, and choosing a safe life over the risk of being a child of God?

Second, every revelation of human holiness, of the greatness of the human spirit, and of boundless devotion to God by people like us is always accompanied by a revelation of God Himself. The three young men refused to worship the idol and were cast into a furnace so hot that it burned those who approached it. The tyrant king, curious to see their suffering, drew near to the furnace and asked his advisors: Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? How is it that I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God?”(Daniel 3:24–25). In response to the faithfulness of the three young men, Christ the Savior descended into the furnace before His incarnation, appearing in the glory of His divinity in human form. He freed them from their bonds, delivered them from death, and glorified them in the presence of the tyrant king and his followers.

What does this event tell us about God? It tells us that where there is suffering, where the flames of temptation burn, and where the terror of death grips people—God is among them. He is not a distant deity calling them to endure suffering that He Himself would not bear. He does not save from the outside, without participating in their suffering. Our God descended into our midst, taking on everything that defines the human condition. He endured the fiery trial and prevailed. In the midst of these fiery trials, He grants freedom to those who remain with Him. He descended into the depths of human hell and there proclaimed freedom, God’s victory, and new life for humanity.

How can we not bow down before such a God? How can we refuse to serve Him? How can we prefer any other values to those of God and Christ on earth, or submit to any other authority than Christ’s?

Let us also reflect on this: The day of Christ’s Nativity is approaching—how will we receive Him? On this day, He descends to earth, enters the limitations of creation, steps into the brokenness of a fallen world, and plunges into the depths of sin while remaining sinless—all out of love for us.

Will we find the generosity to respond to His love with our own? Will we find the courage, like Daniel, the three young men, and countless saints, to answer His call to become God’s people? When we look at the calendar of saints, we are struck by phrases like, “Saint so-and-so, with his wife and two children,” or, “Saint so-and-so, with his brother and such-and-such number of friends.” These friends, brothers, and spouses numbered in the thousands. They were like us—fragile, afraid of pain, and longing to live. But they chose faithfulness to love over betrayal, even in small things, and so they became capable of being faithful in great things.

Let us begin with small things. Let us be faithful to God in everything that is within our small strength. In doing so, we will grow to the stature of those who were faithful in much and entered into the joy and glory of their Lord. Amen.

26th Sunday After Pentecost / Conception of Theotokos

Luke 17:12-19

In the Gospel reading for today, we hear about the ten lepers who stood at a distance and cried out “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

These ten men were afflicted with the most miserable of diseases – leprosy – which progressively destroyed their bodies and caused great sorrow, isolation, and pain. Hearing of the miraculous healing powers of our Lord, they were hopeful that He would have pity on them and cure them of their misery.

When our Lord heard their cry, he did indeed show tender pity for them and commanded them to go show themselves to the priests. He sent them immediately to the priests for several reasons… first of all, to demonstrate for us His complete mastery over sin and illness. He did not wait for their condition to clear up before He sent them to the priests. His word and desire had already made them well and He confidently sent them on their way. They were sent to the priests because it was necessary for the priests to examine and pronounce a man clean before he would be accepted back into society. Our Lord, in His mercy and wisdom, sent them to the priests straight away in order to assure that they would enjoy the speediest restoration not only of their health, but of their place within society. 

Only one of these ten men returned to find our Lord and to fall before Him in gratitude and praise. This man knew Who was the author of his restoration and he sought Him out in order to give thanks. Falling down before the feet of our Lord, Jesus asked him, “Were there not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this Gospel story of the ten lepers is the story of mankind… it is the story of you and me.

Mankind, through our pride, has fallen and our nature is diseased with the leprosy of sin. Throughout the centuries of the Old Testament times, mankind stood afar off like the ten lepers, and cried out to God that He might have pity on us. And God heard the cries of mankind and sent to us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, Who became incarnate for us to break us from the bondage of sin and to heal us from our collective disease. This is the healing event for which we are fasting and awaiting… the Nativity of Christ. God’s mercy cleanses us through the incarnation of the Lord and His earthly ministry, in which He taught and healed and suffered and was buried and arose again on the third day. Death could not contain the Source of Life and the shackles of hell and sin were broken.

Christ provided for us His Holy Church in which the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, was made manifest. Within Christ’s Holy Church we have the healing medicine of the sacraments, through which the Grace and Blessings of God continue to cleanse us of our sins and make us whole again. And without which, we have little hope of being purified and saved.

Blessed indeed are we who have all of the things necessary for our healing here before us. And yet, how do we behave? Are we like the nine lepers who received the gift of healing from our Lord and thoughtlessly went on their way?

On the feasts of the Church and on the weekly evening vigil and morning liturgy services, do we fail to return to the feet of our Lord in gratitude, causing Him to say ‘Where are you’? When a new day is dawning and it is time for the prayers of morning-time, where are we to be found? Do we just take the blessing of a new day for granted and mindlessly go about our business? And throughout our day, God is watching over us and intercedes for us in ways that we don’t even know about – do we stop to give him praise? When the day is over and it is time to settle down to sleep, do we neglect to turn our thoughts back to God? In all these cases, and at all times, our Lord is there awaiting us in the chapel of our heart. Are we like the nine who cause our Lord to say ‘Where are you?’

Don’t let this be so! Let us do everything within our power to imitate the one good servant among the ten lepers who were healed. Let us daily acknowledge and give God thanks for His mercy and for His promise of restoration for our soul. Let us struggle and have fear to neglect that sense of gratitude and awareness of the goodness of God. May we frequently run to return back to Him, falling at His feet and thanking Him. And if we do so, may we hear the words which he gave to that one faithful and grateful servant, “Arise and go, your faith has made you well.”

I would also like to say a word on this day in which we celebrate the conception by St Anna of the most holy Virgin Mary. We live amid such distorted images of the Virgin Mary… on the one hand we have the Protestants, who hardly acknowledge her at all and who do not hold her sinlessness and ever-virginity in honor. And then, on the other hand, we have the Roman Catholic distortion of proclaiming her immaculate conception – which states that she was conceived and born with a special grace which rendered her incapable of sinning. While this teaching may seem to exalt the Mother of God, it actually robs her of the dignity and the marvel of her efforts and her virtue. Today we glorify the conception of a fully human woman who shares our fallen humanity, and yet lived in such purity that she did not sin and in whom God found such favor that He deigned to dwell within her womb for His incarnation. We Orthodox exalt her as more honorable than the seraphim and beyond compare more glorious than the cherubim… she who without corruption gaveth birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify! Through the intercessions of the Most Holy Mother of God, who was conceived on this day, may Christ our God have mercy on us!

25th Sunday After Pentecost

Luke 18:18-27

In today’s holy gospel, a man comes up to our Lord and asks, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ This is an important question… And this must be the question for each of us… ‘What must we do to inherit eternal life?’

In answer to this question, our Lord reviews the commandments of God… Thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not steal, etc. Elsewhere in the Gospels Christ summarizes all the commandments as boiling down to ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind: and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’

Brothers and sisters in Christ… what could be more simple and yet what could be more challenging than this? We must remember one thing and we must transform our lives according to this one thing: we must love God above all else and treat our neighbors with love. There is no higher calling than this and if we can fulfill it, if we can be guided by compassionate love in all things, then, with God’s help, all the other commandments, canons, and rules of conduct and piety fall naturally into place.

You don’t harm or insult or try to get the better of someone you love. You seek to console, protect, and see all good things in those whom you love. And remember… to love someone is not about how all this makes you feel, it is about how you behave. Love is a call of determination and sacrifice, not just a fluttering heart. We must step forward in love toward all those we meet by showing them love with our behavior – our courtesy, our kindness, our care. Loving feelings may or may not be present… let the feelings follow after the behavior, don’t wait for the feelings before you put love into action.

The young man in today’s Gospel declared that he kept all of the commandments. What else did he lack? Christ, the Great Physician, knew precisely the medicine needed for this particular soul and he told him that if he would be perfect, he should go and sell all that he possessed, give it to the poor, and follow Him.

This cut to the heart of the particular passion that weighed this man down: greed and love of possessions. And it was too much for him… the Gospel says he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions.

Let us ask ourselves… What particular passion of ours might Christ pinpoint if we were in this Gospel scene? Perhaps it is laziness, perhaps it is the love of comfort, perhaps it is sensual sins, or pride, or gossiping, or something else. Each and every one of us have one or more particular sins that anchor and weigh us down in our spiritual life. In addition to striving toward that love of God and neighbor, we need to identify, acknowledge, and work to root out our particular ‘anchors’ – those sins that might cause us to walk away sorrowful from the Lord’s invitation to follow Him.

We need to examine ourselves with scorching honesty and stop making excuses for our sins. We need to work to identify that particular stumbling block that causes us to fall into sin. We need to confess it, repent of it, and we need to ask God for His divine assistance in helping us to begin working our way past this problem that weighs us down and eclipses our vision of God and His love.

There is no sin which cannot be forgiven if we turn to God with a repentant heart. And there is no sin which is mightier than the strength and grace and will of God. Let us not deceive ourselves or let ourselves be deceived into thinking that our particular sins are insurmountable… this is a lie and if we allow ourselves to think this way it shows our lack of trust in God. Christ has trampled down death and all sin… it is now up to us to unite ourselves to Him and thereby unite ourselves to His victory over all evil.

Today’s Gospel is not a universal call for all of us to sell everything and move to the desert. Christ is calling you right from where you are. Maybe your challenge is to bring peace to a home that has gone foul with anger and irritation. If so, then this is the challenge before you… do it with love and realize that with God all things are possible. Maybe your challenge is to juggle the responsibilities of raising a family. If so, then do it with love and realize that with God all things are possible. Maybe your challenge is struggling to make ends meet in a land so far from home. Trust in God and recognize that, as the Gospel tells us, if you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all things will be added unto you – things will be okay if we pray that God’s will be done and we are willing to surrender to that.

Whatever circumstance God has presented you with – this is your arena for battle with our tendency toward selfishness. We must take up our cross and call upon God to be with us in our daily lives..

May we continue to focus our attention on that most important of questions – what must we do to inherit eternal life. May we listen to and heed the Lord’s call as he reveals to us those sins that weigh us down like an anchor and prevent us from ascending in our hearts toward God. And may we have the simplicity of soul to trust in God as our spiritual physician – patiently enduring the struggles of our life in a spirit of humility and love. If we can do so, then we will begin to experience that Kingdom of Heaven even now as it permeates and shines within our soul and illumines all things around us! May God grant it!

24th Sunday After Pentecost – Afterfeast of Entry of Theotokos

Luke 13:10-17

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is the leave-taking of the feast we celebrated earlier this week: the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple.

When the blessed Virgin was just three years old, her parents Joachim and Anna brought her to the Temple in order to fulfill their vow of dedicating her in service to God. The young Mary was placed on the bottom step leading up to the Temple, and in a manner beyond her years, she confidently ascended the fifteen steps leading up to the Temple and presented herself to the High Priest. The High Priest, Zechariah, inspired by the grace of God, led her directly into the Holy of Holies – a place where only the High Priest could enter, and then, only once a year. Needless to say, all those who witnessed this were astonished!

Indeed - what a remarkable thing… for she, who enters into the Temple of the Most High God will become the Temple of the Most High God. She, who enters into the Holy of Holies, will become the Holy of Holies. With this feast, we celebrate the entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, anticipating the fact that she herself will become the very Temple of God and bring forth our Lord Jesus Christ into this world.

This feast marks the turning point from the Old Testament era to the era of the New Testament - wherein our Lord Jesus Christ indicated that the hour had come when we shall worship God neither on any specific mountain, nor in Jerusalem; but when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. That veil separating God from mankind was rent in two by Christ and all are called to the opportunity to unite themselves to Him. Just as the Virgin Mary became one who bore God in her very being, so too may we, through the Mystery of Holy Communion and the interaction of the Holy Spirit become God-bearers, bearers of the light and the grace of God.

This is a great mystery and a difficult thing to fully comprehend. But it is the absolute truth and should be the primary purpose of our life. All other pursuits pale in comparison to the importance of this union with our Lord. For it is by this proximity and growing union with Christ that we can be healed of the spiritual infirmities which afflict us and bow us down to the earth.         We heard in today’s Gospel about a woman who bore her infirmity for eighteen years - a sickness which caused her to be stooped over so that she could not even straighten up, but was forced to live out her life bent over with her eyes fixed toward the ground.

Isn’t that a powerful metaphor for the spiritual condition of mankind? Our spiritual infirmities cause us to stoop over so that, after some time, we can hardly even raise our eyes toward heaven… we can only see the dirt below us and can no longer see the reality of the beauty that surrounds us.          

What a startling contrast this is! Think of what is presented to us in the images of these two women… One is the Most Pure Virgin, who stands erect and, even as a young child bounds up the steps of the Temple. Through her purity and simple love for God, she is vouchsafed to become the living temple of God Himself! Think of the nobility and the beauty of that! And this, dear brothers and sisters, is what each and every one of us are called to become!

How different is the image of the woman bent over and suffering from her infirmities for so many years. She cannot see the heavens, her gaze is earthward, her pains and sufferings preoccupy her and bring her such great misery. What a sorry state she has come to!

Yet Christ is present… and the grace and compassion of Christ can heal such disfiguration. Christ said to the poor woman: ‘You are loosed from your infirmity’, and immediately she straightened up and stood at her full stature. She was healed by Christ to begin to become that which she was created to be.

God grant that we never lose sight of the dignity to which we are called… to be temples of the Holy Spirit. Can we even begin to comprehend this? God wishes to come and abide in us as living temples. Can God possibly love us that much? And how truly sorrowful it is then, that we would defile the temple of God with our sinful words, deeds, and thoughts.

We must wake up and live our lives spiritually alert and recognizing the reality of the presence of God. If we could but live our lives with this focus on the one thing needful, the reality of the presence of God… how different would our lives be? Knowing that God is present, abiding within us and around us, how would we behave? How would we treat other people? With what care would we speak? With what vigilance would we guard even our thoughts?

May God, through the intercessions of His Most Pure Mother, grant us the spiritual alertness to remain awake to the reality of His presence at all times and in all places. May we understand, even in the tiniest fraction, the true dignity to which we are called to be temples and bearers of the Living God. And may we then live our lives in accordance with that dignity and nobility – taking great care to honor and preserve the grace which God bestows upon His beloved children… standing erect and healed from the spiritual infirmities which pull us downward, causing us to be stooped over, seeing only the dirt of this world… when all around us is the beauty of this world and the grace of God which calls us to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven!

22nd Sunday after Pentecost

(Luke 10:25-37)

In the Gospel reading for today, our Lord is approached by a certain lawyer who attempts to test Him by asking: ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’

Our Lord Jesus Christ tosses this question back to him, asking: ‘What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?’

The lawyer then summarizes the teachings of the Old Testament, answering: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your strength, and with all your mind; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Christ affirms the wisdom of his response, saying: ‘You have answered rightly; do this and you shall live.’

But the lawyer, the Gospel tells us, wished to justify himself, and therefore said to Jesus: ‘And who is my neighbor?’

In response to the question: ‘Who is my neighbor?’, our Lord tells the tale of the Good Samaritan. A certain man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and had been robbed and beaten and left for dead. A priest came by and, when he saw the beaten man, he passed by on the other side of the road. Likewise, when a Levite came by, he too passed by on the other side of the road. But then along came a Samaritan – one of the lowest classes of people in society – and, when he saw the beaten man, he had compassion and helped him: bandaging his wounds, pouring on oil and wine, and setting him up in an inn where he could recover and be made well.

The priest, who spent his time in the temple in prayer; and the Levite, who spent his time studying the Jewish Scriptures… neither of these two could be bothered to help the wounded man. It was the despised Samaritan who proved to be a neighbor, who showed mercy on the man who had fallen among thieves.

Christ provides a clear message here, and it is a consistent theme of His, that we must not fall into spiritual self-satisfaction… thinking like the priest and the Levite that their religiosity will save them. It is a wonderful thing that we find ourselves within the grace-filled enclosure of the Orthodox faith, but if this leads to our spiritual self-satisfaction and our spiritual pride, then we had better beware. God grant that we might reflect the simple and compassionate heart of the Samaritan, who goes out of his way to help a brother in need.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… if our attention to our Orthodox faith is not penetrating our heart and elevating our soul to compassion, then we are missing the mark. The Apostle Paul writes: ‘Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.’

The Christian life is a call to action! It is a call toward self-sacrificial love… of seeing Christ before us in whatever situation we may find ourselves in and of serving Him with all of our heart and mind and soul and strength.

This is the great paradox of the Gospel message… it is in denying ourselves that we are blessed, it is in giving that we receive, it is in dying that we live. It is precisely through this outward, ‘other-focused’ life of loving God and our neighbor that we begin to change for the better – this transformation of self is not our primary focus but is a consequence of a simple and sincere focus on loving God and others. If our focus and objective is self-centered, we will never make true progress in the spiritual life. Salvation must never devolve into a selfish pursuit. Salvation is the process of loving God and of being loved and transformed by God in return.

By God’s grace, let us live generously – with eyes open for the needy who are right in front of us – perhaps within our very own family. There is so much need for love in this world right now. God calls us to be bearers of His love. It is the simplest thing in the world, and it is the most challenging thing in the world. But with God’s help and His grace, all things are possible. And for this, we should give thanks to God!

This week we celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving. Let us focus on cultivating a heart of gratitude to God. So much good comes from a foundation of gratitude… it brings forth humility, recognition of our blessings and appreciation for them, and all this stimulates our love for God.

May God grant us that generous and grateful spirit to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and let us recognize and love our neighbor as our self.

Healing of Jairus’ Daughter

Luke 8:41-56

In today’s Holy Gospel we witness the miracle of faith, hope, and love.

Christ and His disciples had just returned from their visit to the country of the Gadarenes and, as the news of Christ’s fame and good works was growing, they were surrounded by a multitude who awaited Him – some seeking healing and comfort, others were probably there out of curiosity and the desire to see some spectacle. 

We are told that a man named Jairus, a respected ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house and heal his daughter, who was deathly ill. Jairus approached Christ with faith and hope that He could heal his only daughter and make her well. There was urgency in his voice as he knew that she might not have long to live. Christ heard his desperate request and agreed to come to his house, promising to make his daughter well again.

But as they were making their way, the progress was slow since a great crowd pressed upon Him. Imagine how stressful this must have been for Jairus… his last hope for his only child was ‘so near, and yet so far’ from coming and laying His hands upon the child to make her well. And now, suddenly, in the midst of this pressing throng, our Lord stops and asks, ‘Who touched Me?’

This must have seemed an absurd question to His disciples and, indeed, Peter replies to his Master, ‘So many people throng and press upon You, and You ask ‘Who touched Me?’’…

But there was something unique going on here. A woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years, who had spent all of her money on physicians and trying to find a cure, had approached our Lord with great faith – believing that if she could only touch the hem of His garment, this alone would be enough to heal her. And reaching out to Christ, she touched his garment and Grace flowed from our Lord in response to the simplicity and hope and determination of true faith – and the woman was immediately healed.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the midst of the important mission of getting to Jairus’ house, in the midst of being surrounded by such a great multitude of people, takes the time to stop, to recognize and declare the administration of His healing Grace, to identify and speak directly to the woman who had been healed saying ‘Daughter, be of good cheer, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.’

While all this was going on, someone came from the house of Jairus with the terrible news that his daughter had already died… that there was no longer any need to trouble the Master. I can hardly imagine what a crushing blow this must have been for Jairus, who must have been suffering such a trial of patience, trying to move everyone along in his haste to bring Christ to the bedside of his dying daughter. And now, as he had feared, it was too late… his daughter was dead.

But when Jesus heard it, He answered saying, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.’

Now came a tremendous test for the faith of Jairus. In the face of all worldly wisdom and practical experience and common sense – he was being told to ‘only believe’, to simply have faith and hope in God. Jairus was being told to have faith in the face of all that would shout against it. The remaining journey to his home must have been a real crisis for the faith of Jairus.

When they entered the home, where all were mourning the loss of the child, our Lord said, ‘Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.’ And the members of the house ridiculed and mocked Him, knowing that she was dead.

Here again, Jairus is put to the test –all of his family and friends are laughing and ridiculing Christ - but still, they press forward and enter the room where the dead child lay. And our Lord, through His life-giving power and love, took the child by the hand and, at His words, ‘Little girl, arise.’ she immediately was resurrected and lived again.  

The story of Jairus has so much to teach us. It teaches us about faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and how we, like Jairus, must zealously pursue Him as our only hope for healing. The story of Jairus teaches us the necessity of patience and trust in God – especially when God does not conform to our sense of timing and urgency. It teaches us that even when the greatest sufferings and tragedies might befall us, God can turn them into something good if we remain faithful to Him. Even though the world may mock and ridicule you, you must not lose hope - for our Lord assures us: ‘Do not be afraid, only believe.’

And what is it that we must believe? We believe in the healing power of the resurrection of Christ our God. That by God’s grace and love, the heart of an individual can be changed and transfigured. This is the true and only hope… we do not place hope in worldly solutions… for, in the immortal words of Alexander Solzhenitsyn: ‘the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being’. And so, before we get too wound up in criticizing the state of the world, we had better attend to the state of our own heart.

It is a great temptation to look out at the world with its wars, its politics, its mockery of Christ and to get swept away in the drama of the world’s narrative. It is very easy to become afraid as the world descends into the chaos of godlessness. It is difficult to remain calm as the world might mock your belief and simple piety.

But it is precisely this belief and simple piety which is the only thing that can save ourselves and those around us. A wise and prayerful archimandrite once said: ‘The love of God is evaporating from this earth.’ We can feel that this is so, as we look at the world around us. And so, what is our response? Do we crumble into despair or do we rise up to stand firm in faith and hope and love? It is up to you and to me to keep that love of God alive. God grant that we do this each day, each hour, and each moment of our lives.

Epistle for the 20th Sunday / St Job of Pochaev

Gal. 1:11-19

The Apostle Paul proclaims in today’s Epistle, “I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Throughout human history, mankind has tried to make sense of this life, of suffering, of joy, of life and of death. Various religions and philosophies have struggled to understand and explain these great questions of life. Some have created elaborate mythologies to tell the stories that seek to make sense of the mysteries of life, they have articulated understandings to a greater or lesser degree between truth revealed and truth supposed. In all cultures and in all lands we see mankind reaching out to try to understand and explain this life and the possibilities of the life beyond.

Mankind reaches out to God and comes closer in some cases than in others to understanding the attributes and nature of God… it is these hints and glimpses of truth that resonate within the human soul who seeks her Creator and God.

And yet, God did not leave us to grope about in vain… no matter how strenuously mankind might reach out, we can never come close to touching God. In order for God to intersect and connect with His creation, He takes the initiative to reach down to us. This is the revelation of God that, as Apostle Paul writes, is ‘not according to man’.

God has revealed Himself to us… He has revealed Himself to us in the most intimate of ways. He willed to become incarnate, taking on human flesh, living among us, teaching and healing us, and submitting in His humility to be arrested and beaten and killed due to our ignorance and greed for worldly power. And yet, as the Source of Life, He could not be contained by the grave, and on the third day He arose in glory. This is the gospel message of Christ, of the victory over death and evil and of the triumph of life and love. This gospel which was preached by the Apostle Paul was not given to him by man, it was revealed by Jesus Christ.

And our Lord did not leave us orphaned… He provided us with His Church and He bestowed upon His Church the grace of the Holy Spirit and upon his disciples the power of heaven. Within the ark of the Church our Lord continues to reach out to man – touching us through His sacraments of baptism, confession, communion, and more.  Within the Church we receive the teachings of the holy fathers – who taught not their own wisdom, but the continual unfolding of the grace of God as It manifests Itself within the lives and struggles of His faithful servants. These things are not given to us by men, but come to us through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is what makes our Orthodox faith so precious and so worth preserving with the utmost fidelity – for it comes to us through the revelation of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Today we commemorate a man who is remembered and honored as a champion of and great defender of the Orthodox faith, this Gospel not given by man but from the Lord… today we honor the venerable Job, abbot and wonderworker of Pochaev.

St Job was born around 1551 in the Lviv region of what is today Western Ukraine. His family name was Zhelezo, which means ‘iron’ and he lived up to this name in his firm and steadfast fidelity to, and defense of, his faith in the midst of tremendous pressures and persecutions.

From his youth he was known for his great piety and strict asceticism and at the young age of twelve he was accepted into the monastic ranks at the Ugornits Holy Transfiguration Monastery in the Carpathian Mountains. His labors and piety drew attention and appreciation from many - including the famous defender of Orthodoxy, Prince Constantine Ostrogsky. He made arrangements for St Job to be released to the Dubensk Monastery of the Holy Cross, located on his estate. After some time, St Job was made the abbot of the Dubensk brotherhood. He remained in the rank of abbot for over twenty years.

One of his labors during this time was the printing of books to disseminate and teach the Orthodox faith. This was especially important and needed at this time as the complications stemming from the recently signed Union of Brest were dividing the land –placing a large number of the Orthodox under the rule of the Pope of Rome… creating what we know as the ‘Uniat’ or the ‘Greek-Catholic’ Church. St Job spent much time and effort to define and defend the Orthodox faith during these upheavals.

Seeking greater solitude, St Job came to the blessed hill of Pochaev – where the Mother of God had appeared and where her footprint can still be seen on the stone where she stood and where a miraculous spring burst forth. The presence there of St Job brought a great flowering of growth and support to the monastery at Pochaev, which shone like a citadel of Orthodoxy in those far western lands of Rus. St Job often took refuge in a small cave on Pochaev hill. The saint would remove himself to the cave for a whole week, and pray for the world there, fasting strictly. It was not granted to any mortal to know what was done in those hours in the cave, but one day, while the saint was praying there, ‘an extraordinary light suddenly shone around the cave and for the span of two hours was reflected from its depths upon the church opposite it.’

St Job lived to be one hundred years old. A week before his repose, he received a revelation that he would soon be leaving this world. He served Liturgy in the morning and then peacefully reposed, giving his soul over to the One Whom he had served and defended all his long life.

It has been a great blessing in my life to have made multiple visits to the Holy Dormition Pochaev Monastery. I used to travel for work to Lviv several times a year over the course of ten years and had the opportunity on several occasions to make the drive to Pochaev. Beneath the majestic Dormition Cathedral one can enter into a small cave chapel where lie the incorrupt relics of St Job. His body lies under a glass topped coffin, much like we see when we visit St John in San Francisco, however his hand is open to the air and can be venerated directly. Just to the right of his reliquary, is the small tunnel leading to the tiny cave where St Job spent so many hours in solitary prayer. I cannot adequately express to you the sense of holiness which permeates this space where St Job lived and prayed and where his relics now lie and bring consolation and many miracles to those who seek his intercessions.

Just as in centuries before, the Pochaev Monastery stands as an island and as a beacon of Orthodoxy amid peoples who are hostile to the faith. These hostilities have been renewed in recent years and are continuing today… the monks of the monastery are under heavy threat of eviction as those loyal to Rome and Constantinople seek to displace them. I ask all of you to please keep the brotherhood of Pochaev in your prayers!

May God grant that we will hold fast to our Orthodox faith… the good news of the Gospel that was given to the Apostles by our Lord Jesus Christ, that was defined and defended by the great saints over the centuries, and that provides for us an inheritance of life-giving Truth and soul-healing Sacraments which are worth defending, for, as St Paul so eloquently put it: the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.’

19th Sunday after Pentecost

 (Luke 16:19-31)

In the Gospel reading for this Sunday, we heard the story of the rich man and Lazarus. What a heart-rending story this is… both in terms of the sad state of Lazarus, who sat in misery at the gates of the rich man’s house, only hoping for some small scrap of compassion which was never given by the selfish rich man. And our heart is touched also to realize the sorry state of the rich man after he had died and found himself in torment where there was a great chasm separating him from Lazarus, who rested now in the bosom of Abraham.

The rich man begged that Lazarus might go to his earthly relatives to forewarn them of the realities of the spiritual life and the life beyond the grave. But Abraham rebuked him saying that they have Moses and the prophets, yet they do not heed the word of God. The rich man emphasizes that if someone were to miraculously return from the dead, that then the worldly-minded would awaken and hear God’s word. Abraham replies that even if one were to rise from the dead, they would not be persuaded to change their ways.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!... This Gospel message speaks directly to our hearts! We live in the wake of One Who has indeed risen from the dead. Christ has risen from the dead and yet we must ask ourselves: do we heed the word of God and the good news of the Gospel? Do we understand how brief is our earthly life and how decisive that earthly life is upon the eternal fate of our soul?

Let us ask ourselves with honesty, how often do we resemble the rich man in today’s Gospel - allowing ourselves to be seduced into a kind of blindness to the deeper and eternal realities of our existence. We become so easily preoccupied with the things of this world and react to the circumstances of our earthly life as if this is all there is…

Our Lord asks us: ‘What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?’ Today’s Gospel parable is a vivid illustration of the tragic consequences of a man who allows the cheap treasures of this world to eclipse the eternal treasures of God.

Let us take the message of today’s Holy Gospel to heart… Let us make sure we do not find ourselves in the position of the rich man – who so preoccupied himself with his worldly interests that he was blind to the cries of others and to the voice of his conscience. Let us live our lives as people who have witnessed the One Who rose from the dead and who take His message seriously.

We must strive to live our life in the context of eternity, in the knowledge and awareness of the risen Christ. Remembrance of God at all times is one of the surest ways to refrain from sin and to not deaden ourselves to the needs of others.

Cultivating an active awareness of the presence of God is essential if we are to live our lives with our spiritual eyes open.

How will we treat each other if we’re aware that we are in the presence of God? How will we treat our spouse, our children, our co-workers, our fellow parishioners? How will we behave in all aspects of our life if we’re aware that we are truly, at each moment of our lives, living in the presence of God?

Such an awareness of the immediacy of the presence of God serves both as a helpful hindrance when it comes to temptations as well as a source of great comfort for us. Knowing that God is present, we will hopefully think twice about so easily falling into sin. And knowing God is present, should warm our hearts, knowing that we are not alone and drawing us deeper into our love for God, Who so deeply loves us.

May God grant us the wisdom and blessing of cultivating this conscious sense of His presence at all times and may this awareness deliver us from temptation and draw us closer in compassion and love for God and for one another.

St Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church

Annual Meeting

10/29/24     Rector’s Report

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

By the grace of God, through the prayers of our heavenly patrons St Herman of Alaska and our holy hierarch John of Shanghai and San Francisco, and with the blessing of our Archbishop KYRILL, we gather once again for our annual parish meeting.

As has been our custom, I will take my section here to provide some overview of our parish life and activities over the past year.

Looking first to the final quarter of last year, several things were noteworthy.

The month of October was a very busy time for me in my service as ‘Dean Martin’… As most of you know, I am the Archbishop’s Dean for the ‘San Francisco Deanery’ which includes all the parishes of the central area of the Western American Diocese. Once every four years the entire Diocese holds an Assembly, wherein the business and overall state of the diocese is reported and discussed – that Assembly took place last year on November 7th. As Dean of the mid-region of our Western Diocese, it was my job to collect the reports from the parishes for which I am responsible and to summarize all of this information into a report out to the Assembly. Accompanying me and representing our parish were Fr Andrew, Rdr Andrew, and Kyle Westphal. The Assembly was successful and it was encouraging to hear of the growth of so many existing parishes and of the establishment of new missions throughout the Diocese.

While all the clergy were gathered for the Diocesan Assembly, we also held a one day Clergy Conference which both Fr Andrew and I attended.

On December 6th we held our annual St Nicholas Day party for the children of the parish. The kids always have a great time at these events – doing arts and crafts based upon a St Nicholas theme. I thank all those involved in helping make this such a success.

Nadia Temple and Matushka Cathy Kozachenko once again helped us to organize our ‘Adopt a Family’ program for the Christmas season. Cathy collected the gifts and presented them to the program coordinators… St Herman’s was, once again, very generous in our gift donations to this wonderful and worthy cause. May God bless all those who participated!

December is also, of course, our parish feast day. Our feast day last year was especially noteworthy in that we had the tonsure of two new Readers for our Church. Andrew Yonan and Alexander Tran were tonsured during the reading of the Hours before the start of the Liturgy. It has been wonderful to have them reading and serving in our Church and I pray that God will bless them for their dedication. The festal meal which took place afterwards was a great success and I am deeply grateful to all of those who worked so hard to make it happen. For many years now we have relied on the same people who have taken on the leadership and lion’s share of this work. I would like to especially thank Natalie Kalousek, who has led the organization of our annual parish feast for many, many years. The time has come now to pass this baton on to a new generation. We have a little less than two months now before this year’s parish feast day, and you will be hearing my appeals for help over the next weeks. We need everyone’s help… if you can’t cook, that’s okay… we need help with set-up and clean-up, with serving the head table, and with many other tasks. Please mark you calendars to be here for December 25th, and if you can help in any way, let Nadia Temple know ASAP so we can know who we can call upon for help that day.

In the final days of December, following St Herman’s Day, the Youth Conference of the Western American Diocese was held at All Saints Church just outside of Las Vegas, NV. I was not able to attend the conference but, as the treasurer for the WAD Youth, I always work closely with Fr Michael VanOpstall before, during, and after the event.

Moving into 2024, we had a beautiful Nativity celebration and then another festive annual Nativity Dinner/Dance held in the hall at St Mark’s. The hall was decorated beautifully, the catering was excellent, and all who attended enjoyed the time together to celebrate.

As we moved then into Theophany, it was the season for house blessings. Fr Andrew and I were able to divide these up so that all those who wished to have their homes blessed were able to do so within the weeks following the feast. It is always such a joy to be able to visit people in their homes and to bring the gift of the Theophany waters to bless and cleanse the house.

Even though Pascha was later than usual this past year, it still seemed a short time before we headed into the Lenten season of preparation and repentance. As is always the case during Great Lent, we held many services each week including the Canon of St Andrew during the weekdays of the first week and then Presanctified Liturgies on each Wednesday and Friday throughout the Fast. I would like to thank those who made the time to come to these weekday Lenten services and especially to those who helped to sing. These Lenten services are so special and so beautiful… I hope that many more will make the effort to attend these deeply moving and inspiring services.

The first three days of April we had our annual Lenten Clergy Retreat for the clergy of the Western American Diocese. The retreat was held at the St Paisios Monastery in Stafford, AZ and it was well attended. The nuns there do a great job of hosting us, the presentations and discussions were useful, and the services in the monastery church there were beautiful!

On Saturday April 13th we held our annual Ladies’ Lenten Retreat in the Church Hall. The text read for our discussion was ‘The Suffering of the Soul in Relationships’ by Mother Silouana of Romania. We had a decent turnout for the retreat - the discussions were interesting and, based upon feedback, very edifying.

On Thursday of that week, April 18th, we had the Archbishop preside over our Unction service. Following the service, a meal was offered for the bishop and visiting clergy. We had several new people involved in helping to coordinate and work to make this meal a success and I am very grateful for that!

The annual Lenten Retreat at the Cathedral in San Francisco took place that Saturday the 20th. The theme this year was ‘The Aroma of Holiness’ and centered around St John – anticipating the celebrations that would be taking place in the summer for the 30th anniversary of his glorification as a saint.

We had a truly glorious Pascha celebration which took place the night of May 4/5. The choir did an excellent job singing the beautiful Paschal melodies (as usual!), the flowers decorating the church were incredible… all the work of so many came together to create a bright and glorious celebration of our Lord’s resurrection!

In the weeks of Paschal celebration, we made trips up to the cemeteries in Colma and in Los Altos to sing ‘Christ is Risen’ to those in the tombs.

On May 8th, Fr Paul Soukup and students from Santa Clara University come to St Herman’s to receive a presentation on Church Architecture and how that architecture communicates and facilitates the faith of the Church. I always greatly enjoy these visits and the stimulating questions that the students invariably ask. Fr Paul and his students will be coming again this Wednesday for a similar presentation.

Moving into the summer months… On June 20th, we were blessed to have Nun Ilaria from the St Elizabeth Convent in Minsk visit us. I would like to thank all of those who came to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God and to hear and support Nun Ilaria as she told us about the various good works of the Convent and as she presented the crafts, icons, and other goods created by the sisters. The event was well attended and made for a beautiful evening of prayer and edification. Nun Ilaria was very pleased to have met us and appreciated your interest and support!

The big event of the summer was the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the glorification of St John of Shanghai and San Francisco. Events and services occurred over the course of three days from June 28th through June 30th. Our first hierarch, Metropolitan Nicholas, presided over the main Liturgy and a very impressive luncheon was held at the Mark Hopkins ballroom in San Francisco.

In midsummer, July 12-14, we had our annual Russian River camping trip. Thanks again to the help of so many, this was another great success. It is a special treat to be able to spend recreational time with our church family and to share meals together. The campfire games and talks were great… and holding services in the beautiful chapel there amid the redwoods is always very special and uplifting. We plan to do this again this summer.

Soon it was August 11th and time for the blessing of the beginning of the new school year.

On Sept 23rd, we had our annual BBQ and swim party, hosted by Titus and Susan Bradley. This is another occasion where we are blessed to gather as a church family and to enjoy each other’s company. Many thanks to Titus and Susan for their hospitality!

Between September 16th and October 6th, our parish community celebrated three different weddings! First was the wedding of Michael Ben Works and Sophia Jessie Chen. They were married in Cleveland and Fr Andrew and several parishioners went out there to participate in their wedding. Two weeks later we had the wedding of Dismas Marbury and Nina Nielepko here at St Herman’s. And then the following weekend after that, our former parishioner and Reader, Basil Thompson was wed to Tiffany Dalumpines up at the Kazan Church on the Russian River. Fr Andrew, Fr Paul, core members of our choir and others were on hand for that event.

In addition to the three weddings, we had three baptisms over this past year including the baptisms of Michael Works and Sophia Chen on the eve of Nativity and recently the baptism of Nicholas Garg on October 5th. We have an increasing number of catechumens and inquirers coming to our church, which is a wonderful sign, and I expect more baptisms to come in the new year.

Our Orthodox Christian education programs continued this year including: two weekly Zoom meetings covering Bible Study and Catechism; a weekly ‘in person’ class held in the Church Hall every Saturday afternoon; and our Sunday School lessons for the children of the parish.

Finally, let’s review some of the maintenance and beautification projects that occurred over this past year. These include:

·       Some continuing electrical issues… We’ve had a couple of occasions for our Air Conditioning and Heating unit to require maintenance. We’ve also had some problems with our lighting. Recent investigations into wiring problems have uncovered a culprit who has been nibbling on things within our walls. We’re dealing with some squirrels who have taken residence within the Church. Randy has identified where they are getting in and is taking steps to secure those openings. Titus is also on the job and has consulted with some pest control experts who have made recommendations to us about how to best get rid of them.

·       One of the other big issues we dealt with this past year was the poor drainage and the ultimate back up of the Hall sink. United Plumbing came out to replumb the lines going from the Hall out to the sewers and to get some ventilation into the line for the Hall. Since that work was done, we have had no problems.

·       We had our annual mandatory inspection of our backflow meter (the unit under the green cage on the front lawn). We passed and the paperwork was submitted to the City of Sunnyvale.

·       Termite activity was detected again in the steeple area of the Church. Luckily we were still under warranty from our last treatment and so the area was treated again. This is something we will keep watch on…

·       In addition to these maintenance issues, we have also begun some beautification projects to improve our Church which include:

o   Sanding down and refinishing our wood floors

o   The installation of a new carpet runner

o   Purchase of and assembly of new candle stands

o   Installation of new icons of All Saints of America and of the Crucifixion for the memorial table.

o   And we have purchased and will be installing new festal icons for the top row of the iconostas.

As with every property, there are always many, many projects to do. I am very grateful to all those who have helped us with identifying problems and finding and implementing solutions to those issues. We will talk a bit later about some of the projects that we may be addressing in the coming year.

As I mentioned earlier, when speaking about the parish feast day… the dynamics of the membership of our church has seen some changes this past year. Over the course of the summer, we said farewell to 14 members who were involved in our parish. Those departees included: Doug and Michele Wirnowski who moved to Idaho, Kyle and Anna Westphal who moved to Texas, Ben and Naomi Vallis and their three children who moved to Washington, Ben and Jessie Works who moved to Virginia, Nina and Miriam Nielepko who moved to Oregon, and Nataliya Temple who is attending the University of Pittsburg.

All of these people were involved as either parish council members, choir singers, church school teachers, and/or as contributors to meals and other tasks. I’m appreciative of those of you who are new and have offered to extend yourselves to helping with parish activities. Everyone’s help is needed in order to make the work and activities of the parish function. This is all part of the joy and the sacrifice that we make as members of our parish community. The more members we can engage in helping with all of this, the easier the work becomes and the stronger we come together as a parish family. So, I appeal to everyone to talk to me, to Fr Andrew, to Nadia Temple, or to any of the parish council members to see how you can help. And I express my blessings and my gratitude in advance to you for whatever way in which you can participate in the life of the parish.

So dear brothers and sisters in Christ, that is a summary of the past year. It’s been a busy year with many blessings. While we’ve had to say farewell to a number of people this year, we’ve also had a steady stream of new people coming to St Herman’s – either Orthodox Christians who have come to this area or new inquirers and converts who have been seeking Christ and the fulness of His Church. Many of those new inquirers have come upon us through our website and many others are directed to our English-speaking parish from other parishes in the area. I am proud that we are carrying forward the mission of what St Herman’s was created to be – a welcoming English-speaking parish of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad where the best of its traditions are faithfully adhered to and generously shared for all those who may join us. May God continue to bless this parish and may our heavenly intercessors, St Herman and Hierarch John, watch over us.

Projects for 2025

·       Areas of the wood on the church building require repair and we are in the process of selecting colors for a complete new painting of the Church.

·       Vestry area had some attention this past year including organization and addition of shelves – but the area needs a thoughtful revamp… better cabinets, better use of space.

·       Plans were submitted to the City of Sunnyvale to make an addition off of the Vestry area for a second bathroom, but these were rejected due to zoning restrictions and due to the strict issues regarding this as a ‘Historical Building’. We are working with contractors and designers to see how else we might approach creating a much needed second bathroom. I’m sure we will find a solution and this will be a major project for 2025.

Holy Hierarch Jonah of Manchuria

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate a wonderful saint of the Church who lived in recent times. He was a righteous bishop, a great ascetic, a loving and caring pastor to his flock and to all those whom he encountered. He lived much of his life in China, where he founded orphanages, schools, hospitals, and what we would call today ‘soup kitchens’ for the poor. Perhaps you are thinking that I am speaking of our beloved St John of Shanghai and San Francisco? But no, this righteous one whom we commemorate today reposed on this very day 99 years ago in 1925. Who was this man?... his name was Bishop Jonah of Hankow in Manchuria.

Bishop Jonah was born as Vladimir Pokrovsky on April 17th, 1888 to a peasant family in the Kozelsk district of Kaluga governate. Little Vladimir was orphaned early in childhood and was adopted by a deacon of the Church with the named Pokrovsky. He grew up in poverty, yet he excelled in his studies – learning Church Slavonic and graduating at the top of his class at the Kazan Theological Academy. In his third year at the academy he received the monastic tonsure, and went to Optina Monastery, where he received guidance in the monastic life from the holy Optina elders Joseph and Anatoly. It was there, in Optina, that he was ordained as a hieromonk.

He returned to the Kazan Theological Academy and was made a professor. In 1916, during World War 1, the priest-monk Jonah was assigned as a chaplain for the Russian Army. Not long after this, the terrible events of the Russian Revolution unfolded. Hieromonk Jonah was arrested and beaten to unconsciousness by the satanically-charged Bolsheviks. He was banished and sent to be tried in Siberia. By God’s providence, it was as he was enroute to Siberia that he was freed by the White Army and he was able to serve again as an Army Chaplain for a short while. As the chaos of the war and revolution continued to go on, Fr Jonah and his battalion were able to retreat across the eastern frontier of China. The hardships of their trek across the Gobi desert and then across the Pamir mountains is the stuff of legends… they suffered so much.

Having finally arrived in Shanghai, Fr Jonah was then appointed to a mission church in Beijing. In September of 1922, he was consecrated Bishop of Tianjin and appointed as rector of the St Innocent Missionary Cathedral in Manzhouli. A parishioner of the Cathedral wrote the following reflections about the arrival of their new bishop: ‘Everybody remembers the arrival of the bishop in Manzhouli. All expected him to be full of greatness, importance, and inaccessibility. But Bishop Jonah knew where and to whom he was going. He knew who and what awaited him. The destitute were waiting for him, and he came to them. He has come not just as a prince of Church but as a loving friend and father—modestly, with affection and consolation for all. All were amazed by the extraordinary simplicity and availability of the archpastor upon his arrival. As a bright icon lamp lit in Manzhouli, the activity of Bishop Jonah has lit up like the face of Christ, calling to sufferers: “Come to me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give rest to your souls.” All felt joy, for they understood that not all is lost when they have heard the vigorous appeal: “There is a way out—belief in God and love for your neighbors.” With this appeal for belief in God and love for neighbors began Vladika’s archpastoral activity. But words were not enough. Work was required. Huge work was needed. And work has begun... Not sparing his strength and health, and forgetting himself, he has given himself to the service of God and neighbors.’

Bishop Jonah poured himself out in his service to his flock… and that flock consisted not just of his Orthodox parishioners, but of every soul he met in the surrounding community. Seeing the needs of so many suffering children, he founded an orphanage. The childrens’ shelter Bishop Jonah had established was his joy and consolation. When he grew weary, he would go and ‘spend time with the youngsters,’ as he would say. By the time of his death, the orphanage had space for forty children ages five to fourteen. There was a free elementary school and high school for up to five hundred students, with a cafeteria that fed two hundred people per day for free. An outpatient clinic provided medical aid and medicines to the poorest people of Manzhouli, free of charge. A library and reading room was set up for the people of Manzhouli, where books were also sold.

In the three short years of his episcopate, he fulfilled Christ’s principal commandment of love of neighbor to such a degree that it would take even a diligent worker several decades to do as much. The dimensions and strength of this activity were remembered equally by the Orthodox and non-Orthodox. His Eminence Melety, then Bishop of Zabaikal, precisely summed up Bishop Jonah’s activity: ‘He fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, took in strangers, clothed the naked, and visited the sick.’

Bishop Jonah truly held all his flock and everyone’s sorrows in his heart. At the still young age of 37, that loving heart developed physical problems and it was not long before he found himself on his deathbed. He was able to have confession and to receive the Holy Mysteries. He bade farewell to everyone, and, as Archbishop Melety read the prayers for the departure of the soul, he breathed his last and departed to the Lord.

The night of his repose, he appeared to a young boy who was paralyzed, telling him to ‘take his legs’, as he no longer had need for them. The boy awoke the next morning completely healed and able to walk.

The appreciation for the ascetic labors and the righteous life of Bishop Jonah was kept alive by all those that knew him. In response to the unanimous voice of Bishop Jonah's contemporaries —archpastors of the Far East, his clergy and flock—and revering his labors and accomplishments in the vineyard of Christ, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia determined in 1996 that Bishop Jonah of Hankow should be joined to the choirs of saints. The main service for this glorification took place right here at our Cathedral in San Francisco.

What a remarkable and wonderful saint we have in St Jonah of Manchuria! May his memory be kept by all of us Orthodox Christians struggling to live our Christian lives in these modern times. As St Jonah demonstrates for us, sanctity is possible in all places and in all times because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!    

The Protection of the Mother of God

May God’s blessings be with you on this wonderful feast day of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos!

The feast that we celebrate today commemorates an event which occurred in Constantinople in the tenth century. The city was under threat by the invading barbarians and the people were assembled in the Blacharnae Church praying to God. Saint Andrew and his disciple Epiphanios were blessed to see the Most Holy Mother of God, along with St John the Baptist and St John the Theologian and other heavenly hosts. The Mother of God was praying and imploring with tears for the protection of the city and the Christians abiding there. Following her fervent prayers, she took her veil and spread it out over the church and city as a sign of her protection and prayers. The threat of the invaders was averted, and the people glorified God and His Most Pure Mother in gratitude for their salvation.

Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke very few words in His agony upon the cross… but one of the things that He did say to His mother and to the disciple whom He loved was: ‘Woman, behold thy son.’ And then to His disciple He said: ‘Behold thy mother!’ We, who as Christians are disciples of Christ, have been given the Most Pure Virgin as our mother, and she has been given to us as our mother and protector.

The intercessions of the Mother of God throughout Christian history are too numerous to count. Throughout the centuries her interventions and her prayers have strengthened and comforted the faithful. Her appearance in Blacharnae which we celebrate today is but one of the many visions and miracles manifested by her maternal love for the followers of her Son.

One of the clear and potent messages of this great feast of the Protection of the Mother of God is that we are not alone. We are not orphans standing out in the cold of this world. Christ has given us His Mother to watch over us as a hen covers her chicks with her wing. One of our biggest problems is that we do not have the spiritual clarity to see this reality.

Just like the anxious disciples who were tossed to and fro upon the sea, we also allow ourselves to be caught up in fear in the face of the storms of this world. Is not Christ there at the helm? Is not His Most Pure Mother covering us with her protecting veil?

In this world we shall have tribulation, but we need not be afraid, for Christ has overcome the world.

We may still suffer… we may still behold real tragedies… but if we retain our faith in Christ our God, if we hold fast to the promises of our Lord… we will not allow those waves to drown us, we will keep peace knowing Who is ultimately in charge and Who is watching over us.

Just as the vision of St Andrew looked beyond the surface level of the imminent threat of the surrounding invaders – to see past that thin layer to the glorious reality of the presence of the Mother of God, her fervent prayers and her protecting veil. So too must we work to have our eyes open to the eternal realm which intersects and interplays with all the little triumphs and tragedies of our lives. Something greater is going on here… and it requires a purity of heart to perceive it. But it is real, and our attentiveness to that greater reality will guide and guard how we respond to any setbacks and drama that we may experience in the here and now.

May God grant us that purity of heart which opens the eyes of our soul. Which opens our eyes to the true meaning of this life and to the eternal consequences of each inclination of our heart and mind. Which opens our eyes to the on-going fulfillment of our Lord’s promise and the gift of His Most Pure Mother as our heavenly benefactor and protector.

Through the prayers of the Most Holy Mother of God, may Christ’s Holy Church be protected and preserved, may the innocent ones who find themselves in the midst of war be safe under her protecting veil, and may each of us realize and recognize the tremendous blessing and protection we have as children of the Most Pure Virgin and as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Conception of St John the Baptist

The holy prophet of God, Malachi, wrote: ‘Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me.’ And the great prophet Isaiah spoke of ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight the paths of our God. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill humbled; the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough places into plains. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God; for the Lord has spoken”.’ These prophets of old pointed to the one whose conception we celebrate today – the holy prophet, forerunner, and Baptist of our Lord, St John.

            The faithful people of Israel who heeded the prophets knew of and awaited the promised Messiah Who would come from the line of King David… but they also were aware of a coming messenger who would announce His imminent arrival. As we heard in the Holy Gospel appointed for this day, in a city of the hills of Judea in the land of Palestine lived the righteous priest Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth, zealously observing the commandments of the Lord. The couple, however, had a misfortune: they remained childless in their old age, and they prayed unceasingly to God to grant them a child. One day, when Zachariah took his turn as priest at the Temple of Jerusalem, he went into the Sanctuary to offer incense. Going behind the veil of the Sanctuary, he beheld an angel of God, the Archangel Gabriel, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. Zachariah was astonished and halted in fear, but the angel said to him, ‘Fear not, Zachariah, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.’ Zachariah feared and doubted and, because of this doubt, bore the penance of being unable to speak until the child was born. The prophecy of the Archangel was fulfilled, and Righteous Elizabeth was delivered from her barrenness, and gave birth to John, the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord. After the child was born, the lips of Zachariah were loosened and he spoke… being filled with the Holy Spirit, Zachariah prophesied saying the following:

‘Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
…

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

            This is the great person whose conception we celebrate today! And take note that in celebrating the conception of St John, in celebrating the conception of Christ Himself, our Church clearly teaches us that life, that the sanctity of personhood, begins at our conception. Our Lord Jesus Christ said of him: ‘among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist’.

            St John is the bridge linking the world from the Old Testament to the New. He is the last in the line of those prophets who pointed to the coming of Jesus Christ… and, indeed, St John lived in the time where he could literally point to the Man Himself, declaring ‘behold the Lamb of God Who taketh away the sins of the world.’

            St John was that voice crying in the wilderness – prepare the way of the Lord. His message was clear, his message was one of repentance – to turn from the way of error to the way of truth.

            In the Gospel of St John the Theologian he writes of St John the Baptist: ‘There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.’

            Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as Orthodox Christians you and I are also called to bear witness to the Light of Christ. Let us take the shining example of St John the Baptist as an inspiration… his whole life pointed toward Jesus Christ. Can we say the same for ourselves? Does our life point toward Christ?

Through the intercessions of the holy prophet and forerunner and Baptist of our Lord, may each one of our lives indeed point to Christ. May we be like the moon in the darkness of night - the moon does not radiate light of itself, but it stands as a beacon, reflecting forth the light of the sun and illumining the darkness of night. God grant that, in the midst of the darkness in this world, we might be those who shine forth the Light of Christ our Lord.

Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Cross

Today is the Sunday following the Exaltation of the Cross… in today’s Gospel reading we hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.’

This is the fundamental paradox of the Gospel… it is in denying our self that we might be fulfilled, it is in taking up our cross that we might find true joy, and it is in following and surrendering to Christ that we might find true freedom.

The way of the Cross is so contrary to all of our impulses – which seek to place ourselves first, which seek to assure that our wishes and desires are fulfilled. We think that in our pursuit of happiness we will find peace and joy, but it never works. As a matter of fact, it is these selfish pursuits which cause our frustration, our dissatisfaction, our envy of others, our deepest miseries.

Mankind was made to be in relationship with God. And, as our holy father Blessed Augustine of Hippo so succinctly said: ‘Mankind is restless until he finds his rest in God.’

So let us hear and heed the call of God, Who wishes to give us rest, Who wishes to fulfill us with His love. Yet, what an interesting and perhaps intimidating path we must take if we are to find this rest and this love… ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.’

Christ is speaking here of nothing other than the true definition of love. To deny oneself, to take up the cross, to be willing to give up one’s life for Christ, for another… it is in these sacrificial ways that we are transformed by love.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is a wonderful thing that our parish is in the midst of the celebration of three weddings… Two weeks ago, our dear Michael and Sophia were married in Ohio. One week from today, Reader Basil and his fiancé Tiffany will be wed at the Russian River. And this afternoon, Nina Neilepko and Dismas Marbury will be crowned in marriage.

So, let’s think for a moment about this call of Christ in the example of marriage. If a marriage is going to be successful, the bride and groom must be prepared to deny themselves, they must be prepared to take up the cross that they will shoulder together. A husband must be ready and willing to give his very life for his wife and family… and the wife must be willing to do the same.

This doesn’t sound like the modern world’s definition of love. Where will they find happiness in all of this self-sacrifice?

Well, I think as anyone who has truly loved another will know… it is precisely in this giving of oneself for the other that the greatest joy transforms one’s heart. I expect that Dismas experiences this in the sacrifices he willingly makes for his son, James. And we have all known and witnessed how beautifully transformed Nina has become in her love and sacrifice for her daughter, Miriam.

This is the true and deep joy of the love of the Cross.

St John Chrysostom, when speaking about the Cross of Christ said: ‘Christ endured all of His sufferings, that we may follow in His footsteps.’

Think about that statement for a moment… ‘Christ endured all of His sufferings, that we may follow in His footsteps.’ Does that mean that we will follow in the footsteps of His suffering? Yes, this is inevitably true…

But how often do we hear it said, or maybe we even say to ourselves, the contrary sentiment that would express itself that: ‘Christ endured all His sufferings so that I never have to!’

The natural consequence of this misunderstanding is that when sufferings and problems arise in our life, we think that something must be wrong… either with us, with our spiritual life, or maybe even with God.

It is true that Christ took upon Himself the sins of mankind and that He suffered and died and rose again for our sake. But this accomplishment of our Lord is not so much done instead of us as it is done for us. Perhaps that sounds like a very subtle difference, but it is a very important distinction and understanding.

Only Christ, the Son of God, that perfect and unblemished Lamb, could bear the sins and suffering of mankind upon His shoulders. And only Christ could suffer through the weight and consequence of that sin, and by His divinity could trample down those consequences of death by His death. And only Christ, the Giver of Life, could break apart the gates of Hades and three days later burst forth from the tomb in His risen glory!

In doing so He clears the path for our salvation. To quote St John Chrysostom again: ‘Christ endured all of His sufferings, that we may follow in His footsteps.’

We may follow Him along this way, but the way is now sanctified by His having endured it all and conquered it all for us. We are now never alone – no matter what we may suffer, because Christ has been through it and, if we unite ourselves to Him, we unite ourselves to His victory.

Let us not hesitate, let us not be afraid to deny ourselves, to take up our crosses, and to follow Christ. As we learn in even our earthly relationships of love, it is not in seeking our own, but it is in giving our lives to another wherein we find the greatest love and joy. If this is proven true in our earthly relationships, how much more so shall we find that rest, that fulfillment, and that joy if we dare to love God with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength!

May God grant to our newlyweds and to our ‘soon-to-be-weds’ this great joy of sacrificial love for one another and together for God. And may God grant all of us this joy and fulfillment as we heed the call of Christ leading us to the love of God!

Nativity of the Mother of God & Sunday Before Exaltation of the Cross

On this Sunday we find ourselves having just celebrated the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God and in preparation now for the coming feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. What beauty and meaning the Holy Church provides for us in the cycle of feasts which we celebrate throughout the year!

The Church year begins with the celebration of the birth of she who will give birth to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is so much joy and hope in this celebration! Through this young girl, all that God wishes for mankind is made manifest. She lived her life in great purity and piety… indeed being raised from a very young age within the temple in Jerusalem. Her purity of soul prepared the temple of her body to receive the Son of God. And now she is close beside Him in the Kingdom of Heaven, interceding for all those who turn to her in prayer. She is a quick helper to all those who call upon her in need.

As one homilist wrote: ‘How often in life do we experience a thirst for purity, renewal, and joy. And how often does our unworthiness, do our sins obscure the light of joy and Divine brightness? On the day of the Birth of our Lady Theotokos we turn to her, and we ask the Most Pure and Blameless One to help us be victorious over sin and all impurity, so that with a pure heart we might glorify God and rejoice in Him. Whoever runs to her with faith and hope will not leave empty and unheard, for to her is given the grace to pray for us and help us. Amen.’

Indeed, whoever turns to the Mother of God with faith and hope will not leave empty-handed

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have begun a new year and we stand in the joyful light of the good news of the birth of the Mother of God. Her parents, Joachim and Anna, whose memories we celebrate today, suffered for so many years of barrenness… they prayed daily that God would grant them a child, and in due time, God granted them this joy. So too must we, who may suffer from the barrenness of our soul, from the frustrations of the unfruitfulness of our spiritual life… we must also patiently and persistently pray to God that He would enkindle the divine spark within us, that the light of Christ might be born in us. Let us pray especially today to the pious and patient parents of the holy Virgin Mary, the righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna, that we may share some measure of their piety, of their persistence in prayer… that God might heal the barrenness of our spiritual life – that we may bring forth fruit.

And let us look ahead this week to the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, which we will celebrate this Thursday evening and Friday morning. This feast commemorates the finding of the Cross of our Lord by the pious Empress Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine - she oversaw the excavations at the site of Golgotha. Discovering three crosses, each were laid in turn one by one upon a sick woman and upon a dead man. Two of the crosses had no effect, but through contact with the third cross, the sick woman was healed of her infirmity and the dead man came to life. These miracles clearly indicated and validated which was Christ's Cross.

The true Cross of our Lord was raised high for all to venerate, and all dropped to their knees crying in one accord: ‘Lord have mercy!’

These two feasts which start the new Church year – the Nativity of the Mother of God and the Exaltation of the Precious Cross of our Lord – are both bound up with the birth of our salvation.

With the nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, the hope of our salvation finally comes to fruition. The incarnation of the long-awaited One Who will redeem mankind now becomes an imminent reality with the birth of His Most Pure Mother.

And the Cross becomes the focal point of our new birth into life eternal with God. Those gates of Paradise which were closed to mankind are burst open as Christ tramples down death by death.

May the radiance of these two great feasts shine upon all of us. May they warm our hearts with gratitude to God, Who deigns to enter into human history by being born of the Virgin Mary, and Who accepts upon Himself the humiliation of death upon the cross… overcoming that death by His Life-creating Divinity and opening unto us the hope and joy of life eternal.

Sts Peter and Fevronia – Family Life

Today is a special day of commemoration and celebration in the Russian Orthodox Church. On this third Sunday of September we remember and honor Holy Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia of Murom. Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom are the patrons of marriage and family and are held before us as examples of love and fidelity.

Let me share with you briefly about these great saints…

Peter and Fevronia were benevolent rulers and always helped their people with alms and prayers. They treated all as if they were their own children. They loved everyone equally, and disliked only those who were proud or who exploited the people. Peter and Fevronia laid up their treasures, not on earth, but in heaven. They were real pastors of their city. They always ruled with truth and humility, and never with anger. They gave shelter to pilgrims, fed the hungry, and clothed the naked. And they helped the poor in their misfortune.

When death was nearing, Peter and Fevronia prayed to God that they both might die in the same hour. And they requested that they be buried in the same tomb and in a common coffin in which their bodies would be separated only by a partition. Before their deaths they took monastic vows, Prince Peter becoming Brother David, and Princess Fevronia, Sister Euphrosinia.

After their deaths, some of the people decided that Prince Peter should be buried in the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin, which was within the walls of the city of Murom, and that Princess Fevronia should be buried in the Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, which was outside the walls of the city. The body of Prince Peter was put in a casket and was placed in the cathedral, where it was left overnight. The body of Princess Fevronia was put in another casket and placed in the church outside the city walls. A tomb, which had earlier been carved from a huge rock as a resting-place for Peter and Fevronia, remained empty in the yard of the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin.

The next morning the people went to the caskets of Peter and Fevronia and found them empty. The bodies of the holy prince and princess were found together in the tomb of stone, which they had ordered prepared for them. The people, not understanding the meaning of this event, once more placed the bodies in separate caskets. On the following day the bodies of Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia were once again found together in the tomb of stone. Since that time no man has dared to disturb their holy bodies, but left them in their common tomb in the yard of the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin, which is located in the city of Murom. To this day, those who approach the holy relics of Peter and Fevronia with prayer, always receive comfort and healing.

In honor of these beloved saints, the Russian Orthodox Church marks the Sunday before their feast as a special day of blessing and honor for Orthodox families.

Our dear friend, Bishop Irenei of London and Western Europe, recently commented on marriage and family life. Here it a segment of what he had to say:

‘True family is not a creation of human society, nor less of any individual’s or couple’s design. True family is God’s creation, God’s gift. It is His bestowal upon those He has created for one another, of a life in which the ascent to godliness can be realized. It is an arena of ascetical growth, and transformation into the life of the Gospel — a life in which husband, wife, and whatsoever children as the Lord may grant them find in each other a divine help in the sacred and joy-creating task of growing into the eternal Life of the Creator. The family is sometimes called a ‘small Church’, because in it, as in the Church which is our mother, diverse members are united into one body that lives and breathes together; and, just as in the Church man receives directly the grace-bearing blessings of the Divine Mysteries, so in the family there is more than only the emotional love of man and woman, or the structures of protection and care of parent for child. In the family, God’s grace pours forth into the hearts of His creatures. A family is a means of direct encounter with the transformative Grace of Almighty God.

This is why marriage is a Sacrament of the Church. In Holy Communion we directly receive the divine presence of God. In Baptism, we directly receive God’s presence. And so in the other Mysteries; and indeed, so too in marriage. We do not pronounce a ‘vow’ in this Sacrament, because true marriage is not a contract or plan. Rather, we place crowns upon the heads of the bride and bridegroom, because what comes upon them in the Mystery of marriage is the divine grace to live a new life: the life of martyrdom into glory. And a crown is the sign of both. When Orthodox Christians think of crowns, we think of those conferred upon the holy martyrs in Paradise, as well as those laid upon the heads of kings. Through the divine Grace of marriage, a couple receives the power to martyrically attain the transfiguration of life that leads to royal glory in the Kingdom.

My brothers and sisters… I call upon you all to cherish as a most precious gift from God the reality of true marriage and family in this world. Whatever may be the debasements of these things that we see in the secular world around us, let the Saints be for us the witnesses of reality. For those of you crowned in this glory, who are husbands and wives: hold fast to the sacredness of this mystical union. Be faithful to what the Lord has given you! Use it well! For those who look towards marriage in the future, seek even today to understand it aright, and to approach it with due awe and reverence, as a Divine Mystery that might bring you closer to your Savior. And to each and everyone: honor your family — for we are all of us members of a family. Support each other’s families. Encourage in each other this life of shared ascetical devotion to God, Who will reward us all with the bounties of His love.’

May the Bishop’s words enlighten us to understand the beauty and the meaning of marriage and of family life. It is within this context of such close association with others that our Christian faith is tested and refined. Marriage and family life bless us with love and tenderness, but they also test us with patience, striving to be kind, and with self-sacrifice. All of these things build Christian virtue – and this is the point of our marriages and of our life within the family.

It is a special blessing that on this very day, our dear parishioners Michael and Sophia are being married at the Russian Orthodox Church in Ohio, near Michael’s family. Fr Andrew and several of our parishioners are there to celebrate and witness this blessed union today. May God grant them His blessings and may Sts Peter and Fevronia be their patrons and intercessors, helping them on their path of salvation together.

May God bless us and be with us and our families on this day on which we commemorate the holy Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia. It is a day of blessing and celebration of marriage, the family, and fidelity to God and one another. May God bless our marriages, our families, and our parish community… and may God bless every sacrifice we make toward faithfulness, kindness toward one another, and self-giving love.

11th Sunday After Pentecost

Matthew 18:23-35

In the Gospel reading for today, we hear of a man who was deeply in debt, owing a great fortune to the king. The king wanted to settle his accounts with his servants and therefore demanded the payment of this debt. The poor servant could in no way pay back this great amount and so the king ordered that he and his wife and children should be sold into slavery to repay the debt. The man fell on his knees and begged the king for mercy and patience to give him time to try to pay back what he owed. The king was moved to compassion by the cries of the debtor and, with a loving heart, forgave him everything.

When this man went out, he found one of his fellow servants who happened to owe him some small amount of money. This time, the one who had just been forgiven so much, showed no mercy and threw the debtor into prison. When the king heard about this, he called the first man before him and said, ‘You wicked servant, I forgave you the great debt that you owed and you have turned around and shown no mercy on the one who owed you so little.’ In righteous judgment the king put this man into prison until he was able to pay back all that he had originally owed.

Our Lord Jesus Christ concludes this parable telling us that this is how our Heavenly Father will treat each of us unless we forgive our brother from our heart. The message is very clear – if we expect to be forgiven, if we expect to receive mercy, then we must forgive and show love and mercy toward others.

This parable of the debtor brings out a very important concept about the justice and the mercy of God.

The man who owed the great debt begged the king to show mercy… to not deal with him, as we might say, ‘with justice’, which would dictate giving him what he deserved. The man was delinquent on his debt and he may have deserved to go to the debtors’ prison until his debt could be paid. Instead, the king shows mercy and forgives him everything. Later, when this same man refuses to show mercy on his servant, the king unhesitatingly throws him into the prison where he would stay until all his debts are paid.

I think many of us tend to think that mercy and justice are not really compatible. If we deal with someone with justice, the person gets what they deserve. If we deal with someone with mercy, we override that justice, in favor of forgiveness.

Yet how often do we hear in Scripture and in our Church Services about the justice and mercy of God? Throughout Scripture these two go hand in hand together.

If God is showing mercy, is he not being just? If God is delivering justice, is he not being merciful?

If we think of justice in the way our culture has taught us to think of it, we equate justice with someone getting what they deserve for a given offense. We see justice in a transactional way. We speak of the scales of justice… assuring balance. If you commit the crime, you do the time.

This concept of justice prevailed in much of the development of Western Christianity. Oversimplifying the theology it would state: mankind sinned, God was offended, He was dutybound by justice to punish us for our offense, and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was the substitutional punishment that saves us from the justice of God. If we follow this line of reasoning – Christ is indeed our Savior – but He’s saving us from the wrath of God the Father. That is Calvinism, or maybe Hindistic Karma… but certainly not Orthodox Christianity!

We always have to check our conceptions of God against what the Church and the Scriptures teach us. The unfolding revelation of God from the beginning of time to the incarnation of Christ to the descent of the Holy Spirit and the testimony of the lives of the saints over these two thousand years has been that God is a God of love.

It is easy to understand mercy in the context of a loving God. But what about justice?

Justice, in the hands of God, is more accurately understood as ‘restoration’ or ‘reconciliation’. It is setting things aright. In this context, we understand our theology as: mankind sinned; in doing so he suffered the consequences of falling away from God; Christ’s incarnation and sacrifice on the cross restores and reconciles humanity by Christ’s voluntary assumption of all our fallenness and healing it by His Divinity.

St Isaac the Syrian says the following: ‘Do not call God just, for His justice is not manifest in the things concerning you… How can you call God just when you come across the Scriptural passage on the wage given to the workers?…How can a man call God just when he comes across the passage on the prodigal son who wasted his wealth with riotous living, how for the compunction alone which he showed, the father ran and fell upon his neck and gave him authority over all his wealth?…Where, then, is God's justice, for while we are sinners Christ died for us!’

The king in today’s parable initially offered his mercy to the debtor. But when the debtor showed no mercy to the one indebted to him, the king sent the ungrateful man to the debtors’ prison in the hope of setting things right – primarily for the wrongdoer! That, in doing so, the gravity of his sin could be known, and he could repent. This is the justice and mercy of a loving God Who will do and allow what is necessary to soften our hearts and to facilitate our salvation.

If we have a God of such generous love and mercy, then we too must join ourselves to that gracious love and mercy in all of our dealings with each other. Our objective in relations with others should not be to even the score, to insist that everything is fair… but rather to seek that things are set aright. It requires a generosity of heart that unselfishly seeks what is best for one another. As Christ said: ‘Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.’  May God grant us this justice and mercy!

The Dormition of the Mother of God

Greetings dear brothers and sisters in Christ with the great feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God!

In the icon of the Dormition we see the most pure Mother of God surrounded by the Apostles. One of her last wishes and prayers was that she could once again see the dearly loved Apostles of her Son Jesus Christ. The Lord fulfilled her wish in a miraculous way… the Apostles, who were scattered abroad on their missionary journeys, were miraculously transported back to Jerusalem to be at the bedside of their beloved spiritual Mother. What joy and what Christian love must have been expressed among this amazing assembly of people! The Holy Virgin then peacefully gave up her soul into the arms of her Son. We see this represented in the icon as our Lord Jesus Christ appears above the assembly of Apostles and cradles within His arms what appears to be an infant all dressed in white. This newly born infant is the pure soul of the Most Holy Virgin being tenderly embraced by her Son as she enters into His heavenly kingdom.

What an image this is! What hope it brings forth within the human heart! For, though the body of the Most Pure Virgin is, for a moment, given over to death, her pure soul is cradled in the arms of her Son and our Savior.

This vision should inform us and inspire us… that, though we may be subject to the tragedies of this fallen world, our souls might find rest within the bosom of our Lord. The Holy Apostle Paul expresses this hope most perfectly when he writes: ‘For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

Let that beautiful image of the pure white soul of the Virgin, lovingly cradled within the arms of our Savior, be a source of consolation and inspiration. No matter what storms may rage all around us, there is a place of quiet and rest for our souls within the embrace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Beneath that wondrous vision, we see the Apostles crowded around the reposed body of the Holy Virgin. The Apostle Thomas was the only one of Christ’s immediate disciples who was not brought back to Jerusalem at the time of the Mother of God’s falling asleep. But this turned out to be according to God’s great providence and mercy as well. Thomas arrived on the third day and wished to venerate the body of the Most Holy Theotokos. When the Apostles opened the tomb, they discovered that the body of the Virgin Mary was no longer there! Her most pure body had been assumed up into heaven. That evening she appeared to the Apostles, surrounded by a host of angels, saying: ‘Rejoice, I will be with you always.’

Thus the Most Holy Mother of God sits at the right hand of her Son… she has been called forth from the grave ahead of all of humanity to enter into the fullness of that to which we all are called… to be in Paradise with our Heavenly Father.

Our holy father John of Shanghai and San Francisco wrote the following: ‘Being adorned with Divine glory she stands and will stand, both in the day of the Last Judgment and in the future age, at the right hand of the throne of her Son. She reigns with Him and has boldness towards Him as His Mother according to the flesh, and as one in spirit with Him, as one who performed the will of God and instructed others. Merciful and full of love, she manifests her love towards her Son and God in love for the human race. She intercedes for it before the Merciful One, and going about the earth, she helps mankind. Having experienced all the difficulties of earthly life, the Intercessor of the Christian race sees every tear, hears every groan and entreaty directed to her. Especially near to her are those who labor in the battle with the passions and are zealous for a God-pleasing life. But even in worldly cares she is an irreplaceable helper. In her sticheron we sing… ‘Joy of all who sorrow and intercessor for the offended, feeder of the hungry, consolation of travelers, harbor of the storm-tossed, visitation of the sick, protection and intercessor for the infirm, staff of old age, Mother of God on high, Thou art the Immaculate, hasten we pray and save Thy slaves.’’

What an example, what a champion, what an intercessor we have in our Mother, the Most Pure Virgin Mary. Her life on earth and her life in heaven stand as beacons – inspiring and guiding us toward the call of her Son and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us go forward today into the events of our own lives with a resolution to become a source of joy for the sorrowful, an intercessor for those that are offended, a feeder of the hungry, a consolation to travelers, let each of us strive to be a harbor for all those that are storm-tossed, let us visit and pray for the sick and suffering. In a word, let us go forth, inspired by the image of the purity and the humility of the Mother of God to be beacons of the love of Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have received so much love, let us generously pass it on!

Ninth Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 14:22-34)

The scene put before us in today’s Holy Gospel is one of the most indelible images from the life of our Lord and his disciples and it is an icon for us of the spiritual life and our relationship with God.

Our Lord had sent the disciples ahead of Him in a boat while He took time to be alone with God, His Father. While the disciples were in the midst of the sea, a storm began to rage and they were tossed about and began to fear for their lives. In the midst of this, imagine the fear and awe that grips the disciples as they see our Lord walking toward them upon the waters – and the relief and joy they experience as He tells them the reassuring words: ‘Be of good cheer! It is I, do not be afraid’. And then we have the incredible image of Apostle Peter stepping out of the boat onto the waters to walk toward our Lord – initially stepping forth in enthusiasm and great faith, and then beginning to fear and waver as the waters toss all around him. He begins to sink and calls out to the Lord to save him and immediately our Lord is there to stretch forth His hand and lead him back into the boat. Today’s Gospel reading concludes with the disciples all safely in the boat with our Lord - the seas have been calmed and they prostrate themselves before Him proclaiming ‘Truly, Thou art the Son of God!’

When our Lord summoned Apostle Peter to come to Him, Apostle Peter, in his zeal and love for Christ, immediately stepped out of the boat and began walking upon the water toward His Lord and God. Apostle Peter demonstrates in this moment a self-forgetting, Christ-focused faith in God. As long as he kept his eyes on Christ he walked upon the water as if it were dry land. But what happened?... We read that, “when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out ‘Lord save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O ye of little faith, why did you doubt?’” The moment Apostle Peter took his eyes off of Christ and began to concern himself with himself, with his fears and doubts, this is when he began to sink. Thanks be to God, our Lord was close at hand and when Peter cried out, ‘Lord save me!’ Jesus stretched out His hand and brought him safely back into the boat.

Brothers and sisters in Christ… this Gospel image of the Apostle Peter and Christ upon the waters must be a consistent reminder and lesson for each one of us. It is a vivid portrait of the uplifting and sustaining power of God-focused faith and the perilous dangers of our self-centered, anxious preoccupations that eclipse our focus on God.

This distinction of the target of our focus, between having our heart, our mind, and our affections turned toward God vs. having our heart, our mind, and our affections preoccupied with our selfish and worldly concerns is absolutely foundational… it is the key to our spiritual life and our spiritual health.

And so, let each of us ask ourselves: ‘Where is my focus?’

The reality of our lives today is that so much of our focus tends to be on our work, on making a living – especially in this high-cost area, where most of our efforts go simply to paying our mortgage or our rent, groceries, gas, and utilities. When we come home from work, we are exhausted and so we amuse and lose ourselves in TV or video games or other entertainments. Perhaps we make an effort to squeeze in some morning prayers before we rush out of the house. And perhaps we are able to say a few prayers before we lie down to sleep. (God bless you if you’re making such an effort!)

But where in all this is our focus? Life makes demands on us… and our modern life today seems especially orchestrated to demand our attention and to distract us from the spiritual life. However, if we are going to survive spiritually, we have to make a conscious effort to examine and make course corrections to the focus of our life.

So am I suggesting we should all quit our jobs and flee to the mountains to live in a cave? Of course not. We have personal and family responsibilities and obligations, and God expects us to bloom wherever we are planted. Attend to your job with integrity and diligence. Maybe we can cut down or eliminate some of the fruitless distractions that occupy us – like the TV and the video games… making room for spiritual nourishment like reading the Scriptures and the lives and teachings of the saints. The question again in all of this is: where is our focus?

The scene of the Apostle Peter and our Lord Jesus Christ upon the waves is our model.

To live a healthy and fruitful spiritual life does not require us to flee the stormy waves of this life. The waves and concerns of this life will always be with us. But if we focus our gaze and our hope upon Christ, by His grace, He can allow us to walk upon those waves as if they were steady ground.

Make that time in the morning to say your prayers. If you would not walk out of the house without brushing your teeth and hair, take the same uncompromising stance with your prayers! During the day, attend to your work to the best of your ability with the understanding that God is with you, that all you do is done within the presence of God. As challenges and temptations occur, let these be your reminders and calls to prayer… uttering a simple and heartfelt prayer: ‘God be with me!’ or ‘Lord help me!’ or cultivate the soul-profiting habit of saying the Jesus Prayer: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ When you come home, do so with gratitude to God in your heart, that He has been with you and has preserved you through another day. If you wish to ‘turn off’ with some entertainment or distraction, do so with a time limit… telling yourself you will watch your show for an hour, and then be done with it so you retain time for evening prayers. God grant you to go to sleep with a prayer on your lips and with peace in your heart.

In such a way, we can keep the focus of our life on Christ. Resist the force of the waves of the sea of life from pulling you under! Do so by focusing your sights on Christ, Whose grace lifts us up, granting us strength and consolation and, should we turn our sights away from Him and begin to drown in the waters, call out as did Peter, ‘Lord save me!’

The Transfiguration Of Our Lord

Today the Church celebrates the holy transfiguration of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. Forty days before our Lord would be crucified - He vouchsafed three of His apostles to behold His heavenly glory on the summit of Mt Tabor. This manifestation of His Divine Light was both a blessing to strengthen them for the faith-shaking events that were to come – His arrest, His trial, and His crucifixion; and it also served as a beacon of hope – giving us a glimpse of the eternal glory which was the nature of Christ and the possible inheritance of those who would believe in Him.

The Transfiguration is one of the twelve great feasts of the Church Year and it has been celebrated by the Orthodox Church from the earliest times. Although the event celebrated in the Feast occurred in the month of February, forty days before the Crucifixion, the Feast was transferred to August because its full glory and joy could not be fittingly celebrated amid the sorrow and repentance of Great Lent. The sixth day of August was chosen as being forty days before the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, when Christ’s Passion is again remembered.

What is the importance of the Transfiguration for the Church and for each one of us?

Let us begin by thinking about the people that appeared at the summit of Mt Tabor.

First of all, we have the three beloved disciples who were chosen by our Lord to witness this event – Apostles Peter, James, and John. Several Church writers have recognized in each of these three disciples their principle virtues: Apostle Peter representing faith, Apostle James representing righteousness, and Apostle John representing love. By what possible means might we hope to ascend the upward path of salvation with Christ our Lord? It is only by a life of vibrant faith, the struggle for righteousness, and sacrificial love that we may hope to witness the Light of Christ’s glory.

And then whom do we behold appearing with Christ? It is Moses and Elijah – two of the great figures of the Old Testament. And what is the significance of having Moses and Elijah standing to the right and left of Christ as He manifests His glory? Moses is the representative of the Law and Elijah is the representative of the Prophets. Both the Law and Prophets bear witness to Christ.

Christ spoke many times about how He came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. And His entire life stands as a testament to the fulfillment of the prophecies of old, which foresaw and awaited His coming.

Christ had spoken about the Law and the Prophets in the following way… When asked what the greatest commandment in the law was, He responded: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ And then he said this significant thing… ‘On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’

The Law - represented by Moses; and the Prophets - represented by Elijah; are fulfilled by the perfection of Love – represented by Christ our Lord, Who is the Divine Manifestation of perfect love for God and all mankind.

If we have love, we will strive to fulfill the commandments of Christ. And if we have love, we will show compassion and mercy toward our brothers and sisters. To those who love God, all things work together for good and lead us toward the grace and light of Christ.

Atop Mt Tabor, we read that the radiance of the Grace and Light of Christ ‘shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as the light… and behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”’

The disciples fell on their faces in awe and fear! It is interesting to think about what was happening here… Did Christ change such that He no longer hid the fullness of His glory? Or were the eyes of the disciples somehow opened to see that which was being manifested all along?

Apostle Paul speaks about our earthly life as ‘seeing through a glass darkly’. Our fallenness blinds us to the realities of the presence of God and of His great glory. And perhaps in this God is merciful… for if we were to have the scales removed from our eyes and beheld the presence and the glory of God, we too would be struck down in awe and fear.

Christ allowed His disciples to see this glimpse of His glory in order to encourage them in the face of coming struggles, to bolster their faith, and to offer them hope of that life which is to come. Let us behold the transfiguration of our Lord in this same spirit. May it encourage us in the face of struggles, may if bolster our faith in this faithless generation, and may it offer us hope in the glorious promises of our Lord for those who would live their life in faith, righteousness, and love.

May God bless you on this radiant feast of the Transfiguration!

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 9:27-35)

The Gospel scene that is set before us today is a perfect encapsulation of the spiritual life and of the relationship between God and mankind.

We heard in today’s Gospel how Jesus was passing by two blind men, and they cried out, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”

This image set before us in the Gospel, of blind men calling out to God for His mercy, and of the Lord responding to them in love according to the measure of their faith, this is precisely the true state and picture of mankind. We are indeed like blind men, who have lost our spiritual vision to see the obvious workings and blessings of God occurring every day, every hour, and every minute in our lives. We are extremely limited in our spiritual vision and so often we go about this life as blind men and women, reacting to the ups and downs of this earthly life as if this were all there is… only occasionally ‘seeing through a glass darkly’ at the magnificence and benevolence and eternal perspective of God.

How do we react to this blindness? We may become accustomed to the darkness and refuse to acknowledge our blindness - saying that there is no such thing as light, since we cannot perceive it with our limited physical senses. Or, we might hear the One Who declared, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” If we can hear this voice, we then begin to recognize our blindness and we might call out: ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’

And what is the Lord’s reaction to this reaching out of the blind and the sick, who call out to Him for His grace and mercy? Does He recoil from our sickness and sin, telling us to go away? No, He does not… He extends His hand to us, He extends His compassion and His loving-kindness to us, desiring not that the sinner should perish, but that he should live and be healed.

And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith let it be to you.’

‘According to your faith, so be it unto you'… this statement contains profound spiritual truth and instruction. How will it be for us?… it will be according to our faith.

Is our Lord promising us that if we have faith, then all of our problems and infirmities will be suddenly resolved? No, this is not often the case. God will permit in our lives whatever is conducive toward our salvation, and sometimes this may include difficult trials indeed. But it is true that if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all things will be added unto us. Our reactions to the circumstances of our life differ greatly depending on the strength of our faith and trust in God. Two people can experience the same circumstances and one will be in heaven while the other is in hell. How can this be? The one who has faith in the Lord does not despair and retains that perspective and trust that God is watching over him. Even though he may have sorrow, he retains the hope which is born from faith. Another may become immersed in the sorrow of his circumstances and see no way out.

According to our faith, so will it be for us.

God pours out His grace and His love to us according to the measure of our faith. According to the measure of our faith… this does not mean that God is stingy with His grace and love and that He only meters this out to us in reward for however much faith we demonstrate. God does not place the limitation of His compassion on us… we do. The thing is - we are only capable of receiving the love of God according to the measure of our faith. The more faith and trust we have in God, the more capacity we have to receive His love and grace.

And that, dear brothers and sisters, is what this life is all about. We have been created by the generosity of the love and grace of God to receive and be transformed by the love and grace of God. The degree to which we can receive that love and grace is according to the measure of our faith.  

Every human soul longs for that elusive ‘something’ which will bring us peace and fulfillment. We seek it in all the wrong places… in our worldly achievements, in wanting the praise of others, in acquiring the next thing that we think will make us happy, in all the various comforts and seductions of this world. Yet, none of these things will fulfill us… we will always be left wanting more. Only one thing fills that gap within us… and that is the love and grace of God.

Our soul calls out to God and Christ stands before us and He asks: ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’

Let us respond with utmost faith, saying: ‘Yes, Lord! I believe in You!’

And may our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ then respond to us: ‘According to your faith let it be unto you.’

ST. MARY MAGDALENE—A SERMON OF LOVE

Julia Rostovtseva – posted on orthochristian.com

On July 22/August 4, the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene. Little is known about this historic figure. The Holy Scripture tells us nothing about the formative years of this saint, but Holy Tradition informs us that the future follower of Christ was young, beautiful and led a sinful life. In connection wth this, many people today wrongly identify the Gospel persona of the Myrrh-bearer with the image of the harlot who was about to be stoned or with the promiscuous woman who wiped the most pure feet of Christ with her hair. In actual fact, the New Testament only says that the young woman was possessed by unclean spirits, and the Lord had cast seven demons out of her (Mark 16:9).

The Lord healed many people, but not everyone was vouchsafed to follow Him. Thus, according to the Evangelist Mark, He prevented the demon-possessed man of the Gadarenes from following Him. But Mary distinguished herself for her apostolic preaching following the Savior's death, walked with her Master throughout the days of His life after her miraculous healing, and ministered unto the Lord, like other women, of her substance (Luke 8:1–3).

Commenting about this verse from the Holy Scripture, the Holy Hierarch St. Dimitry of Rostov says: “among... grateful women, the Evangelist Luke names Mary Magdalene first, because she was the first to set an example of such grateful ministry to the cause of the God-Man, or she was superior to the rest of them by her zeal in this holy cause." Gratitude for Christ was so great in this woman's heart that Mary didn’t abandon her Redeemer even when, humiliated and crucified, He was abandoned on Calvary by the majority of His disciples. The holy woman displayed her ardent love for the Savior even after His death. She accompanied the transfer of the body of Christ by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus from the cross to the tomb; she was present at His burial and watched when they laid the Lord in the tomb (Matt. 27:61; Mk. 15:47). Mary Magdalene the Equal-to-the-Apostles is especially honored as a Myrrh-bearer. The Evangelist Mark writes that the women who brought fragrant spices came to the tomb at dawn, or “very early in the morning.” As if corroborating this, the Holy Apostle John the Theologian adds that Mary came to the tomb so early that it was still dark. Longing for the night to end and unable to wait for dawn any longer, when total darkness still enveloped everything around, she ran to the place where the body of Jesus was laid.

Here, inside the tomb, Mary is vouchsafed to behold not only the angels, the messengers of the resurrection, but also the Lord Himself, Who appears to her as the first among men. The young woman did not recognize the Savior, because “the distress of sorrowful thoughts and abundant tears prevented her from seeing Him, standing behind her.” Thinking that she was talking to the gardener, the woman said: Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away (Jn. 20:15). As the hagiographer noted, “in her immense love for the Lord, Mary completely forgets her weakness and hopes to take and carry away the body of her Savior herself.” A moment later, Christ calls out the holy woman. Awe-stricken, she rushes to embrace His feet. Coming back to her senses, Mary hastens to the Divine disciples to fulfill the will of Him Who sent her to spread the good news. One more time, she enters the house where the apostles still linger around in distress and announces to them the joyful news: “I have seen the Lord!” These words became the first preaching about the Resurrection of Christ in the world.

Later, Mary Magdalene did not abandon the work of salvific evangelization. Thus, the Holy Apostle Luke in the Book of Acts writes that all the apostles unanimously remained in prayer along with some women, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and His brothers. According to Holy Tradition, after the apostles had gone out to preach into all the world, the holy woman, the disciple of the Lord, went with them. As she traveled to Rome to preach to the pagans there, she repeatedly proclaimed in every place: “I have seen the Lord!” and witnessed to Christ throughout Italy.

The significance of the holy woman’s preaching was witnessed by the Holy Apostle Paul himself in his characteristic greeting of St. Mary as part of his Epistle from the Greek trading city of Corinth to the Christians who were in Rome then (Rom. 16:6).

According to Tradition, upon reaching old age, St. Mary moved from Rome to Ephesus, where she assisted the Holy Apostle John the Theologian in spreading the Gospel.

It is fitting for us to remember this holy follower and disciple of Christ not only during the week of the Myrrh-bearing Women, but also whenever we say, “Christ is Risen!” These are the very words the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene said to the Emperor Tiberius when she handed him the red egg.

Through the prayers of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles St. Mary Magdalene, may the Lord grant us to have a grateful heart that will burn with love and faith for Our Savior Jesus Christ.

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 8:28-9:1)

This morning we heard three Gospel readings… one for the Sunday, one for our commemoration of the Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils, and one for the holy equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir, whom we also celebrate today.

The Sunday Gospel reading spoke to us about the Lord’s coming into the country of Gergesenes and His encounter with the two men possessed by demons. The terror and evil of the demons made these men exceedingly fierce, such that no one could even pass by their way. Yet when our Lord Jesus Christ came by, the demons cried out, saying ‘What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God?’ The fearsome demons crumbled before the grace and authority of Christ and begged Him to at least let them be sent into the herd of swine feeding nearby. This scene demonstrates for us both the reality of demonic evil, but also the absolute power and authority of Christ. It demonstrates for us the truth that darkness cannot prevail in the presence of light… the light of Christ.

Our second reading today is in honor of the Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils. The Gospel for this occasion contains what is often called Christ’s High Priestly Prayer in which He glorifies God and in which He intercedes for all those who shall bear His name as Christians… that they may be one, as Christ and His Father are One. And what is it that brings forth this unity among Orthodox Christians? It is none other than Christ Himself… the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils were those church leaders of the early centuries of the Church who rightly defined the word of Truth. When conflicts and heresies threatened the unity of the Church, the Fathers met in council to seek God’s will and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to define and defend the Truth of our Orthodox faith. And it was this clarity of Truth and the ongoing fidelity to that Truth that has united Orthodox Christians throughout the centuries.

And our third reading is the Gospel passage of the Good Shepherd – read today in honor of Grand Prince Vladimir, the equal-to-the-Apostles and enlightener and uniter of the Russian land. This Gospel passage speaks to us of the relationship of the shepherd with his flock, who trust him as their protector and know and respond to his voice. The Good Shepherd draws his flock together, watching over them, and knowing each individual sheep by name… it is a relationship of care and trust. Grand Prince Vladimir is honored as equal to the Apostles because he brought so many to the waters of Christian baptism. This call of their ruler to be baptized united the peoples of Rus – giving them a common worldview and literally making all of Christian Rus brothers and sisters – as they shared the same Blood of Christ now within their veins. As we sang in the Vigil last night: ‘Spiritually thou wast the father,/ and materially thou wast the king of the Russian people, O Vladimir;/ and as a true preacher, an apostle of Christ,/ thou didst proclaim the baptism of salvation./ And splendidly illumining all therewith,// thou didst sanctify the people in all the lands of thy kingdom, O blessed one.’

It is an interesting and instructive thing to contemplate these three readings, these three observances this morning. We see how the light of Christ conquers demonic darkness. We glorify the Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils who defined and defended the Word of Truth, which united Orthodox Christians in remaining faithful to that Truth. And we honor the Grand Prince Vladimir, who united his nation in the baptismal waters of their newly adopted Christian faith. A nation which is founded upon faith in God and unites around that faith, becomes a strong and healthy nation.

Most people I speak to believe that our nation is undergoing a crisis right now. The instability of our current political situation and future is certainly concerning to many. And that instability is but an outcome of the great instability we see in our modern culture where so many things are turned upside down and inside out… there is no firm foundation to stand on in a culture that drifts away from the foundation of faith and is given over to the rootlessness of nihilism.

Everywhere we turn, we see division being sown… left vs right, liberal vs conservative, democrat vs republican, this vs that, us vs them, etc, etc. Where there is no common vision, people splinter into different factions, each one suspecting the other and each one justifying itself and cementing itself into its belief in its own righteousness. It is a world where information is filled with lies and half-truths, presented to distract us, to confuse us, to lead us to rallying behind the lies which suit us best. A political philosopher, Hannah Arendt, once said: ‘This constant lying is not aimed at making the people believe a lie but ensuring that no one believes anything anymore. A people that can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot distinguish between right and wrong. And such a people, deprived of the power to think and judge, are, without knowing and willing it, completely subjected to the rule of lies. With such people, you can do whatever you want.’

It is an old story, and it bears all the markings of the Father of Lies… who’s game is called ‘divide and conquer’. I speak of this not to arouse opinion or frustration on a political level… but to reflect on the underlying spiritual causes and symptoms. For what is a nation, but a gathering of states; and a state is a gathering of counties; and a county is a gathering of cities; and a city is a gathering of families; and a family is made up of individuals. As the famous Russian writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn said: ‘The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either -- but right through every human heart -- and through all human hearts.’ 

And so, it is at that level of our own human heart where we must first seek to affect change. Today’s Gospels and commemorations show us the way…

In the Sunday Gospel wherein Christ confronts the demons possessing the men of Gadarene, we are shown the reality of evil and we are shown the absolute superiority of the light of Christ over any demonic darkness. In the celebration of the Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils, we are shown the beauty and the value of the clarity of the revealed Truth of our Orthodox faith and the preciousness of holding fast in fidelity to that truth. And in the commemoration of our father among the saints, the holy equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir, we are shown the unifying power of those joined together under the love and care of the Good Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Every Liturgy, we gather together to pray with one voice… praying for this land and for those who in faith and piety dwell therein. Perhaps it is too ambitious and too naïve to expect that our nation would unite under the Good Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ. But at least let us, as Orthodox Christians, unite in our prayer for the good of our land… that God would watch over us, that His Most Holy Mother would spread her protecting veil over our land. Let each of us beware of reacting to the madness that we see with our own madness and anger. You don’t put out a fire by adding more fuel to that inferno… fire must be put out by the living waters of faith and hope and love.  

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us establish ourselves in the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us focus on acquiring the light and love of our Lord. It is only through those means, by acquiring and shining forth that light within our own heart, that whatever darkness may come our way will be conquered.

May God bless you!

The Kazan Mother of God

In the Gospel reading for today we heard the words of the righteous centurion who humbly declared, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. But only speak a word and my servant will be healed.’ The centurion’s servant was lying at home paralyzed and dreadfully tormented. He sought the help of Jesus to heal his servant. When Christ indicated that He would come to the centurion’s home and heal his servant, the centurion, in his humility and in his complete faith in the authority of Christ, made his declaration, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should under my roof. But only speak a word and my servant will be healed.’

The Gospels tell us that when Jesus heard this response, He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly I say unto you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’

We hear an echo of the centurion’s words spoken by St John Chrysostom in our prayers before communion: ‘O Lord my God, I know that I am not worthy or sufficient that Thou shouldest come under the roof of the house of my soul, for all is desolate and fallen, and Thou has not with me a place fit to lay Thy head. But as from the highest heaven Thou didst humble Thyself for our sake, so now conform Thyself to my humility.’

What an incredible thing it is to realize that God calls us Orthodox Christians to be ‘God-bearers’… to dare to receive within our bodies the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In the 11th century St. Simeon the New Theologian wrote one day when he had returned to his humble cell after receiving Holy Communion, words to this effect, ‘I look upon this corruptible body, upon this frail flesh, and I tremble, because by partaking of the Holy Mysteries it has been permeated by God, it has been united with Christ, it is overflowing with the Holy Spirit... these powerless hands have become the hands of God, this body has become a body that God has taken possession of.’

Today we are honoring the ultimate ‘God-bearer’… the Most Holy Theotokos and Virgin Mary. We salute her as more honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim. We celebrate her today in one of the most beloved icons of the Mother of God – the Kazan Icon which appeared on this day 445 years ago in the year 1579. The image of Our Lady of Kazan is said to have come to Russia from Constantinople much earlier in the 13th century. After the Tatars besieged the city of Kazan and made it the capital of their Khanate in 1438, the icon disappeared. After a fire destroyed Kazan in 1579, the Virgin appeared in a prophetic dream to a 10-year-old girl named Matrona and told her where to find the precious image again. As instructed, Matrona told the archbishop about her dream, but he would not take her seriously. After two more such dreams, on July 8, 1579, the girl and her mother themselves dug up the image, buried under the ashes of a house, where it had been hidden long before to save it from the Tatars. The unearthed icon looked as bright and beautiful as if it were new. The archbishop repented of his unbelief and took the icon to the Church of St. Nicholas, where a blind man was cured that very day. Hermogen, the priest at this church, later became Metropolitan of Kazan. He brought the icon to Kazan's Cathedral of the Annunciation and established July 8 as a feast in honor of the Theotokos of Kazan. It is from Hermogen's chronicle, written at the request of the tsar in 1595, that we know of these events.

            From that time on, the veneration of the Mother of God as depicted in her Kazan icon grew and has continued through the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries and into our own day. Several copies of the icon were made and were taken into battle to protect and defend the Russian land, other copies were given as blessings to the faithful of different places throughout Russia.

            One of the most prominent and beloved copies of the Kazan Icon is found in the city of St Petersburg, where a great cathedral was built in her honor. On a personal note - it was on this day, five years ago, that I had the great blessing to serve with the local priests in the Kazan Cathedral on their feast day before this miraculous icon. It is a memory that will be cherished by me for the rest of my days.

            The Troparion that we sing to the Kazan Mother of God is as follows:

O earnest helper, Mother of the Lord Most High, thou dost entreat Christ, thy Son and our God, in behalf of all, and causest all to be saved who have recourse to thy mighty protection. O Lady, Queen and Mistress, help us all who, amid temptations, sorrows and sickness, are heavy laden with many sins, who stand before thee and with tears pray to thee with compunctionate soul and contrite heart before thine all-pure image, and who have unfailing hope in thee: Grant deliverance from all evils, and things profitable unto all, O Virgin Theotokos, and save us all, for thou art the divine protection of thy servants.

            What a beautiful expression of love we have in this Troparion Hymn to the Mother of God. She is indeed our earnest helper as the Mother of the Lord Most High. She is our protectress who helps us all who suffer from temptations, sorrows, sickness, and sins. Through her purity, through her humility, through her perfect trust in God, she stands before us as our model of what a human being can be. She is the ultimate God-bearer, for she bore the God-man within her womb.

            Let us recognize the dignity to which God calls each and every one of us. He deigns to call each of us to be God-bearers… both in the physical sense of our partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ and also in the spiritual sense of answering the knock of Christ on the door of our heart… welcoming Him in to be with us and for us to be with Him.

Through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos in her icon of Kazan, may God have mercy on us!

Sunday of All Saints of Russia and America

Last Sunday we celebrated ‘All Saints’ – noting how fitting this celebration is as a manifestation of the fruits of the Holy Spirit Who descended upon the Apostles and entered into the life of the Christian Church beginning at Pentecost. On this second Sunday after Pentecost, the Holy Church commemorates those saints who shone forth in the various local regions where the seeds of Orthodoxy took root. Thus, if we were able to somehow visit the various local Orthodox churches on this day, we would hear the praise and memory of the saints of Greece, of Romania, of Serbia, and whatever region the particular church might honor as its legacy and inheritance.

Today, our Russian Orthodox Church commemorates all the saints of the Russian land. The land of Russia, over the course of more than a thousand years, proved itself to be that good soil which bore much fruit - for many righteous strugglers for God blossomed forth in sanctity there. Such luminaries and Sts Cyril and Methodius, St Sergius of Radonezh, St Seraphim of Sarov, Sts Antony and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves, St John of Kronstadt, St Xenia and St Matrona, and many others who have illumined the Russian land like the stars in the sky. And we here in America are blessed to be the inheritors of that faith of our fathers.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… are you aware of what a rich inheritance we have standing here in this church of St Herman of Alaska today? Are you aware of the incredible culture of sanctity which was developed in some of the great monastic centers in Russia and was transported to this land by the torchbearers of that grace? All of us should hold dear to our hearts the names of Valaam, Pochaev, and Optina. These three great monasteries are our ‘alma maters’… the mothers of our soul.

Valaam is a beautiful place situated among the islands of Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, north of St Petersburg and practically bordering Finland. It was from the monastery of Valaam that a group of clergy and monastics were sent to Alaska in the late 18th century. Among this group was a simple monk named Herman who, bearing that light and love of Christ, cared for the native peoples of the Alaskan land, winning many converts to Orthodoxy. St Herman is considered to be a patron saint of our American land and our church bears his name and reveres his memory. The legacy of St Herman is precious and is encapsulated in the beautiful image of a man who was so full of grace that he somewhat regained that lost state of Paradise which Adam had enjoyed before the fall. We see St Herman living in peace and joy amid the wilderness, wild animals would eat from his hand, and even the forces of nature (storms and fires) were obedient to his supplications to God.

The monastery of Valaam fell under difficult circumstances during the communist times. The monks were killed or arrested or had to flee. I was blessed to know two of those monks that fled Valaam during those early decades of the 20th century: Bishop Mark of Ladoga and Archimandrite Dimitry. These dear souls were truly torchbearers of a culture of sanctity. I loved to hear their stories of old Valaam and there was something simply about the way they spoke, the way they carried themselves, and certainly in the way they served and prayed in church that contained a great treasure being handed down to us from this rich legacy of Valaam.

Pochaev monastery is located in the western part of what is now Ukraine. The majestic citadel of Pochaev is located on a hill overlooking the surrounding countryside of rolling hills and farmland. It was upon this hill that the Mother of God appeared in a column of fire, leaving her footprint embedded on the rock upon which she stood. From this rock flows a spring and the water from this spring has miraculous healing powers. A great monastery was built on this site and was the home to such great saints as St Job of Pochaev and most recently St Amphilocius of Pochaev. It was from Pochaev that Archimandrite Vitaly (Maximenko), the director of the monastery’s printshop, evacuated following the Russian Revolution. This new St. Job of Pochaev Brotherhood moved from Eastern Europe to Germany and eventually America, where it joined the Holy Trinity Monastery near Jordanville, New York, with now-Archbishop Vitaly becoming its abbot. The St. Job of Pochaev press is still active today and Jordanville monastery has been an important center for our Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia – giving us many of our bishops and our last three Metropolitans.

And what can one say about Optina monastery and its legacy? Optina, located about four hours southwest of Moscow, was among the most important spiritual centers for Orthodoxy in the last century or more leading up to the revolution. The chain of Elders of Optina provided spiritual guidance and intercessory prayer for thousands and thousands of people. Everyone should acquaint themselves with the lives of the Optina Elders… their biographies are readily available in English and are essential reading for understanding your spiritual roots and being inspired for the spiritual heights to which God calls us.

That legacy of Optina monastery came right to our doorstep with the presence of Archbishop Andrew of New York, under whose stole one of the last Elders of Optina, Nektary, reposed. Many of us knew and remember fondly Bishop Nektary Konzevich, who grew up making pilgrimages with his family to Elder Nektary of Optina. Bishop Nektary was a humble and noble soul, living his days in our midst as the Bishop of Seattle (or as he used to joke – bishop of Seattle and all the Pacific Ocean). The priestmonks Herman and Seraphim of St Herman of Alaska monastery in Platina were spiritual children of these links to Optina and were supporters and guides to Fr John Ocana and several of the founders of this very church.

I am taking the time to outline and emphasize these roots of our spiritual inheritance from Valaam, from Pochaev, and from Optina because it is so critically important for us to know where we come from, what meaning and inestimable value this inheritance holds for us!

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ… as the culture around us devolves further and further away from its Christian roots, I am more and more convinced how essential it is for us to know and to immerse ourselves in that culture of sanctity which is our Orthodox inheritance. It is only from that bedrock foundation of Christ, of His transcendent Truth, and of all the means of grace which make up that culture of sanctity found in His Church… it is only from that foundation that we will be able to correctly discern what is good and what is true and to hold fast to that grace-filled and light-bearing love of God.

May all the holy saints of Russia - our holy forefathers from Valaam, Pochaev, and Optina – may they be our intercessors before the throne of God, may they be our guides and constant companions as we navigate the course of our lives, and may they impart unto each one of us that culture of sanctity which ennobles us and edifies us that we may receive that torch of light that enlightens all with God’s grace and love.

A PROPHET OF HUMILITY

Sermon on the Nativity of St. John the Forerunner

Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov)

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

Dear brothers and sisters! Today we honor the memory and joyfully celebrate the glorious Nativity of the great Prophet of God and Forerunner of the coming of Christ, St. John the Baptist. The Lord Himself teaches us to honor and glorify St. John the Forerunner, saying that of those born of women, a greater than he has not arisen (cf. Mt. 11:11).

St. John was a prophet of God, the Forerunner and Baptist of our Savior Jesus Christ. And these worthy qualities were so great that he is rightly honored as one of the greatest saints in God’s Church—for of those born of women there was no one greater than him. Let us take a more thorough look at why he is greater than all.

First of all, St. John was not only a holy man and prophet, but as we already said, he was the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord. This particular aspect greatly distinguishes him from the other Old Testament prophets and raises him above them. Other prophets saw the coming of Christ only from a distance and in shadows, and that is why they spoke of him vaguely, in symbols and oracles, and they all died without being vouchsafed to behold the Messiah Whom they foretold. But John the Baptist saw Him and spoke with Him face to face, and therefore he not only foretold, but confirmed and testified to His appearance, even being vouchsafed the honor of Baptizing Him; and through this he as if consecrated Him for the great service to mankind. Thus, he was more than a prophet—he was an earthly angel of God, whom the Heavenly Father sent before His beloved son to prepare His way (cf. Is. 40:3–5; Mal. 3:1; Lk. 3:4–6). He was a friend of the Son of God, entrusted to announce to people the coming of the promised Messiah and prepare them to receive Him. No other prophet had such a great honor, and this placed him higher than all those born of women.

But John the Baptist was great not only because of his high service, but by his personal character and his very life. The holy evangelists say of him that he led such a strict life, so fervently loved truth, and preached it to people with such great self-denial, but at the same time he was so modest and humble of heart, that in this sense he must be recognized as one of the greatest pleasers of God. According to the testimony of the evangelists, St. John abode in desert from his childhood, wore clothing made of camel hair and a leather belt, ate locusts and wild honey, taking even that in such meager amounts that people said of him that he didn’t eat or drink (cf. Mt. 11:18). To such amazing austerity of life he joined even greater moral purity, so that all the Jewish people considered him a great righteous one, and some even thought that he might be the Christ. History does not present another such man—all the prophets, holy in life and great in temperance though they be, were not so austere as John the Baptist.

Himself a great and righteous man, St. John zealously preached the truth and boldly rebuked people’s vices with complete self-denial. He preached the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins throughout the entire Jordan region, and when sinners came to him for baptism, he boldly exposed them. To the Pharisees and Sadducees—hypocritical and deceitful men—he said sternly: Generation of vipers… (Lk. 3:7). To soldiers he said: Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages (Lk. 3:14). To the publicans he said: Exact no more than that which is appointed to you (Lk. 3:13).

He rebuked not only the Pharisees, soldiers, and publicans, but also the entire Jewish people and even kings. Thus St. John rebuked Herod, who was living unlawfully with Herodias, saying: It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife (Mk. 6:18). And in this instance he acted with even greater courage and self-denial than the prophets before him. St. John did not fear the wrath of terrifying enemies, did not hide in the desert, but courageously bore imprisonment in a dungeon and a martyr’s death.

To unwavering courage in confessing the truth St. John the Baptist joined great humility, which is the distinguishing trait of his spiritual magnitude. Humility is in general a very difficult virtue to acquire, because every person has a great deal of inborn self-love. It is especially hard to come by for those who have many talents and are placed in circumstances that dispose them toward arrogance. Therefore, if such people are able to conquer in themselves the spirit of pridefulness, and especially if they are able to humble themselves even when more reasons for self-exaltation come their way, they show through this that they are morally great. Just such a man was St. John the Baptist.

His lofty virtues, extraordinary life, austere and righteous character, and his arousing everyone to repentance, turned everyone’s attention on him and brought him such respect that all considered him a great prophet, and many were ready to accept him as the Messiah, sending him a respected envoy to find out who he was and were he came from. He would have had only to say a word and hint to them that he really is the person they considered him to be, and he would have been triumphantly declared the Messiah. What a temptation! But humble John did not wish to steal the honor that did not belong to him, and therefore he made it clearly known, answered straight and decisively that not only is he not the Christ, but he is not even worthy to loose the sandals of the Messiah.

He showed the same humility when the Lord Jesus Christ came to be baptized of him. Another might have gladly taken advantage of the opportunity and baptized the Lord unquestioningly, in order to raise his own status in the eyes of people around him. But the humble John did no such a thing. He tried to stay the Lord from being baptized, saying, I have need to baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? (Mt. 3:14). And most probably St. John would never have dared to place his right hand on the head of Jesus Christ, had the Lord not said to him: Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness (Mt. 3:15). Only the duty of truth and subordination compelled him to do what out of his humility he would never have resolved to do.

The Forerunner showed another such example of touching humility in another instance: when his disciples informed him that Jesus Christ was baptizing just like he was, and that everyone was going to Him, abandoning him, John. Did he take offense at this diminishing of his glory among the people? No, he only explained to his disciples that Christ is the Messiah, and he was only sent before Him. Christ is the bridegroom, and he is a friend of the bridegroom, and therefore he rejoices at the success of His preaching and salvation (cf. Jn. 3:29). Will you find such humility in the Old Testament prophets?

What edification can we extract from the life of the Forerunner, dear brothers and sisters? A great variety. First of all, if St. John is a great prophet and friend of God, then we should honor him with special reverence, rendering fitting praise to him. Secondly, we should emulate according to our strength his virtues and good moral qualities. Finally, we should run to him with prayer in our needs with firm hope that he will give us the help we need; for the Forerunner of Christ, who was close to God on earth, has become even closer to Him in heaven; and there can be no doubt that he strongly intercedes before Him for us out of holy love, which is inherent in all the righteous. Thus, let us raise our prayers to him for our health and salvation; let us pray also to him that he would teach us repentance. In celebrating his memory, we gain zeal for the example of his holy life, and acquire grace and mercy from God through the prayers of this great and righteous man. Amen.

Sunday of All Saints

Last Sunday we celebrated the great feast of Holy Pentecost – when the promised Comforter, the Spirit of Truth descended upon the disciples of the Lord and the life of Grace within the Christian Church was born. It is very fitting that on this first Sunday after Pentecost, the Holy Church celebrates all of the saints of the Orthodox Church. It is fitting because Pentecost (the descent of the Holy Spirit) is precisely the key which opens to us the mystery of the sanctity of the lives of these holy men and women whom we glorify as saints. The saints are those who manifested most clearly within their lives the transforming glory of the Holy Spirit.

The holy saints of God are our elder brothers and sisters in the Lord. These holy ones have gone before us and provide examples to inspire us and encourage us in the variety of ways in which God works in the lives of His servants. Their lives and their writings serve as a firm foundation to ground us in the Orthodox understanding of God’s truth. It is so important for each and every one of us to take up the practice of familiarizing ourselves with the lives of God’s holy ones. We must make a habit of daily spiritual reading in order to inject into our lives a source of inspiration. The Holy Scriptures and the lives of the saints should be our daily bread – giving our soul the nourishment it needs in order to survive.

In reading and studying the lives of saints, we may come upon certain holy ones that somehow speak directly to our soul. Just as in this life we respond more favorably and closely to certain people, so it is with our acquaintance with the saints. We need to seek out and draw close to those saints that inspire us and move our souls with compunction and love for God. And as we discover these holy ones that attract our souls, then we must also discover the gift and the consolation of the communion of the saints which the Holy Church provides for us. These saints should become our constant companions in life, they can be our spiritual allies… We must pray to them that they will be our intercessors before the throne of God, we should call out to them in our times of trouble, and we should reflect often upon their lives and their particular virtues and set these attributes before ourselves as inspiration in our own struggles. 

Archbishop Theophan of Poltava gives us a word on the significance of the Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church for us Christians. …The significance of the Holy Fathers is to be found precisely in this: that they are the most capable preservers and interpreters of the truth by virtue of the sanctity of their lives, their profound knowledge of the word of God, and the abundance of the grace of the Holy Spirit which dwells in them.

Vladika Theophan’s point is an important one – especially for us today, when the spirit of doubt and spiritual insensitivity is so epidemic. We often hear people use the phrase, ‘Prove it!’ when they are confronted with something that seems incredible or not easily believed. The testimony of the lives and righteous deaths and intercessions of the saints of the Christian Church stand as proof of the truth and transforming effectiveness of our faith. These holy ones ‘through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yea, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented - of whom the world was not worthy.’

We must certainly look upon the saints with love, with respect, and with awe. They are worthy and should be our heroes. But, while we reverence them, we must not make the mistake of thinking that this life in the Spirit is completely beyond us, unreachable, that the saints were somehow a different breed of humankind and therefore there is no point in our even trying to emulate their struggles. The sanctity and the grace that we see manifested in the lives of the saints is not the product of some special attribute of a special breed of mankind, it is the work of God shining forth in the life of a person who had the faith, hope, and love to devote himself to God.

As we read the lives of saints, we often see just how human they were, how familiar were the temptations and struggles that they endured. The things that separate our failures and their successes are the determination and commitment of faith; the courage and vision of hope; and the warmth of a heart full of selfless love. These ingredients are not beyond us, they are not superhuman… but they require our determination and commitment; they require courage and vision; and they require us to warm up our hearts with selfless love and devotion to God. If we work toward making this our offering to God every day, every hour, every moment of our life – then God can transform even such lowly stones as us into His faithful servants.

One of the most important things for us is that we be honest – honest with God and honest with ourselves. Metropolitan Anthony of Sorouzh once said: ‘God can save the sinner that we are, not the saint we pretend to be.’

On this Sunday of All Saints let us honor and celebrate all those holy ones who made the commitment, who demonstrated the courage, whose hearts overflowed with love and shone forth the light of Christ. For it is none other than Christ Himself Whom we honor when we reflect upon and glorify the holy saints of God. All goodness, all courage, all pure teaching, all that we see and hear and respect in the lives of God’s saints, is precisely the clear reflection of Christ our God and our hope working in the lives of his people. Just as we are drawn to the light of the moon on a dark night, so we are drawn to the light of the saints in the darkness of our life. And just as the moon is not the source of light, but stands in the sky as a beacon and trusty reflection of the light of the sun, so too are the saints – they stand before us as beacons and reflections of the light of Christ.

            God is glorified in His saints in all generations and in all places… and, as many of us saw yesterday, this light of grace can shine in our very own midst as it has done so with our holy father John of Shanghai and San Francisco. May the holy saints of God inspire us, encourage us, and pray to God for us!

Pentecost – Trinity Sunday

Greetings to all on this holy feast of Pentecost – also known as Trinity Sunday, for on this day the fullness of God’s revelation and relationship with mankind was made manifest.

The history of mankind has been a history of the unfolding revelation of God to mankind. Throughout human history, God has progressively revealed Himself – showing Himself in ways that would be appropriate and understandable to His people in a given time.

In the early history of God’s interactions with His people, He showed Himself as a loving and strict Father… providing commandments and laws to clarify the way in which His people should go in order to inherit life and health. 

And yet even in those days we see glimpses of the fullness of the Trinity throughout the Old Testament. When God revealed His creative act to the Prophet Moses, Moses wrote down for us in the book of Genesis how God said “Let us make man in our image.” The person of God uses a plural pronoun… let US make man in OUR image. When God appeared to Abraham at the oak of Mamre, He appeared as three men, and Abraham addressed them in the singular, saying ‘My Lord’. In the psalms of David we hear how ‘the Lord said to my Lord’… indicating multiple Persons in the Person of our one Lord and God. And yet these mysteries of the true Trinitarian nature of God were not clear to us yet.

Then, when the time was right, our God deigned to become incarnate… the pre-eternal second Person of the Holy Trinity, willed to take on human flesh and became a man. With the birth and life of Jesus Christ, we have a great unveiling of the mystery of the nature of God, for God Himself walked among us as a man.

When Christ was baptized in the Jordan, we hear the voice of the Father resounding from heaven, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.’ And we see the Spirit in the form of a dove coming to rest upon His shoulders. This is the clearest and most dramatic revelation of the Holy Trinity up to this point – we experience clearly the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Throughout Christ’s earthly ministry, He spoke of the Father and of the Holy Spirit. During the time following Christ’s resurrection and His ascension into heaven, He spoke very plainly about the coming of the Spirit, the Comforter, Who would reveal all things to the apostles.

And now, on this, the day of Pentecost, we read how the disciples of the Lord were gathered together in the upper room and ‘there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’

With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples we now have the fulfillment of the revelation of God to mankind. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have been revealed to us and have established their interactions with mankind.

Something else happened at Pentecost that marks the beginning of a new era in the revelation and relationship of God with mankind. Up to this point in time, mankind had dealt with God from the ‘outside in’ - hearing the word of God from His prophets, reading from holy scripture, etc. Now, with Christ’s introduction of holy communion and with the coming of the Holy Spirit, mankind was able to experience God from the ‘inside out’. As we heard in the holy Gospel today, ‘He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ We not only reach out to God, but we reach in, for as our Lord has said, ‘the kingdom of heaven is within you.’

We should rejoice today, on this blessed day of Pentecost, for it was on this day that the fullness of the revelation of God was poured out on us. We should rejoice in the miracle of the revelation of God’s true nature as Holy Trinity… Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For in this mystery of the Holy Trinity, we get a vague glimpse that the nature of our God is an eternal loving communion. That God, in the essence of His being, is full of self-giving love.

May we, in turn, participate as fully as we can in this communion of love with our God and with each other. It is in this self-emptying, active love that we enter into the realm of the heavenly kingdom. Drawing strength and grace from the sacraments of the Church,  let us take care to discover, to protect, to preserve and to drink deeply from that spring of living water that can flow within our heart.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… though Christ has ascended, He does not leave us orphaned! His promise is fulfilled on this day! May the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, be with us and guide us in communion with God.

Sunday of the Fathers of the First Council

On Thursday of this past week, we celebrated the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having accomplished all that was necessary in His earthly ministry, having conquered death and appearing to many over the course of 40 days, our Lord ascended back up to heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. He assured His disciples that He would not leave them orphaned, that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth would be revealed to them and would guide them in all truth.

Next Sunday we will celebrate this descent of the Holy Spirit – the birthday of the fullness of the Christian Church. Christ our Lord most certainly did not leave us as orphans… He established His Church to guide us, to support us, and to sustain us in our Christian life. It is in and through the Holy Church that we receive the Sacraments, those grace-filled means by which God touches our lives. The Church also guides us in defining and defending the truth – the Church gave us the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament and all the holy writings provided in our services, in the lives and instructions of the saints.

It is in this context that we commemorate today the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council - a gathering of the bishops of the Orthodox Church in the year 325 in the town of Nicea. They had gathered to meet in council to clarify and more clearly define the truths of our Holy Faith. This was done in response to many false teachings which were beginning to be seen in the early life of the Church.

We heard this echoed in our reading from the Apostle Paul this morning wherein he was concerned about ‘savage wolves’ who would attempt to deceive the flock of Christ.

This has been Christ’s concern, and therefore the concern of those whom He has entrusted to shepherd His flock, for all the centuries of the faith. This is His concern because, contrary to popular opinion these days, truth does exist, and it matters what we believe.

Throughout the centuries there have been false teachings about Christ and the Church has risen up in defense of the truth of our faith as it was handed down to us from Christ and His Apostles.

Does it matter whether we believe Christ was fully God and fully man? Yes, it does matter! If Christ is not fully God, how dare we worship Him? If Christ is not fully man, how could we claim that he was born, grew up, ate and drank among us, that He actually endured cold and pain and suffering and even death?

Does it matter whether Christ had two natures – human and Divine? Yes, it does matter! What would be the point of His contest in the wilderness, when the devil presented his temptations if Christ was impervious to them? What would be the point of His agonizing prayer in the garden of Gethsemene, where His human will and nature recoiled from the suffering He knew was about to come upon Him? And yet, He courageously conquered all such temptations.

Does it matter whether we believe in the literal and historical accuracy of the resurrection? Yes, it does matter - though there are some so-called Christians today who don’t think so. As Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians: ‘If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is futile, and your faith is in vain.’ If there is no resurrection, there is no hope, death prevails and has the final word. But Christ HAS risen, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it matters what we believe – for what we believe forms our understanding of God, of life, and of our salvation.

Christ knows this and therefore He assured that He would leave us not alone, but sent the Holy Spirit to guide and guard the Church in defining and defending the truth of our faith.

The fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, whom we commemorate today,

composed a short statement of these essential truths of the Orthodox faith – what we know as the Creed or Symbol of Faith. All Orthodox Christians should know the Creed by heart… it is part of our morning prayers and it is proclaimed at every celebration of the Divine Liturgy.

The Creed teaches us that we believe in One God, Who is also Three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This distinction and revelation of God as Trinity is uniquely understood by Christianity and is the key to a correct understanding of the nature of God, a loving Union of Three Persons in One. There are many false teachings that reject this pillar of truth. We learn that God created the heavens and the earth - the complexity and beauty of things did not just randomly evolve through nature. We learn of the nature of Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, begotten, not made; that He was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary; that he did indeed suffer and die and rise again. We learn of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Giver of Life, Who is equally worshipped and glorified. We declare and proclaim that there is one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church and we can confidently trace the unbroken teachings and succession of our bishops all the way back to Christ and the Apostles. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and life of the age to come.

In today’s world there are thousands of different religions and philosophies and worldviews vying for our attention… Many of these groups are quite aggressive in preaching their personal understanding and interpretation of the Gospels.

As an Orthodox Christian, you must know what you believe so you can protect yourself against being lured by false teachings. Look through the history of the Church, look at the witness of the martyrs for Christ, think about the realities of the spiritual warfare that wages around us every day… if we are not clear regarding what we believe, we will be easily swayed by whatever current of opinion takes precedent.

The Truth of God has been revealed to mankind by God Himself. He unfolded this revelation of Himself slowly throughout the ages of the prophets of the Old Testament and revealed the fullness of Himself in the manifestation of the Trinity during the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Orthodox Church, through the promised guidance of the Holy Spirit, has guarded and proclaimed this treasure throughout the centuries. We can rely on this source because Jesus Christ Himself told us that He would establish His Church and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The example of the holiness of the lives of the saints of the Church provides further proof of the effectiveness and trustworthiness of her teachings. The Church has given us the Creed as our rudder that keeps us on the right path, it is our yardstick by which to measure and judge truth from falsehood – always subjecting our own opinions to the wisdom and reliability of God and His Church.

We must understand that there is no cause for pride - for the truth does not belong to us because we are Orthodox. Rather, we must have tremendous humility, because it should be just the opposite – the truth does not belong to us because we’re Orthodox; we belong to Orthodoxy because it is true.

Contrary to modern opinion and teachings, truth is not defined as that which you or I believe or wish to be true. God exists. He is as He is - and there are true and false understandings of Him. The closer our perceptions and understandings are to the reality of God as He is, the better and truer they are.

It is the grace and active working of the Holy Spirit within the context of the Holy Church that reveals to us the truth. This is a very important concept for us to understand and to acknowledge, for it is the key to the correct approach of humility and obedience to the good order of things that safeguards us from the tyranny of our own opinions and our fallen personal points of view.

May we remember and honor today the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. May we heed the fatherly warning of Apostle Paul to beware of false teachings. May we guard and equip ourselves to know and understand the truth of our faith by committing to memory and bearing in our heart the Creed, the Symbol of our Faith. And, finally, may God grant us the humility to submit our arrogant minds to the greater and eternal wisdom of the revelation of God as He is – not as we might wish Him to be…not daring to conform God to our understanding and desires, but conforming and transforming ourselves to God as He has revealed Himself to us.

Sunday of the Blind Man

(John 9:1-38)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, for the past six Sundays we have been rejoicing in the Light of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This Paschal season is surely the brightest and most joyful season of the year! We greet one another with the most beautiful words: ‘Christ is risen!’ and what heart does not rejoice with these words?

And now, with this Sixth Sunday of Pascha, we approach the leavetaking of the Paschal season. This Wednesday evening and Thursday morning we will gather to celebrate the glorious Ascension of our Lord, when He was translated from earth to heaven.

Before speaking about the theme of today’s Gospel, let us take a look back at the lessons the Church has been giving us over these Paschal Sundays.

Following the Bright and Radiant Resurrection of our Lord, on the Second Sunday of Pascha we heard about the holy Apostle Thomas and how he - not being present when the Lord had appeared to the other disciples - how he declared ‘unless I feel the print of the nails in His hands and unless I can thrust my hand into the wound in His side, I will not believe.’ Thomas required such proof before he would believe in Christ’s resurrection. Yet, what did he do in his state of unbelief? Did he leave the company of the disciples? No, he stayed close with the believers and was patient. And that patience was rewarded as Christ appeared before him and once again extended Himself to His creature, offering Thomas His hands and His side so that Thomas might believe. And Thomas fell before Him saying: ‘My Lord and my God!’ Christ words then were: ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’

On the Third Sunday of Pascha, the Church brought before us the example of the courage of the myrrh-bearing women. Though they had no reason to expect anything but hardship and potential danger, they ventured forth to anoint the body of the Lord. Driven by their faith, hope, and love… they were rewarded by coming to the tomb, where the stone and been rolled away and they were the first to hear the joyous news that Christ was not there, that He was risen from the dead!

On the Fourth Sunday of Pascha, we had the lesson of persistence and patience demonstrated by the paralytic man who sat by the pool. Though week after week, and month after month, and year after year he was unable to get into the healing waters of the pool, he did not give up hope. And that persistence and patience was rewarded as Christ passed by the pool and offered the paralytic his full and complete healing.

Last week, on the Fifth Sunday of Pascha, we witnessed the profound exchange between Christ and the Samaritan woman at the well. In that discussion Christ revealed that ‘the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’

And now today, on this Sixth and final Sunday of Pascha, we hear about the healing of the blind man.  

In today’s Holy Gospel we hear the account of the healing of the man who had been born blind. Our Lord, in His mercy, had compassion upon this man and gave him the gift of sight. There are certainly many lessons for us in today’s Gospel reading. The lessons of blindness… for we are all blind to one degree or another. Blind to our sinful condition, blind to the needs of others, blind to how much God has done and continues to do for us, and blind to how much we need Him.

We also have in this account of the healing of blind man and of the ridiculous interrogations which followed his healing, an excellent example of the assurance of faith based on the experience of encountering God. When pressed by the Pharisees about how he was cured, the formerly blind man responded with boldness and honesty about the wondrous miracle that Christ had bestowed upon him. The Pharisees tried to push him to declare that Jesus was a sinner and the man replied, ‘Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.’ The simplicity and guilelessness of his statement refused to enter into debate with the Pharisees, he simply stuck to the facts of the miracle of his experience and encounter with Christ our God. He had been washed and illumined, and in the purity of his heart, he not only saw with his physical eyes, but he perceived the truth as well.

May God grant that we might have such peace and grounding. A grounding based on the experience of the love of God in our lives. A grounding which is not shaken by the apostasy of the world, but holds fast in gratitude and allegiance to Christ our Savior.

All of these lessons of the last six Sundays are given to us to equip us now as we go forward into our lives, as we go forward into the days beyond that brightness of Pascha. Should our faith be shaken by doubt, let us recall Apostle Thomas, who stood by the believers and in doing so was there when Christ came to him. Let us go forward with the faith and hope and love of the myrhh-bearers which equipped them with such courage. If we find ourselves in the days and months ahead feeling paralyzed, let us have persistence and patience… for Christ will come to us if we remain faithful. Let us be assured that the Kingdom of Heaven is present… we have to do the work of prayer and communion with Christ to worship Him in spirit and truth. And let us seek to purify our hearts… so that we might see God and not live our lives as blind men.

These lessons of the Paschal season, if we can learn from them and incorporate them into our Christian lives, will allow us to bring that bright and radiant Light of Christ’s resurrection with us throughout the remainder of the year and throughout the remainder of our life. May God grant it!

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

(sermon by Archpriest Andrei Chizhenko)

On the fifth Sunday after Pascha, at the Sunday Liturgical reading the Church remembers the Gospel passage, which in theological literature is called, “Christ’s Conversation with the Samaritan Woman” (Jn. 4:5-42).

The theme of the Sunday of the Paralytic continues to develop in it, and completely new notes and meanings begin to sound.

What makes these two Sundays similar? They are united by one common subject.

The time of the Old Testament is over. It was fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ. A new era of the New Testament has begun.

The Pool of Bethesda is no longer needed, nor is the descent of the Archangel Michael into it. This is because the One Who is immeasurably greater than the pool and millions of times stronger than the Archangel Michael has come to Bethesda. God, Who deigned to become man for our salvation, has come into the world. He is able to heal all those lying at the Pool of Bethesda with one word, as He did with the paralytic.

During Christ’s meeting with the Samaritan woman, the same thing happens. Though in this case it is not so much the physical as the spiritual healing of a sinful woman—a half-pagan, promiscuous woman. And here, too, there is an Old Testament object—the well of the holy Patriarch Jacob, which provided the whole area with refreshing water in the desert lands of the Southern Levant.

And here is the One Who is greater than water and greater than Patriarch Jacob. He came to give the world new Heavenly bread and new Heavenly water. By the bread that comes down from Heaven (cf. Jn. 6) we should understand the Body and Blood of Christ, and by the new water, the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit, which nourish believers, just as the roots of trees are nourished by living spring water. And the soul of such a person blooms and is fragrant with Heavenly aromas!

And these new Heavenly bread and water become the foundation of the future indestructible Church of the New Testament!

Let us recall the words of the Savior to the Samaritan woman: If thou knewest the gift of God, and Who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water… Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life (Jn. 4:10, 13-14).

And then our Lord Jesus Christ says: But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:23, 24).

Here we see a direct relation between water and God the Spirit, Who, together with the Father and the Son, gives this living grace—water—to people.

And he who worships the Father in spirit and in the truth (Jn. 4:23) will drink this living water of God’s grace, and it will give him such bliss and joy that he will never agree to part with it, not for all the riches in the world, even if his biological life is threatened.

This happened, for example, with the Samaritan woman herself (she is known in Church history as the holy Martyr Photina (in Greek, “light”, “the luminous one”, in Church Slavonic “Svetlana”), with her sons Victor (named Photinus, that is, “Light”) and Joses, and some other martyrs who suffered with the Samaritan woman (Anatola, Phota, Photis, Paraskeva, Kyriake, Domnina and the holy Martyr Sebastian). The feast day of the holy Martyr Photina and those who suffered with her is April 2.

They suffered terrible torments, but did not renounce Christ. Once they had tasted of God’s living water, they became light-bearing and began to radiate light to the world. Because the inner darkness of their heart had been enlightened by the Paschal light of Christ, and they were given real, genuine, blessed life in God. This became their greatest treasure and the pearl of great price, for which one can sacrifice everything (cf. Mt. 13:45, 46).

Today we too have a well, but not Jacob’s. We have a greater one! The Well of the Holy Trinity—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is the Church.

The winds of persecution are blowing, trying to destroy and fill this well with sand. But the light-bearing living water of the grace of the Holy Spirit still shines in it. Come and quench your thirst, drink your fill and enjoy it. It will change, purify, heal and sanctify you. And it will give you eternal life.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Sunday of the Paralytic

John 5:1-15

In the Gospel reading appointed for this day, we heard about the healing of the paralytic. Our Lord had come to Jerusalem to observe one of the Jewish feasts. Near one of the gates of the city was a pool which had healing powers as an angel of the Lord would come to stir up the waters. The first person into the waters at the time of this stirring would be healed of their illness. Surrounding the pool lay a multitude of sick people – the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. Among these was a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years. He had been coming to the pool in faith and hope for many years, but each time the waters were stirred, another person would make it into the waters before him.

Day after day, month after month, year after year he came to the pool in hope of making his way into the waters. Day after day, month after month, year after year he was not successful. With patience and persistence, he continued to struggle and to hope, and he was finally rewarded as the Lord passed by and blessed him – restoring him to health such that he was able to take up his bed and walk.

I’m sure there must have been days when he was utterly dejected, utterly frustrated… there must have been days when his faith wavered, and he must have felt that his situation was hopeless.

Isn’t it often the same with us? We may storm the heavens with our petitions for some need or concern which troubles us. We call upon the Lord day after day, month after month, and year after year and it seems that God is deaf to our pleading. We too may reach the point of feeling utterly dejected, utterly frustrated… we may experience our faith wavering and feel that our situation is hopeless. In such a state, we become paralyzed.

It is not uncommon to hear such frustrations and feelings of paralysis with all that is going on in the world today. From the large-scale tragedies of the wars raging and threatening throughout the world to the division and enmity occurring within our nation to the closer-in tragedies of our own struggles within our families or within ourselves… these things can leave us paralyzed, feeling impotent to make any impact upon the downward force of these crises.

This feeling of paralysis is often linked to our sense of unanswered prayer, of not knowing or understanding whether God hears us or what God is doing. We do not see, nor do we understand, how God may be working to turn the tragedies which we experience into occasions for healing, for hope, for transcendence and resurrection.

Many of you may be familiar with the old story of a farmer who had a beloved mare in his stable. One day, the wind blew down the fence and the mare ran off into the woods. The neighbor of the farmer came and said to the farmer: ‘What a tragedy that your prize mare has run away!’ The farmer simply replied: ‘God sees everything - may God’s will be done.’

Some days later, the mare returned, followed by a beautiful stallion. The farmer led the two prize horses into his stable. The neighbor returned and said: ‘How lucky you are! Now you have two wonderful horses!’ The farmer replied: ‘God sees everything - may God’s will be done.’

The farmer’s son worked with the stallion and adopted him as his own. One day when he was out riding, he fell off the stallion and broke his leg. The neighbor came by and said: ‘Oh, this is terrible! Your son has broken his leg!’ The farmer replied: ‘God sees everything - may God’s will be done.’

Soon a war broke out and officials came to the farm seeking young men to go to the front to fight. When they saw the young man with the broken leg, they passed him by as unfit for service. The neighbor rejoiced: ‘How fortunate! Your son has been saved!’ The farmer replied: ‘God sees everything - may God’s will be done.’

The point of the story, and the reality of life, is that we honestly do not know the reasons for certain things – whether they present themselves as tragedies or triumphs to us. The paralytic’s many days and months and years of waiting may have presented themselves as tragic and frustrating for him. But his patience and his persistent trust in God kept him there and it all culminated in his meeting Christ our Lord and the miracle which has been communicated to all the world for generations to hear.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are called to have faith. We are called to pray… to pray that God’s will be done, that His mercy and His goodness will manifest themselves in the midst of even the darkest of tragedies. And we must fight against the temptation to feel paralyzed when we cannot see nor understand what is happening.

The fact is that your patient and persistent prayers have profound significance. Something good is happening through the patience of one who prays with persistence. That stubborn and determined hope makes an impact on the heavens, on the world, and within the formation of your own soul. Every prayer, prayed with faith and love, draws God’s grace… and that grace will be deployed wherever God, in His divine wisdom, knows it is needed. Maybe your request will not be answered just yet, or in the way that you think it should be… but your effort of prayer sends ripples which impact the world.

Even the paralyzed man, though day after day, and month after month, and year after year, he felt his prayers were going unanswered… little did he know that the movement which he so longed for was already occurring. Though he could not yet move, his prayer drew the footsteps of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, straight to the pool at the gates.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… do not fall prey to the hopelessness which the evil one tries to instill. You are not paralyzed. You have encountered the Lord and you have been called to take up your bed and walk… By this I mean the gifts we have been given of prayer, of faith, of hope, and of love. Never underestimate the impact of prayer… though you may not see the results when and where you expect them to be, every prayer, every heartfelt groaning of the soul to God, sends that ripple which calls upon the grace of God to work where He will.

Let us embrace the faith of the farmer in today’s story: God sees everything – may God’s will be done!

Sunday of the Myrhhbearing Women

Mark 15:43 – 16:8

On this third Sunday of Pascha, we commemorate the holy myrhhbearing women: Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Cleopas, Joanna, Salome, Susanna, and Mary and Martha the sisters of Lazarus. The Gospel tells us that a few of these women bravely set forth that Sunday morning to come to the tomb of our Savior. When everyone was in confusion and fear, they ventured out to approach the closely guarded and sealed tomb of Christ. What led them to do such a thing when all odds seemed against them? I think we can summarize their motivation by three essential things: faith, hope, and love.

Let us begin with faith… The myrhhbearing women certainly demonstrated their faith in Jesus Christ. They believed in Who He was and in what He said and it was this faith that propelled them out into the morning to go to His tomb.

Martha and Mary had just a short time ago witnesses Christ’s miracle of raising their brother Lazarus from the dead. At that time, before Christ had raised her brother, Christ stated to Martha: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.’ And then He asked her: ‘Do you believe this?’ Martha replied: ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’

Martha and the other myrhhbearers did not know what to expect, but they had absolute faith in their Lord, Jesus Christ. That faith propelled them to go forward to come and try to anoint the Body of their Lord. It was not a rational conclusion, it was an imperative set upon their hearts, which were filled with faith.

Let us ask ourselves – do we have such faith? Do we short-circuit the call of faith by rationalizing everything with our limited minds and shortsighted view of things? God blessed us with both mind and heart, yet we have elevated the role of our mind, which is a fallen mind, to usurp the calling of faith which speaks to our heart. God has given us our conscience as a way of judging things. When we are not sure which way we should go when our mind tells us one thing and our heart tells us another, listen to your conscience… it will help you to discern the right path.

And now let’s speak of hope… The myrhhbearing women also demonstrated great hope in venturing out that Paschal morning. How would they get past the guards? How would they move the great stone that sealed the tomb of our Lord? By earthly, logical standards – what hope could they possibly have of successfully anointing their Lord? But they had hope that things would work out according to the will of God – and so they came to the tomb. And their hope was certainly rewarded! Not only had the guards run away, but the stone had been rolled aside and they were the first to hear the joyous news that Christ had risen!

Do we have hope in the Lord? When seemingly insurmountable obstacles stand in front of us, do we give up hope? And on what do we ultimately place our hope? Do we place our hope in our own abilities, in our own knowledge? Do we place our hope in our hard-earned savings or in the expectation of government care? The Gospels tell us that ‘where your treasure is, there will your heart lie’. Where is our treasure and where is our hope? Is it in the fleeting things of this world or is it in the eternal and reliable hands of God? Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us place our hope in God.

The final attribute exemplified by the myrhhbearing women was love. It was not only their faith and hope in Jesus Christ which brought them to the tomb, it was their love for Him… initially desiring to do no more than provide the honor of anointing His body, they came instead to an empty tomb and beheld the angelic messenger who proclaimed the good news that Christ had risen!

Their love for God caused them to disregard any thoughts for themselves, for their safety, for the practicality or obstacles of what they might face… their focus was entirely on Christ.

This is the kind of love that we must cultivate and exemplify… this self-forgetting, ‘other-focused’ love and concern for our brother and sister. True love is never self-serving or focused on self-satisfaction.

The Apostle Paul describes this holy and selfless love in his famous passage from the Letter to the Corinthians: ‘Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.’

Can we apply these attributes to ourselves? Are we patient and kind? Do we not envy nor boast? Do we refrain from being arrogant or rude? Are we careful to not insist on our own way, to not be irritable or resentful? Do we rejoice in the truth and not at the wrongdoings of others? Do we bear all things with patience, believe all good things, have hope and endurance. Does our love never fail?

This list from Corinthians chapter 13 is an excellent source of accurate and Godly self-appraisal. We must not judge ourselves by the standards of this world, but we must judge ourselves by the standards of God. God’s standard is love. How do we measure up?

Today we rejoice in the courage and selflessness of the myrhhbearing women and of Joseph and Nicodemus. Through their faith, hope and love they overcame all fear to step forward to care for the Lord in His darkest hours, which were then transformed into the brightness of the resurrection.

How often are we discouraged by fear, by lack of faith, by our assessment that something is impossible? As today’s Gospel shows us, with God nothing is impossible. We need to have the courage and faith in God to simply arise and go forward – fulfilling God’s will as it unfolds in our day to day lives. If something stands before us which we know is the right thing to do, we need to move forward with faith and trust in God – and, if it pleases God, then He will see to it that obstacles are removed. We need to be trusting and willing servants, having the courage of the myrhhbearing women and their pure-hearted and selfless motivation of love for God.

If we can live our lives in this faith, hope, and love, then we too may be vouchsafed to see and know the joy of Christ’s resurrection.

Thomas Sunday - Antipascha

Christ is risen!

These days of Pascha are filled with so much light and so much joy! I pray with all my heart that each one of you are able to absorb this light and joy and to be blessed during these all holy days.

Today is the Sunday after the great feast of Pascha, the resurrection of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. On this Sunday we commemorate the Holy Apostle Thomas and the very important scene described for us in today’s Holy Gospel.

The Apostle Thomas was hearing reports from many, including his own dear friends, the other apostles, that they had seen Jesus Christ alive… risen from the dead! But Apostle Thomas was careful, heeding the words of Christ, not to be swayed by those who might say we have seen Him here or there. Thomas declared: ‘Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.’

Eight days later, the opportunity came for the Apostle Thomas. While the disciples were gathered together in a shut room, the Lord appeared to them declaring: ‘Peace be unto you.’ And then the Lord does something which is truly astounding… He invites Thomas to come to Him and says: ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.’ And having felt the wounds in Christ’s hands, and having placed his hand into Christ’s side, Thomas fell at the Master’s feet and said, ‘My Lord and my God!’

The degree of self-sacrificial love of our God is unfathomable! Our Lord Jesus Christ, the pre-eternal second Person of the Holy Trinity, needing nothing and wholly Self-sufficient and sitting upon His throne in Heaven… not only humbles Himself to become incarnate, to lie in a lowly manger as a human infant, to subject Himself to this world and to the devil’s temptations, and to the humiliation of His voluntary sufferings and death… After all this outpouring of His Self-sacrificing love, when He has already emerged triumphant and reappears in His glorified body, He continues now to demonstrate His mercy and His extreme humility and tender lovingkindness for His children by offering and subjecting Himself to physical examination by Apostle Thomas.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the depths and the breadths of the compassionate love of God are beyond our comprehension!

May God grant that His demonstration of self-sacrificial love and of His continued offering of Himself for our sake might move our hearts to begin to do the same… loving God and loving those in our lives with at least some measure of this compassionate love.

Where can we see this self-sacrificing compassionate love in our world today? With all of the horrors and dysfunctions we behold in the news every day, we might think that such love has evaporated from the face of this earth. But with such a pessimistic view of things, we would be quite wrong. Though we’ll probably never see it in the headlines of the newspapers or the eye-catching sensationalism of the media… there is such love in this world… and it is quietly going on maybe under our very own noses.

Today is the American celebration of Mother’s Day… and in its best and most wonderful manifestation, the love of a mother is certainly a demonstration of this self-sacrificing, compassionate love – wholly focused on the good and the well-being of her children, a mother will go to the ends of the earth and will stop at nothing to love and support and protect her children.

Allow me to share the following beautiful poem entitled ‘A Mother’s Love’ by Helen Steiner Rice, which captures something of this self-sacrificial love… This poem is not just something sentimental, it contains some very deep spiritual truth. Please listen…

A Mother's Love

by Helen Steiner Rice

A Mother's love is something that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it or take that love away . . .
It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking . . .
It believes beyond believing when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty of the rarest, brightest gems . . .
It is far beyond defining, it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret like the mysteries of creation . . .
A many splendored miracle man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence of God's tender guiding hand.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the kind of courageous and self-sacrificing love which is a reflection and a manifestation of the love of God. May God bless all of those women who give of themselves in the beautiful sacrifice of motherhood. Though you may be overlooked by the world, God sees every sigh, every prayer, every sacrifice you make… and, if you can endure it all in love, He will bless you for it.

I congratulate all the mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, and caretakers on this Mother’s Day. And I congratulate everyone as we continue to celebrate the bright and radiant feast of our Lord’s Resurrection – the ultimate manifestation of that courageous and self-sacrificial love which tramples down death by death and gives life to the world!

The Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… Today we celebrate the triumphal entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into the city of Jerusalem. At this time, His fame among the common people was at its height – having recently just performed the astonishing miracle of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. All of Jerusalem comes out to greet our Lord, expecting that they are greeting the entry of their new king who will free them from the oppression of the Romans and who will be seated upon the throne in Jerusalem as their Messiah and Deliverer. He is everything they have waited for, for so long…

And yet, hints of something else are already evident here… For Christ does not come entering into Jerusalem upon a mighty white steed. Instead, he enters riding upon a simple and humble donkey as was prophesied by Zacharias who wrote: ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Proclaim it aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king comes to you: He is righteous and saving; He is gentle and mounted upon a donkey, even a young foal.’

Today the people shout with jubilation ‘Hosanna, glory to God in the highest!’ The cry of ‘Hosanna’ means ‘Save us!’ They shouted this cry in hopes that Christ would save them from their worldly woes. But nothing so embitters a person as disappointed hope. Their hopes were for an earthly king, for the overthrow of their oppressors, for the establishment of their earthly kingdom. And this is why, as we move forward into the events of Holy Week, we will hear these same voices shouting ‘Crucify Him!’

Christ knows full well what is to come. Elsewhere in the Gospels we hear Him lament: ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!’

And yet, knowing all this… knowing how the people misunderstand Him; knowing how their hopes extend no further than their comforts and wishes for this earthly life; for power and prestige; knowing that in just a few days time, these same voices of enthusiasm and love will turn against Him and shout for His crucifixion. Knowing all this, He still deigns to ride into their midst on the colt of a donkey. He enters into Jerusalem in such humility, knowing what fate awaits Him in just one week’s time. He does so because He knows the deeper and richer meaning of what it means to save these people… and what it means for our salvation as well.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us not look upon today’s events as spectators. These Gospel scenes are given to us as a mirror into our own souls. The fickle enthusiasm and betrayal of the crowd is an image of what we may experience here in Church each week.

Do we come to church on Sunday shouting ‘Hosanna, glory to God in the highest!’ Joyful that we may receive absolution from our sins and grateful that we may welcome Christ into our bodies with His precious Body and Blood? This is indeed a glorious occasion and worthy of our utmost gratitude and praise for God.

But, my dear ones, let us reflect on what it is we expect from God. Do we resemble the children of Israel who became so disappointed when Christ did not ascend that earthly throne? Are we disappointed in God when we suffer hardships, when God does not seem to answer our prayers, when our expectations of God are not met? Do we have this celebratory spirit when we gather in the Lord’s House on Sunday… only to find ourselves grumbling at God as the week progresses and things do not go our way?

Have we lost sight of what the salvation of Christ is all about?

As we move forward this week into the terrible events of the betrayal of Christ, of His arrest, of His interrogations and beatings, and of His humiliating death upon a cross… let us be keenly aware of what all of this is about. The most succinct definition of what the sufferings and death and resurrection of Christ are all about comes to us from St Gregory the Theologian who writes: ‘That which is not assumed (or taken upon oneself) is not healed.’

Christ assumed (or took upon Himself) our humanity in order that the defects and the sins of our humanity might be healed. He took upon Himself the betrayal, the loneliness, the sufferings, indeed He even took upon Himself death. All this was assumed by Him in His humanity. And yet, while fully man, He was also fully God… and so by His divinity He overcame all suffering, and He defeated death by His death – bursting forth from the tomb in His glorious Resurrection.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us not be like the ignorant children of Israel who misunderstand the salvation of Christ, who misunderstand the kingdom which is not of this world. Let us rejoice today as we see our King entering into the Holy City… but may our rejoicing be done with knowledge and gratitude, recognizing Who it is Who is entering in such humility. Recognizing the victory which He will be accomplishing as we are with Him during Holy Week.

God did not come to us to be our wishing well or to make our lives more comfortable… He came to us to experience and to heal the depths and breadths of our human experience. He extends His hand to us that we might unite ourselves to Him, and so doing, unite ourselves to His triumphant victory! Let us recognize the true meaning of Christ’s salvation and then we can sing with heartfelt gratitude: ‘Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!’

5th Sunday of Lent - St Mary of Egypt

On this fifth Sunday of Great Lent we commemorate a woman who has become an example and hero of repentance for Orthodox Christians, St Mary of Egypt.

We read her life this week at the Matins service on Monday evening. For those that were not able to hear it, I’ll briefly summarize her life… St Mary lived in the latter half of the 4th century and was known throughout Alexandria as a notorious prostitute. One year, she joined a large group of people on board a ship heading to Jerusalem. Most of the passengers were pilgrims making their way to the Holy Land in preparation for the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Mary’s purposes for boarding the ship and being in the proximity of so many people were far less honorable. Having arrived, she persisted in her sinful ways and even joined the throngs of people heading toward the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on the day of the feast. However, when she attempted to enter the threshold of the church, she was prevented from entering by some invisible force. She tried several times to cross the threshold of the church but was repelled by this force each time. This striking manifestation of her unworthiness due to her sins struck deep into the heart of St Mary and she retired into a corner of the courtyard where she wept bitter tears. She realized her shame and sin and pleaded with the Most Holy Mother of God that if she would be permitted to enter into the church to venerate the precious wood of the Holy Cross, she would spend the rest of her life in repentance and service to God. She approached the threshold again and, this time, was able to enter without any hindrance at all. She venerated the Holy Cross and, afterwards, retired into the desert to work out her salvation.

St Mary lived alone and in obscurity for nearly fifty years as a hermit in the wilds of the desert. Only the Lord knows of her prayers and tears and struggles throughout this time. At the end of her life, a priestmonk by the name of Zosimas happened upon St Mary and learned of her life. St Zosimas was blessed to bring her the sacraments of our Lord’s Body and Blood. When St Zosimas returned to meet her a year later, he discovered the body of St Mary, who had reposed shortly after receiving Holy Communion a year before.

The life of St Mary of Egypt fills us with awe at the depths of her repentance and also at the depths of the love of God. St Mary, who lived her early life in utter depravity, repented thoroughly and was granted such grace that she walked upon the waters of the Jordan River and had the gift of insight – perceiving the revelations of God.

We should take heart that no matter what sins we may have committed, no matter what troubles we may get ourselves into… though we turn our back on God, He never turns His back on us! What is required is repentance… Not simply feelings of guilt or wishes for improvement, but a conscious and determined action of turning around from the way which leads us away from God to the way which leads us toward God.

The decisive and profound repentance of St Mary is set before us as our example.

Quoting from a sermon by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, he writes:

‘St Mary of Egypt can teach us something very great. As Saint Seraphim of Sarov repeated more than once to those who came to see him, the difference between a sinner who is lost and a sinner who finds his way to salvation lies in nothing but determination. The grace of God is always there; but our response is not. But Mary responded; through the horror of her new perception of herself she responded to the holiness, the grace, the wholeness and sanctity of the Mother of God, and nothing, nothing was too much for her to change her life.

Year after year, in fasting and prayer, in the scorching heat, in the desperate aloneness of the desert she fought all the evil that had accumulated in her soul; because it is not enough to become aware of the evil, it is not enough even to reject it in an act of will, – it is there, in our memories, in our desires, in our frailty, in the rottenness which evil brings. She had to fight for her whole life, but at the end of that life she had conquered; indeed, she had fought the good fight, she had become pure of stain, she could enter the realm of God: not a temple, not a place but eternity.’

St Mary is presented to us in these latter days of the Great Fast as a beacon of hope and as an inspiration of challenge. We find great hope in that the worst of sinners can come to realize the goodness of God and that in turning to Him, we face open arms. And we find an inspiration and challenge in seeing the endurance and determination which St Mary showed in fighting her good contest.

May she be our guiding light away from the darkness of sin and toward the beauty and light of God. May she intercede for us – praying that we might have some fraction of her strength and determination. Oh, most holy Mother Mary, pray to God for us!

Fourth Sunday of Great Lent – St John of the Ladder

(Mark 9:17-31)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we come to the fourth Sunday of Great Lent. On this day we commemorate a great saint of the church, St. John of Ladder, and we hear the Gospel account of the healing of the boy possessed by a demon. There are some important and fundamental lessons for us to gather from these two sources and, as always, the Holy Church is so wise in giving us these lessons and this encouragement at precisely the right time as we are now past the midway point and deep into the season of repentance that is Great Lent.

St John is an important father of the Church… he lived in the early part of the 6th century and spent 40 years of his life as a hermit in the deserts of Palestine. Toward the end of his life he was called back to the monastery where he was made its abbot, a post which he humbly accepted and dutifully performed until his repose. It was during this time of his abbacy that he wrote his famous work ‘The Ladder of Divine Ascent’. This spiritual magnum opus describes the path to salvation as a ladder of some thirty steps, each virtue building upon the one before it, and leading the Christian toward heaven. In this great work we read first of the rungs of ‘Renunciation of the World’, then ‘Detachment’ and ‘Exile’… cutting ourselves off from our obsessions with the things of this world. We later read of the rungs discussing the struggles against ‘Remembering Wrongs’, ‘Slander’, ‘Despondency’ and the other passions which try to pull us down. As the Christian makes his upward climb we later read of such things as ‘Vigil’, ‘Simplicity’, ‘Prayer’, and finally we reach the summit of ‘Love’.

When reading the Ladder of Divine Ascent, one may be struck by the severity and spiritual athleticism of the Christian struggle described there. The early rungs of the ladder in which the Christian renounces the seductions of this world and strives to focus himself on his ascent toward Christ are challenging and demand our utmost effort. This is true with almost any serious effort… the beginning stages are difficult as we shed bad habits and learn to acquire new and proper ways of doing something. Persistence and patience are required and we must keep our eyes fixed upon our ultimate objective, Christ our Lord… Who, like the father of the prodigal son, waits and watches and longs for our return.

And, isn’t it interesting to realize the almost childlike simplicity of the virtues described near the summit of the climb toward Christ? There at the top rungs of the ladder we do not find complicated theology or esoteric wisdom… we find simplicity, prayer, and finally at the very top rung, love.

Listen to the words of St John of the Ladder as he describes prayer: ‘Don't use in prayer falsely wise words; because it is often the simple and uncomplicated whispering of children that rejoices our heavenly Father. Don't try to say much when you speak to God, because otherwise your mind in search of words will be lost in them. One word spoken by the publican brought Divine mercy upon him; one word filled with faith saved the thief on the cross. The use of the multiplicity of words when we pray disperses our mind and fills it with imaginations. One word spoken to God collects the mind in His presence. And if a word, in thy prayer, reaches you deeply, if you perceive it profoundly - dwell in it, dwell in it, because at such moments our Angel guardian prays with us because we are true to ourselves and to God.’

This kind of honesty and vulnerability in prayer is demonstrated perfectly for us in today’s Gospel reading. In today’s Gospel from St Mark we heard about the boy possessed by demons. The demons caused the child to sometimes throw himself into the fire and sometimes into the water. Those who cared for the boy brought him to Jesus and begged Him that, if He was able, to have compassion and heal the boy. Our Lord responded, ‘If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ To this the father of the boy replied, ‘I believe O Lord, help my unbelief!’ In other words, ‘Oh Lord, I believe as far as I am capable of believing in my limitations and imperfections. I want to believe perfectly, but I fall short and I need your help and your grace.’

This is such an honest and heart-felt prayer! And it was at this prayer that our Lord gave the command and the demons fled from the child, leaving him free from their torments.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have the great hope that ‘all things are possible to those who believe’. We must believe and we must beg God to help us in our lack of belief! And let us remember, to believe is not simply to believe in God… acknowledging that He exists; but to believe in God… the way I might say ‘I believe in you.’ I’m not just acknowledging your existence, I’m saying: I trust you, I have faith in you, I will always think the best of you and assume your good intentions. This is what we must mean when we say we believe in God… we put our trust in Him, we know He loves us and we, in turn, love Him to such an extent that we would give our lives to Him. This is the great paradox of life and of faith - ‘For he who would save his life will lose it; but he who loses his life for my sake and for the Gospel’s sake will save it.’ It is such a seeming contradiction for us to be asked to surrender in order to achieve the ultimate triumph. But this is precisely what our Lord calls us to do and it is through the means of fasting, prayer, and belief that we climb the ladder to our heavenly homeland.

May God, through the prayers of our holy father John of the Ladder, give us the strength and wisdom to make our climb, avoiding the demonic extremes of casting ourselves into the fire of spiritual pride on one side or the water of spiritual laziness on the other side; but ascending with patience, with perseverance, and equipped with the tools of prayer, fasting, and heartfelt belief in the goodness and mercy of God.

Feast of the Annunciation

This weekend we celebrate a moment in history upon which rests the merciful generosity of God and the possibility of the salvation of all mankind. With the feast of the Annunciation the Archangel Gabriel comes to the Most Pure Virgin to announce the glad tidings of her favor before God and the awesome mystery of the offering of God’s incarnation.

We behold the young virgin, being told that she will conceive… that this Child will be conceived in her womb by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

And now all of heaven and earth are suspended awaiting her response… this is the decisive moment for mankind. God, in His love and generosity toward mankind, grants us freedom… the freedom to say yes or no. The freedom to love and to trust Him or not.

So many centuries earlier, our foremother Eve was presented with this choice. The devil sowed the seed of doubt in her mind by suggesting to her that God was keeping something good from her. That God was not to be trusted. And she made that choice… the choice to say ‘no’ to God, to not trust in His goodness and love. And the disastrous avalanche of the fall was born.

Now, here, on this day… another young woman is offered the choice to trust God or not. The will of God is suspended for a moment, awaiting the response of this young girl. And listen to her words… ‘Behold the handmaiden of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word.’ And at this moment of consent, of complete humility and trust in the goodness of God, the Holy Spirit overshadowed her, and our Lord Jesus Christ was conceived in her womb!

What an indescribable miracle this is! Not only the unfathomable incarnation of God, but the generosity and love of God to respect this freedom of our consent to His love!

And this, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is what makes our Christian life both so wonderful and so challenging! For God does not force Himself upon us… He stands at the door of our heart and He knocks. He awaits our consent and our determination to open that door of our heart or not.

It is no coincidence that the royal doors of the holy altar are always adorned with an icon of the Annunciation. This moment… this moment of God offering Himself to mankind and of mankind, personified in the young Virgin Mary, making the choice of assent, to say ‘yes’ to God… this is the moment of the beginning of our salvation.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… the feast we celebrate this weekend is indeed the beginning of our salvation! And the wonderful thing is, as our holy father and wonderworker Herman stated, each day and each hour and each minute may be the beginning of our salvation. Just as the Archangel Gabriel announced the coming of Grace to the Holy Virgin and all of creation was suspended upon her response, so too does God and all of creation hang in the balance upon our daily and hourly and momentary choices to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to God.

Through the inspiration and prayers of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary, may we have the courage and the trust and love to always say ‘yes’ to God.

2nd Sunday of Great Lent – St Gregory Palamas

Last Sunday, the first of the Sunday of Great Lent, we commemorated the Triumph of Orthodoxy. On that day the icons of the church were brought to the center for veneration affirming how good and appropriate it is for us to honor the image of God – and by extension the image of His Holy Mother and of the saints – because God became man, He took flesh upon Himself and He truly dwelt among us. This endorsement of the place of icons within the church proclaims and enforces the Orthodox understanding of the relationship of the spiritual and the material. We do not believe in the dualistic idea that ‘spiritual equals good’ and ‘material equals bad’. It can be a great danger to assume that just because something is ‘spiritual’ that it is good… As they say: ‘All that glitters is not gold.’ Orthodoxy proclaims that God alone is good and that God’s presence in both spirit and matter can bestow His blessing upon both.

If we may say that the message of the first Sunday, the Triumph of Orthodoxy, is that God’s grace can descend upon matter and mankind – thus illumining and transforming them; then we may look to the message of this second Sunday of Great Lent, the celebration of St Gregory Palamas, as an encouragement and instruction that mankind can ascend through God’s grace to a true communion with God. Last Sunday we saw how Divinity descends upon humanity and this Sunday, with St Gregory, we see how humanity might ascend toward Divinity.

Before discussing that ascent through grace, let us briefly understand who St Gregory was and what controversy caused him to step forward as a defender of the Orthodox faith.

St Gregory lived in the early part of the 14th century, was raised by pious Christian parents, and received an excellent education. He demonstrated such a fine mind and was so articulate that the emperor himself offered St Gregory great honors and all worldly opportunities. But St Gregory had refined his soul as well as his mind and left all this behind to live the life of a simple monk on Mt Athos, where he dedicated his life to prayer and asceticism.

There, in the concentration of the monastic life, St Gregory experienced firsthand the spiritual blessings of stillness and quiet and prayer – from which one can calm the waves and ripples disturbing the surface of the soul and see more clearly into the kingdom of God within.

St Gregory was called from his monastic stillness to defend the Orthodox teachings about mankind’s relationship with God. There was a controversy raging at this time spearheaded by a man named Barlaam who fell prey to an overly intellectual approach and understanding of God. He taught that mankind can never have direct knowledge of God – that God was completely unapproachable to the limited reasoning of man.

Now, on the one hand, we can agree with Barlaam… the intellectual and reasoning aspect of mankind – while it can reach astonishing heights of discovery and understanding about things – still, this rational faculty of mankind is limited and can never ascend the heights of apprehending God.

And yet, if God is so unapproachable and incomprehensible, then where does this leave us in terms of our relationship and experience of God?

St Gregory, who had himself experienced direct contact with the Grace of God, responded brilliantly – clarifying the historical and fully Orthodox teaching that while God in His essence, remains wholly other – yet mankind may indeed have direct participation of God through His energies. This clarification is extremely important in understanding Who God is and how He interacts with mankind and how mankind may interact with God.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, what does all this mean? It means that God is not distant. He is not ‘the man upstairs’ Who looks down upon us, perhaps occasionally interacting to smite us for something we have done wrong or blessing us for something we have done right. We have not been left as orphans by a Creator Who simply set things in motion. No, the Orthodox teaching and the Orthodox experience is that God is with us!

While St Gregory and the witness of the Church affirm the unknowability of the essence of God, St Gregory and the entire witness of the Church underscores the intimacy of the experience of communing directly with God through His divine energies, through His grace.

And how do we do we experience that? What does Christ tell us Himself about how we might perceive God? He tells us… ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ The grace and energies of God are most clearly perceived and experienced by a heart which is being purified, which comes before Him with a simple and trusting faith.

We see this demonstrated in today’s Holy Gospel wherein the friends of the paralyzed man, in their zeal and simple and trusting faith, stopped at nothing to bring their friend before the Lord to seek His healing. And Christ, seeing their faith, extended His Divine Energies, His Grace, and healed the paralyzed man… first healing him spiritually and then healing him physically.

May we take this Lenten season to work toward cultivating this zeal and trusting faith. It is through such trust that our hearts become purified and thus become receptive to that grace of God… His energies by which we know Him and experience our life in Him.

As the lessons of these first two Sundays of Lent have shown us… God has descended upon the earth and upon mankind, transforming matter by His grace-filled presence and energies – thus facilitating mankind to ascend Godward as we strive to align and unite ourselves with God. May God grant us the zeal and trust and purity of heart to make our ascent to Him.

First Sunday of Lent - Triumph of Orthodoxy

Today is the first Sunday of Great Lent. This past week the Church prayed the Canon of St Andrew of Crete – an extended lamentation of repentance that brought before our eyes the whole history of God’s interaction with mankind. This beautiful and deeply moving work of St Andrew sets the proper tone for our Lenten journey… in the fourth Canticle we hear, “The end draws near, my soul, the end draws near; yet thou dost not care or make ready. The time grows short, rise up: the Judge is at the door. The days of our life pass swiftly, as a dream, as a flower. Why do we trouble ourselves in vain?”

Great Lent is a time for us to take stock of where we are in our spiritual life. We are called to “be watchful, to close all the doors through which the passions enter, and look up towards the Lord.” There is so much that distracts us in our lives – some of this is difficult or impossible to avoid: the noisy chaos of the city, the demands of our job, our studies, and our family responsibilities. Such things as these we must simply accept as the arena in which we are called to live out our Christian lives. We must approach these inevitable responsibilities with as much peace and love as possible – carrying out our duties with honesty and integrity and not falsely consoling ourselves that these upsets are somehow okay, because they are our ‘pious resentments’… No, we need to banish such disturbance from our soul and look upon all things with humility.

Many of these sources of noise and ‘static’ are perhaps unavoidable in our busy lives, and we have to work toward guarding that inner kingdom within our soul from being tossed to and fro from these winds. But we also need to be honest and evaluate how much of the distractions and noise are of our own making. Great Lent is a time given to us to slow things down a bit, to reduce the onslaught of noise and worldly stimulations that assaults us practically 24/7. Take advantage of the opportunity to attend the more frequent church services that are provided during Lent. If such an opportunity is not possible, then at least let us turn off the TV or the computer for a while and spend some time in spiritual reading, prayer, and reflection. These quieter moments are an incredible gift to a ‘stimuli addicted’ world… I encourage you to make a discipline during Great Lent to work on this. This constant hunger for data, for news, for input is indeed a new kind of addiction and coming off of it can be difficult – but the rewards of those quiet moments in the presence of God are a foretaste of heaven!

On this first Sunday of the Great Fast, we celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxy. We recall the victory of the Orthodox understanding and proclamation of the truth of the incarnation and the appropriateness of the veneration of icons - that God became man, and that through doing so, all of creation bears the stamp of Divinity and may be redeemed.

In the Compline services that we heard each evening this week, we heard the refrain ‘God is with us!’ Through the victory of Christ and through the workings of the Holy Spirit, this is a great and profound truth.

‘God is with us’… think about that!...

Think about what this means as we behold the icons displayed triumphantly before us. God has renewed and redeemed all of creation and all of creation rejoices in Him.

Think about what it means that ‘God is with us’ as we work to observe the Fast… purifying our bodies through Lenten foods and through more disciplined eating; standing at prayer at home and in church, surrounding ourselves with a greater atmosphere of devotion to God.

On this Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy we realize the presence of God in the world and the possibility of the transfiguration of physical things. God is with us here and now. Next week we will celebrate St Gregory Palamas and we will see further how God is with us through His grace and energies. Surely one of the most wonderful things that Great Lent offers to us is the realization of the nearness of God in our lives. He stands at the very door of our heart and knocks…

May we work to remove the din of noise and static in our lives that prevent us from hearing that knocking at the door of our heart. Let us rejoice in the recognition that God is with us and let us assure that we are doing everything possible in return to be with Him.

Sunday of the Last Judgment

(Matt. 25:31-46)

We are continuing in our journey toward the start of the Great Fast… Over the past two weeks the Church has been putting before us lessons which call us to a proper understanding of how we can make the most out of our Lenten efforts. We heard of the Publican and Pharisee, which showed us the difference between a heartless and prideful fulfilling of the Law vs. a heartbroken and humble falling-down before the mercy of God. Last week we heard the parable of the Prodigal Son which not only gave us an illustration of repentance, but also showed us the self-alienation of the dutiful son, who would not go into the feast because of his wounded pride. One of the most remarkable things about that parable was that it was not so much about the deeds and misdeeds of the sons, as it was about the character of the father and the nature of his steadfast love.

Turning now toward this Sunday of the Last Judgment, I would like to share some reflections from Metropolitan Anthony of Sorouzh. He writes:

Today, on our preparation journey towards Lent, we have come to an ultimate stage: we are confronted with judgement. If we pay attention to it, next week our spiritual destiny will be in our own hands, because next week is the day of Forgiveness.

The link between these two days is obvious. If we only could become aware that all and each of us stand before the judgement of God and the judgement of men, if we could remember and realize with depth, wholeheartedly, in earnest that we are, all of us, indebted to each other, all responsible to each other for some of the pain and the heaviness of life, then we would find it easy, when we are asked to forgive, not only to forgive, but, in response to this request, to ask for forgiveness ourselves.

It is not only by what we do, not only in a way by what we leave undone, it is by this extraordinary lack of awareness, of our responsibility, of all we could be to others, and to do to others, that we do not fulfil our human calling. We could, and we should, on all levels and for all men, and beyond men for the whole world which is ours, be a blessing and a revelation of things great, of things divine.

If we only could remember this, and this is why the judgement is not only a moment when we are confronted with a danger of condemnation; there is in the very notion of judgement something great and inspiring. We are not going to be judged according to human standards of behavior of decency. We are going to be judged according to standards which are beyond ordinary human life. We are going to be judged on the scale of God, and the scale of God is love: not love felt, not an emotional love, but love lived and accomplished. The fact that we are going to be judged, that indeed we are being judged all the time, above our means, beyond all our smallness must and should reveal to us our potential greatness. And the parable which we have read today can be seen in those very terms: men are judged by Christ, in His parable, on humanity (the humanity to which we are called). Have these men coming before the judgment seat of Christ been human or not? Have they known how to love in their hearts first, but also in action, in their very deeds because, as Saint John puts it, one who says that he loves God and does not love his neighbor actively, creatively is a liar. There is no love of God if it is not expressed in every detail of our relationship with men, with people and with each person.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the essence of the question that will be put before us at that dread day of judgment: Have we loved Christ? Have we loved one another?

We will stand on that day before He Who is Love Himself and He will look upon us to see if there is love within us, to see if our lives have shown forth that love to God and to others.

Every encounter with Christ – in our prayer, in reading the Scriptures, in the needs of the person right before us – every encounter with Christ is a judgment. The judgment of Christ is a revelation where we are fully exposed to the reality of who we are, what we think, what we desire.

And that is why Christianity is so deep, so all-encompassing. The judgment of Christ cracks open the deepest recesses of our being and seeks to find whether that Light and Love can be found there.

As we approach the season of Great Lent, let us recognize the criteria by which Christ will judge us. It will not be a checklist of all the do’s and don’t’s that we tend to obsess about in our spiritual life. There will be one measuring stick by which Christ will judge us… Did you love Me?

If the reality of who we are, what we think, and what we desire is focused on Christ; focused on loving Him to the best of our ability; focused on removing those shadows from our life that block out the Light we so ardently desire… Then all else will fall into place. ‘Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added unto you.’ That hunger and thirst for righteousness, born out of love and gratitude to God, our loving Father, will then express itself in doing the right thing and rejecting what is sinful. All these things will be born out of our love for Christ.

May we strive with all our being to live our lives in such a way that when we stand before our Lord and He asks us, ‘Have you loved Me?’… we may reply with all sincerity and purity of heart, ‘Yea, O Lord, you know that I love you!’ And may we then be blessed to hear those most precious and longed-for words: ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant… Enter ye into the joy of your Lord.’ Amen.

The Prodigal Son

A sermon by St John of Kronstadt

‘I will arise and go to my father.’ (Luke 15:18)

Brethren! All our attention must be centered on the parable of the Prodigal Son. We all see ourselves in it as in a mirror. In a few words the Lord, the knower of hearts, has shown in the person of one man how the deceptive sweetness of sin separates us from the truly sweet life according to God. He knows how the burden of sin on the soul and body, experienced by us, impels us by the action of divine grace to return, and how it actually does turn many again to God, to a virtuous life. We will repeat it and discuss how necessary and easy it is for a sinner to return to God.
One man had two sons. When they came of age, the younger one said to the father, “Give me my rightful share of the estate.” And the father divided the property. The elder son did not take his portion and remained with the father, a sign that he loved his father with a pure heart, and he found satisfaction in fulfilling his will (neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment), and to depart from him he considered madness. But the younger, in a few days, having gathered all his property, left his father’s house for a distant country where he wasted all his substance, living dissolutely. From all this it is evident that he did not have a good and pure heart, that he was not sincerely disposed towards his good father, that he was burdened by his supervision and he dreamed it better to live according to the will of his own depraved heart. But let us hear what happened to him in exile from his father’s house. When he had spent everything in the foreign country in a disorderly manner, a great famine came upon that country and he began to be in need. He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have been happy to fill his stomach with the food that the swine ate; but no one gave him any. Having come to his senses, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father and I will say unto him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Receive me as one of thy hired servants.’ He arose and went to his father. When he was still afar off, his father saw him and had compassion on him and went to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him. He forgave him and led him to his house, dressed him in the finest clothes and made a feast in honor of his return. And so the lost son entered again into the love of his father.
Brethren! This is how the heavenly Father acts toward us. He does not bind us to Himself by force if we, having a depraved and ungrateful heart, do not want to live according to His commandments, but He allows us to depart from Him, and to know by experience how dangerous it is to live according to the will of one’s heart, to know what an agonizing lack of peace and tranquility tries the soul, devoted to passions, by what shameful food it is nourished. For what can be more shameful than the food of the passions? God forbid that anyone remain forever in this separation from God. To be far from God is true and eternal perdition. ‘They that remove themselves from Thee shall perish’ (Ps. 72:27), says the holy king and prophet David. It is necessary without fail to turn from the pernicious way of sin towards God with the whole heart. Let everyone be assured that God will see his sincere conversion, will meet him with love, and will receive him, as before, as one of His children.
Have you sinned? Say in your heart with full determination, I will arise and go to my Father, and in fact, go to Him. And just as you manage to say these words in your heart; just as you decide firmly to live according to His will, He will immediately see that you are returning to Him. He is always not far from every one of us and will immediately pour His peace into your heart. It will be suddenly so light and pleasant for you, as it is, for example, for a bankrupt debtor when they forgive his debts, or as pleasant as it is to a poor man whom they suddenly dress in fine clothes or offer a seat at a rich table.
At the same time take notice, brethren, that as many forms as there are of sins or passions, so also are there return paths to the heavenly Father. Every sin or passion is a path to a country far from God.

Did you leave by the road of faithlessness? Turn back and, further, recognize all its foolishness, feel with your whole heart its heaviness, emptiness, perdition, and stand with firm footing on the path of faith, calming, sweet, and life-giving for the heart of man, and hold on to it with your whole heart.

Did you leave by the way of pride? Turn back and go the way of humility. Hate pride, knowing that God resists the proud.

Did you leave by the way of envy? Turn from this diabolic road and be content with what God has sent and remember whose offspring it is—the first envier was the devil and by the envy of the devil sin entered into the world. Be well-disposed towards everyone.

If you left by the way of enmity and hatred, turn back and go the way of meekness and love. Remember that whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.

Or did you depart from God by gluttony and dissoluteness? Turn back and go the way of moderation and chastity, and remember as a rule in life the words of the Savior, Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be overburdened with self-indulgence and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and use the words of the repentant prodigal son: We have sinned before Thee, and are no longer worthy to be called Thy sons. Receive us, even as hirelings. And He surely will receive us back as children. Amen.

Sunday of Publican and Pharisee

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, with this Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, we begin the season of services from the Lenten Triodion.

In today’s Gospel, our Lord tells us that two men went into the temple to pray – one was a Pharisee who was diligent in keeping the fasts and all the rules of the Jewish law and the other was a Publican, a lowly and despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood in the temple with great confidence and pride, thanking God that he was not like other men. The Publican stood in the back of the temple and could hardly raise his eyes to heaven, crying out “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Our Lord Jesus Christ makes the point that it was the prayer of the Publican that was pleasing in God’s sight – ‘for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’

Why is it that, as we begin to move into the Lenten services, the Church places before us this image of the Publican and the Pharisee? It is an important and instructive lesson which our holy mother Church desires to emphasize for us as we prepare ourselves for the season of the great and holy fast.

Let us ask… what comes to your mind as you think ahead to Great Lent? Do you think of the deprivation of certain kinds of foods? Do you think of the many services which will take place and how long some of them might be? Do you think of closing the curtains on the various distractions and entertainments that delight you throughout the year? While a part of you may look forward to the beauty of the Lenten season, does another part of you dread the coming austerity?

If these questions have hit a chord with you, then you need to ask yourself – what is God teaching me in today’s parable of the Publican and the Pharisee?

If our focus for Lent is on the deprivation of certain foods, of disciplining ourselves to attend the many services, of reducing the worldly distractions in our lives… while each of these things are certainly expected of us and beneficial for us during the time of the Great Fast – if these things are our sole focus, then perhaps we are running the risk of treating our Lenten journey more like the Pharisee than the Publican.

If we heed the message of today’s Gospel, then what should be the primary thing that comes to our mind as we think ahead to Great Lent? ‘O Lord, grant me to enter into this time of repentance with a contrite and broken heart.’ This is what the Church is calling us to… this is what should be our focus and our burning desire… that we may be blessed to spend the weeks of Great Lent in a spirit of humility, of reflection and repentance, and in prayer.

And if that brokenness of heart, that contrition and repentance within us is true, then guess what?... It will manifest itself in a consequential desire to keep the fast, to attend the many services, and to reduce the worldly distractions in our lives. These will be the outcomes of an inner disposition. The focus must be on that inner disposition… this is the message of our Lord in today’s parable.

This appropriate Lenten inner disposition of heart is so beautifully expressed in the Verses of Repentance heard for the first time last night during the Matins service. Listen to these words, which set us on the right tone and focus for the Fast…

Open unto me, O Giver of Life, the gates of repentance: for early in the morning my spirit seeks Thy holy temple, bearing a temple of the body all defiled. But in Thy compassion cleanse it by Thy loving-kindness and Thy great mercy.

Guide me in the paths of salvation, O Mother of God: for I have befouled my soul with shameful sins and have wasted all my life in slothfulness. By thine intercessions deliver me from all uncleanness.

As I ponder in my wretchedness the many evil things that I have done, I tremble for the fearful day of judgment. But trusting in Thy merciful compassion, like David do I cry unto Thee: Have mercy upon me, O God, in Thy great mercy.

This is the heart of the repentant Publican! This is the heart which is pleasing in God’s sight. This is the simplicity and the beauty to which we are being called as we prepare ourselves for Great Lent. It is a time for rejoicing, it is a time for weeping, it is a time to look forward to because it is a time in which we are called to draw closer to God.

I know you’ve heard me quote St Seraphim of Sarov many times in the past and I will conclude by quoting him again now: ‘Prayer, fasting, vigil and all other Christian practices, however good they may be in themselves, do not constitute the aim of our Christian life, although they serve as the indispensable means of reaching this end. The true aim of our Christian life consists in the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. As for fasts, and vigils, and prayer, and almsgiving, and every good deed done for Christ’s sake, they are only means of acquiring the Holy Spirit of God.’

May this Lenten season be a time for each of us to have no other desire but to acquire the Holy Spirit of God… to stand like the Publican, in humility in the temple of our heart, simply and sincerely crying: ‘O Lord, be merciful to me a sinner!’

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New Martyrs of Russia

Today the church is vested in red in honor and memory of the martyrs, as today we commemorate the holy new martyrs of Russia – those millions of Christian souls persecuted, tortured, and killed for their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, those decades of Godless persecution within Russia took place within most of our lifetimes. Indeed, a number of you standing here today lived through the intimidations and persecutions of atheistic communism, whether in Russia or Romania or elsewhere.

It is critically important to keep before us the names and the memories of those who were martyred for their faith – first of all to glorify their struggles, but also to inspire and encourage ourselves, and to equip ourselves to recognize the progression of a once Christian society which slips into a worldview which can no longer tolerate Christianity.

I remember a little over 40 years ago helping to do some typesetting on a book being compiled by the St Herman Brotherhood entitled ‘Russia’s Catacomb Saints’. The book recounted the atmosphere of apostasy which was occurring in Russia in the early decades of the 20th century and detailed the lives and martyrdom of so many noble bishops, priests, and pious souls – those martyrs whom we commemorate today. One of the things that struck me most profoundly when that book was finally published was the dedication page which read: ‘This book is dedicated to the Christian martyrs… today in Russia, tomorrow in America.’

That certainly struck an ominous tone… but at the time it seemed somewhat far-fetched and pessimistic. And yet, in the decades that have unfolded since that time, our country has progressively fallen along many of the same paths that make a nation easy prey for immorality, relativism, and falsehood – which we see in abundance today. And as those voices which called out from the Gulag have warned us – these are the precursors of potential persecution and tyranny. We have been warned and we have been shown the terrible outcomes of such a path. May God preserve us!

While we are advised to heed the signs of apostasy in our society, let us focus this morning on what lessons the new martyrs hold for us as individuals, as Christians trying to preserve and prosper our faith in the face of difficult times. Among the many virtues of the martyrs, there are three which I would like to emphasize… clarity, conviction, and courage.

Amid all the growing uncertainties and confusion and contradictions swirling in the world around them, the Christian martyrs retained a clarity of vision and understanding. While the world was screaming ‘up is down’ and ‘left is right’ and ‘evil is good’ and ‘good is evil’… the martyrs maintained a calm and clear grounding in the truths handed down to them for generations. Truths which stood the test of time, truths which transcend human opinion, truths which proved themselves in producing sanctity… truths which have been revealed by the Author and Embodiment of Truth, Christ our Lord. It was this Truth which provided their clarity.

Being grounded and inspired by this clarity, the martyrs secured themselves to it by their conviction and commitment. This was not a closemindedness wherein they insulated themselves from view opposed to their own, but a fidelity to that which is and has proven itself to be True -which gives discernment therefore to recognize what is right and what is wrong.

Having such clarity and conviction, they then stood firm and shined forth in their courage to remain faithful to Christ. This courage was born not out of allegiance to an idea, but out of loyalty to a relationship to the Person of Truth. It is something living and life-giving.

I will never forget the blessing I had in meeting one of the living martyrs of the Russian Church. It was around 1987 when I met Alexander Ogorodnikov, who had been imprisoned in the Soviet Union for his religious beliefs and placed in a ‘mental ward’ for the insane. He had just been released from prison and brought out of the Soviet Gulag through the diligent efforts of many in the West who applied political pressure to set him free. Alexander was at a friend’s house at Stanford and about half a dozen of us gathered to greet him and congratulate him on his release and to hear a word from him about his experiences.

Though he was exhausted from his recent long travel to the USA and was suffering from a bit of a fever, he sat wrapped in a blanket and spoke with us for several hours. I remember him describing how he was handcuffed and brought before his interrogators. When pressure to admit that his faith in Christ was a mental illness, he would not do so, and the interrogators threw him upon the floor and stepped on the handcuffs to break his wrists. I remember him telling us how precious the image of the cross was for him and his fellow prisoners. Of course, their cross necklaces were immediately confiscated, but Alexander told us how he managed to create a small cross of cloth from some piece of clothing or a blanket that he had. He adored this little cross and kept it as a great treasure and beacon of light within that darkness. Soon enough, someone told the guards about Alexander’s cross and so, before they could find it and take it away, he placed it in his mouth and he swallowed it. The guards tore his cell apart and beat him to within an inch of his life, but they could not find the cross. Alexander then told us with gratitude that they placed him in solitary confinement for the next week… a perfect cover for him to sift through his excrement over the next few days to recover his treasured cross.

These are just a few stories of just one man who lived to tell the tale of his clarity and conviction and courage in the face of persecution. We know the stories of many more who showed that same strength and who ended their earthly lives at the hand of those who hated them and all that they stood for.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… at every Liturgy we pray for the peace of the whole world and the good estate of the holy churches of God. Let us indeed pray that God would preserve us and continue to grant us freedom – and that we would use that freedom to treasure our faith and to wisely establish ourselves to grow in clarity and conviction and in courage… clinging with faith and hope and love to the words of the holy Apostle we heard this morning:

‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: For Your sake we are killed all the day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all things we are more than conquerors, through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

O holy martyrs, pray to God for us! Amen!

WILL WE HEAR THE CALL OF GOD?

The 34th Sunday of Pentecost. Luke 18:22–27

Archpriest Alexander Shargunov

A certain man said to Christ, Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? A very good question, the most important question in the world, more important than all others. Until a person rises to this question, all the answers he gets in life are not about that, because he is thinking about the wrong things, looking for the wrong things.

What must I do to inherit eternal life? he turns to Christ, calling Him a Teacher. Whoever seeks eternal life must come to Christ as his Teacher. And no one can attain this life unless he becomes a disciple of Christ. The Holy Church has called us throughout all ages, and especially today, to realize that we are disciples of Christ, that we are called to learn holiness from Christ God Himself.

The Lord hears the appeal: “Good teacher!” and answers: Why do you call Me good? No one is good but God alone. He wants to tell this man that he who turns to Christ with reverence as a great Teacher of goodness and morality, does not really understand that he is talking to the Living God Himself. It is necessary for him to learn that there is only one God Who is truly good. And every person, even the kindest, is made so because he participates in God.

The Lord does not catch anyone on a bad word or a bad deed. He always wants to make everything that went wrong seem like it didn’t, if He sees a person’s sincere aspiration. And everything that is good, the Lord wants to make not just good, but truly good, infinitely better and perfect. And this is what our life leads to.

Christ says that the way to eternal life is through the commandments of God. And again, at a new depth, He reveals to us the meaning of what seems to be well known to all of us, what we have heard many times. This is what is most important for a person: to learn not to kill, not to steal, not to fornicate, to honor father and mother. This is the science of sciences and the art of arts. It is more important than all the wisdom, all the knowledge combined, which exists in the world. If a person does not learn this, he has not learned anything in life, everything is in vain. And he can learn this, the holy fathers say, only by doing what the Lord requests.

The man who turned to Christ (Matthew’s Gospel says it was a young man) is a very responsible man. From his youth he has kept the whole Law. No one can reproach him, not even Christ. But there is undoubtedly a desire in this man to go further, to achieve more. This is what delights and touches the Lord in him. Jesus looked at him and loved him. And for this reason, the Lord offers him a path that will give him the opportunity to live on an incomparably more wonderful level. The Lord is very demanding. He is asking for more, much more than what the ancient Law required. He reveals a new world, the ideal of which is not the observance of the Law, no matter how beautiful, just and true it may be, but a call to become perfect, as God the Father is perfect. That is why such a great transition is proposed: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me (Mk 10:21). From now on, it is not the Law that matters, but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He must be followed.

But it is impossible to follow Christ with such heavy baggage as this man has. He lacks courage. He is attached to his estate. He loves what his wealth can provide for him. But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (v. 22) The wealth he possesses does not prevent him from hearing what Christ says and understanding what Christ says, but it prevents him from responding to the call of Christ. As a result, he is filled with great sadness.

There are many people who live piously, do everything, go to church, and believe in God. But when their faith is truly tested, it will be revealed that there is something in their lives for the sake of which they would rather break with Christ, rather than leave their wealth. It may be material wealth or any other kind of wealth.

“What is more precious to you,” Christ asks, “this world with all its values, perhaps very wonderful, or eternal life? God, or something else? If Christ is really the most precious thing to us, then we will follow Him no matter what it costs us. Whoever does not follow the Lamb of God wherever He goes, cannot be called a disciple of Christ, and will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps the hour of decisive choice has not yet come for us, when we must either leave everything or part with Christ. But many, the Lord tells us today, will forsake Him, even if they don't want to. Everything is determined in the end by the ultimate integrity of love for God and love for the other person.

And Christ, looking at His disciples, says: Children! How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! We understand that this choice—either to leave everything we have or to part with Christ—may seem too harsh. But in fact, Christ—are we fully aware of this?—does not require us to do what is unreasonable. And we know our weakness, how attached we are to the world, to this or that kind of wealth.

The choice that the Lord puts before us is serious and profound. He wants us to keep going forward all the time, higher, and further. He sees the great things that are in store for us—greater than what we see. And we must realize our calling. There is a great temptation to stop, to say we’ve done enough, we’ve gone far enough. And it is no less tempting to think that the Lord demands something that is beyond our strength. Is it so? Have we not forgotten that the things which are impossible with men are possible with God? The Lord grieves more than the one who forsakes Christ for the sake of earthly things, but He with His grace and His Providence does not abandon anyone. He rejoices together with the Angels, over everyone who returns to Him. And everyone who leaves everything to follow Christ finds in the end eternal life, the Lord Himself.

The word of God that we hear can transform us. It can liken us to God Himself. Do we want this miracle to happen? Do we accept the gift of surpassing ourselves? We must answer this question with candor. Let us hear this call of God and follow our Lord while we are still on earth, before it is too late, before death closes the doors of repentance and love to us forever.

Sunday After Theophany

(Matt. 4:12-17)

We hear in today’s Holy Gospel a quotation from Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, Light has dawned.’ This quote from the prophecy of Isaiah is presented to us by the Evangelist Matthew in the context of his description of Christ’s baptism by John in the Jordan.

The great event of Christ’s baptism is the manifestation of the Holy Trinity and Christ shines forth His Light to the world. Indeed, in the Kontakion of the feast of Theophany we sing: ‘Thou hast appeared today to the whole world, and Thy light, O Lord, hath been signed upon us who hymn Thee with understanding. Thou hast come, Thou hast appeared, the Light unapproachable.’

Christ’s appearance to mankind brings Light to the world. But as we hear in the opening verses of the Gospel of St John: ‘In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.’

The Light of Christ’s love and truth shines upon us and upon the whole world, but we do not comprehend it. Indeed, so much of the reality of the spiritual life which surrounds us – the presence of God, the life of the Church, the temptations of the evil one – all of this remains obscure to us, and we go about our lives like blind men and women.

If our spiritual eyes were truly open and we could see the crafty deceptions of the demons, if we could see the tireless protection and prayers of our guardian angel, if we could perceive the patient knocking of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the closed door of our heart… Oh, dear brothers and sisters, if we could only see the both the beauty and the seriousness of the life given to us in which to work out our salvation – perhaps we would heed the call of our Lord Jesus Christ from this morning’s Gospel: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’

This awareness of the presence of God is that ‘one thing needful’ which sets everything else in proper perspective. As the Gospels teach us, ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added unto you.’

God wishes to sanctify our lives… our mind, our heart, our body, our soul. His grace is extended to us in so many ways. One of the ways God’s grace is extended to us is manifested in these holy days of Theophany… when we experience the baptism of our Lord and the sacred blessing of waters. And now those sanctified and grace-filled waters are offered to each of us in the blessing of our homes. I encourage all of you to contact myself or Fr Andrew to make an appointment for one of us to come to your home to bless your home with the waters of Theophany.

The renewing waters of Theophany are God’s gift to us as we begin the new year… equipping us first with God’s grace to then take action toward repentance, toward turning from whatever darkness their might be in our lives and taking those decisive steps toward the Light and Love of Christ.

May He Who has enlightened the world, fill our lives with His Light!

Circumcision and Sunday Before Theophany

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are in a season of feasts and commemorations of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We recently celebrated the great feast of the Nativity of our Lord – when He Who created the heavens and the earth was born in humility as a lowly and vulnerable child in a cave in Bethlehem.

Today we commemorate the Circumcision of the Lord and we observe the Sunday before the great feast of Theophany, the baptism of our Lord.

Let us begin our reflections this morning on the significance of the circumcision of our Lord. As we read in the Gospel reading appointed for this feast, on the eighth day, in accordance with Jewish law, the Child was brought to the temple to be circumcised and given His name. 

This tradition of naming the child on the eighth day is still observed in the Orthodox Church, however the practice of circumcision as a mark of the covenant with God has been replaced by the mark of the fullness of the New Covenant of Christ, holy baptism.

Why does the Holy Church observe then this rite of the circumcision of the Lord? There are two important reasons why we do so…

First, it demonstrates for us the fullness of the submission of Christ to the Hebraic laws. As He stated to His followers, He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Joseph and Mary were pious people who observed the traditions of their fathers. They thus brought the Christ Child to the temple on the eighth day for Him to be circumcised as required by the law and to formally receive His name, Jesus, just as the angel had foretold to them.

The second reason we observe this feast of the Circumcision of the Lord is perhaps even more important. In submitting to this ritual, it clearly demonstrates for all the reality of the incarnation of the Lord. Jesus Christ had put on human flesh and submitted that flesh to that which was required of it. The feast underscores for us the fact that Jesus was fully man, just as He was fully God. This understanding of the two natures of Christ is a foundational teaching of the Orthodox Church.

As we noted on the feast of the Nativity of our Lord, this teaching of the fullness of Christ’s humanity and the fullness of Christ’s divinity underscores and facilitates the great work of salvation which was accomplished by our Lord. In Christ’s humanity, He suffered and was tempted and experienced the joys and sorrows of mankind, even unto death. And in Christ’s divinity, He sanctified all such joy and sorrow, all such suffering, even triumphing over death by His glorious resurrection. As St Isaac the Syrian puts it: ‘God took upon Himself the seal of our humanity in order for humanity to be decorated by the Seal of Divinity.’

And so, on this day, let us reflect upon that interior circumcision of the heart which was made possible to us in our baptism into Christ the Lord. If the exterior, fleshly circumcision was a sign of the Old Covenant, then surely, the cleansing waters of baptism and the interior circumcision of our heart are the sign of the New Covenant. This circumcision of the heart is the cutting off of our selfish passions… that we may make room for the grace of God.

Just as Christ submitted Himself to the circumcision of the flesh, He also submitted Himself to baptism by John in the Jordan. St John at first refused to baptize our Lord, saying: ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered: ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ John then immersed our Lord in the waters and, as we sing on the feast of Theophany: ‘the worship of the Trinity was made manifest’! The word Theophany means the appearance of God. On this day, Jesus Christ was baptized, and the voice of the Father spoke out calling Him His beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove to rest upon Him. It is a startling and powerful revelation of the true nature of God as Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We will celebrate the great feast of Theophany this week with Vigil on Thursday evening and Liturgy and the blessing of the waters on Friday morning.

What a great Mystery is our God! Unknowable and beyond our comprehension… and yet, in His generous love and humility, He deigns to dwell among us and sanctifies water and flesh and blood. St Basil the Great, whom we remember today, eloquently said: ‘Now if you want to say or hear something about God, break free from your body, break free from your sense perceptions, leave behind the earth, leave behind the sea, rise above the air, fly past the hours of day, the cycles of the seasons, the rhythms of the earth, climb above the ether, pass beyond the stars, their marvels, their harmonious order, their immense size, the benefits they supply to all, their good arrangement, their splendor, their position, their motion, their constellations and oppositions. Once you have passed beyond all things in your thoughts, transcended the heaven, and risen above it, behold the beauty there with your mind alone: the heavenly armies, the choirs of angels, the dignities or archangels, the glories of the dominions, the preeminence of the thrones, the powers, the principalities, the authorities. Once you have flown past all these things, transcended the entire created order in your thoughts, and raised your intellect far beyond these, contemplate the divine nature: permanent, immutable, inalterable, impassible, simple, incomposite, indivisible, unapproachable light, ineffable power, uncircumscribed greatness, supereminent glory, desirable goodness, extraordinary beauty that ravishes the soul pierced by it but that cannot be worthily expressed in speech.’

What a vision! What a reality!

May our God Who is beyond utterance and yet Who manifests Himself so intimately with us by His Word and His Spirit, fill us with the joy and peace and love of His presence.

The Genealogy of Christ

Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

Every year before Christmas we read the genealogy of Christ from St. Matthew's Gospels, and for years I asked myself, why? Why have we got to read all these names that mean so little to us, if anything at all? And then I became more perceptive of what they convey to us.

For one thing, they are the people to whose family the Lord Jesus Christ belongs through His humanity. They all are relatives of His, and this should be enough for us to find their names deeply moving: Christ is of their blood, Christ is of their family. Each of them, thinking of the Mother of God can say, 'She is a child of our family', and of Christ, 'He also is a child of our family, although He is our God, our Saviour, the very Divine Presence in our midst'.

Furthermore, some names stand out: names of Saints, heroes of the spirit, and names of sinners. The Saints among them could well teach us what it means to believe; not simply to have an intellectual faith, a world-outlook which coincides, as far as it is able, with God's vision, but a faith which means a complete trust in God, an unlimited faithfulness to Him, the readiness, because of what we know of God, to give our lives for what He stands for, for what He is. In this context think of Abraham whose faith was tested to the utmost. How difficult we find it to give to God something of ours: but Abraham was asked to bring as a blood-offering his own son - and he did not doubt God. And Isaac? He surrendered without resistance, in perfect obedience to his father, and through him - to God.

We can remember the struggle of Jacob with the Angel in the darkness, as we at times struggle for our faith, for our integrity, for our faithfulness, in the darkness of the night, or the darkness of doubt, in the darkness that seizes us at times on all sides.

But we can also learn something from those who in history, in the Bible, appear to us as sinners. They were frail, this frailty conquered them, they had no strength to resist the impulses of their bodies and of their souls, of the complex passions of men. And yet - and yet, they believed in God passionately. One of them was David, and one of his Psalms expresses it so well: "From the deep I cry unto Thee .." From the depths of despair, of shame, from the depths of his fall, from the depths of his alienation from God, from the darkest depths of his soul he still cried to God. He does not hide from Him, he does not go away from Him, it is to Him he comes with this desperate cry of a desperate man. And others, men and women have this same concreteness as, for instance, Rahab the harlot - and so many more.

Do we, when we are at the darkest point of life, when we are wrapped in all the darkness that is within us - do we, from within this darkness turn to God and say: It is to You, oh Lord, I cry! Yes - I am in darkness, but You are my God. You are the God who created the light, and the darkness, and You are within the darkness as You are within the blinding light; You are in death as You are in life; You are in hell, as You are on the Throne; and from wherever I am I can cry to You.

And then, there is a last thing I would like you to think about. To us these people are names; of some of them we know a little from the Bible, about others we know nothing. But they all were concrete human beings, men and women like us, with all our frailty and all our hope, all the wavering of the will and all the hesitations, all the incipient love that is so often marred, and yet remains light and fire. They are concrete and real, and we can read their names with the feeling, that, Yes - I don't know you, but you are one of those who are of the family of Christ, concrete, real, who through all the vicissitudes of life, inner and outer, belong to God. And we ourselves can try and learn, in the concreteness of our lives, whether we are frail or strong at a given moment still to be God's own.

So let us reflect on this genealogy, let us next time we come to hear it receive it with a spark in our eyes, with a warm feeling in our hearts; but this will be possible only to the extent to which Christ becomes more and more real to us and when it is in Him, through Him that we discover them all - real, living, our own and God's own. Amen.

The Sunday Of The Holy Forefathers

Luke 14: 16-24

The Gospel reading for today should be a sobering warning to us all. In today’s Gospel reading we hear how a king had prepared a great feast and asked his servants to call his people to come and take part, for all was prepared and ready for them. The servants called the people to the great feast but from one they heard that he had to go tend to his land, from another he had to go tend to his oxen, and from another he had to go tend to his wife. Everyone had some pressing business and asked to be excused in order to tend to this business that they felt was so important.

When the servants reported back that the king’s people would not come, the king became angry and told his servants to go out into the streets and highways to invite any and all –the blind, the lame, the poor. These people were delighted to be called to the king’s feast and filled the room in great gratitude and appreciation.

There are several layers of meaning to today’s Gospel parable… in it we can see the history of God’s interactions with mankind and we should also see how this applies to our own personal life as well.

Today we are two weeks away from the holy feast of the Nativity of Christ… on this day we commemorate the Holy Forefathers – those righteous ones of the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is filled with righteous men and women who served our Lord as the faithful servants calling the nation of Israel to the great feast of God. Our Lord had chosen the people of Israel as His own and, through His holy prophets, revealed to them His truths, His laws, and began to unfold before them the expectation of the coming of His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Truly God had prepared a great feast before his people and the Holy Forefathers went out among the people to call them to the feast.

History stands testament to the endless struggle of the long-suffering patience of God with His people, who continually made excuses and turned their backs to God – refusing to come to His feast. The Holy Forefathers, whom we celebrate today, were those faithful and good servants who came to the feast of the Lord and were instructed by Him to go out and call all others to the feast.

And when the time of fulfillment had come, and our Lord Jesus Christ was born and lived and preached among the people, the Lord’s own people were those that rejected Him. He therefore went to the highways and byways, to the poor, the blind, and the lame to gather those that would come to His divine supper and partake in His glorious feast.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this call of the King - inviting His people to His feast continues in our own day. Indeed, as we hear from the words of our holy father Herman of Alaska, whose day we shall celebrate this evening and tomorrow, this call of the King continues not just each day, but each hour, and each moment.

Today’s Gospel is a potent parable, illustrating for us the call of God and the choice that each of us makes every day, every hour, and every moment.

How do we respond? Don’t the excuses of those in today’s Gospel parable sound frighteningly and embarrassingly familiar to us? “I would come, but I am busy with many things! I must tend to my business. I must tend to this and that.”

Christ stands at the door of our heart and He knocks and He invites us into loving Communion with Him. Do we respond in gratitude and appreciation or do we make excuses… saying “Wait a minute, just let me take care of this or that.” Or “Not now, Lord, I’m busy.”

We all have things to do… that’s just the nature of life in this world. But the issue at stake here is not the ‘what’ that might preoccupy us, but the ‘how’… of how we are being in the midst of those preoccupations. We can and should be with God at all times and in all circumstances… it is a matter of the disposition of the heart and of the mind. We have a choice as to whether we go about our business in a manner that is forgetful of God and His commandments, or whether we go about our business in a manner that clings to the remembrance of God, asking Him to bless each and everything that we do.

I think that if we are being completely honest with ourselves, we would see that the issue is not so much whether we have the time for God, as it is whether we have the heart for God. That is a much more searing question and it really gets to the point. If, instead of saying to ourselves that we do not have time to pray, we admit that we do not have the heart to pray, it reveals a much deeper reality. Again, prayer is a matter of the disposition of the heart… no matter what we are doing, no matter whether we may be stuck at our jobs, or drowning in the responsibilities of family, or whatever that particular ‘what’ might be… if we are attentive to the ‘how we are being’, if we have a heart for God, then we can be with Him, we can be sitting at the feast to which we are called no matter what else may be going on.

The history of the world is indeed the history of the relationship of God and mankind. Let us honor and remember today the holy and righteous Forefathers and Foremothers of the Old Testament - those good servants of the Lord who hastened to His call and called others to the feast of the Lord.

As we heard in today’s Epistle reading, these holy and righteous ones obtained a good testimony through faith, and yet they did not receive the promise. That promise to which they gave testimony was not fulfilled until the birth and saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ. We, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, live in the time of the fulfillment of the promise. We have a privilege which the holy Forefathers and Foremothers could scarcely conceive of… We are called to the Great Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.

May we listen with attention to the call of Christ. And may we then respond with love. Let us live our lives in accordance with God’s commandments and in the joy of the presence of God and His Holy Feast.

The Ten Lepers Who Were Cleansed

Luke 17:12-19

The Gospel reading for this Sunday tells us of the ten lepers who stood afar off – ostracized by their disease and utterly cast off from society. As Jesus was passing by they lifted up their voices and shouted: ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’

Our Lord Jesus Christ heard their cries and had compassion upon them. He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was, that as they went, they were cleansed from their horrible infirmity.

The nine who were healed, continued straight away to the priests to be declared clean and able to re-enter the community. One of them, who was a despised Samaritan, upon seeing his cure, turned back and ran to Jesus and fell down at His feet, giving Him thanks.

Jesus answered and said: ‘Were there not ten that were cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’ And He said to him: ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.’

Brothers and sisters in Christ… today’s Gospel reading is all about thanksgiving and gratitude to God.

Do we realize our indebtedness to God? Are we consciously aware that every breath we take, every beat of our heart, every moment of our life is a gift from God. If only we had this awareness, this humble and thankful heart of gratitude to God… our lives and our perception of things would be illumined with Grace and Love and Joy.

It is easy to lose sight of this simplicity, this purity of a grateful heart. Life presents difficulties which can rob us of our gratitude. We may face sickness or someone we love may be sick. Perhaps we struggle financially, and we face an uncertain future. Jealousies and arguments may sour our relationships at work or at home. And, if such things in our personal life were not enough, we are constantly bombarded with news which upsets us and drags us down… Wars and disasters headline the international news. Fear and division and lewdness headline our national news. It is enough to drive one to despair!

How can we be grateful when there are so many horrible things going on in the world?

I think many of you are probably familiar with the words of St Paisios of Mt Athos – a recent saint of the 20th century. St Paisios likens each human being as either a fly or a bee. A fly comes into a garden and all it sees and all it goes for are the filth and the garbage that it finds. A bee comes into the same garden and all it sees and all it goes for are the flowers and things that are sweet. The garden is the same… it contains both filth and flowers, but it is the disposition of the bee or the fly which colors their perception of the world and their actions within it.

We need to ask ourselves, what kind of filter am I placing on what I perceive about the world? Who is determining what is ‘newsworthy’ for me? Many of us have been conditioned to seek the sensational… we are drawn to the drama. On any given day there are terrors and tragedies and there are beauties and blessings. But, so often, our focus in drawn to the terrors and tragedies of life.

And yet, even within the terrors and tragedies, it is possible to have a heart of gratitude. Even when all hell is breaking loose around us, when the waves of the sea of life are crashing upon us, we must have that impenetrable cabin within our soul – where a quiet light burns before the icon of Christ and where we can sincerely still lift up our hearts in praise to God for all things.

One of the most beautiful prayers I have ever come across is the Akathist ‘Glory To God For All Things’. This Akathist, also called the ‘Akathist of Thanksgiving’, was found among the effects of Protopresbyter Gregory Petrov upon his death in a prison camp in 1940. The title is from the words of Saint John Chrysostom as he was dying in exile. It is a song of praise from amidst the most terrible sufferings attributed to Metropolitan Tryphon of Turkestan. Listen to the words of the 12th Ikos: ‘What sort of praise can I give Thee? I have never heard the song of the Cherubim, a joy reserved for the spirits above. But I know the praises that nature sings to Thee. In winter, I have beheld how silently in the moonlight the whole earth offers Thee prayer, clad in its white mantle of snow, sparkling like diamonds. I have seen how the rising sun rejoices in Thee, how the song of the birds is a chorus of praise to Thee. I have heard the mysterious mutterings of the forests about Thee, and the winds singing Thy praise as they stir the waters. I have understood how the choirs of stars proclaim Thy glory as they move forever in the depths of infinite space. What is my poor worship! All nature obeys Thee, I do not. Yet while I live, I see Thy love, I long to thank Thee, and call upon Thy name.’

What an encouragement and inspiration! This ability to see the goodness and the grace of God even in the midst of sufferings within the Gulag is such a gift and such an important aspect of cultivating a disposition of gratitude which can say in sincerity: ‘Glory to God for all things!’

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ… The world presents us with many difficulties. Our lives are filled with highs and lows. But in all these ups and downs we can be grateful to the God Who loves us and watches over us, to the God Who was willing to enter into this world of suffering and Who has redeemed it – such that our sufferings, if endured in a spirit of love, can redeem us too.

Let us be grateful to God for all the blessings in our lives. Let us pay attention to that which is good and be thankful. May God grant that the good things in your life outweigh the bad… but in all circumstances, may you be blessed with a grateful heart! And may we then hear the words which were given to the one leper who returned to give thanks to Christ, ‘Arise and go your way, your faith has made you well.’

Kursk Icon

On this day we venerate and celebrate the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God. This icon has an incredible history and has stood as a beacon of hope and healing and consolation for Orthodox people throughout many centuries.

It is unknown when the icon was originally created, but in the year 1295, in the region of Kursk, a hunter happened to notice an object lying on the ground next to the roots of a tree. He picked up the object and discovered that it was an icon of the Mother of God. The icon’s first recorded miracle took place right at that moment, for as the hunter picked up the icon, a spring of pure water began to flow from the place where the icon had rested.

The hunter constructed a small wooden chapel at the site where he had found the icon and placed the holy icon in reverence in this chapel. Residents of the surrounding areas soon began to visit the little chapel and news of miraculous healings began to spread forth. Prince Vasily Shemyaka of Rylsk ordered that the icon be brought to the city of Rylsk and the icon was indeed brought there in solemn procession. The prince himself declined to attend the festivities welcoming the holy icon and was immediately struck with blindness. He repented and his eyesight was immediately restored. In light of this miracle, he constructed a large church in honor of the Nativity of the Theotokos and enshrined the Kursk icon there.

But something interesting began to happen… The icon mysteriously vanished from the newly constructed church and was discovered back at the small chapel where she had originally been discovered. Several times, the people brought the icon back to the city church and each time, she would disappear, only to be found at the small chapel at the roots of the tree where she was discovered. The people finally submitted to the clear will of the Mother of God and left her there.

In the year 1383, the province of Kursk was invaded by the Tartars. They attempted to set fire to the chapel where the icon was, but it refused to burn – even though they piled up fuel all around it. They accused the priest who was the guardian of the icon with sorcery, but he attributed the miracle to the Mother of God and her icon. They then ceased upon the icon and cut it in two, casting the pieces off to two sides. The chapel then did indeed catch fire and they carried the priest, Fr Bogolev, off as a prisoner.

Throughout his captivity, Fr Bogolev held firm to his faith and prayed daily to the Mother of God. When he was freed, he went straight away to the site where the chapel had been and searched for the two pieces of the icon. He found them and, placing the two sides together, they miraculously fused back into one piece.

Throughout the centuries, the Kursk Icon has inspired, consoled, and been the conduit of healing for thousands of people throughout the Russian land. St Seraphim of Sarov, as a child, was healed through the intercessions of the Mother of God in her Kursk Icon.

The miracles associated with this icon are too numerous to recount in a short homily such as this. Throughout tumultuous times, the Kursk icon has stood firm… there have been many occasions where the enemies of God have tried to destroy the icon – which they saw as a symbol of the people’s faith in God. In 1898, a group of anarchists, attempted to blow it up with a bomb. The bomb went off and brought tremendous destruction to the church where the icon resided. Windows were blown out, huge metal candlestands were hurled into the walls, a door of cast iron was knocked off its hinges and smashed against the wall. And, there amid all this chaos and destruction, the icon of the Mother of God remained intact and even the glass within the frame was unharmed. In attempting to destroy the icon, the anarchists only brought greater glory to it and further strengthened the faith of the people!

In the 20th century, as chaos and murder fell upon the Russian land, the icon accompanied Bishop Theophan of Kursk and others fleeing the Bolsheviks. The icon was brought to Serbia, where the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia resided. Then it was taken to Munich and finally brought to the USA, where a hermitage was constructed in her honor… becoming her place of residence until today. Throughout those war-torn years of the 20th century, the icon would be brought to pious Orthodox souls for their consolations and encouragement.

The Kursk Icon has been the Protectress and Patroness of the Russian Church Outside of Russia for all these many years. She has visited our diocese many times and has been present at many of our greatest celebrations. Many of us have been blessed to have the icon come to our homes. And what a humbling and awe-inspiring thing it is to have such a vessel of grace in our midst! To think of the history and the personalities this icon has seen over so many centuries!      

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are so blessed to have such a rich inheritance in our Orthodox faith and to experience the miraculous presence of God’s grace through such things as the Kursk Root Icon, the myrrh-streaming Hawaii icon, and let us never forget or neglect to appreciate the utmost miracle of the offering of Christ’s precious Body and Blood which occurs each time we celebrate the Divine Liturgy. We are blessed to live in a world that is infused and energized by heavenly grace. Our job is to attune ourselves to that grace which God provides all around us. It is that grace of God which lifts us up from the weight of our earthly lives and all of the sorrows and trials they may contain. Just as Christ healed the woman who was stooped over in today’s Gospel, so too does Christ straighten us so that we may arise to the full stature of what we are called to be as children of God. May each of you stand aright, attentive to God and to the many outpourings of His grace which fill our lives if we have eyes to see and ears to hear.

The following is a sermon given by our Patriarch Kyrill of Moscow on the occasion of the feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God into the temple. It contains a number of good and edifying points… I hope that you will enjoy it.

Today we celebrate one of the great twelve feasts, the Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. From Church Tradition we know the story of how the Virgin Mary’s pious parents brought into the temple the young maiden, perhaps even still an infant—we don’t know her exact age at the time, except that she was in early childhood—so that she would remain there in the temple to live, study, and spiritually grow. This was a pious tradition. Probably it was not always carried out, but the fact itself of dedicating a child to God was part of the religious tradition of Israel. This usually took place with the firstborn male, but in this case a girl was dedicated to serving the Lord—the child Mary, born to the pious family of Joachim and Anna.

Of course, the sanctification of an infant to God, the bringing of the child into the temple, had a very great spiritual significance; after all, in the Jerusalem temple was once kept a great holy shrine—the Ark of the Covenant, which at God’s command was prepared by the Jews who departed from Egyptian captivity. In the ark was kept the very great divine gift—the Tablets of the Covenant, those very same stone tablets that Moses received on Mt. Sinai when he met God. Then the Lord gave him the great moral law, which was not only etched in people’s hearts—and that is precisely how God created them—but also written by God’s will in the form of concrete instructions. Ancient Israel preserved this great holy shrine as testimony to the fact that the words inscribed in the covenant are not human words, that they do not proceed from human wisdom, but that this is the authentic word of God, this is the will of God, this is divine law. In the ark besides the tablets was a jar of manna—the very food that was given in a miraculous manner from heaven to the ancient Israelites as they departed by God’s will from Egyptian captivity and wandered forty years in the Sinai desert. Manna, which miraculously came down from heaven, preserved people’s lives, and they survived in the difficult conditions of the desert by eating it. It was truly a very great and holy thing given to people by God.

Therefore, no one could enter into the Holy of Holies, the furthermost part of the temple, which can be compared to our altars in Christian churches—only the high priest, who entered this place in order to perform a special censing once a year. Nevertheless, when the high priest met the child Mary on the steps of the temple, as Church Tradition tells us, he led her not only into the temple, but also into the Holy of Holies, although this was categorically forbidden and contradicted all the laws that the Israelite people observed. And we believe that that is how it was, because the Entrance into the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos became an act filled with enormous spiritual power and great symbolic meaning. The Virgin Mary entered into the Old Testament temple and received the grace of God, in order to begin her life’s path that led to her birth of the Messiah, Lord and Savior, to her contemplation of His terrible sufferings, and finally, to her eternal heavenly glory.

The celebration of the Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos also helps us, separated from that event by millennia, to understand what enormous significance the temple had in the life of the Jewish people for the preservation of the true faith. But in our times the churches preserve the same significance, and this is not at all accidental. First of all, in the Orthodox Church, just as in the ancient Jerusalem temple, there are particularly sacred things. On the throne, which is the central place in the church, are kept antimensions—a cloth with the relics of God-pleasers. Similar to how in the ancient Church the Holy Eucharist was celebrated in the catacombs on the graves of the martyrs, so do we serve the Divine Liturgy on the relics of saints sewn into the antimensions.

The church is filled with great grace when the Divine Eucharist is served, and this grace unites with material objects, first of all with the holy icons. This is why, when we venerate the icons we venerate not boards, not paint, but the material bearers of divine grace, partaking of divine power and divine energy. This is what it means to venerate the holy icons, and I will repeat: We venerate not the board, not the paint, not the beauty produced by human hands, but the visible bearers of divine grace.

First of all, the bearers of divine grace are people who received this gift at Baptism and in Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. But we know how often sin tears grace from our souls, and we become like the barren fig tree. Inanimate objects can also be bearers of divine grace—first are the holy icons, which we honor, and by kissing them we acquire a piece of the grace that rests on the holy images.

Today’s feast teaches us very much. It turns our attention to the pious custom that the Israelite people had of bringing children to the temple. This is a reminder to all parents, especially to those who have baptized their children. You must bring them to church; this is the direct responsibility of every parent. Why bring your children to church? So that the child will receive that piece of divine energy, so that divine light would touch his nature, his mind, memory, will, and his senses. So that as your child walks the path of life, he would rely not only his own poor strength, which so easily falls apart under the impact of bad external influences, but so that the child would have an inner spiritual core, and the power of divine grace would help him resist sin, growing in wisdom, purity, and spiritual and physical strength.

Today’s feast reminds us of the special significance of the church also as a school of piety. After all, in the ancient Jerusalem temple people not only prayed—many lived at the temple and, of course, studied. It was to this abiding in the temple that the Virgin Mary’s parents gave their miraculously born infant—so that she would grow there from strength to strength in prayer and study. And we know to what this abiding in the temple of the Virgin Mary led—to the great event of the Annunciation, which became the harbinger of her giving birth to the Savior of the world.

A temple is undoubtedly a school of piety—there we hear remarkable prayerful texts, and even if we do not completely understand them, we are permeated with their spiritual meaning; because prayer in church especially influences a person’s mind and heart. We also learn in church through hearing the world of God, through sermons; but most importantly, we receive in church a particular gift of grace, without which it is hard to go through life.

Therefore, the event of the Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos should not only teach parents about the necessity of bringing their children to church, so that they would be happy in life, so that they would be able to walk their life’s path. This is a reminder to the parents themselves, and to all people of how important it is to go to God’s church, where our weak forces, both spiritual and physical, would be filled with divine energy, divine strength. And as proof of these words I would like to cite the example of the martyrs and confessors who only recently died for the sake of Christ in our lands. Where did such strength in our people come from? Where did they get the ability to overcome extremely difficult trials and persecutions? From that very grace in which the people were brough up, which they acquired in the multitude of churches in the Russian lands. And if it weren’t for that remarkable generation of Orthodox people, who in those very churches tempered their spirit, then the Orthodox faith, having undergone terrible persecutions and the extermination of the faith, would hardly have been preserved in our land to the twenty-first century.

Our historical path, our historical experience is among other things testimony to the power of God’s grace, which through prayer, through going to church, through receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ strengthens our minds, our will, and our feelings and makes us capable of acquiring salvation. Salvation, which through the entrance of the child Mary into the Jerusalem temple, through the suffering and Resurrection of the Savior, through the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and through them upon the whole Church, is given also to us, so that despite our human weakness we would have hope in eternal life. Amen.

The Gadarene Demoniac

 (Luke 8:26-39)

In today’s Holy Gospel our Lord Jesus Christ and his disciples sailed to the country of the Gadarenes on the opposite shore from Galilee. When our Lord entered into this land, He came upon a man who was demon possessed – who went about naked among the tombs. This man was so fierce and so feared that he was kept in chains and shackles, bonds which he often broke through in his ferocity and demonically fueled strength. As soon as our Lord came near, the man possessed by the demons cried out, ‘What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!’ Christ confronted the demons possessing the man and asked: ‘What is your name?’ The demons replied, ‘Legion’, for there were many demons possessing the man.

This legion of demons possessing the man could not bear the authority and light of our Lord and at His command they were forced to flee into a herd of pigs, which then went crashing headlong off the cliffs and into the water.

The herdsmen fled and told all of these things to the people of the city and when they came, they found the man who had been possessed clothed, and in his right mind, and sitting at the feet of Jesus. And it is interesting to note that the people, upon seeing this, were afraid and asked our Lord to leave their country. They were more concerned with the loss of their swine than they were with the restoration of a man.

Commenting on this Gospel scene, Metropolitan Anthony of Sorouzh noted: ‘Here is the Savior Jesus Christ - God Who became man. He is the Word of God Who created the universe; He rules the whole world by His wisdom. And suddenly here, as in a whole series of other occurrences, He forgets about everything, it seems, because in front of Him is a specific need, one specific suffering person: this is enough for Him to turn all His divine and human attention to that person. This is a remarkable trait in Christ; this is a remarkable trait in God. We often think that there are great and worthwhile things, and things that are small and hardly worth our attention. But it is not so with God. There is no suffering, no pain, no need, no joy that God cannot relate to completely, with all His Being, and sometimes introduce a new element into a hopeless situation — open, as it were, a door, which makes a way out of this situation where there was no way out before. And here Christ, God of the universe, as if forgetting everything in the world, focuses all His attention on this man, because this man is suffering, because he needs help, because he is in grief.’

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, with God everything is personal. God is concerned with each individual person. We must remember this both as a source of encouragement and consolation regarding God’s tender care for us, and also as an example and an inspiration regarding how we should attend to the individual right in front of us.

The demons possessing the poor man in today’s Gospel were legion… innumerable. The influence of the demons upon this man was dramatic but let us not fail to see ourselves in this Gospel scene. Demonic possession does occur, but we are most often confronted in our lives with demonic oppression: their harassment and provocation. And it frequently is the case that these demonic harassments and provocations can come from a legion of demons.

We must never rest on our laurels thinking that our sins and our passions are just ‘little ones’. Remember the story of Gulliver’s Travels… Gulliver was shipwrecked and washed ashore upon the island of Lilliput, populated by people who were no bigger than mice. The Lilliputians found this giant of a man upon their shore and, in their fear, decided to tie him down. But how could they tie such a large man down? Their rope was like the thinnest string in his presence. But string by string they began to secure him and after many hundreds, maybe thousands of strings were secured, they had him held fast. Though each string was little and seemingly insignificant, when a legion of strings were used, Gulliver was held fixed to the earth.

It is the same with us and all of our ‘little sins’. Perhaps each one may seem insignificant to us… just a little white lie, just a little gossip, just a peek at something inappropriate on the computer, just an honest assessment of someone else’s shortcomings. But all of these little provocations will add up and bind us to the earth. The greatest saints frequently called themselves the greatest of sinners. This was not a disingenuous humility… this was an appraisal of the many little passions and sins which they had the wisdom and the vision to see within themselves.

But do not lose hope! Christ sees our sufferings. He sees the legion of demons which may not have gone so far as to possess us, but certainly harass and provoke us. If we would have the humility and the self-awareness to truly see our sins and could then cry out: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ Christ can disperse the demonic hordes and restore us to health and sanity.

This image of the formerly possessed man – clothed, in his right mind, and sitting at the feet of Jesus – is a beautiful picture, it is an image of the transformation from sickness to health… and it is one that we should aspire toward.

One who is spiritually clothed is one who has retained or who has renewed the white garment of baptism. That renewal of our baptismal garment comes from the repentance of a contrite heart. Let us pray that God will create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us. That clean heart and right spirit restore to us a right mind, restore us to spiritual health and well-being. And from that peace of well-being, we may then go about our lives while we spiritually sit at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May God grant us such health and sanity!

22nd Sunday after Pentecost

 (Luke 16:19-31)

The Gospel for this Sunday tells us the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Our Lord tells us of a certain rich man who had every luxury and whose table was overflowing with feasts every day. At the same time, there was a poor and sickly beggar named Lazarus, who sat in misery at the gates of the rich man’s house in hope of some small scrap from the rich man’s bounty.

Both men soon died… Lazarus was taken up to heaven, to the bosom of Abraham, and the rich man found himself in the torments of hell. After such a life of importance and wealth, the rich man takes nothing of his luxuries beyond the grave and we are not even told nor remember his name. The rich man was permitted to see the reward of Lazarus and called out to Abraham that Lazarus might be permitted to come and offer him some small consolation in his suffering. But the rich man was reminded that during his earthly life he had his reward and consolations and Lazarus had nothing and was shown no mercy. Now in the afterlife the rich man found himself in torment while Lazarus was comforted. And, it is added, between the place of the rich man and the place of Lazarus there was a ‘great gulf’ such that none could pass from one place to another.

So the rich man begged that Lazarus might go to his earthly relatives to forewarn them of the realities of the spiritual life and the life beyond the grave. But Abraham rebuked him saying that they have Moses and the prophets, yet they do not heed the word of God. The rich man emphasizes that if someone were to miraculously return from the dead, that then the worldly-minded would awaken and hear God’s word. Abraham replies, that even if one were to rise from the dead, they would not be persuaded to change their ways.

Abraham was, of course, correct in his assessment that ‘even if one were to rise from the dead, people would not be persuaded to change their ways.’ Don’t we see this in our world today? Jesus Christ, our God incarnate, rose from the tomb. This is not a ‘Christian myth’, it is a historical fact that is widely documented not just by those Gospel writers whose lives were indeed changed, but by secular and Jewish historians of the time as well. The world of the first century was abuzz with this news of the miracles of Jesus Christ and of His reappearing after His death. And we can certainly see the evidence of the impact of the risen Christ in the lives of those few throughout the centuries who were persuaded and awakened to hear God’s word.

But what about the rest of us? What do we see as we look back through history and as we look at the world around us today? Even though One has arisen from the dead, the worldly-minded continue to go about their ways – seeking self-glory, worshipping youth and fleshly beauty, lusting with ambition, and delighting in worldly comforts and amusements. When obstacles get in the way of these pursuits, all hell breaks loose with the passions of frustration and anger or with depression and disappointment.

We have to turn this examination of the worldly-minded upon ourselves, first of all. Where do our hearts lie and what is our outlook on this life? It is too often the case that those of us who call ourselves Orthodox Christians take on this same worldly-minded outlook on life. We allow ourselves to be seduced into a kind of near-sightedness that becomes blind to the eternal realities of our existence. We become preoccupied with the things of this world: money, ambition, luxuries, success, sensuality, and comforts. We react to the circumstances of our earthly life as if this is all there is, and when trials and obstacles get in the way of our pursuit of these worldly ambitions, we fall prey to the demons of irritability, frustration, and the rest.

Brothers and sisters in Christ… May God forbid that we find ourselves in the position of the rich man in today’s Gospel. He lived his life on earth as if he were asleep to the realities of eternity. It was only when he died that he woke up and realized that all of these ambitions and accomplishments were worthless if they meant that he forfeited his soul.

It is often heard from the worldly-minded that those who are concerned with spiritual things are unrealistic, they’re dreamers. Let us challenge that assertion! If we just stop for a moment and take a look at the reality of the span of our lives… this earthly life may last 80 years or so – what is that in the face of eternity? This earthly life is truly nothing more than a blink of an eye. What is more practical… to bury your head in the sand living like this world is all we’ve got or to prepare yourself for eternity? We have been created for eternity and we are going to spend eternity in the presence of God. What is that going to be like for us? This earthly life is the time for us to be healed of that fallen nature that estranges us from God. Our hearts and souls must become aflame with the love of God – because we’re going to spend our eternity in the presence of that burning love. Will we approach the Divine Fire of the throne of God as a flame or as dead and heartless kindling to be burned? Who’s the dreamer… the person who only lives for this life or the one who lives this life in the context of eternity?

How will our life change and what will our life look like if we’re living it in the eyes of eternity? Will we make time for prayer? Will we make time for spiritual reading? How important is it that we get our way in the petty disagreements that come up in our family life? Which is more important to us – that we prove that we are right or that we guard the peace and goodwill of our soul?

My dear friends… we have the testimony of One Who has risen from the dead. We have the possibility and the promise of One Who has triumphed over death and Who has opened the gates of paradise. Let us do everything we can to assure that we respond and awaken ourselves to the reality and the glorious promise of the eternity which God has prepared for those who love Him. The time for our repentance and healing is now, during this brief earthly life. As the Apostle Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians: ‘See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time.’

21st Sunday after Pentecost.

 (Luke 8:5-15)

Today’s Gospel reading tells us the parable of the sower who planted seeds on the various types of ground: some falling by the wayside, some on the rocky ground, some among the thorns, and some on fertile soil.

The seed falling by the wayside is trampled upon and the birds of the air devour it. The seed falling on the rocky ground cannot take root and soon dies. The seed falling among the thorns, is able to take root, but as it grows it becomes choked by the thorns and weeds. The seed falling on the good soil springs up and produces an abundant crop.

When the disciples asked our Lord to explain the parable, He did so, making very clear His message and meaning.

Our Lord explained that the seed is the word of God. Some hear the word of God but the devil quickly springs upon them and they are like the seed fallen by the wayside. Some hear the word of God, but do not allow it to take root within their mind and heart. They are like the seed fallen upon the rocks. Some hear the word of God and are inspired by it, but they are soon distracted and brought down by the cares of this world. They are like the seed fallen among the thorns.  And some hear the word of God and are brightened and ennobled by it and they are able to bring forth good fruit with patience. These are like the seed that falls upon the fertile ground.

I would hope that all of us wish to be that fertile ground that brings forth fruit for the Lord. But what does it take for us to be fertile ground for the grace of God? Let’s take the theme of this parable a little further and examine four things that make for good and fertile ground…

First of all, good and potentially fertile soil must be broken. The first thing a farmer or gardener must do is break up the soil so that it can be receptive to the planting of seeds. Shovels and spades are used to break through the surface of the soil, turning it over and making it supple and workable. The same thing is necessary for us… if we are to make progress in the spiritual life, we have to expect and accept to be broken. If we are not willing to allow God to break through that crusty layer of our pride and ego, there will be no spiritual growth for us. This is a difficult thing for us to do… we guard our selfishness and are often afraid to dare to surrender to God. But this is how it is… we see this process over and over again in the life of our Lord: He takes, breaks, blesses, and gives. It is true of the ground being readied for planting, it is true of the Bread of Life, and it is true in God’s relationship with us. We must be taken, broken, blessed, and then we can be given the grace of God.

Secondly, the ground must be watered. If the seed of the Word of God is to grow within this tilled and rich soil, great care must be taken to regularly water the soil. The metaphor for us is that we must make a conscious effort to water and nourish our soul with those spiritual foods that edify and fortify the growth of our soul. First and foremost among the things that nourish our soul is partaking of the sacraments of the Church: the offering of repentance and forgiveness through Confession and communing of the Body and Blood of Christ. There is no more effective and powerful nutrient for the soul than these. And we must be careful to edify our soul throughout each day through prayer, spiritual reading, guarding our eyes, ears, and tongue from those things that we know will bring us down.

Third… as the seed begins to sprout, the ground must give way in order for the roots to grow. This is an extremely important spiritual lesson for us all. It is a symptom of the modern age that we would desire for the grace and love of God to come into our lives, but that we make no provision to make room for this infusion of grace by clearing out the junk that currently fills our lives. We want God to fill our bucket, but we refuse to dump it out beforehand. We cling jealously to our selfish desires, our plans, and our will. This leaves no room for God to enter and make His abode in us. Just as the soil must give way for the growth and spreading of the roots, we too must have the humility and trust to yield our will to the will of God.

Finally, the last element we will talk about in our planting analogy is that other ingredient which helps this soil which has been tilled and watered and softened… a dose of fertilizer is often used to enrich the soil and aide in the growth of the seed and young plant. We must not be upset or surprised or resentful when we run into obstacles, difficulties, sufferings, and temptations. We must look upon such things as the fertilizer that actually helps in the development of our soul – for this is truly how it is. We need to endure our sufferings with patience and with love – keeping the eyes of our soul above the particulars of the specific problem or temptation that is besetting us, reaching out to God and asking Him to be with us and help us in our troubles. Indeed it is often the case that it is our sufferings and times of trial and crisis that bring us closest to God.

Let us take care to make sure we are that rich soil that is receptive to the planting of the seed of God. Let us have the courage to be broken and tilled, to take great care to water and nourish our soul with the sacraments of the Church and with daily sources of inspiration. Let’s ‘get over ourselves’ and our selfish preoccupations so that we can make room for God to work in our lives. And let us have the eternal perspective to not let the inevitable ‘fertilizer’ of life get us down or make us upset. We must endure such things with the realization that such things can be to our spiritual benefit and growth… it all depends on how we respond.

If we can remember these things and focus on fulfilling them, we may become that rich soil that produces the good fruit of Christian virtue. May God grant that it be so!

20th Sunday after Pentecost

 (Luke 7:11-16)

In today’s Holy Gospel we hear the account of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain. Christ and His disciples and a large crowd of followers were traveling from one city to the next and, as they approached the city of Nain, their path crossed with a funeral procession. A young man, the only son of a widowed mother, had died and the dead man was being carried out for burial. When our Lord saw this scene, His heart was filled with compassion for the grieving mother and He approached her and said, ‘Do not weep.’

Then He touched the coffin of the deceased and said to Him, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ Immediately, the young man was revived and sat up and began speaking. The shock and consolation and joy of the mother must have been indescribable!

What are we to learn from today’s Gospel reading?

Well, the first thing that strikes us is the love and compassion of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Here was our Lord, traveling along on His important mission of preaching, surrounded by a large crowd of His disciples and followers – and He notices and His heart is moved by the scene of this little funeral procession and the tears of the mother who is now alone without a husband or son to care for her. How many times do we see in the Holy Gospel the manifestation of the compassion Christ? Our Lord’s entire earthly ministry was filled with demonstrations of this practical and heartfelt compassion for people. Christ not only raised the dead, but He spent great time and great care in visiting and healing the sick, the lepers, the lame, and the downtrodden. No-one was insignificant to our Lord. And the same goes true to this day… God looks upon each one of us as a unique and unrepeatable person. Take consolation, dear brothers and sisters! God is near and He cares for you. But if that is true, then why does God seem so distant from me sometimes? I call out to Him, but I get no answers! Well… as Metropolitan Anthony of Sorouzh so pointedly put it – isn’t it really the case that we are the ones who are absent, not God? How many times does God knock on the door of our heart and we do not answer? We must work to be attuned to God and then we will see how close He is to us – even in our sufferings, especially in our sufferings.

Today’s Gospel also shows us the tremendous power and authority of Jesus Christ. Let us make no mistake and let us never doubt the life-giving creative power of Jesus Christ. Our Lord, in His earthly ministry not only healed the sick, but on several occasions we see Him calling back to life those that had died. This should surely come as no surprise, that Christ, Who is God, can heal the sick and raise the dead, for He is the source of all life and Creator of the heavens and the earth.

What is most remarkable is not the power and authority of Christ, but the love and compassion of Christ. St Isaac the Syrian said, ‘Do not fear God because of the greatness of His majesty, but fear Him because of the greatness of His love.’

This is a very profound statement… ‘Do not fear God because of the greatness of His majesty, but fear Him because of the greatness of His love.’

It is true that God is above all, that He reigns in majesty, that He is worthy of our awe and trepidation. We stand in His presence and gaze into the abyss of infinity and we fear because we are unworthy to look upon the height of His glory.

But there is something so much more intimate happening in God’s relationship with mankind. When we realize the life-giving power and authority of God it emphasizes to us the humility and compassion of God that He deigns to give us such freedom. God does not demand our love, for how can true love be demanded of another? Instead, He offers Himself to us… extending His love and His invitation to enter into a relationship with us. This is an astounding thing! This is the overwhelming greatness of the love of God!

Brothers and sisters in Christ, our fear of God should transcend beyond the trembling before His majesty… we must fear the possibility of falling short of the love which God extends to us. This is the true fear of the Lord! That we understand His intimate and loving compassion and patience for us and yet we fall short of valuing and holding this treasure of God’s love.

Christ said if you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And what are the commandments of Christ? He tells us that all the Law and the Prophets are summarized in the following… that we love the Lord our God with all of our heart and mind and soul and strength and that we love our neighbor as our self. Let us therefore strive to love God above all else and to do our best to keep His commandments – not out of slavish obligation, but flowing from a heart of gratitude and enthusiastic love for the One Who has first loved us.

The Protection of the Mother of God

May God’s blessings be with you on this wonderful feast day of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos!

The feast that we celebrate today commemorates an event which occurred in Constantinople in the tenth century. The city was under threat by the invading barbarians and the people were assembled in the Blacharnae Church praying to God. Saint Andrew and his disciple Epiphanios were blessed to see the Most Holy Mother of God, along with St John the Baptist and St John the Theologian and other heavenly hosts. The Mother of God was praying and imploring with tears for the protection of the city and the Christians abiding there. Following her fervent prayers, she took her veil and spread it out over the church and city as a sign of her protection and prayers. The threat of the invaders was averted, and the people glorified God and His Most Pure Mother in gratitude for their salvation.

Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke very few words in His agony upon the cross… but one of the things that He did say to His mother and to the disciple whom He loved was: ‘Woman, behold thy son.’ And then to His disciple He said: ‘Behold thy mother!’ We, who as Christians are disciples of Christ, have been given the Most Pure Virgin as our mother, and she has been given to us as our mother and protector.

The intercessions of the Mother of God throughout Christian history are too numerous to count. Throughout the centuries her interventions and her prayers have strengthened and comforted the faithful. Her appearance in Blacharnae which we celebrate today is but one of the many visions and miracles manifested by her maternal love for the followers of her Son.

One of the clear and potent messages of this great feast of the Protection of the Mother of God is that we are not alone. We are not orphans standing out in the cold of this world. Christ has given us His Mother to watch over us as a hen covers her chicks with her wing. One of our biggest problems is that we do not have the spiritual clarity to see this reality.

Just like the anxious disciples who were tossed to and fro upon the sea, we also allow ourselves to be caught up in fear in the face of the storms of this world. Is not Christ there at the helm? Is not His Most Pure Mother covering us with her protecting veil?

In this world we shall have tribulation, but we need not be afraid, for Christ has overcome the world.

We may still suffer… we may still behold real tragedies… but if we retain our faith in Christ our God, if we hold fast to the promises of our Lord… we will not allow those waves to drown us, we will keep peace knowing Who is ultimately in charge and Who is watching over us.

Just as the vision of St Andrew looked beyond the surface level of the imminent threat of the surrounding invaders – to see past that thin layer to the glorious reality of the presence of the Mother of God, her fervent prayers and her protecting veil. So too must we work to have our eyes open to the eternal realm which intersects and interplays with all the little triumphs and tragedies of our lives. Something greater is going on here… and it requires a purity of heart to perceive it. But it is real, and our attentiveness to that greater reality will guide and guard how we respond to any setbacks and drama that we may experience in the here and now.

May God grant us that purity of heart which opens the eyes of our soul. Which opens our eyes to the true meaning of this life and to the eternal consequences of each inclination of our heart and mind. Which opens our eyes to the on-going fulfillment of our Lord’s promise and the gift of His Most Pure Mother as our heavenly benefactor and protector.

Through the prayers of the Most Holy Mother of God, may Christ’s Holy Church be protected and preserved, may the innocent ones who find themselves in the midst of war be safe under her protecting veil, and may each of us realize and recognize the tremendous blessing and protection we have as children of the Most Pure Virgin and as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

St Sergius of Radonezh

Today we celebrate one of the great saints of the Russian Orthodox Church – St Sergius of Radonezh.

St Sergius was born sometime during the second decade of the 14th century. He was the second of three brothers born to his parents Kyril and Maria. His name as a child was Batholomew. Growing up, Bartholomew had difficulty learning and being able to read. One day he came upon an elderly monk who gave Batholomew a small piece of holy bread saying: ‘Take and eat it, this is given to you as a sign of God's grace and for understanding of the Scriptures’. From that meeting on Bartholomew found that he could read easily and that the world of learning became accessible to him.

In 1334, after the death of his parents, Bartholomew moved to Khotkovo near Moscow, joining his widowed older brother Stephen. In 1337, he was tonsured a monk with the name Sergius and was soon thereafter ordained to the priesthood. Sergius and his brother Stephen longed for greater solitude in order to pray. They found such a place in the deep forest near Marovets hill and built there a small cell and a simple chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity. This was in the year 1340. The brothers lived a secluded life in the forest: working, praying, and conducting their simple services. After some time, the elder brother Stephen found the life of seclusion difficult, and he left Sergius to go live in Epiphany monastery in Moscow. With the departure of his brother, Sergius lived alone for a number of years. As he grew in holiness and closeness to God, the wild animals responded to his holy way of life - packs of wolves and bears would come to his hut but would not harm him. One bear in particular became quite tame around St Sergius and would feed from his hand. Over time, people learned of St Sergius and would seek him out for spiritual guidance. Soon, his simple cell grew to a small hermitage of twelve monks. The hermitage of the Holy Trinity continued to grow and eventually became the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra – the great monastery and spiritual center of Holy Russia.

St Sergius guided the growing brotherhood with wisdom… as the number of brothers would increase, he would find time to retreat deeper into the forest to seek that peace and quiet which were so conducive to his life of prayer. That pattern of Christians seeking solitude in the Russian forests, being perfected through asceticism and prayer, being discovered by others and having small communities start to grow around them – this pattern would be repeated many times over throughout the Russian land – and St Sergius was the prototype.

He reposed in the Lord on this day in the year 1392. He was glorified as a saint in 1452.

St Sergius life was a model of asceticism and hesychasm – which means stillness. While he was not a learned man nor a great preacher, he was a man committed to poverty and utter sincerity and simplicity. He was deeply humble and had a staunch faith in God's help. He committed to giving help to all who sought his help with loving attention. This invariably drew others to him, and he proved to be a true leader who led his monks in work and service by setting such a fine example in his own life and way of being.

St Sergius has long been venerated and appreciated as an intercessor before the Lord for all Orthodox people and is especially loved in Russia. That model of withdrawing from the distractions of the world in order to find peace and quiet with God is a powerful and important lesson for each of us. Our lives may not facilitate a literal retreat to the forest, but each of us, no matter what our outward circumstances may be, can benefit greatly from valuing and pursuing whatever moments we can find for quiet time with God. And St Sergius’ diligence in fasting and prayer is something all Orthodox Christians can and should emulate to the best of their ability.

The prayers and intercessions of St Sergius are alive and well today. His monastery thrives in our day and a number of recent saints have found their salvation within the walls of Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra. Let me conclude by sharing with you a little miracle that St Sergius coordinated for some of us…

The seven members of our parish that made our pilgrimage to Russia in the summer of 2019 were blessed to visit the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra. It was one of several places in Russia that I will certainly never forget. Driving a little over an hour northwest from Moscow, one comes upon the town of Sergiev Posad and the mighty fortress which is the Holy Trinity–St Sergius Lavra. With massive walls surrounding the monastery and beautiful onion domes and bell towers gracing the skyline, it is a very impressive sight! We were blessed to visit several of the churches within the monastery and to venerate the relics of the many saints resting there. But I, and several others in our group, had our eyes on the church which housed the relics of St Sergius himself. Unfortunately, the line of pilgrims and tourists who also wished to venerate his relics wound out of the church and all the way around it and out of sight. There was little chance of our being able to get in to see St Sergius given the amount of time we had to spend there.

But, as happened so many times on our trip, God was watching out for us. We were told that we could go directly to the narthex area of the church so that we could at least get a glimpse from afar and perhaps buy some icons and souvenirs to commemorate our visit. We came into the church via this other entrance and before we knew what was happening, one of the monks saw our group and whisked us immediately into the main part of the church and to the front of the line to venerate St Sergius’ holy relics! It was truly a blessing of St Sergius for which we all were extremely grateful. The timeless beauty and sense of holiness that resided in that church and hovered around the relics of St Sergius were palpable and profound.

On this holy day of his repose, let us ask for the intercessions of St Sergius. Let us beseech him that we would be granted some small portion of those peaceful moments in the presence of God which can be life-changing and can recharge our spiritual batteries with inspiration and gratitude to the God Who so loves us!

Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Cross

On Wednesday of this past week we celebrated the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. As we read from the Epistle on that day, the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

What kind of madness is Christianity, that we would venerate the Cross – a symbol of torture and the cruelest of deaths? And yet, the Cross is indeed precious and life-giving to us – for through the sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ, the Cross has become our symbol of hope and its message is one of unutterable love.

For our Lord has said: ‘Greater love has no one that this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.’ Our Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t just speak about this as an ideal… He demonstrates this for us in laying down His life for us upon the Cross. The God Who created us; Who established us in Paradise; Who gifted us with the tremendous and terrible grace of freedom… the freedom to respond to His love with our love or to choose to turn away; Who taught us by the Law; Who spoke to us by the Prophets. This God finally takes flesh upon Himself and submits to all the miseries that we have created, and suffers through it all, and submits to death upon a Cross for each of us Whom He calls His friends. There is no greater expression of love than this and this is why we exalt and venerate the Cross.

And it is through His death upon the Cross that life and Paradise are once again re-opened to us. The path to the glorious light of Christ’s resurrection must pass through the Cross and death and His descent into Hades… there is no place marked by the suffering of sin that Christ has not touched, and touching it He makes the way for healing and resurrection.

One of the most profound and important statements from the holy fathers of the Church is found in the words of St Gregory the Theologian, who said the following: ‘That which is not assumed is not healed.’ What do these words mean? And why are they such a significant insight into the reason for and the meaning of Christ’s death upon the Cross?

‘That which is not assumed is not healed.’ In other words, that which is not taken up, or put upon oneself… is not healed. This is the significance of Christ’s incarnation. He assumed upon Himself our humanity. In so doing, He took upon Himself and experienced the joys and sorrows of what it is to be a human being. He united Himself to our humanity in all things except one… He did not submit to sin. But temptation, loneliness, hunger, betrayal, sorrow, pain… all of these things He endured and in so doing, in assuming these things upon Himself, He triumphed over them and healed them. And this assumption of our humanity He takes to the ultimate level in submitting to be nailed upon a Cross, to suffer, and to die. His humanity submits to death and His divinity triumphs over it.

This is why we exalt the Cross of Christ… because it is the ultimate sign of God’s love and because it is the ultimate sign of Christ’s victory over sin and death.

The process of our salvation is uniting our self to Christ. In uniting our self to Christ, we unite our self to His victory, to His triumph over all that oppresses us… sin and sorrow and death.

Christ calls us to a love which is best symbolized by the Cross. Christ calls us to a love which is not self-serving and self-pleasing, but is self-sacrificing. Anyone who has truly loved another, knows that with love comes pain of heart. We no longer live for ourselves and for the pursuit of our own pleasures. We live for another… we long for their presence, we co-suffer with them in whatever tribulations they may encounter, we make ourselves vulnerable to them, and we would willingly sacrifice all that we have for their good. In a word, we would lay down our life for them.

This is the way of the Cross. And the outstretched arms of our Lord upon the Cross embrace all the world with this self-sacrificial love. The Cross, which is foolishness to the world, is for us the symbol and the reality of the love of God. It is the signpost pointing us to the way upon which we should walk. It is a path of denying ourselves, taking up our Cross, and following after Christ.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us follow Christ along the path of love… emulating His kindness and mercy, His courageous resistance to temptation and evil, and even daring to embrace His way of suffering and death which lead to resurrection.

16th Sunday after Pentecost

In today’s Holy Gospel our Lord tells us of the talents given to the servants – to one was given five talents, to another two, and to another only one – each according to his own ability.

The servant who was given the five talents was diligent and invested them so that when the master returned he was able to double the value of what had been given to him.

The servant who received the two talents, even though less was given to him, also proved to be a good steward and returned to his master a profit.

The final servant, who was only given the one talent, was fearful and exacting… he had hidden his talent in the ground and when the master returned he gave back nothing more than what he had been given.

The master praised those servants who had taken their gifts and used them wisely – benefiting and increasing the wealth that had been given them.

To that servant who did nothing with his gift, the master condemned him as a wicked and lazy servant. He took from him the one talent that had been given and gave it to others who had proven themselves better caretakers of the master’s gifts.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we stand here today as recipients of a tremendous treasure given to us by God. On this day we celebrate several saints who are our spiritual forefathers in the faith. Today we commemorate Sts Sergius and Herman of Valaam and we also remember St Silouan the Athonite. These saints shine brightly in a spiritual lineage handed down from one generation to the next and lead us to very doorsteps of our parish.

St Sergius was a monk of Mt Athos who was sent to the northern areas of Karelia (now Finland and northwestern Russia). The Karelian people had recently experienced the missionary efforts of the Catholic Swedes, who attempted to convert the people to Christianity by force. As one might expect, this did not work… and it left the people of this area with an aversion to the Christian message. However, St Sergius, and St Herman who followed just behind him, came with a different approach. Their monastic formation directed them to a missionary approach founded in love and in works of generosity. They lived the Gospel and this drew the people’s attention to want to learn more about their radiant faith. There is an old saying which perfectly captures St Sergius and Herman’s missionary success: ‘Preach the Gospel at all times, and only when necessary use words.’

St Sergius settled on the islands of Valaam in the midst of the great Lake Ladoga and founded a monastery there. St Herman, who was from the region of Karelia, followed in his footsteps, and continued the monastic presence there. Valaam monastery has stood as a citadel of Orthodoxy in this northern region for many centuries. It is from Valaam that our own St Herman of Alaska came to this country – bringing with him that same spirit of Orthodox piety and humility which enabled him to shine the light of faith in the new land of Alaska.

We know from the accounts of the native peoples of Alaska that St Herman demonstrated a similar way of being as his forefathers St Sergius and Herman of Valaam. The native Alaskans were attracted to St Herman by his quiet reverence for God, his deep prayer, his untiring work ethic and generosity toward others – in a word, the treasure and talent of his Christian love.

This is the treasure and the talent that is handed down to us by these great saints – by Sts Sergius and Herman of Valaam and by their monastic descendent, St Herman of Alaska.

We also celebrate today a saint of our own times – St Silouan of Mt Athos. St Silouan was born in Russia in the late 19th century and pursued his monastic life on the blessed peninsula of Mt Athos in Greece. There he quietly struggled in the process of salvation, drawing closer to Christ through his ascetic efforts of fasting, prayer, and vigil. We have been gifted with details and insights of the life of this righteous man through the writings of his spiritual son, St Sophrony of Essex, England. When I was first converting to the Orthodox faith, there were very few books in English about Orthodoxy… yet the two small volumes on the life and the writings of St Silouan were available and they were powerful sources of inspiration. Over the years these twin volumes have been combined, along with new material, into the highly recommended book entitled: ‘St Silouan of Mt Athos’. Reading about St Silouan and hearing the words of his prayers, one encounters the inestimable treasure of a man wholly steeped in the love of God and whose love for God spills over into prayer and weeping for the whole world.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have been given these talents, these treasures of the inheritance of our Orthodox faith from our fathers: Sts Sergius and Herman of Valaam and St Silouan of Mt Athos. They gift us with the example of an Orthodox spirit of humility and love for God and neighbor. What will we do with this inheritance? Will we be like the foolish servant, who buries his treasure in the ground? May God forbid! Let us take the lesson of the parable of the talents and invest ourselves in our faith so that this faith can grow and bear fruit.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers Sergius, Herman, and Silouan, may God grant us some small portion of this treasure of Orthodox piety, humility, and struggle. May we live our lives in such a way that the light of Christ can shine through us – preaching the Gospel at all times, and perhaps only when necessary, using words.

Sts Peter and Fevronia – Family Life

Today is a special day of commemoration and celebration in the Russian Orthodox Church. On this third Sunday of September we remember and honor Holy Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia of Murom. Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom are the patrons of marriage and family and are held before us as examples of love and fidelity.

Let me share with you briefly about these great saints…

Peter and Fevronia were benevolent rulers and always helped their people with alms and prayers. They treated all as if they were their own children. They loved everyone equally, and disliked only those who were proud or who exploited the people. Peter and Fevronia laid up their treasures, not on earth, but in heaven. They were real pastors of their city. They always ruled with truth and humility, and never with anger. They gave shelter to pilgrims, fed the hungry, and clothed the naked. And they helped the poor in their misfortune.

When death was nearing, Peter and Fevronia prayed to God that they both might die in the same hour. And they requested that they be buried in the same tomb and in a common coffin in which their bodies would be separated only by a partition. Before their deaths they took monastic vows, Prince Peter becoming Brother David, and Princess Fevronia, Sister Euphrosinia.

After their deaths, some of the people decided that Prince Peter should be buried in the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin, which was within the walls of the city of Murom, and that Princess Fevronia should be buried in the Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, which was outside the walls of the city. The body of Prince Peter was put in a casket and was placed in the cathedral, where it was left overnight. The body of Princess Fevronia was put in another casket and placed in the church outside the city walls. A tomb, which had earlier been carved from a huge rock as a resting-place for Peter and Fevronia, remained empty in the yard of the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin.

The next morning the people went to the caskets of Peter and Fevronia and found them empty. The bodies of the holy prince and princess were found together in the tomb of stone, which they had ordered prepared for them. The people, not understanding the meaning of this event, once more placed the bodies in separate caskets. On the following day the bodies of Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia were once again found together in the tomb of stone. Since that time no man has dared to disturb their holy bodies, but left them in their common tomb in the yard of the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin, which is located in the city of Murom. To this day, those who approach the holy relics of Peter and Fevronia with prayer, always receive comfort and healing.

In honor of these beloved saints, the Russian Orthodox Church marks the Sunday before their feast as a special day of blessing and honor for Orthodox families.

And so, let us take a moment this morning to speak about the importance of family life and its role in the shaping of our Christian life.

We all experience family life – either as husbands, wives, parents, children, brothers, sisters, and even if one is living alone, we may include in this those close relationships which make up our life – our neighbors, our associates at work, and certainly our parish community.

The point is that in such relationships we experience both the consolations and the challenges of living in close proximity to one another. The consolations of family are warm and wonderful indeed – and I pray that each of you may be blessed with many precious moments like these. And yet, family life can be a real challenge as well.

It is very easy to romanticize our Christian life… to read the Gospels or the lives of saints – to be inspired by them and to have our hearts and minds elevated to the heights. But how ironic is the scene of someone imagining himself ascending the heights of Christian virtue while seething with irritation at the noise and demands put upon him by his wife or children or aging parents. Christ calls us to be fully present where we are… While we may be fantasizing about holy we would be if we could just be standing in silence before a lampada and icon; the reality of the path to salvation which Christ sets before us may very well be in selflessly attending to those in need right before us.

I recall an instructive story from the life of Metropolitan Anthony of Sorouzh: He was listening to the complaints of a parishioner who was very upset about the distractions and noise of the children in the church. They were so disruptive that this parishioner found it impossible to pray. Metropolitan Anthony’s answer was this… ‘My dear, if you were truly praying, you would not even notice the noise of the children.’ Maybe the reality is that the distraction is ruining your prayer… so what can you do? You can practice the virtues of patience, kindness, and generosity… and in this way you remain close to Christ.

Our Christian faith must never descend to the realm of idealism. The world is full of ideologies and, as I’m sure we have all experienced, those wound up in ideologies tend to be very brittle and threatened when confronted with other ideas or with realities that fall short of or interrupt their utopian dreams.

Christianity, while ascending to heights not even imaginable by worldly ideologies, must also be deeply practical and personal. For most of us, that arena wherein we are called to practical and personal virtue is the family. The family offers us endless opportunities to practice patience, kindness, generosity, and self-control. These are not distractions, they are the very real struggles that build our Christian soul.

May God bless us and be with us and our families on this day on which we commemorate the holy Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia. It is a day of blessing and celebration of marriage, the family, and fidelity to God and one another. May God bless our marriages, our families, and our parish community… and may God bless every sacrifice we make toward faithfulness, kindness toward one another, and self-giving love.

13th Sunday After Pentecost

Matthew 21:33-42

In today’s Holy Gospel we heard the parable of the owner of a vineyard. The owner has equipped this vineyard with all that is necessary to produce fruit and to protect its healthy production. He rents out the vineyard to some cultivators to whom he entrusts its care and stewardship. Again and again he sends messengers to collect the rent and over and over again these messengers are ignored, ridiculed, even stoned and beaten. Finally, he sends his own son – expecting that they will respect him. Seeing the son of the owner, the wicked cultivators conspire to kill him in order to receive his inheritance.

The initial interpretation of this parable is obvious… Jesus is speaking directly and referring to the nation of Israel – that vineyard of the Lord which had been so well equipped by the promises and laws of God with all that is necessary to bring forth spiritual fruit. The many messengers sent to the vineyard are none other than the prophets of the Old Testament – the long succession of holy men and women who called the nation of Israel back to repentance and the ways of God and who were again and again ignored, rejected, despised, and killed. And the son is, of course, our Lord Jesus Christ – the Son of God Who was sent to the vineyard to speak directly, to show by living example, and to intercede for the people of God. This parable was spoken by Jesus on Tuesday of Holy Week just before His crucifixion. It was intended to awaken the Pharisees and the people of God to the terrible sins they had committed in the past against the prophets and the great sin they were about to commit against God’s own Son. It is a powerful parable and a clear forewarning of what was to come.

Christ quotes the Psalms saying: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.’ That stone which was rejected is Jesus Christ, rejected by the children of Israel, yet becoming the chief cornerstone of the new temple of the Christian Church and the Kingdom of Heaven.

Brothers and sisters in Christ… we stand here in church today as Orthodox Christians, the new Israel, and woe to us if we make the same mistake as our forefathers. In our Orthodox Faith, we have been even better equipped with all of the sacraments and grace of God, we have everything necessary for our salvation in the Holy Church entrusted to us by our Lord. And yet, let us examine ourselves and ask - how do we behave as stewards of this rich vineyard of our faith? Do we heed the teachings of the holy fathers – those messengers given to us in every generation, sent to wake us up from our spiritual drowsiness? Do we take the blessings and sacraments of the Church for granted? Do we arrive late for services, not perceiving the Great Blessing that takes place here upon the altar where our Lord Jesus Christ offers Himself in His Body and Blood? We must treasure our faith and we must do our utmost to understand it, uphold it, and be transformed by it.

Let us look at what this parable tells us about God and let us think about these attributes of God in light of their affect and influence on our very own souls…

First of all, we must bow in recognition and gratitude for the incredible generosity of God. He provides the rich vineyard - all things necessary for us - and then He leaves us with the freedom to be loving and good stewards of His blessings or, if we so choose, we can be negligent and slothful. He entrusts us with the free will to receive and care for His blessings, which helps bring us into a relationship of love.

Secondly, we should recognize and be astonished at the extreme patience and long-suffering of God. The owner of the vineyard sends messenger after messenger giving them endless chances. Doesn’t God do the same with us? He is mercifully patient with our sins and our selfishness. Every day and every hour he stands at the door of our heart and knocks – welcoming us into a loving communion with Him. And every day and every hour we ignore and dismiss Him because we are so preoccupied with our own selfishness. God’s patience and love are beyond our understanding!

Third, we see that God is righteous and just. The evil cultivators thought that by killing the son they would receive the inheritance – but ultimately this inheritance is taken away from them and given to others. We must recognize that God’s righteousness will ultimately prevail… if we persist in our stubborn choice of selfishness, He will not force us into this union of love, the vineyard of paradise will be granted to others.

Finally, we see the love and the uniqueness of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. There is nothing more intimate, dramatic, and effective that God could possibly do than sending His Son - directly entering into and interceding into the lives of His people, into our lives. And He offers Himself again and again… giving us His very life, His Flesh and Blood… what more do we want from God? He lays His life before us and in that extreme act of humility, opens to us the Gates of Paradise!

God has indeed provided us with everything we need in the vineyard of His Church and in the vineyard of our hearts. God is generous and trusting, He is patient and longsuffering, His righteous justice will prevail, and He demonstrates to us His great love for each of us by His willingness and desire to enter into direct communion and interaction with us.

Let us take a lesson from today’s Holy Gospel.. recognizing the part we play in this story of the vineyard and assuring that we do not take the role of the negligent and wicked caretakers, but instead let us be good stewards of the tremendous blessings given to us by God, let us stay alert and attend to the messages and encouragements given to us by God, and let us always warmly welcome and forever honor the Son of God, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The words of the holy Apostle Paul heard in today’s Epistle capture this perfectly as he says: ‘Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.’

Dormition of the Mother of God

St John of Kronstadt

Today the Holy Church solemnly glorifies the honorable Dormition or translation of the Mother of God from earth to heaven. Her soul is taken up in the divine hands of Her Son and carried up into the heavenly abode, accompanied by the sweet singing of angels. And then, her most pure body is transferred by the apostles to Gethsemane where it is honorably buried, and on the third day it is resurrected and taken up to heaven. You see this on the icon of the Dormition of the Theotokos. On it is represented the life-bearing body of the Theotokos laying on a bier, surrounded by the apostles and hierarchs, and in the center of the icon the Lord holding in His hands the most pure soul of the Theotokos. The translation of the Mother of God is a paradigm of the translation in general of the souls of Christians to the other world.

We say that our dead have “fallen asleep” or “passed away.” What does this mean? This means that for the true Christian there is no death. Death was conquered by Christ on the cross. But there is a translation - a rearrangement of his condition - his soul is in another place, in another age, in another world beyond the grave, eternal, without end, that is what is meant by “falling asleep”. It is as if it were a temporary dream after which, by the voice of the Lord and the fearful yet wonderful trumpet of the Archangel, all the dead shall live and come forth each to his place: either to the resurrection of life or to the resurrection of condemnation (John 5:29). This is what the Christian means by translation. We should be ready for this translation, for the day of the general resurrection and judgment, for this indescribable world event, recorded in the Holy Scriptures.

This preparation for the meeting of the heavenly King before the dread judgment seat, after death, is essentially the person’s preparation throughout the whole of his life. This preparation means a change in all his thoughts, and the moral change of all his being, so that the whole man would be pure and white as snow, washing clean everything that defiles the body and spirit, so that he is adorned with every virtue: repentance, meekness, humility, gentleness, simplicity, chastity, mercifulness, abstention, spiritual contemplation, and burning love for God and neighbor.

Our preparation for meeting the heavenly King, and for the inheritance of eternal life in heaven, should consist of these things. The heavenly King desires souls adorned with immutable virtue, souls prepared so that the Very Lord Himself could abide in them. Do not marvel that the Very Lord wants to live in us. In fact the human soul is more spacious than the heavens and the earth, for it exists in the image of God. And if one removes sins from the soul, the Lord of all will settle in it and will fill it with Himself. “We will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14:23), says the Lord about the souls who love Him.

And so, ye participants in the Christian feasts, and especially the present feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, ye who are brightly adorned with every virtue and translated to the heavenly kingdom, to Her Son and God, proclaim to each and every one about preparing their souls to be the dwelling place of the Lord, about continual repentance, and about the incorruptible adornment of Christian virtue. Let your death also be unashamed and peaceful, serving as the pledge of a good answer at the dread judgment seat of Christ. Amen

11th Sunday After Pentecost / Afterfeast of Transfiguration

Matthew 18:23-35

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, over the course of these past few days – as we celebrated yesterday the feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord and as we celebrate today His Holy Resurrection – we have been given important lessons regarding the justice and the mercy of God.

Before reflecting on the Transfiguration of Christ, let us take a look at the Gospel appointed for this Sunday. In the Gospel reading for today, we hear of a man who was deeply in debt, owing a great fortune to the king. The king wanted to settle his accounts with his servants and therefore demanded the payment of this debt. The poor servant could in no way pay back this great amount and so the king ordered that he and his wife and children should be sold into slavery to repay the debt. The man fell on his knees and begged the king for mercy and patience to give him time to try to pay back what he owed. The king was moved to compassion by the cries of the debtor and, with a loving heart, forgave him everything.

But then what happens? As soon as this man went out, he found one of his fellow servants who happened to owe him some small amount of money. This time, the one who had just been forgiven so much, showed no mercy and threw the debtor into prison. When the king heard about this, he called the first man before him and said, ‘You wicked servant, I forgave you the great debt that you owed and you have turned around and shown no mercy on the one who owed you so little.’ In righteous judgment the king put this man into prison until he was able to pay back all that he had originally owed.

Our Lord Jesus Christ concludes this parable telling us that this is how our Heavenly Father will treat each of us unless we forgive our brother from our heart. The message is very clear – if we expect to be forgiven, if we expect to receive mercy, then we must forgive and show love and mercy toward others.

I think it is very easy for us to withhold a spirit of forgiveness and instead to get hung up on a false idea of justice. If someone wrongs us, we become indignant and full of self-righteousness. We demand that justice must be served. And yet… does God deal with us with justice? St. Isaac the Syrian said: ‘Never say that God is just. If he were just, you would be in hell. Rely only on His injustice which is mercy, love and forgiveness.’

A story is told of a mother pleading with a king to spare her condemned son's life. The king said the crime was dreadful, that justice demanded his life. The mother replied in tears, ‘But your majesty, I beg of you not justice, but mercy.’ ‘He does not deserve mercy,’ was the answer. ‘But, sir, if he deserved it, it would not be mercy,’ replied the mother. ‘Ah yes,’ the wise king relented, ‘you have spoken the truth. I will have mercy.’

We should thank God that His judgment of us will not be based on our worldly conception of justice. We are mistaken if we think that our good deeds, our fasting, our prayer, our almsgiving, all of the things that we do in our Christian life, are going to earn us our place in the Kingdom of Heaven. If we have this expectation, then it is simply more evidence that we still think WE are the ones in control. If I do everything right, if I follow all the rules, then God will be compelled by justice to reward me.  

St Seraphim of Sarov instructs us: ‘Prayer, fasting, vigil, and all other Christian practices do not constitute the aim of our Christian life… the true aim of the Christian life consists of the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God.’

If our good deeds, our prayers, our fasting, do not bring about a change in our heart, then we are missing the point. Don’t misunderstand me… all of those tools of our faith: the prayer, the fasting, the vigilant watchfulness over our selfish passions – these things are critically important. But they are important not because they make the case for us before the judgment seat of Christ. They are important because they are the means by which our heart and mind and soul are transfigured.

Let’s use that segue to speak of the Transfiguration of Christ. Our Lord brings the Apostles Peter, James, and John up to the top of Mt Tabor and there, He reveals His glory… shining like the sun. And whom do we behold appearing with Christ? It is Moses and Elijah – two of the great figures of the Old Testament. And what is the significance of having Moses and Elijah standing to the right and left of Christ as He manifests His glory? Moses is the representative of the Law and Elijah is the representative of the Prophets. Both the Law and Prophets bear witness to Christ.

Christ spoke many times about how He came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. And His entire life stands as a testament to the fulfillment of the prophecies of old, which foresaw and awaited His coming.

Christ had spoken about the Law and the Prophets in the following way… When asked what the greatest commandment in the law was, He responded: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ And then he said this significant thing… ‘On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’

The Law condemns us. If God were to judge us based on the Law and bound by justice, we are surely doomed. And such we were, until the prophecies were fulfilled by the birth and life and death and resurrection of Christ. This is the great mercy and love of God… and now, with Christ, we are called to the greater law of love and mercy.

God is the merciful King Who forgives our debts, our sins, and the tragedy of our fallenness. There is no cold karmic justice in this… it is an outpouring of the warmth of Divine Love! We don’t deserve such mercy… it is a gift from the abundance of the unfathomable and limitless compassion of our God. If we, then, are offered such forgiveness and generosity… how can we not extend the same to all those who may offend us?

The whole point of our earthly life is to grow in the mercy and compassion of our heart so that our heart may more and more reflect that image and likeness of the mercy and compassion of God. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are each destined to stand before the bright light of the grace and love of God. May we acclimate ourselves to that transfiguring light by loving God with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength!

The following homily by Archpriest Maxim Kozlov is an excellent summary of the Dormition Fast and the three main highlights which mark this season: the Procession of the Cross, the Feast of the Transfiguration, and the Dormition of the Mother of God.

Three Milestones Of The Dormition Fast

The two-week Dormition Fast, beginning August 1/14, has three main ecclesiastical-liturgical milestones. The feast with which it starts—the Procession of the Precious Wood of the Lifegiving Cross of the Lord, the Transfiguration of the Lord on August 6/19, and the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos itself on August 15/28, crown this short journey, strict in its fasting rule (for example, fish is allowed only once the entire fast—on the Transfiguation, August 6/19).

The first feast turns us to the veneration of the Cross of the Lord, which is multi-faceted in the Church. We glorify the Cross as the instrument of our salvation, as a reminder of the price paid for our redemption, as a reminder of the Golgothic sacrifice, the symbol and victorious banner of the Christian faith, and the archetype for every Christian’s bearing of his own cross.

Now, at the beginning of the Dormition Fast, we remember the Cross of the Lord predominantly as having great power as the weapon of victory over the unseen enemies of our salvation. For us, the Cross of Christ is a force that conquers all kinds of evil. For he who truly has great faith, who walks the straight and narrow way, believing in the immutability of God’s promises, his entire life seeks to correspond to His truth, and he will not be put to shame in this hope.

The second significant milestone of the Dormition Fast is the feast of the Transfiguration. The Transfiguration of the Lord, which occurred not long before the Savior’s suffering on the Cross, is the sole feast of the Lord in the Church’s liturgical year that is taken out of the chronology of the Gospel events. It is transferred to August so as not to lose its importance as an independent stage in the history of our salvation. Because on this day the Lord, appearing to His three closest disciples—Peter, James, and John—on Mt. Tabor, strengthens their faith for the correct understanding of the coming days of the Passion and shows that the radiance of the Godhead of which they were found to be participants, the closeness of communion with God of which they were accounted worthy in a very special way, is a gift to those who believe in Him. He reminds us that Heaven is our ultimate and sole true Fatherland, and that on the path of the ascent up the mountain, the goal and reward for man will be not simply the gifts of God, not simply deliverance from punishment for our sins, but an encounter with the living God and such closeness with Him—communion with God, in the truest sense of the word.

Finally, the peak, the result of the two-week fast is the feast of the Pascha of the Theotokos—the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. It is final act of the most important stage of human history, which began with the coming of God into the world on the night of the Nativity, continued with the public ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, and reached its pinnacle in the days of the sufferings on the Cross and the Resurrection, and then showed the fruits of this wonder in the Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. The last phase of the history of our salvation worked by God is the ascension into Heaven of the first fully deified person. The Mother of God, because of her special election, because she was the summit of the fruits of all of mankind, experiences death in a completely special way. Having known death as the separation of the soul and the body, she did not know death as the destruction of her body; she knew neither its decomposition nor any damage to it. Her beloved Son resurrects her on the third day, and she ascends to Heavenly glory in the unity of body and soul, ascending as a human, as an intercessor and patroness for us.

The path of the Dormition Fast leads us to this feast of the Pascha of the Theotokos, reminding us of the final dignity of the human person and the final calling of man. It is a strict but short fast. It reminds us of the brevity of our life and the greatness of the task of creating within ourselves a truly beautiful, that is, God-like, identity, which we see in the face of the Mother of God in the full revealing of everything that is attainable for man. And even if it is not always easy for a Christian to limit himself in modern secular life, we know that we are walking that path that she has already tread, and we know that at the end of this path we hope to meet her for whose sake we will labor now, both in these coming two weeks, and for the entire remainder of our lives.

Ninth Sunday After Pentecost

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we have a most instructive linkage between the saints we commemorate today, and the words given to us in today’s Epistle and Gospel readings.

Let us first reflect upon the Epistle reading from this morning. The Apostle Paul is writing to the Church in Corinth, where divisions had arisen within the church community there. In the verses just preceding what we read today, Apostle Paul specifies that wherever we see envy, strife, and divisions among ourselves, we are not acting as Christians, but as carnal people. Indeed, the Apostle specifies that the factions within the Corinthian church were aligning themselves with mere men, saying: ‘I am of Paul’ or ‘I am of Apollos’. It is a great temptation to want to align ourselves with party factions… such things appeal to our pride and to our strong desire to want to be correct. Just as there were in the days of the Apostle Paul, there are many conflicts and causes today which vie for our attention and seek our allegiance. It is a good thing to seek the truth, but we need to know where Truth (with a capital ‘T’) might be found, and we need to know what are the proper fruits which come from that encounter with Truth.

We are greatly mistaken if we build our faith upon some magnetic Church personality, or upon an identification with a Christian culture, or a political party, or any other worldly influence. Our faith and our life must be built upon the rock and cornerstone of Christ Himself and His revelation to us in the Gospels and in the life of His Holy Orthodox Church. Apostle Paul cries out to us in today’s Epistle: ‘Let each one take heed how he builds on this foundation. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’

This foundational anchor is vividly illustrated for us in today’s Gospel reading.

In today’s Gospel, we find the disciples in the midst of the sea, where a storm began to rage and they were tossed about and began to fear for their lives. In the midst of this, they see our Lord walking toward them upon the waters – and, addressing their initial fear, He tells them the reassuring words that it is He, to be of good cheer and not to be afraid. The Apostle Peter, in his endearing zeal, asks Christ to call him to walk upon the water to Him. When our Lord summoned Apostle Peter to come to Him, Apostle Peter, in his zeal and love for Christ, immediately stepped out of the boat and began walking upon the water toward His Lord and God. He demonstrates in this moment a self-forgetting, Christ-focused faith in God. As long as he kept his eyes on Christ he walked upon the water as if it were dry land. But what happened?... We read that,’when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out ‘Lord save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O ye of little faith, why did you doubt?’ The moment Apostle Peter took his eyes off of Christ - that foundation which the Apostle Paul points us toward in his Epistle – the moment Apostle Peter takes his eyes off of Christ and began to concern himself with himself, with his fears and doubts, this is when he began to sink.

This was the danger for the church in Corinth – when they took their focus off of Christ and began to align themselves with Paul or Apollos, they descended into conflicts and envies and hatred. And this is the danger for any of us today as well. How tempted we are to align ourselves with worldly figures and concerns which pit people against one another. Again, make no mistake, there is good and there is evil in this world, and we do well to align ourselves with that which is good. But the question is - where is our focus? Is it on the endless number of waves and issues that come crashing upon us or is our focus on Christ? As He Himself said: ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God and all things shall be added unto you.’

I said at the start of my homily that we have a third link in the lesson given to us today. In addition to the Epistle and the Gospel readings, we celebrate today the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb. Saints Boris and Gleb were sons of St Vladimir who united the people of ‘Rus with baptism into the Orthodox faith. After their father’s death, the eldest son Sviatopolk conspired to kill his brothers Boris and Gleb in order to seize all power. Sviatopolk sent assassins to kill Boris, who already knew that his brother wanted him dead. When they arrived, they heard him chanting psalms and praying before an icon of Christ. He asked the Lord to strengthen him for the suffering he was about to endure and he also prayed for Sviatopolk, asking God not to count this against him as sin. Boris then laid down upon his couch and the assassins rushed in and stabbed him with their lances. Having killed Boris, Sviatopolk turned his attention toward Gleb. Gleb was en route to his brother when he learned of the murder of Boris. Sviatopolk’s assassins seized the boat of Gleb and drew their weapons, but it was Gleb’s own cook Torchin who stabbed him with a knife. They threw Gleb’s body overboard where the martyr’s body came to rest upon the shore. He was buried alongside Boris in the church of St Basil. Sts Boris and Gleb became known as ‘passion-bearers’ because they courageously did not resist evil with violence.

The key point of the martyrdoms of Sts Boris and Gleb is that their focus was set above the waves and conflicts and ambitions of this world. Their eyes were set upon Christ and the fruit of that focus imbued them with grace and peace and love. They, like the Apostle Peter, walked above the waters of the temptations of this world. They forfeited a fratricidal fight over a kingdom of this world in favor of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Our Lord told us: ‘In this world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.’ My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, conflicts are inevitable in this fallen world. Those conflicts may occur among couples within a marriage, among family members, within a parish, or within a community… or those conflicts may erupt into devastating wars between nations. The evil one delights in polarizing us to take opposite corners in whatever conflict may arise and to objectify the other as our enemy.

The lesson given to us today from the lives of the passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul, and from the example of Apostle Peter’s walk upon the waters toward our Lord Jesus Christ in today’s Gospel – is that our sights must be set higher than the distractions of this earthly plain. Conflicts and temptations will occur, but those conflicts need not drown us in the stormy seas of passions and anger and hatred. If we keep our eyes fixed on Christ, conflicts can be dealt with in good intention, with charity and without selfishness. With prayer and charity, some conflicts may be resolved and where we cannot find resolution, then we either just accept the differences or we defend the truth – charitably holding true to our conscience. We seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added unto us according to God’s will – and in that we can be content. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the prayers of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul and the holy passion bearers princes Boris and Gleb, may God grant us such strength and determination to keep our eyes fixed upon Him.

Eighth Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 14:14-22)

In the Gospel reading for today, we heard about a great and startling miracle –our Lord took the insufficient resources of five loaves and two fishes and fed the multitudes with them… Indeed, all ate and were filled and there were twelve baskets left over! This is an astonishing miracle of overcoming the natural laws of things, of taking what seems to be an impossible situation and overcoming all obstacles by the power and grace of God. Today’s Gospel speaks to us about the difference between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God… of our worldly or spiritual outlook and the necessity to turn to God for all things. There is a great and fundamental spiritual truth being demonstrated here that shows us how Christ can transform our weakness into strength, if we’ll only turn to Him.

As the evening approached, the disciples looked out upon the multitudes and become concerned and upset about the logistics of caring for and feeding so many. The disciples wanted to send the people away to the villages so they could get something to eat.

Our Lord instead commanded His disciples to gather up the food available there and to feed the people. But the disciples assessed what was available and said it couldn’t be done… all they had were two fishes and five loaves of bread… they could not possibly fulfill the task that the Lord has asked of them.

There was no way that they could feed these thousands of people with such a meager collection of food. But the Lord tells them to bring their meager resources to Him. He blesses and fills with His grace the small and insufficient resources brought before Him and He then sends the disciples out to do the job He had asked of them, to feed the multitudes. The overflowing grace of God is apparent and the disciples end up with twelve baskets of leftovers after the crowd has had their fill.

The illustration for us is clear – we too must not become discouraged and assume that something is impossible based on our limited, worldly assessments. We must bring our cares, our desires, our insufficiencies to God and allow Him to bless and provide the grace and means for their accomplishment. ‘With men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’

It is so easy to become discouraged, to think that our problems are too complex, too insurmountable for there to be any hope. We are like the disciples who look out upon the thousands of people and see our meager supplies and we give up hope. But the Lord says ‘Bring them here to Me’. Bring to Me your cares, your sorrows, your plans, your hopes, your fears – bring these to Me, says the Lord. We all suffer from insufficiencies of some kind. None of us have it all together and none of us have the independent means to fulfill all that the Lord would have us fulfill. There’s no shame in that… we have to look at things realistically and acknowledge our limitations.

But if we listen to Christ, Who says, ‘Bring your insufficiencies here to me’, and if we humbly and with faith and trust, bring ourselves before the Lord, He will perform miracles. The Apostle Peter echoes this when he writes, ‘Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exult you in due time, casting your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.’  

This Gospel truth is applicable not only for those big challenges and crises in our lives, but for our day to day struggles with sin as well. Each one of us deals with various temptations that weigh us down and, perhaps, continually defeat us. We look upon our sins and, like the disciples in today’s Gospel, we say ‘it is impossible’, or perhaps we justify ourselves by saying ‘it’s just human nature… there’s no way I can overcome this’. But what does Christ say? He says ‘Bring them here to Me. With men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible’.

            Think about what we heard in the Epistle reading this morning… The Apostle Paul proclaims, ‘For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.’ Christ transforms the cruelest suffering, even death upon a cross, into triumph and the opening of the gates of Paradise! The cross becomes for us a symbol and a reminder of the victory of Christ, Who tramples down death by death!

Brothers and sisters in Christ… life is full of challenges and obstacles that threaten to bring us down into despair. We look upon our problems and sorrows and we come to the conclusion that it is impossible. I cannot overcome this sin that has a stranglehold on me. I cannot endure this suffering.  

Let us heed the lesson of today’s holy Gospel: taking our worldly assumptions and assessments of the impossibility of any situation, and submitting them to faith and trust in God – bringing all things before the Lord and seeking His blessing, His grace, and His strength which overcomes all obstacles. May God grant us this determination of faith and may we have the courage to accept and trust God so much that we would endure to be taken, broken, blessed, and given by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 9:27-35)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in today’s Gospel we heard how Jesus was passing by two blind men, and they cried out, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”

This scene set before us in today’s Gospel illustrates this essential three-part interaction between God and mankind.

First, we have mankind’s recognition of his blindness and his calling out to God. We must admit that we are indeed like blind men, having lost our spiritual vision to see the obvious workings and blessings of God occurring every day, every hour, and every minute in our lives. We are extremely limited in our spiritual vision and so often we go about this life as blind men and women, reacting to the ups and downs of this earthly life as if this were all there is… only occasionally ‘seeing through a glass darkly’ at the magnificence and benevolence and eternal perspective of God. So, step one is recognizing our spiritual blindness and having the humility to call out to God for help.

And what is God’s response to our cries? Our Lord Jesus Christ is a God of compassion and mercy. He cares for us and wishes for our salvation. As Christ tells us in His sermon on the mount: ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!’ Step two, then, is God’s compassionate and merciful response. We reach up to Him and He reaches down to us.

‘And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”’

‘According to your faith, so be it unto you'… these words of the Lord contain profound spiritual truth and instruction. How will it be for us?… it will be according to our faith.

God pours out His grace and His love to us according to the measure of our faith. This does not mean that God is stingy with His grace and love and that He only meters this out to us in reward for however much faith we demonstrate. No - His loving mercy rains down generously upon the just and the unjust alike… God does not limit His compassion on us… it is we who set the limitation. We are only capable of receiving the love of God according to the measure of our faith. This is the third and essential part of our interaction with God.

We call out to God for His mercy, He responds with the love and mercy characteristic of Him, and we receive this love and grace according to the measure of our faith.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate one who was blessed with tremendous grace according to the measure of his faith – St Anthony of the Kiev Caves. St Anthony was born in 983, just five years prior to the baptism of Rus initiated by Grand Prince Vladimir. He was a pious youth, greatly attracted to monasticism, and set out while still a young man to Mt Athos, where he intended to live out the rest of his days. But this was not God’s plan… The abbot of the monastery, recognizing Anthony’s great asceticism and zeal, and being inspired by God, directed Anthony to return to the lands of Rus, which had just embraced Orthodox Chistianity, in order to enrich the good soil of this new Christian land.

Anthony obeyed and returned to Russia where he eventually settled in Kiev, digging out a cave along the banks of the Dnieper River. Here he began his struggle in prayer, vigil, work, and fasting. Soon, people began to come to him for his blessing and counsel. Some who came decided to stay with him. Anthony's renown spread throughout the land, inspiring many to the monastic life. After twelve men had gathered with Anthony, the brethren dug a bigger cave, and within it made a church and cells for the monks. As the community became larger, Anthony appointed Barlaam as abbot of the monastery and then withdrew to another place to dig a new cave where he secluded himself. Nevertheless, monks began to settle around his new cave of seclusion. Thus, were formed the Near and Far Caves monasteries.

The Kiev Caves monastery has been a beacon of Orthodoxy and a consolation of grace for a thousand years. I had the great blessing and privilege to visit the Kiev Caves when I was working in Ukraine about 15 years ago. The monastery buildings are a real citadel upon the banks of the river and to wander through the network of caves and to behold the hundreds of incorrupt relics of the saints, some of them exuding myrrh, is a soul-stirring experience. The grace there is absolutely overwhelming!

I ask everyone to pray especially for the monks and for the preservation of the sacred relics of the Kiev Caves which are undergoing terrible persecution today. The churches are being closed, the abbot has been arrested, and the holy relics are being threatened to be moved to museums. I will not go into the sad politics surrounding all this, but instead focus on our calling as Orthodox Christians to pray for our brothers and sisters and to show love and concern for our holy things.

So, let’s bring this back to today’s Gospel… let us have the humility to recognize our blindness regarding our own sins and the sins of others that bring conflict and sorrow upon our world. None of us know the whole story, but we do know the spiritual roots of all conflict and hatred – which is the Evil One himself. Let us realize our need to call out to God for His help. And God, in His goodness and love for mankind, will hear our prayer. Then we must work on increasing the measure of our faith so that God’s grace and peace and love can find a place to land within us and upon our world.

Sixth Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 9:1-8)

In the Gospel reading for today we hear the account of the healing of the paralytic. Our Lord Jesus Christ had just returned to His home city of Capernaum, and a small group awaited Him and brought to Him a man who was suffering from paralysis. The Gospel tells us that when Jesus saw the faith of the people who brought their loved one before Him, He turned to the paralytic and said: ‘Son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven thee.’

Take notice that Jesus first response to the man who was ill was the forgiveness of his sins. He did not immediately command him to take up his bed and walk – this was very much an afterthought, in response to the scribes who looked on with disdain that Christ would have the audacity to forgive sins – a privilege and power ascribed to God alone. Our Lord, the Great Physician of souls, perceived the root cause of this man’s paralysis and infirmity. There was some unresolved sin in this man’s life that was manifesting itself in the infirmity of his body.

Christ our Lord always saw straight to the heart of all matters. His primary concern during His earthly ministry, and His primary concern today for each and every one of us, is to cleanse and heal the brokenness of our souls. The external circumstances of our lives will always have ups and downs, but the essential thing for our well-being in all of life’s circumstances is the health of our soul.

We spend so much of our time worrying about the external circumstances of our life: how we look, what we wear, what kind of car we drive, what kind of house we live in, how do people perceive us… And if this remains the focus of our concerns, we leave our spiritual life uncared for and, no matter what kind of worldly success we might enjoy, we fail miserably in the true meaning of this life given to us by God.

Christ was quite explicit in admonishing the Pharisees of His time, who focused all of their attention on the externals. He said: ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.’

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us remember the words of our Lord, Who said we must ‘seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added unto you’.

What does a life with such heavenly priorities look like? How specifically are we to act if we are seeking first that Kingdom of God, if we are being attentive to first cleanse the inside of our cup so that the outside may be clean too?

I think that we can do no better than to listen to the words of the Holy Apostle Paul which we heard in today’s Epistle reading.

After encouraging us to generously make use of whatever talents God may have gifted us with, he tells us very specifically how we should live if we wish to attend to cleansing our whole being from the inside out.

He exorts us to ‘love without hypocrisy’. What does that mean? It means that our love must be an outpouring from what is in our heart and soul. It is that pure and refreshing water overflowing from a cup which is clean on the inside and out.

Apostle Paul continues… we are to: ‘Abhor what is evil’, and instead we must: ‘Cling to what is good’. This is a conscious spiritual battle and it requires real intention and attention. God grant us the grace and the strength to abhor what is evil and to cling to what is good!       

Next, he tells us that we are to ‘be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another’. This is a 180 degree turnaround from our usual focus and preference on our self. To give preference to another squashes our selfishness. And this is why Christians live in community – whether it is in marriage and family or in a monastery or in a parish or even in the workplace or in school – wherever we are, we have the opportunity to show concern and generous kindness to the person placed in front of us. We must not be ‘lagging in diligence’, we must be ‘fervent in spirit, serving the Lord’.

And now listen to these three things… Apostle Paul encourages us to be ‘rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer’. If we could make this the prescription for our life, we would do well. To rejoice in hope – what an outlook on life we would have if we could only do so! Uniting ourselves to Christ, we absolutely live in the Presence of hope – a hope which allows us to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. To be patient in tribulation – as Apostle Paul says earlier in his letter to the Romans: we may even glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. Even though our life may feel like a raft in white water on the river, we can know that God oversees the whole expanse of the river and can see calm waters ahead. So we hold on… building that perseverance and character and hope. And finally, we are to continue steadfastly in prayer – prayer is our lifeline to God. Prayer is not only the reading or reciting of our morning and evening devotions. Prayer is the reaching up of our soul to God. We may do so in praise, in repentance, in gratitude, in desperation, or simply and wordlessly in contemplation and union with the One Whom we love and on Whom we depend.  

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the prescription for cleansing and healing our spirit, soul, and body. Let us focus on that priority of cleansing ourselves from the inside out. If the inside is clean and healthy, that which pours out of it will be good. Our love will be without hypocrisy and Christ our Lord will proclaim to us: ‘Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven thee.’ And from that absolution of sins, may we no longer be paralyzed in our sins, but free to rejoice in hope, to be patient in tribulation, and to continue steadfastly in prayer!

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 8:28-9:1)

In the Gospel reading for today we hear the account of the Lord’s coming into the country of the Gergesenes and His encounter with the two men possessed by devils. These men lived among the tombs and, as the Gospel puts it, they were ‘exceedingly fierce’ such that no-one could pass by that way. The demons inhabiting these poor souls knew our Lord immediately and cried out to Him: ‘What have we to do with Thee, Thou Son of God? Art Thou come here to torment us?’ The demons knew Who they were dealing with, and they knew they had no power over such a One as Jesus. So they beseeched Him, asking if He were to cast them out of these men, could they be allowed to enter into the herd of swine. With one word, ‘Go’, our Lord commanded it and the demons left the men and entered the swine and the entire herd of swine went mad and ran violently off the cliffs and into the sea where they drowned. When the people of this region heard of these miraculous acts, they begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

The first things which I would like to emphasize for us are: 1) the reality of the presence of demonic evil and 2) the absolute authority and power our Lord has over these evil beings. In our modern world, where there is such a lack of belief or where our belief is so weak – it is not popular to talk about anything being evil or demonic. One of the greatest triumphs of the evil one in modern times is his success in erasing from modern minds the awareness that he even exists. How can you fight against something you don’t even know or believe is there?

But we have to face the facts, and the fact of the matter is: the Gospels, the lives of saints, a review of the history and deeds of mankind,… indeed, even the front pages of the newspaper, and an honest accounting of the details of our own life make it clear that evil does exist. The demons are triumphant in getting us to divert our attention away from them as the instigators of evil and instead we look in suspicion upon each other and make demons out our brothers and sisters, the very ones whom God created in His image and whom we are called to love.

Evil does exist and we are called to resist it. As soon as our Lord set foot upon the area inhabited by the possessed men, the demons began to moan and cry out to Him to leave them alone. Evil knows the authority of God and attempts to seduce us into thinking that we are hopeless victims in its snare and that there is no way out. This is a lie from the father of lies! Our Lord smashed the head of the serpent by His triumphant death and resurrection and evil no longer has the upper hand and stranglehold on mankind – unless we, in our weakness of faith, allow it to do so. This triumphant power of good comes from nowhere else but from our Lord Jesus Christ and we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him to live within the protection and joy of His mercy.

The Gospel goes on to tell us a very interesting thing… the reaction of the townspeople to the healing of the men who had been possessed and to the loss of their herd of swine. The people begged Jesus to go, to depart and leave them alone…

Though it was against the observances of their faith, raising and selling swine was incredibly lucrative… bringing in a healthy income to these people. While we might have expected that the townspeople would have exalted Jesus Christ as a hero for freeing them from the torments of the demons, instead they were upset that He had interfered in their affairs, their worldly ambitions and disobediences… and they told Jesus to ‘go away’ from them, to depart from their coasts.   

What a bewildering thing this is… They behold the goodness and the power of Jesus Christ, and then they tell him to go away. But dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us ask ourselves honestly… do we react the same way when the Lord comes to us? Do we cry out to Him to save us from the assaults of the demons, but when He comes and our conscience stirs and rebukes us for our many disobediences to God, for our selfish pursuits... do we dare to say to our God, ‘Go away… depart from me’? Sadly, it is all too often the case that we want God near, but maybe not too near in our lives.

Fr Seraphim Rose of blessed memory, upon encountering the revelation of God as a Person, said: ‘The problem of realizing that God is a Person, is that He might demand something of you.’

As long as God remains simply a pious concept in our lives, as long as our Christianity is merely a spiritual adornment to inspire us toward being a better person, as long as God is simply our co-pilot and we retain control of the wheel… in all these things we keep God at a controlled and safe distance in our lives. When we have need of Him, we call upon Him, but for the rest of the time, we might as well be saying ‘Go away… depart from me.’

And the incredible thing is - God, in His love, will stand back… If we insist on our own way, He will allow it. Love cannot be forced… it is patient and kind and endures all things - even crucifixion for a world that looks the other way…

Dear brothers and sisters, Christ stands patiently knocking on the door of our heart… awaiting our move to open the door. If we invite Him in, He will indeed disrupt our lives, He will challenge us, we will be invited to join Christ in His sufferings, taking up our cross… But we will never be alone. We will also be united with Christ in His victorious transfiguration and resurrection. And this, my dear Christians, is what life, a life of abundant grace and joy, is all about!

Let us not be afraid to draw Christ near to our hearts… may our hearts become ignited with the flame of God’s grace. May we never utter in our selfishness ‘Go away Lord, depart from me.’ But may we instead cry out ‘Come near to me Lord Jesus, never leave me! I am yours!’

4th Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 8:5-13)

Today’s Gospel reading tells us of the centurion who beseeched the Lord to heal his paralyzed servant. The centurion, though he was a Roman soldier, had heard of the miracles and teachings of Christ and recognized His goodness, His authority, and His power to heal.

Though he was in charge of many men, the centurion was concerned for the illness of his servant who was paralyzed. This concern for what might be called the least among his charges demonstrates the disposition of heart of this good man. He does not approach our Lord to seek anything for himself, he is entirely focused on interceding for the servant whom he loved and for whom he had such concern.

Indeed, such was his faith that he would not trouble the Lord to come to his servant but recognizing his unworthiness to have Christ come to his home, he boldly states: ‘Only speak a word and my servant will be healed.’ Our Lord is astonished by the trust and faith of this man and declares: ‘I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel… Go your way; and as you have believed so let it be done for you.’ And his servant was healed that same hour.

The centurion bore the burden of his servant who was ill… bringing this burden before the Lord and trusting with faith that our Lord would show mercy. This generous spirit of concern and the zeal demonstrated in interceding for another is something we all as Christians should admire and emulate… for it is a foundational aspect of our Christian life. It is ‘love for God and for our neighbor’ in action.

Yesterday we celebrated and gave thanks to God for the life of St John, the wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco. St John was a man who exemplified this ‘love for God and neighbor in action’. His entire life was given over to prayer and extraordinary sacrifices and concern for the good of others.

I expect many of you may be familiar with the stories of his bold intercessions for people while he was in China. He was known to wander the dangerous streets at night, searching out and rescuing abandoned children – bringing them to the safe harbor of the orphanage which he started. Caring for these children was not easy – there was little money, food was often scarce, and the logistics and organization required to see to the needs of these children were daunting. Yet love propelled him to take this on and to trust in God that all would work out. Many of us have had the privilege of knowing some of these orphans whom St John cared for and for whom he assured safe passage from China to the Philippines and then to San Francisco. Their memories of and their gratitude to St John are very dear.

St John and his flock lived through incredibly difficult circumstances – being exiled from their native land of Russia; trying to establish a life in China, only to once again have to flee from God-hating authorities; finding some refuge amid tents in the Philippines where St John’s powerful intercessions prevented hurricanes from harming them while they were there; to his patient and bold persistence in Washington D.C., advocating for his flock to be allowed into this country.

St John was an unlikely hero… short of stature, bearing a speech impediment, not conforming to how the world thinks one should present oneself. Nevertheless, he tirelessly extended himself for the love of God and his neighbors.

The accounts of St John’s intercessions are numerous and fill one with awe and admiration. Yet, one of the stories from his life that I find most moving involves a glimpse into his private life and into the weight which he bore in his love for others.

This story came from a parishioner of his while he was bishop in France. It was late and there was no one in church. This woman entered the church while it was empty so she could do some cleaning. However, moments after having quietly entered the church she heard some small noise coming from the altar area. She listened and approached the altar doors to see if she could find out what it was. As she approached, she was able to hear that someone was weeping. She opened one of the side doors to the altar to take a peek and there she saw the barefeet of the bishop, who was prostrated upon the floor, pouring out his sorrows and burdens before God. She was shocked and felt that she had stumbled upon something utterly private and intimate, which she should not disturb – so she slowly and quietly backed away and left the church.

What a precious glimpse into the life of a man who bore a compassionate and loving heart.  We rightly marvel at what seem to be the super-human achievements of St John, but what this touching scene shows us is the exhaustion and the brokenheartedness of the very real humanity of St John. Christ has told us that it is in our weakness that we are made strong. We do not have to have any great skills or talents in order to be of service to God and others. What it takes is a loving heart and a willing spirit of self-sacrifice.

Christ admonished us to love one another. The holy Apostle and Evangelist John tells us that if we say we love God and yet we hate out brother, we are liars. He writes: ‘By this we know love, because Christ laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.’ And later the Apostle John writes: ‘Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.’

This is the disposition of heart that understands the connection we all have to one another and, borne through love for one’s fellow man, bears the burdens of others… and in doing so, thus fulfills the law of Christ.

May we take as our examples both the centurion from today’s Gospel and our holy father and wonderworker, St John. They were motivated by their love for others to stand boldly before Christ – knowing their own insufficiency and asking for and trusting in His mercy and grace to help those whom they loved. In always looking to the Lord, they accomplished great things. May we have the humility and the hope to be intercessors for one another as well.

3rd Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 6:22–33)

In today’s Holy Gospel we hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in which He exhorts us toward a complete and perfect trust in God, our loving Father. He implores us to not worry about things… what we shall eat or what we shall wear – all of those material concerns that can so completely eclipse our life and preoccupy us with stress and anxiety over things. And what does our worrying about things solve? Absolutely nothing… worrying is entirely wrapped up in our thoughts; it has no positive bearing on the outcome of things.  

Worries stem from fear and from our false perception of control over all aspects of our lives. They demonstrate our lack of trust in God. Instead of worrying and tying ourselves in knots, we need to pray and we need to trust.

Indeed, the final words of today’s Gospel reading are a distillation and perfect summary of the spiritual life – we must ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added unto us’.

If our eyes are focused toward God, toward the perspective of eternity and of the disposition and health of our soul; then we will not get so thrown off balance when things unexpected or troubling or even tragic occur in our life. We read in today’s Gospel: ‘The Lord said: “The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is pure, your whole body will be full of light.   But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.”’

What does this mean?... It is addressing this issue of the focus and the disposition of our soul. If we keep our eye on God, if we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, then our whole experience of things may be full of light. We can see things in a positive way; assuming the best of others and wishing goodness toward all. When troubles come upon us, (which they inevitably will), we are not so easily defeated, but we can take these sorrows in stride and trust that the Lord is watching over us and that our difficulties can be endured in a spirit of humility and hope. The words from today’s Epistle speak to this with great wisdom: ‘We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.’

What beautiful consolation and hope these words of wisdom provide! If we keep our eyes set upon Christ, we keep perspective… the eye of our soul remains pure and even in tribulations we can gain perseverance, build character, and gain hope.

On the contrary, if our eye is not pure, if our vision is not set upon God and His heavenly kingdom, but is instead limited only to the triumphs and tragedies of this brief earthly life; then the inevitable ups and downs of this life are going to take us on that rollercoaster ride of anxieties and worry. In such a state, our vision and our life is not full of light, but of darkness; and we tend to see things negatively, we suspect others and we’re tossed to and fro by our passions – reacting to everything that comes our way.

It is a miserable way of life – but we all do it to one degree or another. Our unwillingness to trust in God stems from our pride and from not really understanding the love of God.  

Listen further to the words of the Epistle from this morning: ‘God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.’

Do we understand what the Apostle Paul is saying here?... We must never fall into the trap of thinking that our sinfulness is more powerful than the love and mercy of God.  God’s love and care for us is so great that, even when we were estranged from Him, He was willing to die for us. How much more then, when we are reconciled to Him through our baptism, through our repentance, through our partaking of His Body and Blood… how much more then may we be assured of His love for us?

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I am well aware of how discouraging life can be these days. That hope, which can be the by-product of tribulations, often eludes us. We witness fratricidal wars between Orthodox brethren, suspicion and discord among Orthodox leaders, a renewed persecution against the Orthodox faithful. We live in a society that has lost its Christian foundation and is flailing and failing to find a foothold. We fear economic uncertainties, we are weary from health scares, and exhausted from the general instability of so much of what used to be stable. In the midst of all this, I hear over and over again the cries of people who are discouraged, whose faith is shaken.

Take courage from today’s Gospel and Epistle readings! If Christ is for us, who can be against us? God is watching over us and if we place our hope and foundation on Him, we can be assured of His stability and love. I am reminded of an old quote: ‘Let nothing disturb thee, let nothing frighten thee. God alone is changeless. God alone suffices.’

May God grant us the wisdom and the strength to keep our eyes pure, to determinedly and vigorously seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. If we do so, all things will be added unto us, and we shall retain that heavenly perspective which allows us to remain constant and true no matter what tribulations may come upon us… that we may persevere and build character and unfailing hope. And if we can do that, not only will the lamp of our soul burn brightly, but it will be beacon of light and hope for those around us.

May God grant it!

Sunday of All Saints of Russia

Last Sunday we celebrated ‘All Saints’ – noting how fitting this celebration is as a manifestation of the fruits of the Holy Spirit Who descended upon the Apostles and entered into the life of the Christian Church beginning at Pentecost. On this second Sunday after Pentecost, the Holy Church commemorates those saints who shone forth in the various local regions where the seeds of Orthodoxy took root. Thus, if we were able to somehow visit the various local Orthodox churches on this day, we would hear the praise and memory of the saints of Greece, of Romania, of Serbia, and whatever region the particular church might honor as its legacy and inheritance.

Today, our Russian Orthodox Church commemorates all the saints of the Russian land. The land of Russia, over the course of more than a thousand years, proved itself to be that good soil which bore much fruit - for many righteous strugglers for God blossomed forth in sanctity there. Such luminaries and Sts Cyril and Methodius, St Sergius of Radonezh, St Seraphim of Sarov, Sts Antony and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves, St John of Kronstadt, St Xenia and St Matrona, and many others who have illumined the Russian land like the stars in the sky. And we here in America are blessed to be the inheritors of that faith of our fathers.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… are you aware of what a rich inheritance we have standing here in this church of St Herman of Alaska today? Are you aware of the incredible culture of sanctity which was developed in some of the great monastic centers in Russia and was transported to this land by the torchbearers of that grace? All of us should hold dear to our hearts the names of Valaam, Pochaev, and Optina. These three great monasteries are our ‘alma maters’… the mothers of our soul.

Valaam is a beautiful place situated among the islands of Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, north of St Petersburg and practically bordering Finland. It was from the monastery of Valaam that a group of clergy and monastics were sent to Alaska in the late 18th century. Among this group was a simple monk named Herman who, bearing that light and love of Christ, cared for the native peoples of the Alaskan land, winning many converts to Orthodoxy. St Herman is considered to be a patron saint of our American land and our church bears his name and reveres his memory. The legacy of St Herman is precious and is encapsulated in the beautiful image of a man who was so full of grace that he somewhat regained that lost state of Paradise which Adam had enjoyed before the fall. We see St Herman living in peace and joy amid the wilderness, wild animals would eat from his hand, and even the forces of nature (storms and fires) were obedient to his supplications to God.

The monastery of Valaam, like all of Orthodoxy, fell under difficult circumstances during the communist times. The monks were killed or arrested or had to flee. Some found their way to this land… I was blessed to know two of those monks that fled Valaam during those early decades of the 20th century: Bishop Mark of Ladoga who lived in San Francisco and Archimandrite Dimitry (Egoroff) who was in Santa Rosa. These dear souls were truly torchbearers of a culture of sanctity. We loved to hear their stories of old Valaam and there was something simply about the way they spoke, the way they carried themselves, and certainly in the way they served and prayed in church that contained a great treasure being handed down to us from this rich legacy of Valaam.

Pochaev monastery is located in the western part of what is now Ukraine. The majestic citadel of Pochaev is located on a hill overlooking the surrounding countryside of rolling hills and farmland. It was upon this hill that the Mother of God appeared in a column of fire, leaving her footprint embedded on the rock upon which she stood. From this rock flows a spring and the water from this spring has miraculous healing powers. A great monastery was built on this site and was the home to such great saints as St Job of Pochaev and most recently St Amphilocius of Pochaev. It was from Pochaev that Archimandrite Vitaly (Maximenko) and others fled following the Russian Revolution. This displaced St. Job of Pochaev Brotherhood moved from Eastern Europe to Germany and eventually to America, where they joined the Holy Trinity Monastery near Jordanville, New York, and Archbishop Vitaly became its abbot. The St. Job of Pochaev press is still active today and Jordanville monastery and seminary have been important centers for our Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia – giving us many of our priests, bishops and Metropolitans.

And what can one say about Optina monastery and its legacy? Optina, located about four hours southwest of Moscow, was among the most important spiritual centers for Orthodoxy in the last century or more leading up to the revolution. The chain of Elders of Optina provided spiritual guidance and intercessory prayer for thousands and thousands of people. Everyone should acquaint themselves with the lives of the Optina Elders… their biographies are readily available in English and are essential reading for understanding your spiritual roots and being inspired toward the spiritual heights to which God calls us.

That legacy of Optina monastery came right to our doorstep with the presence of Archbishop Andrew of New York, under whose stole one of the last Elders of Optina, Nektary, reposed. Many of us knew and remember fondly Bishop Nektary Konzevich, who grew up making pilgrimages with his family to Elder Nektary of Optina. Bishop Nektary was a humble and noble soul, living his days in our midst as the Bishop of Seattle (or as he used to joke – bishop of Seattle and all the Pacific Ocean). The priestmonks Herman and Seraphim of St Herman of Alaska monastery in Platina were spiritual children of these links to Optina and were supporters and guides to Fr John Ocana and several of the founders of this very church – encouraging them to embrace the fidelity to Orthodoxy and to the heartfelt piety exemplified by this legacy of Optina.

I am taking the time to outline and emphasize these roots of our spiritual inheritance from Valaam, from Pochaev, and from Optina because it is so critically important for us to know where we come from and what meaning and inestimable value this inheritance holds for us!

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ… as the culture around us devolves further and further away from its Christian roots, I am more and more convinced how essential it is for us to know and to immerse ourselves in that culture of sanctity which is our Orthodox inheritance. It is only from that bedrock foundation of Christ, of His transcendent Truth, and of all the means of grace which make up that culture of sanctity found in His Church… it is only from that foundation that we will be able to correctly discern what is good and what is true and to hold fast to that grace-filled and light-bearing love of God. We enter into that culture of sanctity by loving God, by heartfelt prayer and repentance, by living the life of the Church – attending services, observing the fasts and feasts – by acquainting ourselves with the writings and lives of the saints, and by simply and humbly holding fast to the great treasure of our faith.  

May all the holy saints of Russia - our holy forefathers from Valaam, Pochaev, and Optina – may they be our intercessors before the throne of God, may they be our guides and constant companions as we navigate the course of our lives, and may they impart unto each one of us that culture of sanctity which ennobles us and edifies us that we may receive that torch of light that enlightens all with God’s grace and love.

Over the weekend of June 9th through 11th, members of the parish enjoyed a weekend away at Our Lady of Kazan church in Russian River! The weekend was filled with fellowship through food, drink, games, and sun! Parishoners spent Saturday hiking, wine tasting, going to the beach, or just relaxing on the church property. The campout was a success, and we hope we can have an even larger group next year!

Sunday of All Saints

Last Sunday we celebrated the great feast of Holy Pentecost – when the promised Comforter, the Spirit of Truth descended upon the disciples of the Lord and the life of Grace within the Christian Church was born. It is very fitting that on this first Sunday after Pentecost, the Holy Church celebrates all of the saints of the Orthodox Church. It is fitting because Pentecost (the descent of the Holy Spirit) is precisely the key which opens to us the mystery of the sanctity of the lives of these holy men and women whom we glorify as saints. The saints are those who manifested most clearly within their lives the transforming glory of the Holy Spirit.

The holy saints of God are our elder brothers and sisters in the Lord. These holy ones have gone before us and provide examples to inspire us and encourage us in the variety of ways in which God works in the lives of His servants. Their lives and their writings serve as a firm foundation to ground us in the Orthodox understanding of God’s truth. It is essential that each and every one of us take up the practice of familiarizing ourselves with the lives of these holy ones. We must make a habit of daily spiritual reading in order to inject into our lives a source of inspiration. The Holy Scriptures and the lives of the saints should be our daily bread – giving our soul the nourishment it needs in order to survive.

In reading and studying the lives of saints, we may come upon certain holy ones that somehow speak directly to our soul. Just as in this life we respond more favorably and closely to certain people, so it is with our acquaintance with the saints. We need to seek out and draw close to those saints that inspire us and move our souls with compunction and love for God. And as we discover these holy ones that attract our souls, then we must also discover the gift and the consolation of the communion of the saints which the Holy Church provides for us. These saints should become our constant companions in life… we must pray to them that they will be our intercessors before the throne of God, we should call out to them in our times of trouble, and we should reflect often upon their lives and their particular virtues and set these attributes before ourselves as inspiration in our own struggles. 

The testimony of the lives and righteous deaths and intercessions of the saints of the Christian Church stand as proof of the truth and transforming effectiveness of our faith. These holy ones ‘through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted,[f] were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented - of whom the world was not worthy.’

We must certainly look upon the saints with love, with respect, and with awe. They are worthy and should be our heroes. But we must not make the mistake of thinking that this life in the Spirit is completely beyond us, unreachable, that the saints were somehow a different breed of humankind and there is no point in our even trying to emulate their struggles. The sanctity and the grace that we see manifested in the lives of the saints is not the product of some special attribute of a special breed of mankind, it is the work of God shining forth in the life of a person who had the faith, hope, and love to devote himself to God.

As we read the lives of saints, we often see just how human they were, how familiar were the temptations and struggles that they endured. The things that separate our failures and their successes are the determination and commitment of faith; the courage and vision of hope; and the warmth of a heart full of selfless and self-giving love. These ingredients are not beyond us, they are not superhuman… but they require our determination and commitment; they require our courage and vision; and they require us to sacrifice our selfishness and warm up our hearts with selfless love and devotion to God. If we work toward making this our offering to God every day, every hour, every moment of our life – because that is what is all boils down to… we make a choice every day, every hour, and every moment to either follow our own selfish will or to strive to fulfill the will of God –if we can begin to do this, then God can transform even such lowly stones as us into His servants.

On this Sunday of All Saints let us honor and celebrate all those holy ones who made the commitment, who demonstrated the courage, whose hearts overflowed with love and shone forth the light of Christ. For it is none other than Christ Himself Whom we honor when we reflect upon and glorify the holy saints of God. All goodness, all courage, all pure teaching, all that we see and hear and respect in the lives of God’s saints, is precisely the clear reflection of Christ our God and our hope. Just as we are drawn to the light of the moon on a dark night, so we are drawn to the light of the saints in the darkness of our life. And just as the moon is not the source of light, but stands in the sky as a beacon and trusty reflection of the light of the sun, so too are the saints – they stand before us as beacons and reflections of the light of Christ.

May the holy saints of God inspire us, encourage us, and pray to God for us!

Pentecost – Trinity Sunday

God bless one and all on this holy feast of Pentecost – also known as Trinity Sunday, for on this day the fullness of God’s revelation and relationship with mankind was made manifest. Just as Christ promised at His holy ascension, the Comforter has come to us on this day… the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity now enters fully into the life of the Church and of her Christian people.

The holy hierarch Nikolai Velimirovich once said: ‘The Lord Jesus Christ sowed a most precious seed in the field of this world, but the power of the Holy Spirit was needed to come upon it, to give it warmth and light, and make it grow.’

Jesus Christ - by His taking on human flesh and blood and redeeming and transfiguring human life, suffering, and death - has reopened the Gates of Paradise to mankind. And now, with the giving of Holy Spirit, we have the means by which we may walk through those Gates.

The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, and Giver of Life. This is why the Church is decorated in green and filled with living branches. The Life-giving Breath of God is exhaled upon us today!

And what is it that the Holy Spirit brings to mankind… by what means might we recognize the working of the Holy Spirit upon our lives?

            The Apostle Paul tells us very clearly in the fifth chapter of Galatians: ‘…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.’

            These nine fruits or attributes of a life enlivened by the Holy Spirit are a litmus test for ourselves and for our community in discerning whether we are in harmony with the Spirit of God. It is a useful and instructive and ofttimes convicting exercise to contemplate these nine fruits of the Spirit and to ask ourselves if we are bearing this fruit.

            Do we show love in our lives? Do we have joy? Do we have peace? Do we demonstrate patience and kindness and goodness in our lives? Do we live a life of faithfulness? Do our thoughts and actions reveal gentleness and self-control?

            Today we resume our prayer to the Holy Spirit… ‘O Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good gifts and the Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from all impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.’ If our lives are not showing forth those fruits of the Spirit, let us pray indeed that He would come and abide in us, and cleanse us from all impurity, and save our souls.

            May God grant that that precious seed sown in the field of our soul by our Lord Jesus Christ, would grow through the warmth and the light and the love of the Holy Spirit.

Sunday of the Fathers of the First Council

(John 17:1-13)

On Thursday of this past week, the Holy Church celebrated the feast day of the Ascension of our Lord. Having triumphed over death, our Lord had risen, appeared to, and ministered to His disciples for forty days – assuring that they were well instructed in the faith and preparing them to go forth in the establishment of the Christian church. He also promised them that, though He was going to be with His Father in Heaven, He would send them the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, Who would lead them in all truth. We will celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit in just one week’s time – on Pentecost, Trinity Sunday.

When our Lord ascended into heaven, He left the disciples with great joy and with much anticipation in their hearts. Jesus Christ had completed the mission for which He came to this earth… As He ascended into heaven the disciples were filled with wonder and with joy – for they had beheld and were assured of the resurrection, they had experienced the joy of Christ’s presence with them over these past forty days, and, though there was some sorrow in seeing Him go to be with His Father, there was expectation that the promised Comforter would come to them.

We also experience this joyful anticipation in these days between Ascension and Pentecost. We have experienced the joy of Pascha, over these past forty days we have greeted one another with the words ‘Christ is risen!’. And now our Lord has ascended to be with His Father and we await the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in just one week’s time.

This is a time of incredible revelation for mankind! The fullness of Christ’s ministry has been accomplished and we approach the great day of fullness of the revelation of the Holy Trinity.

On this Sunday, the Holy Church commemorates the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. It is very much in keeping with the fullness of the revelation of God to mankind that we remember the Holy Fathers of the First Council.

In the year 325 in the town of Nicea, the bishops of the Church gathered to meet in council to define and defend the truth of our Holy Faith. These great fathers were guided by the Holy Spirit, as promised by Christ, to rightly define the word of truth and codified this into what we know as the Nicene Creed. The Creed clearly states what we believe – about the God the Father, about God the Son, and about God the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel reading assigned for this day is also a dogmatic clarification of Who Jesus Christ is… that He is fully equal with the Father, that He is begotten, not made, and that He is one in essence with the Father.

Why is it so important for us to know and accept these things?… Why did the Church go to such lengths to clarify that which is true and in accordance with the Holy Spirit from that which is false and the invention of man?

The answer to that question is given to us in today’s Gospel reading… ‘And this is eternal life, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.’

The knowledge of God is not an academic or philosophical exercise. We do not seek knowledge of God in order to please ourselves or to win theological arguments or for any other self-seeking purpose. To know God is to begin to participate in His Life and in His love… it is the source of abundant and eternal life… and this eternal life is not the hope of future reward, it begins now, the very moment we enter into this life of Christ.

Christ has given Himself for us and we must give ourselves to Him. ‘For Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine, and I am glorified in them.’

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us enter into that life of eternity offered to us by God. In this life of love, all of our worldly distractions and worries gain perspective – we are not swept away by the dramas of the ups and downs of this life. We keep our eyes fixed on Christ – Who is the Author and Finisher of our salvation.

May our Lord Jesus Christ, Who ascended into heaven, bless us and have mercy on us. And may we now spend this week in love and anticipation of the great mercy and blessing of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and Spirit of Truth, Who fills all things and grants us the true life of eternity with God.

Sunday of the Blind Man

(John 9:1-38)

Today is the Sunday of the Blind Man. In today’s Holy Gospel we hear the account of the healing of a man who had been blind from his birth. The disciples asked Christ whether this man’s blindness was a result of his sin or the sins of his parents. Christ replied that ‘neither this man, nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him’. Our Lord had pity upon him and, taking up some dirt, He spat upon it to make mud and administered this mud onto the eyes of the blind man. The man was instructed to go wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam, and when he had done so, he experienced the miracle of the gift of sight, seeing the light and the world and people for the first time in his life.

As the Gospel goes on to tell us, he was then subject to intense questioning from the Pharisees – who were trying to calm the excitement of the people over this obvious miracle and who were incensed that such a work would be performed on the Sabbath Day of rest. The Pharisees pressed the man who had been blind to denounce Jesus as a sinner for having done this work on the Sabbath and the man replied, ‘Whether he be a sinner or not, I do not know: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.’

There are many things to appreciate and learn from this Gospel account… We see once again the attentive and compassionate mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. We learn that illness cannot be assumed to be the result or manifestation of sin. It is true that illness and death are present in this world as a result of sin, but when someone in particular is afflicted with illness we must not rush to judgment. God may allow illness to visit us in order to wake us up, to facilitate our salvation - so that, as it says in today’s Gospel, ‘the works of God should be revealed’. When illness or some suffering comes to us, we should not ask ‘Why Lord?’… it is better for us to ask: ‘To what purpose, O Lord?’

On this Sunday of the Blind Man, having heard the Gospel account of the healing of the man born blind and witnessing the interrogation of the Pharisees… we must ask ourselves: who is shown to be blind in this Gospel account?

Christ has performed an astounding act of compassionate love and has, as many Gospel commentators indicate, formed healthy eyes out of the mud of the ground – just as he did at the time of creation. And the Pharisees, whose self-righteous legalism closes their eyes to this miracle, stand in judgment… unable to see the glory of God which stands right in from of them.

Let us ask ourselves, how often are we blind to the many blessings of God which we experience in this life? We may be lacking in some things, but we must thank God for what we do have. As the old saying goes, do we look at our life as a glass being half empty or half full? So often we complain about the glass being half empty, when we would do so much better to thank God and appreciate the glass being half full. And should that glass only have one quarter full, well then let’s be grateful for that. And should there only be a drop in our glass, let us thank God for the drop. And should our glass be completely dry… well then now we have a glass that is completely empty, providing maximum capacity to be filled with new and living water! Let us give thanks to God in all things and not be blind to God’s blessings in our life.

And still, there are other kinds of blindness which we may suffer… quite often we may be blind to the needs and sufferings of others. So often, we are too busy, too preoccupied with our objectives and our expectations of others to stop and see into the heart of those around us. This is the blindness of the lack of compassion.

Our vision is usually 20/20 when it comes to noticing the sins of others, but we do not have such clarity when it comes to recognizing our own sinfulness. This kind of blindness to recognize our own sins does not allow us to see ourselves as we really are and does not allow us the humility to repent and improve.

What must we do in order to begin to see things more clearly?

The best and most concise statement that tells us how to improve our vision was given to us by Christ Himself in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ If we wish to have the scales of blindness fall from our eyes, we must work toward purifying our heart.

We purify our heart through prayer, through fasting, through striving to return to a simple and trusting faith – a faith filled with hope and with love.

This purity of heart is demonstrated by the man born blind in his words and attitude when brought before the Pharisees. The Pharisees questioned him over and over again attempting to get him to renounce Christ. But the man born blind remained focused and simple… he had experienced the healing grace of God, he had received his sight and no-one could take that away from him. He refused to enter into arguments about whether Christ’s healing violated the Sabbath laws or not. When the Pharisees pressed him about this, he simply stated, ‘Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.’

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is a fine example for us of how we should witness to Christ and the truths of our Orthodox faith. The strongest and best position for us to take when defending or discussing our Christian faith, comes from the calm and quiet assurance of having experienced the grace of God. Having encountered and experienced God’s mercy and grace, we may come from a standpoint of having nothing to prove and everything to simply and humbly share. With this in mind, then, our task is to immerse ourselves in the abundant grace and sacraments available to us through the Holy Church. We may draw from our experience of the radiant joy of Pascha, the quiet beauty of the candlelit church at Vigil, the revelations God gives to us through scripture, the consolations we receive in prayer, the many small and great miracles that occur in our life and the lives of others, and through the ultimate and most personal encounter of God in Holy Communion. As St Seraphim of Sarov stated, “Acquire the spirit of peace, and a thousand around you will be saved.”    

May God help us in striving to acquire that purity of heart which will remove our blindness and allow us to see God and hold these things in our heart, standing firm in His holy truth.

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

(John 4:5- 42)

In the Gospel appointed for today, we hear of our Lord’s conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. Our Lord and His disciples had been journeying from Judea, headed toward Galilee, and came to rest and get some refreshment in the heat of the midday. While the disciples went into the town to buy some food, Jesus rested next to the village well. A Samaritan woman approached to draw water from the well and our Lord entered into conversation with her. This conversation, recorded for us by the beloved Evangelist John, is rich with meaning and divine revelation. Let us reflect on a few points from today’s Gospel account…

Our Lord rested at the well during the oppressive heat of the midday sun. Why was this woman coming to draw water at this unlikely time? Many Gospel commentators have surmised that she approached at this hour in order to avoid the other townspeople. She was conscious that she was not living a virtuous life (having had five husbands and even now living with a man that was not her husband) and she avoided the scornful looks and words of others whenever possible. Not only was this woman something of an outcast within her village, but as a Samaritan, she was shocked that a Jew would deign to speak to her – ‘for Jews had no dealings with Samaritans’.

We see from this account, and from many others, that Jesus Christ does not turn anyone away. He ‘came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.’ It is not uncommon to hear people either making ‘pious excuses’, that they are too sinful to approach the Lord and His healing Sacraments, fearing that Christ will turn them away; or for people to shrink away from Confession and Communion in an attempt to hide or ignore their sins.

For those of us that would try to ‘sweep our sins under the rug’ – who do we think we’re kidding? We are certainly not fooling God. God is already painfully aware of our sins and He wants nothing more than to heal us and draw us back into a living and loving relationship with Him. He is not poised to condemn us, He is longing to heal us! And as for our ‘pious excuses’… shrinking away from God because we are too sinful – this is like saying ‘I am too sick to go to the doctor!’

Throughout the Gospel, we should recall who received the harshest words from Christ – it was not the sinners, but the self-righteous. These insecurities and fears are effective means for the evil one to overwhelm us and paralyze us from drawing near to the outstretched arms of our Heavenly Father. As long as we approach with love and with a contrite and humble heart, God will not despise us. As long as we are approaching God, approaching the Church and Her sacraments, with this thirst and this sincerity to repent and improve, God will not turn us away. This is and should be a source of great hope and encouragement of each of us!

And so it was with the Samaritan woman at the well, having approached the Lord and entering into conversation with Him, what did she encounter and receive? Our Lord spoke to her of the living water that shall be like a well of water within us, forever able to quench our thirst and springing up into everlasting life. He revealed to her His knowledge of her sins and troubled life and yet He did not send her away. He elevated her vision and understanding of the omnipresence of God, Who is everywhere present and fillest all things and that we must worship Him in spirit and in truth. And, when she said that she knew that the Messiah was coming, Christ revealed to her saying, ‘I that speak unto thee am He’.

Something happened within the heart and soul of this woman. When we first meet her, she is sneaking to the well in the heat of the midday sun in order to avoid the townspeople. But now, she has encountered the Lord and has communicated with Him, receiving the words of life. Now she leaves behind her water jug and runs off to gather up the townspeople to tell them the good news of the arrival of the promised Messiah. What a remarkable transformation has occurred! And indeed, there was something new about her that was able to persuade the townspeople to not just shun her, but to listen, to believe, and to come and see for themselves. The Gospel tells us, ‘And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.

From the lives of saints we learn that the Samaritan woman was baptized at Pentecost along with her five sisters and two sons. She took the name Photini upon baptism and became a bold and prolific preacher – many proclaiming her ‘equal to the Apostles’. She traveled to Africa and then, along with her sisters and other believers, went to Rome where she met face to face with the persecutor of Christians, the Emperor Nero. She fearlessly defended and proclaimed Christ even to the Emperor and for this she and her companions were imprisoned and tortured. For three years they endured various forms of torture – beatings, burnings, poison – all proved to have no effect on them as they were preserved by the grace of God. Finally the Emperor had her companions beheaded, leaving Photini alone and throwing her into the depths of a well. Even here she endured and was thus granted to meet Christ again at a well – giving over her soul to the Lord.

In St Photini we see the joy and the hope of the Christian life. The Lord reaches out to the lost and the fallen sinner, He reveals to us the great and wonderful things of God, He offers to us the refreshment and transforming power of the Living Water of the Spirit, and from this encounter we are transfigured, becoming a new being, a child of God. May we, like St Photini, become truly transformed – leaving behind our old fears and our sinful ways and stepping forward with joy and confidence to live our lives as faithful disciples of Christ, worshiping Him in spirit and in truth.

Thomas Sunday - Antipascha

Christ is risen!

Today is the Sunday after the great feast of Pascha, the resurrection of our Lord and God Jesus Christ. On this Sunday we commemorate the Holy Apostle Thomas and the very important scene described for us in today’s Holy Gospel.

In the days and weeks following the crucifixion of our Lord, more and more of the disciples were reporting that they had seen and spoken with Jesus Christ. That He had risen from the dead as He had promised He would. The Apostle Thomas heard these reports from his friends, the other disciples, but he was overcome by doubt and uncertainty saying, ‘Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.’ Eight days later, the opportunity came for the Apostle Thomas. While they were gathered together in a shut room, the Lord appeared to them and invited Thomas to reach out and touch Him, to feel for himself the wounds of the crucifixion, and to know that this was indeed Christ risen from the dead. Having felt the wounds, Thomas fell at the Master’s feet and said, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus replied, ‘Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.’

What a truly remarkable scene is placed before us in this Gospel account.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I don’t know which sentiment is stronger for me as I behold this scene and as I think of my part in it… On the one hand I am uplifted by awe and gratitude in witnessing the unfathomable humility and kindness of God. And on the other hand, I shake my head in sorrow and shame for the insatiable presumption of mankind, that the generosity and mercy of God is never enough for us.

Think for a moment about what our Lord did for Apostle Thomas… Our Lord Jesus Christ, the pre-eternal second Person of the Holy Trinity, after having abased Himself to become incarnate, to lie in a lowly manger as a human infant, to subject Himself to this world and to the devil’s temptations, and even to the humiliation of His voluntary sufferings and death… After all this, when He has already broken the bond of hades and emerged triumphant and reappears in His glorified body, He continues now to demonstrate His humility and mercy and tender lovingkindness by offering and subjecting Himself to physical examination by Apostle Thomas.

He invites the Apostle Thomas to feel the imprint of the nails and to thrust his hand into the wound upon His side. How incredible is that?... He does this out of love, out of concern for what is needed for Thomas’ faith and salvation. This is always God’s concern for each and every one of us. He will do with us and permit in our lives whatever is necessary in order to facilitate our salvation.

And Christ our Lord does not stop at offering Himself to Thomas… He sees to it that His very Body and Blood will be offered to you and to me through the Mystery of the Consecration of the offering of Bread and Wine in the Divine Liturgy.

Thomas touches His side and falls down declaring: ‘My Lord and my God!’ What about us? We, who consume His Body and His Blood and unite ourselves to Christ in such an incredible and intimate way?

What more can we possibly ask of God? He has given us everything! He has extended Himself to us in ways we can barely even comprehend.

Having come to these holy days of Pascha, we experience the joy and the mystery of the Self-sacrificing goodness of God. A God Who reaches out to His creation and offers nothing less than Himself and His Life in love. A God Who is triumphant and Who tramples down death by taking death upon Himself and crushing it by His Life-Creating Divinity.

How can we not fall down upon our knees declaring: ‘My Lord and my God!’? How can we not respond to such love with love?

And that is precisely what Christ asks of us, and all that He asks of us… that we respond to His love with love. God grant us the courage to do so. To fear nothing for the sake of that love.

The Apostle Thomas was blessed to behold the risen Christ and our Lord said: ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is His blessing to us if we would offer our faith to the One Who offers Himself to us.

Christ is risen!

The Paschal Epistle of his Eminence Archbishop KYRILL of San Francisco and Western America

Reverend Fathers, Venerable Monastics, and Pious Faithful of the Western American Diocese:

Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

The days that our Savior Jesus Christ brings to us in this life are often filled with joy, but they are sometimes filled with sorrows. We are experiencing such sorrowful days today, of the sort which many of us thought, and hoped, we would not experience again in this lifetime. Memories of the revolution and the grave injustices that for so many decades followed it are renewed in our minds with unwelcome freshness. We recall anew the sufferings of our ancestors. We are drawn again to the testimony of the New Martyrs and all that they suffered in the previous generation for the sake of Christ. And driven by such memories, and by the Lord’s commandment, we pray for those who are suffering, everywhere, especially our closest brethren in the Holy Orthodox Faith, and for their salvation.

But God never leaves us in our sorrows. They always become means to draw us closer to Himself, if we will but permit Him to transform them, and us. Today, as we celebrate the Resurrection of God our Saviour, we recognize the need for the world - to be raised out of death and into life. It is too easy to see, today, the evil of the world; but on this resurrection morning Christ punctuates it with His presence. His resurrection brings us hope: the hope to sustain us, and to lift us up into His glory. 

May the resurrected Christ, Who reigns in love over all peoples and is the true God of every man, lift up your hearts to the joy of salvation, the defeat of evil, and a life of everlasting joy.

KYRILL, Archbishop of San Francisco & Western America, the Ruling Hierarch of the Western American Diocese

Pasha 2023

Palm Sunday

Today our Lord Jesus Christ enters into Jerusalem, hailed as the King of Israel. A great multitude of people greet Him with palm branches and cry out: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

All of Jerusalem turns out to greet their Messiah, an event which had been prophesied and anticipated for many ages. Our Lord had been ministering to the people: teaching, healing, and performing miracles of compassionate love for three years. His fame and the news of His miracles had spread far and wide, and now, with His entry into Jerusalem, the people of Israel were taken up with enthusiasm that their King had arrived and that the time of their triumph would soon be inaugurated.

These people were expecting Christ to reign as an earthly king… that the time was at hand when Israel would overthrow the tyranny of Rome - and Jesus Christ, one of their own, would sit on the throne of Israel as their king. Their reading of the prophecies was worldly and even the disciples of the Lord continued to misunderstand the otherworldly message of Christ.

Imagine how shocked and disillusioned they all must have been when Christ was arrested, mocked and scourged, and paraded through the streets of Jerusalem as a common criminal to then be crucified amid thieves. This was an earth shattering and soul shattering event!

The people of Jerusalem expected Christ to lead them into victory… how disappointed and bitter they became when He instead accepted and embraced His suffering and death. Within less than a week the people went from shouting ‘Hosanna!’ to shouting ‘Crucify Him!’

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… what about us? What are our expectations of God? Do we approach God with expectations of victory – that all of our prayers will be answered according to our will, that God will bless us with health and wealth and an easy life? And when things do not go our way, as they inevitably will… when troubles overwhelm us, when our health fails us, when sin continually defeats us… do our cries shift from praise of God to doubting Him or even cursing Him? Do we find ourselves disappointed in God?

What do we expect from God? This is a serious question and one that deserves our attention…

So often we behave as though we expect God to be our good luck charm and our wishing well. If I say my prayers and keep my fast and follow all the rules, then God will bless me with everything I need and ask for.

Or perhaps we behave as though we expect God’s wrath and punishment at any moment. If I say my prayers and keep my fast and follow all the rules, then God will spare me from His vengeance upon mankind.

If the primary motivation of our Christian life is based on fear, or on the expectation of reward - we are missing the mark and missing the experience of the true depths and joys of the life in Christ.

From the creation of the world; to His incarnation and mission of preaching, healing, and bestowing grace upon mankind; to His sufferings and death upon a cross, and His glorious resurrection and ascension into Heaven; to His establishment of His Holy Church wherein all the grace of God is bestowed upon mankind… The consistent activity and purpose of our Lord has been His self-giving generosity of love upon mankind.

                    Brothers and sisters in Christ… this is our God! A God Who loves us so completely that He lays down His life for us! A God Who knows that true and eternal love is not born from fear of punishment or from hope of reward, but is born from self-emptying generosity of heart and soul.

This is what we may expect from God… self-emptying generosity of love. And this must be our gift and our approach to God… a self-emptying generosity of love for Him. And with this we may rejoice no matter what comes our way… in good times and bad times we may live in the context and under the loving care of God.

Christ our Lord enters today into Jerusalem. May Christ our Lord enter also today into our heart! Let us greet Him with honor and reverence. Let us greet Him with the understanding of His true purpose – the restoration and healing of our soul.

My dear brothers and sisters… we enter now into the sacred days of Holy Week. Let us watch and pray. One of the most heartbreaking scenes in all of the Gospels is in the Garden of Gethsemene when Christ asks His disciples to stay awake with Him in His hour of sorrow. And yet, the disciples succumb to sleep. Christ has prayed in agony and returns to His disciples to find them asleep. ‘Could you not watch one hour?’ He pleads… How sad and how it pierces our own heart… for don’t we find ourselves also unable to stay spiritually awake and to be with Christ in these days of His sufferings?

Let us be with Him as He endures the arrest, the trial, the mockings, and His ultimate sacrifice. If we will stay spiritually awake and immerse ourselves in these events of Holy Week, our joy in greeting the news of Christ’s glorious resurrection will be all the more bright and radiant.

May God give us the strength and attention to watch and pray, that we may be with Him this week in His sorrows as we await the joyful news of our Lord’s resurrection in just one week’s time.

Third Sunday of Great Lent – Veneration of the Cross

Today is the third Sunday of Great Lent  – we are midway through our spiritual pilgrimage taking us toward Holy Week and the bright Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. On this day we venerate the Holy Cross of our Lord. The Cross is brought out before us at this midway point as a reminder and a signpost pointing the way toward Pascha.

The Cross, once a symbol of torture and death, has become a symbol of our restoration. It is the sign of Christ’s victory. It is an intersection point uniting us to Christ… 

In the Gospel reading appointed for this day, Christ says to us: ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’ This threefold prescription provides clear instruction as to what we must do if we are to make progress in our spiritual journey.

First, we must deny ourselves. Now… if we are being honest, that doesn’t sound very attractive does it? Who would want to deny himself? Life is hard enough as it is without actively oppressing ourselves. Why would Christ ask this of us?

Christ calls us to deny ourselves because He is the Great Physician and He knows that, if we are to be healed, we must begin by rooting out the primary disease that afflicts us. Pride is the original and underlying sin that separates mankind from God and from each other. If we look deeply for the root cause of so much of our self-inflicted sufferings, we will find that selfishness and pride are the fuel that feed the fire of our sins. When we argue, when we are offended, when our plans are thwarted by some obstacle, when we don’t get what we want, when we are frustrated or depressed or disappointed – all of these things are manifestations of an underlying pride and self-preoccupation.

As a consequence of the fall, our self-will is broken… we don’t know what is best for us. We think that if we satisfy our passions, if we fulfill our desires, if get our way – we think that these things will bring us happiness. But they do not… and the inevitable obstacles that get in the way of our will and our desires become the source of our greatest misery and we use this excuse to justify inflicting misery on others, even those we love.

Christ calls us to deny ourselves… to deny our selfish will and tendencies. In denying ourselves we open ourselves up to, and make way for, the possibility of accepting God and His holy will. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “to deny oneself is to be dead to sin, but alive to God.”

Next, Christ calls us to take up our cross. Taking up one’s cross means to accept without complaint and to endure with patience whatever sorrows or difficulties are set before us. It means to accept and courageously take on whatever responsibilities and uphill battles there might be in front of us. Each and every one of us has major and minor crosses that we must bear in this life. Perhaps we suffer from illness, perhaps we are out of work or we’re struggling to make ends meet, perhaps we have difficult relationships with others in our lives. These challenges can either make us or break us. We can approach them with resentment, anger, and frustration – wishing that things were different and being miserable about things; or we can approach them with humility, endurance, and patience – calling upon God to be with us and to give us strength.

Taking up one’s cross not only means to accept and deal with what comes our way, it also means that we recognize and proactively respond to the call of God in our life. We must not shrink away from opportunities to do good, to show love, and to give of ourselves in serving God.

And so, we say ‘no’ to our selfish pride and we say ‘yes’ to Christ and His cross, and we follow Him… We follow Christ along the path of service and mercy to others. We follow Christ along the path of truth and purity. We follow Christ along the path of prayer and being attuned to the will of God at all times. We follow Christ along the path of sorrows and persecution, even unto death. And in so doing, we follow Christ along the path of resurrection and victory!

It is a paradox, it seems completely opposite of what we would expect… our fallen nature calls out to us to treat ourselves as number one, to please ourselves, and to seek after our selfish desires. But Christ tells us: ‘Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.’ Let us not be afraid. Our loving Father knows what is good for us. He leads us along the way that leads to light and life. May God grant us the courage to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and to follow Him.  

Sunday of Great Lent – St Gregory Palamas

Last Sunday, the first of the Sunday of Great Lent, we commemorated the Triumph of Orthodoxy. On that day the icons of the church were brought to the center for veneration – recalling the triumphant decision of the 7th Ecumenical Council which affirmed how good and appropriate it is for us to honor the image of God – and by extension the image of His Holy Mother and of the saints – because God became man, He took flesh upon Himself and He truly dwelt among us. This endorsement of the place of icons within the church proclaims and enforces the Orthodox understanding of the relationship of the spiritual and the material. We do not believe as many non-Orthodox teachings believe that ‘spiritual equals good’ and ‘material equals bad’. It can be a great danger to assume that just because something is ‘spiritual’ that it is good… As they say: ‘All that glitters is not gold.’ Orthodoxy proclaims that God alone is good and that God’s presence in both spirit and matter can bestow His blessing upon both.

If we may say that the message of the first Sunday, the Triumph of Orthodoxy, is that God’s grace can descend upon matter and mankind – thus illumining and transforming them; then we may look to the message of this second Sunday of Great Lent, the celebration of St Gregory Palamas, as an encouragement and instruction that mankind can ascend through God’s grace to a true communion with God.

Before discussing that ascent through grace, let us briefly understand who St Gregory was and what controversy caused him to step forward as a defender of the Orthodox faith.

St Gregory lived in the early part of the 14th century, was raised by pious Christian parents, and received an excellent education. He demonstrated such a fine mind and was so articulate that the emperor himself offered St Gregory great honors and all worldly opportunities. But St Gregory had refined his soul as well as his mind and left all this behind to live the life of a simple monk on Mt Athos, where he dedicated his life to prayer and asceticism.

There, in the concentration of the monastic life, St Gregory experienced firsthand the spiritual blessings of stillness and quiet and prayer – from which one can calm the waves and ripples disturbing the surface of the soul and see more clearly into the kingdom of God within.

St Gregory was called from his monastic stillness to defend the Orthodox teachings about mankind’s relationship with God. There was a controversy raging at this time spearheaded by a man named Barlaam who fell prey to an overly intellectual approach and understanding of God. He taught that mankind can never have direct knowledge of God – that God was completely unapproachable to the limited reasoning of man.

Now, on the one hand, we can agree with Barlaam… the intellectual and reasoning aspect of mankind – while it can reach astonishing heights of discovery and understanding about things – still, this rational faculty of mankind is limited and can never ascend the heights of apprehending God.

And yet, if God is so unapproachable and incomprehensible, then where does this leave us in terms of our relationship and experience of God?

St Gregory, who had himself experienced direct contact with the Grace of God, responded brilliantly – clarifying the historical and fully Orthodox teaching that while God in His essence, remains wholly other – yet mankind may indeed have direct participation of God through His energies. This clarification is extremely important in understanding Who God is and how He interacts with mankind and how mankind may interact with God.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, what does all this mean? It means that God is not distant. He is not ‘the man upstairs’ Who looks down upon us, perhaps occasionally interacting to smite us for something we have done wrong or blessing us for something we have done right. We have not been left as orphans by a Creator Who simply set things in motion. No, the Orthodox teaching and the Orthodox experience is that God is with us!

While St Gregory and the witness of the Church affirm the unknowability of the essence of God, St Gregory and the entire witness of the Church underscores the intimacy of the experience of communing directly with God through His divine energies, through His grace.

And how do we do we experience that? What does Christ tell us Himself about how we shall see God? He does not say ‘Blessed are the theologically brilliant, for they shall see God.’ No… He points us toward another sense altogether… ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ The grace and energies of God are most clearly perceived and experienced by a heart which is being purified, which comes before Him with a simple and trusting faith.

The purpose of our Lenten struggle – of fasting, of praying, of more frequent church services, of reducing the worldly distractions in our lives – the purpose of all this is toward purifying our hearts, of instilling in us that simple and trusting faith.

We see this demonstrated in today’s Holy Gospel wherein the friends of the paralyzed man, in their zeal and simple and trusting faith, stopped at nothing to bring their friend before the Lord to seek His healing. And we see this in the life and teaching of our father among the saints Gregory Palamas – who wholeheartedly trusted in the testimony of his direct experience of God to uphold and defend the Orthodox teaching of the intimacy of the relationship between God and man.

May God grant us such simplicity and trust that we too may be strengthened and encouraged and transformed by that life-giving energy of the grace of God!

THE ICON AS A SPIRITUAL SUPPORT

Sermon on the Feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy

Igumen Pavel (Polukov)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!

Dear brothers and sisters, I would like to greet you all on the first week of Lent. There were weeks that prepared us both physically and spiritually, but still, the first week is a certain impetus that can give us strength to continue fasting. The circumstances of the time encourage and force us to be more self-disciplined and serious and to understand that our prayer matters. If I fast more strictly, limiting myself in something, it will be not just for myself, but in order to make a contribution that is bearable for me.

This week ends with the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. On the one hand, it seems that initially this event had nothing to do with Great Lent, but, on the other hand, this is because the restoration of the veneration of icons took place on this day in 843 and fell on the first Week of Great Lent.

It is a very unusual period in the history of the Church that lasted over 100 years. Over its history the Church has rarely been in a quiet state: something has always tormented it, something has always bothered it. Sometimes it was from the State, and sometimes there were internal schisms. And at that period in the history of the Church, great contradictions converged: political, religious, military and social. And indeed, the Church of Christ was being torn apart by the heresy of iconoclasm; it ebbed and flowed, making people suffer. It always happens in the Church to affirm Orthodoxy, and the Church always overcomes these circumstances. That time was no exception. Theological thought was perfected and rose to a new level after a period of stagnation. New saints and confessors appeared again. Take Sts. John of Damascus, Patriarch Nicephorus of Constantinople, Theodore the Studite... We still use their writings. What was the Church looking for? What was Orthodoxy seeking? What were people striving for and moving towards during all these heresies that disturbed and tormented the Church? Always towards the same thing—to prove, to show that God is available to man, that God acts in this world, and that the saying is unfair that goes: “God is high, and the king is far away” (meaning that we are left to ourselves). God is with us, and we can unite with Him. Of course, people who got to know this by experience did not have any doubts, but the right to depict Christ the Savior on icons was in fact the end of the Christological arguments of the first centuries of Christianity. It is the understanding of the Incarnation, the understanding that God truly became Man, while retaining His Divinity. And since He was incarnate, since we saw Him, since He is a Person, we can depict Him; and by this the Church not only defended its tradition, but also its right to be with God, the right to commune with God.

What does this mean for you and me? Why are there icons in the life of every believer? We understand that we need help on our path of the knowledge of God. We are weak, we are fickle, we definitely need some kind of “supports”, “props”, and in fact everything that is in the Church, including icons, is the hand of God helping people. Of course, you can pray without icons: the experience of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church of the twentieth century shows that, of course, they prayed as they languished in labor camps for many years without icons.

We know real ascetics who went into seclusion for communion with God, who contemplated God through their ascetic labors—they all had icons in their cells. Having such a high level of communion with God, the ascetics still needed icons. If a small icon was somehow handed over to an imprisoned bishop, priest or layman in the camp, he would rejoice.

The word “icon” in Ancient Greek means “image”. We know that the first icon in the world was Adam, created in the image and likeness of God. The image and the likeness are in reason, in creativity, in freedom. And the Church calls on us to treat all people around us as icons, as reflections of the Divine image. Sometimes it is hard to see an icon, an image of God in a person. People even say: “This person has completely lost the image of God,” that is, he has so darkened it in himself.

One of the most venerated icons is the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which is linked to our monastery. I think that most of you have visited the church at the Tretyakov Gallery and seen this icon. Although it lost a layer of paint and does not appear before us in its original form, and its value has never been lost. There are icons in some monasteries and churches, which were shot at during the persecution of the Church in the twentieth century.

What do icons mean in our lives? Why are they in our homes? As amulets? Or can they help us make the right decision in some cases? We we’ve grown so accustomed to icons that we can allow ourselves to swear, use foul language while passing by icons, or be rude with someone on the phone in their presence. And then it turns out that icons as relics have no effect on us; and this is a very important point.

What are icons in my car for? As an insurance against financial losses? Or as reminders that I will now be polite on the road, that I will not get annoyed if, relatively speaking, someone there breaks the rules and creates a dangerous situation? What are icons for?

Icons can help us simply by their presence, being close to us. Now there are many icons and they are available. As a child I saw a black-and-white icon painted with colored pencils at my grandmother’s house. Then, the Soviet era, there were simply no icons, and people used to pray in front of such almost homemade icons. I also happened to visit the house of a priest, a real ascetic, who lived a very difficult life, and after his death it turned out that he had been a secret monk who had endured a lot of trials in his life. When people entered his house, they were amazed by how many icons—even very simple and tiny ones—had found their place in his home. We know that there were many icons in the cell of Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).

One of the twentieth century ascetics of Holy Mount Athos used to say: “Do not forget to light icon-lamps in front of icons of the Mother of God.” This is what we call piety. The word “piety” is repeated several times in today’s service and resounds in the service of the Triumph of Orthodoxy.

Beyond all doubt, iconoclasm still continues; it was not over in the ninth century. We know of medieval frescoes with scratched faces, we know of bonfires of icons in the first half of the twentieth century in our country, and we know of broken and destroyed frescoes. Brothers and sisters, we must appreciate the image of God, appreciate the icon and make it our true help on our difficult path to God. Amen.

Forgiveness Sunday

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have arrived now at Forgiveness Sunday – the gateway toward our season of repentance that is the Great Fast.

Before we can begin our journey of repentance and healing, the Church calls us to set aside our resentments, our judgments of one another. We must knock down those walls we build between our self and others that allow us the delusion of thinking we’re isolated and separate. We must realize the part that we play in the disease and disorder of this world.

Today we are called to ask forgiveness of one another. We must ask forgiveness not just of those whom we may have offended by our selfishness – though this is also a requirement and is often the most difficult reconciliation because of our foolish resentment and pride that create such barriers between us.

But in addition to asking forgiveness of those whom we have directly offended, we must also beg forgiveness of one another for the part we have played in contributing to the sin that affects this world that we share. Every sinful thought, word, and deed we commit tips those scales of good and evil in the direction of evil. God help us to stop contributing to that storehouse of evil that spills out in destruction across the world!

We must instead realize and understand that every good and pious thought, word, and deed can help tip that scale of good and evil toward the good. Every prayer, every sigh, every tear, every selfless gesture of courtesy and kindness contributes to the good and has ripples across the world!

We must wake up and understand that what we do, what we say, and what we think deeply matters! Apostle Paul calls to us today… ‘now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand.’

Today, on Forgiveness Sunday, we are given a special opportunity to awaken from our spiritual drowsiness and blindness. We are called to begin our Lenten journey with our eyes open to the awareness of the presence of God and to the impact that each one of us has upon one another. May this Lenten season be a season of repentance for each of us.  

Forgive me my brothers and sisters! May God bless us and grant us repentance!

ON THE SUNDAY OF THE DREAD JUDGMENT

Metropolitan Philaret of New York

The Gospel reading which we heard today during the Divine Liturgy begins with the words of the Lord “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory” (Mt. 25:31). St. John Chrysostom comments on this 25th chapter of St. Matthew: “His words inspire great fear and awe, because when He comes down from the heavens to be seated on the throne of His glory, all the holy angels also come down with Him to the place of the Last Judgment, vacating the entire heavenly realm”.

It is for good reason that the Lord emphasizes this. The first time He came to the earth was in a humble, self-effacing way. He was born in a cave, laid in a manger, “had nowhere to lay His head” as He Himself said (Mt. 8:20), and, in the end, was nailed to the Cross and buried. His Second Coming will be completely different. He will then come in His glory. Every earthly splendor, earthly magnificence, and earthly glory will be like a worthless plaything before His divine glory! And He will come in ALL His glory!

His disciples beheld only a fraction of His glory on Mount Tabor, ‘as much as they could bear’ (troparion for the Feast of the Transfiguration). His vestments were white as snow, and His countenance shone like the sun. This was only a small fraction of His glory. What will it be like when He comes to the Last Judgment and demands an account from mankind for the great mercy rendered to them? This Final Judgment will be fearsome, because nothing of what we did in life will be hidden from the All-knowing God – not even our innermost thoughts and hidden emotions. The Holy Fathers say that only those things which were absolved through repentance and confession will be gone. The Lord will not reveal these, for the sacrament of repentance not only grants a person forgiveness of sins, but does away with them completely as if they never existed. The Lord will reveal everything else, however, so that all the people and all the angels will see the person not as he appeared to be in his earthly life, but as he was in reality. Every person had certain inner feelings he kept secret, especially those that were unclean, sinful, and shameful. Unless they were cleansed through repentance, the Lord brings them out into the open. People who knew us will see what we were really like, and probably be horrified…Indeed, we ourselves will be horrified, because, as St. Theophan the Recluse said, “The righteousness of God will prevail, and in the light of this righteousness a person will judge himself for his own sins, his failings and sinful falls, and all that was not corrected in himself”.

How joyful the first part of this Dread Judgment will be when the Savior of the world turns with love to those who will stand at His right Hand and says, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Mt. 25:34). Even before man came into being, when the world was just created, our Heavenly Father already had us in mind and already prepared a kingdom for us to inherit. Furthermore He says, “for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (Mt. 25:35-36). Even though the people who pleased God know this from the Gospel, it will be so overwhelmingly awesome to be in the presence of the Unapproachable and Great King on His throne, and they will say in bewilderment, “Lord, when did we see You hungry, thirsty, sick, poor, or in prison? When did we see You? We were just trying to follow Your commandment by helping our neighbors, but we did not see You”. And the King will answer, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Mt. 25:40).

Here is something that is so often overlooked. Our Lord in His limitless love calls these lowly, poor, and sick ‘My brethren’, and He so loves them that, in His love, whatever good that was done to them He considers done to Himself, just like, for example, a loving mother seeing her son receiving a gift rejoices as if she herself were receiving that gift. This is characteristic of love. The Lord considers done for Himself what the righteous, pious people did for their lesser brothers.

However, if the first part of the Dread Judgment was joyful, the second part will be terrifying! The Stern and Awesome Judge will say to those who will stand at His left Hand, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt. 25:41). While we do not read anywhere else in the New Testament about anyone being cursed, neither about anger towards another that is against us, sinners will hear these fearsome words from the Lord’s Lips: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared [for whom? For you? No, that is not what He says; He says prepared] for the devil and his angels!” The everlasting fire was prepared for the evil first apostate and his followers who sowed the seeds of evil into our earthly lives, not for you, for whom the Kingdom of Heaven was prepared. Yet, you made it so that there could be no other fate for you except this. How terrible it will be then for these unfortunate souls – they will be overcome with despair…For one last time in eternity they will again try to justify themselves in the same way they were accustomed to in their earthly lives, to exalt themselves, to justify themselves in everything, and not blame themselves by saying, “Lord, when did we see You in need, sick, in prison, or naked, and did not clothe You? We saw these parasites, beggars, and drunks– they did not deserve to be helped. If it had been You, we would have helped You”. This is the unqualified answer they got: “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me!” (Mt. 25:45) The Lord ended this conversation about the Dread Judgment saying, “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life!” (Mt. 25:45-46) As the Holy Fathers also said, this Judgment will be fearsome not only because all people will see us our true character as we really are on the inside, but because the Judge is IMPLACABLE! During His earthly life, our Lord Jesus Christ never turned anyone away. He Himself said, “the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (Jn. 6:37) and after His Ascension, throughout the whole history of mankind “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). The Lord is true to His word in His endless love and mercy, and, as we have said many times, there has never been, or will be, any occasion when He does not receive or grant forgiveness to a person coming to Him with repentance. This is not possible!

However, at the Judgment, there will be no more chance for repentance, and the Judge will be IMPLACABLE, as the Holy Fathers said. Nonetheless, it is true that we sinners still have one hope, a hope that is depicted by a faithful and pious iconographer in the icon of the Dread Judgment. All present are stricken with fear and awe. We no longer hear St. John the Forerunner preaching and calling everyone to repent – he is now silent, and so are the apostles and all the saints. The sinners stand terrified. ONLY ONE PERSON IS NOT SILENT – the Mother of God. She leans over the shoulder of Her Son and pleads to Him on behalf of the unfortunate sinners who are just about to hear the terrible sentence of eternal torment. This is our Christian hope, that the Mother of God will intercede for us at Christ’s Dread Judgment.

If only people would think more often about the end of their earthly life, and furthermore, about the end of the history of mankind and how it will all come to an end. People nowadays do not give this the least thought, or if it comes to mind, they try to brush it aside. Others comfort themselves saying that since God is merciful, He ought to forgive everyone. To this kind of thinking we can reply, “Pardon, but look in the Gospel at what God Himself said. Does He say that He will forgive everyone without exception? Certainly not! He says that the righteous will inherit eternal life and the sinners will go to everlasting torment”. The Lord reveals the prospect of the Dread Judgment ahead of time to give us the opportunity to avoid being on the left side after our earthly life, and to instead be on the right side. One ancient wise man said, “Remember your end and you will never sin”. This, of course, does not mean that a person can be without sin. No! But, he says that if a person keeps the end of his life in mind, he will not take sin so light-mindedly, as people usually do. Remember your end, ye Christian people, remember Christ’s Dread Judgment, remember that this Judgment will be final and determine your fate for eternity, and always pray sincerely when you hear this petition in the church services: “A Christian ending to our life, painless, blameless, peaceful, and A GOOD DEFENSE BEFORE THE DREAD JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, let us ask”. Amen.

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

(Luke 15:11-32)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we come to the heartbreaking and yet ever-hopeful Gospel parable of the Prodigal Son. What is presented before us today is an illustration of repentance, diligence, and of steadfast love.

In this parable, our Lord tells us of a man who had two sons. These sons lived with their father where all that was necessary and good for their wellbeing was provided and available. In addition, the father had seen to it that each son would receive a generous inheritance of his wealth to take care of their future needs.

The younger son, demonstrating impatience, lack of contentment, and succumbing to the seductions of the world, asked for his inheritance in advance and left his home to go to a far country where he wasted his money and himself on the lusts of this world. It did not take long for him to squander his inheritance and for the fleeting enjoyments of his passionate pursuits to evaporate into the emptiness of depression and poverty and regret. He fell so low that he even envied the food of the pigs he was attending to.

At this lowest point, the Gospel tells us that he ‘came to himself’… he came to a moment of realization, of seeing clearly the state he was in, and this was a moment of crisis. The young man lamented his sorry state and turned in repentance – reasoning that he would go home and, even if he could only be hired on as a servant within his father’s estate, he would be better off than continuing in his current misery. And so, he took action and in humility he returned to his home.

The following scene always gets to me… The Gospel tells us that even while the son was still a long way off, the father was watching for him. And when he saw the distant figure of his long lost son approaching, he ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, I am no longer worthy to be called thy son.’ But the father was overjoyed to recover this lost sheep that was his son and commanded that a great feast be prepared in celebration of the return of he who was lost and is now found.

What strikes my heart about this scene is not only the beauty of this reconciliation of the father and the son, not only my recognition of myself in the figure of the prodigal son, but especially the generosity and the constancy of the love of the father – who spent each day of his son’s long journey away from home, watching and waiting and longing for his son’s return.

That outpouring of love from the father never ceased, it never changed. The thing that changed was the son. It was he who went off to a far country… removing himself from the constantly offered love of the father.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is the same with us. This is the story of mankind and of God, our Father. Our Heavenly Father is also unchanging in the offering of His love to us, His sons and daughters. But we go off to ‘far countries’… places of our self pursuits, our vanities, our sins. God watches and waits with hope for our return.

This parable of the Prodigal Son is a beautiful illustration of repentance. But the parable does not end with this happy reconciliation of the father and his prodigal son… it goes on to tell us about the other son; the faithful son, who had stayed behind all those years and diligently carried out his father’s work, doing everything right and remaining home at his father’s side. Yet, when the errant younger brother finally returns from his escapades, the older brother is jealous and indignant over the attention lavished upon the prodigal. The elder brother feels if anyone was to be rewarded with the fatted calf, it should have been him! Like the Pharisee of last Sunday’s Gospel, the elder brother did all the right things, yet his heart was hardened by his self-justification and pride.

And this brings us back to the remarkable generosity and constancy of the love of the father. The father reassures the elder son of his love and encourages him to share in his rejoicing of the return of his brother.

Neither the prodigality and repentance of the one son, nor the faithful dutifulness of the older son changes the steadfast love of the father. Both sons misunderstood the nature and the stability of their father’s love. One thought that he could lose it by straying so far away… the other thought that he could earn it by doing everything right. The reality is that the father’s love remained constant in its outpouring toward his children.

And so it is with God’s love toward us. His love is constant and true. This fact is a source of tremendous hope and consolation. But I think that it can also be a source of temptation… a temptation to become presumptuous of the mercy of God. We often say God’s love is unconditional. Well, that is half true… God’s love is unconditional, however our ability to receive that love is very much conditional. The variable factor is us. We are the ones who create conditions which remove ourselves from being able to receive that love of God. Just like the Prodigal Son, we remove ourselves from the love of the father. Repentance is the act of ‘coming to ourselves’… And having come to ourselves, and seeing our condition, we then may turn around and approach our loving Father, stepping out of our darkness and back into the light of His love.

This is the call of our Lord’s Gospel parable and this is the call of our Holy Mother Church as she prepares us for Great Lent. It is a call of repentance! It is a call to a correct understanding of what our Lenten efforts should be about! It is a call to the breaking of our hearts to see the constancy of our Father’s Love… a Light which is offered to us to the degree to which we will receive it.

May God grant that each and every one of us will take the opportunity provided to us in this season of repentance to change our condition and to open our hearts to God’s steadfast love.

Sunday of Publican and Pharisee

Today is the second of the preparatory Sundays leading us toward the holy season of Great Lent. On this Sunday we read the Gospel parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. Our Lord tells us that two men went into the temple to pray – one was a Pharisee who was diligent in keeping the fasts and all the rules of the Jewish law and the other was a Publican, a lowly and despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood in the temple with great confidence and pride, thanking God that he was not like other men. The Publican stood in the back of the temple and could hardly raise his eyes to heaven, only crying out ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ Our Lord Jesus Christ makes the point that it was the prayer of the Publican that was pleasing in God’s sight – “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

It is very interesting and instructive and appropriate that on this day we read the Epistle from Apostle Paul to his spiritual child Timothy. In today’s Epistle we are exhorted to follow Orthodox ‘doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions.’ We are warned to beware evil men and imposters who might lead us astray from the true path. The Apostle advises us that we ‘must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.’ Apostle Paul is urging us to hold fast to the faith, to the traditions and teachings that have been handed down to us. We are forewarned of evil men and imposters who might lead us astray from the true path. We must know our faith and our traditions and we must adhere to them with all fidelity.

Isn’t this an interesting pair of readings assigned for this Sunday? In the Gospel lesson for today we are told very clearly that preoccupation with the letter of the law and an over-emphasis on the rules of tradition will not pave our way into the kingdom of heaven and can be a cause for spiritual arrogance and pride. However, in the Epistle lesson for today we are warned to carefully hold on to the traditions which have been handed down to us, that we must beware of straying from the true path, that these things ‘are able to make us wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus’.

Our Holy Mother Church is so wise in presenting these two teachings to us now, as we prepare ourselves for the Great Fast.

How are we to understand these seeming contradictions? Are strict adherence to the traditions of our faith on the one hand and simple-hearted humility on the other hand contradictory to each other? The answer, of course, is a resounding ‘no!’… these things are not contradictory. In fact, if we approach and pursue them in the right way, they can and should serve to complement and even fuel zeal for one another. The key to both of these things is in the correct disposition of our heart and mind.

The Pharisee of today’s Gospel is a man who held to the traditions of his fathers in the faith. He prayed daily, he fasted twice a week, he donated to the church, he was honest in his dealings with men. This is not a bad man… but he was missing something critically important! The disposition of his heart and mind was completely off track… he exalted himself through his careful observance of the Law and looked down upon the simple Publican saying ‘I thank God I’m not like this man.’ All of his fasting, all of his standing in the temple, all of his donations – these good things had not penetrated the coldness and arrogance of his heart.

The Publican recognized his unworthiness and could not even raise his eyes to heaven. He stood in the back of the temple, beating his breast and crying ‘Have mercy on me a sinner!’ The disposition of his heart and mind were right… his heart was breaking with sorrow and love for God. This was the contrite heart that God will not despise.

Listen to the words of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk who states very clearly: ‘If someone should say that true faith is the correct holding and confession of correct dogmas, he would be telling the truth, for a believer absolutely needs the Orthodox holding and confession of dogmas. But this knowledge and confession by itself does not make a man a faithful and true Christian. The keeping and confession of Orthodox dogmas is always to be found in true faith in Christ, but the true faith of Christ is not always to be found in the confession of Orthodoxy…. The knowledge of correct dogmas is in the mind, and it is often fruitless, arrogant, and proud…. The true faith in Christ is in the heart, and it is fruitful, humble, patient, loving, merciful, compassionate, hungering and thirsting for righteousness; it withdraws from worldly lusts and clings to God alone, strives and seeks always for what is heavenly and eternal, struggles against every sin, and constantly seeks and begs help from God for this.’

Brothers and sisters in Christ - our approach and our attitude to standing firm in the traditions and disciplines of the Church must be humble and must be motivated and activated first and foremost by love for God.

What greater example may we have than those holy ones whom we commemorate today – the holy new martyrs of Russia? Through their sufferings they demonstrated that harmony of bold and courageous fidelity to Christ along with deep repentance and extreme humility.

May God grant us this integrated and holistic approach to our prayer and fasting. First of all, granting us a contrite and broken heart like the Publican, which cries out to God: ‘Be merciful to me a sinner!’ And may that love and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ then inspire and strengthen us to heed His words: ‘If you love me, you will keep My commandments.’ Letting our Lenten efforts of fasting, of prayer, of disciplining our lives to be in accordance with Christ’s commandments – to be an expression of our deep love and gratitude to God. And may that cycle of ‘love inspiring effort’ and ‘effort inspiring love’ cascade like a snowball, so that our love increases our efforts and our efforts increase our love.

Zacchaeus Sunday

(Luke 19:1-10)

Today is already the first of the preparatory Sundays leading us toward Great Lent. Today we read the Gospel account of Zacchaeus, a despised tax-collector, a man who came to get a glimpse of Jesus as He was passing by, but because of his short stature and the great crowd of people, he could not have a clear view. So Zacchaeus, in his zeal climbed into the branches of a sycamore tree in order to get a view of our Lord as He passed by. When Jesus came along this way, He made a point of stopping and looking up to Zacchaeus, calling out to him to “make haste and come down – for I desire to stay in your house this day”.

Many people began to grumble and judge, saying “He has gone to be a guest in the house of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus, fearing that Christ would indeed pass Him by because of this unworthiness, declared his efforts to do good, saying that he gave half his goods to the poor and strove always to make fair transactions in his business. Our Lord, in His kindness and mercy and in His single-minded sense of purpose, declared to Zacchaeus and to all, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

The Holy Church again, as always, brings to us the manifestation of the Holy Gospels into our own lives… for today we have the call to repentance, the promise of salvation, and the presentation of the means by which we must make our efforts toward repenting.

Just like Zacchaeus, our sins make us ‘short of stature’ spiritually. Our vision of God is often lost and obscured because we cannot see past the crowd and the hustle and bustle of the world and our daily concerns. We, like Zacchaeus, must take action and find the means to somehow climb above the tumult of the worldliness in which we live in order to gain perspective and get a glimpse of God. Just as Zacchaeus climbed the sycamore tree, we are invited to begin ascending the ladder of divine ascent as we approach the holy season of the Great Fast. We should pay particular attention to the Gospel readings over the course of the next several Sundays – for they are precisely arranged to put before us that ladder of repentance which leads us to God. We shall hear about the Publican and the Pharisee, the Prodigal Son, and the Final Judgement of all mankind. Each of these Gospel readings and pre-lenten Sundays begin to raise our sights up toward God.

So, this is the first step… we need to climb up above the clamor of the world and get some perspective from which we can begin to hope to see God.

Once we’ve raised ourselves above the worldliness of our lives, we then need to have the courage to ‘go out on a limb’ and step forward in faith. It is often the case that we hesitate to put our faith in God because we are bothered by doubts, by our overly-rational ways of thinking that demand proof before we invest ourselves in something. It is a mistake to subject our Creator and our spiritual progress and obedience to the selfish will of our limited understanding. If we wait for the day when we have it all figured out, we shall wait an eternity!

We must indeed take the risk of reaching out to God in faith… however, I think that if we open our eyes and look at things with honesty and simplicity, we don’t need to go forward in a purely blind faith. Look around the walls of the Church – there you will see the icons of those men and women who we recognize and celebrate as God’s saints. These holy men and women testify to the truth of Christianity by virtue of the sanctity of their lives. It doesn’t take long to study the lives of these holy ones to see the thread of God’s grace working in their lives, and, quite often, in their martyric deaths. If it’s proof we’re looking for, we’ve got the results of the experience of faith in the lives of the saints – a clear testimony to the results of faith and the workings of God in the lives of human beings. Faith also has a way of building upon itself… if we dare to be like Zacchaeus and take the step out onto that branch of faith, we begin to experience the presence and working of God in our lives more and more- faith building upon faith. We need to have that simple-hearted, guileless trust that, if we put our trust and faith in God, He will take care of us. As the Gospel tells us, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added unto you.”

So we have climbed the tree and have inched out onto the limb - raising ourselves up and daring to step forward in faith… now what? What happened next for Zacchaeus?... Our Lord passed by, saw Zacchaeus efforts to reach Him, and called him down so that He might come to his house. 

In order to greet Christ and bring Him into his home, Zacchaeus needed to come down from his perch, get his feet on the ground, and bring Christ into his house where he then served Him. This is a spiritual truth for all of us… it is of extreme importance for us to climb up and gain that spiritual perspective, to venture out onto the seemingly fragile limbs of faith, and then we must be ready to be humble and grounded – ready to serve the Lord as he calls us to serve Him.

If we pay attention and prepare ourselves appropriately through these coming weeks that call us to raise ourselves up above the confusion and preoccupations of the world and lead us to repentance and exercising our faith in God, we then will come to the beginning of the Great Fast itself with the Sunday of Forgiveness, in which Jesus comes by and calls us to make haste and come down - calling us to humble ourselves before Him and before each other. And what is the fruit of that humility, that sense of contrition and broken-heartedness? Salvation shall come to the house of our soul! For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost!

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us make every effort to pull ourselves up above the distractions and obstructions of this world to gain perspective and a clearer view of God. Let us take the risk of faith and pay attention to and follow the guidance of the Holy Church as She leads us along the path of repentance in our preparation for the Great Fast – that season of renewal and ‘spiritual spring cleaning’ leading us to the glory of Christ’s resurrection – our salvation and the Kingdom of Heaven.

Sunday After Theophany

(Matt. 4:12-17)

We hear in today’s Holy Gospel a quotation from Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, Light has dawned.’ This quote from the prophecy of Isaiah is presented to us by the Evangelist Matthew in the context of his description of Christ’s baptism by John in the Jordan.

The great event of Christ’s baptism is the manifestation of the Holy Trinity and Christ shines forth His Light to the world. Indeed, in the Kontakion of the feast of Theophany we sing: ‘Thou hast appeared today to the whole world, and Thy light, O Lord, hath been signed upon us who hymn Thee with understanding. Thou hast come, Thou hast appeared, the Light unapproachable.’

Christ’s appearance to mankind brings Light to the world. But as we hear in the opening verses of the Gospel of St John: ‘In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.’

The Light of Christ’s love and truth shines upon us and upon the whole world, but we do not comprehend it. Indeed, so much of the reality of the spiritual life which surrounds us – the presence of God, the life of the Church, the temptations of the evil one – all of this remains obscure to us, and we go about our lives like blind men and women.

If our spiritual eyes were truly open and we could see the crafty deceptions of the demons, if we could see the tireless protection and prayers of our guardian angel, if we could perceive the patient knocking of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the closed door of our heart… Oh, dear brothers and sisters, if we could only see the both the beauty and the seriousness of the life given to us in which to work out our salvation – perhaps then we would heed the call of our Lord Jesus Christ from this morning’s Gospel: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’

This awareness of the presence of God is that ‘one thing needful’ which sets everything else in proper perspective. As the Gospels teach us, ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added unto you.’

I have to say how sad it was to see so few people in church this past week for the great feast of our Lord’s Theophany. Theophany is one of the great feasts throughout the year… it is the day on which our Lord deigned to be baptized by John in the Jordan river and the occasion on which the fulness of the Trinity was made manifest to mankind.

I sympathize that our lives are busy… I know that many priorities battle for our limited attention. But as your priest, I must encourage you to make that effort to come to the great feasts celebrated throughout the year. In the mystery that is the Holy Church, we do not just remember these historic events and holy days… When we step into the space of the Church and when we enter into the prayers commemorating these holy days, we truly participate with the saints and with the angels in the eternity of the celebration of these events. That’s why the hymnography of the Church speaks as it does, saying: ‘Today the Lord is baptized in the Jordan. Today the Holy Trinity is made manifest.’ Within the mystery and the grace of the Church we prayerfully enter into that time outside of time.

What a privilege! What a miracle that is offered to us! What a worthy thing for which to get up early, or for which to ask to come into work a bit late, or to make a compromise with whatever else is demanding our time and attention. God is so generous to us… let us be generous to Him with our time.

The renewing waters of Theophany are God’s gift to us as we begin the new year… equipping us first with God’s grace to then take action toward repentance, toward turning from whatever darkness there might be in our lives and taking those decisive steps toward the Light and Love of Christ.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray that each of us may be bathed in the awareness of the presence of God. St Paisios of Mt Athos, a saint of our times, likens such awareness to the tuning of a radio into the right frequency. God is broadcasting His love and grace to us at all times… we are just too often ‘out of tune’ and can’t perceive it or receive it due to the static of our lives. Those saints who fine tuned themselves to that frequency of God tapped into that grace and love and lived in deep joy – no matter what external circumstances they might encounter. Though many went through the torments of hell in this life, they were in heaven in their closeness to God.

May He Who has enlightened the world, fill our lives with His Light! May the revelation of the Holy Trinity which is given to us in this feast of Theophany bring you great joy. May the blessed waters of Theophany shower your life with God’s grace. And may each of us strive to attune ourselves to that divine frequency of our Lord, that our lives may be filled with His loving presence!

We celebrated the Nativity of our Lord and took our annual parish photo on January 7th.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas season. Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

More photos

On December 25th, we celebrated our annual parish feast day. We were honored by the visit of our Archbishop Kyril, and all joined together following the liturgy for a festal meal.

Please check out the photo gallery for more pictures of the liturgy and meal following.

The Vallis Family was baptized on the eve of our parish feast day, December 24th! We congratulate Ben (Seraphim), Naomi (Marina), Maddie (Mary), Katie (Katherine), and Edward (Stephen) on their new journey into Orthodoxy and their sponsors, George and Haritina Mihaila, for their new responsibility of guiding them. God grant you many years!

Circumcision / St Seraphim of Sarov / Forefeast of Theophany

Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the eighth day following His birth, He was brought into the Temple to observe the Law which prescribed that all males would be circumcised as a sign of their covenant with God.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who deigned to be incarnate for us, also follows through in observing the Jewish Law. As we discussed at the feast yesterday, Christ tells us He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. The Laws were a means of preparing the people of Israel for something greater which was yet to come… that ‘something greater’ was our Lord Jesus Christ.

And in fulfilling the Law, Christ takes things to a much deeper level… The Law tells us that we must not murder – Christ takes this a step further… internalizing things such that we not only must not murder, but we must not look upon our brother in anger. The Law tells us that we must not commit adultery – with the coming of Christ, we are instructed that we must not look upon another with lust in our heart. The Law prescribes circumcision of the flesh – but with Christ, that circumcision takes place in our heart – cutting off sin. The ancient sacrifice and offering of bread and wine is taken to an entirely different level with our Lord Jesus Christ, Who offers His Body and Blood. All the Laws of the Old Testament were but a foreshadowing of the fulfillment which was realized in Christ Jesus.

Our Lord summarizes all the Law and the Prophets with the admonition that we are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength, and we are to love our neighbor as ourself. Christ both simplifies things and yet elevates things to a much more demanding commandment.

Many great saints throughout the life of the Church have followed this Gospel commandment to love God above all else. Taking that simple, yet challenging call to love God and to love our neighbor. Certainly one of these great saints is the one whom we commemorate today – Saint Seraphim of Sarov.

Saint Seraphim is surely one of the most beloved saints of the Orthodox Church. His love for God and neighbor so transformed his heart that he was literally overflowing with Paschal joy. Living in a hermitage in the forest, he reflected the life of Adam in paradise… even the beasts of the forest were tame in his presence. He famously fed the birds and befriended a bear who ate from his hand.

Just as Christ our Lord distilled all the Law and Prophets into the Gospel commandment of love, so too did St Seraphim condense and focus the Christian life. St Seraphim taught us: ‘prayer, fasting, vigil and all the other Christian practices may be helpful, however, they do not constitute the aim of our Christian life. Although it is true that they serve as the indispensable means of reaching this end, the true aim of our Christian life consists of the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God.’

Just as all the Law and the Prophets can be distilled down to love of God and neighbor, so too can all the disciplines of our Christian life be distilled down to their true purpose – the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. And how might we discern whether our Christian life is helping us to acquire the Holy Spirit? By examining whether our prayer, our fasting, our vigil and all our other Christian practices are bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which St Paul teaches us are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. If our Christian striving is not bringing forth such fruit, then we must re-evaluate what is going on…

The Holy Spirit transforms that which It touches. Taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary.

And this now links us to the great feast we are preparing for this week… Holy Theophany, the baptism of our Lord. This coming Thursday we will celebrate the feast and we will serve the Great Blessing of Waters where the Holy Spirit comes down upon the water – turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.

And isn’t it this way with all things touched by God? By the grace of God, ordinary things may become extraordinary and holy. A simple piece of painted wood – through prayer and God’s grace becomes a holy icon, a window into heaven. An ordinary human life, through prayer and the grace of God, may become sanctified, may become holy.

This is part of the mystery and glory of Jesus Christ. He renews all things – all of creation rejoices in God that we may be united with Him!

Glory to God that He provides us with such an abundance of grace! The waters of Theophany shower us with God’s blessings, protection, and grace. What a tremendous gift indeed!

I encourage all of you to make the time to come to this rich feast and to the blessing of the waters. Liturgy will be Thursday at 7am, followed by the blessing of the waters. During these holy days following Theophany, I urge you to take advantage of the blessings offered to you by the Holy Church and invite the priest to sanctify your homes with the holy waters of Theophany. This begins the new year in the right way - with spiritual refreshment and encouragement.

May God’s law of love guide you in all things. May the wisdom of St Seraphim’s focus on the purpose of our Christian life inspire you to seek that acquisition of the Holy Spirit. And may the grace of the Holy Spirit transform all things in your life from that which is ordinary into the truly extraordinary presence of God’s grace!

Sunday Before Nativity

On this Sunday before the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, we hear the Gospel account of the parental lineage of Jesus Christ – those generations from the great patriarch Abraham all the way through to the long-awaited time of the incarnation of God Himself, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We have before us in the reading of the names of these men a rich and amazing history of the expectation of mankind and of the long-suffering patience and trustworthiness of God. Today’s Gospel reading is complemented perfectly by the Epistle appointed for this Sunday of the Holy Fathers in which we recount how by faith Abraham was tested by God in offering up his only son, Isaac. How by faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. And Jacob, by faith gave his last testament prophesying of the departure of the children of Israel. And of the faith of Moses the God-seer and of David the King and Psalmist and of Samuel and all the prophets.

There are many names in the ancestry of Christ from which we may draw inspiration and courage. And yet, we do well to also recognize that within this genealogy we encounter sinfulness and scandal. Jacob received his blessing through deceiving his father Isaac; Moses fell short and was not blessed to set foot in the Promised Land; David fell upon the most grievous sins of murder and adultery. St Matthew’s Gospel includes mention of four women in the genealogy of Christ - the incestuous Tamar, the prostitute Rahab, the pagan foreigner Ruth, and the adulterous Bathsheba. All of this demonstrates that Christ was not immune in having a few ‘skeletons’ in his genealogical closet.

St John Chrysostom, meditating on the presence of these darker spots in Christ’s genealogy, remarks that ‘even if we were only reciting the family background of a mere man, we might naturally have been silent touching such matters, but since we are recounting the genealogy of God Incarnate, so far from being silent, we ought to glory in them, for they show forth His tender care and Hs power.’ Why, you might ask? ‘Because this is the very reason Christ has come, not to escape our disgraces, but to bear them. … He came as a Physician and not as a Judge.’ Christ, in taking on humanity and becoming our Kinsman, did so in full recognition of our sinfulness and, as the Great Physician, He comes near to us who are in the greatest need of His care, that He might make us whole again. As St. Paul says, ‘both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of One: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.’ (Hebrews 2:11).

It is so important for us to recognize Who He is… that this vulnerable Infant is God, the Maker of heaven and earth. And that God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, has become this vulnerable Infant. Think about this for a moment!...

When we contemplate the fact that God Himself has taken on humanity and become a man born in time and place, a man of flesh and blood, submitting Himself to cold and heat, to friendship and loneliness, to hunger and fullness, to joy and to sorrow, even unto death... we should not only be astounded by the generosity and compassion of God, but we also must recognize that God – having passed through the human experience – understands our own sorrows and trials in the most intimate way possible… for He has endured them all.

And not only has He endured our pains and sorrows, but as God, He has triumphed over them and has transformed them – giving us hope and opening them up as a door toward our own healing and salvation.

The Orthodox Church has fought valiantly over the centuries to uphold this clear truth about the nature of Jesus Christ – that He was fully God and fully man. This is not just theological hair-splitting… it is essential for us to be clear and faithful to this Divine Truth.

This is important because the Child Whose birth we are about to celebrate, being fully man, experiences our human life in all of its highs and lows with only one exception – He does not submit to sin. He has shed tears, even experiencing such anguish in the Garden of Gethsemene that those tears fell down as blood. God is not distant… He can be with you in your darkest hours because He has passed through more than any of us can ever even imagine.

And He is fully God… the Eternal One and Second Person of the Holy Trinity entering into this human life out of His great and compassionate love. This is critically important, because as God He sanctifies everything He touches – healing the blind, the deaf, the lame, and facilitating and inviting us to the healing of all of the human experience if we enter into this life of Christ. He has sanctified the human experience by gracing it with His Divinity. He has transfigured everything – even suffering, sorrow, and death… triumphing over all things by the radiance of His Holiness.

And Christ calls us to enter into and participate in His triumph as we unite ourselves to Him.

The feast of the Nativity, which we are about to celebrate, is THE pivotal moment in history. It can be THE pivotal moment in our lives if we come to this feast with a clear understanding of the great mystery and incredible mercy which is about to unfold - if we approach to worship the Christ Child offering the true and acceptable sacrifice of our love and devotion.

Let us watch and pray as we await the awesome Nativity of our Lord. Let us reflect on how incredible it is that He who cradles the universe in the crook of His arm deigns to be cradled in the arms of a young virgin. May the words of the Nativity Hymn guide our celebration: ‘Thy nativity, O Christ our God, hast shone upon the world the light of knowledge. For by it those who worshipped the stars, were taught by a star to adore Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee, the Dayspring from on High, O Lord glory to Thee!’

Here is the abundance of gifts collected for the two local families we sponsored for this year's annual Adopt-a-Family drive!

On December 17th, before the Vigil service for St Nicholas, we had a St Nicholas party for the children of the parish.

In addition to making and decorating ornaments and cookies, the children heard the life of St Nicholas and discussed how we might incorporate his virtues into our own lives.

A wonderful time was had by all!

The Ten Lepers Who Were Cleansed

Luke 17:12-19

The Gospel reading for this Sunday tells us of the ten lepers who stood afar off – ostracized by their disease and utterly cast off from society. As Jesus was passing by they lifted up their voices and shouted: ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’

Our Lord Jesus Christ heard their cries and had compassion upon them. He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was, that as they went, they were cleansed from their horrible infirmity.

The nine who were healed, continued straight away to the priests to be declared clean and able to re-enter the community. One of them, who was a despised Samaritan, upon seeing his cure, turned back and ran to Jesus and fell down at His feet, giving Him thanks.

Jesus answered and said: ‘Were there not ten that were cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’ And He said to him: ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.’

Brothers and sisters in Christ… today’s Gospel reading is all about thanksgiving and gratitude to God.

Do we realize our indebtedness to God? Are we consciously aware that every breath we take, every beat of our heart, every moment of our life is a gift from God. If only we had this awareness, this humble and thankful heart of gratitude to God… our lives and our perception of things would be illumined with Grace and Love and Joy.

It is easy to lose sight of this simplicity, this purity of a grateful heart. Life presents difficulties which can rob us of our gratitude. We may face sickness or someone we love may be sick. Perhaps we struggle financially, and we face an uncertain future. Jealousies and arguments may sour our relationships at work or at home. And, if such things in our personal life were not enough, we are constantly bombarded with news which upsets us and drags us down… Wars and disasters headline the international news. Fear and division and lewdness headline our national news. It is enough to drive one to despair!

How can we be grateful when there are so many horrible things going on in the world?

I think many of you are probably familiar with the words of St Paisios of Mt Athos – a recent saint of the 20th century. St Paisios likens each human being as either a fly or a bee. A fly comes into a garden and all it sees and all it goes for are the filth and the garbage that it finds. A bee comes into the same garden and all it sees and all it goes for are the flowers and things that are sweet. The garden is the same… it contains both filth and flowers, but it is the disposition of the bee or the fly which colors their perception of the world and their actions within it.

We need to ask ourselves, what kind of filter am I placing on what I perceive about the world? Who is determining what is ‘newsworthy’ for me? Many of us have been conditioned to seek the sensational… we are drawn to life’s dramas. On any given day there are terrors and tragedies and there are beauties and blessings. But, so often, our focus is drawn to the terrors and tragedies of life.

The Apostle Paul encourages us to attend to that which is good. And yet, it must be said that, even within the unavoidable terrors and tragedies, it is possible to have a heart of gratitude. Even when all hell is breaking loose around us, when the waves of the sea of life are crashing upon us, we must have that impenetrable cabin deep within our soul – where a quiet light burns before the icon of Christ no matter what chaos confronts us and where we can sincerely still lift up our hearts in praise to God for all things.

One of the most beautiful prayers I have ever come across is the Akathist ‘Glory To God For All Things’. This Akathist, also called the ‘Akathist of Thanksgiving’, was found among the effects of Protopresbyter Gregory Petrov upon his death in a prison camp in 1940. The title is from the words of Saint John Chrysostom as he was dying in exile. It is a song of praise from amidst the most terrible sufferings attributed to Metropolitan Tryphon of Turkestan. Listen to the words of the 12th Ikos: ‘What sort of praise can I give Thee? I have never heard the song of the Cherubim, a joy reserved for the spirits above. But I know the praises that nature sings to Thee. In winter, I have beheld how silently in the moonlight the whole earth offers Thee prayer, clad in its white mantle of snow, sparkling like diamonds. I have seen how the rising sun rejoices in Thee, how the song of the birds is a chorus of praise to Thee. I have heard the mysterious mutterings of the forests about Thee, and the winds singing Thy praise as they stir the waters. I have understood how the choirs of stars proclaim Thy glory as they move forever in the depths of infinite space. What is my poor worship! All nature obeys Thee, I do not. Yet while I live, I see Thy love, I long to thank Thee, and call upon Thy name.’

What an encouragement and inspiration! This ability to see the goodness and the grace of God even in the midst of sufferings is such a gift and such an important aspect of cultivating that disposition of gratitude which can say in sincerity: ‘Glory to God for all things!’

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ… The world presents us with many difficulties. Our lives are filled with highs and lows. But in all these ups and downs we can be grateful to the God Who loves us and watches over us, to the God Who was willing to enter into this world of suffering and Who has redeemed it – such that our sufferings, if endured in a spirit of love, can redeem us too.

Let us be grateful to God for all the blessings in our lives. Let us pay attention to that which is good and be thankful. May God grant that the good things in your life outweigh the bad… but in all circumstances, may you be blessed with a grateful heart! And may we then hear the words which were given to the one leper who returned to give thanks to Christ, ‘Arise and go your way, your faith has made you well.’

Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple

Today we celebrate the entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple.

The righteous parents of the Holy Virgin, Joachim and Anna, had been childless throughout their marriage. They made a vow to God that, should He bless them with a child, they would dedicate that child to the service of God. And, indeed, according to the grace and will of God, at the appropriate time, Anna found herself with-child and gave birth to a daughter whom they named Mary.

When the child was three years old, Joachim and Anna, brought her to the Temple in order to fulfill their vow of dedicating her in service to God. The young Mary was placed on the bottom step leading up to the Temple, and in a manner beyond her years, she confidently ascended the fifteen steps leading up to the Temple and presented herself to the High Priest. The High Priest, Zechariah, inspired by the grace of God, led her directly into the Holy of Holies – a place where only the High Priest could enter, and then, only once a year. Needless to say, all those who witnessed this were astonished!

What a miracle we witness today! A young maiden enters into the Holy of Holies! The priests and the people are astonished, and even the angels in heaven are in awe!

What is being revealed here?... She, who enters into the Temple of the Most High God will become the Temple of the Most High God. She, who enters into the Holy of Holies, will become the Holy of Holies. Today we celebrate the entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, anticipating the fact that she herself will become the very Temple of God.

What an amazing thing! Is it any wonder that we praise her with song chanting that she is ‘more honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim’? This pure maiden was chosen by God and grew up within the Temple… continuing to live in purity and close communion with God. When she reached the age of puberty, she could no longer live within the Temple and was therefore given to the care of her aged relative Joseph, who betrothed her and took her under his guardianship. When the fullness of time had come, Mary was visited by the Archangel Gabriel who spoke to her the good tidings: ‘Rejoice, thou full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women.’

The Virgin Mary had lived an exceptional life of prayer and grace and humility. It was this condition of the house of her soul which made a ready accommodation for the ‘Holy Spirit to come upon her, and the power of the Most High to overshadow her’… for the Second Person of the Holy Trinity to become incarnate within her womb.

With what exalted praise do we honor her as today, she enters the holiest place within the Temple, and as we anticipate the magnitude of the miracle which takes place as Christ enters under the roof of her body – thus making it a Temple of the Most High God!

And now, brothers and sisters in Christ, contemplating the glorious events of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, the purity of the Holy Virgin, and the miracle of God’s entry into the Temple of the body of the Mother of God… let us think about what this means for us.

Do we realize that we are honored to be called into the Temple of the Most High? As we prepared ourselves this morning to come to Christ’s Holy Church, did we understand where we were going and what would be taking place here? The Orthodox Christian Church is the direct inheritance and living continuation of the Temple of the Most High. Behind the icon screen stands the Holy of Holies, the Altar of God where the Bloodless Sacrifice is performed and God Himself descends upon mere bread and wine…changing them into His Body and Blood. Do we understand this? Do we remove all obstacles to be here for this miraculous event? Do we enter into this Holy Temple with the appropriate fear and love to stand before our Lord and Father?

And what’s more… if the living and very real Presence of God were not enough, do we understand that, if we partake of Holy Communion, Christ Himself is entering into our body – as He did with the Most Pure Virgin Mary – making our bodies the Temple of the Most High God? Are we careful to sweep the dirt from the Temple of our body to make a ready place for God to enter?

As the Pre-communion prayer of St John Chrysostom states: ‘O Lord my God, I know that I am not worthy or sufficient that Thou shouldest come under the roof of the house of my soul, for all is desolate and fallen, and Thou hast not with me a place fit to lay Thy head. But as from the highest heaven, Thou didst humble Thyself for our sake, so now conform Thyself to my humility. And as Thou didst consent to lie in a cave and in a manger of dumb beasts, so also consent to lie in the manger of my unspiritual soul and to enter into my defiled body.’

Just as God condescended to enter into this world in humility, in poverty, in obscurity, in the lowliest of ways… God condescends to enter into the house of our soul. He stands at the door of our hearts and He knocks.

Let us answer that knock upon the door of our heart. Let us never leave Him standing outside. Let us attend to preparing a place for Him. Even though the house of our soul and body may be poor, may still be dirty, may be unworthy of such an Honored Guest… He knocks and He desires to come and be with us. What better thing can we do than to attend with all diligence to assuring that we do everything in our power to make the Temple of our soul and body a place where He may lay His head, a place where He may find rest, a place where He may be honored.

The Most Holy Mother of God is our model. May we honor and follow her path of purity – spending the time of this Nativity Fast preparing a place for our Lord within the temple of our soul. Clearing out all that is unworthy of His Presence and living these holy days in expectant preparation for the birth of our Lord and Savior!

24th Sunday after Pentecost

(Luke 10:25-37)

The Gospel reading appointed for this Sunday is the familiar tale of the Good Samaritan. A certain lawyer was testing Christ, saying: ‘Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Our Lord responded to him: ‘What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?’ The young man replied: ‘You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ To this, our Lord said: ‘You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.’

But the young man wished to justify himself, and said to Jesus: ‘And who is my neighbor?’ To this question, our Lord responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan, wherein a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho fell among thieves who robbed him, stripped him of his clothing, beat him, and left him for dead. First a priest comes along but passes by him on the other side of the road. Then a Levite comes by, but he does the same. Finally, a Samaritan (one who was an outcast in society) came by and when he saw the beaten man, he had compassion on him. He bandaged his wounds, poured oil and wine upon him, and set him upon his animal and brought him to an inn. He gave the innkeeper some money to take care of him until he was well, promising to repay anything additional required for the man’s recuperation.

Which of these, Christ asks, was a neighbor to the one who fell among thieves? And the young man replied: ‘He who showed mercy on him.’ Then Jesus said to him: ‘Go and do likewise.’

Elsewhere in the Gospels, our Lord quotes from Deuteronomy - ‘You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.’ – saying this is the first and great commandment. ‘And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Christ then proclaims that ‘on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets’.

It is abundantly evident throughout the Gospels that Christ’s greatest sorrow and greatest frustration was the disconnect demonstrated by the most religious people: the priests, the Levites, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees… who over and over again missed the forest for the trees. They were so scrupulous about the laws of Moses and yet they lost the point of what these laws were given them for. The laws were given to bring the remembrance and the presence of God into every action of the people: from the way they washed their hands, to the way they dressed, to the things they could and could not eat. All of this was to bring the remembrance and reverence for God into the details of their lives. But rather than softening their hearts toward God and their neighbor, too often their scrupulousness about the law hardened their hearts and inflated their pride.

What a shame that the priest and the Levite from this Gospel parable passed by the beaten man. It took the compassionate heart of a Samaritan to fulfill the law and the prophets by showing love and caring for the one in need.   

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I sometimes hear complaints from Orthodox Christians about all the rules the Church places upon us. This most often comes up in reference to the rules of fasting prescribed by the Church. Tomorrow we will enter into the 40 day Nativity Fast which prepares us for the blessed feast of the Nativity of our Lord. How should we think about these fasting rules and how can we draw the greatest good from the coming fast?

Prayer, fasting, and the other spiritual disciplines that are prescribed by the Church are precisely that… ‘prescriptions for our spiritual infirmities’. They are a form of spiritual therapy prescribed to make us healthier, to build our spiritual strength, to soften our hearts, to raise up our minds.

By way of illustration, a couple months ago I tore the meniscus in my knee, and I have been experiencing quite a bit of pain from it. Surgery was scheduled for this coming week, but I was prescribed some exercises to try to stretch and strengthen the knee. The more carefully I adhere to these exercises, the healthier and stronger my knee is becoming. At this point, I’m happy to report that I have canceled the surgery because my knee is doing so much better. The physical therapy is a means to an end… my goal is to become healthy again so I can walk and hike the way I used to. As long as I keep that goal in mind, I am motivated to do the exercises designed to help me get there.

It is the same with our fasting, our prayers, our Church services, and all the other disciplines of the Church. These are our means of therapy to restore health to our souls and draw us closer to Christ our God. And that is the whole point of our Christian life… to unite ourselves Christ.

St Seraphim of Sarov said: ‘Fasting, prayer, alms, and every other good Christian deed is good in itself, but the purpose of the Christian life consists not only in the fulfillment of one or another of them. The true purpose of our Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. But fasting, prayer, alms and every good deed done for the sake of Christ is a means to the attainment of the Holy Spirit.’

As we go into these blessed days of the Nativity Fast, let us recognize and appreciate what the fast is all about… the call to prayer and fasting is a call to the take up the tools which strengthen us in our love for God. May our desire to draw closer to Christ motivate us to pray and to fast. And may the fruit of our prayer and fasting draw us closer to Christ.

In today’s Gospel we have all the law and prophets, all the rules and regulations of the disciplines of the Church distilled down into a simple and understandable prescription for the healing of our soul – let us love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and let us love our neighbor as our self. May God grant it!

Healing of Jairus’ Daughter

In today’s Holy Gospel we witness the miracle of faith, hope, and love.

Christ and His disciples had just returned from their visit to the country of the Gadarenes and, as the news of Christ’s fame and good works was growing, they were surrounded by a multitude who awaited Him – some seeking healing and comfort, others were probably there out of curiosity and the desire to see some spectacle. 

We are told that a man named Jairus, a respected ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house and heal his daughter, who was deathly ill. Jairus approached Christ with faith and hope that He could heal his only daughter and make her well. There was urgency in his voice as he knew that she might not have long to live. Christ heard his desperate request and agreed to come to his house, promising to make his daughter well again.

But as they were making their way, the progress was slow since a great crowd pressed upon Him. Imagine how stressful this must have been for Jairus… his last hope for his only child was ‘so near, and yet so far’ from coming and laying His hands upon the child to make her well. And now, suddenly, in the midst of this pressing throng, our Lord stops and asks, ‘Who touched Me?’

This must have seemed an absurd question to His disciples and, indeed, Peter replies to his Master, ‘So many people throng and press upon You, and You ask ‘Who touched Me?’’…

But there was something unique going on here. A woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years, who had spent all of her money on physicians and trying to find a cure, had approached our Lord with great faith – believing that if she could only touch the hem of His garment, this alone would be enough to heal her. And reaching out to Christ, she touched his garment and Grace flowed from our Lord in response to the simplicity and hope and determination of true faith – and the woman was immediately healed.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the midst of the important mission of getting to Jairus’ house, in the midst of being surrounded by such a great multitude of people, takes the time to stop, to recognize and declare the administration of His healing Grace, to identify and speak directly to the woman who had been healed saying ‘Daughter, be of good cheer, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.’

While all this was going on, someone came from the house of Jairus with the terrible news that his daughter had already died… that there was no longer any need to trouble the Master. I can hardly imagine what a crushing blow this must have been for Jairus, who must have been suffering such a trial of patience, trying to move everyone along in his haste to bring Christ to the bedside of his dying daughter. And now, as he had feared, it was too late… his daughter was dead.

But when Jesus heard it, He answered saying, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.’

Now came a tremendous test for the faith of Jairus. In the face of all worldly wisdom and practical experience and common sense – he was being told to ‘only believe’, to simply have faith and hope in God. Jairus was being told to have faith in the face of all that would shout against it. The remaining journey to his home must have been a real crisis for the faith of Jairus.

When they entered the home, where all were mourning the loss of the child, our Lord said, ‘Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.’ And the members of the house ridiculed and mocked Him, knowing that she was dead.

Here again, Jairus is put to the test –all of his family and friends are laughing and ridiculing Christ - but still, they press forward and enter the room where the dead child lay. And our Lord, through His life-giving power and love, took the child by the hand and, at His words, ‘Little girl, arise.’ she immediately was resurrected and lived again.  

The story of Jairus has so much to teach us. It teaches us about faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and how we, like Jairus, must zealously pursue Him as our only hope for healing. The story of Jairus teaches us the necessity of patience and trust in God – especially when God does not conform to our sense of timing and urgency. It teaches us that even when the greatest sufferings and tragedies might befall us, God can turn them into something good if we remain faithful to Him. It teaches us that even though the world may mock and ridicule you, even though your own thoughts may mock and ridicule you, you must not lose hope - for our Lord assures us: ‘Do not be afraid, only believe.’

And what is it that we must believe? We are called to believe in the transformative and healing power of the resurrection of Christ our God. That by God’s grace and love, there is always hope… that the heart of an individual can be healed and resurrected. This is the true and only hope… for, in the immortal words of Alexander Solzhenitsyn: ‘the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being’.

We must have faith. Faith against all odds. Faith even though the world and your logic may tell you there is no hope, when friends and foes mock and ridicule you, faith when all seems lost and desperate, … faith to simply place everything in the capable and loving hands of God and then, to trust in Him.

Placing ourselves in God’s hands brings peace and with that peace comes a heart of gratitude as we experience over and over again the lovingkindness of God. It is this heart of gratitude that can guard us and guide us in a life of faith, hope, and love. May God grant us this heart of gratitude for all our blessings. Amen.

22nd Sunday after Pentecost.

 (Luke 8:26-39)

Today’s Holy Gospel reveals to us the realities of the spiritual life and the battle that is waged in the life of the human soul.

Our Lord Jesus Christ and his disciples sailed to the country of the Gadarenes on the opposite shore from Galilee. When our Lord entered into this land, He came upon a man who was demon possessed – who went about naked among the tombs. As soon as our Lord came near, the man possessed by the demons cried out, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!”

This legion of demons possessing the man could not bear the authority and light of our Lord and at His command they were forced to flee into a herd of pigs, which then went crashing headlong off the cliffs and into the water.

In addition to the earthly events of the arrival of Christ and His disciples and their encountering the unfortunate man of Gadarene, we get a glimpse into the spiritual events occurring in this scene.

The first lesson we must take from today’s Holy Gospel is the reality of the spiritual world – a world which we, in our fallen human nature and in our spiritual immaturity and blindness, do not see nor comprehend. St Theophan the Recluse, that great father of recent times, stated that "The spiritual life is such a realm into which the wisdom of this world cannot penetrate."  Nevertheless, whether we perceive it or not, that spiritual world does indeed exist and you and I will spend the better part of our existence in that world… our earthly life is but a blink of an eye in the context of eternity. And yet we run to and fro, pulling our hair out over the most trifle preoccupations and concerns – as if this world and our earthly existence were all there is. If we believe in the life beyond the grave, wouldn’t it make sense to investigate and prepare ourselves for that reality in which we will spend, by far, the greater part of our existence? Indeed it does make sense and indeed we should occupy ourselves more fully with such spiritual pursuits.

But what else does today’s Gospel reveal to us? It shows us that the spiritual realm is a battleground where there is good and evil, where there is the angelic and the demonic. This is not a popular concept in today’s world, which would either have us scoff at the entire notion of the spiritual world, or would naively have us believe that anything “spiritual” is somehow worthy of our interest and veneration. This is especially evident in the ‘New Age’ mentality that seeks to whitewash religious tradition in favor of any kind of self-satisfying ‘spiritual experience’. The fact of the matter is that the evil one does exist and that our “battle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness on high”. (Eph. 6:12)     

We need to know our enemy – it is not our brother or our sister – it is the filthy demon. We must heed the advice of the Holy Apostle Peter, who instructs us to “be sober, be vigilant, because our adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8)

The spiritual life of a conscious Orthodox Christian must be one of vigilance. The Holy Fathers speak with one voice and with great consistency in this regard. For the demons are always knocking at the door of our heart and mind, seeking entrance to create their disturbances and push us off the path of peace and love.

St Paisius Velichkovsky writes about the demonic warfare that, “The demons introduce a thought, and they notice whether there is a watchman or not, that is, they see if the thought will be received or not. If it will be received, then they begin to cause passion and arouse us to it, and they steal our spiritual treasure. If they find a watchman at the doors of the heart who is accustomed to belittle and banish their suggestions, if one turns away in mind from the first mental impulse and has one's mind deaf and dumb to their barking and directed towards the depths of the heart and so does not at all agree with them, then to such a one they cannot do any evil, since his mind is sober.”

And so, brothers and sisters, let us be aware of the realities of the spiritual life and let us acknowledge and be prepared for the battle being waged against us. We must be vigilant and we must set that ‘watchman’ at the gate of the doors of our heart, lest the poison of evil thoughts enter and blossom into impatience, irritation, anger, and that legion of evil that can take hold of us.

Let us also take consolation and courage from today’s Holy Gospel as we see the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ over the evil one. As soon as our Lord set foot on the shore of Gadarene, the legion of demons possessing the poor man called out that Christ would not torment them. The very presence of the Light of Christ threatened the darkness of the demons. Just as we see in our worldly life, when we shine a light into a darkened room, the darkness is no more – so it is with the Light of the Grace of God, which banishes and eradicates the darkness of the evil one.

We must cling to God, pursuing goodness and purity of heart, for goodness and a pure heart welcome the Light of God, whereas evil deeds and malice resist the light and prefer to hide in the darkness. We read in the Gospel of St John that, “the light has come into the world, yet men have loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be may be made manifest, for they have been performed in God.” (John 3:19-21)

May today’s Holy Gospel inspire us to see and acknowledge the realities of the spiritual life, to understand that our spiritual life is one of warfare in which we must pursue the good and resist evil, and that we have the privilege and opportunity to call upon and cling to the One Who has overcome all evil, the Divine and Eternal Light, our Lord Jesus Christ.

On Saturday, November 5th, our parish had a pilgrimage to the Holy Assumption Monastery in Calistoga, CA. We had a wonderful and spiritually nourishing day thanks to the gracious hospitality of Mother Melania and the sisterhood. Please see the image gallery for photos and a description of our day!

21st Sunday after Pentecost

 (Luke 16:19-31)

The Gospel for this Sunday tells us the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man had every luxury and his table was overflowing with feasts every day. At the same time, there was a poor and sickly beggar named Lazarus, who sat in misery at the gates of the rich man’s house in hope of some small scrap from the rich man’s bounty. Sadly, the rich man was a stranger to compassion and love – which is simply another way of saying he was a stranger to Christ our God.

Both men soon died… Lazarus was taken up to heaven, to the bosom of Abraham, and the rich man, having made himself a stranger to God, found himself in the torments of hell. After such a life of importance and wealth, the rich man takes nothing of his luxuries beyond the grave and history does not even remember his name! The rich man was permitted to see the reward of Lazarus and he called out to Abraham that Lazarus might be permitted to come and offer him some small consolation in his suffering. But the rich man was reminded that during his earthly life he had his reward and consolations and Lazarus had nothing and was shown no mercy. Now in the afterlife the rich man found himself in torment while Lazarus was comforted. And, it is added, between the place of the rich man and the place of Lazarus there was a ‘great gulf’ such that none could pass from one place to another.

So the rich man begged that Lazarus might go to his earthly relatives to forewarn them of the realities of the spiritual life and the life beyond the grave. But Abraham rebuked him saying that they have Moses and the prophets, yet they do not heed the word of God. The rich man emphasizes that if someone were to miraculously return from the dead, that then the worldly-minded would awaken and hear God’s word. Abraham replies, that even if one were to rise from the dead, they would not be persuaded to change their ways.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!... This Gospel message speaks directly to our hearts! We live in the wake of One Who has indeed risen from the dead. Christ has risen from the dead and yet we must ask ourselves: do we live as if it were truly so? Do we heed the word of God and the good news of the Gospel? Do we understand the reality of our spiritual life and the eternal life of the soul?

So often, we resemble the rich man in today’s Gospel – estranging ourselves from God and allowing ourselves to be seduced into a kind of blindness to the deeper and eternal realities of our existence. We become so easily preoccupied with the things of this world and we react to the circumstances of our earthly life as if this is all there is…

Our Lord asks us: ‘What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?’ Today’s Gospel parable is a vivid illustration of the tragic consequences of a man who allows the cheap treasures of this world to eclipse the eternal treasures of God.

Let us take the message of today’s Holy Gospel to heart… Let us make sure we do not find ourselves in the position of the rich man – who so preoccupied himself with his worldly interests that he cut himself off from God and was thus blind to the cries of others and to the voice of his conscience.

We must strive at all times to live our life in the context of eternity, in the knowledge and awareness of the One Who has risen from the dead. Remembering God at all times is one of the surest ways to refrain from sin and to not deaden ourselves to the needs of others.

Cultivating an active awareness of the presence of God is essential if we are to live our lives with our spiritual eyes open. How will we treat each other if we’re aware that we are in the presence of God? How will we treat our spouse, our children, our co-workers, our fellow parishioners? How will we behave in all aspects of our life if we’re aware that we are in the presence of God? How will we speak and act and think if we realize that we are in the presence of God at all times?

May God grant us the wisdom and blessing of cultivating this conscious sense of His presence at all times and may this awareness keep us from temptation and draw us closer in compassion and love to God and to one another.

20th Sunday after Pentecost.

(Luke 8:5-15)

Today’s Gospel reading tells us the parable of the sower who planted seeds on the various types of ground: some falling by the wayside, some on the rocky ground, some among the thorns, and some on fertile soil.

The seed falling by the wayside is trampled upon and the birds of the air devour it. The seed falling on the rocky ground cannot take root and soon dies. The seed falling among the thorns, is able to take root, but as it grows it becomes choked by the thorns and weeds. The seed falling on the good soil springs up and produces an abundant crop.

When the disciples asked our Lord to explain the parable, He did so, making very clear His message and meaning.

Our Lord explained that the seed is the word of God. Some hear the word of God but the devil quickly springs upon them and they are like the seed fallen by the wayside. Some hear the word of God, but do not allow it to take root within their mind and heart. They are like the seed fallen upon the rocks. Some hear the word of God and are inspired by it, but they are soon distracted and brought down by the cares of this world. They are like the seed fallen among the thorns.  And some hear the word of God and are brightened and ennobled by it and they are able to bring forth good fruit with patience. These are like the seed that falls upon the fertile ground.

I would hope that all of us wish to be that fertile ground that brings forth fruit for the Lord. But what does it take for us to be fertile ground for the grace of God? Let’s take the theme of this parable a little further and examine four things that make for good and fertile ground…

First of all, good and potentially fertile soil must be broken. The first thing a farmer or gardener must do is break up the soil so that it can be receptive to the planting of seeds. Shovels and spades are used to break through the surface of the soil, turning it over and making it supple and workable. The same thing is necessary for us… if we are to make progress in the spiritual life, we have to expect and accept to be broken. If we are not willing to allow God to break through that crusty layer of our pride and ego, there will be no spiritual growth for us. This is a difficult thing for us to do… we guard our selfishness and are often afraid to dare to surrender to God. But this is how it is… we see this process over and over again in the life of our Lord: He takes, breaks, blesses, and gives. It is true of the ground being readied for planting, it is true of the Bread of Life, and it is true in God’s relationship with us. We must be taken, broken, blessed, and then we can be given the grace of God.

Secondly, the ground must be watered. If the seed of the Word of God is to grow within this tilled and rich soil, great care must be taken to regularly water the soil. The metaphor for us is that we must make a conscious effort to water and nourish our soul with those spiritual foods that edify and fortify the growth of our soul. First and foremost among the things that nourish our soul is partaking of the sacraments of the Church: the offering of repentance and forgiveness through Confession and communing of the Body and Blood of Christ. There is no more effective and powerful nutrient for the soul than these. And we must be careful to edify our soul throughout each day through prayer, spiritual reading, guarding our eyes, ears, and tongue from those things that we know will bring us down.

Third… as the seed begins to sprout, the ground must give way in order for the roots to grow. This is an extremely important spiritual lesson for us all. It is a symptom of the modern age that we would desire for the grace and love of God to come into our lives, but that we make no provision to make room for this infusion of grace by clearing out the junk that currently fills our lives. We want God to fill our bucket, but we refuse to dump it out beforehand. We cling jealously to our selfish desires, our plans, and our will. This leaves no room for God to enter and make His abode in us. Just as the soil must give way for the growth and spreading of the roots, we too must have the humility and trust to yield our will to the will of God.

Finally, the last element we will talk about in our planting analogy is that other ingredient which helps this soil which has been tilled and watered and softened… a dose of fertilizer is often used to enrich the soil and aide in the growth of the seed and young plant. We must not be upset or surprised or resentful when we run into obstacles, difficulties, sufferings, and temptations. We must look upon such things as the fertilizer that actually helps in the development of our soul – for this is truly how it is. We need to endure our sufferings with patience and with love – keeping the eyes of our soul above the particulars of the specific problem or temptation that is besetting us, reaching out to God and asking Him to be with us and help us in our troubles. Indeed it is often the case that it is our sufferings and times of trial and crisis that bring us closest to God.

Let us take care to make sure we are that rich soil that is receptive to the planting of the seed of God. Let us have the courage to be broken and tilled, to take great care to water and nourish our soul with the sacraments of the Church and with daily sources of inspiration. Let’s ‘get over ourselves’ and our selfish preoccupations so that we can make room for God to work in our lives. And let us have the eternal perspective to not let the inevitable ‘fertilizer’ of life get us down or make us upset. We must endure such things with the realization that such things can be to our spiritual benefit and growth… it all depends on how we respond.

If we can remember these things and focus on fulfilling them, we may become that rich soil that produces the good fruit of Christian virtue. May God grant that it be so!

Fathers of 7th Council / Optina Elders

Today is a great day in the celebration of the Church… for today we commemorate the holy fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, and we also commemorate the God-bearing Elders of Optina Monastery.

Let us speak first about the holy fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council. As most of you know, in the early centuries of the Church there were a number of councils in which bishops from all of the Orthodox world met to pray, discuss, and discern the truth regarding topics which were of concern to the Church. The Orthodox Church recognizes seven Ecumenical (meaning ‘universal’) councils which helped to rightly define the word of truth.

In the 8th century there was controversy over the veneration of icons… Much of this was a result of the influence of the rise of Islam, but there were those even within the Christian world who took the position that the veneration of icons was idolatry.

The victory of the Seventh Ecumenical Council in its defense of the icons was not simply an issue of defending Christian art or negating accusations against idolatry, it was a triumph and endorsement of the Christian understanding of matter… that God’s grace transforms our whole being – both body and soul.

That transformation of body and soul was demonstrated clearly in the holy monastery of Optina – where a whole line of saintly men shone forth, providing consolation and hope for all Orthodox Christians.

Optina was referred to as the ‘grace-filled holy little corner of Russia’ and it was a place of great consolation and guidance for many. Nikolai Gogol wrote the following after his first visit to Optina: ‘I have never seen such monks anywhere; with every one of them, it appeared to me, converses everything heavenly. I did not ask them how they live, because their faces speak for themselves. The simplest brothers struck me with their bright angelic kindness, their simplicity of manners, their radiance. Even the workers in the monastery, the peasants and the inhabitants of the neighborhood, struck me in the same way. Several miles prior to reaching the monastery, one senses this spiritual fragrance: everything becomes friendlier, the boughs of the trees are lower, and the attention to a human being much deeper. You should by all means try to visit this monastery.’ 

The exact dates of the beginning of Optina monastery are not well known, but in the early decades of the 19th century there was a great flowering and revival there. The brother-monks who were sent to rebuild the monastery, Fathers Moses and Anthony, had been brought up in the Orthodox faith under the direction of the followers of the great saint Paisius Velichkovsky. St Paisius was responsible for translating a number of patristic texts and reinvigorating traditional Orthodox spirituality and monasticism. His influence was great and spread from spiritual father to spiritual child over many generations. Fathers Moses and Anthony were recipients of that spirit of piety and fidelity to tradition and they set that tone for the revival of Optina monastery.

From Elders Moses and Anthony came a whole sequence of blessed men who took on the role of elder for the monastic community and for all those who would come to seek their counsel. The simple and charismatic Elder Leonid, the learned and humble Elder Macarius, the renowned Elder Ambrose and his meek successor Elder Joseph… This lineage of sanctity and guidance continued throughout the 19th century and even into the 20th century with such greats as the Elders Hilarion, Isaac, Anatoly, Barsanuphrius, and others. As the clock turned and the terrible times of the 20th century and the Bolshevik persecutions began to take place – there still remained those holy ones who took the spiritual baton from those who preceded them.

One of the last Elders of Optina was Elder Nektary… it was under his spiritual care that some of the bishops of our Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia were formed. Archbishop Andrew of Novo-Divyevo in New York was at Elder Nektary’s bedside when he reposed. And here in California, many of us remember the saintly Bishop Nektary Kontzevitch of Seattle. As a boy, his mother would take him frequently to Optina – where he absorbed that spiritual atmosphere and later embodied it in his wisdom and gentleness as a bishop. We also remember his sister-in-law Helen Kontzevitch, who was a dedicated disciple of the last Optina elders.

Archbishop Andrew, Bishop Nektary, and Helen generously carried forward that spirit of piety and holiness which Optina bestowed upon them. They shared stories of their experiences in that wonderful place and shared the wisdom of those wonderful elders. The Elders of Optina are our spiritual grandparents and great grandparents as children of the Russian Orthodox Church.

This is a precious legacy, brothers and sisters, which has been given to us by our forebears. We have been given something priceless and it is incumbent upon us to avail ourselves of that spiritual legacy and plug ourselves into it.

How do we do that? The lives of the Optina Elders have been published and they are absolutely worth reading - we should know their lives and their teachings. But equally important, we must enter into that ‘spirit of Optina’ through loving and living the life of the Church. We must make every effort to pray each day, to attend Church services, to confess and commune frequently, to be aware of the Church calendar – the daily scripture readings, what saints are being celebrated, what feasts are being observed. And in doing so, what is this ‘spirit and legacy of Optina’ that we should hope to emulate?

It is the spirit of humility and love for God. It is a spirit of simplicity and piety which pure-heartedly looks upon God’s creation with gratitude and love. It is the spirit of understanding that the present age is not the pinnacle of mankind… that the past, that our forbearers in the faith, who have proven their worth by the sanctity of their lives, have something to teach us. It is an understanding that our Orthodox faith is something living, something transmitted from generation to generation, from person to person - through prayer, life in the Church, and through the generosity and kindness of Christian love.

What an antidote this is to the stressful confusion and complications of our time!

Through the prayers of the Holy Elders of Optina and of our spiritual forefathers in the faith, may God grant us that spirit of humility, simplicity, piety, and love for God – that we may receive that ‘baton of faith’ handed down to us, understanding how precious it is and doing our utmost to preserve it and live it, that we may pass it on to our children and to those who will come after us.

18th Sunday after Pentecost

St John the Theologian / St Tikhon Patriarch of Moscow

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate two remarkable saints of the Church: the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, who lived at the very beginning of Christian age, and the holy Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow and All Russia, who lived in our own times and even spent some years as Bishop in San Francisco.

Both of these great men were motivated by and were filled with the love of God. They boldly proclaimed the Gospel during times when that Gospel message was unwelcome and persecuted. The holy Apostle and Evangelist John was sent into exile for daring to preach the Gospel of Christ. And the holy Patriarch Tikhon was arrested - and most likely poisoned – certainly meeting an early death due to the persecutions he endured.

And what was this message of Christ that threatened the world so much? It was the proclamation of the preeminence of the Kingdom of Heaven, of the humble way of the Cross, of the virtue of the self-sacrificial love of Christ.

In a world which battles and wars for the Kingdom of the powerful, of the pride-filled way of asserting one’s plans and opinions, and of the relentless and unquenchable pursuit of self-satisfaction – this Gospel message presents a threat.

The holy Apostle and Evangelist John and the martyred Patriarch Tikhon stand before us as examples of a different way, of a different kind of heroism than what the world sets before us.

The holy Apostle was just a young man when he left everything in order to follow Christ. The youthful purity of his heart caused him to be known as the disciple ‘whom Jesus loved’. It was to the Apostle John that our Lord entrusted the care of His Most Pure Mother, the Holy Virgin Mary, when Christ was suffering upon the Cross. All of the other immediate disciples and Apostles of the Lord met martyrs deaths – but the Apostle and Evangelist John lived out his full life, though that life was not without persecution and sorrows.  

From ancient times the Gospel according to John was regarded with great reverence. In comparison with the other three Gospels, the Gospel of John focuses more on the mystical realities of the life and work of Christ. From the first words of the Gospel, John elevates the thoughts of the faithful to the heights and breadths of eternity: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God’. Apostle John expresses the aim of his Gospel thus: ‘But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name’.

In addition to his Gospel and to the Book of the Apocalypse, the Apostle John also authored three epistles which were incorporated into the New Testament. The main thought in his epistles insists that Christians must learn to love: ‘Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love’.

And to emphasize again – this is not the self-gratifying love which the world considers love, this is the love of Christ… the way of self-giving, of self-sacrifice. Indeed, our Lord Himself has said: ‘No greater love hath a man than that he would lay down his life for his friend.’

Patriarch Tikhon was just such a self-sacrificing servant of Christ. While he rose to the demands of his role as a bishop, he was by nature a humble and quiet man. And it was this witness of Christian patience and steadiness which equipped him well to endure the sufferings he experienced when called to the lead the Church of Russia as Patriarch.

Having learned of his election as Patriarch, he responded: ‘Your news of my election to the patriarchate is for me that scroll on which was written, lamentations, and mourning, and woe, which the prophet Ezekiel had to eat. How many tears must I swallow and how much must I groan in my impending patriarchal ministry, and especially in these present difficult times!... From now on, the care of all the churches of Russia is laid upon me - and dying for them all my days awaits me. And who even among those stronger than I can have the strength for it? But may God’s will be done!’

What tremendous courage… to offer himself up to Christ no matter what the consequences may be. This strength of character is found in both St John the Theologian and in St Patriarch Tikhon who both offered up their lives for Christ their Lord.

I look upon them and upon their sacrifices and I am awe-struck with admiration and gratitude. And, I must admit, that I am also perplexed and humbled, because I see how far I am from this kind of courage and commitment.

What is the key to the character and courage of these great saints? Are they simply made of stronger and better stuff than you and me? Can you and I have any hope of following in their footsteps – even a little way?

The key to their character and courage is precisely the Christian love we have been speaking about. It is the love of Christ which eclipses everything and equips one to endure everything.

Our Lord speaks of the difference between the shepherd and the hireling. The hireling watches the sheep because he is being paid to do so. He has no investment of love for the sheep. And when the wolf comes, he flees. Whereas the shepherd, who does have love for his sheep and knows each one by name, he will stand against the wolves and anything which might threaten his beloved flock. It is love which makes the difference.

It is this self-sacrificing love which fuels the true Christian life. We pray, we fast, we strive to follow the commandments of Christ, we endure whatever may come our way – not out of servitude and duty, but as the pure expression of our love for our God Who first loved us.

Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Cross

This Sunday marks the Sunday after the exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the liturgical life of the church, this means a couple things. First, this Sunday has a special reading from the Gospel of Mark, which speaks about following Christ, with the words: "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34). This Sunday also marks the end of the readings of Matthew. Tomorrow morning in the lectionary of the Church we begin with the Gospel of Luke, and that will continue all the way up to the beginning of Great Lent. This is known as the Lukan jump, where we immediately begin the Gospel of Luke after the Sunday following the exaltation of the Cross.

            The Church in her wisdom sets the Gospels up in such a way that everything revolves around the great feast of Pascha. When we have that great feast of Pascha we immediately read the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John is read during the 50 days following the resurrection of Christ. Anyone who read this Gospel knows that this Gospel is a very mystical one and is intended for Baptized Christians to read. This is why this is read after Pascha because most of the catechumens would have received baptism recently.

The Gospel of Matthew follows the great feast of Pentecost, which is the most instructional gospel on how Christ came and fulfilled all the teachings of the prophets. As I mentioned earlier the Gospel of Luke begins after the feast of the exaltation of the Cross and continues all the way until the beginning of great lent. The Gospel testifies of the great miracles and parables that Christ did, showing how he was truely the chosen of God. Finally during Great lent we read the Gospel of Mark, which is definitely the shortest Gospel. The Gospel of Mark is one that shows the true power of Christ, how he had dominion over the forces of darkness. This leads perfectly to the fesat of Pascha, where Christ knew exactly what he was doing and took upon the suffering of the Cross for our salvation.

            When we look in the life of the Church we can see how the Gospels play such an important role in our life. Every single day, a Gospel reading is set aside for us for us to read. These readings should definitely be a part of the daily life of a Christian. St John Chrystom says: "Now if we are willing to examine the Scriptures in this way, carefully and systematically, we shall be able to obtain our salvation. If we unceasingly  are preoccupied with them, we shall learn both correctness of doctrine and an upright way of life" (Hom 53 On John). These Gospel readings should not just be read as what happened in the historical life of the Church, rather these Gospels are read so that they could provide us what what is needed for salvation. In fact, as St. John Chrysostom also says,  the scriptures also provide us with spiritual defense against the evil ones: "This is the cause of all evils, the not knowing the Scriptures. We go into battle without arms, and how are we to come off safe?" (Hom. IX  On Colossians).

            So I urge you, take the reading of scripture seriously. It is so crucial for our life to actually read the words of Christ which are for our salvation. It is equally crucial for us to also apply these words in our life. When Christ speaks of taking up our cross to follow him, we should take those words seriously. When Christ speaks of being prepared for the end times, as we hear in the other Gospel prescribed for today, we should take that seriously and prepare ourselves properly: "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect (Matthew 24:42-44). We need to listen to these words and to follow them, and in that we will be able to move forward in our spiritual lives and receive the reward of a righteous man.

Apodosis of the Nativity of the Mother of God

Sunday Before Exalation of the Cross

Today we find ourselves on the leave-taking of the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God and in preparation for the coming feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. What beauty and meaning the Holy Church provides for us in the cycle of feasts which we celebrate throughout the year!

The feast which is concluding today is the great feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God. The Church year begins with this celebration of the birth of she who will give birth to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is so much joy and hope in this celebration! Through this young girl, all that God wishes for mankind is made manifest. She lived her life in great purity and piety… indeed being raised from a very young age within the temple in Jerusalem. Her purity of soul prepared the temple of her body to receive the Son of God. And now she is close beside Him in the Kingdom of Heaven, interceding for all those who turn to her in prayer. She is a quick helper to all those who call upon her in need.

As one homilist wrote: ‘How often in life do we experience a thirst for purity, renewal, and joy. And how often does our unworthiness, do our sins obscure the light of joy and Divine brightness? On the day of the Birth of our Lady Theotokos we turn to her, and we ask the Most Pure and Blameless One to help us be victorious over sin and all impurity, so that with a pure heart we might glorify God and rejoice in Him. Whoever runs to her with faith and hope will not leave empty and unheard, for to her is given the grace to pray for us and help us. Amen.’

Indeed, whoever turns to the Mother of God with faith and hope will not leave empty-handed

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have begun a new year and we stand in the joyful light of the good news of the birth of the Mother of God. Her parents, Joachim and Anna, suffered for so many years of barrenness… they prayed daily that God would grant them a child, and in due time, God granted them this joy. So too must we, who may suffer from the barrenness of our soul, from the frustrations of the unfruitfulness of our spiritual life… we must also patiently and persistently pray to God that He would enkindle the divine spark within us, that the light of Christ might be born in us.

And as we take leave of this glorious feast, we now look to the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Tomorrow evening we will begin to celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. This feast commemorates the finding of the Cross of our Lord by the pious Empress Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine. She oversaw excavations at the site of Golgotha and, by God’s providence, three crosses were discovered: two were the crosses of the thieves crucified with our Lord, and one was the cross of Christ. In order to reveal which of the three was our Lord’s Cross, a sick woman was brought and likewise a dead man who was being carried to burial. The three crosses were laid in turn one by one upon the sick woman and upon the dead man. Two of the crosses had no effect, but through contact with the third cross, the sick woman was healed of her infirmity and the dead man came to life. These miracles clearly indicated which of the three was Christ's Cross.

Hearing of this discovery, all the faithful desired to see the Cross of the Lord and to venerate it. The Patriarch of Jerusalem, Makarios, took the Cross onto a raised platform and lifting it on high, exalted it for all to see. The people fell to their knees, bowing down before the Cross and crying out repeatedly: ‘Lord, have mercy!’

The Cross, once an instrument of capital punishment, of disgrace and torture – has now become the symbol of our greatest hope! As the Apostle Paul writes: ‘For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.’

These two feasts which start the new Church year – the Nativity of the Mother of God and the Exaltation of the Precious Cross of our Lord – are both bound up with the birth of our salvation.

With the nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, the hope of our salvation finally comes to fruition. The incarnation of the long-awaited One Who will redeem mankind now becomes a reality with the birth of His Most Pure Mother.

And the Cross becomes the focal point of our new birth into life eternal with God. Those gates of Paradise which were closed to mankind are burst open as Christ tramples down death by death.

May the radiance of these two great feasts shine upon all of us. May they warm our hearts with gratitude to God, Who deigns to enter into human history by being born of the Virgin Mary, and Who accepts upon Himself the humiliation of death upon the cross… overcoming that death by His Life-creating Divinity and opening unto us the hope and joy of life eternal with Him.

Congratulations to the Delpozo family, Dominic (Momdomnic), Myla (Sofia), Isabella (Elizabeth), Ystella (Estelle), and Eli (Elijah), on the occasion of their baptism Saturday, September 3rd! They received their first Holy Communion on Sunday alongside their sponsors, Craig (Stephen), Nadia, Natalya, Alexandra, and Nicholas Temple. We welcome the Delpozos into our church family and wish you Many Years!

Click here to see a video of the blessed event.

The parish had a fun filled afternoon at the Bradley residence celebrating the feast of Dormition! Check out the photos section for more pictures!

On August 14th 2022, our altar server Basil Thompson was tonsured a reader.

To view video of the event, click here. An entire gallery of photos can be found here.

The Dormition of the Mother of God

Greetings dear brothers and sisters in Christ with the great feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God! The Dormition is the last of the great feasts of the Church calendar year. September begins the new Church year and the first feast of the new year will be Nativity of the Mother of God which is just a few weeks away.

How fitting that the Church’s festal calendar is bookended by these celebrations of the Mother of God. For it is in the Holy Virgin Mary that we see the high calling of God toward mankind and the most perfect response of humanity to that calling.

What a remarkable thing it is that God would condescend to hinge the beginnings of the work of the salvation of mankind upon the consent of a young virgin! The archangel Gabriel was sent to announce the good tidings to the young virgin Mary and then the whole universe held its breath to hear her response: ‘Behold the handmaiden of the Lord… be it unto me according to Thy word.’

It was in this consent, this expression of perfect trust and love of God that the miracle of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ was initiated. And thus, the Holy Spirit came upon her and the power of the Most-High overshadowed her such that she bore God within her.

Whenever we encounter the Mother of God in the Holy Gospels, she provides a lesson for us. Whether it be her trusting acceptance of God’s will: ‘Be it unto me according to Thy word.’ Or her glorious words with Elizabeth: ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…’ To the last words we hear from her in the Gospels at the wedding in Cana where she instructs the disciples, and therefore all of us: ‘Whatever He says to you, do it’.

She is an example for us of one who hears the word of God and keeps it. In the Gospel reading for today we hear the enthusiastic cry of a certain woman from the crowd who exclaims to Jesus: ‘Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps which nursed Thee!’ And Jesus replies: ‘More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’ Blessed indeed is the womb that bore Christ our Lord – all generations call her blessed. And yet, Christ emphasizes her abiding faith – for she was one who heard the word of God and kept it… something which all of us can and should emulate to the utmost of our ability.

Her entire life was devoted to God. She was there at the cross when He was crucified and, though Christ spoke only a few words from the cross, one of the things he was diligent to say was his instruction to the Apostle John: ‘Behold Thy Mother…’ assuring that the Virgin Mary, who was losing her only child, would be cared for after He was gone. In giving his beloved Mother to the Apostle, Christ gives her to us as well… ‘Behold Thy Mother’.

In the icon of the Dormition we see the most pure Mother of God surrounded by the Apostles. One of her last wishes and prayers was that she could once again see the dearly loved Apostles of her Son Jesus Christ. The Lord fulfilled her wish in a miraculous way… the Apostles, who were scattered abroad on their missionary journeys, were miraculously transported back to Jerusalem to be at the bedside of their beloved spiritual Mother. What joy and what Christian love must have been expressed among this amazing assembly of people! The Holy Virgin then peacefully gave up her soul into the arms of her Son. We see this represented in the icon as our Lord Jesus Christ appears above the assembly of Apostles and cradles within His arms what appears to be an infant all dressed in white. This newly born infant is the pure soul of the Most Holy Virgin being tenderly embraced by her Son as she enters into His heavenly kingdom.

The Apostle Thomas was the only one of Christ’s immediate disciples who was not brought back to Jerusalem at the time of the Mother of God’s falling asleep. But this turned out to be according to God’s great providence and mercy as well. Thomas arrived on the third day and wished to venerate the body of the Most Holy Theotokos. When the Apostles opened the tomb, they discovered that the body of the Virgin Mary was no longer there! Her most pure body had been assumed up into heaven. That evening she appeared to the Apostles, surrounded by a host of angels, saying: ‘Rejoice, I will be with you always.’

And today, the Holy Virgin Mary stands before us ‘more honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim’. For she is glorified in heaven in her body and soul… deified flesh and blood sits beside her Son and God. She is the one privileged to experience the fullness of the Lord’s salvation, wherein her body has been resurrected an joined with her soul in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is something we and all the saints must await until the final day of Judgment. But she shows us the way and demonstrates for us the hope of all Christians.

What an example, what a champion, what an intercessor we have in our Mother, the Most Pure Virgin Mary. Her life on earth and her life in heaven stand as beacons – inspiring and guiding us toward the call of her Son and our Lord Jesus Christ.

May she always intercede for us before our Lord!

Eighth Sunday After Pentecost

One of the most important human relationships that we have is our family. It is said that we not only inherit our genetic disposition from our parents, but the way our parents raised us in turn makes a profound effect on our lives. We do not pick what parents we have; in fact we have absolutely no control over that. It's interesting that such a fundamental aspect that affects our whole disposition is not up to us, but rather is up to God; He chooses the set of parents and leaves it up to their own free will if we should be nurtured and taken care of or not. And we are the result of this. That said, once we leave our parents we still can take control of our lives and be righteous; we too grow up and have our own free will to do what is right or wrong.

The reason why I bring this up is that today we commemorate the dormition of the righteous Anna. Today is the day that she fell asleep in the Lord. It is said in the tradition of the Church that she reposed at the age of 79 before the Annunciation of the Holy Theotokos.

Looking back in her history, we see that the Righteous Anna's parents were named Matthan and Mary. Matthan was from the tribe of Levi which means that through his bloodline, he would serve as a Priest. It is said that Anna had two Sisters, Mary and Zoia. Tradition states Anna's sister Mary had a daughter, Salome, who was one of the Myrrhbearers. On the other hand, Zoia had a daughter named Elizabeth who would become the mother of St. John the Forerunner. This is an amazing thing to see so many holy ones come forth from this line; not only that but that they stayed together and would minister together with Jesus Christ.

The Righteous Anna, through her grace and humility, brought forth the Most Holy Theotokos together with the Righteous Joachim. St John of Damascus writes about the Holy couple the following: "Joachim and Anna, how blessed and spotless a couple! You will be known by the fruit you have born, as the Lord says: By their fruits you will know them. The conduct of your life pleased God and was worthy of your daughter. For by the chaste and holy life you led together, you have fashioned a jewel of virginity: she who remained a virgin before, during and after giving birth. She alone for all time would maintain her virginity in mind and soul as well as in body".

This quote of St. John tells us that they brought forth the Holy Mother of God because they were holy, they lived God-pleasing lives. Tradition states the righteous Joachim and Anna were not able to have children. Even in that state, they still had faith in God. And this is why God blessed them, not only with any child, but with the Mother of God. And that righteousness did not end when they had the Holy Mother of God. In fact, they probably became even more holy and righteous. Can you imagine what love and patience she showed her own daughter so that she would be raised to eventually bore the savior of this world. Not only that, but we see the seriousness of the faith of Anna, how she dedicated her own daughter to be a virgin in the temple. How difficult it must be to give up the one child you have in order for her to live far away in the care of others. But she did that because it was the right thing to do.

As we hear in the Gospel reading today: "My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it". (Luke 8: 21) This reading states that we are not tied by who our birth parents are or what lineage they come from, but rather what actions we take.

Do we hear the word of God and do it? I think this is the message for us as parents: we need to really take our actions seriously, and how they affect our children and the next generation. Do we hear the word of God and have it live in our lives so that it will be an example for children?

Do we act like Christians in front of our children? Do our children see us showing actions of kindness and love for others? Do we teach forgiveness to our children, not through words but through actually forgiving people so that our children see us doing so? Do we pray with our children in the morning and evening, or at least do we pray so that they see us doing so? Do we fast together with our children? If we do not, then that's something we need to remedy. How should we expect our children to do those things if they don't see us doing them? How do we expect for our children to follow our faith after we have passed on, if they don't see it causing a transformation in our lives today?

And for those who do not have children, don't forget that children are very observant. If you are a living example of the life of Christ, a child around you might see that and that experience could stick with them their whole life. As the Gospel says: "For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad" (Luke 8:17). We should never forget that all that we do affects those around us and that there are no private actions. All our actions, even those done in private, affect who we are as human beings.

The Church teaches us that when we honor a saint of the Church, we not only show them the honor, but also to the people who helped them become saints, especially their parents. Let us remember that all our actions affect those around us, especially the children. Let us keep that in mind and let us live out our lives as true Christians.

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 9:27-35)

In the Gospel reading for today we hear of the healing of two blind men. The Gospel tells us that: ‘When Jesus departed… two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them: “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him: “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying: “According to your faith let it be unto you.” And their eyes were opened.’

What a wonderful demonstration of the kindness and generosity of God and of His marvelous healing powers. And what a vivid illustration we have also of the plight of mankind… blind, calling out to God for His mercy, and – according to our faith – receiving our measure of healing.

We are indeed like blind men, so often handicapped with no spiritual vision to see the obvious workings and blessings of God occurring every day, every hour, and every minute in our lives. We are extremely limited in our spiritual vision and go about this life as men and women who are blind, only occasionally ‘seeing through a glass darkly’ at the magnificence and mercy of God.

Some may not even be aware of their blindness. For a man ignorant of his blindness, this world contains nothing more than that which can be perceived by his five physical senses… measured, categorized, and understood by scientific methods. All of the world, indeed all of the universe, is subject to what can be understood within the bone vault of his brain. Any promptings of a world beyond… from his conscience, from knowledge born of suffering, from the specter of death… these are pushed aside because in our pride and fear, we refuse to acknowledge that we may indeed be blind. As one philosopher put it: ‘Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.’

How do we move from this state of blindness to begin to see? I think this Sunday holds three keys to unlocking this mystery.

The first key is demonstrated by the blind men of today’s Gospel. They demonstrate for us an essential element if we are to be healed. They knew that they were blind. They believed that there was a world of sight which was lost to them, but which they longed to possess. They knew their insufficiency and they wished to be made whole.

This knowledge and admission of our infirmities, of our blindness, requires humility. It requires at least the beginnings of the acquisition of a pure heart. Christ our Lord has revealed to us in the Beatitudes that it is the pure in heart who shall see God. So let us begin there… with a humble admission of our insufficiency and let us call out to God like the blind men in today’s Gospel: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.’

The second key is revealed to us by the saints we commemorate today – the Holy Fathers of the First Six Ecumenical Councils. The Fathers of the Councils were those men who struggled and strived to ‘right define the word of truth’. Over the course of the early centuries of the Christian faith, many false teachings arose which threatened to distort the truth of the faith given to us by Christ and carried forward by the Apostles and their successors. Theological debates arose regarding the divinity of Christ and the humanity of Christ – both of which must be upheld in their fulness if we are to properly understand Christ our Lord and to understand the work of our salvation and the dignity to which we are called as Christians.

So, if we may say the first key to removing our blindness and beginning to see clearly is purity of heart; let us recognize that the second key to spiritual clarity is purity of teaching.

The Holy Fathers of Ecumenical Councils were those definers and defenders of the faith – clarifying the teachings of God and assuring that the Church retained fidelity to the pure teaching which leads man to salvation. One can have a pure and open heart, but if one is not shown the right path, we can still stumble about as if we were still blind.

And so this leads us to the third key… God grant that we be blessed with purity of heart and that this good intention is fed by purity of teaching. Now the third ingredient is found in the words of our Lord to the blind men. And Jesus said to them: “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him: “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying: “According to your faith let it be unto you.” And their eyes were opened.’

‘According to your faith, let it be unto you'… this statement contains profound spiritual truth and instruction. How will it be for us?… it will be according to our faith.

We orient ourselves to the proper reception of God’s truth and grace through purity of heart. And that reception must be attuned to the transmission of God’s truth and grace through the purity of teaching of the Holy Fathers and their fidelity to the Gospel and  tradition of the Orthodox Church. And this marriage of transmission and reception is then fueled and given life through purity of faith – which enlivens and illumines us in our relationship with God.

May God grant us this trinity of virtues and gifts of grace from God: purity of heart, purity of teaching, and purity of faith. If we will hold fast to these three, may we hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: ‘According to your faith, let it be unto you’. And may our eyes be opened to behold the beauty and the glory of our Lord!

The annual Russian River Campout was a great success... wonderful times of fellowship, prayer, and recreation were enjoyed by all participants.

Please enjoy the video highlights: https://youtu.be/OEYLI2ldJZM

4th Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 8:5-13)

In the Gospel reading for today we heard the words of the righteous centurion who humbly declared, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. But only speak a word and my servant will be healed.’ The centurion’s servant was lying at home paralyzed and dreadfully tormented. He sought the help of Jesus to heal his servant. When Christ indicated that He would come to the centurion’s home and heal his servant, the centurion, in his humility and in his complete faith in the authority of Christ, made his declaration, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should under my roof. But only speak a word and my servant will be healed.’

The Gospels tell us that when Jesus heard this response, He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly I say unto you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’

We hear an echo of the centurion’s words spoken by St John Chrysostom in our prayers before communion: ‘O Lord my God, I know that I am not worthy or sufficient that Thou shouldest come under the roof of the house of my soul, for all is desolate and fallen, and Thou has not with me a place fit to lay Thy head. But as from the highest heaven Thou didst humble Thyself for our sake, so now conform Thyself to my humility.’

This combination of the humble recognition of our unworthiness along with an unconquerable confidence of faith in Christ, this is the combination that pleases our Lord and God.

Both of these ingredients – humility and hope - are necessary if we are to have a balanced and healthy spiritual life.

Humility and awareness of our unworthiness of God’s love are important and appropriate responses in looking honestly at our relationship with God. God blesses us in so many ways and we are so often ungrateful and even unaware of His grace and constant care for us. And as we look at how consistently we fall short of what God calls us to be, this is cause for us to weep indeed.

And yet… if we focus on our unworthiness and our sinfulness without retaining that active and conscious hope in Christ - this leads us to a morbid and selfish preoccupation with our faults. We walk about with downcast faces, living lives of great frustration, somehow mistakenly placing greater account in our unworthiness than in the conquering power of God’s forgiveness and grace.

This is a sin and it is a trap of the evil one.  

Yes, it is true that we are unworthy. Yes, it is true that we constantly fall short of what God calls us to do and to be. Yes, these realities are frustrating and the cause for sorrow and self-reproach.

But, my brothers and sisters in Christ… we must NEVER so preoccupy ourselves with ourselves that we lose sight of the One Who redeems us!

This is critically important… Christ responded with awe and approval to the faith of the centurion because he demonstrated these two aspects of faith. In humility, the centurion recognized his unworthiness, and yet, in his hope and complete faith in Christ, he expressed his trust and confidence in the Lord.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… let us strive for this balanced view of our unworthiness on the one hand and the graciousness and effectiveness of God on the other. Our sins are indeed a cause for sorrow, but we must never give over to despair. We must never accept the lie that would tell us that the darkness of the shadow of our sins is more powerful than the radiance of the Light of Christ.

Where there is Light, the darkness is overthrown and cannot abide. We need to cling to the Light of Christ and have that confidence of faith as did the centurion. And in this faith we may then rejoice and reflect that radiance of the joy of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul sums it up: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’

3rd Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 6:22–33)

The Gospel appointed for this third Sunday after Pentecost is a section from the famous ‘Sermon on the Mount’ delivered by our Lord Jesus Christ and recorded by the Holy Apostle Matthew. Today’s words are a source of consolation and hope… and yet they also present a real challenge for us.

In today’s Holy Gospel our Lord Jesus Christ exhorts us toward a complete and perfect trust in God, our loving Father, Who knows all of our needs and Who watches over the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. He encourages us to not twist ourselves up in worry and stress over what we shall eat, or what we shall drink, or what shall we wear. Indeed, the final words of today’s Gospel reading are a distillation and perfect summary of the spiritual life – we must ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added unto us’.

How much time and energy do we waste on our worries and anxieties? It is certainly true that life presents challenges and real hardships… we may be out of work or having troubles at work; we may be struggling financially; we may be suffering from strained relationships… all of these things are difficult and challenging, no doubt about it. But what percentage of these troubles are spent in the direct experience of the issue and what percentage of these troubles are spent in our thoughts and worries about them? More often than not, the greatest percentage is spent in our head – thinking about our troubles, worrying and stressing over them – and this worry and stress are killing us physically, psychologically, and spiritually.

We can and should do what we can to address our difficulties, but we can never do more than what can be done in any given moment. Christ reassures us that God is aware of our needs. If we would seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all things will be added unto us. Our Heavenly Father will watch over us. This is a tremendous comfort and yet it is a tremendous challenge for us as well.

It is a challenge for two main reasons… First, we think we know better about what we need. And second, we struggle to place our hope and trust in God.

Our assessments about what we need are often way off the mark. We are worldly people, and we seek worldly things to satisfy ourselves and to give us joy. So much of our dissatisfactions and unfulfilled longings are based on an expectation that if we only had this or that thing, then we would be content and happy.

Happiness and contentment are not measured by or contingent upon our material success. St Innocent of Alaska writes the following: ‘Truly, not a single earthly pleasure can satisfy our heart. We are strangers on earth, pilgrims and travelers; our home and fatherland are there in heaven, in the heavenly kingdom; and there do not exist on earth things which could perfectly satisfy our desires. Let a man own the whole world and all that is in the world, yet all that will not interest him for more than a minute, so to speak, and it will never satisfy his heart; for the heart of man can be fully satisfied only by the love of God, and therefore God alone can fill the heart and soul of man and quench the thirst of his desires.’

Why don’t we believe this? Why do we continue to ignore God and run after the things of this world which will never fill that void in our heart?

It is due to a lack of trust in God.

Can we dare to say with all sincerity, ‘Thy will be done’? It is extremely challenging for us to let go of our perceived control over our lives. Yet God promises us that if we place our trust in Him, if we strive to live by His commandments, all will be well with us.

It’s interesting to think about this relationship we have with God… Isn’t it true that God has far more reason to not trust us than we have to not trust Him? God is always faithful… but so often, we are not.

And, even if we can overcome this lack of trust in God, we still may fear that God’s plan and care for our life may not give us those things which we feel we must have in order to be happy. This is a legitimate concern… God may indeed not give us many of those things that we think we need in order to be happy, but God will give us His love and His grace which so completely eclipse anything of this world. As St Innocent was quoted above: ‘…the heart of man can be fully satisfied only by the love of God, and therefore God alone can fill the heart and soul of man and quench the thirst of his desires.’

The Proverbs teach us: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. (Prov. 3:5-6)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we live in anxious times. There are endless things for us to worry about. But this life of stress and anxiety cripples us from the peace and joy which Christ offers to our ailing hearts and souls. The sorrows and the diseases of the world are not helped or alleviated by our worry and anxiety – this is pouring fuel on fire. The only thing which counteracts the sorrows and diseases of this world is the grace of Christ – this is the water which puts out the fire. Christ told us: ‘Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’

God grant us this rest in Him which is born from our trust in His goodness. May we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things shall be added unto us!

Sunday of All Saints of Russia and America

            On this second Sunday after Pentecost, the Holy Church commemorates those saints who shone forth in the various local regions where the seeds of Orthodoxy took root… in Greece, in Romania, Serbia, Georgia, and whatever region the particular church might honor as its legacy and inheritance.

Today, our Russian Orthodox Church commemorates all the saints of the Russian land – a land with a rich spiritual heritage of holy men and women who have been filled with the grace of God. Monks, nuns, patriarchs, bishops, priests, and lay men and women… all infused with the grace of God as poured out through His holy church throughout the centuries. Such luminaries and Sts Cyril and Methodius, St Sergius of Radonezh, St Seraphim of Sarov, Sts Antony and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves, the holy Elders of Optina, St John of Kronstadt, St Xenia and St Matrona, and many others who have illumined the Russian land like the stars in the sky. If you are not familiar with their lives, I highly encourage you to get to know them… you will find that they are inspiring and wonderful company.

In the stichera for Vespers for this feast, we heard the following: ‘Come, ye assemblies of Russia,/ let us praise the saints that are in our land./ The venerable, the holy hierarchs, the right-believing princes, the martyrs, hieromartyrs,/ the fools for Christ’s sake, and the company of holy women./ Both those known by name and those unknown;/ for truly by their deeds and words, and their manifold ways of life,/ and through the gifts of God, they became saints,/ and God hath glorified even their graves with miracles./ And now, standing directly before Christ Who hath glorified them,// they pray fervently in behalf of us who celebrate their splendid festival with love.’

What a beautiful honoring and remembrance of these holy ones who shone forth in the land of Russia – holy hierarchs, right-believing princes, martyrs, fools for Christ’s sake, and all manner of holy men and women.

I have to say that one of things that struck me most strongly when I was a young man first encountering the Orthodox Church, was a certain ‘tone’ I detected among the Russian Orthodox Christians that I met and that I read about in the lives of saints. How might I describe that ‘tone’?

It was a tone of depth and sobriety, of patience and acceptance in the face of suffering. It was a tone of steady faith and hope and love. This made a great impact on me – as one coming from a modern culture which lacked many of these traits.

It somehow reminds me of the story of the tortoise and the hare. The hare was a very speedy character and jumped from one place to the next. The tortoise, by contrast, plodded along at a slow and steady pace. As the story goes, they became engaged in a contest – a race to a finish line. Of course, all bets were on the hare – it seemed a foregone conclusion that he would win. However, due to the hare’s arrogance and over-confidence, he thought he could enjoy a nap while the poor tortoise plodded his way along the racecourse. While the hare was distracted, the tortoise proceeded to the finish line and won the race.

When I encountered the culture of Orthodoxy, I felt a bit like the hare… coming from a teenaged life of speed and distraction, of TV and rock and roll… Encountering the Orthodox Church, I was faced with a culture of steadiness, of consistency, of patient endurance, of faith in something beyond the offerings of this world. This was a marvelous thing and opened a rich treasury of Christian virtues cultivated from the soil of the Russian land and encountered here in my own land.

This rich inheritance of Russian Orthodoxy has adorned our land with such luminaries as St Herman of Alaska, St Innocent the Apostle of America and later Metropolitan of Moscow, the Missionary Monks Juvenaly, Macarius, and the native Alaskan Peter the Aleut who was martyred in San Francisco. The holy martyred Patriarch Tikhon of Russia served as bishop in San Francisco from 1898 to 1907. And this inheritance follows through into our own times with the many praise-worthy fathers who came to this land during the 20th century. Priests and monks whose spiritual lineage came from the holy monasteries of Valaam, Pochaev, and Optina. And certainly, one of the crowns of this immigration was St John, whose memory will be celebrated this coming Saturday before his incorrupt relics at our cathedral in San Francisco.

All these righteous ones whom we celebrate today - be they from the lands of Russia, of America, or of any of our Orthodox homelands – these are the ones we call ‘saints’ precisely because they heard the call of God echoed in today’s Holy Gospel. Today’s Gospel reading recounts for us the call of God to the first apostles. Our Lord called out to Peter and to Andrew, ‘Follow Me’, and they responded to this call of God – immediately dropping their nets and following Him.

Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us that He stands at the door of our heart and knocks. This is the call of God in our lives each and every day. How do we respond? Isn’t it interesting that the Gospel speaks about the Apostles ‘dropping their nets’ to respond to the call of God? What are the nets in your life that tangle you up in worldliness and selfishness, that prevent you from responding to the call of our Lord? Let each of us take stock of what these nets might be and let us be prepared to drop them in order to follow Jesus Christ our Lord.

Today we glorify all those men and women who heard the call of God, who responded by dropping their nets and opening the door of their hearts to let Christ in. All these holy ones who adorned the lands of Russia and of America deserve our praise and our gratitude. They show us through their lives how God can transform us, they fill us with inspiration and hope. Through the prayers of all the saints of Russia and of America and of all the lands where the light of Orthodoxy has shone, may God grant us the wisdom and the courage to listen for and to respond to His call.

Pentecost – Trinity Sunday

Greetings to one and all on this holy feast of Pentecost – also known as Trinity Sunday, for on this day the fullness of God’s revelation and relationship with mankind was made manifest. Just as Christ promised at His holy ascension, the Comforter has come to us on this day… the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity now enters fully into the life of the Church and of her Christian people.

The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, and Giver of Life. This is why the Church is decorated in green and filled with living branches. The Life-giving Breath of God is exhaled upon us today!

Today we resume our prayer to the Holy Spirit… ‘O Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good gifts and the Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from all impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.’

The Holy Spirit is the promised Comforter Who fills us with the presence of God and Whose fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Such fruits can fill the heart of the individual Christian and should be manifest in the assembly of Christians in the Church.

In the resurrection of Christ, we proclaim that we have seen the True Light. And indeed it is so! And now, on this blessed day of Pentecost we receive the True Warmth of the Holy Spirit. As Christ is the Light of God, so may we say the Holy Spirit is the Warmth of God. May that warmth of the Holy Spirit fill us with those blessed fruits of God’s grace.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, during these past 50 days of Paschal joy we do not kneel or make prostrations because ‘while the Bridegroom is with us, there is no time for mourning’. But now the Pentecost Vespers service welcomes us and encourages us to once again bend our knees in prostration before God. There are three ‘Kneeling Prayers’ that are said… we pray for forgiveness, for the assistance of the Holy Spirit to guide us in our earthly pilgrimage, and we commemorate those who have gone before us in the faith.

May the grace of the Holy Spirit be with us all the days of our life!

Sunday of the Fathers of the First Council

On Thursday of this past week, we celebrated the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having accomplished all that was necessary in His earthly ministry, having conquered death and appearing to many over the course of 40 days, our Lord ascended back up to heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. He assured His disciples that He would not leave them orphaned, that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth would be revealed to them and would guide them in all truth.

Next Sunday we will celebrate this descent of the Holy Spirit – the birthday of the fullness of the Christian Church. Christ our Lord most certainly did not leave us as orphans… He established His Church to guide us, to support us, and to sustain us in our Christian life. It is in and through the Holy Church that we receive the Sacraments, those grace-filled means by which God touches our lives. The Church also guides us in defining and defending the truth – the Church gave us the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament and all the holy writings provided in our services, in the lives and instructions of the saints.

It is in this context that we commemorate today the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council - a gathering of the bishops of the Orthodox Church in the year 325 in the town of Nicea. They had gathered to meet in council to clarify and more clearly define the truths of our Holy Faith. This was done in response to many false teachings which were beginning to be seen in the early life of the Church.

We heard this echoed in our reading from the Apostle Paul this morning wherein he was concerned about ‘savage wolves’ who would attempt to deceive the flock of Christ.

This has been Christ’s concern, and therefore the concern of those whom He has entrusted to shepherd His flock, for all the centuries of the faith. This is His concern because, contrary to popular opinion these days, truth does exist and it matters what we believe.

Throughout the centuries there have been false teachings about Christ and the Church has risen up in defense of the truth of our faith as it was handed down to us from Christ and His Apostles.

Does it matter whether we believe Christ was fully God and fully man? Yes, it does matter! If Christ is not fully God, how dare we worship Him? If Christ is not fully man, how could we claim that he was born, grew up, ate and drank among us, that He actually endured cold and pain and suffering and even death?

Does it matter whether Christ had two natures – human and Divine? Yes, it matters! What would be the point of His contest in the wilderness, when the devil presented his temptations if He was impervious to them? What would be the point of His agonizing prayer in the garden of Gethsemene, where His human will and nature recoiled from the suffering He knew was about to come upon Him? And yet, He courageously conquered all such temptations.

Does it matter whether we believe in the literal and historical accuracy of the resurrection? Yes, it matters - though there are some so-called Christians today who don’t think so. As Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians: ‘If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is futile and your faith is in vain.’ If there is no resurrection, there is no hope, death prevails and has the final word. But Christ HAS risen, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it matters what we believe – for what we believe forms our understanding of God, of life, and of our salvation.

Christ knows this and therefore He assured that He would leave us not alone, but sent the Holy Spirit to guide and guard the Church in defining and defending the truth of our faith.

The fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, whom we commemorate today,

composed a short statement of these essential truths of the Orthodox faith – what we know as the Creed or Symbol of Faith. All Orthodox Christians should know the Creed by heart… it is part of our morning prayers and it is proclaimed at every celebration of the Divine Liturgy.

The Creed teaches us that we believe in One God, Who is also Three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This distinction and revelation of God as Trinity is uniquely understood by Christianity and is the key to a correct understanding of the nature of God, a loving Union of Three Persons in One. There are many false teachings that reject this pillar of truth. We learn that God created the heavens and the earth - the complexity and beauty of things did not just randomly evolve through nature. We learn of the nature of Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, begotten, not made; that He was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary; that he did indeed suffer and die and rise again. We learn of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Giver of Life, Who is equally worshipped and glorified. We declare and proclaim that there is one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church and we can confidently trace the unbroken teachings and succession of our bishops all the way back to Christ and the Apostles. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and life of the age to come.

In today’s world there are thousands of different religions and philosophies and worldviews vying for our attention… Many of these groups are quite aggressive in preaching their personal understanding and interpretation of the Gospels.

As an Orthodox Christian, you must know what you believe so you can protect yourself against being lured by false teachings. Look through the history of the Church, look at the witness of the martyrs for Christ, think about the realities of the spiritual warfare that wages around us every day… if we are not clear regarding what we believe, we will be easily swayed by whatever current of opinion takes precedent.

The Truth of God has been revealed to mankind by God Himself. He unfolded this revelation of Himself slowly throughout the ages of the prophets of the Old Testament and revealed the fullness of Himself in the manifestation of the Trinity during the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Orthodox Church, through the promised guidance of the Holy Spirit, has guarded and proclaimed this treasure throughout the centuries. We can rely on this source because Jesus Christ Himself told us that He would establish His Church and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The example of the holiness of the lives of the saints of the Church provides further proof of the effectiveness and trustworthiness of her teachings. The Church has given us the Creed as our rudder that keeps us on the right path, it is our yardstick by which to measure and judge truth from falsehood – always subjecting our own opinions to the wisdom and reliability of God and His Church.

We must understand that there is no cause for pride - for the truth does not belong to us because we are Orthodox. Rather, we must have tremendous humility, because it should be just the opposite – the truth does not belong to us because we’re Orthodox; we belong to Orthodoxy because it is true.

Contrary to modern opinion and teachings, truth is not defined as that which you or I believe or wish to be true. God exists and there are true and false understandings of Him. The closer our perceptions and understandings are to the reality of God as He is, the better and truer they are.

It is the grace and active working of the Holy Spirit within the context of the Holy Church that reveals to us the truth. This is a very important concept for us to understand and to acknowledge, for it is the key to the correct approach of humility and obedience to the good order of things that safeguards us from the tyranny of our own opinions and our fallen personal points of view.

May we remember and honor today the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. May we heed the fatherly warning of Apostle Paul to beware of false teachings. May we guard and equip ourselves to know and understand the truth of our faith by committing to memory and bearing in our heart the Creed, the Symbol of our Faith. And, finally, may God grant us the humility to submit our arrogant minds to the greater and eternal wisdom of the revelation of God as He is – not as we might wish Him to be…not daring to conform God to our understanding and desires, but conforming and transforming ourselves to God as He has revealed Himself to us.

Sunday of the Blind Man

In today’s Holy Gospel we hear the account of the healing of the man who had been born blind. This man had been blind from birth and spent his days begging at the gates of the city. Our Lord had pity upon him and, taking up some dirt, He spat upon it to make mud and administered this mud onto the eyes of the blind man. The man was instructed to go wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam, and when he had done so, he experienced the miracle of the gift of sight, seeing the light and the world and people for the first time in his life.

As the Gospel goes on to tell us, he was then subject to intense questioning from the Pharisees – who were trying to calm the excitement of the people over this obvious miracle and who were incensed that such a work would be performed on the Sabbath Day of rest. The Pharisees were splitting hairs over lesser regulations and missing the point of the miracle of Christ’s power and love in giving this man the wonderful gift of sight. They pressed the man who had been blind to declare that Jesus was a sinner and the man replied, ‘Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.’

The simplicity and guilelessness of his statement is based upon the irrefutable experience of his restoration of sight by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! What need did he have to enter into debate with the Pharisees? God grant that we would also have this confident assurance in our faith based upon the living experience of knowing Christ our Lord! For without this living experience and relationship with God, we stumble through life in blindness.

Today’s Gospel speaks to us of several kinds of blindness. Let’s take a look at these examples…

First of all we have the example of physical blindness. Many of the Church Fathers indicate that when our Lord reached down and mixed His spit with the dirt, He was actually forming eyes from the mud – a reflection of the creative process when the body and organs of Adam were created from the dust of the earth. Christ placed this mud into the eyes of the blind man and then instructed him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. It was only after his obedience to these very physical instructions of Christ that his eyes were opened and he began to see.

God heals our whole being, and we are beings comprised of body, soul, and spirit. It is only when each of these aspects of our being are healed that we can become whole and transformed into that which God desires for us to be.

The man born blind suffered from physical blindness, but in that second level of our mind and soul, our psyche, we certainly see and experience the sorrows of blindness. The world around us is so often blind to the higher truths of religion, of nobility and dignity. Life in popular culture has become incredibly crude and carnal – glorifying and preoccupied with youthful looks, sensuality, violence, pride and all the rest. Our vision is pulled down to the physical realm and barely glimpses the higher realms of soul and spirit. 

When the eyes of our soul and mind are opened, we begin to perceive the beauty of higher things, of things worth suffering for. This is a great and wonderful thing. But, while it may enrich us and make us cultured, it still does not make us whole and fully healthy.

The Pharisees we encounter in today’s Gospel were undoubtedly highly cultured and devoutly religious men. We can say that the eyes of their soul and mind were opened and alert. And yet, something was seriously lacking in them… something which made them blind to the wonderful mercy and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Their spiritual eyes were blind… they were so preoccupied with the pride of their mind which stumbled over the rules of the Sabbath that they missed the miracle standing there before them.

The eyes of the soul may be opened and appreciative of the beauty of good things, but if this perception does not penetrate deeper into the interior depths of our spirit, then we can remain as impotent and untouched as the Pharisees. We may love the beauty of the church services, the otherworldliness of the icons looking down upon us, the chanting of the choir pleases our ears and elevates us… all this is good and enriches our soul. But until our spirit is pierced with the recognition of our exile from Paradise, with all that we have neglected and forsaken… only then do the eyes of our spirit begin to awaken.

And this awakening of our spirit has the effect of both breaking our heart open and also of watering the seed of salvation within it. Our heart breaks at the recognition of how much time has been wasted on vain pursuits, on selfish preoccupations and fears, on all the opportunities we have missed to be of comfort and service to another. We come to ourselves as if awakening from a deep sleep and say: ‘What am I doing?’

When the spirit awakens, we hear the voice of our conscience, we begin to perceive that all of our life is lived in the presence of God, and the hunger and thirst for righteousness stirs within us. We begin to perceive that all those things which stand before our sight, those million and one things which we think we have to accomplish, may be nothing more than distractions… may be keeping us so busy that we are blind to the simple reality of what God calls us to embrace and to be.

And what is it that God calls us toward? He calls us to purity of heart… ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God’.

This is the cure to our ultimate blindness… simplicity and purity of heart. This is a call so contrary to our modern inclinations… We want to be in charge, to know what next thing we must do, what next thing must we work toward in order to achieve that next rung on the ladder of salvation. Well, my fellow ambitious ones… more often our job is to simply raise our mind heavenward, to warm our heart with love, and to tame our stubborn and selfish will… to surrender, to have the humility and the trust to be as simple and pure-hearted children before the presence of God.

May God grant us the clarity of sight to open the eyes of our soul to look above the distractions of this world toward the beauty of God. And having caught a glimpse of His majesty, may the eyes of our spirit awaken and have the humility to behold His majesty and to gather as children before His grace and compassionate mercy.

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

Fr Andrew Gliga

            In the Old Testament, we hear about the stories of the great men who guided the nation of Israel towards God. But behind each of these men, they also had a great woman. The Patriarch Abraham had Sarah, who brought forth Isaac in her old age. Isaac's wife, Rebecca had helped Jacob to be the chosen one of God instead of his brother Easau. Jacob worked for many years (14 in total) to be able to get married with his beloved Rachael, who gave birth to Joseph. Moses had Zipporah, who probably nurtured him and gave him a home when he fled Egypt. And one of the interesting things we can see with this is the nature where some of these great men found their wives.

Isaac had one of his servants sent forth to find him a suitable wife. And as the book of Genesis states, that servant found Rebecca at a well drawing water. As soon as the servant saw her, he knew she would be a good match for Isaac. Jacob escaped from his brother Easau, who wanted to kill him since Jacob stole the birthright which was supposed to be Easau's. When he arrived in a land, he saw Rachael there by a well drawing water to give to the sheep. And at that moment he knew this was to be his wife. Moses as well, after escaping from Egypt, stayed at a well, and that's where Zipporah came and he was able to be married to her.

All in all, in the old testament, when we speak about a woman at a well, we see her as a woman who is suitable for marriage, especially to those forefathers of old. This makes sense, since water in the Old Testament Church is viewed as lifegiving (since it was so hard to find in desert areas). This ties in that when a woman and man come together they would meet and bring forth new life. The fruit of their love bears fruit and brings forth children for the continuation of the human race.

Today in the Church, we hear the Gospel of the Samaritan Woman. This Gospel speaks about how Christ was sitting by the well when a woman came to draw water. Anyone hearing this Gospel who would have knowledge of the old testament would surely think in their minds: this woman must be a bride for Christ. Just like how Rebecca or Zipporah were virtuous and chaste women, this woman too must be a virtuous one.

And yet, this is not the case. First off, this woman is a Samaritan which were viewed as the outcasts of this time. Not only that, but this woman herself was an outcast of the Samaritans. As we hear, she came to draw water from the well at about the 6th hour. The 6th hour would be around noontime, which would be probably the worst time in the desert to gather water. Most people would gather water between the 1st or 3rd hour before the day would get too hot. She came at that time because no one else would be there; she was trying to avoid people.

As we find out, this woman was unchaste who had 5 different husbands, and she lived with a man without being married. And yet she is the bride of Christ, as the Gospel implies. In a sense, she represents all of us. We are outcasts, removed from paradise. We are sinful, living in bondage to the devil. And Christ came to be united spiritually with all of us. He came and died on the cross for us sinful humanity, to be united mystically with us. The Church through tradition is stated to be the bride of Christ. Christ came to be united to us and to sanctify us. By uniting to Him through his body and blood, we are cleansed and freed from sin.

            This is seen by the transformation of the Samaritan woman. She started off as sinful, and by being united to Christ, she transformed her life. She gave up her sinful life, and became an Apostle for Christ, bringing both her children and people around her to faith. As we see, after she encounters Christ she begins to tell people in her village about him, teaching them the things that Christ did. Those people came and saw Christ and they too were brought to faith and transformed.

            So as we come to Church to pray and to be united to Christ our true God, we have to ask ourselves: have we had this profound transformation that the saints had? They too received the same faith that we have, why was their life changed and we still remain the same. In fact, we should be asking ourselves: does this encounter with the living Christ through partaking of His body and blood: does this encounter change us? If it does not, then we should be asking and seeking why it does not. I believe it's because many of us choose to ignore Christ. The things of this world attract us too much, the money, the technology, the entertainment, we choose to be attached to those and to not be attached to Christ. We are giving up the kingdom of God for the things of this world.

            St Seraphim of Sarov states: "Excessive care about worldly matters is characteristic of an unbelieving and fainthearted person, and woe to us, if, in taking care of ourselves, we do not use as our foundation our faith in God, who cares for us! If we do not attribute visible blessings to Him, which we use in this life, then how can we expect those blessings from Him which are promised in the future? We will not be of such little faith. By the words of our Savior, it is better first to seek the Kingdom of God, for the rest shall be added unto us (see Mt. 6:33)".

Let us therefore examine our conscience and make sure that when we leave Church, we leave as truly transformed people through our encounter with the living Christ, our true God.

Sunday of the Paralytic

John 5:1-15

In the Gospel reading appointed for this day, we heard about the healing of the paralytic. Our Lord had come to Jerusalem to observe one of the Jewish feasts. Near one of the gates of the city was a pool which had healing powers as an angel of the Lord would come to stir up the waters. The first person into the waters at the time of this stirring would be healed of their illness. Surrounding the pool lay a multitude of sick people – the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. Among these was a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years. He had been coming to the pool in faith and hope for many years, but each time the waters were stirred, another person would make it into the waters before him.

Day after day, month after month, year after year he came to the pool in hope of making his way into the waters. Day after day, month after month, year after year he was not successful. With patience and persistence, he continued to struggle and to hope, and he was finally rewarded as the Lord passed by and blessed him – restoring him to health such that he was able to take up his bed and walk.

I’m sure there must have been days when he was utterly dejected, utterly frustrated… there must have been days when his faith wavered, and he must have felt that his situation was hopeless.

Isn’t it often the same with us? We may storm the heavens with our petitions for some need or concern which troubles us. We call upon the Lord day after day, month after month, and year after year and it seems that God is deaf to our pleading. We too may reach the point of feeling utterly dejected, utterly frustrated… we may experience our faith wavering and feel that our situation is hopeless. In such a state, we become paralyzed.

It is not uncommon to hear such frustrations and feelings of paralysis with all that is going on in the world today. From the large-scale tragedies of the war in Ukraine and the division and enmity occurring within our nation to the closer-in tragedies of our own struggles within our families or within ourselves… these things can leave us paralyzed, feeling impotent to make any impact upon the downward force of these crises.

But dear brothers and sisters in Christ, our suffering is not only from our sense of paralysis, but from the ignorance of our blindness. We do not see, nor do we understand, how God may be working to turn the tragedies which we create into occasions for healing, for hope, for transcendence and resurrection.

There is a story of a farmer who had a beloved mare in his stable. One day, the wind blew down the fence and the mare ran off into the woods. The neighbor of the farmer came and said to the farmer: ‘What a tragedy that your prize mare has run away!’ The farmer simply replied: ’Well, you never know – may God’s will be done.’

Some days later, the mare returned, followed by a beautiful stallion. The farmer led the two prize horses into his stable. The neighbor returned and said: ‘How lucky you are! Now you have two wonderful horses!’ The farmer replied: ‘Well, you never know – may God’s will be done.’

The farmer’s son worked with the stallion and adopted him as his own. One day when he was out riding, he fell off the stallion and broke his leg. The neighbor came by and said: ‘Oh, this is terrible! Your son has broken his leg!’ The farmer replied: ‘Well, you never know – may God’s will be done.’

Soon a war broke out and officials came to the farm seeking young men to go to the front to fight. When they saw the young man with the broken leg, they passed him by as unfit for service. The neighbor rejoiced: ‘How fortunate! Your son has been saved!’ The farmer replied: ‘Well, you never know – may God’s will be done.’

The point of the story, and the reality of life, is that we honestly do not know the reasons for certain things – whether they present themselves as tragedies or triumphs to us. The long waiting of the paralytic culminated in his meeting Christ our Lord and his participation in this miracle which has been communicated to all the world for generations to hear.

We are called to have faith. We are called to pray… to pray that God’s will be done, that His mercy and His goodness will manifest themselves in the midst of even the darkest of tragedies. And we must fight against the temptation to feel paralyzed when we cannot see nor understand what is happening.

The fact is that your patient and persistent prayers have profound significance. Something good is happening through the patience of one who prays with persistence. That stubborn and determined hope makes an impact on the heavens, on the world, and within the formation of your own soul. Every prayer, prayed with faith and love, draws God’s grace… and that grace will be deployed wherever God, in His divine wisdom, knows it is needed. Maybe your request will not be answered just yet, or in the way that you think it should be… but your effort of prayer sends ripples which impact the world.

Even the paralyzed man, though day after day, and month after month, and year after year, he felt his prayers were going unanswered… little did he know that the movement which he so longed for was already occurring. Though he could not yet move, his prayer drew the footsteps of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, straight to the pool at the gates.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… do not fall prey to the hopelessness which the evil one tries to instill. You are not paralyzed. You have encountered the Lord and you have been called to take up your bed and walk… By this I mean the gifts we have been given of prayer, of faith, of hope, and of love. Never underestimate the impact of prayer… though you may not see the results when and where you expect them to be, every prayer, every heartfelt groaning of the soul to God, sends that ripple which calls upon the grace of God to work where He will.

And, as the farmer said: We never know – may God’s will be done!

Our Archbishop's Paschal Epistle can be read here.

Palm Sunday

Fr Andrew Gliga

We have come to the end of Great Lent, our 40 days of fasting. Yesterday and today we celebrate two great feasts which are both intertwined. As we read in the Gospel today, the service today is actually a continuation of the feast which we celebrated yesterday: the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Since Lazarus Saturday is connected to Palm Sunday, we should first begin with the resurrection of Lazarus.

            As we heard in the services yesterday, Christ's friend Lazarus, had gotten sick and passed away. And after 4 days of being in the grave, Christ came to perform one of his greatest miracles. When Christ came to the place where Lazarus was buried, a multitude of people were present to witness this great miracle. The scriptures say that people were unsure of what was going to take place, especially since this man Lazarus was already beyond resuscitation because he had been in the tomb for 4 days and his body began to decay. And yet, Christ commanded Lazarus to come forth and he was risen from the dead, his body restored from corruption.

            And so the Gospel reading for today continues this story. It states that after Lazarus was raised by Christ he went to dine with Christ (which testifies that Lazarus was not a spirit but had an actual body that needed food to be sustained). While Christ and Lazarus had sat at table together, many people came to not only visit Jesus, but to see the risen Lazarus; to see with their own eyes the great miracles of God. This mighty wonder that Jesus performed was talked about throughout the region. People all over Judea had heard of the resurrection of Lazarus, how this man was raised after being dead for 4 days. This was a unique thing since most resurrections in the Old Testament had occurred shortly after death, but never had anyone been raised after the body had decayed. This caused most people to believe that Jesus was sent by God and they had a renewed faith in Him. This is why when Christ came to Jerusalem on a colt of a donkey the people had gathered together to see this man who had brought back a man 4 days dead. Heading about this great miracle and seeing Christ enter into Jerusalem they began to praise him saying "Hosana in the highest! Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord".

            And yet throughout all this excitement, we see that there was also a negative aspect that crept up. As the gospel also relates, the Chief Priests now had plotted to first kill Lazarus and then to kill Christ. The reason behind this is because they saw that the people no longer needed to listen to the teachings of Christ to follow him, but rather there had been such an amazing miracle that clearly shows that Jesus Christ was God. Only God had dominion over creation and would be able to recreate the body of a man who began to decay. And so because of this the Pharisees knew they only had one way to stop Jesus: they had to put him to death.

            Christ knew this, He knew his death was approaching. And yet He came to Jerusalem in peace, even though his enemies wanted his death. Every step Christ took in Jerusalem was one step closer to his passion and death. We hear from  St. Athanasius "The Lord came not to die his own death but to die our death." (St Athanasius). Jesus came not to fight or to conquer but to suffer and die in the worst way possible, and he did so for each one of us. Christ came to Jerusalem on a donkey, a beast of burden, which was a sign of peace. Most rulers to assert their authority would choose to ride on a war horse, an animal that would instill fear in their subjects, and yet Christ did not. He came as a meek and humble servant, and not as a war hero. He came not to fight against the wicked men but came in quietness knowing what path lay before him: the path of suffering and hardship that would lead to our salvation.

            And so this is what kind of example we should learn from, dear ones. How many times are we wronged and judged incorrectly by people around us? And instead of having the humility and peace that Christ has, we instead defend ourselves and try to justify our position. St Ignatius Brianchininov said: "The Lord remained silent before Pilate and Herod; He made no attempt to justify Himself. You must imitate His holy and wise silence when you see that your enemies accuse you, with every intention of certain conviction; they accuse only with the purpose of hiding their own evil intention under the guise of judgment" (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov). Our silence will bring to light the wrongdoings of others.

Today, there is so much talk and explanations of various worldly concerns. We live in an extremely divided nation. People are so against one another, whether due to a difference in political opinion, or hatred towards the Church because of Her teachings. People speak hours upon hours on the internet about these subjects. This is because there's just too much talk about nothing, too many useless words are being spoken about these subjects. People are speaking one to another in long eloquest speeches in order to try to convince people to take sides. And what ends up happening is someone will stand up in opposition and then heated arguments break out. After friendships are ruined and relationships become broken, we still find ourselves in the same position left alone with our presuppositions.

Instead of all of this, we should imitate Christ. Take His example of silence, meekness, and peacefulness, especially when He begins his final week before his passion. As the famous saying is: "Silence speaks louder than words". And through silence, we will find eternal peace.

St Mary of Egypt

On this fifth Sunday of Great Lent we commemorate a woman who has become an example and hero of repentance for Orthodox Christians, St Mary of Egypt.

We read her life this week at the Matins service on Monday evening. For those that were not able to hear it, I’ll briefly summarize her life… St Mary lived in the latter half of the 4th century and was known throughout Alexandria as a notorious prostitute. One year, she joined a large group of people on board a ship heading to Jerusalem. Most of the passengers were pilgrims making their way to the Holy Land in preparation for the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Mary’s purposes for boarding the ship and being in the proximity of so many people were far less honorable. Having arrived, she persisted in her sinful ways and even joined the throngs of people heading toward the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on the day of the feast. However, when she attempted to enter the threshold of the church, she was prevented from entering by some invisible force. She tried several times to cross the threshold of the church but was repelled by this force each time. This striking manifestation of her unworthiness due to her sins struck deep into the heart of St Mary and she retired into a corner of the courtyard where she wept bitter tears. She realized her shame and sin and pleaded with the Most Holy Mother of God that if she would be permitted to enter into the church to venerate the precious wood of the Holy Cross, she would spend the rest of her life in repentance and service to God. She approached the threshold again and, this time, was able to enter without any hindrance at all. She venerated the Holy Cross and, afterwards, retired into the desert to work out her salvation.

St Mary lived alone and in obscurity for nearly fifty years as a hermit in the wilds of the desert. Only the Lord knows of her prayers and tears and struggles throughout this time. At the end of her life, a priestmonk by the name of Zosimas happened upon St Mary and learned of her life. St Zosimas was blessed to bring her the sacraments of our Lord’s Body and Blood. When St Zosimas returned to meet her a year later, he discovered the body of St Mary, who had reposed shortly after receiving Holy Communion a year before.

The life of St Mary of Egypt fills us with awe at the depths of her repentance and also at the depths of the love of God. St Mary, who lived her early life in utter depravity, repented thoroughly and was granted such grace that she walked upon the waters of the Jordan River and had the gift of insight – perceiving the revelations of God.

We should take heart that no matter what sins we may have committed, no matter what troubles we may get ourselves into… though we turn our back on God, He never turns His back on us! What is required is repentance… Not simply feelings of guilt or wishes for improvement, but a conscious and determined action of turning around from the way which leads us away from God to the way which leads us toward God.

The decisive and profound repentance of St Mary is set before us as our example.

Quoting from a sermon by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, he writes:

‘St Mary of Egypt can teach us something very great. As Saint Seraphim of Sarov repeated more than once to those who came to see him, the difference between a sinner who is lost and a sinner who finds his way to salvation lies in nothing but determination. The grace of God is always there; but our response is not. But Mary responded; through the horror of her new perception of herself she responded to the holiness, the grace, the wholeness and sanctity of the Mother of God, and nothing, nothing was too much for her to change her life.

Year after year, in fasting and prayer, in the scorching heat, in the desperate aloneness of the desert she fought all the evil that had accumulated in her soul; because it is not enough to become aware of the evil, it is not enough even to reject it in an act of will, – it is there, in our memories, in our desires, in our frailty, in the rottenness which evil brings. She had to fight for her whole life, but at the end of that life she had conquered; indeed, she had fought the good fight, she had become pure of stain, she could enter the realm of God: not a temple, not a place but eternity.’

St Mary is presented to us in these latter days of the Great Fast as a beacon of hope and as an inspiration of challenge. We find great hope in that the worst of sinners can come to realize the goodness of God and that in turning to Him, we face open arms. And we find an inspiration and challenge in seeing the endurance and determination which St Mary showed in fighting her good contest.

May she be our guiding light away from the darkness of sin and toward the beauty and light of God. May she intercede for us – praying that we might have some fraction of her strength and determination. Oh, most holy Mother Mary, pray to God for us!

Fourth Sunday of Great Lent – St John of the Ladder

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we come to the fourth Sunday of Great Lent. On this day we commemorate a great saint of the church, St. John of Ladder.

St John of the Ladder was a monk of St Catherine’s Monastery at Mt Sinai in the 6th century. After having lived in obedience in the monastery for twenty years, he retreated further into the desert, into seclusion, to live the life of a hermit. There in the lonely desert, he struggled and flourished for the next forty years. Toward the end of his life he was called back to the monastery where he was made its abbot, a post which he humbly accepted and dutifully performed until his own death. It was during this time of his abbacy that he wrote his famous work ‘The Ladder of Divine Ascent’.

This spiritual magnum opus describes the path to salvation as a ladder of some thirty steps, each virtue building upon the one before it, and leading the Christian toward heaven. In this great work we read first of the rungs of ‘Renunciation of the World’, then ‘Detachment’ and ‘Exile’… cutting ourselves off from our obsessions with our self and the seductions of this world. We later read of the rungs discussing the struggles against ‘Remembering Wrongs’, ‘Slander’, ‘Despondency’ and the other passions which try to pull us down. As the Christian makes his upward climb we later read of such things as ‘Vigil’, ‘Simplicity’, ‘Prayer’, and finally we reach the summit of ‘Love’.

Just reading through the chapter titles in the table of contents of this wonderful book is instructive, for St John drew from his own experience in outlining the spiritual ascent and the individual rungs along that upward ladder.

If we are to even get our feet off the ground in the spiritual life, we first have to make the step of renunciation. This is critical… each and every one of us have a choice as to who is going to sit on the throne of our heart. In our fallen state, it is we who sit on this throne. We think we’re ‘number one’… and if we were being completely sincere, most of our prayers and wishes are that ‘OUR will would be done’. And most of the irritations in our life are due to the obstacles that get in the way of OUR will being done. The root of so many of our sins is found pride.

St John begins his prescription for our spiritual health regimen with renunciation… setting aside our selfishness in order to turn our eyes toward God.

With each rung of the ladder, St John deals with various sins that seduce us and distract us from our heavenly goal. Most of these sins find their root in our preoccupation with our self, our vainglory, our pride. This is why St John addresses renunciation right from the beginning… if this can be achieved, then the subsequent sins that stem from our pride are more easily hacked away.

Just as so many of our sins stem from pride, so too do most of the virtues stem from love. St John places love as the highest rung of the ladder, the final step leading us to Christ.    As St Paul famously writes in his Epistle to the Corinthians, we can have all of the virtues, we can have all knowledge of things on earth and in heaven, but if we don’t have love then all of these things are meaningless. Our Lord Jesus Christ said that all of the laws and the prophets are summed up in the love of God and of our neighbor.

That love must not be a self-pleasing love… it must be a love of self-sacrifice, a self-giving love that seeks the good of our neighbor and seeks to please God and to be near Him. As we’ve talked about before, it is in participating in this self-giving love that we experience the grace of God and the nearness of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The ladder of divine ascent is an illustration and an instruction for us regarding the spiritual life. It is bookended by renunciation in the beginning and by love in the end. Both of these virtues are keys to unlocking the shackles of a multitude of sins. Renunciation is that choice and step of determination to reject and detach ourselves from all that keeps us from God. And love is that grace and communion with God which fulfills all the Law and the Prophets.

May God grant us the courage to unlock these keys – turning away from all that drags us downward and distances ourselves from God and one another. Fixing our gazes instead on that summit of the divine ladder, the love of God, which pulls us upward and unites us to God and one another in His love.

May God grant us such love, so badly needed in this world of division and suspicion of one another. Such peace and love must begin in our heart. Let us strive diligently to climb that ladder within our own lives so that the peace and love which we might wish for the world, might begin with us.

Sunday of the Cross

Fr Andrew Gliga

            In modern social circles and social media, we see many different categories or "hashtags" of photos posted by people. One of the most popular ones that is out there today is the "Blessed" hashtag. When someone views or looks at the pictures of people posting to that category you see people showing off ways that they say they are blessed. A highlight of these pictures show people with their family all smiling and being happy. Others are of people on vacation and showing beautiful scenery. Some are just eating fine food or drinks. There are pictures of people with cars, boats, or even their houses. These things are nice and joyful to see people considering that they are blessed for enjoying the good things in life. And yet there is something a bit off about this mentality.

            A blessed person is seen as having great possessions, or a content life. Someone who basically has all their basic needs met and more is seen as blessed by God. And this begs the question to ask, what about someone who does not have these things? What about the people who aren't able to travel to fine places or to enjoy the finer things of life? Are these people condemned by God because they don't have these things? It seems like the world does not view these people as blessed since they do not have the possessions or things that are viewed as being blessed by God.

            This mentality is not new actually. We might think that this is a modern problem because of how easy our life is. And yet in the time of Christ this same view of being blessed by God meant that you have many possessions. The Pharisees and the leaders of the people who were rich and wealthy were viewed to also be righteous, because in their mind, only the righteous would be able to have earthly blessings. Even so, this is what Christ came to teach us: that blessedness does not come from earthly possessions, but rather comes from sacrifice.

            Today we commemorate the Cross of Christ. This symbol placed before us is the complete opposite of earthly blessings and good things in the world. Before Christ this cross was viewed as a symbol of suffering, excruciating pain, and death. Only the most wicked of people were crucified and it was a shameful and tortuous experience for one to be crucified. And Christ took this symbol and turned it upside down. It now is a symbol of life, of salvation, and of blessedness. But it only became a holy symbol when Christ suffered upon it. It only became a symbol of life when Christ died upon it.

            This is where we see the contrast between the cross and our life as Orthodox Christians and the "blessedness" of the world. In the Gospel reading today we hear: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36-37). The idea is blessedness does not come from possessions of the world, but rather blessedness comes from sacrifice from taking up one's cross and following Christ, and this is what is needed to attain salvation. Elder Anthony of Optina says: "Of course, it would be easier to get to paradise with a full stomach, all snuggled up in a soft feather-bed, but what is required is to carry one’s cross along the way, for the kingdom of God is not attained by enduring one or two troubles, but many!"

            So beloved in the Lord, these saying are repeated to us this week too. We have already passed the halfway point of great lent (the 40 days before Holy Week). This time should have been a time for us to put away the pleasures of this world, the fine food, the nice vacations, the things that the world all seeks. We put these away because where suffering is, that is where salvation is. St Clement of Alexandria says: "The one who knows God will follow the Lord’s footsteps, bearing the cross of the Savior. It is said, “The world is crucified to him and he to the world.” The Lord says, “He who loses his life will save it.” We can “lose our lives” in one of two ways. First, we can risk our lives just as the Lord did for us.  Secondly, we can separate our lives from the customary things of this world.  Bearing the cross means to separate our souls from the delights and pleasures of this life. If you do this, you will find your life again – resting in the hope of what is to come. Dying to ourselves means being content with the necessities of life. When we want more that these necessities it is easy to sin." This is why the Church gives us this time, not to make our life difficult, but to make us put aside the things that distract us from the kingdom of God. Let us therefore put aside the things that the world says grants us blessings, but rather put aside those good things of the world in order to attain the true blessings, the blessing of God through taking up our cross and following Christ.

Second Sunday of Great Lent – Gregory Palamas

On this second Sunday of the Great Fast we commemorate St Gregory Palamas, one of the shining heroes of Orthodox Christianity. St Gregory Palamas is an important figure in our further clarification of the Orthodox understanding of creation and God’s interaction with mankind.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Triumph of Orthodoxy and all the icons were set out in glorious display. We do this in honor of the Orthodox council that clarified and proclaimed the Orthodox understanding of the relationship between man and God, between the material and the spiritual, and that God did indeed become a man in the Person of Jesus Christ and that He transfigures and heals that which was fallen into the image of God that it was created to be. The veneration of the icons confirms this understanding of the reality of matter transfigured by the healing presence of God.

St Gregory Palamas is another key figure in understanding and clarifying both the relationship between man and God and of the reality of how God interacts with us to heal and transfigure us into that which He created us to be.

At the time of St Gregory there were debates raging about the absolute unknowability of God. St Gregory Palamas clarified that God in His essence is eternally distinct from His creatures, but that mankind can and should strive to participate and commune with the energies, with the Grace of God – which is a truly an experience of God Himself. To make a weak analogy - we cannot approach the orb of the sun but we truly experience the sun through its warmth and light. St Gregory’s distinction of the essence and the energies of God may seem obscure at first – but it was an important declaration and clarification of the proper understanding of the relationship between God the Creator and man, His creature… and it underscores just how intimate that relationship is and can be.

This awareness of the intimacy and nearness of God is essential for us to understand.

God is not a distant deity sitting on His throne in heaven… a Being with Whom we’ll not have direct interactions with until we pass from this life into the next. No, God is present here and now. He is present in your home and in your workplace. He is present in our very hearts and He stands at the door of our hearts and He knocks.

Brothers and sisters in Christ… it is a convenient mistake for us to think of God as distant and removed from our day to day lives. Such a viewpoint creates the false assurance that our secret sins are not known to Him… that our daily neglect of Him is not seen by Him… that our judgment of others and selfish passions don’t matter. As the blessed Hieromonk Seraphim Rose once said, ‘The thing about understanding that God is both personal and present, is that He requires something of you!’

This is cause for both horror and hope!

We may be horrified to realize that God is present… that He is involved in our lives and that He does demand something of us. He calls us to take up our cross, to deny ourselves, and to follow Him. What we do matters… how and what we think matters… Every moment of our lives is a pull either toward love or toward selfishness. Our pride paints the selfish choices as the most attractive, the most fulfilling… but this is the way that leads to alienation from God and from others. The way of denying our selfish inclinations in favor of loving God and others is the way that leads to healing and transfiguration.

And this is the cause of the greatest hope! The more we give of ourselves in love to God and to others, the more we begin to realize and recognize the nearness of God and of His Heavenly Kingdom. God transforms us by His grace… by His life creating and life restoring energies.

This is the message of St Gregory Palamas. This is the message of Great Lent. This is the message and the mission of Jesus Christ.

And what greater mission can be given to us in such troubled times as these?

When darkness overshadows the world, we must not react with anger or fear or frustration - these only add shadows to the encroaching darkness. Darkness is dispelled by Light. In a time when greed and war and pestilence are flourishing in this world, what greater thing can we do than to call forth the grace of God? Calling forth through our prayer and manifesting through our words and deeds the blessing and the healing presence of God’s grace and energies. This is what is needed more than anything right now and it is our privilege and it is our duty as Orthodox Christians to do all that we can to make best use of this Lenten season to do just that.

Several of our church leaders have called upon their flocks to specific efforts of prayer during this time of trouble. Patriarch Kyrill called upon us this week to read the Canon to the Mother of God in supplication for peace in Ukraine. And the saintly Metropolitan Onuphry, the head of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church has asked us to read one chapter of the Gospels each day and to make three prostrations in supplication for peace. Such practical steps not only unite Orthodox Christians all over the world, but very much call down that grace of God which we so desperately need right now.

May God bless all of you who wish to take up these additional prayers and may He give you strength. And may our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother bless and watch over us all.

Sunday Of Orthodoxy

We have completed the first week of Great Lent. This first week is by far the hardest week in Great Lent with numerous services combined with strict fasting. In a sense, the way if you start off strong, it will help you complete the rest of the fast with great vigor. Today, on Sunday, the Holy Orthodox Church presents to us a great feast day which culminates the first week. This day is known as the Sunday of Orthodoxy in which the holy Orthodox Church commemorates the triumph over various heresies. Throughout the history of the church there have been many various clergy that have taught incorrect teachings about the nature of Christ and God. These men were officially condemned by the church and are proclaimed to be Anathema.

So what does Heresy and anathema mean? For starters heresy means for one to choose what one believes. A heretic is one who simply chooses what to believe and does not follow the teachings of the holy Orthodox Church passed on by the Apostles. Anathema, on the other hand, is a word that derives from let God decide. It basically means that these people are cut off from the Church and have nothing to do with it. Now, only God decides the judgment of these people. We are only instructed not to follow their teachings because what these heretics taught were contrary to the teachings of the Fathers.

So we see that based on the actions of the heretics, the Church proclaims Anathema upon them and excludes these people from the life of the Church. We also know that the Church does not proclaim Anathema on all people, but only those heretics who have truly caused many innocent souls to fall from the truth.

Today a service is generally served that calls all those former heretic teachers: Anathema. Generally in the Russian tradition this service is served only in Cathedrals by a Bishop. If anyone has visited the Cathedral today, they would have witnessed the anathema service in which the Deacons stand on the ambo and proclaim anathema to all the different heretics throughout the ages. Afterwards they proclaim memory eternal to all the holy Orthodox they have fought and protected the faith. This service is almost frightening, when you hear that all these people have been condemned by their teachings.

We should know that these heretics were not Anathematized lightly. In fact all heretics had the opportunity to repent of their ways, and be united back to the Church. Even if a heretic had taught the most egregious things, the church would still keep the door open and still allow them to come back and repent. The only time the door to repentance is closed for these people is when they pass on from this life to the next; there they stand to be judged by the Almighty God. Unfortunately, a lot of these heretics decided not to accept the medicine of repentance and so were placed outside the saving grace of the church.

So what does this mean for us living here today? We have just finished the hardest week of Great Lent, as I mentioned earlier. Maybe this past week for some of you wasn’t so good. Maybe you didn’t fast as you should have. Maybe you didn’t keep your prayers and had your mind think about the things of the world. Maybe your church attendance was lacking and you only were able to attend one of the services that was offered this week. Maybe you had a huge argument with your loved ones or the devil tempted you and in turn you fell into a grave sin. If this has happened, then in a sense, we have cut ourselves off from the Church. Sin is what cuts us off from the grace of God, in a sense like the heretics were cut off from the Church for their sin.

And even so, we should not forget the one key aspect of our faith, which we heard all about this past week: and that is the act of repentance. No matter what happens, we will always have the opportunity to start anew. We still have time to change our ways. But we should not wait, we should act today and now. And the reason for this is because we do not know how much time we have left. As we heard this past week in the canon of St Andrew: "My soul, my soul, arise! Why are you sleeping? The end is drawing near, and you will be confounded. Awake, then, and be watchful, that Christ our God may spare you, Who is everywhere present and fills all things". We need to make sure we are doing the right thing because the end is approaching.

This is what the journey to Pascha is all about. It’s all about struggling in order to reach the great feast of the resurrection of Christ. If we put in the time and effort, if we take great strides in fasting, if we increase our prayer, attend all the extra the church services, we will get so much more out of this. If we are like those who just simply come on Sunday, who only fast the first week, and don't do any additional prayers; we won't get any spiritual benefit from Lent. In a sense, instead of following what the Church teaches will help us, we choose what we want to do (like the heretics chose what they wanted to believe). And that does not provide us with any benefit.

So I urge you, take this Lent seriously. If you have not fasted or done what you should have done, then start now. Do so while you still have time, because the end is approaching. We do not know the time or the hour when we will pass from this life to the next, but we do know one thing: we can prepare for it starting today.

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

(Luke 15:11-32)

Today we continue to hear the call of the Church, guiding us toward the season of Great Lent. Two weeks ago, we began with the story of Zacchaeus, who climbed up the sycamore tree to get a glimpse of our Lord as He passed by. Last week we heard the story of the Publican and the Pharisee. And today we are presented with the moving story of the Prodigal Son. Next week we will hear about the dread judgment of Christ our Lord.

It is important to notice the wisdom of our Holy Mother Church in how she guides us and prepares us for the Fast.

If I may summarize the themes of these preparatory Sundays, we may say that the lesson of Zacchaeus Sunday is: ‘Don’t just sit there, do something!’ Zacchaeus took the initiative to climb up the tree in order to see the Lord and his action was rewarded by the encounter and the invitation of Christ. If Zacchaeus Sunday tells us to not just sit there, but to do something, then perhaps the lesson of the Publican and the Pharisee is: ‘Don’t just do something, sit there!’ We must not fool ourselves into thinking that all of our religious activities and observances will save us. If those activities don’t humble our heart and mind and bring us to a point of contrition and stillness and reverence before God, then we are on the wrong track. Next week’s Gospel regarding the great judgment seat of Christ also underscores for us the purpose and the point of our Christian life. When we stand before the dread judgment seat of our Lord, what will He ask of us? He will ask us if we fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, visited the sick. In all of our encounters and interactions with people, we encounter the image of Christ our Lord. How have we responded to Him?

In all of these preparatory Sundays the Church is exhorting us over and over again to a proper understanding of what the Lenten season is really all about. So much of our attention, and perhaps our apprehension, as we look toward Great Lent is focused on the externals: all the things we should do or should not do – the fasting, the additional prayers and services, reducing worldly distractions, etc.. Yes, Great Lent guides us toward what we should do and should not do, but hopefully that guidance is more toward how we should be and how we should not be.

And today’s Gospel of the Prodigal Son illustrates this for us in the beautiful and moving story of the interactions of the father and his two sons.

In this parable, our Lord tells us of a man who had two sons. These sons lived with their father where all that was necessary and good for their wellbeing was provided and available. In addition, the father had seen to it that each son would receive a generous inheritance of his wealth to take care of their future needs.

The younger son, demonstrating impatience and succumbing to the seductions of the world, asked for his inheritance in advance and left his home to go to a far country where he wasted his money and himself on the lusts of this world. After he had already squandered his fortune and reached his lowest point, The Gospel tells us that he ‘came to himself’ and reasoned that he might return home - even if he could only be hired on as a servant within his father’s estate. And so, he took action and in humility he returned to his home. The Gospel tells us that while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, I am no longer worthy to be called thy son.’ But the father was overjoyed to recover this lost sheep that was his son and commanded that a great feast be prepared in celebration of the return of he who was lost and is now found.

But the parable goes on to tell us about the other son; the faithful son, who had stayed behind all those years and diligently carried out his father’s work, doing everything right and remaining home at his father’s side. This son became upset when he saw all the fuss being lavished upon his wayward brother. We read in the Gospel that he was angry and would not go in to the feast. His father came out to him to invite and encourage him to come into the feast, but the brother replied: ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this young son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ The father replied: ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’

This parable has much to teach us about the perils of the seductions of the world and how we can become so lost, straying far from the love of our father. It illustrates so clearly that moment of true repentance, when the prodigal son ‘comes to himself’ and turns away from his prodigality to return home. It also shows us the wrong spirit of the dutiful son, who is much like last week’s pharisee, thinking that his good deeds justified himself and gave him the right to judge his brother. But perhaps more than either of these attributes of the sons, this parable shows us the love of the father, which is an illustration of the unchanging love of God. The father seeks out both of his sons – awaiting the return of the prodigal and softening the hardheartedness of the elder brother. Both sons enter into the fulness of the love of their father when their hearts are set aright.

And so, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us hear the voice of the Church, that voice which strives to set our hearts aright. She is calling out to us in all of these pre-Lenten Gospels to prepare us properly for the Fast. The disciplines and the efforts we undertake for Great Lent should be an expression of our love for God and the fruit of those disciplines and efforts should strengthen that love for God, drawing us into a closer union with Him.

Let us enter into the season of Lent with our eyes open to the magnificence and the generosity of the love of God. A love into which we are invited and from which we may be inspired with all of our heart and mind and soul and strength to love God in return with gratitude and determination!

The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee

Fr Andrew Gliga

Two men went up to the temple to pray. And these two men could not be more different from one to another. The first man was an honored and respected man of society. He was the ideal citizen, one who embodied all the great qualities of a good man. He was a Pharisee who followed the law of Moses and was viewed as a leader of the Jewish people. People probably saw him and thought that this man is someone I want to be like, he has everything going well for him. He fasts twice a week, he gives alms to the poor. Outwardly he had all the great qualities of a saintly man.

The other man who went to the temple that day was the complete opposite. He was a publican, IE a tax collector. Tax collectors were viewed as the lowest of the low. These publicans were employed to collect taxes for the Roman empire. Since the Roman empire conquered the nation of Israel, the Israelites saw the Romans as oppressors and occupiers. Basically taxes were levied and given to the pagan emperor only because people were under Roman rule. At the same time, the tax collectors also had an extra incentive: they would collect extra from people and in turn they become wealthy themselves. Paying taxes then was not like today where all our information is available on a computer and we could calculate ourselves how much tax we owed. Back then, a tax collector could come up and say however much he wanted to collect from someone. It could be the actual amount or more than what was owed. The person paying the taxes had no idea if the tax collector was telling the truth or not. And if the person did not want to pay taxes, then the publican would come with a Roman soldier and have the person arrested for not paying taxes.

So as we see, we have two complete opposites, one model citizen and the other who is viewed as the worst. And so only one of these men goes home justified. Anyone listening to this story would expect that the Pharisee would be justified and glorified by God for all his good deeds. And yet this was not the case. We see that the Publican, the sinful man was justified. How is this so?

The Pharisee, who did all these great things (and yes, they are truly great acts), did them with pride. He also brought judgement upon the Publican since he was criticing the tax collector in his prayer. On the other hand, the Publican brought forth the greater prayer: he repented of his sin. The publican knew that his path was not the right one, and wanted to change. He wanted to become a better man. And the only way he would be able to do so is to repent and change his path. With tears he was able to come to a deep retence, which also brought him closer to God. "The abbot Mathois said, 'The nearer a man approaches to God, the greater sinner he sees himself to be. For the prophet Isaiah saw God, and said that he was unclean and undone.'"

The Church in Her wisdom gives us rules to follow. We have strict fasting, where we give up meat, dairy, eggs, and oil, every Wednesday and Friday, as well as all the days of great lent. We have morning and evening prayers plus Akathists. We are called to attend long church services, and stand for hours upon end. These rules set to us by the Church are good and important to do, we definitely should not neglect them. And yet these unto themselves do not impart us salvation, but we need something more than just simple rules to be saved by Christ.

We see in the parable the Pharisee followed the rules as they were given. He was able to fulfill these ordinances exactly as he was called to do. And yet he missed the whole point of why we follow these commandments. It's not the rules and regulations that save us, but rather they should impart transformation upon us. When we do these things, like fasting or prayer, do we gain a spirit of repentance, a spirit of love for one another, a spirit of forgiveness of one another? This transformation is what should occur in us when we follow these rules. If we follow fasting exactly as we should, do our prayer morning and evening, attend every single Church service and yet we remain the same as we were before then we completely miss the point. When this happens we are following the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law. This is what this parable is trying to tell us: These rules we follow, should indeed change our lives and increase our repentance of our sins but also increase our love for one another.

So dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we finally come to these beginning preparatory Sundays of great lent, where we start to orient our lives towards the great feast of the Resurrection of Christ, let us begin with repentance and humility in all we do. The publican came to the Temple and he was justified because he came with tears of repentance. St Nektarios of Aegina tells us: “Repentance signifies regret, change of mind. The distinguishing marks of repentance are contrition, tears, aversion towards sin, and love of the good.” (St Nektarios of Aegina). The Publican did just this, he left the temple and began to change his former life. Let us also emulate him as we enter into Great lent. Let us begin this journey to great lent with one thing in mind: to transform our lives completely in Christ. When we complete the great fast, we should be able to look back and see that change within us, to see that we came a new person, transformed by the light of Christ.

St Gregory Palamas says: “...Repentance which is true and truly from the heart persuades the penitent not to sin any more, not to mix with corrupt people, and not to gape in curiousity at evil pleasures, but to despise things present, cling to things to come, struggle against passions, seek after virtues, be self-controlled in every respect, keep vigil with prayers to God, and shun dishonest gain. It convinces him to be merciful to those who wrong him, gracious to those who ask something of him, ready with all his heart to bend down and help in any way he can, whether by words, actions or money, all who seek his assistance, that through kindness to his fellow-man he might gain God's love in return for loving his neighbor, draw the Divine favour to himself, and attain to eternal mercy and God's everlasting blessing and grace.”

This do, and we too will be justified as the Publican was.

Zacchaeus Sunday - New Martyrs of Russia

It seems to happen every year… when I hear the Gospel story of Zacchaeus, I am shocked… can it really be Zacchaeus Sunday already? Zacchaeus Sunday is the first of the preparatory Sundays leading us toward the Great Fast and this Gospel is our first call of the approaching season of fasting and repentance.

Over the course of the next several Sundays we will be presented with different themes which spiritually prepare us for the season of fasting and repentance… today we hear of Zacchaeus, and then in the following Sundays we shall hear of the Publican and the Pharisee, the Prodigal Son, and the Final Judgment of all mankind. Our holy mother Church is guiding us through these Sundays to warm our hearts and set our minds upon the proper context for us to approach the fast in the right spirit, so that we can reap the greatest benefit from the blessing of the Great Fast.

Today we read the Gospel account of Zacchaeus, a despised tax-collector, a man who came to get a glimpse of Jesus as He was passing by, but because of his short stature and the great crowd of people, he could not have a clear view. So Zacchaeus, in his zeal and single-minded thirst for God, climbed into the branches of a sycamore tree to get a view of our Lord as He passed by. When Jesus came along this way, He made a point of stopping and looking up to Zacchaeus, calling out to him to ‘make haste and come down – for I desire to stay in your house this day’.

Zacchaeus is an example for us of courage and determination, born out of love, which allowed Zacchaeus to lay aside any concerns for conformity with this world, to take the risk of becoming foolish in the eyes of those around him, separating himself from the distractions which blocked his view – climbing up the sycamore tree in order to simply get a glimpse of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… let us ask ourselves: do we have this same courage and determination? Do we have such love for Christ our Lord that we will lay aside any concerns for conformity with this world? That we will take the risk of becoming foolish in the eyes of those around us? Of separating ourselves from the distractions of this world which eclipse our view of Christ and His heavenly kingdom?

In a world which is becoming more and more alien to the Christian way of life, where Christians are being marginalized as narrow-minded and antagonistic to the ways of the world - we need to be willing to be different, to have the courage of Zacchaeus to appear foolish in the eyes of the world, to stand with Christ no matter what the cost may be.

The saints whose memories we commemorate today – the holy new martyrs and confessors of the Russian Church – stand as examples and heroes as those who consciously lived out their faith and who stood firm in that faith even when all was changing around them. Like Zacchaeus, they had the courage and the determination to lay aside any hopes for conformity to this world, to accept the risk of being foolish in the eyes of those around them and to set their vision on Christ and His heavenly kingdom, rather than on the things of this world.

I strongly encourage all of you to read the lives of the new martyrs of Russia. There you will see examples like the humble yet steadfast Patriarch Tikhon, Metropolitan Benjamin of Petrograd who stood before his accusers with such nobility and graceful assurance in Christ, Metropolitan Cyril of Kazan who epistles from the gulag helped guide and ground Christians in such chaotic times, and so many others who through their own spiritual maturity understood the peace which passes all understanding in Christ our Lord and who were able to stand firm in their faith even in the face of martyrdom.

We might ask, how could it be that a Christian nation could be so quickly overthrown and descend so sharply into outright persecution of the Church? Well, the process wasn’t as quick as it might seem… there had been decades of decay in the faith of people and decades of systematic unraveling of the foundations of piety and morality.

We here in the west need to wake up. We may very well be like the proverbial frog in the pot of water… If you drop a frog in boiling water, he will immediately feel the heat and jump out to save himself. But if you place a frog in a pot of cool water and then slowly turn up the heat, he’ll sit there, not perceiving the ever-increasing heat, and will eventually boil to death. God help us from such a fate!

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ… We need to realize that the time of our religious freedom cannot be taken for granted. It may be eroding faster than we know. We should be grateful to God and take advantage of the fact that we can gather here in Church and that we still have the freedom to pray and to receive the Sacraments of our Lord. Let us never take this for granted, we should treasure our Church and make every effort to support her and to live by her precepts.

The alarm being sounded is not for us to get caught up in conspiratorial thinking, to be fearful or reactionary or to lose hope. The alarm being sounded is for us to increase our prayers, for us to treasure and defend our freedom while we have it. Our focus does not need to be in constant reaction to what is happening externally, we must work to transform what is happening to us internally. The best defense is a good offense – and our offense is not to become more clever, but to become more holy. We should immerse ourselves completely in the life of our Orthodox faith so that it seeps deeply into our soul so that no one and nothing can separate us from it.

Let us indeed take courage, for as the holy Apostle writes in the book of Romans:

‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: For Your sake we are killed all the day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all things we are more than conquerors, through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

Through the prayers and intercessions of the holy martyrs, let us make sure that we are clinging to and living our lives in that love of Christ Jesus our Lord!

32nd Sunday After Pentecost – St Anthony the Great

In the Holy Orthodox Church we have numerous Saints which are glorified and are set aside as examples for us to follow. Some of these Saints were Martyrs, who gave up their life for the faith. Others are Bishops who taught the truth of Orthodoxy in the face of heresy. We even have Priests, Monastics, and Nuns who are numbered among the holy ones. Some of these saints have well known lives and had numerous writings, while others had a very obscure life and only very little is known of them. Even though we have such a vast collection, we know that each of these lived out their lives to the fullest and now are in the presence of God in paradise.

One of these Saints, who we commemorate today, is one who is both a monastic and is known as the founder of wilderness monasticism. He is known in the Church as St. Anthony the Great. Because of his holy life, he was given the title "The Great" because of his great ascetic feats and love that he had for Christ.

St. Anthony was born in the year 251. He was born unto pious parents who had taken him to Church from a young age. He had great fervor for the Holy Church and for the things of God. However, at the age of 20, both of his parents had fallen asleep in the Lord. He had a younger sister whom he took care of. One Sunday, St Anthony attended the Church service, and durring the Gospel reading he heard the verse: " "If thou wouldst be perfect, sell what thou hast and give it to the poor; and thou wilt have treasure in heaven; and come follow after Me" (Mt. 19: 21). Hearing this, St Anthony was pierced in the heart and felt that this verse was directed at him. Immediately he took this verse and took action. He sold all his parents possessions, gave them to the poor, he took her sister and put her in the care of a nuns monastery, and abandoned the city life and went into the desert and began his ascetic feats.

For 85 years, St. Anthony lived in the desert and struggled to attain perfection in Christ. Even though he was glorified by the Church, this does not mean he was without struggle. In fact most of the time he was in the desert the devil tempted him. He was constantly barraged with thoughts to leave the desert and get married. Other thoughts came to him like did he do the right thing with his sister. He had thought if he did the wrong thing by leaving her in the monastery, maybe he should have taken care of her. All these and many others kept coming to him from the devil. But he prevailed and moved forward.

I want to read a story which I believe is very important in the life of St. Anthony: "When the holy abbot Antony lived in the desert, he was attacked by many sinful thoughts. He said to God, Lord, I want to be saved, but these thoughts do not leave me alone. What shall I do in my affliction? How can I be saved? A short while afterward, when he got up to go out, Antony saw a man like himself, sitting at his work, getting up from his work to pray, and then sitting down, braiding a rope, and then getting up again to pray. It was an angel of the Lord sent to correct and to reassure him. He heard the angel saying to him, “Do this Antony, and you will be saved.”

At these words, Antony was filled with joy and courage, and he did this, and he was saved."

I think this story given to us in the life of St. Anthony is so important to us today. What does this story teach us? Well first off, it gives us exactly what we need to do in order to be saved. Do our work, after we do our work we pray. And then again do our work and then again pray. Our life is a cycle of prayer and work. It is important that we work, but it is also important that we pray. We do both as we need to.

Another lesson we can learn from this story is that filling our life with prayer and work is actually beneficial to ourselves. What tends to happen in the modern day is that we fill our lives with work, and then after we finish our work we rest and we forget to pray and to give glory to  God. So what happens in that time? That time of rest is when we tend to fall into the most sins. Our downtime seems to enable many of the sins that we fall into, like gossip, idle talk, or even sins of the flesh. When we keep ourselves busy with prayer and work we end up not having time to fall into these sins. In a sense, by keeping busy we fall less into sin and come closer to God.

So beloved in the Lord, let us keep ourselves busy with prayer and work. Let us make sure we don't neglect the things of God. And ultimately let us not let temptations given to us from the devil to make us forget God. We should stand vigilant and not forget God throughout the day. Pray to God to strengthen us and to give us the strength to continue on and overcome all the temptation of the evil one. As the text of the life of St. Anthony said he did these things and he was saved. Let us too do these things and we too shall be saved. 

Afterfeast of Theophany / St Theophan the Recluse

We hear in today’s Holy Gospel a quotation from Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, Light has dawned.’ This quote from the prophecy of Isaiah is presented to us by the Evangelist Matthew in the context of his description of Christ’s baptism by John in the Jordan.

The great event of Christ’s baptism is the manifestation of the Holy Trinity and Christ shines forth His Light to the world. Indeed, in the Kontakion of the feast of Theophany we sing: ‘Thou hast appeared today to the whole world, and Thy light, O Lord, hath been signed upon us who hymn Thee with understanding. Thou hast come, Thou hast appeared, the Light unapproachable.’

Christ’s appearance to mankind brings Light to the world. And the great feast of Theophany, which we are currently celebrating, is a visible and tangible manifestation of that Light and that Grace shining forth and showering the world. The blessed waters of Theophany are given to us for our spiritual health and strength and refreshment. I encourage all of you to make an appointment with me or with Fr Andrew to have us come bless your homes with the grace-filled waters of Theophany. It is an important and appropriate way to begin the new year. Having your home blessed with the waters of Theophany renews and refreshes your home, bringing that Light and that Grace and the blessing of God into your life – for your spiritual and physical well-being.

Today, we not only celebrate the Afterfeast of Theophany, but we honor and remember one of the greatest saints of the Orthodox Church… a man whose name reflects this great feast: St Theophan the Recluse of Vysha Monastery.

St Theophan lived in the 19th century, born in 1815 and reposing in 1894. His father was a priest and, when St Theophan came of age, he encouraged his son to enter the seminary at the Kiev Theological Academy. St Theophan took monastic vows and, after graduating and becoming a priest, spent some time abroad in Jerusalem, Constantinople, and Mt Athos. In these holy places, he became like another Paisius Velichkovsky – copying down and translating many of the patristic sources regarding prayer and the spiritual life. He later compiled many of these writings into a new edition of the Philokalia, thus expanding it considerably and adding to its rich offering of wisdom.

After returning to Russia, he later became Bishop, first of Tambov, then of Vladimir. But after only seven years as a Bishop, he resigned his position and retired to a monastery at Vysha where he lived simply, secluded in only two rooms, spending his life in prayer and silence for over 28 years. Quoting from his life, we read:

‘What reasons induced Bishop Theophan, full of strength, to leave his diocese and retire into solitude? Various are the characters and gifts of men. It was difficult for him in the midst of the world and those demands to which one must yield as a consequence of human corruption. His unlimited goodness of heart, a meekness like that of a dove, his trust of people and indulgence of them-all this indicated that it was not for him to live amidst the irreconcilable quarrels of vain worldly life. It was very difficult for him to be a leader, especially in such an important position as that of bishop. His trust could be abused; he could never give necessary reprimands. Besides this, he felt the call to devote all his energies to spiritual writing. As for himself personally, he wished to give up all his thoughts to God alone, Whom he loved so absolutely. He desired that nothing might disturb the complete communion with God that was so dear to him. And he left the world to be alone with God. In reclusion, invisible to people, he became a public figure of enormous magnitude. He sought only the Kingdom of God, and his great significance for the world was added to him.’

Though St Theophan retired from public life, his light shone ever more brightly through the volumes of correspondence and continued translations and writing which he undertook. He read and replied to many letters every day, offering teachings that came to be so widely treasured that they were collected and published not only throughout Russia but beyond. His perspective and his significance are especially valuable for us in our modern day because he was deeply steeped in ancient Patristic wisdom, yet he was conversant with the modern, post-Enlightenment, rationalistic ways of thinking which characterize our time.

I cannot begin to recommend to you highly enough the writings of St Theophan the Recluse. They are extremely approachable and yet they contain such depth and such wisdom – all born out of St Theophan’s own ascetic labors and prayer and through his discernment in bringing forth the best of ancient patristic wisdom. If you would like a place to start in reading St Theophan I would recommend his Four Homilies on Prayer (which you can easily find online) and also his book ‘The Spiritual Life And How To Be Attuned To It’. This book contains his letters to a young woman seeking guidance in the spiritual life. Each chapter is no more than a few pages, so it is extremely approachable, and yet you will find that he seamlessly leads you to tremendous depths of wisdom and practical spiritual guidance.

An example of his wisdom is demonstrated in the following quote: “If the disease of sin is natural, then it cannot be cured. Thus, it would remain always, no matter how hard you worked to rid yourself of it. If you accept this thought, you will lose heart, and say to yourself: this is how it is. For this is that woeful despair, which, once it has been introduced into people, they have given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness (Ephesians 4: 19). Yet, I shall repeat again: Maintain the conviction that our disorderliness is not natural to us, and do not listen to those who say, ‘It is no use talking about it, because that is just how we are made, and you cannot do anything about it.’ That is not how we are made, and if we undertake to cure ourselves, then we will be able to do something about it.”

In this quote we see how he both corrects us – not giving in to our self-pity and defeat - while also encouraging us and giving us great hope. St Theophan knows the dignity to which we are called by God and he encourages us to maintain that vision and to strive toward it.

I will conclude with another quote from our holy father Theophan which extends this theme: “True, one may know man’s final goal: communion with God. And one may describe the path to it: faith, and walking in the commandments, with the aid of divine grace. One need only say in addition: here is the path-start walking!”

This week, the Holy Orthodox Church celebrates the great feast of Theophany, where Christ comes to the Jordan river and is Baptized by the Holy Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John. As a prelude to this feast, today's Gospel reading is always read on the Sunday before the feast of Theophany. This reading is actually the very beginning of the Gospel of Mark. Unlike other Gospels, the Gospel of Mark does not begin with any infancy narrative, as does the Gospel of Matthew or Luke. Nor does it begin with a pre eternal theological narrative on the nature of Christ being one with the Father as the Gospel of John does. Rather the Gospel of Mark begins with almost a sense of urgency. It immediately starts with the preaching of John the Baptist about the coming messiah.

As we see, John the Baptist preached a simple message, one of repentance. "Reptent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!" This simple message is one that is also full of much meaning. I believe in the English language the word repent has lost the ancient meaning. Generally when we hear the word repent, it almost makes us think of feeling sorry for what we did. It almost is an emotional response to our sin. But in the ancient world, this was certainly not the case. The word repentance in the ancient Greek word is one of action and urgency, not one that is emotional. The word repentance in Ancient Greek literally means to turn oneself completely around and to change your life.

Now if we take this meaning of repentance and combine it with the other part of the message that St. John is converting, we see that this creates a sense of urgency, something we have to do now. Reptent, IE change the path you are going on, because the kingdom of heaven is here, at hand! This is something that St. John calls us to do right now because the most important thing in the world is here, the kingdom of heaven, where we are given eternal life.

As we see in the Orthodox Church, we have a plethora of Saints and holy ones who started off their life as sinful. Some examples of these are Saints like Mary of Egypt, the Thief on the Cross with Christ, and Moses the Black; all of these were great sinners. Mary of Egypt as we know was a lewd woman, who would seduce many different men and do that which is unseemly with them. The Thief on the cross with Christ was caught stealing something or even murdering someone, and that is why he was sentenced to be Crucified. Moses the black was a theif and a suspected murderer and let a band of robbers. Yet even if their lives were less than ideal, each of these became Saints of the Church through one action: they repented of their ways.

St Mary of Egypt left behind her old life and wandered in the desert. She abandoned all human contact in order to cleanse her of the sin she had lived. The Thief on the cross confessed Christ and acknowledged that what he had done was wrong. As the other thief was mocking Christ, the wise thief said: "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." (Luke 23: 40-42). Finally, Moses the black had left his thieving ways and renounced the world and became a Monastic, even becoming the Abbot of the community.

All these Saints took action, they did not just feel bad and then continue to live their lives like nothing has changed. This is what we are called to emulate. How many of us constantly confess the same sins over and over again. We make no progress, give no effort, and do not renounce the things of this world. Rather, we should try to push ourselves to make an effort, to change our ways.

Maybe we never kept the fasts as we should have: well today we can change that and start to observe the fast periods of the Church. Maybe we never did our morning or evening prayers regularly, well we can change that today and start to take our prayer life seriously. Maybe we never attended a vigil or only attend once a year, well that too can be remedied. All these shortcomings we have we can take action and remedy it. We should not wait until tomorrow or next month, but we should begin now because the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Procrastination is exactly what the devil wants us to do because he does not want us to repent. He wants us to remain how we are, so he plants seeds of procrastination: I'll begin fasting next fast season. I'll do my morning prayers tomorrow, and I'll attend the Vigil service on the next major feast. And what ends up happening is we repeat these excuses and never get to do what we should do.

The Saints chose to do what no one expected of them to do. This is why they are commemorated by the Church. They renounced their former delusions and embraced the life of repentance, one that is a constant struggle to do the right thing. Was it easy? No it wasn't! But that constant struggle to do what is right and to give up those things that lead us away from God is what truly gives us freedom.

So begin today to change our former ways. Today is the day we should start, because today the kingdom of heaven is at hand!

Sunday After Nativity – The Righteous Kinsmen of the Lord

(Matt.2:13-23)

On this Sunday after the feast of the Nativity, the Holy Church commemorates the righteous kinsmen of the Lord –Joseph the Betrothed, David the King, and James the brother of the Lord. This is surely one of the great mysteries and miracles of the Nativity of Christ – that the Creator of all that is, should stoop to entwine Himself into the lives of His creatures so intimately, that He would make them His family.

Each of these great men that we commemorate today - Joseph the Betrothed, David the King, and James the brother of the Lord – demonstrate virtues which are underscored by the Apostle Paul as the three greatest virtues: faith, hope, and love.

Joseph the Betrothed was of the lineage of King David and, as we know, was the protector and guardian of the Holy Virgin Mary and our Lord Jesus Christ. Joseph was an elderly man and a relative of the young Virgin Mary who had dedicated herself to God – being raised within the temple. Joseph was a widower with children from an earlier marriage which included James, Jude, Simon, and others. These were the ‘brothers and sisters of the Lord’ whom we hear about.

Today’s Gospel reading illustrates for us the attentiveness and obedience and great faith of our holy father Joseph. Joseph was visited by the angel of the Lord who reassured him that Mary, though pregnant, was pure and remain a virgin. He was warned by an angel to take the Young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, staying there until he heard word that it was safe to return. Joseph demonstrates a pure-hearted faith in God -immediately obeying and escorting the Virgin Mary and our Lord on their journey into that foreign land. Joseph obeyed God and remained in exile until an angel of the Lord appeared calling him back. He followed the promptings of God and brought our Lord to the city of Nazareth where He lived and grew until the time of His ministry.

Joseph’s humility and faith are a tremendous lesson for us. Against any temptations which would be perfectly natural… to suspect the pregnancy of Mary, to question the practicality of fleeing to a foreign land… in all these things, Joseph demonstrates a complete and whole-hearted faith in God. May he stand as an example to each one of us!

Next we have the example of David the King - that remarkable ancestor of the Lord who we know from the Old Testament and whose voice we hear echoing in all of our prayers and church services as we read from his beautiful Psalms. David was the eighth and youngest son of Jesse. God had ordered the Prophet Samuel to go to Bethlehem to visit Jesse and anoint one of his sons as the new king. Though David was the youngest and least likely, Samuel was told by God that it was David who should be anointed. Even though the older brothers were taller, stronger, and more mature, we read the following: “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Sam 16:7)

David, from his humble beginnings and from the goodness of his heart, arises to stand as a pivotal point in the ancestry of our Lord Jesus Christ. He represents the hope of the people of Israel… that from the seed of David, the long-awaited Messiah would eventually come to free the people of God.

And finally, James the brother of the Lord, stands before us a testimony of love. James became the first bishop of Jerusalem and was an important figure in the life of the early church. We see many references in the writings of Apostle Paul regarding how disputes were brought before the council of Apostles and Fathers of the Church and how James, as bishop, mediated and pronounced judgment – showing the good order and hierarchy of the church even in these earliest of times.

James, who exhibited great humility and who did not seek a place of honor, is given the place of honor as bishop of Jerusalem. Again, we see the workings and the wisdom of the Lord… in our weakness we are made strong. It is only the ground that is broken that can take the seed of faith and bring forth fruit.

Let us reflect upon these wondrous kinsmen of the Lord: Joseph the Betrothed, who demonstrated such great faith and took upon himself the guardianship of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child; David the King, who was the least of his brethren and was made first, who became a father of the hope of a nation and who gives us the voice of prayer and repentance in his beautiful psalms; and James the Brother of the Lord, a humble Apostle and follower of his Divine Cousin, who in his deep humility and love accepted the will of God and took on the yoke of leadership in the Church as bishop of Jerusalem.

Faith, hope, and love… these three, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, are the keys to how we must respond in such trying times as these.

I don’t know how it was for you, but I have to say this was an extraordinary Nativity for me. With all of the sickness going around, our numbers were diminished; the news is telling us that this month will likely be the peak in the number of infections. Fr Andrew and I were both sick following our feast day… things were touch and go as to whether we would even have services for the Nativity.

And what happened?... Though the circumstances were humble and there was so much trouble all around - the service was so beautiful. The choir sang like angels and there was an unmistakable spirit of light which shone forth and could not be overtaken by the darkness. As the choir sang of ‘a little babe’ it became so clear to me that the ragings of this world and of the evil one are rendered impotent in the presence of the One Who lies in a manger in swaddling clothes. What an extraordinary thing! What a source of faith, hope, and love!

God is with us dear brothers and sisters in Christ! May that humble and quiet Light of the Nativity be your shining star – giving you faith, hope, and love which cannot be overtaken by any temptation of this world. Christ is born, let us glorify Him!

NATIVITY EPISTLE
by Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Russia

Beloved in the Lord archpastors, all-honourable presbyters and deacons, God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters, 

I extend my cordial greetings to all of you on the great Feast of the Nativity of Christ.

On this radiant night the whole creation rejoices, for the Lord now draws nigh and comes, expectation of the nations and salvation of the world (Forefeast of the Nativity, Compline Canon). Living in hope for many years of the Saviour’s coming were people who after their expulsion from paradise had lost connection with their Creator and forgotten how joyful it was to sense the presence of God every single day, hear His voice close by, be able to address Him and immediately receive an answer, and know that they were perfectly safe – because the Lord was near them.

This feeling of safety, protection and peace is what we lack for today, when the pernicious pestilence still exerts its effect on our life, when it is difficult to make prognoses and plans, when the uncertainty of the morrow keeps people on their toes and causes alarm. However, in these adverse circumstances we have experienced with particular acuteness the fragility of human life. We have realised that we should appreciate every new day as the greatest gift from God, that enforced solitude may become a heavy burden and that it is of utmost importance to be able to regularly communicate in person with our relatives and friends.

Beholding now the Infant Christ lying in a manger, His Most Pure Mother and the Righteous Joseph the Betrothed, we become aware that only love for God and people can strengthen us in various ordeals, drive fear out of our hearts and give us strength to perform good works.

For at one of the most important moments in her life, the Most Holy Theotokos also found herself in trying circumstances – in a strange town, at a deserted place, in a cave used for keeping cattle. However, the poor cave became a beautiful palace for Her (Forefeast of the Nativity, Troparion), because her heart was overfilled with love for her Son and God: this love transfigured everything around Her, and the Most Pure Virgin noticed neither inconveniences nor the abject poverty of the cave. Gratitude to the Maker and tenderness for the new-born Infant allowed her to disregard any difficulties and see the good Divine Providence in every circumstance sent down by the Lord. It stands in stark contrast to our attitude towards God-given trials, to how, for instance, during the lockdown many people even thought of their own home as prison, lost heart and was pessimistic about everything.

As today in our minds we are standing before the manger of the Saviour, at which alongside the Creator there is the whole creation – people, animals and angels, servants of the all-holy and three-Sunned Radiance (Monday Matins, Canon, Tone 5) – let us feel that we abide in God’s love and are united around Christ. Let us free our souls from the shackles of fear, distrust, alarm and desperation, and hear the voice of the Son of God Who comes down to the sinful earth and calls unto Him all that labour and are heavy laden, promising to give them rest (Mt. 11:28). He comes – and teaches us how to live so that the lost heavenly bliss could again become a reality, and, what is even more important, so that we, people, could be united with the Lord in an unfathomable and mysterious way.

The Heavenly King Who was born on earth (Sticheras of the Nativity) has already done everything for our salvation. All that remains for us to do is to accept His love and respond to it by our deeds – by living according to the commandments, by acts of mercy, by firm faith and wish to be with God, and by willingness to not only receive abundant mercies from His Fatherly hands, but also, having great hope and trust in Him, surmount various difficulties.

My dears, time and again I extend to you my Nativity greetings. No one is shut out from this joy, St. Leo the Great writes, all share the same reason for rejoicing… Let the saint rejoice as he sees the palm of victory at hand. Let the sinner be glad as he receives the offer of forgiveness (Sermon 1 on the Nativity of Christ). May the Lord grant unto all of you spiritual and bodily health, inexhaustible joy and fortitude, and strength as you continue to work and follow the path of salvation. Amen.

+KIRILL
PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

Sunday Before Nativity 2021

On this Sunday before the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sunday of the Holy Fathers, we hear the Gospel account of the parental lineage of Jesus Christ – those generations from the great patriarch Abraham all the way through to the long -awaited time of the incarnation of God Himself, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   

It is a great mystery and a source of awe, that the God of heaven would deign to enter into human history, would deign to take on human flesh and blood. And in doing so, he places Himself within the context of our human family, with all of its flaws and ups and downs, its triumphs and tragedies, its promises and its betrayals. He assumes humanity in all things – except for sin, which does not penetrate his holy vigilance and love.

When we look at the lineage of those who are the ancestors of Christ, it is sobering, and perhaps a bit shocking, to realize that within His ancestry we see such people as Rahab the harlot, Tamar who committed incest with her father-in-law, and even King David, who committed both adultery and murder. The Gospel does not present us with a ‘cleaned up’ version of those who were the ancestors of our Lord.

And what does this sometimes-sordid family history tell us?... There is an old proverb which states: ‘God writes straight with crooked lines.’ In other words, God can work things toward the good and toward His holy will even with the distorted and crooked materials of our lives. And this is a hopeful thing, dear brothers and sisters… God, Who is perfect, is able to work with our imperfections to create goodness and beauty and even holiness. We must never despair amid the messiness and darkness of our lives, of the lives of our family and loved ones… for the light of God can pierce through that darkness, illuminating things and bringing grace and love where grace and love have been absent. The primary requirement from our end is our repentance… our turning away from darkness toward that light.

In addition to celebrating the holy fathers today, we also celebrate a recent saint who brought grace and love where grace and love had been absent: that saint is our righteous father John of Kronstadt.

John Sergiev was born in 1829 into a poor but pious family. As a child, John had difficulties learning things, but he always had a great heart for prayer. One night, after begging God to help him with his studies, he suddenly felt like his mind was opened. From that day on, he became a very good student and was the head of his class.

He desired to become a priest and studied to become a missionary to Siberia and Alaska. But in a dream he saw himself in a large cathedral. He was married and ordained to the priesthood and was appointed to serve at the St Andrew Cathedral of Kronstadt. Walking into the cathedral, he recognized it as the church from his dream!

Kronstadt was a poor city… full of suffering people, drunkenness, and had a lot of crime. It was here that St John poured out his love and compassion upon the people. His kindness and generosity were given to all… he opened special houses for the homeless, he began work programs for those who did not have jobs, and he founded an orphanage for the many children who did not have parents to look after them.

His fame spread far and wide… people from near and far flocked to St John to receive his blessing, to seek some charity, and to ask for his prayers. From early morning until late at night, he had no rest… his life was dedicated to serving God and His people.

He served Liturgy every day in the huge cathedral which could hold up to 5,000 people. The grace of God gave him the strength to accomplish much.

He died Dec. 20, 1908, and his funeral, attended by tens of thousands, was like a joyous Pascha in the middle of the winter… for everyone knew they were in the presence of a saint!

St John’s mark on Kronstadt and St Petersburg is still clearly evident. On our pilgrimage there two years ago, we were blessed to visit the magnificent new cathedral in Kronstadt, St John’s apartment where he lived and received guests, and the Ioannovsky Convent in St Petersburg. But everywhere you go, not only in St Petersburg, but throughout Russia, and indeed throughout the world, St John of Kronstadt is honored and celebrated. It was St John’s cooperation with God which allowed him to be an instrument of ‘straightening the crooked lines’ in the world and in the people he encountered.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, there is so much that is broken and crooked in life today. The evil one may tempt us to despair in that darkness. But we must not allow him to do so! Christ our God is the light of the world and His brightness easily penetrates the darkest places, if we will only turn to that light and allow it to shine through.

We are days away now from experiencing the dawn of our salvation… the holy nativity of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. This event is truly one of the ultimate moments in the Light breaking through the darkness… when Christ our Lord is born.

Yesterday we began a new year… I pray that the coming year will be one of grace and light for all of you, that God will watch over you and protect you, and that you will live this year within the joy and beauty of His grace.

Sunday of the Holy Forefathers

This Sunday in the Holy Orthodox Church marks the Sunday of the forefathers. These are the righteous ancestors of Christ in the flesh, who were the holy ones from the Old Testament. These figures all had one thing in common: they were awaiting the coming of the Holy one of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is what this day remembers - that these holy men and women were awaiting the Savior of the world, the One who would redeem mankind and exalt us up to heaven. Some of these forefathers are well known: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Sarah, along with Joachim and Anna, and the Holy Prophet and Forerunner and Baptist of our Lord John.

One of the forefathers whose story is very relatable to us today, is that of our Father Abraham. As many of us might know, Abraham left his homeland to travel to a new land of Canaan, where God promised him that He would make him a great nation. This was a remarkable thing, not just because Abraham would be the father of a great nation, but the fact that Abraham had no children. As the story relates, his wife was also older and unable to bear children. This should have made Abraham lose trust in God: how can an old couple bear children, this was absolutely impossible! Even people in antiquity saw this as something that could not be done. How could God keep his promise when Abraham had no seed of his own?

This lack of faith was even exemplified in the person of Sarah. At one point, she overheard the Lord in the form of three angels speaking to Abraham. The Lord spoke about how Sarah would bear a child. What was her reaction? She laughed! She could not believe that this would be possible. I mean how can an old lady of over 90 years of age, have any more children? This is impossible to believe. And yet, God responded saying: "Is anything too hard for the Lord? (Genesis 18:14). Truly all things are possible for God.

On the other hand, Abraham's faith did not waver. He truly trusted in God and knew that God would grant what he promised. In the Church, Abraham is praised for his great faith in God: "Abraham was one hundred years old when God told him that his wife, barren until then, would bear a son, and he believed. And even before Sarah had given birth to Isaac, God said to Abraham: "I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth" (Genesis 13:16)". This strong faith is what made him a great father and a great role model for us today. His faith brought him fruit, for he had a son born named Isaac.

And yet God commanded Abraham, as a test, to offer his only son as a sacrifice. Abraham was prepared to go through with this, had God not turned him from it at the last moment. Abraham was given this great gift from God, and yet Abraham trusted in God completely to deliver him from this misfortune. God tested Abraham, because actions speak louder than words. If we think about it, God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. How could God perform this great miracle of giving Abraham a son in his old age, and then just simply take him away again? Abraham knew that God would not take away Isaac and that this was just a test because he believed in the word of God. Abraham was ready to do whatever God commanded him because he had that absolute trust in God and knew that God would deliver him from all misfortune, which is exactly what God did.

So beloved in the Lord, we too are called to follow Abraham and have the same unwavering faith that he had. We all probably know that God truly wants the best for us, but do we really believe that?  When misfortunes happen in our lives, we tend to criticize God and to complain to him. What we should really do is to stop and think: "is anything too hard for the Lord?" No, it is not, all things are possible for God. When misfortunes happen, we should put our absolute trust that God will deliver us from these troubles in time. Sometimes it will take days before our misfortunes are behind us, sometimes it will be years, sometimes it will last a lifetime. But these are all done in God's time. We should turn ourselves and put our absolute unwavering faith in God. We are called to do so because God truly wants the best for us. He will not betray us ever, he will always stand by us and guide us, just as He guided Abraham to be the father of many.

Let us pray for unwavering faith just as our father Abraham had!

Gospel of Ten Lepers / St Nicholas the Wonderworker

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate one of the most beloved saints of the Orthodox Church: St Nicholas, the wonderworker! St Nicholas is recognized and beloved all over the world… many countries claim him as their patron and protector, people all over the world pray for his intercessions and look to him as a loving father and helper in times of distress.

St Nicholas was born in the third century in the town of Myra in what is today the country of Turkey. Nicholas was taught by his parents to love the Lord with his whole mind, heart, soul, and strength. When they died, he inherited their money, which he gave generously to help the poor, the hungry, and the sick. Whenever he helped anyone, he tried to do so secretly, so that only God would know - he did not want praise from people; he wanted his reward to be only in Heaven.

Having given away all of his inheritance, St Nicholas left the world behind to become a monk… seeking only closeness with God and repentance for his sins. But St Nicholas’ good disposition and faithfulness could not be hidden and he was soon called into service as a parish priest. He worked very hard, conducting the services, instructing his flock, and helping those in need. He was a true spiritual father to all.

When the local bishop of Myra died, a successor needed to be chosen. It was initially unclear who should be the new bishop. The people kept a vigil and prayed all night long in the cathedral, begging God to guide them. God revealed to one of the bishops that the first priest to enter the church in the morning should be chosen as the new archbishop. At sunrise, a simple priest, Father Nicholas, came quietly into the cathedral to say his morning prayers. In this way the Lord God revealed His choice for archbishop.

St Nicholas faithfully and diligently led his flock. In the year 325 a great Council of the Orthodox Church was held in the city of Nicea. 317 bishops from all over the world came. At this Council part of the Creed we sing in every Divine Liturgy was written down and St. Nicholas was a staunch defender of the teachings of the Church against the heretic Arius who denied that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh and was leading many people astray by his false teaching.

The pure heart of St. Nicholas manifested itself throughout his episcopate by his defense of the Orthodox faith, his kindheartedness and continued charity, and by his fervent prayers and intercessions for his flock. God rewarded his faithful servant by working many miracles through him. Innumerable are the stories of God’s mercy through the prayers of St Nicholas. During his lifetime he calmed the seas, he protected children, he was able to multiply food as did our Lord. And these miraculous intercessions continued and multiplied after his blessed repose in 343 and are reported even into our own day.

He was buried in his cathedral, but in the year 1087 his relics were taken to Italy to save them from the Turks who were persecuting Christians and destroying churches and holy objects, and they remain to this day in the city of Bari. As a sign of God's grace, myrrh comes forth from the relics of St. Nicholas and many who have been anointed with it receive healing.

Such a grace-filled life! The grace of God shone upon St Nicholas and that light found a pure and grateful heart which acted as a mirror – reflecting that light of grace upon all those around him.

God’s grace is indeed generously given – but whether that grace bears fruit depends on whether that grace falls upon a heart of gratitude, of indifference, or of rejection.

We see this illustrated in today’s Gospel with the story of the ten lepers who were healed by the grace of our Lord. That healing grace was generously offered to all ten of them, but only one returned to give thanks to God. The others received their healing… but it went no further than that. The man with the grateful heart, returned to the Lord to offer his thanks, and that connection multiplied the healing of his skin into the healing of his soul.

Gratitude is an important virtue, and it demonstrates the proper sense of truly understanding who we are and Who God is. Expressing our thankfulness is more than just a courtesy… it is a disposition of the heart, and it is the opening-up of a relationship between two persons. The most important difference about the one man who returned to thank our Lord is not that he showed courtesy to the One Who gave him the gift of his health. What did this man gain that the others did not? All ten of them gained their physical health, but only the one who returned to express his gratitude opened the door of establishing a loving relationship with God. This is part of the mystery and the importance of a grateful heart… it is the grateful heart that is open to the Lord and that enters into a living and loving relationship with Him.

And this is the key to the grace-filled life of our holy father Nicholas the Wonderworker. It was his grateful heart, open and directed toward the Source of light and grace that made him the great saint that he was as bishop of Myra and continues to make him the great saint that he is for us today.

Through the prayers of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, may we nurture a heart of gratitude to God… a heart that is awake to the innumerable miracles we experience every day: the rising of the sun, the beating of our heart, the people we encounter in this life, the ability and freedom to pray for ourselves and for one another. Dare we take these things for granted? They are assuredly given to us by the generosity of God. If we can live our lives in such a wakeful state of wonder and gratitude for all things, we become aware of the closeness and the lovingkindness of God. And this, brothers and sisters in Christ, fills our lives with His grace. As we pray in the Divine Liturgy, let us lift up our hearts… and let us give thanks unto the Lord!

Afterfeast of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple

Yesterday we celebrated the entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple.. and today we continue this remembrance with the Afterfeast.

The righteous parents of the Holy Virgin, Joachim and Anna, had been childless throughout their marriage. They made a vow to God that, should He bless them with a child, they would dedicate that child to the service of God. And, indeed, according to the grace and will of God, at the appropriate time, Anna found herself with-child and gave birth to a daughter whom they named Mary.

When the child was three years old, Joachim and Anna, brought her to the Temple in order to fulfill their vow of dedicating her in service to God. The young Mary was placed on the bottom step leading up to the Temple, and in a manner beyond her years, she confidently ascended the fifteen steps leading up to the Temple and presented herself to the High Priest. The High Priest, Zechariah, inspired by the grace of God, led her directly into the Holy of Holies – a place where only the High Priest could enter, and then, only once a year. Needless to say, all those who witnessed this were astonished!

And what a miracle we witness in this feast! A young maiden enters into the Holy of Holies! The priests and the people are astonished, and even the angels in heaven are in awe!

What is prefigured here?... She, who enters into the Temple of the Most High God will become the Temple of the Most High God. She, who enters into the Holy of Holies, will become the Holy of Holies. Today we celebrate the entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, anticipating the fact that she herself will become the very Temple of God.

What an amazing thing! Is it any wonder that we praise her with song chanting that she is ‘more honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim’? This pure maiden was chosen by God and grew up within the Temple… continuing to live in purity and close communion with God. When she reached the age of puberty, she could no longer live within the Temple and was therefore given to the care of her aged relative Joseph, who betrothed her and took her under his guardianship. When the fullness of time had come, Mary was visited by the Archangel Gabriel who spoke to her the good tidings: ‘Rejoice, thou full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women.’

The Virgin Mary had lived an exceptional life of prayer and grace and humility. It was this condition of the house of her soul which made a ready accommodation for the ‘Holy Spirit to come upon her, and the power of the Most High to overshadow her’… for the Second Person of the Holy Trinity to become incarnate within her womb.

With what exalted praise do we honor her! With what clear understanding do we glorify the magnitude of the miracle which takes place as Christ enters under the roof of her body – thus making it a Temple of the Most High God!

And now, brothers and sisters in Christ, contemplating the glorious events of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, the purity of the Holy Virgin, and the miracle of God’s entry into the Temple of the body of the Mother of God… let us think about what this means for us.

Do we realize that we are honored to be called into the Temple of the Most High? As we prepared ourselves this morning to come to Christ’s Holy Church, did we understand where we were going and what would be taking place here? The Orthodox Christian Church is the direct inheritance of the Temple of the Most High… behind the icon screen stands the Holy of Holies, the Altar of God where the Bloodless Sacrifice is performed and God Himself descends upon mere bread and wine…changing them into His Body and Blood. Do we understand this? Do we remove all obstacles to be here for this miraculous event? Do we enter into this Holy Temple with the appropriate fear and love to stand before our Lord and Father?

And what’s more… do we understand that, if we partake of Holy Communion, Christ Himself is entering into our body – as He did with the Most Pure Virgin Mary – making our bodies the Temple of the Most High God? Are we careful to sweep the dirt from the Temple of our body to make a ready place for God to enter?

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ… what kind of temple are we building with our lives? Are we working to build the temple of the Lord? Or are we; like the foolish man from this morning’s Gospel reading, spending our times erecting temples of financial stability? Temples of social status? Temples of youth and beauty? Perhaps even temples of religious self-satisfaction?

All of these temples will be reduced to dust and ashes when we face the end of our life. Just as the foolish rich man in today’s Gospel heard from the Lord: ‘Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?’

The most holy Mother of God was truly the temple of the Most-High God. And you and I are called to be the same. Let us never settle for the fools-gold of anything worldly, of anything less than becoming the temple of the Most-High God. This is our calling… this is our blessing and privilege as Orthodox Christians.

Just as God condescended to enter into this world in humility, in poverty, in obscurity, in the lowliest of ways… God condescends to enter into the house of our soul. He stands at the door of our hearts and He knocks.

Let us answer Him… let us never leave Him standing outside. Let us attend to preparing a place for Him. Even though the house of our soul and body may be poor, may still be dirty, may be unworthy of such an Honored Guest… He knocks and He desires to come and be with us. What better thing can we do than to attend with all diligence to assuring that we do everything in our power to make the Temple of our soul and body a place where He may lay His head, a place where He may find rest, a place where He may be honored.

Through the prayers of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos, who entered into the Temple that she might prepare the Temple of her soul to receive our God Most High, may we take her as our example in preparing the place of our soul and body to receive the grace and love of Christ our Lord.

23rd Sunday After Pentecost

As we begin the 40 day fast towards Christmas today, it is very fitting that the Gospel reading today is that of the Good Samaritan. In this Gospel reading, Christ speaks a parable about a Samaritan man, who showed kindness and love to another fellow human being. As the story goes, there was a man who was traveling down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was beaten by robbers along the way. What is interesting is that Jerusalem symbolizes the place of salvation and peace, while Jerico, symbolizes a place of passions. And so he was departing the holy place to travel to a place of sin and suffering. So while he was on this journey, he was robbed, beaten, and left for dead by robbers, which symbolized the demons whose goal is to destroy man.

And so when all hope is lost for the man, and he was dying on the side of the road, that's when a Priest showed up. This Priest, who was viewed as the holiest in those days, instead of helping his fellow man, walked by and chose not to help. After that, a Levite came, who would be considered like a Deacon in those days, also showed up. Instead of helping the poor man he too walked by and chose not to help. Finally, a Samaritan came. In that time, this would surely mean that the man was done for. The Jews and Samaritans hated each other, so a Samaritan seeing a Jew wounded on the side of the road, would surely try to end his life. That, or he would surely ignore him especially if a Priest and Levite did.

And yet, this Samaritan did that which shattered all stereotypes, he showed compassion on this injured Jew, took him, bound his wounds and left him in the care of an innkeeper. Not only that, but he offered to pay for all the expenses that the innkeeper would have to incur. He did this to a man, who he had no relation with; in fact they were complete strangers. If you think about it, this Samaritan was probably traveling somewhere probably important. And yet, he did not give the excuse: I don't have time to help this man, I must hurry up to where I need to go. He did not see this assistance as a burden but rather he showed the ultimate love for another man. He saw a man in need and acted selflessly.

So when we see someone in need of trouble, we should stop and see if we are able to help them. We should not say to ourselves that we will just let someone else take care of it. Is it not true, that if we see something that is of material gain to us, like a hundred dollar bill on the road, would we not stop and pick it up before anyone else does? Therefore, when we see someone in need, we should treat them like we would if we found treasure on the side of the road. In fact, this makes us richer than earthly treasure since we are given the blessing of God by helping the less fortunate.

So as we enter into this period where we prepare for the feast of the Nativity, we should not forget that this time is not just for fasting and giving up good foods. It is said that in the Church, these preparatory fasting periods consist of 4 pillars: fasting, prayer, repentance and charity. Charity is showing our love for the less fortunate, not just through money, but through any sort of need that they have. Sometimes, people who are in need of charity just simply need an ear to listen to them. We should be willing and ready to do such. We should put away that excuse that we do not have time to help people around us. The fasting period also calls us to put away entertainment, we should have plenty of time to help those around us. Imagine how much more time we would have by not spending time on social media, movies, games, news (especially today), and other things that distract us. If we put those away, suddenly we have all the time in the world and don;t know what to do with it! So I would say, take it and give that time to God through the love of others.

"Our neighbors are right here and their needs are before our eyes. Let each of us do our best, not to learn who our neighbor supposedly is, but to actually help our neighbor. We feel good about ourselves when we feel our neighbors are close to us. And the commandment is for us to love our neighbor as ourselves, so that we may have eternal life" (Metropolitan Dyonisius of Servia).

Synaxis of the Holy Angels

Today we celebrate the synaxis, the gathering, of the Archangel Michael and the other Bodiless Hosts. The angels have been, and continue to be, a fairly prominent feature in the minds and imaginations of mankind… but there are so many misconceptions and mythologies surrounding the angelic hosts. Let us take some time this morning to better understand the Orthodox teaching of the angels.

In our daily prayers we recite the Nicene Creed in which we proclaim God as the Creator of everything visible and invisible. And this is exactly true… for God is indeed the Creator of both the visible world: the earth, the sun, the stars, and all living things which we see and know. And He is the Creator of the invisible world: the world of the angelic beings.

God, Who is the Source of all things good and beautiful and true, creates only goodness, beauty, and truth. Before the creation of the visible world, God created the angels. And God, Who is the Source of love, bestowed free-will upon his angelic creations, so that they might freely participate in that relationship of love with their Creator. True love requires freedom so that one may freely choose to love. Of course, the risk in that freedom is that one may choose to turn away. And this is what happened with one of the brightest of the angelic lights named Lucifer, who in his pride sought to usurp the throne of God – rejecting God’s love in favor of his self-love. The scriptures and holy tradition tell us that there was a rebellion among the angelic ranks with Lucifer leading a multitude of angels against God. The Archangel Michael led the ranks of faithful angels in defeating the rebellious angels, who were cast out of heaven and became what we now know as demons. It is important to understand that the demonic realm was not created by God… only goodness come from God… evil is the rejection and absence of good.

And so, the invisible spiritual world consists of the angels and the demons. Each have made their choice of good or evil, of service to God or rebellion against God. Since the angelic world exists in eternity, not in temporal time, their choices are fixed. This must be a lesson to us… while there are limitations associated with our mortal lives and our experience of the linear sequence of past, present, and future – this is also our great gift and advantage: for as long as we exist in this temporal realm, we have the opportunity to repent, to choose the good, to choose to serve God. Once we breathe our last, this becomes our ‘Amen’… our ‘so be it’… and the choices we have made in this life determine our eternity.

The angels are thus not confined by the limitations of this physical world. They can travel vast distances instantaneously, to appear where it is necessary for them to act according to the will of God. One of the key duties of the angelic hosts is to serve as messengers of the Most -High – and we see this throughout scripture, perhaps most notably in the appearance of angels announcing Christ’s coming.

The angels are immortal, however, their immortality, like mankind’s, completely depends on the will and mercy of God.

Despite the near perfection of angels, the Orthodox Church teaches that they still have limits. For instance, Scripture tells us they do not know the depths of the essence of God, which is known only to the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:11). Moreover, they do not know the future, which is also known only to God (Mark 13:32). Angels are also incapable of fully understanding the mystery of redemption, which they “desire to look into” (1 Pet. 1:12) but cannot. They are even incapable of knowing all human thoughts (1 Kings 8:39), and cannot perform miracles on their own but only by the will of God (Ps. 71:19). Lastly, they cannot be omnipresent. Scripture depicts angels as descending from heaven to earth or ascending from earth to heaven, which gives us reason to believe they cannot be on earth and in heaven at the same time.

It has also been revealed to the Church that there are nine ranks of angels. St Gregory the Dialogist writes: The existence of angels and archangels is witnessed throughout Holy Scripture; it is principally the books of the Prophets which mention cherubim and seraphim. The names of yet another four ranks are listed by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians (1:21) […] and also in his Epistle to the Colossians (1:16) […] Thus, when to those four of whom he speaks to the Ephesians—that is to the principalities, authorities, powers and dominions—we add the thrones, mentioned in the Epistle to the Colossians, that adds up to five ranks of angels; and when to them we add the angels, archangels, cherubim and seraphim, we can see that there are nine ranks of angels. Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Powers, Dominions, Authorities, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels – these are the nine ranks in the angelic world.

The angelic orders exist to serve God – praising Him, serving Him, and doing His will. What is remarkable as well is that the angels also exist to serve and assist mankind – acting as messengers of the Most-High and intermediaries between the heavenly realm and the earthly realm.

Certainly, one of the most immediate and personal aspects of the angelic realm for every baptized Orthodox Christian is the assignment and the presence of one’s guardian angel – an angel assigned by God at one’s baptism to guide and guard each person throughout their life. What a remarkable privilege this is! And, sadly, it is one of the most neglected aspects of our spiritual life.

Do we realize that our guardian angel is beside us at all times? This should be a source of the greatest consolation and encouragement to us! And, at the same time, it should also be a source of the greatest concern and care for us… that we would not do anything to grieve our guardian angel. What kind of activities do we do? What kind of movies do we watch? What kind of things do we say? Dear brothers and sisters in Christ – if we could see our faithful friend and guardian angel by our side, we would surely live more carefully so as not to drive him away.

Let us rejoice today in this celebration of our spiritual allies – the archangels, angels, and all the bodiless hosts. May their dedication and service to God be our inspiration… drawing our hearts and minds a little higher in angelic service and love for God.

21st Sunday after Pentecost

 (Luke 8:26-39)

In today’s Holy Gospel our Lord Jesus Christ and his disciples sailed to the country of the Gadarenes on the opposite shore from Galilee. When our Lord entered into this land, He came upon a man who was demon possessed – who went about naked among the tombs. This man was so fierce and so feared that he was kept in chains and shackles, bonds which he often broke through in his ferocity and demonically fueled strength. As soon as our Lord came near, the man possessed by the demons cried out, ‘What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!’ Christ confronted the demons possessing the man and asked: ‘What is your name?’ The demons replied, ‘Legion’, for there were many demons possessing the man.

This legion of demons possessing the man could not bear the authority and light of our Lord and at His command they were forced to flee into a herd of pigs, which then went crashing headlong off the cliffs and into the water.

And then we are told something very interesting… and perhaps surprising. The herdsmen fled and told all of these things to the people of the city and when they came, they found the man who had been possessed clothed, and in his right mind, and sitting at the feet of Jesus. One would think that they would rejoice… for this dangerous man, who had tormented them with his wild behavior was now healed and at peace. But instead, we are told that the people, upon seeing this, were afraid and asked our Lord to leave their country.

Why would this be? Gospel commentators offer several explanations. One is the worldly concern of the Gadarenes, who were making their living off of the raising and selling of the herds of swine. Though our Lord had performed a great miracle in healing the man possessed by demons, they were more concerned about the financial impact of the loss of their herd of swine.

Another explanation speaks about the shame which confronted the people when our Lord sent the demons into the pigs. It was not proper that the Gadarenes would be raising and selling swine, for this was contrary to the law of Moses. When they were confronted with the work of God – healing the man possessed by demons and the destruction of their inappropriate means of living – they were ashamed and frightened, and they asked Christ to leave them.

Before speaking further about this issue of shame, let’s turn to another occasion in the Gospels where our Lord performs a miracle, and the reaction prompts one to ask Him to depart from their presence.

In the fifth chapter of the Gospel of St Luke, our Lord is in the boat of the Apostle Peter and he instructs him to go out into the deeper water and to cast his nets for fish. Peter, who was an experienced fisherman, had been toiling all night without a catch, and he knew that there was no point in casting their nets at this time of day. Nevertheless, he obeys the Lord. The tremendous haul of fish is such that their nets begin to tear from the weight!

And now, we have this scene… Peter falls at the feet of Jesus and says: ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’ Again… following the manifestation of His grace and miraculous power, our Lord is asked to depart from the presence of the one who witnesses this miracle. The Apostle Peter falls upon his knees in shame and recognition of his sinfulness and unworthiness to be in the presence of God.

Obviously, there is a great difference between the reaction of the Gadarenes and the reaction of the Apostle Peter. They both felt a sense of shame in the presence of the holiness of our Lord. They both initially reacted by asking Him to depart from their presence. But there is a shame which leads to healing and a shame which leads to damnation.

Shame is an exposure of our sinfulness. And let me be clear that this is the case I am addressing here… We may experience other sources of shame that are not the result of our sin… shame may be laid upon us by the manipulations and cruelty of those who try to pass off their own guilt onto us. I am not speaking about that here. The Gospel examples and the cases I am speaking about today are a recognition of our own sin. Our modern culture has done much to banish a healthy sense of shame from our consciences – telling us shame is always bad and leading us to the shamelessness we see so rampant in our world today.

But dear brothers and sisters, I want to speak of the soul-profiting shame which speaks to us from our conscience. When we feel ashamed, we are caught in a moment of vulnerability, of guiltiness, of nakedness. That is an uncomfortable state of being – no wonder we don’t like it! But the key to whether our shame can lead to our healing or to our damnation depends on what happens next.

Do we hide from this exposure by justifying ourselves? Or by denying our guilt? Or by attempting to turn the tables and accusing others? There are many ways in which we might run from the spotlight of our shame and humiliation. The Gadarenes refused to face their sin and told Christ to depart from their country.

And what about Apostle Peter? He was certainly convicted by his sinfulness in the presence of Christ’s miracle. But in that moment of shame and nakedness, he fell down on his knees before the Lord. Yes, he cried out: ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.’ This was an expression of his shame and humiliation… but it was a shame and a humiliation that he dared to face and for which he prostrated before Christ… and Christ immediately forgave him and restored him, saying: ‘Do not be afraid.’

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… there is nothing so difficult as facing our sin and shame. We will go to great lengths to avoid such humiliation. But in facing our sins, in honestly recognizing the ways in which we fall short of the glory of God, we have the opportunity to embrace the shame which saves us. And Christ our Lord will never turn away from our sincere repentance – no matter what we may have done.

Let us take courage from the words of our Lord to St Peter: ‘Do not be afraid.’ Let us not be ashamed to be ashamed! If only we understood and fully trusted in the lovingkindness of our God, we would not hesitate to run to him in complete exposure and nakedness, falling on our knees before Him and asking for His mercy. And Christ our Lord will gently reach down to us and wrap us in the warmth of the cloak of His forgiveness and grace… if only we will have the courage and the humility to allow Him.

20th Sunday After Pentecost

In the ancient times, people put a large value on wealth and how it affected one in the afterlife. In ancient Greek culture, a coin was placed upon a dead person's mouth in order for them to pay passage on the ferry to pass the river Styx to go to the place of the dead. In ancient Egyptian culture, the Pharaohs had great tombs built. Inside their burial place, there would be placed food and water in order to help sustain the pharaoh's journey to the underworld. In a sense, the ancient culture had a strong belief that wealth would enable one to prosper in the afterlife. Not having these things would mean that one would not be accepted in the place of the dead and would be cast out in torments.

And yet, in the Gospel reading for today, we see a very different picture of the afterlife than what was believed by the ancients. This is in fact one of the only Gospel readings that speaks about the afterlife. In this parable, Christ speaks about a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. The rich man lived out his life to the fullest, ate fine foods, drank fine wine, and enjoyed life as much as he could. The poor man Lazarus sat and begged and received nothing. Both men died.

As the Gospel relates, the rich man was "buried" which means that he had a service of burial, with presumably lots of people there, while the beggar was forgotten about. He was probably thrown into an unnamed grave as would be done in that time. And yet, the unexpected happened; the poor man found himself in paradise, or Abraham's bosom; i.e. the place where people went where they expected the coming messiah. On the other hand, the rich man found himself in torments. As it said, he was tormented by the flame. Why did this happen? Why was the man who had so much wealth left to go to a place of punishment, while the beggar was brought up to a place of peace and joy.

There is another verse from the Gospel of Luke which states: "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more" (Luke 12:48). The rich man had much given to him, and he was punished because he did not use it wisely. The poor man Lazarus had little given to him, and so little was required of him.

Metropolitan Damaskenos of Didymoteicho says: "It would be a mistake to say that the cause of the dramatic course of life for both was wealth for one of them and poverty for the other ... This is because the Word of God Himself gives us examples of rich people who were saved and poor people who were condemned. In other words, it is not these material goods per se that save or condemn man, but it's mismanagement... The rich man was condemned to the suffering of hell not for his wealth, but for its mismanagement. He considered that tangible goods were solely his own property, whose sole purpose was his own good. Wealth became his god. He was blinded by greed, so he was indifferent to what was going on around him and to the needs of his fellow humans. Simply put, the reason for his condemnation was selfishness and indifference."

"On the other hand, Lazarus was justified, not again because of his poverty, but for the patience he showed. A patience that led neither to disgust at God nor towards his wealthy fellow man. In this respect, the reason for his salvation and righteousness was to maintain his trust in God and his love for his fellow man. His perseverance to trust God and to believe. The belief that God is his exclusive helper." (Metropolitan Damaskenos of Didymoteicho)

And so it comes to us now, we have two paths that we can follow: either that of the rich man, or that of the beggar Lazarus. I have said this before, but we have so much wealth and riches compared to the people in antiquity. And to repeat the Gospel passage from Luke, it says to whom much is given, much shall be required. So, since we have been given so much: transportation, healthcare, grocery stores, and technology - much will be required of us too. So let us emulate the beggar Lazarus; let us trust God and have love for our fellow man, no matter what befalls us. Let us actually do this and believe wholeheartedly, not just say we do. Actions are what is important. This way when we pass from this life, we too will be taken to a place of paradise, just like the poor man Lazarus.

           19th Sunday After Pentecost - Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke

            Today, the Holy Orthodox Church celebrates the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke. The Holy Apostle was, by tradition, one of the 70 disciples of the Lord. We have two sacred works written by Luke, a Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Acts of the Apostles. St. Luke, who was also a follower of the Apostle Paul, wrote his Gospel and the Acts based on the account of the Apostle Paul. So in a sense, the Gospel of Luke is actually inspired by the Apostle Paul. It is the Church's tradition that the Evangelist Luke actually encountered Christ on the road to Emmaus. In the resurrection account where Christ appeared to two of his disciples, one of them was named Cleopas, while the other was not named. It is a common literary device in the 1st Century for the Author not to name himself as a  sign of humility.

            The Apostle Luke was the only Evangelist that was non Jewish, but rather he was Greek. Other interesting facts about the Apostle Luke is that he was the first to depict the Holy Mother of God in an icon, using wax and paints. By profession, he was also different from the other Apostles, in that he was actually a physician. It is interesting how in his Gospel, many times he brings up Physicians in negative aspects. For example, in the story with the woman with an issue of blood, he said that she: "had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any" (Luke 8:43). Only when Christ came to her, he was able to impart healing upon her.

            And so it is this aspect of the Evangelist Luke that I would like to really speak about today, about how he was a physician and how this is viewed by the Holy Orthodox Church. In the time of Christ, a physician would not only examine different parts of the body that were failing, such as an organ, but rather they would look upon a man as a whole person, how they could heal them. A failing organ for example, was a symptom of something else going on with a person, such as falling away from God. In a sense physical healing would come when one is healed spiritually. This is how the Apostle Luke would bring healing to those around him, by healing someone spiritually, this would also bring about physical healing.

            In the Wisdom of Sirach from the Old Testament we read: "Honor the physician with the honor due him, according to your need of him, for the Lord created him; for healing comes from the Most High, and he will receive a gift from the king. The skill of the physician lifts up his head, and in the presence of great men he is admired. The Lord created medicines from the earth, and a sensible man will not despise them. Was not water made sweet with a tree in order that his power might be known? And he gave skill to men that he might be glorified in his marvelous works. By them he heals and takes away pain; the pharmacist makes of them a compound. His works will never be finished; and from him health is upon the face of the earth" (Sirach 38:1-8).

            This is very different to how we see faith and science today. In our modern world there is a battle between faith and science. It seems like in the modern mind that faith is contrary to science and that science disproves faith.

            This cannot be further from the truth. Just like the early Church, the Orthodox Church does not see faith as contrary to science or vice-versa, but rather faith is viewed together with science. Science is a gift from God as well as medicine. We should use these knowing and believing that God gave them to us. But we should not put our absolute hope in them. Our absolute hope should be placed in God who is the true healer of our souls and body. As we take medicine from a doctor to heal our soul, we need to combine that with spiritual medicine to heal our soul as well. Only then will we be truly healed.

18th Sunday after Pentecost

 (Luke 7:11-16)

In today’s Holy Gospel we hear the account of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain. Christ and His disciples and a large crowd of followers were traveling from one city to the next and, as they approached the city of Nain, their path crossed with a funeral procession. A young man, the only son of a widowed mother, had died and the dead man was being carried out for burial. When our Lord saw this scene, His heart was filled with compassion for the grieving mother and He approached her and said, ‘Do not weep.’

Then He touched the coffin of the deceased and said to Him, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ Immediately, the young man was revived and sat up and began speaking. The shock and consolation and joy of the mother, and of all those who witnessed this miracle, must have been indescribable!

In this Gospel account we see before us two processions… a procession of Life: with Christ our Lord followed by His disciples and a large crowd of followers. And we see a procession of death: the funeral procession of this young man, the only son of the widow of Nain. The procession of death comes face to face with the procession of Life – and Christ, the Giver of Life, through His compassion and by His divine power, overturns the procession of death into a resurrection!

What an image! And what a fitting image this is for the world we see today. If we look around us, we see in so many ways the procession of death. I was particularly struck by this last weekend… Matushka and I were out of town and spent a couple of nights in a hotel up in Santa Rosa. By choice, we do not have a TV in our home and so I hoped it would be a rare treat to watch a little television while we were there. I was shocked by what I saw… Channel after channel there was nothing to be seen but the procession and glorification of death! Now, I know that much of this was in preparation for the morbid celebrations of Halloween this month – but still… it was extremely disturbing to see how dark and how utterly demonic were the images being paraded upon the screen.

I don’t think this was particularly unique. So much of the news, so much of social media, so much of popular music, so much of what is being taught and discussed in the world today can be accurately described as a procession of death.

Is there any wonder why people are so depressed and so hopeless?

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… thank God, there is another procession approaching. It is the procession of Life! It is the presence of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ – Who is the Source of Life itself.

And just as we see in the Gospel this morning, our Lord Jesus Christ calls out to us: ‘Do not weep!’ His compassion for us is indescribable. And His authority over all tragedy and death is absolute. He also calls out to us to ‘Arise!’

We have great reason for hope and rejoicing… We are not meant to be, nor are we confined to be caught in the lockstep procession of death. Though we all still face our mortality, the passage from this earthly life does not spell the end. Though we may be oppressed by the hopelessness we see in the world around us, Christ’s procession of Life is our alternative and our hope.

It is interesting to note the three cases of resurrection performed by Christ during His earthly ministry. Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus when she was still lying on her bed, He raised the son of the widow of Nain while he was being carried out in a coffin, and He raised Lazarus who was already buried and decomposing.

It was never too late for our Lord! And this is what we must know and believe as well… it is never too late for our Lord!

Though we, or one we may love, might be experiencing spiritual death of some kind – whether that spiritual death might be characterized as ‘still lying in our bed’ – in other words, not too far gone; or whether that spiritual death is more severe, such that we might way we are being carried out in our coffin; or even if we have been given up as dead and buried and reeking of the stench of spiritual decomposition… it is never too late for our Lord.

As long as we have breath and have the opportunity to choose Life over death, to choose Grace over sin, to choose Love over evil and fear… Christ can and will resurrect us.

Many of the holy fathers who have commented on this Gospel passage place great importance on the fact that our Lord reaches forth and touches the coffin of the young man. There is an intimacy here that is so characteristic of God, Who so often uses touch or material things like mud and spit… or bread and wine to be the vehicles of His Grace.

God reaches out to us and He calls for us to arise. Let us take great consolation in His compassion and great courage in His Life-giving power.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… there are two processions taking place before us. One is the procession of death which leads to dark places. The other is the procession of Life which leads to Light and Grace. May God grant us to arise and to resolutely and steadfastly join that procession of Life!

17th Sunday After Pentecost

Fr Andrew Gliga

            A story from the desert fathers: "One day when Abba John was going up to Scetis with some other brothers, their guide lost his way for it was night-time. So, the brothers said to Abba John, ‘What shall we do, abba, in order not to die wandering about, for the brother has lost the way?’ The old man said to them, ‘If we speak to him, he will be filled with grief and shame. But look here, I will pretend to be ill and say I cannot walk anymore; then we can stay here till the dawn.’ This he did. The others said, ‘We will not go on either, but we will stay with you.’ They sat there until the dawn, and in this way they did not upset the brother."

            One of the things we see from the desert fathers is that they exemplify the Gospel of Christ. They truly live out every commandment by Christ to the fullest. The Gospel of Christ isn't just a fancy philosophy, but actually something that should radically change our lives. The desert fathers and the saints of the church knew this and took it upon themselves to follow everything Christ had taught. So of course, the most important thing they had within themselves was love, which is the subject of today's Gospel reading.

            The commandment is simple, we are called to love everyone, especially those who hate and wrong us "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil". To love someone who has not wronged us, is actually a very easy thing to do, as the Gospel reading says: "For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same". We can change this into a modern rendition by saying: even the atheists love those who do good to them. Even atheists do good to those who do good. Instead, we are called to a more radical type of love, to love those who hate us. To love those who wrong us. To love those who make our lives miserable. This is the calling WE as Christians have.

            In the eyes of the modern world, this seems entirely foolish. Imagine how different the story from the desert fathers would be if Abba John instead got upset at the brother who lost his way. What if Abba John said: "How dare you make a mistake like that and lose the way? You could have gotten us killed?" In fact, this response itself is one that seems entirely logically sound if we hear it with the eyes of the world! And yet, it totally misses the mark. Abba John showed what true love for his neighbor was: instead of putting down his fellow human being, he showed him love in order not to upset him.

            This is where the difference we see in our Orthodox faith from the world around us. The modern notion is to love only those who do good to you. But those who give us hardships, we should not love them. In fact, this is exemplified in most TV shows, movies, and music. We rejoice when a villain is shown proper justice, or when a bad guy loses at the end of a movie. This is what he deserves because he is the bad guy. But when was the last time that you saw a movie where the bad guy was loved with true Christian love by the good guy? When was the last time you saw the good guy forgiving the bad guy and letting him live his life? In fact, in the modern mind, this would be viewed as a sign of weakness.

            And yet, this is precisely what God did. When Jesus Christ was crucified, did he offer swift retribution to those who put him on the cross? Did he call down 9 legions of angels and crush the wicked offenders? Did he show his Godlike power and come down from the cross in order to teach the bad guys a lesson? No! He did nothing of the sort, because He showed what Godly love is: a self-sacrificial love. This Godly love is what we should strive above all else to attain.

Now that we know what we need to do, we should go out into the world and do so! Again, the Gospel is not a philosophy but something we are called to do. We are called to love those who wrong us! To love the coworker who slacks off at work. To love the driver who cuts us off and shows us obscene gestures. To love the person who yells at us and embarrasses us in front of other people. To love those who wish to do us evil. These are who are called to love! Just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us on the Cross, we too are called to love each other.

In closing, a quote from St. Theophan the recluse on love: "The fundamental, original commandment is: love! It is a small word, but it expresses an all-encompassing thing. It is easy to say: you must love, but it is not easy to attain love to the necessary degree. It is also not exactly clear how to attain it; this is why the Savior surrounds this commandment with other explanatory rules: love "as thyself"; and "as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise". Here is shown a degree of love that one can call boundless; for is there any limit to one’s love for oneself? And is there any good which one would not want for himself from others? Meanwhile, however, the instructions are not impossible to fulfill. The matter depends upon having perfect compassion toward others, to fully transfer their feelings to yourself, to feel the way they feel. When this occurs, there will be no need to point out what you must do for others in a given situation: your heart will show you. You must only take care to maintain compassion, otherwise egoism will immediately approach and return you to itself and confine you in itself. Then you will not lift a finger for another, and will not look at him, though he might be dying. When the Lord said: "love thy neighbor as thyself", He meant that our neighbor should be in us, that is, in our heart, instead of our own selves. If our “I” remains in there as before, we cannot expect anything good to come of it."

16th Sunday after Pentecost

Luke 5:1-11

In the Gospel reading for this Sunday, our Lord is preaching to the people from the fishing boat of Simon Peter. After He had finished speaking to the people, our Lord asked the Apostle Peter to cast out into the deeper parts of the lake so that they might cast their nets for fish.

Peter, who was an experienced fisherman, replied that they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing… nevertheless, Peter exclaimed, ‘At Thy word, I will let down the net.’ In other words, ‘Thy will be done’. Against what might be considered his better judgment, Peter was willing to subject himself to the will of the Lord. So, they cast off from their place near the shore and went out into the deeper waters of the lake and they let down their nets. The Gospel tells us that the nets were so full of fish that they could hardly bring them into the boat.

Certainly, one of the key lessons that we learn from today’s Holy Gospel is the power and importance of trusting God and submitting ourselves to His holy will. Our pride and self-will and sense of ‘knowing better’ are the root cause of so many of our sins and miseries. And yet, we cling to them so jealously.

St Silouan of Mt Athos wrote, ‘The proud and self-willed do not want to surrender to God's will because they like their own way, and that is harmful for the soul.... The proud man likes to be his own master and does not see that man has not wisdom enough to guide himself without God.’

When we live our lives dictated by our pride and self-will, it inevitably sets us up to become frustrated or angry or despondent when things don’t go our way. St Silouan goes on to tell us, ‘The man who is discontented with his lot and murmurs against his fate, or against those who cause him offense, should realize that his spirit is in a state of pride, which has taken from him his sense of gratitude toward God. But, if it be so with you, do not lose heart but try to trust firmly in the Lord, and ask Him for a humble spirit, and when the lowly Spirit of God comes to you, you will then love Him, and be at rest in spite of all afflictions.’

Our modern minds tend to equate humility with weakness and pride with strength. This is completely upside down. Which requires more strength... to keep silent in the face of an offense or to react with passionate anger? It takes no strength or self-control to just react. And how often do we get ourselves into troubles and conflicts – even inflating those troubles and conflicts - by our reactions?

Humility requires tremendous strength. The strength of humility allows us to keep our peace when offended, to not just react to real or perceived offenses or obstacles to our own will. As our Lord exhorts us in the Gospel of Luke: ‘In patience possess ye your souls.’

This humble submission to the will of God is no easy task. We are fearful that we must always be the ones in control – if we are not in control, then the only other alternative is that things must then be ‘out of control’. This is not true… When we acknowledge and submit to the will of God in our lives, we are not casting things into chaos, we are handing things into far more capable hands.

It is a stumbling block of pride to demand that we understand everything. We cannot understand all the ways of God. As God spoke to Job: ‘Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me if you have understanding.’

Many people are in great distress these days over the state of the world. And there are certainly plenty of reasons to be concerned… pandemics, losses of freedom, the normalizing of immorality, droughts, fires, and other natural disasters, and the list could go on and on.

What is our response to all of this? Do we waste every spare moment browsing through the internet for the latest news? Do we feed our curiosity and our pride by running down the rabbit holes offered by all the self-proclaimed ‘experts’ who think they have things figured out? Do we wring our hands in despair having surrounded ourselves with a distorted picture of the world… a picture of the world created by others, whether on the right or on the left?

Where will we find peace in all of this?

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… Our Lord Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And the task of our salvation remains the same no matter what is happening in the world around us.

If your heart weeps for the misery and the sin that you see in this world, then there is one true and noble and impactful thing that you can do. Stop sinning yourself! As our Lord said to the angry mob surrounding the woman caught in adultery: ‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.’

Unless we are willing to repent and to get down on our knees and accept our responsibility and our contributions to the weight of the sin that exists in this world, then we must stop looking elsewhere to blame. Do you see evil and injustice in this world? This is not a call to indignation and pharisaical judgment, nor is it a reason for despair… it is a call to prayer and fasting and seeking to place the greatest care that we ourselves do not contribute one additional drop to the evil that is in this world. Every unkind thought, every unkind word, every act of impatience and judgment and self-righteousness that we commit simply heaps additional weight to that repository of evil that spills out into this world.

You can make a difference! Stand up for the truth. Be involved where it is appropriate and where you may be moved to do so. But above all, do not underestimate the power and the impact of a humble soul… living a life of piety and kindness toward all and praying with a pure heart for the salvation of all. As St Seraphim of Sarov famously said: ‘Acquire the spirit of peace and a thousand around you will be saved.’

Let us face our Christian responsibility and accountability with courage and with trust in God. Just as the Apostle Peter thought Christ was asking the impossible when instructed to cast out his nets, just as he may have been tempted to think he ‘knew better’ about the possibility of finding fish… so too may we convince ourselves that all is lost and that our sins are insurmountable.

You and I cannot stand against the weight of the sins of this world. But there is One Who can, and Who has already done so, and has already emerged victorious. That is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As Christians we are called to unite ourselves to Him and to His victory.

The world suffers indeed from sin and alienation from God – the source of life and peace. Let us resolve to not contribute to that sin, to not add even one more ounce to the weight drawing things down. With God all things are possible. Let us pray and place our trust in God.

15th Sunday After Pentecost

There is a story I would like to begin with: There was an Orthodox Priest, who was serving divine liturgy. When the time came for him to give a sermon, he came out and simply said: "Dear brothers and sisters: love one another" - and turned around and continued the service. The next week, when it was again time for the Priest to preach, he came out of the altar, and said: "Dear brothers and sisters: love one another", and again continued the liturgy. The third week, he came out again to give a sermon, and said: "Dear brothers and sisters: love one another'', and again went back to finish the liturgy. After the service, one of the parishioners came to this Priest and asked him: "Father, why are you telling us to love one another over and over each week?", and the Priest answered him saying: "Are you able to truly say that you love one another? People are unable to do this. So they need to hear this because this is all they need to do in order to attain salvation. " He preached exactly what the people needed to hear.

            When we look at the Orthodox Church, many people theorize and theologize about God, and speak lofty words about how we should be and what we should do. But really, all of this is for naught. Because the Gospel of Christ is not one that is theorized, but one that is lived out. And the way we do it? This is what we hear in the Gospel today: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40). This Gospel story took place after Christ's entry into Jerusalem and before his Crucifixion. The Cross of Christ, which we celebrated this past week, exemplifies his love for us, the fallen human being. Christ, who was sinless, did not need to be crucified, he did so only for us: because he loved us.

            So because Christ showed us what true perfect love is, we should do the same to those around us. On paper, it sounds so simple to love God and love our neighbor. But in reality it is very difficult. Most people have this attitude: "I love all people, all people around the world, but I can't stand my neighbor!" That's exactly the person we are called to love, the one we know, not those who we don't know personally. We are called to love those who drive us crazy at work. We are called to love those who persecute us and treat us poorly. We are especially called to love our spouses, children, brothers, sisters, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, and especially our mother-in-law. Those are the people who try our patience. As we hear St. Anthony: "Our life and our death is with our neighbor. If we gain our brother, we have gained God, but if we scandalize our brother, we have sinned against Christ."

            So, as we remember this message, let us see the love of Christ in one another. In the people at work who don't do the work they should, let us look upon them with love. Those who cut us off in the car while we are driving, let us show the love of Christ upon them and pray for them. Our spouses, children, or those around us who try our patience, we should look upon them with love and offer a smile in return. This way we will soften their hearts and not add fire upon burning coals.

            This is exactly what our faith tells us to do. Yes, we have fasting, we have prayers, but the goal of those is to attain love. If we fast without love we do nothing, if we pray without love it is for naught. We need to have love in our hearts above all else. So dear brothers and sisters! Love one another!

14th Sunday after Pentecost.

(Matt. 22:2-14).

Last Sunday we heard the parable of the vineyard owner who had prepared everything necessary for a fruitful harvest and the wicked and negligent tenants who were entrusted to care for the vineyard. We heard how the vineyard owner sent messengers to them and how they were ignored, abused, and killed – finally the owner sent his own son and his son was also killed. This parable was a warning and a prophecy to wake up the Pharisees who were the recipients of God’s many messengers (the prophets) and who beheld Christ, the Son, before them.

Today’s Gospel provides us with another parable, that of the wedding feast. A king arranged a marriage for his son. He prepared a great feast and sent his servants out to invite all of their friends and family. But what happened? Those invited were too busy and had endless excuses to not attend. When the king heard this, he struck out at these negligent people and instead went out into the highways to invite anyone who they came upon. He clothed them in wedding garments and brought them into the feast.

This parable was spoken by our Lord immediately after having given the parable of the vineyard – and in many ways it serves to further illustrate and illuminate the same point: our Lord was making it very clear to His chosen people and to the Scribes and Pharisees that were representing the Jewish nation, that they were being called by God to enter into His feast and that they had been and were continuing to be in danger of ignoring this call.

Christ forewarned His people of this in the early days of Holy Week… as a last call to repentance before the terrible deeds of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion took place.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ… Each week we are invited to the most glorious wedding feast in the world – the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Do we, like the guests invited to the wedding, make light of it – going our own way to our business, pursuing our pleasures, preoccupied by whatever distractions or excuses might keep us from the feast? If only we had our spiritual eyes open and would realize and see the miraculous events which take place at these divine services – where the saints, the Most Holy Mother of God, and God Himself are so very near to us – indeed at each liturgy the Lord Himself comes to us offering His Own Body and Blood for our sanctification and spiritual consolation and strength. What could be more important than such an invitation, such a Heavenly Feast? What distracts us, what gets in our way, what holds us back from attending God’s invitation and from showing up on time - with love and attention and devotion?

Indeed, in every moment of our lives God is calling us into the feast of loving communion with Him. He stands at the door of our heart and He patiently knocks… Are we too busy, too distracted with our self-importance to respond to Him? We need to examine ourselves and ask the question: ‘What will matter at the end of my life?’ So much of what we hold in such great importance are really nothing but distractions in the great scheme of things. If we truly love and value our Lord, there should be nothing so important that it overshadows and gets in the way of responding to His call.

Let us not fool ourselves by convincing ourselves that we are too busy to respond to the call of God. Prayer and attentiveness to the call of God are primarily matters of the disposition of our heart. You may indeed be busy from dawn to dusk… but you have the freedom to direct that disposition of your heart no matter what earthly tasks may be preoccupying you. You can attend to the duties life puts before you, but attend to them with love for God in your heart. And, if you train yourself to do so, you will discover that nothing can or should separate us from the love of God. If we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all things are added unto us!

Returning to the Gospel passage of those invited to the wedding feast, we see that there was a man who was not properly clothed in the wedding garment. The host called him on it and said “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?” And the man was speechless... The king then had him ‘bound hand and foot, taken away, and cast into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen’.

This is a very sobering passage and one which should cause us to stop and think seriously about what it means to us. What is this wedding garment that we are to be wearing when we come to the feast of Christ?

The same God Who invites us to His feast also provides us with the appropriate garment. It is the white robe of purity, repentance, and selfless love. St. Paul speaks of this robe when he says, ‘For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ’ (Gal. 3:27). At baptism we are cleansed of sin. We are made pure. Yet it is not only at baptism that we put on Christ; if we are true and struggling Christians, we are to put Him on every day. Every day we are to clothe ourselves with His compassion, His kindness, His lowliness, His meekness, His patience, His forgiveness, and above all His love, which binds everything in perfect harmony (Col. 3:12-24).        

Our great need today is to wrap ourselves up in the grace of God regularly through faith, prayer, reading the Holy Scriptures, the Sacraments and the total relinquishment of our life into God’s hands. The person who daily wraps himself up in the grace of God covers the nakedness of his soul, and is ‘clothed’ with a security that fears neither illness nor death. In the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us.’ (Romans 8:35-37).

May this be our prayer! May we be good stewards of the blessings given to us by God. May we hear and heed the generous invitation of God to come to His feast, taking care to wrap ourselves in the garment of salvation through heartfelt prayer, sincere repentance, and selfless love. And may the peace and joy that God gives so generously, dwell in our heart all the days of our lives!

The Wonderworkers Peter and Febronia

Today is a special day of commemoration and celebration in the Russian Orthodox Church. On this third Sunday of September we remember and honor Holy Prince Peter and Princess Febronia of Murom. Saints Peter and Febronia of Murom are the patrons of marriage and family and are held before us as examples of love and fidelity.

Let me share with you briefly about these great saints…

Peter and Febronia were benevolent rulers and always helped their people with alms and prayers. They treated all as if they were their own children. They loved everyone equally, and disliked only those who were proud or who exploited the people. Peter and Febronia laid up their treasures, not on earth, but in heaven. They were real pastors of their city. They always ruled with truth and humility, and never with anger. They gave shelter to pilgrims, fed the hungry, and clothed the naked. And they helped the poor in their misfortune.

When death was nearing, Peter and Febronia prayed to God that they both might die in the same hour. And they requested that they be buried in the same tomb and in a common coffin in which their bodies would be separated only by a partition. Before their deaths they took monastic vows, Prince Peter becoming Brother David, and Princess Febronia, Sister Euphrosinia.

After their deaths, some of the people decided that Prince Peter should be buried in the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin, which was within the walls of the city of Murom, and that Princess Febronia should be buried in the Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, which was outside the walls of the city. The body of Prince Peter was put in a casket and was placed in the cathedral, where it was left overnight. The body of Princess Febronia was put in another casket and placed in the church outside the city walls. A tomb, which had earlier been carved from a huge rock as a resting-place for Peter and Febronia, remained empty in the yard of the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin.

The next morning the people went to the caskets of Peter and Febronia and found them empty. The bodies of the holy prince and princess were found together in the tomb of stone, which they had ordered prepared for them. The people, not understanding the meaning of this event, once more placed the bodies in separate caskets. On the following day the bodies of Prince Peter and Princess Febronia were once again found together in the tomb of stone. Since that time no man has dared to disturb their holy bodies, but left them in their common tomb in the yard of the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin, which is located in the city of Murom. To this day, those who approach the holy relics of Peter and Febronia with prayer, always receive comfort and healing.

In honor of these beloved saints, the Russian Orthodox Church marks the Sunday before their feast as a special day of blessing and honor for Orthodox families.

Let’s say a word about family life, which is something we all experience – either as husbands, wives, parents, grandparents, children, brothers, sisters… And, even if you find yourself alone at this time in your life, do not submit to the temptation that you are truly alone – for we all connected to one another in ways we can hardly comprehend! You are a member of this parish family and you are also a member of the family of those whom you encounter in your day to day life.

I pray that your family may be a source of warmth and consolation, a place where you feel love and where you share traditions, joys, and sorrows… but I know it is also often the case that within the family relationships we find some of the greatest temptations and stumbling blocks.

It is hard to live in such close proximity to others. This is why our Lord Jesus Christ counseled us specifically to love our neighbor – the person right in front of us. Much idealism comforts itself in having love for ‘mankind’… but who is ‘mankind’? Mankind is a safe and sterile abstraction. Mankind will not bother you with annoying little idiosyncrasies. Mankind will not leave their dirty socks and other messes around the house. Mankind will not present objectives and plans which conflict with your own. No… it is easy to love the abstract notion of ‘mankind’, but the moment our idealistic love for the abstract is tested by the realistic call to love the person placed in front of us, then we have challenges!

Christ’s call to love our neighbor is enacted in the million and one ways in which we must exercise love and patience and kindness toward our brother and sister, our father and mother, our husband and wife.

God places the context of the process of our salvation in community… the family, the monastery, the parish. He does so because it is in that process and practice of self-sacrificial love toward others wherein our disease of pride may be challenged and healed. It is precisely the person who you think is preventing you from becoming a saint who is the one who is provoking the self-sacrifice necessary for you to actually become a saint!

Our Christian faith is practiced not just in performing our daily prayers, in daily scripture reading, in nourishing our souls with the lives and writings of saints, in attending the divine services… our Christian faith is practiced as well in those endless moments of choice wherein we can show courtesy, patience, kindness, and love – as opposed to asserting our own will, having the last word, insisting on our notion of being right, etc. It is in these hundreds of instances presented before us in the course of daily family life where our path to salvation may be found.

May God bless us and be with us and our families on this day on which we commemorate the holy Prince Peter and Princess Febronia. It is a day of blessing and celebration of marriage, the family, and fidelity to God and one another. May God bless our marriages, our families, and our parish community… and may God bless every sacrifice we make toward faithfulness, kindness toward one another, and self-giving love.

12th Sunday After Pentecost

Fr Andrew Gliga

            The Gospel reading we hear today speaks of a rich man, who came to Christ asking Him, how do I inherit eternal life? And Jesus answered him to keep the commandments: "Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself". (Matthew 19: 18-19). And the man responded saying that he had done these things. So then there was one thing this man lacked, and that he had to do. Jesus told him: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." (19: 21). And as we know, this man, at this point gave up the path towards eternal life, and went to follow the things of the world, because he was unable to give up one simple thing.

            Today also commemorates three great saints in the Orthodox Church, all of which bore the name of Alexander. These saints showed what it was like to really give up everything and follow Christ as well as how they showed their love for Christ and the Church. The first of these is St. Alexander of Constantinople, who lived in the 4th century. This Saint Alexander attended the first council of Nicea and was instrumental in rejecting the heretic Arius. There is a story about how Arius deceitfully wanted to be received back into the church and tricked the emperor Constantine to receive him back. St. Alexander, knowing that Arius was deceitful, prayed to Christ to not allow Arius to be received back into the Church. And the next morning Arius died without being able to be received back into the Church. St. Alexander cared so much for the integrity of the Church, that he gave himself up in order to protect the truth of the faith.

            The second of these Saint Alexanders is St. Alexander Nevksy. Alexander Nevsky was a Russian prince, born in the 13th century. He was very faithful in his early life and always was close to the Church. When he was in his 20s, he began to embark on military campaigns in order to protect the land of Rus. He would pray in the Church, before embarking on military battles, Psalm 35  “Judge, O Lord, those who injure me, fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler and rise up to help me”. He was able to fend off all enemies, including the Latins, and Mongolians. It was known that he was a great ruler and protected his land from enemies outside. He would go on many diplomatic missions in order to bring peace to his people. He toiled in order to allow his people to be faithful Orthodox, even pushing to open Churches in enemy lands to bring them to faith. Upon his deathbed, he took monastic schema upon himself, fully dedicating himself to the faith.

            The final of these Alexander's is St. Alexander Svir. St. Alexander Svir was born bearing the name Amos. His childhood was extraordinary, he was always obedient and gentle, he shunned games, jokes and foul talk, he wore poor clothes and fasted so strictly, that it caused his mother anxiety. His parents had arranged for him to marry, so Amos left in secret to a monastery. In the monastery, he was tonsured and took upon the name Alexander. There, he lived an ascetic and holy life. However, news about his holiness spread which caused St. Alexander Svir to take up a dwelling place away from the monastery. But this new place caused many temptations to him, demons would appear to him as animals and snakes. They would constantly urge him to leave, but St Alexander was steadfast in his asceticism. After many years, St. Alexander became the abbot of the Svir monastery. St Alexander departed at the age of 85, having finished his ascetic struggle.

            So what can we see about these three Saint Alexanders, especially in light of the Gospel reading today? We see that they truly loved Jesus Christ above all else, even above all that this world would offer. These three saints gave themselves wholeheartedly to the Church. St. Alexander of Constantinople loved the truth of the Church and gave himself in prayer in order to preserve that truth. St. Alexander Nevsky loved his people and gave himself up to be a noble ruler. Finally, St. Alexander Svir loved Christ so much that he gave up a comfortable life in order to live an ascetic life and be close to Jesus always. They did not choose the easy path, the path the foolish rich man chose.

            And so, we too are given a choice, which we have to pick everyday: Do we choose to follow Christ by giving up the cares of this world, the riches we have been given, or do we choose the easy path and embrace all the wealth in this world? St. Luke of Crimea says it best: "If we… seek the pleasures and joys of life; if the purpose of our life is prosperity, if all our thoughts are on how to have a better life, and that is all we seek, then surely we are far from what the Lord asks. Because people who seek purity of heart, merciful people, they only seek to be close to God, to have fellowship with Him, to seek His grace and love, they want to be brethren of Christ. Many times the poorest man, who has nothing on earth but serves God, many times this man, is richer even than the richest people in the world. His wealth is divine grace, purity of heart, love and sympathy for his hungry and unhappy brethren. But first of all, their wealth is the warm love of God, our Savior Jesus Christ… This is how we should accept Christ's words about earthly riches. To banish from our hearts the attachment to earthly goods. And only one thing to pursue: to be friends and brethren of God, who love Christ and whom He loves."

10th Sunday After Pentecost

            In the month of August, we have three distinct feast days which commemorate our Lord Jesus Christ in some way. The first of these is on the 14th/1st of August, which marks the start of the dormition fast which we just ended yesterday. This first feast is known as the procession of the life-giving cross of the Lord. This feast was one that was established in Constantinople, in which the true cross of our Lord would be taken through the streets. People would be able to see and touch the cross to be healed of their diseases. The second feast of our Lord in the month of August is the feast of Transfiguration, where Christ showed his divine glory to his disciples, Peter, James and John. Through this witness, they saw that this was not a simple man, but rather the Son of God who took on human flesh.

            The last of the feasts of our Lord in the month of August is the one we celebrate today, which is the icon not made with hands. The story of this icon actually takes place during the time of Christ. There was a ruler in the area of Syria named Abgar. This ruler had been stricken with leprosy, and yet he had heard about how Jesus had performed many great miracles in Israel. Since he was unable to travel, he wrote a letter to Christ to ask him to come heal him. Abgar sent one of his servants, who was also a painter, to deliver the letter in Jerusalem. This painter, having found Christ surrounded by a large throng of people. Since he was unable to reach Jesus, he began to paint a portrait of Jesus. However, his portrait did not turn out well, which caused him to lose hope.

The saviour Himself, caught sight of this painter and came over. Once Christ received the letter from Abgar, He promised that He would send one of his disciples to Syria to heal Abgar of his affliction, as well as to provide spiritual guidance. The Lord then asked for water and a washcloth. Having washed his face, and then dried it with the cloth, his Divine Countenance was left imprinted on this cloth.The portrait-painter took this cloth to Abgar, who reverenced this image. Through this, his leprosy was healed but not completely. Once Christ's disciples were sent out to preach throughout the gentile world, the Disciple Thaddeus of the Seventy was sent to Abgar. There Abgar received Baptism and was fully healed of his disease.

            This Holy Icon for many years was venerated by the people in Syria. There are many various stories of what happened to this icon. One of them speaks of the icon being stolen by crusaders and then sinking at sea, while another tradition said it was taken to a monastery in Greece. This could be because there were many copies of this icon. But one thing we do know for sure, that this icon, as well as other icons, brought upon healing and salvation of people's souls, through the divine image of Christ.

            We see this exact same thing happening today, when the Hawaii Iveron icon of the Theotokos visited us this past week. What I remember is that I saw so many people with various diseases and illnesses coming in the presence of the icon, they all stood and prayed in order to receive the intercessions of the Theotokos. And some people were healed, while others still live in their infirmities. This is a sad sight for us to see, since we desire that all people should be healed. And yet, seeing people still struggling in their infirmities for years upon years is something that unbelievers use in order to suggest that God is non-existent.

            What we can see is that there are many reasons people still have their infirmities. I think the Gospel reading for this Sunday actually illustrates it best to us. We hear about a man who had a son who was an epileptic. This man came to Christ's disciples and urged them to cast out the demon from his son. However, they were unable to. And Christ healed this man's son. Now, Christ's disciples came to Jesus and asked the Lord, "Why were we not able to cast out the demon?" And how did Christ respond? "Because of your unbelief! This kind can only come out only with prayer and fasting".

            So as healing can come from Icons, it also needs to have our participation as well! God will help us, but we only need to come towards him with faith, fasting, and prayer. This is how Abgar was fully healed, since he took on Baptism and began to live out the Christian life. Christ healed him through the Holy icon, but Abgar had to respond as well. And if we take the case where we are healthy overall and don't have any grave infirmity that needs to be healed, we should not forget that everyone is in need of spiritual healing. God truly helps us, but do we respond in kind to all he does for us? Many of us might have a major struggle or issue we have, and we come to a Holy Icon for help or to the Church. But do we then in turn change our lives and take upon prayer and fasting. Do we do it with strong vigor or try to cheat as much as we can? Or do we become stagnant and ignore the rules of fasting and prayer completely and still live our lives in a sinful manner? When God then does not answer us or does what we want, that is when we get upset and then deny His existence.

            So dear brothers and sisters in Christ, stand fast to our faith. Healing is a gift to us, a free offering, but even if we receive a great gift, we still need to show thanks and reverence. And how do we show thanks? By prayer and fasting together with faith!

11th Sunday After Pentecost

Matthew 18:23-35

In the Gospel reading for today, we hear of a man who was deeply in debt, owing a great fortune to the king. The king wanted to settle his accounts with his servants and therefore demanded the payment of this debt. The poor servant could in no way pay back this great amount and so the king ordered that he and his wife and children should be sold into slavery to repay the debt. The man fell on his knees and begged the king for mercy and patience to give him time to try to pay back what he owed. The king was moved to compassion by the cries of the debtor and, with a loving heart, forgave him everything.

When this man went out, he found one of his fellow servants who happened to owe him some small amount of money. This time, the one who had just been forgiven so much, showed no mercy and threw the debtor into prison. When the king heard about this, he called the first man before him and said, ‘You wicked servant, I forgave you the great debt that you owed, and you have turned around and shown no mercy on the one who owed you so little.’ In anger and righteous indignation, the king put this man into prison until he was able to pay back all that he had originally owed.

Our Lord Jesus Christ concludes this parable telling us that this is how our Heavenly Father will treat each of us unless we forgive our brother from our heart. The message is very clear – if we expect to be forgiven, if we expect to receive mercy, then we must forgive and show love and mercy toward others.

As Christ emphasized elsewhere in the Gospels: ‘Just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.’ 

Do we wish for the world and our homes to be a kinder place? Then it is up to us to take the lead and be kind. Do we wish others to treat us with love and kindness? Then we need to take our focus away from any perceived injustices of others and place our focus on our own behavior and thoughts… assuring that we do our utmost to treat others with love and kindness.

This is the foundation of Christian ethics. And yet how often do we lose sight of these things?

One of the greatest pitfalls that we all tend to fall into to one degree or another is the expectation that ‘justice must prevail’. This enters into our interactions and relationships with others as well as our theological understanding and relationship with God.

We are called to be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful. Too often, this is interpreted by us in the following way: ‘If I treat others kindly, then I have the right to expect others to treat me in the same way’. But this is NOT the Gospel teaching… and this expectation of reciprocal justice is the source of so much of our conflict with both God and others.

St. Isaac the Syrian said: ‘Never say that God is just. If he were just, you would be in hell. Rely only on His injustice - which is mercy, love and forgiveness.’

A story is told of a mother pleading with a king to spare her condemned son's life. The king argues that the crime committed by the son was dreadful; justice demanded his life. ‘Your majesty,’ sobbed the mother, ‘I am not asking for justice, but mercy.’ ‘He does not deserve mercy,’ was the answer. ‘But, your majesty, if he deserved it, it would not be mercy,’ replied the mother. ‘Ah yes, you have spoken the truth,’ said the king. ‘I will have mercy.’

The ways of God are not the ways of men. The mercy and love of God shine upon the just and the unjust alike. So then… if God’s mercy is extended indiscriminately, what makes the difference between the righteous and the damned?

The key is in the disposition of one’s ability to receive God’s mercy or not.

Remember our Lord’s words quoted earlier: ‘Just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.’ 

We embrace and we live these Christian ethics, these ways of being, not because in doing so we will deserve the reward of heaven. We embrace these ways of being because they transfigure us! In being merciful, in judging not, in condemning not, in forgiving… we unite ourselves to Christ – to His holiness, His mercifulness.

As we hear during the Divine Liturgy: ‘Holy things are for the holy! One is holy, One is the Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father.’ The Kingdom of Heaven, the grace and the mercy of God… these are holy things. And these holy things are given to the holy. Like is given to like. Our job is to grow that image of God within us into the likeness of God. This is what transforms us into being receptacles of grace, of being able to receive that mercy and forgiveness of God. Mercy is given to the merciful. Forgiveness is given to the forgiving.

May each of us show forth mercy and patience and love toward others. In doing so, we emulate and align ourselves to the One Who shows forth mercy and patience and love to us.

Ninth Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 14:22-34)

The scene put before us in today’s Holy Gospel is one of the most indelible images from the life of our Lord and his disciples and it is an icon for us of the spiritual life and our relationship with God.

Our Lord had sent the disciples ahead of Him in a boat while He took time to be alone with God, His Father. While the disciples were in the midst of the sea, a storm began to rage and they were tossed about and began to fear for their lives. In the midst of this, imagine the fear and awe that grips the disciples as they see our Lord walking toward them upon the waters – and the relief and joy they experience as He tells them the reassuring words: ‘Be of good cheer! It is I, do not be afraid’. And then we have the incredible image of Apostle Peter stepping out of the boat onto the waters to walk toward our Lord – initially stepping forth in enthusiasm and great faith, and then beginning to fear and waver as the waters toss all around him. He begins to sink and calls out to the Lord to save him and immediately our Lord is there to stretch forth His hand and lead him back into the boat. Today’s Gospel reading concludes with the disciples all safely in the boat with our Lord - the seas have been calmed and they prostrate themselves before Him proclaiming ‘Truly, Thou art the Son of God!’

When our Lord summoned Apostle Peter to come to Him, Apostle Peter demonstrates in this moment a self-forgetting, Christ-focused faith in God. As long as he kept his eyes on Christ he walked upon the water as if it were dry land. But what happened?... We read that, “when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out ‘Lord save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O ye of little faith, why did you doubt?’” The moment Apostle Peter took his eyes off of Christ and began to concern himself with the turbulent waters all around him, with his fears and doubts, this is when he began to sink. Thanks be to God, our Lord was close at hand and when Peter cried out, ‘Lord save me!’ Jesus stretched out His hand and brought him safely back into the boat.

Brothers and sisters in Christ… what a powerful image this places before us as we find ourselves being buffeted on all sides by the turbulent times we are living in!

As the American patriot Thomas Paine once said: ‘These are times which try men’s souls.’ It is deeply concerning to hear of all the things going on in the world today: fires raging in Greece, Siberia, and here in our own country and state; the devastation of the recent earthquake in Haiti which killed hundreds and has left thousands homeless – including our priest Fr Pierre Laguerre and four families, whose houses collapsed in the quake; the tragic situation in Afghanistan, where so many people have been left like sheep thrown to the wolves, where Christians are being hunted down by the Taliban; and of course the animosity and fear and division we see being perpetuated over the politicization of just about everything … right vs left, vaxers vs antivaxers, etc., etc..

The waves of chaos are rising high all around us these days.

And what does today’s Gospel account have to teach us about all this? I believe it has a very important message for us…

The waves of these disasters – both natural and man-made – may rage all around us. It is all-too-natural for us to react to these things and for us to become preoccupied… becoming anxious, attempting to gain some semblance of control by making sense of things through endless exposure to the news and forming our theories and explanations, allowing our passions to be ignited in anger, frustration, or fear.

But if our response to the many negative and demonic things happening in the world is to heap our anger or our fear or our despair upon the already existing turbulence of the waves of this world… If our reaction to all this is to keep vigil in front of our computers rather than before our icons - we will lose sight of the Only One Who can calm the storm. We will inevitably become like the Apostle Peter – terrified by the waves crashing all around him as he begins to sink into their watery depths.  

The call to keep your gaze fixed upon Christ is not a call to stick your head in the sand. Many of the crises which rage around us require a response. And the first and foremost response of a Christian is to fall on his knees in prayer! This is something we all must do!

And, depending upon our capabilities and circumstances, we may also be more directly engaged in doing what we can to combat the waves of chaos splashing against us. We must stand for our Christian brothers and sisters who are being persecuted around the world. We should do what we can to support those who have been devastated by disasters both natural and man-made. And regarding the divisive issues confronting us, we should avoid hysteria on the right or on the left… and instead, through prayer and fasting, we must listen to our conscience and discern what seems best for others and for ourselves.

In all these things, as the Gospel illustrates for us, the most important thing is that we keep our eyes fixed upon Christ.

Our Christian calling is to a life in Christ. It means a life which is already experiencing eternity – and therefore has perspective upon the temporal things of this world. It means a life filled with hope, with joy and with peace. That optimism is not wishful thinking… it must be grounded in a growing level of experience of the reality of the transfiguring grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We celebrate today the Afterfeast of the Transfiguration of our Lord. That otherworldly light, which shone forth from Christ atop Mt Tabor, can and should shine upon this troubled world. That light finds its reflection in the hearts of those who will pray… of those who, with resolve and determination, will stand fast and be Orthodox Christians amid these troubled times.

May that transfiguring light of Christ shine brightly upon you… filling you with His radiance. And may our dark and troubled world then be brightened by your reflecting forth that light of Christ.

The Transfiguration

May the transfiguring light of Christ be with you all as we celebrate this glorious feast!

By way of a sermon, I would like to quote for you a statement from a talk by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom regarding the Body and Matter in the Spiritual Life. I think it is a remarkable reflection which gets to the heart of what this feast of the Transfiguration is all about…

He writes: ‘A miracle is not something which is marvelous, although it appears so to us; a miracle is the normal relationship between God and his world, the supple, live, loving relationship there can be between what God has made, capable of knowing him, of hearing him, and himself. This, I believe, is true to biblical theology, this is also true to the teaching of the apostles, to the teaching and indeed to the life and experience of the Church. This experience is to be found described in the writings of a man like Simeon the New Theologian. Once he comes back from church; he has received communion; he sits on his couch and ponders. He looks around, he looks at himself and marvels. These hands, he says, so frail, so powerless, are the hands of God; this body, so mean, so old, this decaying body is the place of the divine presence; and this cell, so small, so ugly, is greater than the heavens, because it contains God. This is no allegory, is no fanciful thinking; it is direct, deep, concrete experience, rooted in all there is in the Old and the New Testament. All that is created by God is in God, related deeply to him, capable of sensing him, of knowing him. If we only could be aware of the potentialities of what God has created — I am not thinking now of what science is disclosing, of the extraordinary possibilities of the atom — I am speaking of something deeper than this, more intrinsic to matter even than its own natural capabilities. There is not an atom in this world, from the meanest speck of dust to the greatest star, which does not hold in its core, possess still in its depth, if I may put it that way, the thrill, the tremor of its first movement of existence, of its coming into being, of its possessing infinite possibilities and of entering into the divine realm, so that it knows God, rejoices in him. And if the world appears dark to us, compact, dense, opaque, it is because something tragic has happened, which we call the Fall, however we define it in its details, by which the sovereign freedom of obedience and harmony has been replaced by the iron rules and laws which reach to a certain depth and yet have not enslaved what God has made to be free.’

The transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ is miraculous and extraordinary to us because of the tragedy of our fallen state. This luminous, all-encompassing light of Grace is in fact the reality of the life of Christ and the potential of our life in Christ.

That illuminating Grace is given to us and fills us as we strive in synergy with Christ to bring forth spiritual fruit in our life. Those fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. May God grant us such fruit and may His transfiguring light shine upon each and every one of us!

8th Sunday After Pentecost – St Basil, Fool-for-Christ of Moscow

            There is a saying from Anthony the Great which is extremely relevant to our day and age: "A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him saying, 'You are mad, you are not like us'". The mindset of people, especially in this area, seems to be at odds with Christianity. How many people who live around us have a disdain and a dislike for Christianity, saying it's backwards and outdated. Many people even blame Christianity for all the problems that are going on in the world, especially the divisiveness in our country today. And as time goes on, this division will only increase and make our lives much more difficult to live.

            However, not all hope is lost. We still have the teaching of the Church to guide us, even in these times. One of these Saints is the Blessed Basil, fool for Christ, who we commemorate today. Blessed Basil was born in Moscow in 1468, a time where Orthodox Christianity was the dominant faith. And yet, this Saint still led a life of persecution and of ridicule from his fellow Christians. "At age 16 the saint arrived in Moscow and began the thorny exploit of foolishness. In the burning Summer heat and in the crisp harsh frost he walked about bare-legged and bare-foot through the streets of Moscow. His actions were strange: here he would upset a stand with kalachi, and there he would spill a jug with kvas (a traditional slavic beverage). Angry merchants throttled the blessed saint, but he took the beatings with joy and he thanked God for them. But then it was discovered that the kalachi were poorly cooked, and the kvas was badly prepared. The reputation of Blessed Vasilii quickly grew: in him they perceived a fool, a man of God, a denouncer of wrong".

In a sense, the people "judged a book by it's cover". They saw a man who looked out of place and not dressed as he should be. He was not one of them, an outsider. And yet he showed them their shortcomings, their prejudices, which brought them to repentance and respect for the holy one of God.

We also see another instance where the Blessed Basil, who was a street dweller, also helped those who were in need around him. "The blessed saint first helped those, who were ashamed to ask for alms, but who were truly in need of money. There was an instance, where St. Basil gave away a rich imperial present to a foreign merchant, who had nothing at all. This merchant had not eaten for three days, but refused to seek help since he wore fine clothing".

Another story speaks of how Blessed Basil even went to the drunken and sought their repentance: "For the salvation of one's neighbors, Blessed Basil also visited the taverns, where he endeavored to bring kindness to ruined souls. Many observed that when the saint passed by a house in which they madly made merry and drank, with tears he clasped the corners of that house. They enquired of the fool what this meant, and he answered: 'Angels stand in sorrow at the house and are distressed about the sins of the people, but I with tears entreat them to pray to the Lord for the conversion of sinners'".

            This Saint was looking to bring Christ even to those who had forsaken Him. He wanted them to experience the same joy that he experienced in being a Christian. Blessed Basil was living out the Gospel of Christ which proclaimed to "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you".

            So let us therefore be like the Blessed Basil. Foolish for our faith and for Christanity in the eyes of those around us. But living out our Christian life to the fullest, while also desiring and seeking the repentance and conversion of those around us.

            We should in no way let the foolishness of the world guide us or have us stray away from our faith. Our Jesus Christ while he was going to His passion endured all sorts of finger pointing, laughter, and ridicule. The people in the crowd viewed Christ as a fool, even though He had performed many great miracles. Even in the Gospel reading for today, we heard how 5000 men  (not including the women and Children who were there are well); they all witnessed the great miracle of the multiplication of loaves. I'm sure that word spread across Israel about this great miracle. And yet, even so, they persecuted and accused Christ wrongfully. Jesus went forward in order to bring us His saving passion and opening the gates to the kingdom of heaven. Through his sacrifice we are saved.

            Let us too not be tempted by the fools of our age. We should not see the foolish people of this age as our ultimate enemies. They too are in need of salvation! Remember, Christ went to His passion, not just for us, but for the whole world. Everyone is in need of a savior, especially those who have closed off their hearts to Jesus. We might be persecuted by them, but through sacrificial love their blindness might be healed.

While I was in Romania, I met with an Abbot of a monastery. He told me: "If the area you live in is faithless, then you sanctify that place! No matter where we are, we are to sanctify the place we live in." We might not think so, but it really is up to us to turn this area around. All it takes is one act of kindness, one act of selflessness to change the hearts of men.

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 9:27-35)

The Gospel scene that is set before us today is a perfect encapsulation of the spiritual life and of the relationship between God and mankind.

We heard in today’s Gospel how Jesus was passing by two blind men, and they cried out, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”

This image set before us in the Gospel, of blind men calling out to God for His mercy, and of the Lord responding to them in love according to the measure of their faith, this is precisely the true state and picture of mankind. We are indeed like blind men, who have lost our spiritual vision to see the obvious workings and blessings of God occurring every day, every hour, and every minute in our lives. We are extremely limited in our spiritual vision and so often we go about this life as blind men and women, reacting to the ups and downs of this earthly life as if this were all there is… only occasionally ‘seeing through a glass darkly’ at the magnificence and benevolence and eternal perspective of God.

How do we react to this blindness? We may become accustomed to the darkness and refuse to acknowledge our blindness - saying that there is no such thing as light, since we cannot perceive it with our limited physical senses. Or, we might hear the One Who declared, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” If we can hear this voice, we then begin to recognize our blindness and we might call out: ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’

And what is the Lord’s reaction to this reaching out of the blind and the sick, who call out to Him for His grace and mercy? Does He recoil from our sickness and sin, telling us to go away? No, He does not… He extends His hand to us, He extends His compassion and His loving-kindness to us, desiring not that the sinner should perish, but that he should live and be healed.

And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith let it be to you.’

‘According to your faith, so be it unto you'… this statement contains profound spiritual truth and instruction. How will it be for us?… it will be according to our faith.

Is our Lord promising us that if we have faith, then all of our problems and infirmities will be suddenly resolved? No, this is not often the case. God will permit in our lives whatever is conducive toward our salvation, and sometimes this may include difficult trials indeed. But it is true that if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all things will be added unto us. Our reactions to the circumstances of our life differ greatly depending on the strength of our faith and trust in God. Two people can experience the same circumstances and one will be in heaven while the other is in hell. How can this be? The one who has faith in the Lord does not despair and retains that perspective and trust that God is watching over him. Even though he may have sorrow, he retains the hope which is born from faith. Another may become immersed in the sorrow of his circumstances and see no way out.

According to our faith, so will it be for us.

God pours out His grace and His love to us according to the measure of our faith. According to the measure of our faith… this does not mean that God is stingy with His grace and love and that He only meters this out to us in reward for however much faith we demonstrate. God does not place the limitation of His compassion on us… we do. The thing is - we are only capable of receiving the love of God according to the measure of our faith. The more faith and trust we have in God, the more capacity we have to receive His love and grace.

And that, dear brothers and sisters, is what this life is all about. We have been created by the generosity of the love and grace of God to receive and be transformed by the love and grace of God. The degree to which we can receive that love and grace is according to the measure of our faith.  

Every human soul longs for that elusive ‘something’ which will bring us peace and fulfillment. We seek it in all the wrong places… in our worldly achievements, in wanting the praise of others, in acquiring the next thing that we think will make us happy, in all the various comforts and seductions of this world. Yet, none of these things will fulfill us… we will always be left wanting more. Only one thing fills that gap within us… and that is the love and grace of God.

Our soul calls out to God and Christ stands before us and He asks: ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’

Let us respond with utmost faith, saying: ‘Yes, Lord! I believe in You!’

And may our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ then respond to us: ‘According to your faith let it be unto you.’

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 8:28-9:1)

In the Gospel reading for today we hear the account of the Lord’s coming into the country of the Gergesenes and His encounter with the two men possessed by devils. These men lived among the tombs and, as the Gospel puts it, they were ‘exceedingly fierce’ such that no-one could pass by that way. The demons inhabiting these poor souls knew our Lord immediately and cried out to Him: ‘What have we to do with Thee, Thou Son of God? Art Thou come here to torment us?’ The demons knew Who they were dealing with and they knew they had no power over such a One as Jesus. So they beseeched Him, asking if He were to cast them out of these men, could they be allowed to enter into the herd of swine. With one word, ‘Go’, our Lord commanded it and the demons left the men and entered the swine and the entire herd of swine went mad and ran violently off the cliffs and into the sea where they drowned.

This Gospel passage is a vivid scene demonstrating the realities of the spiritual world and the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. But perhaps what is most astounding and provocative from this morning’s Gospel is the reaction of the local people to these miraculous acts… they begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

Though it was against the observances of their faith, raising and selling swine was incredibly lucrative… bringing in a healthy income to these people. While we might have expected that the townspeople would have exalted Jesus Christ as a hero for freeing them from the torments of the demons, instead they were upset that He had interfered in their affairs, their worldly ambitions and disobediences… and they told Jesus to go away from them, to depart from their coasts.   

How could these people be so blind… so selfish? Oh, my brothers and sisters in Christ, do we react the same way when the Lord comes to us? Perhaps we cry out to Him to save us from the troubles and the sorrows of this life, but when He comes, and the danger has passed, and our conscience stirs and rebukes us for our many disobediences to God, for our selfish pursuits... do we dare to say to our God, ‘Go away… depart from me’? Sadly, it is all too often the case that we want God near, but maybe not too near in our lives.

Fr Seraphim Rose of blessed memory, upon encountering the revelation of God as a Person, said: ‘The problem of realizing that God is a Person, is that He might demand something of you.’

As long as God remains simply a pious concept in our lives, as long as our Christianity is merely a spiritual adornment to inspire us toward being a better person, as long as God is simply our co-pilot and we retain control of the wheel… in all these things we keep God at a controlled distance in our lives. When we have need of Him, we call upon Him, but for the rest of the time, we might as well be saying ‘Go away… depart from me.’

And God, in His love, will stand back… If we insist on our own way, He will allow it. Love cannot be forced… it is patient and kind and endures all things - even crucifixion for a world that looks the other way…

Ultimately, we will either say to God: ‘Thy will be done’, or, God will sorrowfully consent to say to us: ‘thy will be done’.

What prevents us from saying ‘Thy will be done’? I think many of us may hesitate in an echo from The Confessions of St Augustine - where he was being drawn to the Christian faith, recognizing the Truth of Christ and being pulled toward it. Yet he states: ‘Grant me chastity, O Lord… but not yet!’ In other words, grant me salvation, O Lord, but please don’t inconvenience me or get in the way of all my plans and my passions!

I think this is our biggest fear... that, as Fr Seraphim pinpointed, God will demand something of us. We want all the benefits and reassurances of a life with God. We desire His blessings. We enjoy the inspiration and hope that He provides. We turn to Him in our times of sorrow and sufferings, and we yearn for His comfort and consolation.

And yet, how often, when we are too busy, too preoccupied with ourselves, too immersed in the illusions of our control of our own destiny, too wrapped up in our passions… how often then do we treat God like the Gergesenes saying: ‘Go away, depart from me.’

Dear brothers and sisters, we really cannot have it both ways. We cannot be ‘fair-weather friends’ of God – only turning to Him when it is convenient or necessary for us. God is not the object of our piety… He is a Person. He is THE Person from Whom all blessings and goodness flows. He is our life and our hope.

Let us then be attentive to Him. Let us be forever grateful to Him. Christ stands at the door of our heart and knocks daily, hourly, at each and every moment. May God forbid that we would ever say: ‘Depart from me!’ God give us the wisdom to understand that He knows what is best for us and for our salvation. Let us trust in Him and always have a welcoming heart for Him which cries out: ‘Come closer to me Lord Jesus, never leave me! I am yours!’

4th Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 8:5-13)

Today’s Gospel reading tells us of the centurion who beseeched the Lord to heal his paralyzed servant. The centurion, though he was a Roman soldier, had heard of the miracles and teachings of Christ and recognized His goodness, His authority, and His power to heal.

Though he was in charge of many men, the centurion was concerned for the illness of his servant who was paralyzed. This concern for what might be called the least among his charges demonstrates the disposition of heart of this good man. He does not approach our Lord to seek anything for himself, he is entirely focused on interceding for the servant whom he loved and for whom he had such concern.

Indeed, such was his faith that he would not trouble the Lord to come to his servant, but recognizing his unworthiness to have Christ come to his home, he boldly states: ‘Only speak a word and my servant will be healed.’ Our Lord is astonished by the trust and faith of this man and declares: ‘I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel… Go your way; and as you have believed so let it be done for you.’ And his servant was healed that same hour.

The centurion bore the burden of his servant who was ill… bringing this burden before the Lord and trusting with faith that our Lord would show mercy.

On this day, we have not only our Gospel reading, but the lives of several saints celebrated today that speak to us of this intercessory action and prayer, of this Christian conscience that bears the burdens of others and brings them before the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today we celebrate our father among the saints, Sergius of Radonezh, one of the brightest lights that shone upon the Russian land. As a child, the young lad Bartholemew grew up in piety and demonstrated great love for God. Yet the boy had a learning disability and, try as he might, he could not read. One day he encountered a holy monk who exhorted him to take up the Psalter and read. The boy tried to explain that this was impossible for him, but the monk insisted… and, lo and behold, the scales of ignorance fell from his eyes and he began reading beautifully for all to hear. Bartholemew grew both in stature and in holiness and sought solitude in the forest to work out his salvation. His brother accompanied him but could not withstand the ascetic life. However, others soon were drawn to the grace-filled life being pursued there and soon a monastic brotherhood was formed. Each monk built his own cell, and all gathered with St Sergius for the Divine services in the chapel. A priest came from a village for Divine Liturgy until, finally, the Saint was persuaded to accept ordination at which time the bishop also named him abbot and exhorted him to ‘Remember this saying: "Bear ye one another' s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2). If you follow this precept, you will save yourself and those who live with you.' St. Sergius remembered this all his life and was not only a father but also a servant to all those who came to him.

While St Sergius’ own will may have preferred the life of solitude, he took seriously this exhortation from his bishop and did indeed pour out his life bearing the burdens of his brothers and of all who came to him, thus fulfilling the law of Christ. The Holy Trinity Monastery of St Sergius remains one the jewels of Russian Orthodoxy to this day. Our pilgrim group was blessed to visit the Monastery a few years ago. The line of people each day waiting to venerate the relics of St Sergius extends out the church and around the building. It is clear to all that this wondrous saint continues to hear the supplications of those who seek his intercessions… that he continues to bear the burdens of others, thus fulfilling the law of Christ.

And we must also speak of another marvelous saint whose memory we commemorate today – the Grand Duchess Elizabeth. This noble lady, granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England and elder sister of the Tsaritsa Alexandra, embraced the faith of her husband, Grand Duke Sergei, and the beauty of Orthodoxy took firm root in her heart.

Following the assassination of her husband, Grand Duchess Elizabeth became a nun, giving away her riches and luxurious possessions. With the proceeds she opened the Martha and Mary Home in Moscow to foster the prayer and charity of devout women. For many years she helped the poor and orphans in this Moscow home. She embraced and exemplified a life that combined intercession and action in the heart of this troubled world.

In 1918, the Bolsheviks arrested her and those who stood by her side. They were herded into the forest, pushed into an abandoned mineshaft, into which grenades were then hurled. An observer heard them singing Church hymns as they were pushed into the mineshaft. After the Bolsheviks left, he could still hear singing for some time. It seems that the last thing Elizabeth did as she lay dying in the mineshaft was to bandage the wounds of her co-sufferer Prince Ioann with her handkerchief. Her relics were later recovered, and she lies now at the Russian Convent on the Mount of Olives in the Holy Land.

The martyred Grand Duchess Elizabeth exemplified throughout her life, and even in the final moments of her martyric death, this spirit of bearing another’s burdens and thus fulfilling the law of Christ.

This is the call of Christ to each and every one of us. We are not alone… we are not isolated individuals whose lives have no bearing upon one another. What we do, what we say, what we think, whether or not we pray… these things have bearing upon one and all.

We are called to bear one another’s burdens. It is a heavy call… And perhaps we may be thinking: ‘But Father, I can hardly bear my own burdens! I am busy from dawn to dark just trying to make ends meet. The little candle of my soul is just barely flickering and I can’t take on anything more!’

I understand… But here is the mystery… If that little flickering candle of your soul can extend itself to encompass intercession for others, that barely flickering candle of your soul will light another candle and another and another. Pretty soon you will have multiple candles burning within you. And the more you gather concern for others and intercede for them within your prayer and within your heart, the more candles are lit within you until you find that this flame of love is burning brightly within you.

This is the disposition of heart that understands the connection we all have to one another and, borne through love for one’s fellow man, bears the burdens of others. And in doing so, thus fulfills the law of Christ.

3rd Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 6:22–33)

In today’s Holy Gospel we hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in which He exhorts us toward a complete and perfect trust in God, our loving Father. He implores us to not worry about things… what we shall eat or what we shall wear – all of those concerns that can so completely eclipse our life and preoccupy us with stress and anxiety over things.

Stress and anxiety are certainly two of the diseases which plague our age… our time and our way of life lend themselves to tremendous anxiety. The modern world assaults us with such an information overload that we are avalanched and often feel powerless or challenged to stay on top of it all. And part of the temptation and trap of all this is that mirage which lies just beyond our reach, that mirage and hope that, if we just press a little harder, if we just sacrifice a little more time… we will finally get on top of things, we will have everything firmly within our grasp, we will be in control. But that imagined oasis always eludes us… always staying just out of reach.

This hunger for control is a great temptation… and it can be a subtle one to properly discern, because we have to separate out the reality of our duty to our responsibilities from the lust and pride of self-importance.

We all have our work to do… as employees, as students, as husbands and wives, as parents, as priests… in all the aspects of our life which make demands upon our attention. We must accomplish our duties to the best of our ability… giving our best effort with integrity, honesty, and diligence.  

This is what God calls us to do… and this is all that God calls us to do. You cannot do more than what is before you and you cannot do more than your best. All the rest is worry and temptation, a tempest and a whirlwind of demonic assault.

We must do our best with what is put before us and we must place our trust in God for our well-being and for His will to be done in all things. This is the key to unlocking that prison of stress and anxiety… where do we place our trust and our hope? If we are placing our hope in our self and in our abilities to control things in this life, we will indeed be riddled with anxiety and stress. And the soul burdened with anxiety carries a heavy weight - as if a shroud surrounds you, eclipsing you in darkness and shutting out the light of God’s love and joy.

In today’s Gospel, Christ calls us to throw off this shroud of anxiety… He exhorts us to shift our gaze away from ourselves, to look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. He promises us that if we ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all things will be added unto us’.

If our eyes are focused toward God, toward the perspective of eternity and of the disposition and health of our soul; then we will not get so thrown off balance when things unexpected or troubling or tragic occur in our life. We see things with perspective... When troubles come upon us we are not so easily defeated, but we can take these sorrows in stride and trust that the Lord is watching over us and that our difficulties can be endured in a spirit of humility and hope. As we read in the Epistle today: ‘We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.’

If our vision is limited only to the triumphs and tragedies of this brief earthly life; then the inevitable ups and downs of this life are going to take us on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and anxiety and stress. In such a state, our vision and our life is not full of light, but of darkness; and we tend to see things negatively, we suspect and accuse others and we’re tossed to and fro by our passions – reacting to everything that comes our way.

It is a fearsome and difficult thing to say to God, ‘Thy will be done’.

It requires a tremendous amount of trust in God… a trust that God does indeed love us.

Listen to the words of the Epistle from this morning: ‘God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.’

God’s love and care for us is so great that, even when we were estranged from Him, He was willing to die for us. How much more then, when we are reconciled to Him through our baptism, through our repentance, through our partaking of His Body and Blood… how much more then may we be assured of His love for us?

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us heed the words of the Apostle Paul who so beautifully sums all this up when he says: ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’

Sunday of All Saints of Russia and America

On this second Sunday after Pentecost, the Holy Church commemorates those saints who shone forth in the various local regions where the seeds of Orthodoxy took root… in Greece, in Romania, Serbia, Georgia, and whatever region the particular church might honor as its legacy and inheritance.

Today, our Russian Orthodox Church commemorates all the saints of the Russian land – a land with a rich spiritual heritage of holy men and women who have been filled with the grace of God. Monks, nuns, patriarchs, bishops, priests, and lay men and women… all infused with the grace of God as poured out through His holy church throughout the centuries. Such luminaries and Sts Cyril and Methodius, St Sergius of Radonezh, St Seraphim of Sarov, Sts Antony and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves, St John of Kronstadt, St Xenia and St Matrona, and many others who have illumined the Russian land like the stars in the sky.

The inheritance of Russian Orthodoxy brought to this land our beloved patron, St Herman of Alaska – as well as St Innocent the Apostle of America and later Metropolitan of Moscow; the Missionary Monks Juvenaly, Macarius, and the native Alaskan Peter the Aleut who was martyred in San Francisco. The holy martyred Patriarch Tikhon of Russia served as bishop in San Francisco from 1898 to 1907. And this inheritance flows through into our own times with the many praise-worthy fathers who came to this land during the 20th century. Priests and monks who’s spiritual lineage came from the holy monasteries of Valaam, Optina, and Pochaev. And certainly one of the crowns of this immigration was St John Maximovich, whose memory was celebrated yesterday and whose incorrupt relics lie at our cathedral in San Francisco. We are blessed with a rich inheritance and it is important for us to know and honor our forebears in the faith.

Wherever their original homeland may have been, these saints of God shared the same citizenship and allegiance to their heavenly home and to their shared faith in Orthodoxy. The saints are those men and women who heard the call of the Lord to follow Him and responded with all their heart and all their strength.

Today’s Gospel reading recounts for us the call of God to the first apostles. Our Lord called out to Peter and to Andrew, ‘Follow Me’, and they responded to this call of God – immediately dropping their nets and following Him.

God calls out to each of us… ‘Follow Me’. He doesn’t force us, He doesn’t coerce us, He simply invites us out of the abundance of His love. He calls to us – ‘Follow Me’ and invites us to partake of His grace and His love so that, even here in this life, and no matter what our outward circumstances might be, we may begin to experience the joys of paradise as we live a life in communion with God.

God calls each and every one of us to follow Him and each and every one of us has the freedom and ability to choose to respond or not. But what holds us back? We are surrounded by nets that entangle us and hold us down to the earth and to our self-imposed exile from paradise. The Apostles and the saints were those dear ones of God who, when they heard His call, dropped those nets and followed Him.

What is the call of God for you in your life? Perhaps God is calling you to some specific service, but let’s talk for a moment about the universal call of God which beckons to each and every one of us. The Apostle Paul spoke of it this morning in the Epistle reading… It is the call of God in our conscience. It is that ‘still small voice’ that knows what is right and what is wrong. Do we listen to our conscience? Do we heed this call of God, casting aside our nets to follow Him?

Never underestimate the challenge and the impact of something so unglamorous as simply being honest in all of our interactions, of being patient and kind with one another in our homes, in denying our tendencies toward selfishness - listening to that voice of our conscience and choosing to do the right thing at every step of our lives.

Remaining attuned and attentive to the call of God in our life is heroic work. It is the call of God to each and every one of us. When we awake in the morning, God is calling to us to take a moment and begin our day with Him in prayer. As we go about our day at work or at school, God is calling to us to work diligently, honestly, and to conduct ourselves in a manner befitting an Orthodox Christian. In our family life, God is calling to us to be kind and gentle and forgiving with one another – to make the home a safe haven of love for each other. And as we come to the end of day, we should give thanks to God for his many blessings and pray that He would preserve us to rise to greet the new day.

The call of Christ to follow Him may or may not lead us in a new physical direction in our lives. But it MUST lead us in a new spiritual direction in our lives. Christ calls us to follow Him at every moment of our lives. How we act, how we speak, how we think… all aspects of our lives offer us the ability to follow in Christ’s footsteps: choosing love over fear, choosing kindness over selfishness, choosing all those good things which are of Christ our God.

Our holy father Theophan the Recluse wrote the following rule for us: ‘Do not do anything that your conscience prohibits, and do not omit anything that it says to do, whether great or small.’ Indeed, in summarizing a basic rule of spiritual life, St Theophan advises that ‘all that is required is to remember God at all times with reverence, to obey your conscience, and to arm yourself with hope through patience.’

Those whom we hold in reverence as saints are those who lived by this rule… they remained aware of the presence of God at all times and conducted themselves accordingly in His presence. They attuned themselves to the voice of their conscience and obeyed its directions. And they demonstrated great patience to endure all the trials that might come their way… never losing sight of the hope and joy of the promise which Christ bestows.

May God, through the prayers of all the saints of Russia and of our homelands, grant us strength and inspiration to love Him with all of our heart, and mind, and soul… that we may ever remain aware of His presence, that we may hear the guiding voice of our conscience, and that we may arm ourselves with hope through patience.

Sunday of the Fathers of the First Council

On Thursday of this past week, we celebrated the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having accomplished all that was necessary in His earthly ministry, having conquered death and appearing to many over the course of 40 days, our Lord ascended back up to heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. He assured His disciples that He would not leave them orphaned, that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth would be revealed to them and would guide them in all truth.

Next Sunday we will celebrate this descent of the Holy Spirit – on Pentecost, Trinity Sunday. Today the Holy Church commemorates the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council - a gathering of the bishops of the Orthodox Church in the year 325 in the town of Nicea. They had gathered to meet in council to clarify and more clearly define the truths of our Holy Faith. This was done in response to many false teachings which were beginning to be seen in the early life of the Church.

Just as Christ had promised, these great fathers were guided by the Holy Spirit to rightly define and defend the truth of the Orthodox faith.  

In order to assure that these teachings were clear and known to all, the Council composed a short statement of these essential truths of the Orthodox faith – what we know as the Creed or Symbol of Faith. All Orthodox Christians should know the Creed by heart… it is part of our morning prayers and it is proclaimed at every celebration of the Divine Liturgy.

The Creed teaches us that we believe in One God, Who is also Three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This distinction and revelation of God as Trinity is uniquely understood by Christianity and is the key to a correct understanding of the nature of God, a loving Union of Three Persons in One. There are many false teachings that reject this pillar of truth. We learn that God created the heavens and the earth - the complexity and beauty of things did not just randomly evolve through nature. We learn of the nature of Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, begotten, not made; that He was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary; that he did indeed suffer and die and rise again. We learn of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Giver of Life, Who is equally worshipped and glorified. We declare and proclaim that there is one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church and we can confidently trace the unbroken teachings and succession of our bishops all the way back to Christ and the Apostles. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and life of the age to come.

I cannot emphasize strongly enough how foundationally important it is for us to have an Orthodox understanding of the basic tenets of our faith. This is not a matter of equipping ourselves to be persuasive in a debate, or of congratulating ourselves in holding the right and historic faith… Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, gaining a clear understanding of the truths of our Orthodox faith is a matter of aligning and purifying our mind and heart and soul for salvation.

For example… the discussions of the first several Councils of the Church centered around the clarification of the Who Christ is. Was He fully God? Was He fully Man? Did He have but one nature or did He have both a divine nature and a human nature?

These are not academic theological questions. The correct understanding of these questions has profound consequences on, not only Who Christ is, but also what He accomplished in His life and death and resurrection.

If we deny or diminish in any way the Divinity of Christ, we miss the mark in understanding the breadth and the depth of the love of God – Who deigned to become incarnate as a poor and vulnerable child, Who submitted Himself to the struggles of a human life. That it was God, None-Other than the Creator of all things visible and invisible, Who walked among us, Who, through the power of His Divinity, healed the blind and lame, Who expelled the demons, and Who, though He was fully God, willingly endured arrest, beatings, crucifixion, and death.

If we deny or diminish in any way the humanity of Christ, we miss the mark in recognizing and understanding the pain and loneliness that He suffered. We completely lose sight of the agony that Christ went through in the Garden of Gethsemene… where His very real human fear and suffering caused Him to sweat blood. We must never deny the victorious sufferings of the Man Who hung upon the cross and Who breathed His last saying ‘It is finished.’

Our salvation hinges upon this correct understanding of the fully Divine undergoing and overcoming the fully human. Christ takes on our humanity, He experiences it in all its pain even unto death. And because Christ retains the fullness of His Divinity, He heals and renews all aspects of the human experience – even triumphing over death by His death. And because the human experience has now been touched and healed by Divinity, we have the possibility of entering into that healed and restored humanity. The process of our salvation is the process of uniting ourselves to Christ, Who, as the Holy Councils have clearly proclaimed, unites the human and the Divine.

It is no coincidence that we celebrate the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council on this Sunday that bridges the accomplishments of our Lord Jesus Christ and anticipates now the descent of the Holy Spirit. We take stock today to glorify those holy fathers who defined and defended the truths of our faith. Let us reflect today and in the coming week on the wondrous revelation of all that God has given us. This Orthodox understanding provides the firm foundation upon which the seed of the fullness of the Grace of God can flourish and grow.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers may Christ our Lord have mercy on us!

Sunday of the Blind Man

In the Gospel reading for today, we see a blind man, one who was born blind from birth. One of the Church's traditions is that this man was not just born lacking eyesight, but rather he lacked eyeballs. He did not have the base organ which provided sight, so according to people around him, there was no way that he would ever be able to see.

This is where Jesus Christ came and brought about healing to this man. He took the dirt of the earth, formed a ball of clay, and placed this within the empty eyesocksets of the man. This is in fact what man is made after, dust of the earth. In a sense, Christ as the creator, recreated and gave this man what he was lacking. Through this, the man was able to see and perceive the world around him. He had been given physical eyes, but in fact he was also given spiritual eyes to see the glory and wonders of God. The pharisees in the Gospel were blind to the things of God which is why they accused the man of lying about his blindness.

Christ came to recreate that which was lacking, to rebuild us as new human beings. When we are baptized, we come out of the waters as a new creation. And that is where our life as Orthodox Christians begins, and how we see things need to change. We are called to see things different around us, not like the world around us sees it. Our eyes have been opened to see the glorious things of God.

There is a story of a man named Stamatis who had met Elder Paisios of Mount Athos. I think this story is very fitting since we see craziness in the world all around us. This story is one that takes sin and sees it differently than the world around us sees it. Elder Paisios heals this young man of his spiritual blindness by opening his eyes to God. This story begins with this man Stamatis, who was born in Germany to a Greek father and a German mother. He had a normal childhood, had good grades and eventually became a professor. During this time, he began to have a tendency and developed an affection for the same gender. He had met a man named Michalis, with whom he developed a relationship. However, Michalis was sick with AIDS. Stamatis had such craziness and love for him that he said: “I am going to get AIDS so we can be sick together!”. Michalis would not end up well with his disease. He got sick and went to the hospital. Stamatis would wait outside of the hospital, until he got the news that Michalis had passed away. And when Michalis died, Stamatis said “What am I to do for the one I love, God?” He received his answer; he was told by people around him to go to Mt. Athos and tell the fathers there to pray for the repose of the soul of Michalis. As we see, it was his passion which brought him to mount Athos.

Stamatos came to Mt. Athos, and there he met a Priest named Evangalos. This Evangalos was the one who took Stamatos to Elder Paisios. When Stamatos came to Elder Paisios and asked for his intercessions, Elder Paisios started to ask him: “My Stamatis, can you fast on Wednesdays and Fridays?" To which Stamatos replied with "I can". "You make so much money from the German college, you will keep 1/10 for you and the rest 9/10 you will give it to the poor…can you do that?"  "I can!", "Can you read the Akathist Hymn to Theotokos every day?" "I can!" "Can you, Stamatis, go to the hospital once a week and take care of a sick man who has nobody to help him?" "I can!" "Tell me, can you go find a spiritual father and confess?" "I can!" "Can you follow the canon prescribed [for you] by this spiritual father?" "Yes, I can!" "Can you go every Sunday to the Liturgy?" "Yes, I can!"

While they were talking, this guy Stamatis started shining, the darkness of his face was leaving and he began to shine.

And this is the most important part which St. Paisios said: "Go and do what you can…and God will do for you…what you cannot do for yourself!” What he was saying was:  Go and do what you can and let God fight your passion. Let God do for you what you cannot do.

Elder Paisios also told Stamatos in order to not remind him of his past passion: “You will never again remember that man Michalis! You will not even commemorate his name among the deceased ones! This will be the duty of the one over there" He said pointing to Father Evangelos. And Fr. Evangalos relates: “The first one I commemorate among the deceased ones, after my spiritual father and the elders and father Timotheos, the first one I commemorate is this servant of God, Michael. Why? Because it is an order from Elder Paisios.”

The Grace of the Holy Spirit covered Stamatis and he lived the rest of his life in an amazing spiritual state. Fast, all-night vigils, prayers, repentances, confession. He devoted himself to this. Whoever had AIDS and had not confessed, Stamatis would take a Priest to him so he could confess. Priests would not usually give Holy Communion to people with AIDS in the hospital at the time. When he found a priest who would give Holy Communion to them, he would drive him with his car to them so that the sick person could receive Holy Communion.

Elder Paisios saw this man differently, he saw him with the eyes of an Orthodox Christian. Elder Paisios did not shun Stamatos or turn him away saying he wants to have nothing to do with him as a lot of extreme Christians would do. At the same time, he did not take the other extreme and say that this man should continue to live his life in the sinful manner that he was living in. In fact, Elder Paisios took the middle path, the one that consists of love and repentance. He told the man simply, give your sin up to God, and God will take care of the rest. He saw within the heart of this man a desire for repentance, but one that was not shown to the rest of the world. And this man came to repentance precisely through fasting, prayers, vigils, attending services, and confession. These are given to us to heal our spiritual blindness, and be able to see God. We just have to do them and do them with a clear and pure heart. And as God took care of the blind man, and healed that which was lacking, He too, will take care of us and heal that which is lacking within ourselves.

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

(John 4:5- 42)

In the Gospel appointed for this fifth Sunday of Pascha, we hear of our Lord’s conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. Our Lord and His disciples had been journeying from Judea, headed toward Galilee, and came to rest and get some refreshment in the heat of the midday. While the disciples went into the town to buy some food, Jesus rested next to the village well. A Samaritan woman approached to draw water from the well and our Lord entered into conversation with her.

There are many remarkable things which we can learn from this Gospel encounter. I would like to focus on three things for our edification: first, Christ’s recognition and restoration; second, the omnipresence of God; and third, that we are to worship in spirit and in truth.

Let’s speak first about Christ’s recognition and restoration. It was a shock not only to the disciples, but to the Samaritan woman herself, that Christ would deign to speak with her. Not only was this woman something of an outcast within her village due to her immoral ways, but as a Samaritan, it was unthinkable that a Jew would speak to her – ‘for Jews had no dealings with Samaritans’.

We see from this account, and from many others, that Jesus Christ does not turn anyone away. He ‘came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.’ Christ recognizes the image of God in each person – that image which He placed there when each person was conceived. Our Lord sees that icon within the person, no matter what the circumstances of life may have done to that person, no matter how that person may have darkened that interior icon. The work of our Lord is the work of ‘icon restoration’… restoring the damaged image toward its pristine beauty. Christ does not reject the Samaritan woman, though she is a sinner and an outcast. He recognizes that image within her and He calls her toward the healing of who she was meant to be.

May God grant us the spiritual clarity to see the icon of Christ within each person and within ourselves. No matter how darkened and damaged that icon may be… may we recognize it and heed the call of restoring that icon to its fullness and beauty.

The second lesson from today’s Gospel account is our Lord’s teaching on the omnipresence of God. The Samaritan woman spoke about how her people worshipped God on the mountain and how the Jews worshipped God in Jerusalem. Christ responded to her: ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father… But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.’

Christ is revealing to her, and to us, the omnipresence of God… that He is everywhere present and fillest all things. One of the root problems which leads us into temptation and sin is our forgetfulness of God. If we could remember one thing and one thing only, we would do well to remember the presence of God at all times and in all places.            Imagine if we were at work, going about our day to day business, but doing so with the conscious awareness of the presence of God. How would such an awareness change the way we behave, the way we speak, the way we think? The reality is that God is indeed present at all times and in all places: at work, at home, at school, while you wait in traffic or in lines… He is always there. If we could simply open our spiritual eyes and see His presence – this one thing would provide such tremendous comfort on the one hand, and such a thorough check on all we do and say and think on the other hand.

May God grant us to be awake to His presence at all times and in all places!

Finally, the third item for us to reflect on this morning is Christ’s call for us to worship in spirit and in truth. What does this mean?...

It is a very good thing for us to worship God… to come to church, to sing his praises, to stand daily before our icons and to say our prayers. We must make sure that these good practices are igniting our souls to worship in spirit and in truth. Quite often our prayers may go no further than the level of ‘psalmody’. Psalmody is the reading of prayers, and it is an essential and wonderful thing for us to do. But if the reading of our prayers or the singing of our chants goes no further than engaging our mind and our tongue, then we are falling short of Christ’s call to worship in spirit and in truth.

When we pray in a way which touches the spirit, we move beyond mere recitation of words, we move beyond our emotional reactions… when the spirit is engaged, we become aware of our conscience, we become aware and concerned of those things which create obstacles between us and the love and grace of God. When the spirit is engaged our attention is wholly directed upon the Person of God… we stand in awe and trembling, in love and admiration and gratitude to our Father in Heaven, and we are stirred by that indescribable joyful-sorrow of longing for God… that sense of ‘homesickness for Heaven’. Such prayer can be wordless… it is a standing before the Lord in awe and in love.

And all of our prayer must be sincere and truthful. God pays more attention to the inclination of our heart than He might to the flapping of our tongue. Pray in sincerity… be grateful to God, praise Him for His generosity and love, if you are feeling spiritually empty – reach out to Him in honesty and ask Him for His grace to restore you. It is a marvelous thing to realize the depth and the breadth of the love of God. There is no need to hide or to be false… open your heart to the One Who can restore that icon within you.

Through the prayers of our holy mother Photini, the Samaritan woman at the well, may God grant us the wisdom and generosity to recognize the image of God in everyone we meet, may we be aware of His presence at all times and in all places, and may we worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

(John 4:5- 42)

In the Gospel appointed for this fifth Sunday of Pascha, we hear of our Lord’s conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. Our Lord and His disciples had been journeying from Judea, headed toward Galilee, and came to rest and get some refreshment in the heat of the midday. While the disciples went into the town to buy some food, Jesus rested next to the village well. A Samaritan woman approached to draw water from the well and our Lord entered into conversation with her.

There are many remarkable things which we can learn from this Gospel encounter. I would like to focus on three things for our edification: first, Christ’s recognition and restoration; second, the omnipresence of God; and third, that we are to worship in spirit and in truth.

Let’s speak first about Christ’s recognition and restoration. It was a shock not only to the disciples, but to the Samaritan woman herself, that Christ would deign to speak with her. Not only was this woman something of an outcast within her village due to her immoral ways, but as a Samaritan, it was unthinkable that a Jew would speak to her – ‘for Jews had no dealings with Samaritans’.

We see from this account, and from many others, that Jesus Christ does not turn anyone away. He ‘came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.’ Christ recognizes the image of God in each person – that image which He placed there when each person was conceived. Our Lord sees that icon within the person, no matter what the circumstances of life may have done to that person, no matter how that person may have darkened that interior icon. The work of our Lord is the work of ‘icon restoration’… restoring the damaged image toward its pristine beauty. Christ does not reject the Samaritan woman, though she is a sinner and an outcast. He recognizes that image within her and He calls her toward the healing of who she was meant to be.

May God grant us the spiritual clarity to see the icon of Christ within each person and within ourselves. No matter how darkened and damaged that icon may be… may we recognize it and heed the call of restoring that icon to its fullness and beauty.

The second lesson from today’s Gospel account is our Lord’s teaching on the omnipresence of God. The Samaritan woman spoke about how her people worshipped God on the mountain and how the Jews worshipped God in Jerusalem. Christ responded to her: ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father… But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.’

Christ is revealing to her, and to us, the omnipresence of God… that He is everywhere present and fillest all things. One of the root problems which leads us into temptation and sin is our forgetfulness of God. If we could remember one thing and one thing only, we would do well to remember the presence of God at all times and in all places.            Imagine if we were at work, going about our day to day business, but doing so with the conscious awareness of the presence of God. How would such an awareness change the way we behave, the way we speak, the way we think? The reality is that God is indeed present at all times and in all places: at work, at home, at school, while you wait in traffic or in lines… He is always there. If we could simply open our spiritual eyes and see His presence – this one thing would provide such tremendous comfort on the one hand, and such a thorough check on all we do and say and think on the other hand.

May God grant us to be awake to His presence at all times and in all places!

Finally, the third item for us to reflect on this morning is Christ’s call for us to worship in spirit and in truth. What does this mean?...

It is a very good thing for us to worship God… to come to church, to sing his praises, to stand daily before our icons and to say our prayers. We must make sure that these good practices are igniting our souls to worship in spirit and in truth. Quite often our prayers may go no further than the level of ‘psalmody’. Psalmody is the reading of prayers, and it is an essential and wonderful thing for us to do. But if the reading of our prayers or the singing of our chants goes no further than engaging our mind and our tongue, then we are falling short of Christ’s call to worship in spirit and in truth.

When we pray in a way which touches the spirit, we move beyond mere recitation of words, we move beyond our emotional reactions… when the spirit is engaged, we become aware of our conscience, we become aware and concerned of those things which create obstacles between us and the love and grace of God. When the spirit is engaged our attention is wholly directed upon the Person of God… we stand in awe and trembling, in love and admiration and gratitude to our Father in Heaven, and we are stirred by that indescribable joyful-sorrow of longing for God… that sense of ‘homesickness for Heaven’. Such prayer can be wordless… it is a standing before the Lord in awe and in love.

And all of our prayer must be sincere and truthful. God pays more attention to the inclination of our heart than He might to the flapping of our tongue. Pray in sincerity… be grateful to God, praise Him for His generosity and love, if you are feeling spiritually empty – reach out to Him in honesty and ask Him for His grace to restore you. It is a marvelous thing to realize the depth and the breadth of the love of God. There is no need to hide or to be false… open your heart to the One Who can restore that icon within you.

Through the prayers of our holy mother Photini, the Samaritan woman at the well, may God grant us the wisdom and generosity to recognize the image of God in everyone we meet, may we be aware of His presence at all times and in all places, and may we worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women

Mark 15:43 – 16:8

Today, on this third Sunday of Pascha, we commemorate the myrrh-bearing women: Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Cleopas, Joanna, Salome, Susanna, Mary and Martha the sisters of Lazarus, and Mary the mother of Apostle James. These dear souls had the courage born of love to dare to venture forth and approach the tomb of our Lord in order to anoint Him and honor Him.

While all the other disciples hid in fear of the authorities in those uncertain hours following the death of Christ, these women dared to venture out in the dark hours of the early morning to approach His tomb. Guards had been posted there to keep watch lest any of the disciples might come to take away the Body of our Lord. And the entrance to the tomb had been sealed by a huge boulder which these women had no chance of moving. From a worldly point of view there was nothing awaiting them at the tomb of Christ other than danger and probable arrest by the guards. It was an impossible situation!

Yet, they went anyway… And when they arrived at the tomb, not only had the guards fled away, but the massive boulder that sealed the tomb had been miraculously rolled aside and their way was open before them. As they entered the tomb, an angel of the Lord arrayed in a white robe was there to greet them and these courageous women were the first people to hear the wonderful news that Christ had risen.

Today we celebrate these exemplary women, the myrrh-bearers, the ones who were the first to hear the news of the resurrection. Today is the day in which we recognize those myrrh-bearers within our parishes… those exemplary women who do so much for the Lord – working for the Church, for our community, for our families. In all these ways, these women follow in the footsteps of those brave women who, using their God-given intuitive sense of love and care, courageously venture forth to do the right thing, to remain faithful. May God bless and continue to give strength and encouragement to our Orthodox women!

And as we recognize and celebrate the strength and the virtues of women, we must unfortunately acknowledge the unbelievable identity crisis which seems to be gripping our modern world. The very notion of what is a man and what is a woman is being questioned and challenged. I read in the news just the other week that a term is being adopted in universities, on capitol hill, in the media and elsewhere to no longer refer to women as women, but to use the term ‘birthing people’. What madness, and what an insult to the uniqueness and to the nobility of the God-given gifts He bestows upon a woman.  

St Anthony the Great once said, in words that are prophetically accurate of our times: ‘A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, “You are mad; since you are not like us.”’

With each passing day, I think it is clear to say, that we are living in such times.

The modern world, in its ignorance, seeks to disregard and disrespect the God-given characteristics that make a man a man and a woman a woman. In pursuing what they think is freedom and liberation, they are fashioning the chains that will enslave them. God has made us male and female, and the characteristics of masculinity and femininity are distinct and complementary. We do a great disservice to our boys and girls, to our young men and our young women, when we attempt to confuse and trivialize those gender roles.

May God, and may we, have compassion on those who are so confused. Most of these poor souls are the casualties of our mixed-up, Godless culture. Let us have compassion and let us pray… but let us stand firm that we will not fall for nor condone this madness that seeks to blur the distinctions of what it means to be a human being in the fulness and the beauty as God created us.

The myrrh-bearing women demonstrate for us the incredible high-calling and specialness of what it is to be a woman of God. They shine forth those wonderful attributes of femininity which should be cherished and honored by men and women alike. Among those attributes are the feminine and maternal sense of wishing to care for someone she loves. That ‘mama-bear’ courage that will stop at nothing to assure that the one she loves is not harmed but is nurtured and cared for. That selfless and intuitive sensitivity that aligns with the frequency of God and allows her to somehow know what is needed and when.

I could go on extolling the unique attributes which make a woman such a wonder of God’s creation. Certainly, one of the most unique and miraculous attributes of womanhood is the wondrous ability to form within her womb a new creation, a new human being whom she will nurture and bring forth into this world. This is not a ‘birthing person’… this is a woman and a mother, and may we defend her and may God bless her in all these things!

Let us celebrate and glorify today the myrrh-bearing women. They exemplify all that is best in the virtues of being a woman. When all others ran away and hid for fear of the Jewish and Roman authorities, it was the women who stood by the Cross of our Lord, who anointed him and wrapped him in linen and attended His burial, and who – on that fateful and glorious day – followed their intuition and love and set out in the early morning for the tomb, to discover the stone rolled away and to be the first to hear the angelic pronouncement ‘He is not here, He is risen!’

Christ is risen! Христос воскресе! Hristos a înviat!

Thomas Sunday

            We have come to the first Sunday after the glorious feast of Pascha. After going through over 40 days of lenten struggle we have come to the bright feast and 40 days of feasting. This first Sunday is the Sunday of Thomas. In the west, he is known as doubting Thomas, and yet that name for him is not what the ancient Church believed. Yes, at first he did doubt the resurrection of Christ, and asked for proof of Christ's resurrection. However, he was the only one in all the Gospels who refers to Christ God directly, by saying: "My Lord, and my God". In the Orthodox Church icons depicting Thomas seeing the resurrection of Christ have the inscription of: "The belief of Thomas". The Orthodox Church actually focuses on his belief, the positive part and not on the negative part.

            Similarly to this, we see that Christ had suffered for three days in Holy Week. He suffered on Holy Wednesday, when Judas had betrayed him, he suffered on Holy Thursday when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane, and he suffered on the Cross on Holy Friday. However, he rose from the dead, and now we celebrate for 40 days. We do not focus on the sufferings of Christ but rather we focus on how his resurrection brings up joy and light! Again, the focus is on the positive and not on the negative.

            So this past year has had many negative things about it. Last year, on Holy Pascha, many had to watch the service from home on TV. While it was a blessing that we could still have services, watching the services in our homes could not bring that same fulfilment that coming to Church would bring. In a sense looking back, we might want to focus on the negative, how horrible it was, and all the difficulties that we went through. And yet, we should not look at the negative aspect of the past, but rather the positive blessings we have received from God! Look at all we have received. About 3 weeks before Pascha, we received the amazing news that our Churches would be completely open. God, in His providence, had brought upon us this blessing through our faith and prayer. Imagine if Pascha was earlier, like western easter, we would not have been able to gather together like we did. Our Church also had a great blessing since we also had a full Church of people. What a truly blessed day we had all experienced!

            So beloved in the Lord, now that our Churches are opened, and God willing the past year is behind us, let us look to the future with a positive attitude. The Apostle Thomas, together with the other Apostles, saw the risen Christ. And when they did, they were all transformed, changed, and became new people. Christ forgave them for their unbelief - especially Peter for denying him thrice. He did not focus on the negativity of the sin they committed, but rather He focused on the positivity of forgiveness and the great and mighty works the Apostles did after Christ rose from the dead. Let us too not live in the negativity of the past, but rather embrace the positivity of the resurrection of Christ.

            Elder Paisios spoke how we should have positive thoughts, and not live in negativity. Since we have passed through Holy Week and Pascha, now this quote really should resonate with us. Elder Paisios speaks the following: “We must have positive thoughts, otherwise none of the spiritual fathers- not even the saints- can help us. When Jesus was on the Cross and all the terrible events were taking place, two thieves were also being crucified with Him. Each one of them had a different attitude towards Him, even though they were both placed next to the same God; a God who had never been blamed for or accused by anyone for the slightest sin. On the contrary, many people were benefited by Him: some were cured of a specific disease, others had been resurrected and all these miracles took place in public. Now, even nature was reacting against the injustice done to Him.

          The thief placed on the left cross had created inside his mind a “factory”, which produced only negative thoughts. “…One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us’.” (Lk 23:39). Although he could see what was going on around him, he never questioned himself about it. The one on the right, who had a positive way of thinking, reacted as follows: “But the other rebuked him saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’ And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom’.” (Lk 23:40-42). Both thieves had the same almighty God placed between them who could help them. The negative thinking of the one on the left prevented God from helping him, whereas the one on the right- who had committed terrible crimes and was legitimately being punished- was able to “move” Jesus with his positive attitude. And He said to him: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Lk 23:43). We should keep in mind that God “cannot” help us, even if He really wants to, unless we acquire a positive way of thinking. Concerning the spiritual progress of a disciple monk, it is more important for him to develop good thoughts than to be guided by a spiritual father who is considered a living saint…”

            We should be so joyful that we have such a great faith where we can say Christ is Risen! And know that we have everlasting life awaiting for us after our repose.

Reverend Fathers, Venerable Monastics, and Pious Faithful of the Western American Diocese ROCOR: Precious Children of the Church, my beloved flock:

CHRIST IS RISEN!

The rising of the Lord from the grave is the anticipation of faithful Christians each year, but for many people no more so than at present. A year ago, it was not possible to
be in the churches for Pascha, on account of State restrictions relating to the pandemic, and this sad reality persisted for a very long time. But God is merciful, and recently we have been able, in this God-preserved Diocese, to return to a life of more-or-less liturgical “normalcy,” celebrating and participating in the Sacraments of the Church together, clergy and faithful united in our sacred worship.

There is always suffering and death before resurrection. This is the principal message we receive from the experience of Great Lent, and especially Holy Week. Christ
defeats death and hades, but He does not do this without walking through the “shadow of death,” which indeed becomes more than a shadow: it becomes His reality, offering His life on the Cross. Suffering is not evaded by Christ, nor does He promise to Christians that they will escape it. Rather, He calls us to suffer with Him, that we might also die with Him and rise with Him. And so, as this past year has been one of suffering in different ways, including in our Church life, we have not despaired. Gifts of which we have been deprived, are returned to us; souls that have sorrowed are made joyful; and lives that felt pain and the sorrow of separation from normal Church life, taste again the joy of our sacramental life.

May the angelic pronouncement of this Feast of Feasts touch all your hearts on this day: “Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!”

Palm Sunday

Today our Lord Jesus Christ enters into Jerusalem, hailed as the King of Israel. A great multitude of people greet Him with palm branches and cry out: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

All of Jerusalem turns out to greet their Messiah, an event which had been prophesied and anticipated for many ages. Our Lord had been ministering to the people: teaching, healing, and performing miracles of compassionate love for three years. His fame and the news of His miracles had spread far and wide, and now, with His entry into Jerusalem, the people of Israel were taken up with enthusiasm that their King had arrived and that the time of their triumph would soon be inaugurated.

These people were expecting Christ to reign as an earthly king… that the time was at hand when Israel would overthrow the tyranny of Rome - and Jesus Christ, one of their own, would sit on the throne of Israel as their king. Their reading of the prophecies was worldly and even the disciples of the Lord continued to misunderstand the otherworldly message of Christ.

Imagine how shocked and disillusioned they all must have been when Christ was arrested, mocked and scourged, and paraded through the streets of Jerusalem as a common criminal to then be crucified amid thieves. This was an earth shattering and soul shattering event!

The people of Jerusalem expected Christ to lead them into victory… how disappointed and bitter they became when He instead accepted and embraced His suffering and death. Within less than a week the people went from shouting ‘Hosanna!’ to shouting ‘Crucify Him!’

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… what about us? What are our expectations of God? Do we approach God with expectations of victory – that all of our prayers will be answered according to our will, that God will bless us with health and wealth and an easy life? And when things do not go our way, as they inevitably will… when troubles overwhelm us, when our health fails us, when sin continually defeats us… do our cries shift from praise of God to doubting Him or even cursing Him? Do we find ourselves disappointed in God?

What do we expect from God? This is a serious question and one that deserves our attention…

So often we behave as though we expect God to be our good luck charm and our wishing well. If I say my prayers and keep my fast and follow all the rules, then God will bless me with everything I need and ask for.

Or perhaps we behave as though we expect God’s wrath and punishment at any moment. If I say my prayers and keep my fast and follow all the rules, then God will spare me from His vengeance upon mankind.

If the primary motivation of our Christian life is based on fear, or on the expectation of reward - we are missing the mark and missing the experience of the true depths and joys of the life in Christ.

From the creation of the world; to His incarnation and mission of preaching, healing, and bestowing grace upon mankind; to His sufferings and death upon a cross, and His glorious resurrection and ascension into Heaven; to His establishment of His Holy Church wherein all the grace of God is bestowed upon mankind… The consistent activity and purpose of our Lord has been His self-giving generosity of love upon mankind.

                Brothers and sisters in Christ… this is our God! A God Who loves us so completely that He lays down His life for us! A God Who knows that true and eternal love is not born from fear of punishment or from hope of reward, but is born from self-emptying generosity of heart and soul.

This is what we may expect from God… self-emptying generosity of love. And this must be our gift and our approach to God… a self-emptying generosity of love for Him. And with this we may rejoice no matter what comes our way… in good times and bad times we may live in the context and under the loving care of God.

Christ our Lord enters today into Jerusalem. May Christ our Lord enter also today into our heart! Let us greet Him with honor and reverence. Let us greet Him with the understanding of His true purpose – the restoration and healing of our soul.

My dear brothers and sisters… we enter now into the sacred days of Holy Week. Let us watch and pray. One of the most heartbreaking scenes in all of the Gospels is in the Garden of Gethsemene when Christ asks His disciples to stay awake with Him in His hour of sorrow. And yet, the disciples succumb to sleep. Christ has prayed in agony and returns to His disciples to find them asleep. ‘Could you not watch one hour?’ He pleads… How sad and how it pierces our own heart… for don’t we find ourselves also unable to stay spiritually awake and to be with Christ in these days of His sufferings?

Let us be with Him as He endures the arrest, the trial, the mockings, and His ultimate sacrifice. If we will stay spiritually awake and immerse ourselves in these events of Holy Week, our joy in greeting the news of Christ’s glorious resurrection will be all the more bright and radiant.

May God give us the strength and attention to watch and pray, that we may be with Him this week in His sorrows as we await the joyful news of our Lord’s resurrection in just one week’s time.

Fifth Sunday of Lent – St Mary of Egypt

One of the great treasures that we have during great lent is the reading of the life of St Mary of Egypt. In the liturgical cycle, on the fifth week of lent during service of the reading of the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, it is prescribed to read St Mary's life split in two parts.. There are many things very striking about her life. Every year as I hear her life something new seems to stick out. This year is no different.

            The first thing that struck out to me is when St. Mary speaks about her sin of fornication. She speaks to St. Zosima about how she lived a life of debauchery, seducing innocents to do unseemly acts. This grave sin of hers was the factor which prevented her from entering the Church where the Life-Giving Cross of Christ was present. It was only until she asked forgiveness and prayed to the Mother of God that she was allowed in the Church. I would like to read the prayer that she said which led to her true repentance:  "Lady, Mother of God, who gave birth in the flesh to God the Word, I know, O how well I know, that it is no honour or praise to thee when one so impure and depraved as I look up to thy icon, O ever-virgin, who didst keep thy body and soul in purity. Rightly do I inspire hatred and disgust before thy virginal purity. But I have heard that God Who was born of thee became man on purpose to call sinners to repentance. Then help me, for I have no other help. Order the entrance of the church to be opened to me. Allow me to see the venerable Tree on which He Who was born of thee suffered in the flesh and on which He shed His holy Blood for the redemption of sinners an for me, unworthy as I am. Be my faithful witness before thy son that I will never again defile my body by the impurity of fornication, but as soon as I have seen the Tree of the Cross I will renounce the world and its temptations and will go wherever thou wilt lead me". This profound transformation she had was due to finally seeing the impurity of her sin and how it brought a separation from God.

            So, what is so striking about this part of St. Mary's life? As I listened to it this year, I put myself in the shoes of someone who had no religious upbringing. I would say that a person who does not have any Christian moral teachings, would hear the life of St. Mary, they would be puzzled why her acts of fornication are looked with such disdain. In fact, the modern response would probably be trying to justify that what St. Mary was doing was in fact normal and should be celebrated. I can say with certainty that this twist of transforming sin into being viewed as normal is surely planted by the father of lies, the devil. In fact, what a strange time we live in… where most people live like St. Mary was and yet they do not find contrition in their hearts.

            So, we can see that repentance begins when one acknowledges sin. This was the way that St. Mary was able to overcome her sin when she had come face to face with the True God and could only realize that her fornication and sinful life were what was preventing her from entering the Church. Similarly, God sends tribulations to people living here on the earth in order to bring them to a realization of what they are doing is wrong. And yet people still justify themselves and still try to indulge in sin without turning towards God. This is what leads people away from God, the fact that they CHOOSE the pleasures of this world over God.

            St. Mary had that choice. When she came to the church and could not enter, she could have said: "What kind of God would prevent me to enter this building? Isn't God love? Why doesn't he love me the way I am? I don't want to have anything to do with this God!" And yet this is the typical response hear today when hardships are sent in order to correct one’s life and to bring them to change their way of life. This justification of sin is what pushes people further and further away from God.

            So, as we come to this final Sunday of Lent, since next Sunday is considered a feast day, let us keep in our hearts the humility of St. Mary. St Mary, in order to free herself of her sinful struggles, did humble herself, came to a realization of her sins, and worked for over 47 years in order to wage war against sin in the desert. Through her struggle and effort, she was able to cleanse herself and become united to Christ. She was able to survive without food or water and even performed mighty miracles. Let us then be edified by the following words of St. John Maximovich when he speaks of the works we have to do in order to be saved by God: "Now the Church consists of both her earthly and heavenly parts, for the Son of God came to earth and became man that He might lead man into heaven and make him once again a citizen of Paradise, returning to him his original state of sinlessness and wholeness and uniting him unto Himself. This is accomplished by the action of Divine grace granted through the Church, but man’s effort is also required. God saves His fallen creature by His own love for him, but man’s love for his Creator is also necessary; without it he cannot by saved. Striving towards God and cleaving unto the Lord by its humble love, the human soul obtains power to cleanse itself from sin and to strengthen itself for the struggle to complete victory over sin."

            Let us therefore in these final days before Christ's saving passion come to a realization of our sins, and summon strength to be able to cleanse ourselves from all the filth of this world, through the prayers of our Holy Mother Mary

Fourth Sunday of Great Lent – St John of the Ladder

(Mark 9:17-31)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we come to the fourth Sunday of Great Lent. On this day we commemorate a great saint of the church, St. John of Ladder, and we hear the Gospel account of the healing of the boy possessed by a demon. There are some important and fundamental lessons for us to gather from these two sources and, as always, the Holy Church is so wise in giving us these lessons and this encouragement at precisely the right time as we are now past the midway point and deep into the season of repentance that is Great Lent.

St John is an important father of the Church… he lived in the early part of the 6th century and spent 40 years of his life as a hermit in the deserts of Palestine. Toward the end of his life he was called back to the monastery where he was made its abbot, a post which he humbly accepted and dutifully performed until his repose. It was during this time of his abbacy that he wrote his famous work ‘The Ladder of Divine Ascent’. This spiritual magnum opus describes the path to salvation as a ladder of some thirty steps, each virtue building upon the one before it, and leading the Christian toward heaven. In this great work we read first of the rungs of ‘Renunciation of the World’, then ‘Detachment’ and ‘Exile’… cutting ourselves off from our obsessions with the things of this world. We later read of the rungs discussing the struggles against ‘Remembering Wrongs’, ‘Slander’, ‘Despondency’ and the other passions which try to pull us down. As the Christian makes his upward climb we later read of such things as ‘Vigil’, ‘Simplicity’, ‘Prayer’, and finally we reach the summit of ‘Love’.

When reading the Ladder of Divine Ascent, one may be struck by the severity and spiritual athleticism of the Christian struggle described there. The early rungs of the ladder in which the Christian renounces the seductions of this world and strives to focus himself on his ascent toward Christ are challenging and demand our utmost effort. This is true with almost any serious effort… the beginning stages are difficult as we shed bad habits and learn to acquire new and proper ways of doing something. Persistence and patience are required and we must keep our eyes fixed upon our ultimate objective, Christ our Lord… Who, like the father of the prodigal son, waits and watches and longs for our return.

And, isn’t it interesting to realize the almost childlike simplicity of the virtues described near the summit of the climb toward Christ? There at the top rungs of the ladder we do not find complicated theology or esoteric wisdom… we find simplicity, prayer, and finally at the very top rung, love.

Listen to the words of St John of the Ladder as he describes prayer: ‘Don't use in prayer falsely wise words; because it is often the simple and uncomplicated whispering of children that rejoices our heavenly Father. Don't try to say much when you speak to God, because otherwise your mind in search of words will be lost in them. One word spoken by the publican brought Divine mercy upon him; one word filled with faith saved the thief on the cross. The use of the multiplicity of words when we pray disperses our mind and fills it with imaginations. One word spoken to God collects the mind in His presence. And if a word, in thy prayer, reaches you deeply, if you perceive it profoundly - dwell in it, dwell in it, because at such moments our Angel guardian prays with us because we are true to ourselves and to God.’

This kind of honesty and vulnerability in prayer is demonstrated perfectly for us in today’s Gospel reading. In today’s Gospel from St Mark we heard about the boy possessed by demons. The demons caused the child to sometimes throw himself into the fire and sometimes into the water. Those who cared for the boy brought him to Jesus and begged Him that, if He was able, to have compassion and heal the boy. Our Lord responded, ‘If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ To this the father of the boy replied, ‘I believe O Lord, help my unbelief!’ In other words, ‘Oh Lord, I believe as far as I am capable of believing in my limitations and imperfections. I want to believe perfectly, but I fall short and I need your help and your grace.’

This is an honest prayer! And it was at this prayer that our Lord gave the command and the demons fled from the child, leaving him free from their torments.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have the great hope that ‘all things are possible to those who believe’. We must believe and we must beg God to help us in our lack of belief! To believe is not simply to believe in God… acknowledging that He exists; but to believe in God… the way I might say ‘I believe in you.’ I’m not just acknowledging your existence, I’m saying I trust you, I have faith in you, I will always think the best of you and assume your good intentions. This is what we must mean when we say we believe in God… we put our trust in Him, we know He loves us and we, in turn, love Him to such an extent that we would give our lives to Him. This is the great paradox of life and of faith - ‘For he who would save his life will lose it; but he who loses his life for my sake and for the Gospel’s sake will save it.’ It is such a seeming contradiction for us to be asked to surrender in order to achieve the ultimate triumph. But this is precisely what our Lord calls us to do and it is through the means of fasting, prayer, and belief that we climb the ladder to our heavenly homeland.

May God, through the prayers of our holy father John of the Ladder, give us the strength and wisdom to make our climb, avoiding the demonic extremes of casting ourselves into the fire on one side or the water on the other side; but ascending with patience, with perseverance, and equipped with the tools of prayer, fasting, and heartfelt belief in the goodness and mercy of God.

Third Sunday of Great Lent – Veneration of the Cross

(Mark 8:34 – 9:1)

Today is the third Sunday of Great Lent  – we are midway through our spiritual pilgrimage taking us toward Holy Week and the bright Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. On this day we venerate the Holy Cross of our Lord. The Holy Cross is brought before us today as a reminder of the Lenten struggle and as a great consolation and inspiration… that Christ is with us and that His victorious Resurrection is on the horizon now – just a few weeks away!

Today’s Holy Gospel also provides for us Christ’s teaching about the necessity of denying our self, taking up our cross, and following Him. This threefold prescription provides clear instruction as to what we must do if we are to make progress in our spiritual journey.

First, we must deny ourselves. Pride is the original and underlying sin that separates mankind from God and from each other. If we look deeply for the root cause of so much of our self-inflicted sufferings, we will find that selfishness and pride are the fuel that feed the fire of our sins. When we argue, when we are offended, when our plans are thwarted by some obstacle, when we don’t get what we want, when we are frustrated or depressed or disappointed – all of these things are manifestations of an underlying pride and self-preoccupation. If we truly and deeply believed in and trusted in God and desired His holy will to be done in our lives, denying our own will, then these inevitable occurrences would be handled very differently – not disturbing the peace of our soul, not fanning the flames of frustration and conflict. In denying ourselves we open ourselves up to, and make way for, the possibility of accepting God and His holy will. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “to deny oneself is to be dead to sin, but alive to God.”

Secondly, we are to take up our cross. Taking up one’s cross means to accept without complaint and to endure with patience whatever sorrows or difficulties are set before us. It means to accept and courageously take on whatever responsibilities and uphill battles there might be in front of us. Each and every one of us has major and minor crosses that we must bear in this life. Perhaps we suffer from illness, perhaps we are out of work or we’re struggling to make ends meet, perhaps we have difficult relationships with others in our lives. These challenges can either make us or break us. We can approach them with resentment, anger, and frustration – wishing that things were different and being miserable that they are not; or we can approach them with humility, acceptance, and patience – calling upon God to be with us in our struggles and to give us strength.

Taking up one’s cross not only means to accept and deal with what comes our way, it also means that we recognize and proactively respond to the call of God in our life. We must not shrink away from opportunities to do good, to show love, and to give of ourselves in serving God.

And so, we say ‘no’ to our selfish pride and we say ‘yes’ to Christ and His cross, and then, as our third step, we are to follow Him… St Innocent of Alaska wrote that: “Following Jesus Christ means accepting with faith and submitting to all that Christ taught without question and with simplicity of heart. He who accepts Jesus Christ’s words becomes His disciple, but he who fulfills His commandments with complete devotion becomes His true and devoted follower.” We are to accept His words and fulfill His commandments with devotion. In this pursuit we are to engage our entire being – our body, our mind, our heart, and our will.

We follow Jesus Christ with our body by keeping it pure, by disciplining ourselves, by caring for it as a gift from God provided to us along our way to salvation. Our body and our physical senses are engaged in following Christ and building an awareness of God by opening our eyes to the beauty of God’s world. When we come into the church we gaze upon the beauty of the icons, we smell the incense, we hear the chanting praise to God… We strive to bring our physical appetites under control through fasting, through prostrations, through standing with attention while at prayer. The discipline of fasting puts a bridle on the selfishness of our body and helps us to bring it into its proper place of service to the spirit in our spiritual efforts.

We follow Jesus Christ with our mind by studying the holy Word of God, by reading the lives of saints, by listening to and attending to the theology presented in our worship. We follow Christ by guarding our mind from attachment to frivolous and evil thoughts that come at us like pesky flies.

We follow Jesus Christ with our heart by prayer and by enkindling the flame of love that God blesses us with. We need to be vigilant against allowing our hearts to grow cold and uncaring, but must instead be actively building that warmth of heart that comes from loving God - demonstrating and pouring out this love through active and practical and self-sacrificing love for our neighbor.

And we follow Jesus Christ with our will by living a life of determination and purpose, keeping our eyes fixed on our ultimate objective – Christ and His heavenly kingdom. We enlist our will in following Christ when we strive to keep the commandments of God and the disciplines of the Church. And we must do so with patience and sobriety… as St Seraphim of Sarov instructed: “Whether you have eaten too much or you have done something else of this kind, because of the weakness of human nature, do not become indignant, do not add another harm to the harm which has already happened, but impel yourself manly to correct it and at the same time to preserve peace of soul.” We should not get rattled when we fall, but acknowledge our failure, seek forgiveness, and then get up and get moving again.

The Holy Cross is brought out before us at this midway point in Lent to serve as a sign of encouragement, to remind us in our sufferings of the One Who redeemed all suffering, to point the way toward the promised Resurrection. May the Holy Cross of our Lord be for us that signpost along the way – inspiring and encouraging us to renew our efforts to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Second Sunday of Great Lent – St Gregory Palamas

Fr Andrew Gliga

            One of the most important attributes sought out in someone's professional career is experience. We see that in order to get a job at a company one needs to have some sort of experience in that field. And when someone has a lot of experience in a given field, they are sought out much more from all the big companies. This makes sense, especially since those people with experience have had a first hand view of both failures and success, and they know exactly what they need to do in order to succeed in their given profession. School can bring some preparation to that, but studying in books is not the same as actually experiencing something firsthand. This is also true from the Church; our faith is an experiential faith, one that we have to live out to the fullest.

I want to start off with a story: There was a child who was somewhat illiterate and could not learn his lessons and keep up with his classmates. His father, Constantine, after several unsuccessful attempts for the child to learn properly, finally told him that every morning before going to school he would do three prostrations in front of the icon of the Mother of God and ask her aid to help him at school.

When the child was doing this, he would soon become the “first student” in the class. When he had forgotten to do the prostrations before the icon of the Mother of God, he was again the “last”. Thus, in addition to a great culture, the young child acquired very great piety towards the Mother of God. This experience grounds him in the faith and begins to transform his life.  Unfortunately, while still young, his father dies, and the Byzantine Emperor Andronicus II Palaiologos took him under his protection and had high hopes that the young man would serve at his courtyard. However, he would be tonsured as a monk at barely 20 years of age on Holy Mountain of Athos and at the Monastery of Vatopedi under the leadership of Saint Nicodemus the Hesychast.

This child grew up to be St. Gregory Palamas who we commemorate today. St. Gregory lived in the 14th century. During that time, another monk named Barlaam began to say that the monks on Mount Athos were wasting time in prayer, since God is unknowable. He said that instead the monks should be focusing on studying about God. A council was convened in Constantinople in 1341 where St. Gerogry refuted Barlaam. Part of St Gregory's rebuttal was that he had lived the life of hesychasm (or stillness), and in that experience, he was able to see the uncreated light of God. This was also attested by other monks on Mount Athos who lived in constant prayer and hesychasm. This is what they had seen and felt, there was no denying that he had participated with the living God.

This great experience that Gregory had since his childhood cannot be explained in a book, it cannot be philosophized, it cannot be rationalized. It has to be lived. It has to be lived out. Someone who reads about saints in a book might have some understanding of what the saints went through, but until those people actually try to live out like the saints did, they really have no idea the struggles and hardships one has to endure in order to become sanctified. And these stories about saints are given to us as a model of how we should live out our life.

So for us today: I say as we are in the midst of Great Lent: if you have not gone through the experience of fasting or attending all the services, I urge you to do so. Living Great Lent to the fullest is unique and life changing. Once you go through the rigors of Great Lent, you truely come out a different person than before. Just as St Gregory Palamas experienced the uncreated light of God and was transformed, we too will be changed by participating in Great Lent. Our faith is not a philosophy; we don't just speak about it or theorize about what we should be doing. But rather it is something we live out and requires our complete participation. And this is the teaching of St. Gregory, that we experience God through fasting, through prayer, through repentance.

St Gregory Palamas says: "Let not one think, my fellow Christian, that only priests and monks need to pray without ceasing and not laymen No, no; every Christian without exception ought to dwell always in prayer.", so in the same token, do not think Great Lent services, prayers, and fasting are just for the Clergy, but they are for all of us, we all are called to participate as much as we can in them. And doing so, our lives will be transformed completely in Christ.

Triumph of Orthodoxy

Over the course of this past week, the first week of Great Lent, the Church prayed the Canon of St Andrew of Crete – an extended lamentation of repentance that brought before our eyes the whole history of God’s interaction with mankind. This beautiful and deeply moving work of St Andrew sets the proper tone for our Lenten journey… in the fourth Canticle we hear, ‘The end draws near, my soul, the end draws near; yet thou dost not care or make ready. The time grows short, rise up: the Judge is at the door. The days of our life pass swiftly, as a dream, as a flower. Why do we trouble ourselves in vain?’

These words struck me especially deeply this year as on the very night of the Sunday of Forgiveness and the beginning of the first day of the Great Fast, my dear friend and concelebrant at the altar of the Lord, Archpriest Viktor Tseshkovsky, reposed in his sleep. Fr Viktor came to Los Angeles in my final years there to be the rector of the Protection of the Mother of God Church in Hollywood. As I eulogized in my email sent earlier this week, Fr Viktor was a model priest… hardworking and tireless in his service to the Church and to his hundreds of parishioners. I was amazed by his steadiness and his stamina. Fr Viktor had four brothers, all of whom were priests, and his sister was married to a priest. This was a pious and God-loving family. Fr Viktor served first in his native Ukraine and then was sent to serve in many other places throughout his life as a priest including: Russia, Sweden, Spain, Italy, the Canary Islands, Canada, New York, San Francisco, and finally in Los Angeles. I learned so much from him… his dedication and steady diligence were a powerful testament to me.

‘The end draws near, my soul, the end draws near… The days of our life pass swiftly, as a dream, as a flower.’ Fr Viktor’s end was an example of the kind of death we all might wish for… Having served the Sunday Divine Liturgy and received the precious Body and Blood of our Lord, he then had the opportunity to prostrate himself before his flock and ask forgiveness. Having completed all… he then died peacefully in his sleep that night. What a blessed death! What more could one ask for?

May God grant paradise to his good and faithful servant, Archpriest Viktor. His life and death will surely stand before me as an inspiration.

This recognition of the brevity of life, of the futility of chasing after the temptations of the world, of the reality of our appointment to stand before the judgment seat of Christ… these things are brought before us in the services of Great Lent. This past week we prayed the Canon of St Andrew of Crete… an extended prayer calling us to reflect upon the history of mankind and calling us to examples of repentance.

And so, after this week of deep reflection and sighing, after this week of realizing that we are in exile from our lost Paradise, the Church presents before us today the celebration of the triumph of Orthodoxy! We recall on this day the ending of the Iconoclast controversy and the restoration of the holy icons to the churches of God.

Today we recognize and celebrate the hope and the joy and the vision that is presented before us in the holy icons. An icon emphasizes the reality of the incarnation of God… that the Incomprehensible and Invisible, out of His love, deigned to become comprehensible and visible! That God took on real flesh and blood, that we might see Him, touch Him, embrace Him. Divinity has taken on humanity so that humanity might take on Divinity.

An icon is so much more than paint and wood. It depicts the visage of a saint and becomes a window into heaven. An icon is a receptacle and a transmitter of prayer… As we gaze upon these icons set here before us, think for a moment about all the prayers, the tears, the love that has been expressed before them. They become witnesses and bearers of something very special… they become conduits of grace.

And just as the paint and wood of an icon may take on this heavenly purpose, so too are we called to become more than just flesh and blood. We are called to be transmitters of prayer, to be witnesses and bearers of something very special. We are called to become conduits of grace.

God grant that we might become living icons of Christ. This is what we are called to be as Christians! May God grant that we work diligently in this Lenten season to ‘be watchful, to close all the doors through which the passions enter and look up towards the Lord.’ It is through these efforts that we take on the task of salvation, which is a kind of icon restoration. Just as an icon restorer patiently brushes and wipes away the years of soot and damage that have caused an icon to lose its color and the clarity of the image portrayed, - so too must we patiently and persistently scrape away the darkness and the soot which obscures that living and vivid image of God within us.

As we celebrate the triumph of Orthodoxy and the restoration of the holy icons today, let us make this personal. Let us make this Lenten season a time for the restoration of the icon within our soul and a glorious triumph of Orthodoxy in our own life!

The Sunday of Forgiveness    

        We have finally come to the last day before we begin our journey to Pascha. Today is known as Forgiveness Sunday which is the last preparatory Sunday before we begin fasting. These past weeks the Church has established 4 preparatory Sundays which should get us in the right mindset to begin Great Lent. The Church teaches that during lent, we should keep a strict fast, increase our prayer, come to a stronger repentance and to show charity to those around us. The Gospel readings on each of these prior Sundays, point to one of the 4 things that we should be focusing on this lent.

            The first preparatory Sunday was the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee, which we can say the one of the themes was prayer. This Gospel reading teaches us how we should be praying to God, that we should pray with humility as the Publican did, and not prideful as the Pharisee did. The second preparatory Sunday focused on the parable of the Prodigal Son, whose theme would be characterized as repentance. We see that the Son who had sinned greatly came to himself and asked forgiveness of his father. However, the older brother did not accept his brother's forgiveness. We should always forgive those who have wronged us, especially today as we ask mutual forgiveness of one another. As the Gospel reading today says: "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15). The third preparatory Sunday spoke of the dread judgement of Christ. What we can see is that the people were judged based on what good deeds (or lack of) they did to their neighbour. All the charity that they showed to those who were in need was also received by Christ.

            Finally, we come to today, which at first glance we think that the theme is forgiveness, which is true. However there is another theme that we see the Gospel speak about, and that is namely fasting and how to fast. The Gospel reading from today says: "when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:17-18). It's interesting because this seems very opposite to how people are today. Most people are actually embarrassed to tell others they are fasting, because it is different than what normal people do.

What we absolutely need to avoid is to cheat on fasting because we are afraid of what our peers will say. I remember hearing a priest once say: maybe it would be good to tell people that we are fasting, not hide it from them like the Gospel says, because that way this would bring a witness to our faith. Let us make sure we take the whole fast seriously, and not just the first and last week. We should absolutely try as best as we can to abstain from all fine foods, social media, movies, video games, and even spousal relations. Remember this is not a time of punishment, but rather a time for us to draw closer to God. We abstain from these things not because they are bad (they are not), but because they distract us from our ultimate goal which is salvation. So we use this time as a means to put them away in order for us to remember what is important. And if we do those things, God will "reward us openly" as the Gospel said.

            So as we begin our journey to Pascha, bring to mind how Great Lent was in years past. Let us try this Great lent to do more than what we did last year. Let us increase our prayer and try to come as often as we can to Church (given the current limited attendance we have of course). Let us make sure our fasting is done with strong fervor. Let us always have forgiveness for one another in our hearts and let us make sure we always show hospitality to those around us. Our faith is an experience, and only when we truly do these things will we experience the presence of God once we reach our destination, which is Pascha.

In closing, a quote from Archbishop Averky of Syracuse: "A life of fasting, properly understood as general self-limitation and abstinence, to the annual practice of which the Church always calls us with the Great Lent, is really that bearing of the cross and self-crucifixion which is required of us by our calling as Christians. And anyone who stubbornly resists this, wanting to live a carefree, happy, and free life, is concerned for sensual pleasures and avoids sorrow and suffering, that person is not a Christian. Bearing one's cross is the natural way of every true Christian, without which there is no Christianity"

Sunday of the Last Judgment

(Matt. 25:31-46)

We are continuing in our journey toward the start of the Great Fast… Last week we heard the parable of the Prodigal Son and we spoke about it as an illustration of repentance and also reflected on the reaction of the older, dutiful son – who had done everything right by his father. One of the most remarkable things about that parable was that it was not so much about the deeds and misdeeds of the sons, as it was about the character of the father and the nature of his love, which was offered equally and unerringly to his beloved children.

Today, on this second Sunday before Great Lent, the Holy Church brings before us the image of the final judgment seat of Christ, when all people will be brought before Him and the sheep (those who loved Christ) will be separated from the goats (those who did not love Him).

To the sheep, He will say ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’. This kingdom is offered to the sheep because of their compassion and service to those in need. Jesus says, ‘…for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

When asked how this could be so, Christ answers them by saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to the least of these My brethren, you did it to me’.

Seated on His throne of judgment, Christ will then turn to the goats on His left and say, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels’. They will be condemned because they did not feed Him when He was hungry, give Him drink when He was thirsty, take Him in when He was a stranger, clothe Him when He was naked, visit Him when He was sick or in prison.

This is the scene at the dread judgment day, a day that awaits each and every one of us. It is a sobering thing to realize that each and every one of us will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an accounting of our life.

And what is it that the Lord Jesus Christ will ask of us? I think, as this morning’s Gospel makes clear, the essential question that will be put before us by our Lord Jesus Christ is this: ‘Have you loved me?’

When Christ was hungry, did we give Him food? When He was thirsty, did we give Him drink?  When He came to us as a stranger, did we take Him in? Did we show love for Christ? And, as the Gospel teaches us: ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to the least of these My brethren, you did it to me’.

Have we loved one another?

This is the essential question, this is the criterion upon which we will be judged. Have we loved Christ? Have we loved one another?

We will stand on that day before He Who is Love Himself and He will look upon us to see if there is love within us, to see if our lives have shown forth that love to God and to others.

The Kingdom of Heaven to which we are called is a place where the fulness of the Light and Love of God shines forth. Just as in a traditionally executed icon, there are no shadows, all is light… so too in the Kingdom of Heaven darkness cannot dwell.

We are given this life, this brief time upon the earth, to rid ourselves of shadows and to embrace the light of Christ.

Every encounter with Christ – in our prayer, in reading the Scriptures, in the needs of the person right before us – every encounter with Christ is a judgment. We tend to rush to think of judgment as condemnation… but that is not accurate. The judgment of Christ is a revelation where we are fully exposed to the reality of who we are, what we think, what we desire.

And that is why Christianity is so deep, so all-encompassing. The judgment of Christ cracks open the deepest recesses of our being and seeks to find that Light and Love there.

As we approach the season of Great Lent, let us recognize the criteria by which Christ will judge us. It will not be checklist… Did you say your prayers? Did you choose a veggie burger? Did you do your daily reading of Scripture? There will be one measuring stick by which Christ will judge us… Did you love Me?

If the reality of who we are, what we think, and what we desire is focused on Christ; focused on loving Him to the best of our ability; focused on removing those shadows from our life that block out the Light we so ardently desire… Then all else will fall into place. ‘Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added unto you.’ That hunger and thirst for righteousness, born out of love and gratitude to God, our loving Father, will motivate us to say our prayers, to order that veggie burger, to attend to our daily Scripture readings. All these things will be born out of our love for Christ.

May we strive with all our being to live our lives in such a way that when we stand before our Lord and He asks us, ‘Have you loved Me?’… we may reply with all sincerity and purity of heart, ‘Yea, O Lord, you know that I love you!’ And may we then be blessed to hear those most precious and longed-for words: ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant… Enter ye into the joy of your Lord.’ Amen.

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

(Luke 15:11-32)

The Gospel reading appointed for this day is an illustration of repentance, diligence, and of steadfast love.

In this parable, our Lord tells us of a man who had two sons. These sons lived with their father where all that was necessary and good for their wellbeing was provided and available. In addition, the father had seen to it that each son would receive a generous inheritance of his wealth to take care of their future needs.

The younger son, demonstrating impatience, lack of contentment, and succumbing to the seduction of the world, asked for his inheritance in advance and left his home to go to a far country where he wasted his money and himself on the lusts of this world. After he had already squandered his fortune and reached his lowest point, the Gospel tells us that he ‘came to himself’… he came to a moment of realization, of seeing clearly the state he was in, and this was a moment of crisis. The young man lamented his sorry state and turned in repentance – reasoning that he would go home and, even if he could only be hired on as a servant within his father’s estate, he would be better off than continuing in his current misery. And so, he took action and in humility he returned to his home.

The Gospel tells us that while he was still a long way off, his father was watching and saw him and - moved with great joy and compassion - he ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, I am no longer worthy to be called thy son.’ But the father was overjoyed to recover this lost sheep that was his son and commanded that a great feast be prepared in celebration of the return of he who was lost and is now found.

But the parable does not end here… it goes on to tell us about the other son; the faithful son, who had stayed behind all those years and diligently carried out his father’s work, doing everything right and remaining home at his father’s side. This son, we are told became upset when he saw all the fuss being lavished upon his brother. His father came out to him to invite and encourage him to come into the feast, but the brother protested, remarking that he had never betrayed his father, had always been loyal and diligent. The father replied: ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’

We know this Gospel story as the parable of the Prodigal Son, and yet there are three characters here and each one of them contains a lesson for us.

Do you recall how last week we spoke about the Publican and the Pharisee? We noted how easy it is to focus on the Publican as the ‘good guy’ of the story. His humble prayer was pleasing in God’s sight. And yet, we noted how we also have much to learn from the Pharisee as well… the one who diligently fasted, who faithfully gave alms to the poor, who did all that he was supposed to do according to the Law. We reflected that both characters have meaning for us as we approach the season of Great Lent. The exemplary discipline and diligence of the Pharisee must not lead to pride and self-satisfaction. If our spiritual disciplines are to be fruitful, they must lead us to that contrite and humbled heart of the Publican. And likewise, that contrite and humble heart, which calls out for and receives God’s abundant and generous mercy, must then respond to that grace and mercy with an effort to keep His commandments.

Let us see what each of the characters from today’s Gospel have to say to us as well…

First of all, we have the prodigal son himself. There is so much for us to recognize about ourselves in how he was lured and seduced by the enticements of this world. How he was willing to forsake his father’s dwelling to go off to that far country where he indulged his passions. And yet, God grant that we might also see something in ourselves as he ‘came to himself’… as his conscience called out to him and showed him his sins. And may his example instruct us, that we respond to that call of our conscience and take action to turn away from that sin and return to our father’s house.

Secondly, we have the diligent older brother. Perhaps somewhat like last week’s Pharisee, here is another character who ‘does everything right’. He never strays away from home, he dutifully fulfills all that is required of him, he is a good and devoted son. Yet, when the errant younger brother finally returns from his escapades, the older brother is jealous and indignant over the attention lavished upon the prodigal. If anyone was to be rewarded with the fatted calf, it should have been him!

And this brings our attention to the third character of this story… the father. The wisdom and the constancy of the love of the father is perhaps the most remarkable factor of this Gospel tale.

Neither the prodigality and repentance of the one son, nor the faithful dutifulness of the older son changes the steadfast love of the father. Both sons misunderstood the nature and the stability of his love. One thought that he could lose it by straying so far away… the other thought that he could earn it by doing everything right. The reality is that the father’s love neither decreased toward the prodigal son, nor did it increase toward the obedient son. The father’s love remained constant in its outpouring toward his children.

And so it is with God’s love toward us. His love is constant and true. The variable factor is us. We can duck into the dark cave of sinfulness and avoid His light, but if we turn back to Him, that Light of God awaits us with open arms. We might also think to earn that Light and Love by our efforts. Those efforts don’t change God’s unchanging Light and Love… those efforts, if they are done with a correct and contrite heart, change us – opening our hearts to perceive and receive greater doses of that Light and Love.

This is the call of our Lord’s Gospel parable and this is the call of our Holy Mother Church as she prepares us for Great Lent. It is a call of repentance! It is a call to a correct understanding of what our Lenten efforts should be about! It is a call to the breaking of our hearts to see the constancy of our Father’s Love… a Light which is offered to us to the degree to which we will receive it.

Sunday of Publican and Pharisee

On this Sunday we read the Gospel parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. Our Lord tells us that two men went into the temple to pray – one was a Pharisee who was diligent in keeping the fasts and all the rules of the Jewish law and the other was a Publican, a lowly and despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood in the temple with great confidence and pride, thanking God that he was not like other men. The Publican stood in the back of the temple and could hardly raise his eyes to heaven, only crying out ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ Our Lord Jesus Christ makes the point that it was the prayer of the Publican that was pleasing in God’s sight – “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Why is it that on this day - which inaugurates the services preparing us for Great Lent - why is it that the Church places before us this image of the Publican and the Pharisee? It is an important and instructive thing which our holy mother Church desires to emphasize for us as we prepare ourselves for the season of the great and holy fast.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, isn’t it so often the case that we look upon Great Lent as a time of deprivation, of restrictions, of fasting from certain foods, of the demands of longer prayers and more frequent services in the Church? These things are true… it is a time of increased struggle against our passions, it is a time to refrain from eating certain foods, and it is a time where more services are offered in the Church.

And if we make an effort to diligently attend to these struggles… to carefully watch over what we eat and how much we eat, to attend to the many services of the Lenten period, to avail ourselves of spiritual reading and increase our prayers… we are doing a good thing and there is much benefit for our souls to be had in following the rigors of the demands of Great Lent.

But what is our Gospel parable teaching us today? What is the message which the Church wishes to impart to us as we look ahead to Great Lent?

If our concentration is only on fulfilling the rules of Great Lent… we run the risk of basking in the self-satisfying and self-justifying attitude of the Pharisee. If we look upon Great Lent simply as a time which makes demands on our diet, on disrupting our worldly distractions, on compelling a sense of obligation to attend certain services… then we are sadly missing the mark of what Great Lent is all about. We will either congratulate ourselves to the degree we are able to adhere to the fast, or we will frustrate and depress ourselves to the degree that we fall short of the demands of the fast. Neither of which will help us one bit on the path toward our salvation.

The message being emphasized by the Lord in his parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, and the message being emphasized by our holy mother Church in preparing us for Great Lent, is that the season of Lent is a call to repentance, to self-examination, to recognizing the greatness and the goodness of our God and to understand the tragedy of our exile from Him.

Great Lent is an opportunity for spiritual ‘spring-cleaning’ – to clear out the debris and accumulation of junk that has settled in our lives and to sweep out those corners of our heart and mind and soul… letting the refreshing air of holiness and grace penetrate and cleanse us.

The practices and the discipline of the Pharisee – who was a just man, who fasted twice a week, who gave tithes of all that he possessed – these things are praiseworthy. But no matter how scrupulously he, or we, may attend to our fasting, our vigils, our almsgiving… these things will not save us. These disciplines are important, but only as the means by which they soften our heart, by which they raise up our mind, by which they tame our will… and thereby, by which they facilitate the acquisition of the Holy Spirit – enlivening our soul with God’s grace and peace and love.

There is a great lesson given to us in today’s Gospel parable. It is easy for us see the Pharisee as the ‘bad guy’ in this story, and the Publican as the ‘good guy’. At a simple level, that’s true – for the point is that the Publican’s prayer was accepted and heard by God. And yet, the Great Fast is given to us to precisely to underscore the reciprocal relationship which can and should exist in the examples of the Publican and the Pharisee… The discipline of the Pharisee should soften our hearts and inspire us to the humility of the Publican. And that humility of the Publican should fill our hearts with love and gratitude, inspiring us to express that love and gratitude with the discipline of the Pharisee.

May God grant us this integrated and holistic approach to our prayer and fasting. First of all, granting us a contrite and broken heart like the Publican, which cries out to God: ‘Be merciful to me a sinner!’ And may that love and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ then inspire and strengthen us to recognize His words: ‘If you love me, you will keep My commandments.’ Letting our Lenten efforts of fasting, of prayer, of disciplining our lives to be in accordance with Christ’s commandments – to be an expression of our deep love and gratitude to God. And may that cycle of ‘love inspiring effort’ and ‘effort inspiring love’ cascade like a snowball, so that our love increases our efforts and our efforts increase our love.

The New Martyrs and Confessors or Russia

            Today, we remember the new martyrs of the Russian communist yoke. Thousands of people gave up their life in this period for Christ. But there is a life of one of the martyrs under the communists which is very striking and should be known to us here in America, this because he was a priest here in the United States. This Saint was also the very first person to be martyred by the Godless authorities in communist Russia, whose name was PriestMartyr John Kochurov.

            Father John Kochurov was born on July 13, 1871, in the district of Danky in the Ryazan region, to a pious Priest family of many children. Fr. John was brought up in a traditional Orthodox family, which would prompt him to pursue theological education. After his graduation from Saint Petersburg Theological Academy, Fr. John was sent, in accordance with his long desire for missionary service, to the Diocese of the Aleutians and Alaska. From 1895 until 1907, he served in Chicago, built a strong community, and brought many people to the faith. He was also very close to Saint Tikhon the confessor while he was the Bishop of America. But however successful Fr. John’s service in North America may have seemed, he felt homesick for his beloved Russia. He returned to Russia in 1907 and served in a small parish ther. In November of 1916, Fr. John was assigned as an assistant Priest at Saint Katherine’s Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo, near Petrograd.

In October 1917 the Bolsheviks came to Petrograd and seized power. On the morning of October 30, 1917, stopping at the outskirts of Tsarskoye Selo, the Bolshevik forces began to expose the town where Fr John was at to artillery fire in order to draw out the remaining Cossack troops. This prompted the clergy of Saint Katherine’s Cathedral to offer a moleben. The townspeople all flocked to the church. After the moleben, the clergy reached a decision to organize a sacred procession in the town, with the reading of fervent prayers for a ceasefire in times of civil strife. Precisely at that time the Cossacks were withdrawing from the town. The priests were warned about it: "Isn’t it time to stop the prayers?!" The priests declared: "We shall carry our duties to completion, these have departed from us, and those who are coming are our brothers! What kind of harm will they do us?"

On the morning of the 31st the Bolshevik forces entered the city, encountering no opposition. One of the anonymous witnesses to the aftermath of these tragic events stated: “Yesterday (on October 31) when the Bolsheviks, together with the Red Guard, entered Tsarskoye Selo, they began to make the rounds of the apartments of the military officers, making arrests. Fr. John was conveyed to the outskirts of the town, to Saint Theodore’s Cathedral, and there they assassinated him because of the fact that those who organized the sacred procession had allegedly been praying for a victory by the Cossacks, which surely was not, and could not have been, what actually happened. The other clergymen were released yesterday evening. Thus, there has appeared another Martyr for the Faith in Christ. The deceased, though he had not been in Tsarskoye Selo for long, had gained the utmost love of all, and many people used to gather to listen to his preaching.”

Another Journalist had this account of the martyrdom: The priests were captured and sent to the headquarters of the Council of the Working and Soldiers Deputies. A priest, Fr. John Kochurov, was trying to protest and to clarify the situation. He was hit several times on his face. With cheers and yelling the enraged mob conveyed him to the Tsarskoye Selo airdrome. Several rifles were raised against the defenseless pastor. A shot thundered out, then another, after which the priest fell down on the ground, and blood spilled upon his cassock. Death did not come to him immediately ... He was pulled by his hair, and somebody suggested, “Finish him off like a dog.” The next morning the body was brought into the former palace hospital. According to the newspaper The Peoples’ Affair, the head of the State Duma, together with one of its members, saw the body of the priest, but the pectoral cross was already gone from his breast…

This latter circumstance accompanying Fr. John’s martyrdom, as mentioned by the reporter, takes on a particular spiritual significance when viewed against the background of some words spoken by Fr. John twelve years before his death, which proved to be prophetic. In faraway America, when he received his gold pectoral cross at the ceremony marking the tenth anniversary of his priestly service, he said with emphasis, “I kiss this Holy Cross, a gift of your brotherly love for me. Let it be my support in times of tribulation… Let it remain here on earth for my children and posterity as a family Holy Relic, and as a clear proof that brotherhood and friendship are the most sacred things on the earth....”

To quote Priest Daniel Sysoyev, who was also martyred in the year 2009: "For a Christian, the best type of death is, of course, martyrdom for Christ the Savior.  In principle, that is the best type of death one may attain. While some people sent condolences to Optina Hermitage after the murder of three monks [on Pascha, 1993], for a Christian, [such death] is in fact a source of great joy.  In the ancient Church, people never sent condolences when anyone was killed. All of the churches immediately sent their congratulations.  Imagine!  To congratulate them with the fact that they had a new defender in Heaven! Martyrdom washes away every single sin except heresy and schism….

In fact, one should not take the word «martyr» to mean one who has suffered death by torture. It literally means ‘witness’. Thus, a person is a martyr if, with his death he bears witness to the fact that Christ has conquered death, that He was resurrected from the dead. One’s witness lies in this, and not in the fact that he has been tortured.

If we are talking about the natural end of life, the best such natural death is one whose approach you anticipate … For a Christian, the most awful possible death is one that is sudden and unexpected, for such a person departs into eternity unprepared."

This is a reminder to us in our day and age. The time is coming, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, where we too will have to be tested for our faith. This life is temporal, no matter what, we will die somehow. The question is are we willing to give up our earthly lives like the new Martyrs of Russia, or will we be apostates from the faith in order to preserve a few more years on this earth?

On Thursday, January 15/28th, we had the great joy of celebrating the baptism of Daniel Lee. Daniel has been attending catechism classes and services at St Herman’s for over two years now and the time was right for his entry into the fulness of the Orthodox faith. His sponsor, Nathaniel Batlle, as well as a few friends were present for Daniel’s baptism. Daniel attended the Liturgy yesterday to receive his first Communion. It is a joyous and inspiring thing that God continues to grow His Holy Church no matter what challenges we may be facing. We pray that Daniel, who served our country as a Marine (as did his sponsor Nathaniel), will bring forward into his Orthodox life the motto of the Marine Corp: ‘Semper Fidelis’ – ‘Always Faithful’.

What Must I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?

Luke 18:18-27

In today’s holy gospel, a man comes up to our Lord and asks, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ This is a good and an important question! ‘What must we do to inherit eternal life?’

In answer to this question, our Lord reviews the commandments of God… Thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, etc. And the rich ruler responded that he had kept all these things from his youth. We can see from the scrupulous care which he gave to following the commandments of God, and from the question which he asks of Christ, that this man is a good and pious man… desirous of the kingdom of heaven.

When Jesus heard his reply, He responded: ‘One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’

Christ, the Great Physician, knew precisely the medicine needed for this particular soul.

Asking him to give away his material wealth cut straight to the heart of the particular passion that weighed this man down. And it was too much for him… the Gospel says he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions.

What a tragic scene… for here was a man who clearly desired the things of God and yet he could not make that complete surrender, that death that was necessary to bring him to resurrection.

And Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, acknowledged how difficult it is to give up that which binds us, that to which we cling - in this man’s case, his great wealth. Christ said: ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’

The same may be said for any of those passions which may have us in its grip. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a judgmental person to enter the kingdom of God. Or for a lustful person, or for a selfish person, or for whatever passion possesses us and would cause us to turn away sad because we feel we can’t give it up.

Those who heard Christ’s statement then asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ …to which Christ replied: ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’

And so, you see… even though this rich man goes away sad, he is not condemned. There is still tremendous hope being offered by Christ. What is impossible with man is possible with God.

And Christ says the same thing to each one of us.

It is very sad, but I think it is very easy for us to identify with the rich man from today’s Gospel. Isn’t it true that each one of us struggles with some particular sin or temptation that continually ensnares us? Just like the rich man in today’s Gospel, we may do our best to follow the commandments of God, but if Christ were to judge us, He would surely say: ‘One thing you still lack… give up that habitual sin, that thing that continually weighs you down.’ Perhaps it is our pride, our judgment of others, our laziness, our passions… We should ask ourselves - what sin of ours binds us and prevents us from following Christ as we should?

Overcoming those sins and those things which anchor us to the earth is difficult, but we must always remember Christ’s words: ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’

It is very easy to become discouraged by those sins that weigh us down. Our Christian struggle can seem overwhelming at times and the effort required to keep vigilance over our bad habits can sometimes exhaust us. It is therefore important for us to maintain a balanced approach to our spiritual life. On the one hand there is the struggle to abstain from all that we should not do. This is our spiritual warfare and it is an important part of our Christian life. But on the other hand, there is the encouragement and guidance of all that we should do. This too, is part of our spiritual warfare… having the inspiration and the determination to do what is right and pleasing in the eyes of the Lord.

This is expressed so beautifully in the Epistle which we heard today. Listen carefully to the hopeful instruction given by the Apostle Paul: ‘Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.’

It is such a bewildering thing… all Christ asks of us is a perfection of love. If we would but love God and love one another: ‘putting on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, forgiving one another’… these things are the bond of perfection and against such everything needful for salvation is fulfilled. It is so simple, yet it is almost impossibly challenging for us.

While we may share with the rich man in today’s Gospel some shackle that ties us down, let us not go away sorrowful. For Christ promises that what is impossible for man is possible for God. Fight against those persistent sins, give it all you’ve got out of your love for God. But keep your trust in God for Whom nothing is impossible. Set your focus on those good things of God – faith and hope and love, seeking first the Kingdom of God, for if we do, all things will be added unto us.

Sermon for the Sunday After Nativity

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday after the feast of the Nativity, the Holy Church commemorates the righteous kinsmen of the Lord –David the King, Joseph the Betrothed, and James the brother of the Lord.

David the King is that remarkable ancestor of the Lord who we know from the Old Testament and whose voice we hear echoing in all of our prayers and church services as we read from his beautiful Psalms. David was the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a simple shepherd boy, who was the unlikely chosen one of God to be anointed king. Even though the older brothers were taller, stronger, and more mature, we read the following: ‘The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ (1 Sam 16:7)

Our second kinsman of the Lord is Joseph the Betrothed. Joseph was of the lineage of King David and, as we know, was the protector and guardian of the Holy Virgin Mary and our Lord Jesus Christ. Joseph was an elderly man and a relative of the young Virgin Mary who had dedicated herself to God – being raised within the temple. As today’s Gospel reading illustrates for us, Joseph was an attentive and obedient servant of God. At the promptings of the angel, he escorts the young Virgin Mother and her Divine Child out of harm’s way and remains in exile until the angel appears again to tell him they may return.

And our third kinsman celebrated today is James the brother of the Lord, one of the sons of Joseph, who became the first bishop of Jerusalem and was an important figure in the life of the early church. We see many references in the writings of Apostle Paul regarding how disputes were brought before the council of Apostles and Fathers of the Church and how James, as bishop, mediated and pronounced judgment – showing the good order and hierarchy of the church even in these earliest of times.

What a great mystery it is that God, the Creator of all that is, should deign to entwine Himself into the lives of His creatures so intimately, that He would have his creatures be His kinsmen.

It is a great mystery and a divine unfolding of the revelation of the truth and love which God extends to us.

The Apostle Paul speaks to us this morning of the source of the truth that he preaches to the world. He writes in today’s Epistle that, ‘The gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.’

Truth is not a human concept, truth is not that which agree to be true, or what we might wish to be true… Truth is a Person, and that Person has revealed Himself to us.

We begin to perceive Truth as we begin to have relationship to the One Who is Truth Himself, as we take on more and more aspects of the attributes of our Beloved Lord – the source of truth and love and all that is beautiful and worthy.

How do we go about understanding the truth of God?

Do we hit the books and pour ourselves into the study of theology? There is a time and a place for that, but we do not perceive truth solely by the workings and strivings of our mind and fallen understanding of things… we first and foremost perceive truth through the struggle of purifying our heart. As the Lord has told us, ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’

St Athanasius speaks eloquently about this when describing how we should approach the truth as revealed in the Holy Scriptures and teachings of the saints. He writes, ‘But for the searching and right understanding of the Scriptures there is need of a good life and a pure soul, and for Christian virtue to guide the mind to grasp, so far as human nature can, the truth concerning God the Word.’

What a different approach this is than what we might be used to… As Apostle Paul states in his letter to the Romans, we must not be conformed to this world, but we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

This holy season of the Nativity of our Lord is a feast where the revelation of God is made manifest in the most dramatic and intimate manner. The Way, the Truth, and the Life enters into human history, taking on human flesh and blood, becoming a member of the family of mankind with relatives like David the King, Joseph the Betrothed, and James, his brother. Fully human yet remaining fully divine… and thus transfiguring all aspects of our existence through His direct experience of the human condition.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, when our Lord came into this world, the world did not have a place for him… And, as we heard in today’s Gospel, at the start of His young life He experienced exile into the lands of Egypt as the proud and mighty of this world sought to kill Him.

What about today? We can see that things are much the same with the ways of this world. The proud and the mighty still seek to kill Him and to remove Him from their plans for this world. Yet amid the confusion and the chaos of the world, there still remains that quiet and humble manger which awaits the coming of the King. That quiet and humble manger is found within every human heart.

With the Nativity of Christ, let us make welcome room within our hearts to receive Him. May we strive to never banish Him from our hearts, sending Him into exile by our proud and mighty selfishness. God reveals Himself to the pure in heart… let this be our prayer as we go forth into this new year… that God would grant us quiet humility and purity of heart so that we may be transformed by His Truth and Love.

The Sunday Of The Holy Forefathers

Luke 14: 16-24

The Gospel reading for today should be a sobering warning to us all. In today’s Gospel reading we hear how a king had prepared a great feast and asked his servants to call his people to come and take part, for all was prepared and ready for them. The servants called the people to the great feast but from one they heard that he had to go tend to his land, from another he had to go tend to his oxen, and from another he had to go tend to his wife. Everyone had some pressing business and asked to be excused in order to tend to this business that they felt was so important.

When the servants reported back that the king’s people would not come, the king became angry and told his servants to go out into the streets and highways to invite any and all –the blind, the lame, the poor. These people were delighted to be called to the king’s feast and filled the room in great gratitude and appreciation.

There are several layers of meaning to today’s Gospel parable… in it we can see the history of God’s interactions with mankind and we should also see how this applies to our own personal life as well.

Today we are two weeks away from the holy feast of the Nativity of Christ… on this day we commemorate the Holy Forefathers – those righteous ones of the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is filled with righteous men and women who served our Lord as the faithful servants calling the nation of Israel to the great feast of God. Our Lord had chosen the people of Israel as His own and, through His holy prophets, revealed to them His truths, His laws, and began to unfold before them the expectation of the coming of His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Truly God had prepared a great feast before his people and the Holy Forefathers went out among the people to call them to the feast.

History stands testament to the endless struggle of the long-suffering patience of God with His people, who continually made excuses and turned their backs toward God – refusing to come to His feast. The Holy Forefathers, whom we celebrate today, were those faithful and good servants who came to the feast of the Lord and were instructed by Him to go out and call all others to the feast.

And when the time of fulfillment had come, and our Lord Jesus Christ was born and lived and preached among the people, the Lord’s own people were those that rejected Him. He therefore went to the highways and byways, to the poor, the blind, and the lame to gather those that would come to His divine supper and partake in His glorious feast.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this call of the King - inviting His people to His feast continues in our own day. Indeed, as we hear from the words of our holy father Herman of Alaska, whose day we celebrated this week, this call of the King continues not just each day, but each hour, and each moment.

Today’s Gospel is a potent parable, illustrating for us the call of God and the choice that each of us makes every day, every hour, and every moment.

How do we respond? Don’t the excuses of those in today’s Gospel parable sound frighteningly and embarrassingly familiar to us? “I would come, but I am busy with many things! I must tend to my business. I must tend to this and that.”

Christ stands at the door of our heart and He knocks and He invites us into loving Communion with Him. Do we respond in gratitude and appreciation or do we make excuses… saying “Wait a minute, just let me take care of this or that.” Or “Not now, Lord, I’m busy.”

We all have things to do… that’s just the nature of life in this world. But the issue at stake here is not the ‘what’ that might preoccupy us, but the ‘how’… of how we are being in the midst of those preoccupations. We can and should be with God at all times and in all circumstances… it is a matter of the disposition of the heart and of the mind. We have a choice as to whether we go about our business in a manner that is forgetful of God and His commandments, or whether we go about our business in a manner that clings to the remembrance of God, asking Him to bless each and everything that we do.

I think that if we are being completely honest with ourselves, we would see that the issue is not so much whether we have the time for God, as it is whether we have the heart for God. That is a much more searing question and it really gets to the point. If, instead of saying to ourselves that we do not have time to pray, we admit that we do not have the heart to pray, it reveals a much deeper reality. Again, prayer is a matter of the disposition of the heart… no matter what we are doing, no matter whether we may be stuck at our jobs, or drowning in the responsibilities of family, or whatever that particular ‘what’ might be… if we are attentive to the ‘how we are being’, if we have a heart for God, then we can be with Him, we can be sitting at the feast to which we are called no matter what else may be going on.

The history of the world is indeed the history of the relationship of God and mankind. Let us honor and remember today the holy and righteous Forefathers and Foremothers of the Old Testament - those good servants of the Lord who hastened to His call and called others to the feast of the Lord.

As we heard in today’s Epistle reading, these holy and righteous ones obtained a good testimony through faith, and yet they did not receive the promise. That promise to which they gave testimony was not fulfilled until the birth and saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ. We, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, live in the time of the fulfillment of the promise. We have a privilege which the holy Forefathers and Foremothers could scarcely conceive of… We are called to the Great Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.

May we listen with attention to the call of Christ. And may we then respond with love. Let us live our lives in accordance with God’s commandments and in the joy of the presence of God and His Holy Feast.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

May God bless you and be with you on this shortest day of the year, the Winter Solstice. Beginning tomorrow, the days will begin to get longer, and the darkness of night will become shorter. I pray that this transition in the cosmos will also be manifested in our world… that we will begin to see a lightening of the troubles that we have experienced over this past year. All things are in God’s hands!

This week we will celebrate the feast day of our parish, the commemoration of our father the wonderworker of Alaska, St Herman! The Vigil service will be livestreamed at 4pm on Thursday and on Friday morning at 9am we will livestream the Divine Liturgy which will be celebrated by our Archbishop KYRILL. If you wish to receive Holy Communion on the feast day, please contact Fr Martin to make an appointment to receive later that morning.

As announced last week, the Western American Diocese Youth Conference will be conducted via Zoom online meetings the evenings of December 28, 29, & 30. There is no charge for the conference this year. Registration and a link to submit questions for clergy and counselor panels can be found at: https://wadyouth.wordpress.com  I highly encourage our youth (ages 15-25) to sign-up for the conference. In years past, it has been difficult for young people of our parish to fully participate due to the conflict that the conference has with our own feast day. Since this year the conference is being held online, there is no travel required, no conference fees, etc. – so I hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity!

The Wednesday evening Bible Study will continue... Details are:

Time: Wednesday evenings: 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
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At the Divine Liturgy yesterday we read the Gospel of the Ten Lepers who were cleansed and of the one grateful servant who returned to give thanks to Christ. In the Homily given, reference was made to the Akathist Hymn ‘Glory To God For All Things’. This Akathist is a most beloved prayer and expresses a heart of gratitude to God ‘for all things’… This prayer comes to us from within the depths of the persecutions inflicted upon the Church and her people during the dark years of the past century. That such a clear-eyed and pure-hearted statement of faith and trust in God could emerge from within this suffering is a testament to the Orthodox soul of the composer of this beautiful hymn to God. I am providing the link to the full Akathist Hymn and I hope that you will find time to read it and to make it a prayer which can come from your own heart. The Akathist Hymn: “Glory to God for All Things” / OrthoChristian.Com

May God bless you and may the intercessions of our holy father Herman be with you this week!

Fr Martin

The Ten Lepers Who Were Cleansed

Luke 17:12-19

The Gospel reading for this Sunday tells us of the ten lepers who stood afar off – ostracized by their disease and utterly cast off from society. As Jesus was passing by they lifted up their voices and shouted: ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’

Our Lord Jesus Christ heard their cries and had compassion upon them. He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was, that as they went, they were cleansed from their horrible infirmity.

The nine who were healed, continued straight away to the priests to be declared clean and able to re-enter the community. One of them, who was a despised Samaritan, upon seeing his cure, turned back and ran to Jesus and fell down at His feet, giving Him thanks.

Jesus answered and said: ‘Were there not ten that were cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’ And He said to the one who had returned to give thanks: ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.’

Brothers and sisters in Christ… today’s Gospel reading is all about thanksgiving and gratitude to God. A heart of gratitude is one of the keys to a healing faith.

That exhortation to gratefulness to God in all things is a timely one for us today. It is an easy tendency for us to look at the glass as half empty… to see all the things that are wrong in our lives and in the world around us and allow this to push us into an atmosphere of gloom. And there is plenty to be concerned about…

But can we make the effort to see that that half-empty glass is also half full? Do we have gratitude to God for the simple blessings of life?... Food on our table, a roof over our heads… indeed, every breath we take, every beat of our heart, every moment of our life is a gift from God. If only we had this awareness, this humble and thankful heart of gratitude to God… our lives and our perception of things would be illumined with grace and love and joy – even amid our tribulations.

And, indeed, it is not only for the good things in life for which we should thank God… but even amid our sorrows and our misfortunes, we can raise up our hearts in glorification to God for all things, knowing that even amid tribulations we can be of good cheer, for Christ has overcome the world.

There is a beautiful Akathist written by Metropolitan Tryphon, (Turkestanov). The Akathist came to be known through Archpriest Gregory Petroff, who died in a Soviet prison camp in the 1940s. That this Akathist came to light from amid the darkness of the Soviet gulag is a statement unto itself. Here are a few excerpts…

Everlasting King, Thy will for our salvation is full of power. Thy right arm controls the whole course of human life. We give Thee thanks for all Thy mercies, seen and unseen. For eternal life, for the heavenly joys of the Kingdom which is to be. Grant mercy to us who sing Thy praise, both now and in the time to come. Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age.

It is the Holy Spirit who makes us find joy in each flower, the exquisite scent, the delicate colour, the beauty of the Most High in the tiniest of things. Glory and honour to the Spirit, the Giver of Life, who covers the fields with their carpet of flowers, crowns the harvest with gold, and gives to us the joy of gazing at it with our eyes.

The dark storm clouds of life bring no terror to those in whose hearts Thy fire is burning brightly. Outside is the darkness of the whirlwind, the terror and howling of the storm, but in the heart, in the presence of Christ, there is light and peace, silence.

How near Thou art in the day of sickness. Thou Thyself visitest the sick; Thou Thyself bendest over the sufferer’s bed. His heart speaks to Thee. In the throes of sorrow and suffering Thou bringest peace and unexpected consolation. Thou art the comforter. Thou art the love which watches over and heals us. To Thee we sing the song: Alleluia!

Life-giving and merciful Trinity, receive my thanksgiving for all Thy goodness. Make us worthy of Thy blessings, so that, when we have brought to fruit the talents Thou hast entrusted to us, we may enter into the joy of our Lord, forever exulting in the shout of victory: Alleluia!

What a marvelous hymn of praise to God! What a divine and proper perspective of life!

Life presents us with the good and the bad. This is inevitable and there is a tug which pulls us toward darkness and despair. Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us resist this pull… Let us do our part to push back against the darkness with the light of Christ. The darkness of the troubles of this world will not be overcome by the darkness of our anger or frustration or despair, but only by the light or our prayers, our fasting... through our perceiving God’s goodness in all things and cultivating a heart of gratitude to God.

Life is a miracle! Every day that we wake up to the rising of the sun is a gift from the lovingkindness of our Almighty God! How will we spend this day? How will we make best use of the moments expanding out before us?

Let us give thanks to God! Let us take nothing for granted! If we live our life in the conscious awareness of the generosity of God, we will perceive and rejoice in His presence and in His handiwork. …And coming before our Lord with a thankful heart, may we then hear the words which were given to the one leper who returned to give thanks to Christ, ‘Arise and go your way, your faith has made you well.’

         27th Sunday After Pentecost - Apostle Andrew

   We find ourselves again in a period of trouble. Yet again our Churches are closed as we enter the fast to prepare for the great feast of Nativity. Our state has issued these guidelines to protect us and to keep us safe as they say. And yes, I agree that we should be safe and should take the correct precautions when it comes to this virus. Technically only essentials are open, which makes sense. And yet, why are not Churches considered essential? Here in the church is where we receive eternal life, which is for the healing of soul and body. This to us Orthodox Christians is absolutely essential and there is no way around it. Taking this into account, we should remember this as we hear the lives of the saints and great fathers before us, who really sacrificed their whole being for the one true God.

            Today we celebrate the Holy First-called Apostle Andrew. This great saint started as a simple fisherman. After being called to follow Christ, he called other Apostles to do the same, including his brother Peter. After Christ's resurrection, the Holy Apostle Andrew went forth to preach to various places of eastern lands, areas which would become in the present day bastions of Orthodoxy; places like Romania, Bulgaria, and even Russia. He was able plant the seeds of Christianity in many of these lands, and many of these countries today consider St. Andrew as the patron saint of their country. Although he is greatly revered today, back in his time, he led a very persecuted life. Everywhere he went, he was attacked by the pagans, even having stones thrown at him. His life was not a very pleasant one. He endured all these until his life was ended with a martyric death. His final resting place would be in the city of Patra, where he was crucified on an X shaped cross. Even while on the cross, St. Andrew would continue to preach and bring people to the faith. His faith did not wane but rather he preached with greater fervor, even though he was going to die and lose his life. His fervor brought many people to the faith and strengthened the Church.

            I want to share another story about Saint Paisius the Athonite which I heard recently. In the year 1970, the Monks held a vigil service, where St. Paisius was present as well. Suddenly there was this great earthquake that erupted in the Church. Everything in the church shook, chandeliers from the ceiling began to swing back and forth, even some candle stands were knocked over and fell to the ground. Many of the people in the Church began to scream and started to run out panicking greatly. However, the elder Monks of the monastery sat still, inside the church, holding their candles, not moving or budging an inch. Their minds were deep in prayer.

            During this earthquake, as Saint Paisius was about to enter into the Church, one of the Deacons ran quickly out of the Church and told Saint Paisius, "why are you going in there? Don't you see everything is shaking, why are you going inside the Church?" What did Saint Paisios answer? He replied: “Didn’t your mother used to swing you? At that time you weren’t afraid… Now that Jesus is swinging us back and forth a little… you become afraid! Let me go on my way…” And he went into the Church. He had no fear, but only faith in Christ. He knew that the Church is where we find solace.

            During this same earthquake in Thessaloniki, there was another story, about a Monk named Enoch. As the earth was shaking, everyone was fleeing. And yet the Monk stayed in his house peacefully on a balcony. And as people saw him, they ran quickly and knocked to try to get him out of the house. Quickly they said, "Monk Enoch, come out, because everything around us is collapsing!". And the Monk peacefully said: “If our Lord wants Enoch to die, Enoch will die. If our Lord doesn’t want Enoch to die, Enoch will not die”.

            These stories given to us are a reminder of how far we are from having true faith. St. Andrew, St. Paisius, and the Monk Enoch had so much faith in Christ. Their whole lives revolved around the Church and around the faith. Even in the face of adversaries, or in times of calamities, they did not waver. This is what brought them to salvation. And we should pray to God to grant us the same faith that they had so that we too will not waver in our struggles.

            So now since our Church is closed, we have to ask again, why is this happening? Why God allowing us to go through these trails? One of the easiest scapegoats we have is our governor who authored the edict which closed down our places of worship in order to prevent the virus from spreading. However, I believe the blame should not be on him, but rather it should be on us! We are the ones who are at fault for our churches being closed and taken away from us. And it is not because we have not taken this virus seriously or not practiced social distancing as we should have. Rather it is because of our unbelief. It is because we did not take our Churches seriously when they were open. Last year we had so many Vigil services or weekday services at our parish where we only had a handful of people present. When we began to have signups, at first we had high demand, but over the time we even had some Sunday's where we were below the limit! And now when we are closed again we have people begging to come to the Church, to open up and to have more services. On the other hand, there are people who have hidden completely and not shown their face at all these past 10 months. We cannot be like the man who hid his talent in the ground and be fearful. Rather we should be flocking as much as we can in order to receive the Holy Mysteries which are still being offered. Frequent Holy Communion is what is key to surviving in these crazy times. No doctors, no politicians, no vaccine, no mask, nothing in this fallen world is able to heal us as Holy Communion does.

            Therefore, let us try to emulate the saints, especially Saint Andrew, and be ready and prepared for our death and not fear it. Let us not be scared of any worldly virus, because God has power over, death and even over any virus. That does not mean we shouldn't take any precautions such as wearing masks or socially distancing ourselves if it helps. Instead, we need to put our full trust in God. If we take all the precautions necessary and it happens that we get sick, then we should know that it is God's will. Finally, when we reach the end of this early life, we will know that it was God's will for us to go at that time, and in that place. The only thing we can do is to have the faith to accept God's will as well as to accept everything he has given to us, both the good and the bad, knowing that it is given to us precisely for our repentance. And our repentance is what will lead us to salvation.

26th Sunday After Pentecost

Luke 12:16-21  /  Ephesians 5:9-19

In the Gospel and Epistle readings set forth for today we hear a harmonious message which should speak wisdom and guidance to our soul.

In the holy Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians we hear that we are to ‘walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true)’, and we are to ‘try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord’.

And in today’s Gospel reading we hear about the rich man who thought to hoard all of his wealth and bask in his worldly luxuries and enjoyments. This man, whom the world would call a success, God calls a fool – for he was wholly preoccupied with laying up treasures on earth for himself and neglected that ‘one thing needful’, the love of God and the destiny of his eternal soul.

The rich man in today’s Gospel was not a fool because he had an abundant crop and many possessions. The man was a fool because he selfishly believed that he was the sole source of his good fortune, that his worldly goods were all he needed, and because he allowed his preoccupations with the things of this world to overwhelm and obscure his perception of the true meaning of his life. The light of God had become eclipsed by his pride and his trust in his worldly wealth.

Hearkening back to our Epistle from today, we hear the admonition: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ We are advised to walk circumspectly, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

It is certainly easy to have the impression that the days are evil. There is a lot happening in the world today… no doubt about it: pandemics, vaccines, questionable elections, threats of wars, natural disasters, immorality celebrated as virtue, societal lockdowns and all manner of apocalyptic sounding events.

And in such times we are advised to walk circumspectly, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time. How are we to make best use of the time?

An example is set before us today of someone who thought he was wise, who thought he was going to make best use of the time… trusting in the bounty of his land, he planned to build great barns for storage so he could relax and live off of the fat of his crops. But that night his very soul was required of him. His illusion of control was stripped away. The time allotted to him to cultivate the salvation of his soul was wasted on material gain, on inflating his pride and sense of self-satisfaction.

Our world has been turned upside down over this past year. Who could have predicted last December that we would find ourselves in this current situation? Whatever illusions we had of control over our lives have been challenged by the unpredictability of all that is happening now.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the chaos we are witnessing in the world today is a wake-up call. Can we hear the alarm?... ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’

Yesterday we celebrated the feast day of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple. We reflected on that day how paradoxical it is that on this great feast of the Entry into the Temple, we, and so many others, are suffering from not being able to enter into the temple of the Lord. It is a frustrating thing… and a situation which we all hope will be short lived, but how are we to deal with this circumspectly? How are we to make best use of this time?

The Virgin Mary entered into the temple… she, who would become the temple into which God Himself would enter. And I am convinced that this is the lesson for us regarding how to make best use of this time.

If we cannot enter into the temple of the Lord right now, then let us use this time to diligently make ready the temple of our soul for the entry of our Lord. We make the temple of our soul ready for God by sweeping out all the cobwebs of sin and the dust of our spiritual negligence. Now is the time for us to heed the call of the Apostle: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’

And, have no doubt… if we strive with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength to love God, to prepare the temple of our souls to receive Him, then that light of Christ will shine upon us. And in that light of Christ, no darkness or confusion of this world will overcome us. As the Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Romans:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

25th Sunday after Pentecost

(Luke 10:25-37)

In the Gospel reading for today, our Lord is approached by a certain lawyer who attempts to test Him by asking: ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’

Our Lord Jesus Christ tosses this question back to him, asking: ‘What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?’

The lawyer then summarizes the teachings of the Old Testament, answering: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your strength, and with all your mind; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Christ affirms the wisdom of his response, saying: ‘You have answered rightly; do this and you shall live.’

But the lawyer, the Gospel tells us, wished to justify himself, and therefore said to Jesus: ‘And who is my neighbor?’

In response to the question: ‘Who is my neighbor?’, our Lord tells the tale of the Good Samaritan. A certain man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and had been robbed and beaten and left for dead. A priest came by and, when he saw the beaten man, he passed by on the other side of the road. Likewise, when a Levite came by, he too passed by on the other side of the road. But then along came a Samaritan – one of the lowest classes of people in society – and, when he saw the beaten man, he had compassion and helped him: bandaging his wounds, pouring on oil and wine, and setting him up in an inn where he could recover and be made well.

The priest, who spent his time in the temple in prayer; and the Levite, who spent his time studying the Jewish Scriptures… neither of these two could be bothered to help the wounded man. It was the despised Samaritan who proved to be a neighbor, who showed mercy on the man who had fallen among thieves.

Christ drives home two important and groundbreaking points in this parable.

Many religious people of the time (and, shall we not also say of our time?) contented themselves with their religious observances and thought themselves righteous because they fulfilled the letter of the Law.

Christ’s parable of the Good Samaritan drives home the true meaning of loving God and our neighbor with all of our heart and mind and soul and strength.  

As represented by the priest and by the Levite - if our attention to our religious observances are not penetrating our heart and elevating our soul to compassion, then we are missing the mark. The Apostle Paul writes: ‘Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.’

The Christian life is a call to action! It is a call toward self-sacrificial love… of seeing Christ before us in whatever situation we may find ourselves in and of serving Him with all of our heart and mind and soul and strength.

How might this Christian life be lived in these days… when we find ourselves so isolated in lockdown, when our interactions with other people have been so greatly curtailed?

The question we must ask ourselves is this: ‘Who is the Christ before me?’

When the sphere of our lives has been so greatly reduced, we find ourselves confined within our homes, we find our social circle reduced to our closest associates and to our immediate family. And it is here where we must discover Christ before us. This is challenging and deeply inconvenient! As Dostoevsky wrote: ‘I could never understand how it’s possible to love one’s neighbors. In my opinion, it is precisely one’s neighbors that one cannot possibly love.’ It is the person closest to you in whom you can see all of their flaws and faults, their idiosyncrasies, their annoying little habits. It is to these that we are called to exercise patience, compassion, and love in this very real arena of spiritual contest.

And so, this crisis of the Corona virus shutdowns does not remove us from practicing our Christian faith. Instead, it is a perfect opportunity for us to put into practice this call of Christ, to see Him before us in those set right before our eyes. To see Him in our spouse, in our children, in our parents, our housemates, etc. Our worship and service to Christ is not limited to what takes place within the Church… it must extend into those day to day encounters with Christ in the disguise of those set before us.

And if you are alone during these times, then ask yourself this question: ‘What about the image of Christ within me? Am I honoring Him? Am I nourishing Him and showing Him reverence? Am I keeping the lamp of faith lit within the temple of my soul?’ These days of isolation are not a time for self-indulgence or for any reason to distance ourselves from God… they are a time for repentance, for spiritual awakening, for drawing closer to God and loving God with all of our heart and mind and soul and strength.

In this time of thanksgiving and gratitude, let us indeed thank God for His many blessings. Let us recognize our Lord Who is everywhere present and fills all things. Let us be fully aware of the generosity, mercy, patience, and love which God shows to us in our shortcomings… And let us then extend some measure of the same generosity, mercy, patience, and love to our neighbor… everyone we meet.

Healing of Jairus’ Daughter

 (Luke 8:41-56)

In today’s Holy Gospel we hear of the healing of Jairus’ daughter… and not just a healing from sickness, but a much more radical healing… her resurrection from the dead.

Christ and His disciples had just returned from their visit to the country of the Gadarenes and, as the news of Christ’s fame and good works was growing, they were surrounded by a multitude who awaited Him – so many seeking healing and comfort.

We are told that a man named Jairus, a respected ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house and heal his daughter, who was deathly ill. Jairus approached Christ with hope and faith that He could heal his only daughter and make her well. There was urgency in his voice as he knew that she might not have long to live. Christ heard his desperate request and agreed to come to his house, promising to make his daughter well again.

But before they were able to come to the house, the news reached them that Jairus’ daughter had died. There was no longer any need to trouble the Master, for all hope was lost.

But when Jesus heard the news of this death, He answered saying, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.’ Christ enters the home and insists that the child is not dead, but only sleeps. All the mourners assembled there mocked Him. And yet, He enters the room of the dead child and at His life-giving word, He restores her to life and to health.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, how providential that we hear this Gospel today! For this is a Gospel of hope in the face of dark circumstances, of seeming hopelessness.

We find ourselves today once again faced with the closing of our churches. I know that this is a bitter and sorrowful trial for us all. And the situation is not made any easier by the debate on how questionable these lockdowns are as a response to the spread of the virus. Nevertheless, we are faced with these mandates… and we will have to navigate our way through them attending to doing the best we can for the physical and spiritual health of our community. For now, we must go back to livestreaming the services and I can assure you that Fr Andrew and I will do everything we can to minister the Sacraments to you during this time.

We are moving into the winter months and I expect that things with this virus will go from bad to worse for a while. The lockdown restrictions being forced upon so many businesses and the isolation of people from one another – especially as we move into the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays seasons – such isolation will surely create even greater waves of depression and frustration upon many people. And as if these things were not enough, we are also seeing tremendous tensions within our society as a result of the elections. It is a trying time for our nation, for our communities, for our parish, for our families, and for each of us as individuals.

And so how should we, as Orthodox Christians, respond to all of this? Let us take our lesson from today’s Gospel. 

Let us think of poor Jairus, who so urgently and desperately sought the help of our Lord Jesus Christ to save his sick daughter, and whose home was now filled with mourners who wailed lamentations for his dead child. He surely must have felt that all hope was lost! But Christ overcame the hopelessness, just as He had in so many occasions.

Recall also the disciples on their boat in the sea. On more than one occasion, they found themselves among stormy waters, and the waves crashed against their boat, and it seemed that all would be lost. On one occasion, Christ was there, peacefully sleeping at the helm of the boat. When awakened, He simple spoke a word and the storm was calmed. On another occasion, He walked upon the waters to His beloved ones and calmed the seas once again.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ! The devil and the world are sending waves to crash against the vessel of our faith. Church life is once again disrupted and destabilized. Our world is living in the fear of this pandemic, our nation is living through times of incredible instability and challenge. It is very easy to find ourselves losing hope and becoming weary and exhausted from the anxieties of the day.

How will we respond? Will the stormy waters drag us down or will we keep our eyes focused on Christ? Because if we do retain our focus, we can walk upon the stormy waves as if they were dry land. We must have confidence and know Who is truly in charge of all things. It is Christ our Lord.

If we have to endure some trials and tribulations for a time, well then, let us endure those trials in a manner that does not threaten or weaken our faith, but that calls us to arms! Now is the time to deepen our prayers, to be at attention spiritually to see the reality of what is going on. As we may be faced with greater instability in this world, let us create stability in our life through greater attention to our daily prayers, reading the scriptures, and nourishing our soul.

God grant that each of us can be a little candle of hope – for ourselves and for those around us. How can we give birth to this hope?... What are the two virtues that the Holy Church ties so closely to hope?... Faith and love. Faith and love are required if we are to have the humility and the courage to dare to hope. We must have faith in God’s ability to make possible the impossible. And we must have love, knowing first of all how much God has loved us, and with grateful hearts extending our love back to Him. 

Let us stand aright, let us stand well, let us attend to the things of God! Let us stubbornly cling to hope! Let us take our lead from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who boldly and with great faith ignored the cynical mockery of those ‘who knew better’, of those who believed in death.

The pessimism and mockery of this world gains strength day by day… but this world desperately needs those who will retain their faith, their hope, and their love. For these are the pillars upon which everything good is supported. May God grant us the strength and the courage to hope against hope and to place all things in the capable hands or our Lord.

23rd Sunday After Pentecost

Fr Andrew Gliga

            I want to start off today with a very powerful quote: “I am trying to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him (Jesus): “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. We are faced, then, with a frightening alternative. This man we are talking about either was (and is) just what He said or else a lunatic, or something worse.. I have to accept the view that He was and is God.” This quote is given to us by CS Lewis in his book Mere Christianity. This ties in very closely to the Gospel reading for this Sunday.

            In the Gospel reading we hear about the familiar story of Christ removing a demon from the Gadarene demoniac. Christ is able with a single word to expel a whole Legion of demons from a man. He allowed them to go into a herd of swine which in turns the swine runs into the water and drowns. There are two points in this event in Christ's life that I would like to examine. The first is the fact that after this great miracle occurred and people saw a man healed of a demonic possession, they still rejected Christ. They asked him to leave and did not want anything to do with him. The second point of interest in this Gospel is actually the closing line. The Evangelist Luke cleverly ties in a dogmatic phrase which attests to the divinity of Christ. The Gospel ends by Christ telling the man: "Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee" (Luke 8:39). And then the next line instead of saying he went his way to tell what great things God has done, instead says: "And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him" (Luke 8:39). This subtle hint to Christ's divinity is here present in this Gospel.

            In many modern circles there seems to be this common trend to remove Christ's divinity from the scriptures. Many modern people speak of how Christ is a great teacher of social justice. They like the sermon on the mount, but don't really buy all the great miracles. And most of all, they also label Jesus as being just a great teacher but not the messiah sent by God to save us from our sins. And this is where the quote by CS. Lewis comes into play. There is no way to separate Jesus from God. He is not just a teacher and one that came to give us a good philosophy, but rather He is more than that. If Jesus claimed he was God and was not, then he would be either crazy or a demon, there is no other way around that. And if Christ is not God, then all his teachings are for naught, who would want to learn the teachings of demons or lunatics. But if He is truly God, then how valuable and priceless are His teachings.

            We see that many modern thinkers try to divorce Christ from His divinity. And these people, to me,  seem like those people in the Gospel who asked Jesus to leave after seeing a great miracle. The people in the Gospel rejected Christ not because of his mighty miracles, but rather because their source of sin and pleasure was taken away from them. This is because these Jews were keeping pigs for material gain. As is known in the law of Moses, having swine was prohibited. What should have happened is that these people should have gotten on their knees asking forgiveness for their sin they have committed. Rather they wanted to stay enslaved to sin and asked the one True God, Jesus, to depart from them.

            This is exactly the same problem that modern thinkers also fall into. They want to separate Christ from his divinity and keep around the teachings of Christ that they like, like to love one another or judge not. They want to do away with all suffering, as well as with the notion of hell. This way they can live out their life in any way they can without any consequences. In fact the whole notion of love in our country has such a skewed meaning. Love in their mind is what gives someone the most enjoyment. This is why society is full of all sorts of justified sins such as promiscuity, living like married couples without being married, and even sodomy. All of these are all justified as love is love, and love wins. In fact, this kind of attitude is what is causing so much destruction and division in our society. How can there be any sort of order, when anything goes?

            This is why our faith is different from any other belief system. We don't have a philosopher whose teachings we can skew and change to fit our needs. Rather we have Jesus Christ, who is truly God, who came down to free us from the bondage of sin. And if this man is truly God then we should be bowing on our knees towards him, offering Him the worship due. And this worship should lead us to want to free ourselves from sin, because anyone who is a doer of sin, is in bondage to sin. Let us therefore be like the man who was healed in the Gospel, who worships the Lord Jesus and goes out to preach his name to all men as the one True God who saved him.

22nd Sunday After Pentecost 

Fr Andrew Gliga

I want to begin today with a quote from St. John of Kronstadt: "What evils haven’t the Russian people and people living in Russia committed? What sins haven’t they corrupted themselves with? Everything! They’ve done and do everything, which is bringing God’s wrath upon us: open unbelief, blasphemy, rejecting all true principles of faith, depravity, drunkenness, all sorts of entertainments instead of donning the mourning garb of community repentance over the sins that anger God, non-submission to authority... In the demonic kingdom there is order and submission of some evil spirits to others, the lower to the higher, the weaker to the stronger; but in this Christian nation all submission, all authority has disappeared—children do not recognize the authority of their parents, subordinates do not recognize the authority of their superiors, students do not recognize the authority of their teachers … divine services are disdained, sermons are powerless, Christian morality is falling more and more, anarchy is growing…". When I read this quote, I do not think of Russia, but rather I see our own country, especially in the light of what has been transpiring. Today we have so much turmoil boiling all around us. And it really is our fault as Christians because we do not act as Christians to those around us.

In the Gospel reading for Sunday we hear the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. This parable of Christ has one unique factor in it, the man in this parable has a name. There is no other parable in all the Gospels in which someone is named; (they all have descriptive names, like the rich fool, good samaritan, or publican). We can be certain that this man is named Lazarus for a reason. What we see in this story of Christ is that there is a rich man who lives his life without a care and enjoys all pleasures of life. At his gate, there sits a poor beggar named Lazarus begging. Well what transpires is that both of these men die and go to hades. Lazarus finds himself in the bosom of Abraham where he finds peace until the resurrection of Christ. The rich man, having a fancy burial also finds himself in hades but in a place of torment. The story speaks of the rich man speaking to Abraham begging Abraham to send to his brothers Lazaraus to tell them to repent in order to not come to this same torment. "Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’" (Luke 16:29-31).

So to unpack this parable. The rich man is condemned because he did not show mercy to the beggar Lazarus; he did not act in a moral way. When Abraham speaks of listening to Moses and the prophets, we see that Moses represents the teachings of the Church (like the law of Moses which taught what sin is). The prophets represent the saints and those who were before us who lived out their life in Christ and performed many mighty miracles. We are given all this treasure in order to us to teach us and to guide us to have morality. Now, when thinking about the name of the beggar; what should come to mind immediately is that we have a Lazarus who also was risen from the dead by Christ. And yet we know that when Lazarus was risen by Christ that immediately this prompted the Jews to plot to kill Christ. This is exactly why Abraham says that even if someone is risen from the dead they will not believe. Isn't this the type of world we live in today? People constantly ask for signs to see God, and yet they are skeptical of the Church, it's teachings and it's saints? And when people are skeptical of the Church they fall away and begin to embrace the morality of the world which is to eat, drink, and be merry. And worldly morality is what leads to separation from God and ends up in the same state as the rich man does.

This brings us back to the initial quote by St. John, it is our sin and unbelief in Christ which leads us down this path of destruction. Sometimes we ask God to give us what we want in prayer or to help us in life. I know many people are praying for our country especially in this time of troubles post-election. But if our prayers are seemingly unanswered what happens? As humans, we tend to rebel and say God is not listening to us. Why is He ignoring our prayers? Well my question would be are you living your life as a true Christian? We have Moses and the prophets, the Church and the saints; are we listening to them? Are you giving all that you have to the poor as the saints did? Are you keeping strict fasts and doing prayers morning and evening? Are you reading spiritual books? If not, then do not expect God to be doing all the work! He will help us, but first we have to help ourselves and free ourselves from sin. God desires not the death of sinners, but rather that they turn to Him and life. How can we expect to receive God's blessings and goodness when we ourselves are not doing that which we should be doing.

Therefore let us try to push ourselves harder starting this week. Make sure we are praying for those around us. Our hope is in God and only in God. If we are worried for the state of our country, well now is the perfect time to act and live our lives as Christians. For only then will salvation come unto us and to the world around us. To end, another quote of St. John, this time one that truly relates to us and to our country: “O Lord, bring the students to reason; bring the government to reason; give them Thy truth and Thy strength, Thy power. O Lord, may the sleeping tsar arise and act with his authority; give him courage and foresight. O Lord, the world is in confusion, the devil is triumphing, truth is mocked. Arise, O Lord, and help the Holy Church. Amen.”

20th Sunday After Pentecost

Fathers of 7th Council & St Martin the Merciful

Today we draw from a rich treasury in the Gospel of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain, the commemoration of the holy fathers of the seventh Ecumenical Council, and from the life of our father among the saints, the holy hierarch Martin the Merciful.

Our first treasure is from today’s Holy Gospel wherein we hear the account of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain. Christ and His disciples and a large crowd of followers were traveling from one city to the next and, as they approached the city of Nain, their path crossed with a funeral procession. A young man, the only son of a widowed mother, had died and the dead man was being carried out for burial. When our Lord saw this scene, His heart was filled with compassion for the grieving mother and He approached her and said, “Do not weep.” He then touched the coffin of the deceased and said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” Immediately, the young man was revived and sat up and began speaking. The shock and consolation and joy of the mother must have been indescribable!

Our second treasure commemorates the fathers of the seventh Ecumenical Council, who defended the icons from those who wished to tear them down. In defending the icons, the Church proclaims the Orthodox understanding of Christ’s incarnation, of God’s redemption of matter, of the transfiguration of physical things by the grace of God. This realization… that God can transfigure what is base and material is a fundamental acceptance and understanding of the reality of Christ’s incarnation, of God’s having taken on human flesh and sanctifying it by His grace. And that sanctification by grace is seen even in simple paintings upon wood. But they are so much more than that. Through the prayer of those who wrote them, and through the prayers of those who have wept before them and poured their hearts out in prayer before them and in memory and honor of those whom they depict… and through the operation of the Holy Spirit, they become transfigured. They become holy – not in and of themselves, but because they represent and can even transmit the holiness of God. And, if God can make something holy of paint and wood… how much more, then, might he do with flesh and blood, with the body, mind, and soul of a human being?

Our third treasure today is found in the life and legacy of our holy father Martin the Merciful, the bishop of Tours. St Martin is one of the bright lights of Orthodox Gaul, the region now known as France. He lived in the 4th century and there are many lessons to be learned from his life. Perhaps the most famous story is when he was still a young man and a soldier. As he was riding upon horseback in the midst of the cold winter, he came upon a beggar who was poorly clothed and shivering. St Martin felt compassion for the man and, drawing his sword, he cut his cape in two and offered the cape to the poor man, who wrapped himself in it and gratefully rejoiced in both the warmth of the cape and of St Martin’s merciful generosity. That night, St Martin had a dream… He beheld Christ sitting upon His throne in heaven, wrapped in the cape of St Martin. Christ proclaimed to the angels surrounding Him: ‘Martin, who is still a catechumen, clothed Me with this robe.’ Here we see the manifestation of Christ’s instruction that ‘whatever you do to the least of these My brethren, you do to Me.’

Each of these three treasures presented to us today are linked together by a common thing…

The thread which ties each of these three together - the raising of the son of the widow of Nain, the affirmation of the icons, and the cape of St Martin – the unifying theme of each of these is the spiritual perception of the image of God.

St Martin, even as a young catechumen, had the spiritual perception to see the image of God in the freezing beggar whom he encountered. And, seeing that image of God in the man, his heart was moved with compassion to care for his brother. That reality was made clear when Christ appeared to him that night and affirmed that whatever we might do to the least of men, we do to Christ Himself.

The Holy Fathers of the seventh Council were graced with this spiritual perception in their defense of the use of icons in Orthodox worship. They affirmed that the icons proclaim and protect the proper doctrine of the Incarnation… that God became man and, in so doing, proved that matter can be redeemed and can become a bearer of grace. St John of Damascus said: ‘I do not worship matter, but the Creator of matter, who for my sake became material and deigned to dwell in matter, who through matter effected my salvation.’

And, of course, Christ our Lord, Who knows all things and sees all things, perceives the image of God in each and every person Whom He created. Christ was never distracted by the distortions of that image which brought spiritual disease to people… He always sought to correct and heal his beloved children. And when He came upon the touching scene of the poor widow who had lost her only son… He was moved with compassion and resurrected the dead man, restoring him to life and reuniting mother and child.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we too must cultivate this spiritual perception to see the image of God – be It in the people surrounding us, in the beauty of an icon, or wherever we may find ourselves. For God is everywhere present and fillest all things. Like St John of Damascus we must not worship matter, but the Creator of matter. Let us lift up our hearts and the eyes of our soul to see the imprint of God’s hand upon all things. If we can have such spiritual vision, then we will find ourselves in paradise and in the presence of God no matter where we are…

May God grant it!

19th Sunday After Pentecost – Holy Hierarchs of Moscow

            Today in the Church we remember a number of great Hierarchs and Metropolitans of Moscow. Since the Church of Russia was under the governance of Constantinople in its early years, the head of the Russian Church was not a Patriarch, but rather a Metropolitan. This great feast day of all the Metropolitans of Moscow was established in the year 1596 as a way to commemorate all these great hierarchs on this day. Initially there were three Sainted hierarchs which were commemorated on this day, which were Peter, Alexei and Jona. However, even several contemporary hierarchies are commemorated on this day, such as Patriarch Tikhon, or St. Peter of Krutitsia. Today, we commemorate 12 Saints for this feast. The Church on this day offers them as equals, even though they all had very different lives and were able to shine forth differently in the Church. I would like to speak about three different themes that came to mind when reading the lives of these saints.

            The first theme to see is that of dedication to Christ. This is seen in the lives of the first three Metropolitans commemorated, Peter, Alexei, and Jona. What is striking about all three of these Metropolitans is that each of these had a life changing experience at the age of 12. Both Saint Peter and St Jona entered a Monastery and took on monastic vows at the age of 12. Saint Peter at that age also chose to dedicate his life to Christ. The story goes that he had dozed off in the woods and then he heard a voice Alexei! Why toilest thou in vain? Thou art to be a netter of people". And this caused him to take on the life of seclusion. Image at 12 years of age to take on such responsibility and to dedicate one's life to Christ. I'm sure most of us at 12 years old thought about playing with our friends or doing what we could for entertainment. But these saints did something extraordinary by uniting themselves to Christ at such a young age. They were truly dedicated to following Christ and that is why they were such strong leaders.

The second theme that stands out is that of instruction and handing down of the faith. This group of hierarchs wrote extensively and did many great labors in order to teach the faith to their flock. One of the most important things that some of them did was to translate works to the language that people could understand. The two commemorated today which fall into this category are St. Philaret and St. Innocent. St. Philaret of Moscow was one of the first to translate the Bible into Russsian, since it was only translated in Church Slavonic. At the same token, Saint Innocent was the first to translate Church Slavonic into the Aleut language for the people of Alaska. In fact, it is said that he created a written language for the Aleut people using the cyrilic alphabet. Other hierarchs published many works and sayings which edified the faithful and brought them to a closer understanding of the mysteries of God. This care and dedication for their flock is one of the reasons why the faith is still preserved to this day and why people are able to understand what has been given to them.

            The final theme would be standing for the truth. We have examples of this through one hierarch from the 16th century and two contemporary hierarchs. The first is St. Philip Metropolitan of Moscow, who was martyred by Ivan the Terrible. St Philip stood up against Ivan because of his various misdeeds and slaughters of innocents and refused to bless him. This prompted Ivan the Terrible to have St Philip murdered. The other two contemporary hierarchs are St. Tikhon the confessor and St. Peter of Krutitsia. These two saints were leaders of the Church during the time of the communist takeover of Russia. What can be seen about these two great saints, is that they stood up for the truth even in the face of death. St Tikhon was outspoken about the bolshevics, and criticized the murder of the Royal Family. He was imprisoned and lived the rest of his life under house arrest. He died several years later, which some speculate that he was poisoned. After St. Tikhon, St Peter took on leadership of the Russian church to which he too stood up against the communist leadership. The communists desired the Church to unite themselves with the "Living Church" which was a fringe group which accepted married bishops, and married monastics. St. Peter too, stood up for the truth and denounced this living Church. Because of this he was imprisoned and eventually shot to death in prison.

            These three various themes can be summed up in one simple way, that these sainted wonderworkers of Moscow took the faith given to them with the utmost seriousness. Every aspect of their life was dedicated to the faith, whether it be giving up their life in monasticism, or spending their life in prayer and teachings of Christ, or even giving up their life for the truth. And this is the question we should be asking ourselves, how serious do we take our Orthodox faith? Is this faith given to us really the most important thing in our lives? I would hope so because really nothing in the world can compare to the importance of living out the true faith. Everything we have will pass away, but the faith given to us will live and be passed on until the second coming of Christ.

            So let us take this opportunity to examine our conscience. Let us learn from these sainted hierarchs, both from their examples and from their teachings. In addition to our prayers daily, we should also be taking time to learn more about the faith, especially from the holy Bishops of the Church. I urge you, take the names of at least just one of these hierarchs, search for their life on the internet and read it. It won't take more than 5-10 minutes. This will edify you and bring you to a closer understanding of the glory of God. For as we heard in the Gospel, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16). By reading the works and lives of these saints, we will see the glory of God through them. And in turn, let us pray that we too will become holy and others will see the glory of God within us too. Amen!

18th Sunday after Pentecost.

(Luke 5:1-11)

The Gospel reading for this Sunday is one with which many of us might be quite familiar… Our Lord Jesus Christ is preaching to the multitudes from a boat just off the shore of Lake Gennesaret. When He had finished His teaching, He asked the Apostle Peter to launch them out into the deeper parts of the lake and instructed him to let down his nets to catch fish.

Peter, who was an experienced fisherman, informed the Lord that they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing… now that the sun was high, there was no chance of catching any fish. ‘Nevertheless’, Peter exclaimed, ‘at Thy word, I will let down the net.’

The Gospel tells us that the nets became so full of fish that they could hardly bring them into the boat. They called to the other fisherman to quickly bring their boats over to help them bring in this miraculous haul of fish.

And then an interesting thing is noted… When Peter saw what was happening, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying: ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’ Peter was astonished at the obvious miracle and at the generosity of God. And, clearly perceiving and feeling the abundant grace of God before him, he witnessed his unworthiness to be in such Divine presence.

Standing in the presence of holiness and grace can be an unsettling thing. As one hierarch put it: ‘Every encounter with God is a kind of judgment.’ – for we are confronted with the uncomfortable reality of seeing who we truly are before the infinite goodness and majesty of God. Yet Jesus comforts and strengthens Peter, saying: ‘Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.’

I would like to draw forth three things from this reading… first is regarding the discernment of and the submission to the will of God; second is the paradox of joy and fear as we stand before God; and third is the encouragement of Christ that we need not be afraid.

As the example of Apostle Peter shows us, his earthly understanding and experience knew that to cast out his nets in the heat of the day was a futile effort. Yet he submitted his will to the will of God, saying: ‘at Thy word, I will let down the net’. And, of course, the results were an abundance of reward… the boat practically sank due to the weight of all the fish they caught!

What does it mean to discern and submit to the will of God? So often we think of discerning the will of God in our lives as a way of trying to make a decision about alternate possibilities. Should I do this or should I do that? Certainly, we should pray and desire for the circumstances of our lives to be in harmony with the will of God. But more specifically, what is the will of God for us? Apostle Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians encapsulates it in these few words: ‘For this is the will of God: your sanctification.’

God’s concern is always for our healing and salvation. We think we know we want or need from our limited perspective… but God can see far beyond our immediate circumstances and, if we will allow Him, He will guide us through all that is necessary for the purification of our soul. This takes trust in God… to trust that no matter what things you may encounter in this life, if you ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all things will be added unto you.’

Apostle Peter’s choice to submit to Christ’s instruction demonstrates how he prioritized his love and trust of Jesus Christ over his own will and understanding. This is precisely the process of salvation… we relinquish that throne of our ego and we invite Christ our Lord to sit upon it, as is His proper place.

And then what may happen? When we draw open the curtains of our darkened life and allow the light of Christ to shine upon us, we may recoil from the clearer visibility of our sins. Christ’s glory was manifested in the miracle of the catch of fish, and Apostle Peter fell at the feet of Christ exclaiming: ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’

This is a heart-wrenching scene! Apostle Peter stands in the presence of God, in the brightness of Christ’s divinity, and Peter feels deeply how unworthy he is to be there.

It is a paradox… On the one hand, we long to be in the presence of God. He is our hope and our salvation and what could bring us more joy than to stand before Him? And yet, it may be that we too are afraid of this encounter with God… afraid because we know our sins will be exposed, because we are afraid of His righteous judgment, because we feel we are unworthy of being in His presence, or perhaps fearful that we will fail to live up to the love to which we are called.

But what does Christ say to Peter who has fallen before His feet? ‘Do not be afraid.’ Christ encourages and strengthens the Christian who dares to reach out Him. The Evangelist John tells us that ‘perfect love casts aside fear’. Christ Himself is that Perfect Love which casts aside fear. He sees us far more clearly and deeply than we can see our self. While we may feel embarrassed or hopeless due to our accumulation of filth, Christ perceives the image beneath and He loves that precious icon and desires to restore it. If we would turn from darkness, the light of Christ awaits with open arms.  

May God grant us the wisdom which the world calls foolishness, and the strength which the world calls weakness. May we strive to conform ourselves to God’s good and holy will, which is none other than the salvation of our souls. And may that perfect love of Christ cast aside all fear that we may work in synergy with God in the restoration and resurrection of our souls.

18th Sunday after Pentecost.

(Luke 5:1-11)

The Gospel reading for this Sunday is one with which many of us might be quite familiar… Our Lord Jesus Christ is preaching to the multitudes from a boat just off the shore of Lake Gennesaret. When He had finished His teaching, He asked the Apostle Peter to launch them out into the deeper parts of the lake and instructed him to let down his nets to catch fish.

Peter, who was an experienced fisherman, informed the Lord that they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing… now that the sun was high, there was no chance of catching any fish. ‘Nevertheless’, Peter exclaimed, ‘at Thy word, I will let down the net.’

The Gospel tells us that the nets became so full of fish that they could hardly bring them into the boat. They called to the other fisherman to quickly bring their boats over to help them bring in this miraculous haul of fish.

And then an interesting thing is noted… When Peter saw what was happening, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying: ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’ Peter was astonished at the obvious miracle and at the generosity of God. And, clearly perceiving and feeling the abundant grace of God before him, he witnessed his unworthiness to be in such Divine presence.

Standing in the presence of holiness and grace can be an unsettling thing. As one hierarch put it: ‘Every encounter with God is a kind of judgment.’ – for we are confronted with the uncomfortable reality of seeing who we truly are before the infinite goodness and majesty of God. Yet Jesus comforts and strengthens Peter, saying: ‘Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.’

I would like to draw forth three things from this reading… first is regarding the discernment of and the submission to the will of God; second is the paradox of joy and fear as we stand before God; and third is the encouragement of Christ that we need not be afraid.

As the example of Apostle Peter shows us, his earthly understanding and experience knew that to cast out his nets in the heat of the day was a futile effort. Yet he submitted his will to the will of God, saying: ‘at Thy word, I will let down the net’. And, of course, the results were an abundance of reward… the boat practically sank due to the weight of all the fish they caught!

What does it mean to discern and submit to the will of God? So often we think of discerning the will of God in our lives as a way of trying to make a decision about alternate possibilities. Should I do this or should I do that? Certainly, we should pray and desire for the circumstances of our lives to be in harmony with the will of God. But more specifically, what is the will of God for us? Apostle Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians encapsulates it in these few words: ‘For this is the will of God: your sanctification.’

God’s concern is always for our healing and salvation. We think we know we want or need from our limited perspective… but God can see far beyond our immediate circumstances and, if we will allow Him, He will guide us through all that is necessary for the purification of our soul. This takes trust in God… to trust that no matter what things you may encounter in this life, if you ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all things will be added unto you.’

Apostle Peter’s choice to submit to Christ’s instruction demonstrates how he prioritized his love and trust of Jesus Christ over his own will and understanding. This is precisely the process of salvation… we relinquish that throne of our ego and we invite Christ our Lord to sit upon it, as is His proper place.

And then what may happen? When we draw open the curtains of our darkened life and allow the light of Christ to shine upon us, we may recoil from the clearer visibility of our sins. Christ’s glory was manifested in the miracle of the catch of fish, and Apostle Peter fell at the feet of Christ exclaiming: ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’

This is a heart-wrenching scene! Apostle Peter stands in the presence of God, in the brightness of Christ’s divinity, and Peter feels deeply how unworthy he is to be there.

It is a paradox… On the one hand, we long to be in the presence of God. He is our hope and our salvation and what could bring us more joy than to stand before Him? And yet, it may be that we too are afraid of this encounter with God… afraid because we know our sins will be exposed, because we are afraid of His righteous judgment, because we feel we are unworthy of being in His presence, or perhaps fearful that we will fail to live up to the love to which we are called.

But what does Christ say to Peter who has fallen before His feet? ‘Do not be afraid.’ Christ encourages and strengthens the Christian who dares to reach out Him. The Evangelist John tells us that ‘perfect love casts aside fear’. Christ Himself is that Perfect Love which casts aside fear. He sees us far more clearly and deeply than we can see our self. While we may feel embarrassed or hopeless due to our accumulation of filth, Christ perceives the image beneath and He loves that precious icon and desires to restore it. If we would turn from darkness, the light of Christ awaits with open arms.  

May God grant us the wisdom which the world calls foolishness, and the strength which the world calls weakness. May we strive to conform ourselves to God’s good and holy will, which is none other than the salvation of our souls. And may that perfect love of Christ cast aside all fear that we may work in synergy with God in the restoration and resurrection of our souls.

18th Sunday after Pentecost.

(Luke 5:1-11)

The Gospel reading for this Sunday is one with which many of us might be quite familiar… Our Lord Jesus Christ is preaching to the multitudes from a boat just off the shore of Lake Gennesaret. When He had finished His teaching, He asked the Apostle Peter to launch them out into the deeper parts of the lake and instructed him to let down his nets to catch fish.

Peter, who was an experienced fisherman, informed the Lord that they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing… now that the sun was high, there was no chance of catching any fish. ‘Nevertheless’, Peter exclaimed, ‘at Thy word, I will let down the net.’

The Gospel tells us that the nets became so full of fish that they could hardly bring them into the boat. They called to the other fisherman to quickly bring their boats over to help them bring in this miraculous haul of fish.

And then an interesting thing is noted… When Peter saw what was happening, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying: ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’ Peter was astonished at the obvious miracle and at the generosity of God. And, clearly perceiving and feeling the abundant grace of God before him, he witnessed his unworthiness to be in such Divine presence.

Standing in the presence of holiness and grace can be an unsettling thing. As one hierarch put it: ‘Every encounter with God is a kind of judgment.’ – for we are confronted with the uncomfortable reality of seeing who we truly are before the infinite goodness and majesty of God. Yet Jesus comforts and strengthens Peter, saying: ‘Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.’

I would like to draw forth three things from this reading… first is regarding the discernment of and the submission to the will of God; second is the paradox of joy and fear as we stand before God; and third is the encouragement of Christ that we need not be afraid.

As the example of Apostle Peter shows us, his earthly understanding and experience knew that to cast out his nets in the heat of the day was a futile effort. Yet he submitted his will to the will of God, saying: ‘at Thy word, I will let down the net’. And, of course, the results were an abundance of reward… the boat practically sank due to the weight of all the fish they caught!

What does it mean to discern and submit to the will of God? So often we think of discerning the will of God in our lives as a way of trying to make a decision about alternate possibilities. Should I do this or should I do that? Certainly, we should pray and desire for the circumstances of our lives to be in harmony with the will of God. But more specifically, what is the will of God for us? Apostle Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians encapsulates it in these few words: ‘For this is the will of God: your sanctification.’

God’s concern is always for our healing and salvation. We think we know we want or need from our limited perspective… but God can see far beyond our immediate circumstances and, if we will allow Him, He will guide us through all that is necessary for the purification of our soul. This takes trust in God… to trust that no matter what things you may encounter in this life, if you ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all things will be added unto you.’

Apostle Peter’s choice to submit to Christ’s instruction demonstrates how he prioritized his love and trust of Jesus Christ over his own will and understanding. This is precisely the process of salvation… we relinquish that throne of our ego and we invite Christ our Lord to sit upon it, as is His proper place.

And then what may happen? When we draw open the curtains of our darkened life and allow the light of Christ to shine upon us, we may recoil from the clearer visibility of our sins. Christ’s glory was manifested in the miracle of the catch of fish, and Apostle Peter fell at the feet of Christ exclaiming: ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’

This is a heart-wrenching scene! Apostle Peter stands in the presence of God, in the brightness of Christ’s divinity, and Peter feels deeply how unworthy he is to be there.

It is a paradox… On the one hand, we long to be in the presence of God. He is our hope and our salvation and what could bring us more joy than to stand before Him? And yet, it may be that we too are afraid of this encounter with God… afraid because we know our sins will be exposed, because we are afraid of His righteous judgment, because we feel we are unworthy of being in His presence, or perhaps fearful that we will fail to live up to the love to which we are called.

But what does Christ say to Peter who has fallen before His feet? ‘Do not be afraid.’ Christ encourages and strengthens the Christian who dares to reach out Him. The Evangelist John tells us that ‘perfect love casts aside fear’. Christ Himself is that Perfect Love which casts aside fear. He sees us far more clearly and deeply than we can see our self. While we may feel embarrassed or hopeless due to our accumulation of filth, Christ perceives the image beneath and He loves that precious icon and desires to restore it. If we would turn from darkness, the light of Christ awaits with open arms.  

May God grant us the wisdom which the world calls foolishness, and the strength which the world calls weakness. May we strive to conform ourselves to God’s good and holy will, which is none other than the salvation of our souls. And may that perfect love of Christ cast aside all fear that we may work in synergy with God in the restoration and resurrection of our souls.

17th Sunday After Pentecost – Apodosis of Elevation of the Cross

There is a quote that I would like to begin with today: "The publican prayed only 'God be merciful to me a sinner' and was justified; the repentant thief prayed only 'Remember me...' and received paradise; and the prodigal son and the tax-collector, Zacchaeus, said nothing at all, and received the mercy of the Father and the forgiveness of Christ". This powerful quote is from our Father among the Saints, Dimitri of Rostov whose memory we celebrate today. This gives us a glimpse of what we should be doing in our spiritual lives, to always ask God for help, and he will help us. The Sunday Gospel reading also gives us a similar message… Christ encounters a Canaanite woman, who asks for one simple request. To heal her daughter and free her from demonic possession. She had probably seen many people being healed by Christ throughout his ministry and she too was bold enough to ask this request of Him. What happened next was different from what she expected, he refused because she was not Jewish, and he was not sent to save the Canaanite people. He even seemed to refer to her as a dog saying "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." (Matthew 15:26). This demeaning saying of our Lord seems to have crushed all hope she had of having her daughter. However, her faith and perseverance shone through. "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table" (Matthew 15:27). All she wanted was just a small crumb of grace and she knew with that one tiny piece of grace, her daughter would be healed of her disease. And Christ seeing her faith was moved and healed her daughter.

So this brings us back to the quote given to us by St. Dimitri, all we have to do is move our hearts and align our lives towards God, and we too will be saved. This seems so simple and so beautiful. But some might begin to ask, there was another Gospel reading today that seems very contrary to this one. And it is true, because today we also are celebrating the Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross of our Lord.

In this other Gospel reading from the Apostle Mark, we heard the Deacon's intone:  "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it" (Mark 8:34-35). In fact this seems contrary to all that we had heard, now we have to endure the struggles in our lives in order to receive salvation and grace from God. This reading also admonishes us for denying Christ and almost threatening us with a loss of salvation. This fearful reading is one that we should not take lightly. As we know, we have only one life, only one chance, and by making even the slightest mistake we can lose it all. However, one should not lose all hope because we should not forget, Christ will send us his grace and gift of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us.

Coming back to the quote I began with, we can see that taking up one's Cross is in fact tied together with the grace and forgiveness of God. For that quote given to us by St. Dimiti, we see that these people had to undergo an action, a hardship in order to receive the forgiveness of God. The publican had to bow down in the Temple and say "God forgive me a sinner!". The Thief, crucified and humiliated on the cross had to ask God to remember him. And the prodigal and Zcchaeus having said nothing, had to in fact change their sinful lives. Even the Canaanite woman had to humble herself as being called a dog in order to receive healing. However, all these took up their own crosses and followed Christ. They might be vast and different, but each one took up their own struggles and were able to move forward in Christ. This is how they were able to receive the great grace of Christ. And we too can receive that grace when we take up our own struggles.

But we are not alone in our struggles, many have struggled before us and are examples for us! And these struggles are given to us as a test almost, to see if we are truly faithful to God. To illustrate this point, I would like to recount an excerpt from the life of St Eustice who we celebrated yesterday. I highly recommend to read his life from the Great lives of Saints compiled by St. Dimitri Rostov. In short, St. Eustice, a Roman military leader, had a vision of Christ, and thereby converted to Christianity together with his wife and two children. However, great misfortune came over him as he lost everything. Not only that but his wife and children were taken away from him. This passage takes place after St. Eutice lost his family:

"Emerging from the river, Eustathius remained on the bank weeping for a long time, and then he went on his way sorrowing, having as his only consolation God, in Whom he believed and for Whose sake he bore all these things. He did not murmur against God nor did he say, "Hast Thou called me to know Thee, 0 Lord, that I might be deprived of my wife and children? Of what profit to me is faith, if I am become the most wretched of all men? Is Thy love for Thy faithful such that they must perish, sundered from one another?" That righteous and patient man said nothing of the sort: he only bowed his head and in humility fell down before God, thanking Him for these visitations and thanking Him that it pleased Him that His servants should not enjoy worldly prosperity and vain diversions. Eustathius thanked Him (God), too, that they should abide in sorrows and misfortunes in order that He (God) might console them with eternal joy in the age to come. God, Who works all things to our benefit and Who allows tribulations to befall the righteous man, does not seek to inflict punishment through this means but, rather, tries one’s faith and courage. His desire is not that a man should suffer but that he should display good courage and that he give thanks to God for every circumstance" (http://orthochristian.com/74099.html).

This is what it means to take up one's cross. This is precisely how we become Christ's true disciple. In fact, in this story, Eustice's faith was rewarded, since his family was found unharmed and they were reunited. This is the grace of God at work! Let this same grace come upon us as we take up our struggles. Let us use the examples placed in front of us, and struggle to take up our cross not with sorrow, but with great joy, giving thanks to God for all things!

THE EXALTATION OF THE CROSS

Today, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have the Cross brought before us as we commemorate the great feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of our Lord.

This feast commemorates the finding of the Cross of our Lord, when the Empress, St Helen, came to Jerusalem with this purpose… to recover the Precious Cross of Christ. During their excavations, they came upon three crosses – these were the three upon which hung our Lord and the two thieves. The sign with the inscription, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews’, also lay among the three crosses, so they knew they had made their discovery. In order to determine which one was the true cross, a sick woman was told to kiss each of the three crosses. The woman kissed the first cross with no result. She kissed the second cross and again nothing happened. However, when the ailing woman kissed the True Cross, she was immediately made well. It so happened that a funeral procession was passing that way, and so the body of the dead man was placed on each of the crosses, and when it was placed on the True Cross, the dead man came to life — thus the name the ‘Life-Giving‘ Cross, which gives life not only to that man, but to each person who believes in the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and His all-glorious three day Resurrection.

When the true Cross was identified, it was lifted on high for all the people to see… all those present prostrated themselves before the beloved Cross of their Lord.

The Cross stands before us this morning to underscore this Christian principle of accepting and taking up our cross. Each and every one of us has major and minor crosses that we must bear in this life. Perhaps we suffer from illness, perhaps we are out of work or are struggling to make ends meet, perhaps we have difficult relationships with others in our lives, perhaps we continue to struggle with some persistent sin that ensnares us, perhaps we are struggling with the fears and isolation and challenges which this current virus has placed upon us. These challenges are difficult and they can wear us down as we suffer through them. But in all situations, there is always the freedom of how will respond… We can respond with resistance, resentment, and frustration – wishing that things were different and letting these things drag us downward; or we can respond with acceptance, humility, and patience – calling upon God to be with us in our suffering, to give us strength, and letting these very struggles be the things that point us upward toward God, our hope.

Surely, one of the most important messages of the Cross is that Christ is with us in our suffering. And not just that He is empathetic toward our suffering, but that He Himself has endured all human suffering and that He has gained the victory! We can and must turn to Christ in our pain, in our sufferings… and we must never fall prey to the lie of the evil one that we are alone - no matter what our particular circumstance might be. Are you lonely and isolated? – Christ was betrayed and abandoned in His darkest hour. Are you homeless or destitute? – Christ had nowhere to lay His head. Are you sick and in pain? – there has hardly been a more brutal and painful form of torture and death than crucifixion. Are you assaulted by constant temptation? – in His humanity, our Lord Jesus Christ endured it all.

Christ has taken upon His shoulders all the misery, all the suffering, all the sin of this world and has borne it, has trembled under its weight, and has suffered its consequences of death. And yet, death could not contain the One Who is the Source of Life! He burst forth from the grave and His Light scattered the darkness. All the spectrum of the experiences of humanity, Christ has touched and He has healed.

We are called to unite ourselves to Christ. We unite ourselves to His healing grace which allows us to endure all things with faith and hope and love. Uniting ourselves to Christ, we can face everything… be it triumph or tragedy, prosperity or poverty, health or sickness, life or death.

This is the good news of the Gospel! This is the message of the Cross – a message which the world cannot understand! What this world sees as a symbol of defeat and darkness has become for us our symbol of victory and light!

The outstretched arms of Christ upon the Cross embrace the whole world. ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that he should lay down his life for his friends.’ The love of God is unfathomable. We cannot comprehend it. We cannot earn it. We can only accept it and enter into it. And in so doing, we enter into Christ’s love and victory.

May we bow down before the beauty of the Cross – our hope and our salvation!

15th Sunday after Pentecost

 (Matt. 22:35-46)

The words we hear in today’s Gospel reading are an encapsulation of the entire Gospel message. A lawyer attempts to test Jesus, saying to Him, ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?’ And Our Lord replied to Him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’

This is the beautiful simplicity of the Gospel message and the great challenge to our fallen human inclinations. Our Lord, boils down all the law and the prophets into two sentences. ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ And ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

These two commandments are really one, for we cannot say we love God if we do not love our neighbor, and we cannot truly love our neighbor if we do not have the love of God within us. The holy Apostle John tells us in his Epistle: ‘If someone says “I love God” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him; that he who loves God must love his brother also.’

The Christian life is a life of self-sacrificial love, just as Christ’s life was a life of self-sacrificial love. There’s no way out of this… We cannot reduce our faith to lofty religious feelings or to a formula of moral duties or to engaging philosophical abstractions. Christ calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.

That path of following Christ takes us into the realm of His beautiful teachings and His miraculous healings. It also takes us into the realm of the reality of His having nowhere to lay His head, to His sufferings and His crucifixion. And, if we can go there with Him, then we may also follow this path to the glorious light of His resurrection and ascension.

That path is the path of love. Love, not as defined by this world… Our modern culture’s perception of love is one of self-satisfaction, of self-fulfillment, of self-pleasure. We love that which pleases us. And if we make the pursuit of this kind of self-indulgence our focus, all that stands in the way of what pleases us becomes the source of our greatest misery, frustration, and sorrow. This is the recipe for disaster in our lives and, unfortunately, it is epidemic.

The love that Christ calls us toward is precisely NOT self-seeking. Let us recall the description of the Apostle Paul of what true love is: ‘Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.’

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… the love which Christ calls us toward is nothing short of a crucifixion of our selfish desires. It is a prioritization of God first, others second, ourselves third. The foremost commandment of love is a practical, moment by moment exercise in keeping God first in our lives and striving with all of our heart and mind and soul to follow His way of love – as just described.

It is not for the weak of heart. It requires tremendous self-discipline on our part. And yet, the more we exercise this self-giving and generous love, the greater becomes our deepest interior joy. It is a joy which comes not from seeking what we think we want, but from giving of ourselves to God and others. This is the mysterious and counter-intuitive paradox of life… the more we entangle ourselves in the vanity of seeking our own happiness, the more miserable we become from all the inevitable obstacles that stand in our way. The less we indulge ourselves and the more we extend our attention and energy to loving God and others, the greater becomes our interior peace and our true joy. A life lived in love is a life of great grace and joy!

Last Sunday we celebrated Sts Peter and Febronia and the Day of Family, Love, and Fidelity. It is precisely in the context of family… whether that family is your spouse and children; your parents and siblings; your monastic brothers and sisters; your parish family; or whatever gathering of fallen human beings you have been placed with… it is in that context where we must exercise this challenge of self-sacrificing love. Striving to be patient and kind; not jealous or boastful; not arrogant or rude; not insisting on our own way; refraining from being irritable or resentful; never rejoicing at wrong but rejoicing in the right; bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things; and never giving up!

This is the spiritual contest which is set before most of us. It is not the stuff of romance and drama… We might fantasize about the lives of saints and monks and martyrs, but the reality of the Christian struggle is right before us in our day to day lives: saying our prayers with attention and feeling; being patient and kind to those around us; and living in the conscious presence of God Who is everywhere present and fillest all things.  

May God grant us grace and strength to love Him with all of our heart and soul and mind and to love our neighbor as our self. For it is in this self-giving love that we receive treasures beyond description!

13th Sunday After Pentecost

Matthew 21:33-42

In today’s Gospel reading we heard the parable of the owner of a vineyard. The owner has equipped this vineyard with all that is necessary to produce fruit and to protect its healthy production. He rents out the vineyard to some cultivators to whom he entrusts its care and stewardship. Again and again he sends messengers to collect the rent and over and over again these messengers are ignored, ridiculed, even stoned and beaten. Finally, he sends his own son – expecting that they will respect him. Seeing the son of the owner, the wicked cultivators conspire to kill him in order to receive his inheritance.

The initial interpretation of this parable is obvious… Jesus is speaking directly and referring to the nation of Israel – that vineyard of the Lord which had been so well equipped by the promises and laws of God with all that is necessary to bring forth spiritual fruit. The many messengers sent to the vineyard are none other than the prophets of the Old Testament – the long succession of holy men and women who called the nation of Israel back to repentance and the ways of God and who were again and again ignored, rejected, despised, and killed. And the son is, of course, our Lord Jesus Christ – the Son of God Who was sent to the vineyard to speak directly, to show by living example, and to intercede for the people of God. This parable was spoken by Jesus on Tuesday of Holy Week just before His crucifixion. It was designed to awaken the Pharisees, the scribes and the priests to the terrible sins they had committed in the past against the prophets and the great sin they were about to commit against God’s own Son. It is a powerful parable and a clear forewarning of what was to come.

How else might this parable be applied? Who else was Christ speaking to?...

Surely it is speaking to the Holy Orthodox Church of Christ. The New Testament Church is the new Israel and woe to us if we make the same mistake as our forefathers – in our Orthodox Faith, we have been even better equipped with all of the sacraments and grace of God, we have everything necessary for our salvation in the Holy Church entrusted to us by our Lord. And yet, let us examine ourselves and ask - how do we behave as stewards of this rich vineyard of our faith? This faith which has given us the Holy Gospels, the Divine Liturgy and all of the Sacraments of the Church, the lives and counsels of all the saints. Do we treasure these gifts? Do we take full advantage of them for the good of our salvation? Or do we ignore, reject, or maybe even resent the imposition that the Church is perceived to make upon our own selfish plans for our life? Are we like the ungrateful stewards of the vineyard of the Holy Church?

And if this question is relevant under the normal conditions of life, when the Church services are open and attendance is unrestricted, then how much more relevant is it to ask ourselves this question today, when our access to the Church has been impeded? Have we valued the treasury of our faith? Are we willing to fight for it?

Whether the current restrictions are justified or not, they are the reality of our present condition. These conditions make it harder to live our Christian life. We do not have the same freedom and easy access to the Church that we had been used to. It is not as easy to get together with our brothers and sisters in Christ for fellowship and support. We are all feeling more isolated and disconnected given the current circumstances of life.

And so, the question then becomes – ‘What will you do about it?’

I think that the perfect answer to this question is given to us today by the Apostle Paul in the Epistle reading we heard this morning. In concluding his letter to the Christians in Corinth, he advises: ‘Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.’

Yes, we have obstacles placed before us which were not there before. Attendance at Church is being restricted for now… but attendance is still possible. We just have to fight for it a bit more. You must take the initiative to get on the list to attend one of the several services offered each week. And if attendance at the Church is not feasible, then you should make arrangements for the priest to come to your home. But by all means ‘stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.’

Our Orthodox life has never been the easy road… there have always been challenges to living a life of piety and Christian struggle in this world. And now, with the concerns for the containment of the Corona virus, and with the growing apostasy of the culture around us, I think we need to acclimate ourselves for even greater challenges in the future.

If we are not attending to our faith… with real vigor and determination to keep the flame of our zeal alive, then we run the risk of seeing that flame of faith extinguished. Every day we need to be fueling that flame with prayer, with the reading of Holy Scripture, with self-sacrifice and service to those around us, and with inspiration from those sources that lift us upward. If we do not feed our faith, our faith will grow weak and will not be able to withstand the challenges and pressures being put upon it.

So, dear brothers and sisters in Christ… ‘Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.’ Let us uphold our Holy Orthodox Faith with fidelity and zeal. Each one of us must be the caretaker of the good of our soul. Be assertive in making sure you retain access to the Holy Sacraments – either coming to the Church or having one of us come to you. Be brave and strong so that no matter what may be taken away externally, your interior life in Christ is unshakable.

And, while we attend to that flame of zeal with strength and determination, let us never lose sight of our true objective. As the Holy Apostle Paul tells us: ‘Let all that you do be done with love.’ All of our efforts of prayer, of fasting, of striving to do good… these are the means by which we soften our hearts and acquire synergy with God. St John the Theologian exhorts us: ‘Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.’

May God grant that we watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. And may all that we do be done with love.

Sermon for the 12th Sunday After Pentecost

            The gospel reading we heard today about the rich young man is such a pertinent reading for us today in this greatly prosperous time we live in. In this teaching given to us by the Apostle Matthew, a rich young man comes up to Christ to ask him, what can he do to inherit eternal life. After all, who wouldn't want to be able to have life everlasting without death, suffering, or any worldly cares? And Christ tells this man to follow all the commandments of God, such as not murdering, not lying, and honoring one's parents. After hearing these commandments, the man responds with almost a proud-like answer: "All these things have I kept from my youth up" (Matthew 19:20). Many of us hearing this would think that he is acting with great pride and even possibly being a bit snobby. However, the Gospel of Mark, which also relates this story, adds a very important detail (and this detail is only present in the Gospel of Mark). After the man says that I have kept all these commandments, it says that Jesus "beholding him loved him" (Mark 10:21). By adding this small detail it seems to show that Christ saw through this man and saw that he was probably being truthful in his actions. By keeping these commandments this man seems to be a great example for us as Christians.

            However, this man had just one passion that was holding him back from being able to inherit eternal life. Christ knowing all things was able to see in the heart of this young man that which was holding him back from paradise. The passion holding him back was the love of worldly possessions. This is precisely why Jesus instructs the man to give all that he has to the poor. And yet this man unable to let go of all that great wealth was unable to follow God, and walked away with great sadness in his heart. These possessions he had, possessed his own soul and made him unable to realize his full potential. After all, he was a faithful man, he kept all the great commandments of God. But the care about the things of this world was his ultimate demise.

            The disciples seeing this were puzzled. After all, in the Old Testament Church, having wealth was a sign of great blessings from God. Those who had riches were seen as being the elite of that time. They were the ones who were truly faithful to God and God blessed them with great wealth. And at the same token, the rich were also the ones who were supposed to be the first to inherit the kingdom of heaven. How could it be so? Why were the poor the ones who were blessed and not those with great possessions.

            Yes wealth is a blessing from God. This is attested by the Church as well. But having great wealth is also a great responsibility and we will be judged based on what we do with our wealth. As we hear from the Gospel of Luke: "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Luke 12:48). And this is why this Gospel reading of the rich young man is so important to us today, because unlike 1st Century Jews, much has been given to us.  Many of us today probably have middle-class wages which makes us much more wealthy than the rich young man. Even wealthy people in his time had to worry about starving if their crops would not provide enough food, or if their animals died. For us, we just have to go to the grocery store and all our needs are taken care of. Many wealthy people would get sick and that was it for them, their life was over. But for us, we can go to see a doctor and are able to get great medical care. The wealthy in the first century would live in fear of bandits robbing and destroying their livelihood, whereas today we live in an overall pretty safe society. There are so many great blessings given to us, great wealth, and amazing quality of life. And yet, are we any better than the rich young man?

            St Isaac the Syrian says: "He who is master of possessions, is the slave of passions. Do not estimate gold and silver only as possessions, but all things thou possess for the sake of the desire of thy will". Everything we have been given is given to us to be able to do good with it. Do we have a large house? Then we should invite those who need a place to stay to stay with us. Do we have an extra car? Maybe we should give it to those who do not have one. Do we have the latest smartphones, and all the best gadgets? Maybe we should instead buy them for someone else, or use the money to support our Church. The poor are all around us, we just have to open our eyes. There are so many who have lost all they have in fires, we should be the first as Christians to help them. A great priest that I know says "you cannot take any of that wealth with you to the grave, it all remains here." So let us therefore use what we have for good and have only what we need because that is what will give us the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

I remember hearing a story about a poor young married couple who lived off of only 90% of what they earned. The rest they gave to the Church and to the poor. Over time, they had acquired great wealth, but they still lived off of the same amount that they lived when they were poor, which eventually ended up being on about 10% of what they earned. And the 90% that they had in surplus? They gave to the Church, or helped those in need. This is a true example of what we should strive to be. Live off of only what we need which actually ends up being very little if we think about it. The rest we should be helping those who are in need and especially the Church God. This way, we will be not like the rich young fool, but rather we will be a true follower of Christ.

The Dormition of the Mother of God

Greetings dear brothers and sisters in Christ with the great feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God!

In the icon of the Dormition we see the most pure Mother of God surrounded by the Apostles. One of her last wishes and prayers was that she could once again see the dearly loved Apostles of her Son Jesus Christ. The Lord fulfilled her wish in a miraculous way… the Apostles, who were scattered abroad on their missionary journeys, were miraculously transported back to Jerusalem to be at the bedside of their beloved spiritual Mother. What joy and what Christian love must have been expressed among this amazing assembly of people! The Holy Virgin then peacefully gave up her soul into the arms of her Son. We see this represented in the icon as our Lord Jesus Christ appears above the assembly of Apostles and cradles within His arms what appears to be an infant all dressed in white. This newly born infant is the pure soul of the Most Holy Virgin being tenderly embraced by her Son as she enters into His heavenly kingdom.

What an image this is! What hope it brings forth within the human heart! For, though the body of the Most Pure Virgin is, for a moment, given over to death, her pure soul is cradled in arms of her Son and our Savior.

This vision should inform us and inspire us… that, though we may be subject to the tragedies of this fallen world, our souls might find rest within the bosom of our Lord. The Holy Apostle Paul expresses this hope most perfectly when he writes: ‘For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

Let that beautiful image of the pure white soul of the Virgin, lovingly cradled within the arms of our Savior, be a source of consolation and inspiration. No matter what storms may rage all around us, there is a place of quiet and rest for our souls within the embrace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Beneath that wondrous vision, we see the Apostles crowded around the reposed body of the Holy Virgin. The Apostle Thomas was the only one of Christ’s immediate disciples who was not brought back to Jerusalem at the time of the Mother of God’s falling asleep. But this turned out to be according to God’s great providence and mercy as well. Thomas arrived on the third day and wished to venerate the body of the Most Holy Theotokos. When the Apostles opened the tomb, they discovered that the body of the Virgin Mary was no longer there! Her most pure body had been assumed up into heaven. That evening she appeared to the Apostles, surrounded by a host of angels, saying: ‘Rejoice, I will be with you always.’

Thus the Most Holy Mother of God sits at the right hand of her Son… she has been called forth from the grave ahead of all of humanity to enter into the fullness of that to which we are all called… to be in Paradise with our Heavenly Father.

Our holy father John of Shanghai and San Francisco wrote the following: ‘Being adorned with Divine glory she stands and will stand, both in the day of the Last Judgment and in the future age, at the right hand of the throne of her Son. She reigns with Him and has boldness towards Him as His Mother according to the flesh, and as one in spirit with Him, as one who performed the will of God and instructed others. Merciful and full of love, she manifests her love towards her Son and God in love for the human race. She intercedes for it before the Merciful One, and going about the earth, she helps mankind. Having experienced all the difficulties of earthly life, the Intercessor of the Christian race sees every tear, hears every groan and entreaty directed to her. Especially near to her are those who labor in the battle with the passions and are zealous for a God-pleasing life. But even in worldly cares she is an irreplaceable helper. In her sticheron we sing… ‘Joy of all who sorrow and intercessor for the offended, feeder of the hungry, consolation of travelers, harbor of the storm-tossed, visitation of the sick, protection and intercessor for the infirm, staff of old age, Mother of God on high, Thou art the Immaculate, hasten we pray and save Thy slaves.’’

What an example, what a champion, what an intercessor we have in our Mother, the Most Pure Virgin Mary. Her life on earth and her life in heaven stand as beacons – inspiring and guiding us toward the call of her Son and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us go forward today into the events of our own lives with a resolution to become a source of joy for the sorrowful, an intercessor for those that are offended, a feeder of the hungry, a consolation to travelers, let each of us strive to be a harbor for all those that are storm-tossed, let us visit and pray for the sick and suffering. In a word, let us go forth, inspired by the image of the purity and the humility of the Mother of God to be beacons of the love of Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have received so much love, let us generously pass it on!

11th Sunday After Pentecost

Matthew 18:23-35

In the Gospel reading for today, we hear of a man who was deeply in debt, owing a great fortune to the king. The king wanted to settle his accounts with his servants and therefore demanded the payment of this debt. The poor servant could in no way pay back this great amount and so the king ordered that he and his wife and children should be sold into slavery to repay the debt. The man fell on his knees and begged the king for mercy and patience to give him time to try to pay back what he owed. The king was moved to compassion by the cries of the debtor and, with a loving heart, forgave him everything.

When this man went out he found one of his fellow servants who happened to owe him some small amount of money. This time, the one who had just been forgiven so much, showed no mercy and threw the debtor into prison. When the king heard about this, he called the first man before him and said, ‘You wicked servant, I forgave you the great debt that you owed and you have turned around and shown no mercy on he who owed you so little.’ In anger and righteous indignation the king put this man into prison until he was able to pay back all that he had originally owed.

Our Lord Jesus Christ concludes this parable telling us that this is how our Heavenly Father will treat each of us unless we forgive our brother from our heart. The message is very clear – if we expect to be forgiven, then we must forgive and show love toward others.

I believe I have shared the story before of Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, who as a young man went to confession and admitted that he could not forgive some offense that had occurred. His spiritual father, hearing this admission of a lack to forgive, resolutely forbade the young Anthony to recite the ‘Our Father’ prayer. He underscored that when we pray the Lord’s Prayer we are specifically asking God to forgive us as we forgive others. If we are unwilling to forgive those who have offended or wronged us in some way, then we dare not pray this prayer since we are basically asking God to no longer forgive us!

It is very easy for us to withhold a spirit of forgiveness and instead to get hung up on a false idea of justice. If someone wrongs us, we become indignant and full of self-righteousness. We demand that justice must be served.

A story is told of a mother pleading with a king to spare her condemned son's life. The king said the crime was dreadful; justice demanded his life. ‘Your majesty,’ sobbed the mother, ‘Not justice, but mercy.’ ‘He does not deserve mercy,’ was the answer. ‘But, sir, if he deserved it, it would not be mercy,’ replied the mother. ‘Ah yes, you have spoken the truth,’ said the king. ‘I will have mercy.’

St. Isaac the Syrian said: ‘Never say that God is just. If he were just you would be in hell. Rely only on His injustice which is mercy, love and forgiveness.’

We should thank God that His judgment of us will not be based on our worldly conception of justice. We are mistaken if we think that our good deeds, our fasting, our prayer, our almsgiving, all of the things that we do in our Christian life, are going to earn us our place in the Kingdom of Heaven. If we have this expectation, then it is simply more evidence that we still think WE are the ones in control. If I do everything right, then God will be compelled by justice to reward me.   

St Seraphim of Sarov instructs us: ‘Prayer, fasting, vigil, and all other Christian practices do not constitute the aim of our Christian life… the true aim of the Christian life consists of the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God.’

If our good deeds, our prayers, our fasting, do not bring about a change in our heart, then we are missing the point.

All of those tools of our faith: the prayer, the fasting, the vigilant watchfulness over our selfish passions – these things are critically important. But they are important not because they make the case for us before the judgment seat of Christ. They are important because they are the means by which our heart and mind and soul are transformed.

When you and I stand before the judgment seat of Christ our Lord, we will stand before the One Who sees directly into the heart and soul of each person. The criterion of God’s judgment is not going to be human justice… a sense of ‘karma’ that demands that we get what we deserve. God help us if this were the case! No, God will look directly into our heart and soul to discern to what degree there is an image and likeness of God therein.

Let us bring this understanding back to our Gospel lesson today… Justice demands repayment of a debt, but the king forgave his debtor because he had a heart full of mercy and compassion. The forgiven debtor then turns around and wrings the neck of someone who owed him a small amount. The ungrateful debtor ends up in prison because there is no reciprocal mercy and compassion within his heart. We may correctly say that he was already imprisoned by the coldness of his heart.

This, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is our fate as well. God is the merciful King Who forgives our debts, our sins, and the tragedy of our fallenness. There is no cold justice in this… it is an outpouring of the warmth of Divine Love! We don’t deserve such mercy… it is a gift from the abundance of the unfathomable and limitless compassion of our God. If we, then, are offered such forgiveness and generosity… how can we not extend the same to all those who may offend us?

The whole point of our earthly life is to grow in the mercy and compassion of our heart so that our heart may more and more reflect that image and likeness of the mercy and compassion of God. May God grant that we live our lives such that we can pray with complete sincerity: ‘forgive us our debts and we forgive our debtors’.

Eighth Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 14:14-22)

In the Gospel reading for today, we heard about a great and startling miracle… Our Lord had retreated into the wilderness and the crowds had followed Him there. In His loving compassion, He attended to them – teaching them and nourishing their hungry souls with the living Word of God.

As the evening approached, the disciples looked out upon the multitudes and became concerned and upset about the logistics of caring for and feeding so many. The disciples wanted to send the people away to the villages so they could get something to eat.

Our Lord instead commanded His disciples to gather up the food available there and to feed the people. But the disciples assessed what was available and said it couldn’t be done… all they had were two fishes and five loaves of bread… they could not possibly fulfill the task that the Lord has asked of them.

There was no way that they could feed these thousands of people with such a meager collection of food. But the Lord tells them to bring their meager resources to Him. He blesses and fills with His grace the small and insufficient resources brought before Him and He then sends the disciples out to do the job He had asked of them, to feed the multitudes. The overflowing grace of God is apparent, and the disciples end up with twelve baskets of leftovers after the crowd has had their fill.

This is an astonishing miracle! Christ’s multiplication of the loaves and the fishes illustrates for us a number of things…

It certainly shows us His majesty and command over the laws of nature, of which He is, of course, the Author.

It clearly demonstrates the compassion which our Lord has for His people… first attending to their spiritual nourishment and then granting that their bodies may be nourished in this desert place as well.

It illustrates for us the universal principle that we must not judge things from our limited, worldly perspective. When situations seem impossible to us, when our resources are meager and limited, if we will have the humility and the faith to bring them before the Lord, He can fulfill all that is necessary.

And there is an additional aspect to today’s Holy Gospel which I would like to reflect on for a moment.

The miracle set before us today of Christ multiplying the bread and fishes to feed the assembled multitudes was a practical response and an act of compassion for the given moment. Now, one might say… if Christ could feed the assembled thousands, then wouldn’t it be better if He would feed the whole world? Christ could feed us all and then there would be no more hunger in the world.

One of the three temptations which the Evil One put before Christ was to ‘turn stones into bread’. This temptation symbolizes the universal craving for the satisfaction of our earthly desires here on this earth. It is the cry of all utopian dreams.

Mankind fools himself with his self-congratulating dreams of evolution and progress. While it is true that we have more gadgets today, the level of intelligent discourse and morality and piety are declining at a rapid rate. And when men’s awareness of the Kingdom of Heaven grows dim, he has nowhere to turn but to vainly striving for some kind of utopia here on this earth.

No-one describes this conflict better than Fyodor Dostoevsky and nowhere in his writings does he illustrate these points more clearly than in his great work, The Brothers Karamazov. In that book, which should be required reading for all Orthodox Christians, he sets forth the following dialog of accusation against Christ…

‘…Do you see these stones in this bare, scorching desert? Turn them into bread and mankind will run after you like sheep, grateful and obedient, though eternally trembling lest you withdraw your hand and your loaves cease for them. But you did not want to deprive man of freedom and rejected the offer, for what sort of freedom is it, you reasoned, if obedience is bought with loaves of bread? You objected, stating that man does not live by bread alone, but do you know that in the name of this very earthly bread, the spirit of the earth will rise against you and fight with you and defeat you, and everyone will follow him exclaiming: “Who can compare to this beast, for he has given us fire from heaven!” Do you know that centuries will pass and mankind will proclaim with the mouth of its wisdom and science that there is no crime, and therefore no sin, but only hungry men? “Feed them first, then ask virtue of them!”—that is what they will write on the banner they raise against you, and by which your temple will be destroyed.’

These are powerful and terrifying words… they say to God: ‘Forget Your Kingdom of Heaven, we don’t want it! We demand justice and bread and satisfaction right here and now in the Kingdom of this Earth.’

Isn’t this the voice we hear echoing in the streets today? There is no sense of personal responsibility, there is no sense of self-sacrifice, there is no sense of the need for there to be a foundation and a cornerstone upon which to build a better world. We have forsaken God and His commandments for our well-being and we have placed our hope in fallen man and our total lack of proper direction. This is the recipe for disaster… and it always has been. Utopian dreams which turn their back upon God quickly become nightmares.

Our Lord Jesus Christ responds to the cry: ‘Feed men first, and then ask of them virtue.’ The food He offers to us is the only Food which is that cornerstone upon which virtue can be built. He offers us Bread and Drink in His precious Body and Blood. This is the Food of Immortality. This is the fount of Living Water which is the only thing that can truly satisfy our thirst and deepest longing.

The problems of this world are manifestations of our disconnection from God. We must never lose sight of that basic fact. If that connection is not restored, there is no hope for any worldly solutions or plans. As Alexander Solzhenitsyn so perceptively said: ‘The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties – but right through every human heart…even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains…an uprooted small corner of evil.’

Let us continue to raise our voices as the Church and pray for peaceful times, for abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for all good things for each and every one – and yet, let us never forget that such goodness begins in the healing of the individual human heart and in its reconciliation with God. Truth and righteousness must never be abstract ideals… if they are to be real, they must always be personal. As an old folk song from the 1950’s proclaimed: ‘Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.’

Amen.

 7th Sunday After Pentecost - Fathers of First Six Councils

Fr Andrew Gliga

           This Sunday we celebrate the Fathers of the first six ecumenical councils. Many of us might be familiar with some of the teachings of these councils as well as what heresies were condemned at these councils. What can be said is that these councils and their teachings are important for us even today. They should be understood by us Orthodox Christians. What can be said about the first six councils (and even the seventh one) is that they all had a common theme, a common heresy that came up; who was Jesus Christ? The heretics constantly tried to make Jesus Christ not equal to God the Father, or not be truly God and man at the same time. And each time, the Fathers of these councils would hold true to Orthodoxy and defend the faith handed down to them.

As we see, these councils would convene to discuss various heresies which were causing divisions between Christians. These heresies were always a deviation of the teachings handed down by the Apostles. In Greek, the word for heretic means to choose. These were people who chose what they wanted to believe. In order to root out these teachings, the Fathers of these councils met in order to discuss these deviations of the true faith. Eventually they would reject and condemn those teachings as well as the followers of those who would teach such things. A few examples of these false teachings condemned at these councils were ones like Arianism which states that Christ was only a creature and not God. Sabellianism which rejected the Trinity. Nestorianism which rejected the virgin birth of Christ. Nestorian, who was the teacher of this heresy, stated that the mother of God was Christotokos which meant birthgiver of Christ, instead of the common Theotokos which means the birthgiver of God. Another heresy was Monophophysism which rejected that Christ was fully God and fully man. And finally Monotheism which rejected the fact that Christ had a divine will and a human will. Orthodoxy prevailed and these teachings were rejected and eventually died out in the early Church.

Many of us who hear these various heresies ask, so what, those were over a thousand years ago, and these heresies are long gone and no longer of any importance. However, this is not entirely true. There are so many heresies floating around today which are reincarnations of previous heresies. Take one of the most popular ones we hear today. It states that Christ was a great teacher, his sermon on the mount was so important and a great philosophy, but the rest of the miracles and the raising people from the dead are not true and just fairy tales. This sounds like a modern version of Arianism which rejects the divine nature of Christ. Or another modern protestant teaching that rejects the Mother of God as being important and says that she is just a simple lady. Doesn't that sound like Nestorianism which reduced her importance as being the Mother of God? Or finally this modern notion that Jesus is our buddy and our friend, this seems to reject the fact that Christ is the one true God and should be treated with fear, awe, and great respect.

So as we see these heresies are alive today but in different forms. We should then take the example of the Fathers of these councils and ask, what did they do in order to defend against these heresies? What was their reaction? What did they do when they were faced with various deviations from the true faith? They did one thing, which was that they stayed united in the true faith with their fellow Christians. This is exactly what Christ commanded us to do which is recalled in the Gospel reading for today: "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are." (John 17: 9-11). The Fathers knew this Gospel and listened to it well, above all else they were united together. Yes, maybe they disagreed as we see certain fathers disagreed with one another. But in the end of the day they all came together and fought against that which was evil, that which would bring divisions in the Church. And this is how they were able to root out heresy, or other false beliefs which were working to unwind the fabric of the Church.

So dear brothers and sisters, do not let the spirit of this world bring divisions to us as well. There are many temptations arising with the continued closures of our Churches, many of you might be upset at the decisions of our Bishops and our dear Rector, while others are upset that not enough is being done. Some might even be upset at their fellow brothers and sisters either being too mindful of this virus or not being mindful enough. I beg of you, be like the Fathers and stand united. These thoughts that come to our mind against the leaders of the Church and against our fellow Christian come from one place, the same place that the various heresies came from. These all are the doings and work of the evil one, who is rejoicing at the closure of our Churches. And now he is working to divide us even more and cause brother to go against brother as he did to the early Church. Let us not be deceived by his wickedness. Let us stand together, pray for one another if they have upset us. Pray for our Rector if he has upset us. Above all else pray for our Bishops! They need it more than ever since they are not free from temptation and sleepless nights. Instead of judgement and divisions bring prayer and love for one another. And above else, bring obedience to our Church leaders. This way we can all stand united under the guide and love of our pastor.

            Here is a quote from St. Theophan the Recluse which sums up having love and unity for one another: "Thus, in order to be saved from the sin of condemnation, we must obtain a merciful heart. A merciful heart not only does not condemn a seeming infringement of the law, but neither will it condemn an obvious one. Instead of judgment it feels pity, and would sooner weep than reproach. Truly the sin of condemnation is the fruit of an unmerciful, malicious heart that takes delight in debasing its neighbor, in blackening its neighbor’s name, in trampling his honor underfoot. This is a murderous affair, and is done in the spirit of the one who is a murderer from the beginning [Jn. 8:44]. Here there occurs much slander as well, which comes from the same source — for that is what the devil is, a slanderer, spreading slanderousness everywhere. Hurry to arouse pity in yourself every time the evil urge to condemn comes over you. Then turn in prayer to the Lord with a compassionate heart, that He might have mercy upon all of us, not only upon the one whom we wanted to condemn, but upon us as well — perhaps even more so upon us — and the evil urge will die." Amen.

Sixth Sunday After Pentecost

(Matthew 9:1-8)

In the Gospel reading for today we hear the account of the healing of the paralytic. Our Lord Jesus Christ had just returned to Capernaum from the country of the Gergesenes, where he had healed the men possessed by demons. A small crowd awaited Him upon His return and brought to Him this man who was sick and paralyzed by his illness. The sick man’s friends cared for him and had faith that Jesus Christ could heal him.

It is interesting and important to note that the Gospel indicates that when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven thee’. Whose faith was Christ responding to? Our Lord was recognizing and honoring the faith not just of the man who was sick, but primarily of those who loved him and brought him before the Lord. Their faith and their supplications mattered… God recognized and responded to the love and faith of those who brought the sick man before Him.

This is an incredibly important lesson for us! It is sometimes the case that we get discouraged in our spiritual life: what does it matter if I fast, if I skip my prayers?

Well, as today’s Gospel reading helps to illustrate… yes, your faith and your supplications before God matter! Your faith has implications and influence upon the rest of the world. Our Lord healed the paralytic in response to the love and faith of those friends who brought him before the Lord.

I think that this recognition of the impact of our prayer life, the impact of our spiritual life upon the world around us and upon our brothers and sisters in the faith is profound.

There is much that is sick and paralyzed in today’s world. I’m sure we all feel it. I hear from so many of you how concerned and confused you are by what is going on in the world. Everything from the impositions and restrictions placed upon us by the Covid virus, to the fears and uncertainty that this has brought into our lives, to the frustrations and anger spilling over onto our streets, to the closing of the churches and the separation being wedged between ourselves and those we love.

These are very trying times… no doubt about it. Just at the time when this world needs our prayers more than ever, the doors of the church are shut tight and we are alienated from being with and praying with those we love.

How should we move forward? How can we be effective Orthodox Christians in times such as these?

I think that today’s Gospel has much to say about this…

While it may be true that we cannot physically gather together in prayer and fellowship the way we used to do, we must understand the bond of spiritual kinship that we all share. As Orthodox Christians we are all members of one body and, as the Holy Apostle Paul puts it: ‘if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.’

Though the present circumstances may obstruct our ability to be together, we must diligently and courageously never allow them to separate us. Our unity is founded in Christ our Lord and this foundation can withstand any storm the world may throw at us! We must stand firm in knowing and leveraging our connection to one another. And this connection lives and breathes in our prayers for one another and with one another in our supplications before the Lord.

And just as our Lord Jesus Christ heard and honored the supplicatory prayers of the friends of the paralytic, so too will He hear and honor our prayers as we intercede for one another and as we join our voices together in prayers of thanksgiving and praise and for God’s mercy upon us all.

Though you may be stuck at home, do not allow the evil one to suggest to you that you are alone or that your prayers are impotent. You are the body of Christ and individually we are all members of it. Your voice of prayer is just as important and just as desperately needed as the voice of any of the rest of us! And it is by the collective prayers of those who share the same faith, who have the same Blood of Christ flowing through their veins, that Christ’s promise is fulfilled that: ‘whenever two or more are gathered in My Name, there I am in the midst of them.’

We don’t know how long this current pandemic will be with us and how long this new reality we are dealing with will last. We are all tired, we are all stressed, we are all worried about what the future may bring. The danger and the temptation for each of us is to feel isolated, to feel alienated, to feel separated from one another. Yes, the impact of this virus and of the governmental restrictions do physically isolate us and separate us. But we must be very adamant to NOT allow the temporal physical separation seep into our souls! Yesterday we read Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, Chapter 8 which said:

‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

Do you hear this my brothers and sisters in Christ? If we will unite ourselves to Christ and thereby unite ourselves together in Christ, nothing shall separate us! These are trying times and I know that we are growing weary, we are being tempted, we are getting frustrated. But let us endure everything for our Lord’s sake!

These past few days we celebrated the Royal Martyrs… these noble souls who faced persecution and deprivation with such incredibly dignity. These should be our models! Do not be discouraged! Let us lean upon one another, let us console one another, let us rise up to the full stature of who we are and who we must be as the Body of Christ. This is our identity and this is our calling - and such a Presence has never been needed more in this world than it is needed now.

When each of us extend our hearts in prayer to the Lord, that voice is the voice of the Body of Christ. No matter where you are, no matter what your circumstances… when we unite ourselves in prayer, we stand firm as the Body of Christ. And this connection which we have with one another unites us and stands as a testament of the otherworldly and unbreakable bond of brothers and sisters in Christ. The evil one is playing a terrible game of ‘divide and conquer’ with the world right now. Let us stand against it as the Body of Christ!

God grant us the awareness and wisdom to remember who we are and who we are called to be. We may profitably think of the world as the paralytic in today’s Gospel. I think we can agree it is an apt analogy. We, as Christians must rally together in prayer and intercession for our sick friend, the world, who is deeply paralyzed. Let us bring the world before Christ in prayer and compassion. We do this as a community, as the Church, no matter where we may physically be. The key is for us to build and to retain an Orthodox Christian worldview which understands our connection to one another and our connection to God. If we can do so, we can weather this season of physical separation through deeply experiencing the inseverable unity of our life in Christ.

May God grant us to know and realize our life together in Christ. And may we leverage that unity to pray for one another and for the good of the whole world.

Royal Martyrs of Russia

Today we commemorate the holy Royal Martyrs of Russia: Tsar Nicholas, Tsaritsa Alexandra, Crown Prince Alexis, and the Grand Duchesses Ogla, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia. I would like to share with you the words of this holy family and of some holy ones who were close to them. These words leave little doubt as to the nobility and deeply suffering Christian souls of these great saints and martyrs.

In 1905, over a decade before the terrible events would unfold, St. John of Kronstadt, spoke these prophetic words:

We have a Tsar of righteous and pious life. God has sent a heavy cross of sufferings to him as to His chosen one and beloved child, as the seer of the destinies of God said: ‘Whom I love, those I reproach and punish’ (Rev. 3.19). If there is no repentance in the Russian people, the end of the world is near. God will remove from it the pious Tsar and send a whip in the person of impure, cruel, self-called rulers, who will drench the whole land in blood and tears.

Nicholas himself made a similar observation about his fate when he said to one of his prime ministers:

I have a premonition. I have the certainty that I am destined for terrible trials, but I will not receive a reward for them in this world… Perhaps there must be a victim in expiation in order to save Russia. I will be this victim. May God’s will be done!

According to Anna A. Vyrubova, the Empress’ closest confidante, best friend and lady-in-waiting, a Russian holy woman by the name of Maria blessed the Empress in December 1916 when she visited her cell and foretold her eventual martyrdom:

In December of 1916, Her Majesty traveled from an emotional rest to Novgorod for a day, with two Grand Duchesses and a small suite. She visited field hospitals and monasteries and attended the Liturgy at the St. Sophia Cathedral. Before her departure the Tsaritsa visited the Yurievsky and Desyatina Monasteries.

In the latter she visited Eldress Maria Mikhailovna in her tiny cell, where the aged woman had lain for many years in heavy chains on an iron bed. When the Tsaritsa entered, the Eldress held her withered hand out to her and said, “Here comes the martyr, Tsaritsa Alexandra!” She embraced her and blessed her. In a few days the Eldress reposed.

It is also said that when the Royal couple visited the Divyevo convent they were hosted by the holy woman Parasceva. There, she foretold them of the sufferings they would endure on behalf of Holy Russia. They left there and headed back to their palace as if to their martyrdom.

During the fateful year of 1917, the Empress wrote in her diary the following words: “In order to climb the great heavenly staircase of love, we must ourselves become a stone, a stair which others will climb.”

These statements show a clear foreknowledge and an acceptance of their fate.

Even the children showed forth a remarkable understanding. At the time of their confinement following the Tsar’s abdication, Grand Duchess Olga, wrote the following to the outside world beyond their prison walls:

Father asks the following message to be given to all those who have remained faithful to him, and to those on whom they may have an influence, that they should not take revenge for him, since he has forgiven everyone and prays for everyone, that they should not take revenge for themselves, and should remember that the evil which is now in the world shall grow even stronger, but that it is not evil that will conquer evil, but only love. . .

Let me conclude these reflections on the words of the Royal Martyrs with a poem by the Grand Duchess Olga written very shortly before their martyrdom. The Princess’ poem demonstrates her clearsighted understanding and expectation of their fate. And she does precisely what we must all do as Christians… she unites herself to Christ and clings to His example and to His love and victory over all kinds of evil. She writes:

Grant us Thy patience, Lord,
In these our woeful days,
The mob’s wrath to endure,
The torturer’s ire;
Thy unction to forgive
Our neighbors’ persecution
And mild, like Thee, to bear
A bloodstained Cross.
And when the mob prevails
And foes come to despoil us,
To suffer humbly shame,
O Savior aid us!
And when the hour comes
To pass the last dread gate,
Breathe strength in us to pray,
Father forgive them!

These are the words and reflections of profoundly Christian souls. A Royal Family who saw their reign as being servants of God, His Church, and His people. And who saw their suffering and expected martyrdom as a willing sacrifice for their God, their Church, and their country.

By their holy prayers, may we be ennobled and encouraged to stand firm in our faith and to have such hearts of mercy and compassion.

O Holy Royal Martyrs, pray to God for us!

The Feast Of Sts Peter and Paul

sermon by Fr Andrew Gliga

            Today we have finally come to the end of the Apostles fast. The conclusion of this fast ushers in the feast of the chief of the Apostles, Peter and Paul. These two great apostles are those who held up the Church and led it forward. It is no surprise that the icon of these two saints depict them both holding up a church in their hands, since they both held up and led the early church. Both of these men represent two parts of the Church, that of the Church to the Jews and Gentiles. The Apostle Peter generally is known as the Apostle to the Jews and the Apostle Paul is that to the Gentiles. These two showed their great faith and were able to bring many other souls to the Church. We cannot forget that because of the acts of these two Apostles, we too are able to have the true faith and worship the one true God. So, in order to see how they were able to get to be such great beacons of the Church, we have to see first where they came from.

            The Apostle Peter was a simple fisherman. Together with his brother, the Apostle Andrew, they would abandon that path and follow Christ. As we heard in the gospel today when Jesus was in the region of Cesearea Phillipi, Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ, the Messiah and chosen of God. Christ responded by saying that He will build His Church upon Petra which in Greek is the word for rock. According to St. John Chrysostom, the rock is not Peter, but the "faith of his confession". This faith that Peter had at this point would be strengthened by witnessing Christ's resurrection and receiving the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost after the descent of the Holy Spirit, his preaching brought more than 3 thousand souls to the faith, and countless others throughout his travels.

            The Apostle Paul also had simple beginnings. He was a tentmaker by trade. Unlike the other Apostles, the Apostle Paul never met Christ in His lifetime. He became a persecutor of Christians, hunting down anyone he could have put to death. He was present for St. Stephen's martyric death and even participated by holding the coats of those who would stone St. Stephen. He begged the Pharisees to send him to Damascus where there were many Christians in hiding. On the path, he thrown from his hose and was blinded.  There on the road to Damascus he met the living Christ. This great vision Paul had was the turning point in his life. He went from a great persecutor, to being a great missionary. St. Paul had many sufferings by being tortured and imprisoned. His countless letters are still read to this day at almost every Divine Liturgy. St. Paul's valiantly preached and brought a great number of souls to Christ. It is no wonder that St. John Chrysostom says: "No other Paul will be born". He is unique and one of a kind.

            Here is a quote of Elder Philotheos which illustrates what the Apostles did: "Listen, my beloved ones, in a few words, you have heard the achievements of the foremost Apostles. How did they perform such signs and wonders? By what means? With faith. All the wondrous and extraordinary things that the Apostles and all the Saints did, they did with faith." This faith that the Apostles had was what enabled them to do many great things. But as we know in the Orthodox Church, Saints are set forth in order for us to use as examples for our lives. So the question turns to each one of us, how strong is our faith now that we have these examples placed before us? Elder Philotheous continues: "What do I see, what do I hear from the illiterates, the peasants, the shepherds? Blasphemies, obscenities, thefts. What do I see in the rich, in the merchants? Greed, seizures, avarice. What do I see in the rulers? Egoism, arrogance, flattery, deceit, covetousness. In all, both the people and the clergy, one sees negligence, lethargy, corruption, paralysis. And then we wait for progress, we wait for wars, sorrows and misfortunes to stop. I said it, I say it and I will keep saying it; when we repent, when we become pious, then our troubles will cease."

            This is so pertinent to us today. How many of us are in trouble now and have many difficulties. There are so many problems in our life day to day. Many are rightly upset at the continued closure of churches and the infringement by the government on our religious services by banning church singing. Our Archbishop even penned a letter to our governor to protest these measures, which I highly recommend to read. We see that our Bishops are working hard in order to resolve this grim situation we find ourselves in. So then as we see these increased difficulties many ask, what can each one of us do then in this situation? The answer is simple, come to repentance, stop indulging sin and turn our lives around. We all have this great opportunity to start to change our lives today and now. Maybe some of us have not kept the entire Apostles fast. Well now is the time to start, start keeping each Wednesday and Friday fast. Be strict about it. Some of us did not pray as much as we should have in the fast, or read spiritual books. Well, we should have continued prayer daily even outside of fasting periods. Maybe we are not talking to someone who upset us. Well now is the time to ask forgiveness.

All these sins God wants to heal and to vindicate but these cannot be healed without our cooperation. St. Paul had a great vision of Christ on the road to Damascus. Christ Himself appeared to St. Paul because He knew that Paul would repent of his pharisee ways and become a chosen vessel. Peter had denied Christ, but Christ accepted his repentance and brought him back into the ranks of the Apostles. Christ knew that Peter would bring many souls to the Church and eventually be martyred in Rome. God is working, always trying to bring us back to repentance by sending us difficult situations. The question is, do we have the faith to accept what is given to us, and do we have the will to turn around our sinful life? I pray that God will give us all the wisdom to be able to be freed from sin. 

3rd Sunday After Pentecost - sermon by Fr Andrew Gliga

There is a famous quote which states: "Behind every great man, is a great woman". This is very true, as we see many people who become successful cannot do it on their own. They need someone to help them, to guide them. Usually this person is a spouse, but it can also be parents who help shape and form their children. This is true in our Church as well as we have many great Saints who are holy precisely because they had a holy upbringing. One of these Saints is commemorated today, who is the blessed Augustine of Hippo. Through the prayers and action of his mother Monica, who is also a Saint, he became numbered among the Saint of the Church. While he is thought of predominantly as a western saint, he is also revered in the Orthodox Church. It was in fact our beloved Saint John Maximovich who brought back the tradition of venerating and reading the lives of Western Saints pre-schism.

St. Augustine was born in the area known in the modern era as Algeria. His father was a pagan, but his mother was a faithful Christian from her upbringing. He was raised as a Christian by his mother. However, he abandoned Christianity to join a sect called the Manicheans, which is closely related to Gnosticism. This all happened when he went to study in Carthage. His life was full of many sinful exploits. All this, and his mother kept praying for him throughout this time. He would travel around the world to various places, and yet his mother was not far behind. She would follow him, always trying to have him come closer to the faith. Eventually the blessed Augustine met St. Ambrose of Milan, and there his faith became renewed. Even though he was almost convinced of the truth of Christianity, he still latched onto his sinful life. He was quoted as saying: "Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet". He would finally be free of his past life when he heard a voice telling him to take up and read. Turning around, he only saw a book of the scriptures. When he opened the book the first thing he read was: "Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof" (Romans 13:13-14). Reading this, he left behind all his sinful ways and he eventually became the Bishop of Hippo.

When St. Monica died, St Augustine said about her: “If any one thinks it wrong that I thus wept for my mother some small part of an hour – a mother who for many years had wept for me that I might live to thee, O Lord – let him not deride me. But if his charity is great, let him weep also for my sins before thee”. She had wept and struggled to have her wayward son come back to the faith. And yet all this time, she had faith in God that his life would be turned back towards the true faith. This reminds me of the Gospel reading today which said: "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" (Matthew 6:25). It is true in fact, there are so many hardships that come in our life which make us want to lose our faith. And yet, this is exactly where we should be strong and have patience.

So beloved, let us emulate both St. Augustine and St. Monica. As St. Monica chased after her son and pursued him, even to distant lands and various places, let us do the same thing as well. Let us pursue God as she pursued that which was dear to her. We should also take up the example of St. Augustine, who put off his sinful life and embraced God fully. We should put off and fight against all the sins which constantly drag us down, such as lack of prayer or not fasting as we should. Let us follow God in any way we can and always have our lives centered towards Him and as much as we can. We should put our absolute trust and faith in God. He will take us to places where we might not want to go. We will have to do things that we do not want to do. And that is okay as long as we trust in Him and know that where He is taking us is what we need for our salvation. So as we struggle in this world, let us remember the final works in the Gospel reading today: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33). Pursue the kingdom of God, flee away from sin and embrace righteousness. Doing these things will give us the fruits of eternal life. St. Augustine put it best: "Our hearts shall ever restless be, until they find their rest in Thee".

Sunday of All Saints - sermon by Fr Andrew Gliga

            As we come to the beginning of the Apostles fast, we begin to put aside fine foods in order to come closer to God. Despite that, we also see many things in our world turning upside down. Various factions of people each at odds with one another. Each calling out each other as the enemy. Each of these sides claims a root problem, which is that they are being unjustly persecuted. On one side people are constantly complaining that the lockdown is against human free will, while the other side bring up saying police brutality and how it is unjust and that people have their lives taken away wrongly. Throughout all this turmoil, we as Orthodox Christians tend to ask ourselves, what side should I take? Why is all this injustice happening to us and those around us? What if I see some Orthodox aligning themselves with one group and another set of Orthodox Christians aligning themselves with the opposite? Fortunately, the answer to these questions is conveniently given to us today. The answer to how to act in the face of injustice is actually given to us by the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Today as we remember all the saints who have shown forth, however there are 3 I would like to speak about in detail.

            The first one is the Apostle Peter together with all the Holy Apostles. In the Gospel reading today we hear him speak to Jesus: "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" (Matthew 19:27). The holy Apostles of Christ gave up all their worldly cares, their wives, their work, and even their stability. Through this, they were able to bring the Gospel of Christ to the whole world. Nonetheless, by boldly following Christ, St. Peter, along with all the disciples, would also lose their lives for Christ. Some of the Apostles were crucified while others were beheaded. As we know from tradition, the Apostle Peter would eventually confess Christ and would be crucified upside down at the hand of Nero.

            The second Saint is one that we commemorate today outside of all Saints. This Saint  is St. Justin the Philosopher. He was a pagan who was in search of the truth. He eventually came to find about Christianity, and would embrace it as the absolute truth. He would write many different Apologies to defend the faith from various pagans, bringing the faith to those around him, and strengthening the faith of the persecuted Christians. Ultimately, he would debate a pagan philosopher who was unable to refute Justin's defense of Christianity. The pagan philosopher, being jealous of Saint Justin, reported Justin to the authorities where he would meet a martyr's death.

            The last one I would like to bring up is not a canonized Saint yet, but most likely will be in the future. This last holy man is Elder Justin of Romania. The reason I bring him up is his day of repose is in two days from today and his namesday would have been celebrated today. He was a contemporary of our time who died in 2013 in Romania. When he was young, he denounced the Communist authorities in Romania who were persecuting the Orthodox Church, and for this he was sent to jail for about 20 years. After being released he started several monasteries in Romania. He would stay for hours upon hours on end without sleeping or eating in order to listen to pilgrims. He would hear countless problems and help each and every person. The lines to enter his cell would be lined up with hundreds of people every day, just to spend 5 minutes with him. This shows how much grace and love he had for his fellow human being. Many people after speaking to him would have their lives completely transformed. In his later years he was diagnosed with cancer. However, he refused any pain medication and only relied on the Jesus prayer in his final moments. 

            There are many other saints in our tradition with similar stories. If we look at their lives using the eyes of the world, all of these had unjust deaths. They all had done great works, miracles, and even sacrificed all they had for God, and yet they all had died tragically. How can someone who did so much for God meet such a disastrous death? Well, since we are Christians, we look at their lives with the eyes of faith. Through these eyes we see great labors for Christ who ended life triumphantly. Continuing the Gospel from today: "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." (Matthew 19:29). In fact, they are together with Christ in heaven receiving a much greater reward than those here. And they too are glorified since we remember them, and use their lives as examples for us to follow. Because they have given up everything they had for Christ, they now are glorified by us. We now have a way to measure our lives with what we should become.

So as we see with all these saints, they had many unjust things happen to them, but they embraced their struggles. And through their struggles the most important thing that they did shone forth. That is their love and trust of God. This is what sets them aside from the whole world. Even in their last moments, they showed steadfast faith. They did not complain about what was given to them, they accepted it because they knew this was both God's will, and that something better was to come out of it.

In the end when we are forced to pick a side in this tumultuous world, let us use the examples of the Saints. I would say, pick the side that shows true Christian values. There are many injustices done in this world and they will continue to exist. Do not pick a side just because of the injustice done! In turn we should align ourselves with those who are like minded and those who respond with love when they are wronged. Pick a side where the people's response to injustices is true love for God. And if it happens that both sides do not exhibit this love for God, then let us show what true love for God is. Let us be the third group which takes the injustices given to us and in turns responds with the love of God. We too are called to become Saints, so let us therefore take all the hardships and difficulties given to us by God and continue to show our love for Him in the midst of them. As Elder Justin would say: "Only love will save a man in the last days".

Pentecost – Trinity Sunday

May God’s blessing and grace be with one and all on this holy feast of Pentecost – also known as Trinity Sunday, for on this day the fullness of God’s revelation and relationship with mankind was made manifest. Just as Christ promised at His holy ascension, the Comforter has come to us on this day… the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity now enters fully into the life of the Church and of her Christian people.

The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, and Giver of Life. This is why the Church is decorated in green - the Life-giving Breath of God is exhaled upon us today!

I cannot help but note the contrast between the beauty and the order and the life which emanates within the church at this time, as opposed to the ugliness and lawlessness and death which are plaguing our nation at this time. Christ calls us to unity, while the evil one is calling us to division. The Holy Spirit brings us life and regeneration, while the evil one sows death and destruction. Christ brings us the spirit of peace, while the evil one stirs chaos all around us.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, there’s nothing new under the sun... In this world we will have tribulations, but we can be of good cheer, for Christ has overcome this world. The evil one is having a field day today with the fear and frustration that have gripped men’s hearts. And there are terrible strategies in motion for social change and spiritual destruction that are capitalizing on our fears and on our gullibility to pit one group against another.

Let us, as Orthodox Christians have none of it! We should resist getting pulled into all that enflames our passions and turns brother against brother. The task before us remains the same today as it was yesterday… this life is brief and it is given to us for our repentance, for our opportunity to unite ourselves to Christ. Nothing else matters, and, if we can remain focused on that one thing needful, everything else falls into place: teaching us exactly how we should be in the midst of all that occurs around us.

I am so glad and so grateful that today we take up again the prayer to the Holy Spirit. It is one of the most beautiful prayers of our Church: filled with hope and light. ‘O Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good gifts and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from all impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.’

What more can be said? What greater response can we have than this?

The Holy Spirit is the promised Comforter Who fills us with the presence of God and Whose fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Such fruits can fill the heart of the individual Christian and should be manifest in the witness of Christians in the Orthodox Church.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, during these past 50 days of Paschal joy we do not kneel or make prostrations because ‘while the Bridegroom is with us, there is no time for mourning’. But now the Pentecost Vespers service welcomes us and encourages us to once again bend our knees in prostration before God. There are three ‘Kneeling Prayers’ that are said… we pray for forgiveness, for the assistance of the Holy Spirit to guide us in our earthly pilgrimage, and we remember our mortality and commemorate those who have gone before us in the faith.

I can think of no greater response to the concerns that are plaguing the world than this… to fall down on our knees before God and to pray for forgiveness, to pray for the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and to pray for the remembrance of death which puts all things in perspective.

We will conclude the Liturgy and roll straight into the Vespers of Pentecost wherein we beseech the Holy Spirit for these gifts of love, for forgiveness, and for all good things which lead us to the Kingdom of Heaven.

 Sunday of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council - sermon by Fr Andrew Gliga

           As we come to the end of the Paschal cycle, we can say these past couple of months have been a crazy ride. Many different things have occurred in this time to really put our faith to the test. This week many of us were in relief when our state issued an order to allow Churches to reopen. Unfortunately, we then heard that our county officials do not think that's a good idea and refused to open Churches in this area. The officials state that reopening Churches will cause the virus to spread. Some of this is understandable as we don't want to reopen and cause a mass spike of virus cases. And yet, we see many large gatherings of people around the world not observing this shelter in place. What ends up making matters worse is that these protesters end up rioting and destroying property, attacking innocent people, and causing chaos and grief. When we look at all of these, it's no wonder that our faith gets shaken and we begin to question God, why is this happening to us now? Why doesn't God stop all this and bring us back to the good old times?

            We can see that this same feeling of being left abandoned was probably how the disciples felt during the time between the Ascension and Pentecost. 40 days after being together with Christ, he was lifted up into heaven and was seated at the right hand of the Father. The Apostles were left alone in the world. As we see on Pentecost they were hiding in an upper room because they feared the Jews. And yet, we know that Christ had promised His disciples that he would send down upon them the Holy Spirit to imbue them with power from on high. This promise would be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, 10 days after Christ's ascension.

            Christ might have ascended and left this world, but in no way did He abandon us. He did send the Holy Spirit which not only gave the Apostles the courage to preach across the world, but also the grace of the Holy Spirit. And this grace is still present in all Christians throughout the ages. This is especially visible in the saints that have inspired and led the Church. This is precisely why we celebrate the Fathers of the First ecumenical council today. We have this feast today because the Fathers of the First council were inspired by the Holy Spirit to guide us in the way of truth. They led the Church and guided us through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. They were able to protect the truth of Orthodoxy from false teachers. Through their love of God and by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we are able to also have the true faith today.

            This is also a great mystery indeed, that Christ sent the Holy Spirit. We see also how the Holy Spirit in turn makes Jesus Christ, the Son of God, present with us and in us. During the Liturgy the Holy Spirit is called down to transform simple bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. This we partake and become one with Christ. In fact this shows that Christ in no way left us as orphans. He is still working and will work until the end of time, to bring us together with Him in paradise.

            Let us always remember that Christ is everywhere present and fillest all things. We have many difficult times ahead of us with how our society is being changed. Christ is still here with us. Even though the world around us is in chaos, Christ did not abandon the world. We should recall in our hearts the words of scripture where Christ said, "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3.17). But God also does things that might be an inconvenience to us, and yet he does it in order for our salvation. This is where we should show our Christian love, even for those wicked people who are destroying our society. Through love, even the most wicked person can be brought to tears of repentance.

            As we begin the process of reopening our Churches, we should keep in mind this time we had watching services at home. Before our churches closed, we might have taken coming to church for granted. When our churches were open and we had weekday feast days like the Ascension, we would only have a handful of people show up. However today, we have people begging to be able to come back and attend the services. They begin to feel a longing for something that has been taken away from them. So beloved in the Lord, if we have that longing to come to Church and we feel an emptiness in our heart for not being able to come, we should keep that with us. God willing, when we reopen, I hope people will start to attend as much as they can. However, with time I also believe attendance will start to wane and people will come up with excuses why they shouldn't come to services. We might start to make excuses like, it's raining, or I'm tired, or I just don't feel like coming to services. This is precisely the moment when we should recall in our hearts the feeling we had when we were not able to come to services. This is why God sent us this hardship, not because he abandoned us, but for us to realize what a great treasure we had in the Church services. And if we are to receive again this pearl of great price, we should value it and take care of it and not let it go to waste. God did not abandon us, so let us in turn not abandon Him.

Sunday of the Blind Man

In today’s Holy Gospel we hear the account of the healing of the man who had been born blind. This man had been blind from birth and spent his days begging at the gates of the city. Our Lord had pity upon him and, taking up some dirt, He spat upon it to make mud and administered this mud onto the eyes of the blind man. The man was instructed to go wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam, and when he had done so, he experienced the miracle of the gift of sight, seeing the light and the world and people for the first time in his life.

As the Gospel goes on to tell us, he was then subject to intense questioning from the Pharisees – who were trying to calm the excitement of the people over this obvious miracle and who were incensed that such a work would be performed on the Sabbath Day of rest. The Pharisees were splitting hairs over lesser regulations and missing the point of the miracle of Christ’s power and love in giving this man the wonderful gift of sight. They pressed the man who had been blind to declare that Jesus was a sinner and the man replied, ‘Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.’

The simplicity and guilelessness of his statement is based upon the irrefutable experience of his restoration of sight by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! What need did he have to enter into debate with the Pharisees? God grant that we would also have this confident assurance in our faith based upon the living experience of knowing Christ our Lord! For without this living experience and relationship with God, we stumble through life in blindness.

Today’s Gospel speaks to us of several kinds of blindness. Let’s take a look at these examples…

First of all we have the example of physical blindness. Many of the Church Fathers indicate that when our Lord reached down and mixed His spit with the dirt, He was actually forming eyes from the mud – a reflection of the creative process when the body and organs of Adam were created from the dust of the earth. Christ placed this mud into the eyes of the blind man and then instructed him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. It was only after his obedience to these very physical instructions of Christ that his eyes were opened and he began to see.

God heals our whole being, and we are beings comprised of body, soul, and spirit. It is only when each of these aspects of our being are healed that we can become whole and transformed into that which God desires for us to be.

The man born blind suffered from physical blindness, but in that second level of our mind and soul, our psyche, we certainly see and experience the sorrows of blindness. The world around us is so often blind to the higher truths of religion, of nobility and dignity. Life in popular culture has become incredibly crude and carnal – glorifying and preoccupied with youthful looks, sensuality, violence, pride and all the rest. Our vision is pulled down to the physical realm and barely glimpses the higher realms of soul and spirit. 

When the eyes of our soul and mind are opened, we begin to perceive the beauty of higher things, of things worth suffering for. This is a great and wonderful thing. But, while it may enrich us and make us cultured, it still does not make us whole and fully healthy.

The Pharisees we encounter in today’s Gospel were undoubtedly highly cultured and devoutly religious men. We can say that the eyes of their soul and mind were opened and alert. And yet, something was seriously lacking in them… something which made them blind to the wonderful mercy and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Their spiritual eyes were blind… they were so preoccupied with the pride of their mind which stumbled over the rules of the Sabbath that they missed the miracle standing there before them.

The eyes of the soul may be opened and appreciative of the beauty of good things, but if this perception does not penetrate deeper into the interior depths of our spirit, then we can remain as impotent and untouched as the Pharisees. We may love the beauty of the church services, the otherworldliness of the icons looking down upon us, the chanting of the choir pleases our ears and elevates us… all this is good and enriches our soul. But until our spirit is pierced with the recognition of our exile from Paradise, with all that we have neglected and forsaken… only then do the eyes of our spirit begin to awaken.

And this awakening of our spirit has the effect of both breaking our heart open and also of watering the seed of salvation within it. Our heart breaks at the recognition of how much time has been wasted on vain pursuits, on selfish preoccupations and fears, on all the opportunities we have missed to be of comfort and service to another. We come to ourselves as if awakening from a deep sleep and say: ‘What am I doing?’

When the spirit awakens, we hear the voice of our conscience, we begin to perceive that all of our life is lived in the presence of God, and the hunger and thirst for righteousness stirs within us. We begin to perceive that all those things which stand before our sight, those million and one things which we think we have to accomplish, may be nothing more than distractions… may be keeping us so busy that we are blind to the simple reality of what God calls us to embrace and to be.

And what is it that God calls us toward? He calls us to purity of heart… ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God’.

This is the cure to our ultimate blindness… simplicity and purity of heart. This is a call so contrary to our modern inclinations… We want to be in charge, to know what next thing we must do, what next thing must we work toward in order to achieve that next rung on the ladder of salvation. Well, my fellow ambitious ones… more often our job is to simply raise our mind heavenward, to warm our heart with love, and to tame our stubborn and selfish will… to surrender, to have the humility and the trust to be as simple and pure-hearted children before the presence of God.

May God grant us the clarity of sight to open the eyes of our soul to look above the distractions of this world toward the beauty of God. And having caught a glimpse of His majesty, may the eyes of our spirit awaken and have the humility to behold His majesty and to gather as children before His grace and compassionate mercy.

5th Sunday of Pascha - The Samaritan Woman

sermon by Fr Andrew Gliga

One of the greatest things that the Orthodox Church has is a living tradition of Saints who are great examples, who preached the Gospel, and bring the faith to those around them. If they had not lived out a Godly life then many of us would have not been here today worshiping the one true God. Because of this we know that Christ is glorified through his Saints. One of those great Saints that received the light of Christ and passed it on was the saint we hear about today in the Gospel reading, the Samaritan woman, also known as St. Photini in Greek or Svetlana in Russian. It's no wonder that her name translated means light specifically, because she was the one who received the light of Christ, transformed her own life and then brought this transformation to those around her. .

In the Gospel reading today the Apostle John relates how Christ came to a city of Samaria and traveled to Jacobs well. To put it in context, Samaria was generally not a place where Jewish people would go. While Christ was there, a woman came to collect water. St John says that she came to get water at around the 6th hour which is noontime. To anyone in that time this would be strange because noon was the worst time to be doing work especially getting water. The Sun was hot at that time especially in the middle east. This makes sense, as we see she is a sinful woman, having had 5 husbands and living unmarried with a man. She would definitely have been shunned by the community so in order to not make any contact, she went at the time when most certainly no one would be drawing water from the well. However to her surprise not only was someone there but it was the very God-man. ,

The next thing that should strike us in the Gospel is that Christ being a Jewish man, began to talk to a Samaritan and even a woman. In Jewish culture at that time, it was unheard of for a rabai, to speak to a Samaritan, let alone a woman. And yet Christ comes and offers to give her the "living water" which is actually the grace of the Holy Spirit and salvation. This sinful woman is accepted by Christ and given this great gift. Immediately after realizing she was speaking to the Messiah sent to save Israel, she went out to her village and began to preach to those around her about Jesus. We know that form tradition she eventually had repented and was baptized. She later became a great Apostle and brought many souls to Christ. She was so strong in her faith that she even converted  the daughter of the Emperor Nero. Hearing that his daughter had been baptized, he sent St. Photini to her death.  She met a martyr's death for Christ by being thrown down a dry well.

What we can see is that her life is one that while she was living in a state of sin, Christ called out to her, and gave her great grace. He did so because he knew she would turn and follow him. She would give up her life and take on the path of sainthood. She became a great Apostle for Christ. All this happened because of a chance encounter with the living God. Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh says "Every Saint is offered to us as an example; but we cannot always emulate the concrete ways in which a Saint lived, we cannot always repeat their way from earth to heaven. But we can learn from each of them two things. The one is that by the grace of God we can achieve what seems humanly impossible; that is, to become a person in the image and likeness of God, to be - in this world of darkness and tragedy which is in the power of lies - a word of truth, a sign of hope, the certainty that God can conquer if we only allow Him access to our souls"

So as we have this Saint set forth as an example for all of us, let us keep in mind that we too are called by Christ. We too have a chance encounter with the living God, through Holy Communion. Now we are placed in the world to bring the Gospel to those around us, as did the Samaritan woman. So therefore, are we actively doing this? Are we trying to bring those around us to Christ? Some people might ask, how should we bring the Gospel to those around us.

Well, I would start and say to ask yourself this question, do those around us even know we are Orthodox Christians? Not just because we told them, but do they see in our Godly deeds, or our sinful ones? If they saw us as we were would we be any different than people around us? As Christians we should be different. People notice the smallest details. So I ask again, do we act like Christians? Do we jump in immediately and participate in gossip with those around us or instead defend those who are being criticized? Do we lay aside earthly cares, or do we have all the latest and greatest electronic gadgets? Do we live a life of prayer or do we only think about the latest movies on Netflix or Disney? St. Photini expelled her sinful way of living and that is how she was able to preach the Gospel to those around her. Let us too be like the Samaritan woman, and "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

The Sunday of the Paralytic

John 5:1-15  &  Acts 9:32-42

Today is the fourth Sunday after Pascha – on this day is appointed the Gospel reading of the healing of the paralytic who had suffered for thirty-eight long years and we also hear from the Acts of the Apostles of the healing of the paralyzed man named Aeneas and of Peter’s wondrous raising of Tabitha from the dead. 

The Gospel account of the paralytic man who laid by the pool in hope that he might be submerged in the healing waters is a tremendous lesson in faith and patience and persistence. Day after day, he was there by the pool and day after day he suffered the disappointment of someone else getting into the waters before he could. So many of those others around the pool had friends and relatives there to assist them in getting into the waters when they were stirred up by the angel of the Lord. What chance did a paralyzed man have of being the first into the waters?

Yet, his persistence and faith continued to bring him to the pool and it was there that he was blessed to encounter our Lord Jesus Christ. Had the paralyzed man given up in frustration over the impossibility of his situation, he would never have been there when our Lord passed by… and he would then have missed the opportunity for his cure.

What a lesson for us! We all suffer from persistent sins which paralyze us spiritually. It is a very common thing for me to hear someone coming to confession admitting their great frustration and embarrassment that they must once again come with the exact same list of sins. It IS frustrating and it IS embarrassing! But, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we must look to the example of the paralytic in today’s Gospel to see how he never gave up. He had faith and hope and love - and these three great virtues propelled him to patiently and persistently keep showing up at the source of healing. We must do the same!

St Evagrios writes: ‘Persevere with patience in your prayer and repulse the cares and doubts that arise within you.’  And St Silouan of Mt Athos tells us: ‘Do not be cast down over the struggle - the Lord loves a brave warrior. The Lord loves the soul that is valiant.’

Are you failing in your spiritual struggles? Are you paralyzed in your efforts to draw closer to God? Take courage my brothers and sisters in Christ, and look upon the example that is set before us in today’s Gospel - we must have both patience and persistence!

Let’s take a look now at the scene set before us in the Epistle reading for this day. Today’s Epistle tells us how the Apostle Peter met a man named Aeneas who had been paralyzed and bedridden for over eight years. Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole, arise and make thy bed.’ And Aeneas was immediately healed. We then hear of how Peter was brought to the deathbed of a young girl named Tabitha. We read that, ‘Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning to the body said, ‘Tabitha, arise’. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.’

I would like to point out three things for us to think about from today’s Gospel and Epistle readings. First, we see the source of Grace which comes from God. Second, we see the conditions of Grace which are a loving heart of compassion and service. And third, we see the continuity of Grace – an unbroken inheritance given by God and handed down from Christ to Apostle and from generation to generation, never leaving us orphaned.

When our Lord Jesus Christ healed the sick and the paralyzed, He did so by the power of His Godhood. Jesus Christ, as the second Person of the Holy Trinity, as the Source of Grace and healing, performed His miracles through that Grace which He possessed and poured forth from the abundant goodness of His Being. When we read of the Acts of the Holy Apostles, we witness Apostle Peter boldly saying, ‘Jesus Christ maketh thee whole.’ The healing power of Grace was not something which came from Peter, but he simply acted as the steward and channel of that Grace which had its source in God. This is the first point – the source and power of Grace and all goodness comes from God. If we manifest any goodness, any healing, any love – we must give God the glory, for this grace of goodness, healing and love find their source in Him.

Secondly, we mentioned that there were certain conditions in which this life-giving Grace of God was made manifest. As our Lord passed by the man at the pool of Bethesda, He was moved with compassion for the sick man’s condition and his persistence and patience. As Apostle Peter came into the towns of Lydda and Joppa, he was responding to the sorrow and petitions of those who loved Aeneas and Tabitha. This healing and life-giving Grace of God was made manifest through the compassionate love of God, and of God’s disciples, for their fellow men. As the Psalmist proclaims, ‘A broken and humbled heart, God will not despise.’ It was those dear souls that had their arms outstretched to God that were able to experience His healing touch.  

Third, we must rejoice and be greatly encouraged to see that our Lord did not leave us orphaned when His earthly ministry was accomplished and He ascended into heaven. As He promised, He sent us the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the Treasury of Good Gifts and Giver of Life. The story of the Power and Grace of God by no means concludes with the Gospels, but continues with the Acts of the Apostles, as we see in today’s reading. And this unbroken chain of Grace and sanctity extends throughout the years and centuries of Christian history. The lives of the saints throughout each century are a living testament and continuation of the Gospel, of the work of Christ among His people.

May God continue to bless us with His Grace and may we always recognize and glorify Him as the source of all goodness. May we call upon that Grace with humble hearts and radiate that goodness through compassionate love. And may we cherish and uphold that inheritance of Grace passed from generation to generation in the saving enclosure of His Church. 

Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women

Fr Andrew Gliga

            Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ! This past week, I had been reading some sermons given by Priests from other churches. And as I have been doing that, I came across sermons that they gave this year right before Pascha began during those preparatory weeks. It was so interesting that the message many of them gave was to take this Great Lent differently than in past years. They brought forth words of encouragement to come to as many services as one could, to be able to come and witness Christ's resurrection. And yet, only weeks later those same priests have asked the faithful to not come to Church and to stay safe in the comforts of one's own home. In fact, this Great Lent and Pascha has been different for all of us. Many of us might have had an expectation of going to more services than they did in past years. And yet, this disappointment of not being able to gather has overshadowed us all. This feeling of not being able to gather and to come to Church is one that pierces deeply in each of our hearts. However, this is exactly the same feeling that Christ's disciples had when they saw Him crucified on the cross.

            Today in the Church we celebrate the feast of the Holy Myrrhbearers. Taking a step back, we see that when Christ was taken to trial, mocked, scourged, crucified, and finally buried, all his closest followers had abandoned him. They initially expected him to come and overthrow the civil authorities. Their desire was to see the nation of Israel to have earthly dominance across the whole world. When they saw Christ taken away and put to death like a common criminal, they had lost faith. On that Saturday when Christ was in the tomb, we can say that the Apostles were probably even doubting everything that Christ had taught. Everything was for naught in their minds at that point.

            On the other hand, we have the Holy Myrrhbearers. These women were also Christ's followers who tended to him. They were there present with Jesus throughout his passion and after his death on the cross. They had to hasily bury Christ since they did not have time to prepare him with the common Jewish burial rites, because Sabbath day was upon them. Their plan was to come on Sunday to be able to finish preparing his body for burial. And yet so many barriers were placed before them! There were the soldiers guarding the tomb which were trained to immediately kill anyone who would approach. There was also a great stone blocking the entryway to Christ's tomb. While going to the tomb they kept asking themselves "How are we to roll away the stone?" And this did not deter them, even if it was illogical. They went forward with faith in order to complete their task, even if it meant going to their death.

            And these women were rewarded greatly for their faith since they were the first witnesses of Jesus' glorious resurrection. They were the ones who preached to the Apostles and only when they saw the empty tomb and the risen Christ they then believed. This is when Christ's teaching had been fortified, when the risen Lord appeared to his followers.

            What this brings us to is what does this mean for us? We have to be like the Holy women who came to Christ's tomb. They had faith that God would take care of all their troubles. We should not have despair, or doubt in God especially in this time! When the disciples were hiding in fear on Saturday, Christ was working, he was in Hades freeing those who were held captive. Today, when we are in our homes, God is working today! Maybe this is not how we expected this year to go, as the disciples did not expect Christ to die on the Cross. However, we see as with Christ's passion, something greater came out of it. We see that through his resurrection we are all given a path towards the kingdom of heaven. The same too with this pandemic, something better will come out of it, as long as we approach it with faith and trust in God.

            So as we are stuck in our homes, let us not forget to have the faith of the Myrrhbearers. With faith we can heal the sick and even move mountains as Christ said. Together with faith, let us have prayer to unite ourselves with God even in our homes. God has not abandoned us, He is still present and still there. Let us join ourselves with Him in faith and prayer in order for Him to strengthen us in this time. So dear brothers and sisters, let us hold fast and do our morning and evening prayers. Let us do Akathists, read the Psalter, and do the daily scripture readings. These give us spiritual discipline in order to benefit us not only for this life but for the next. We always remember that our Church teaches that the joys in this life is only a foretaste of what will come in the next life. We should do our utmost to take things seriously about our salvation, especially when we have the time to do so now when we are in lockdown. Let us therefore use this time for growth in faith and prayer towards God.

Thomas Sunday

Today is the first Sunday after the great feast of Pascha, the resurrection of our Lord and God Jesus Christ. On this Sunday we commemorate the Holy Apostle Thomas and the very important scene described for us in today’s Holy Gospel.

In the days and weeks following the crucifixion of our Lord, more and more of the disciples were reporting that they had seen and spoken with Jesus Christ. That He had risen from the dead as He had promised He would. The Apostle Thomas heard these reports from his friends, the other disciples, but he was overcome by doubt and uncertainty saying, “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, the opportunity came for the Apostle Thomas. While they were gathered together in a shut room, the Lord appeared to them and invited Thomas to reach out and touch Him, to feel for himself the wounds of the crucifixion, and to know that this was indeed Christ risen from the dead. Having felt the wounds, Thomas fell at the Master’s feet and said, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus replied, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

There’s a lot going on in this Gospel account!

First of all, I think we can hardly imagine what it must have been like for the disciples of Christ in the days following His crucifixion. Those days were filled with confusion, sorrow, and fear mixed together with anticipation, hope, and prayer. Their beloved Master, the One Who had healed the blind and the lame, Who had demonstrated such tremendous love and care for all, Whom many already recognized as God Himself – this Lord and King had been dragged through the streets of Jerusalem and nailed to a cross to die.

Three days later, some of the women disciples of the Lord claimed that they had seen Jesus, alive… risen from the dead! And now, others were also proclaiming that they had seen Him, spoken with Him, and even dined with Him.

The Apostle Thomas had not been with the other disciples when our Lord appeared to them and his heart was troubled when he heard their words that they had seen the risen Christ. What was going on here?... Hadn’t Christ warned them to beware of those who would say ‘He is here’ or ‘He is there’? Apostle Thomas steeled himself against all of this and declared, “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

In many ways, the Apostle Thomas sounds very much like a man of the 21st century here… not knowing who to trust and falling back on his senses – unless he can see it, hear it, touch it, and otherwise verify it himself, he will not believe. This sounds so familiar, doesn’t it?

And what is the prescription for this uncertainty and doubt? Is it to retreat behind the wall of our pride? No… the thing to do when we are beset by doubt and uncertainty is precisely the opposite, we are commanded to reach out to God. To stretch forth our hand from within that darkness of uncertainty toward the clarity of Light.

Think for a moment about what our Lord did for Apostle Thomas… Our Lord Jesus Christ, the pre-eternal second Person of the Holy Trinity, after having abased Himself to become incarnate, to lie in a lowly manger as a human infant, to subject Himself to this world and to the devil’s temptations, and to the humiliation of His voluntary sufferings and death… After all this, when He has already emerged triumphant and reappears in His glorified body, He continues now to demonstrate His mercy and tender lovingkindness by offering Himself to physical examination by Apostle Thomas.

He does this out of love, out of concern for what is needful for Thomas’ salvation. This is always God’s concern for each and every one of us. He will do with us whatever is necessary in order to facilitate our salvation. That may entail some pain for us… it usually will… but we have to have faith and trust in God that He loves us and that He will make use of whatever comes our way to help transform us toward what we may become, toward our eternal salvation. 

It is interesting to think about how the Lord revealed Himself to His various apostles… Just some days earlier, before He was to enter Jerusalem and suffer all that He would suffer, He took James and Peter and John up to Mt Tabor and there He revealed Himself in glory. These apostles beheld Him in the Transfiguration, shining in glory amid Moses and Elijah. They needed this encouragement and clarity of Christ’s glory as they stood on the threshold of His sufferings and death.

And now, for His beloved apostle Thomas, whose faith required proof, our Lord reveals Himself, not in His glory, but in His wounds.

It is a startling and humbling thing to realize that God will come to us to meet us where we are. We, on our part, must always be ready to receive Him.

When Thomas felt the wounds in Christ’s hands and side, he fell at the Master’s feet and said, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus replied to him, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

This statement and promise of our Lord should be the cause of great hope for us. Though we may not see the risen Christ standing before us with our eyes, we can perceive Him with the eyes of our heart and soul. We must have faith and gratitude, we must have love and trust, we must believe and we will be blessed. It is in reaching out to Christ that we do indeed feel His wounds as we participate in the life of Christ and His Church. Christ’s concerns become our concerns… His wounds become our wounds as we embrace the whole world in love and prayer. And His victory and life and light become ours as we unite ourselves to Christ and His glorious resurrection.

May the blessing of our risen Lord be with us as we strive to reach out to Him. May God grant us purity of heart, that we may see Him and fall at our Master’s feet and exclaim ‘My Lord and my God!’

Paschal Message of

Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Russia

to the Archpastors, Pastors, Deacons, Monastics

and All the Faithful Children of the Russian Orthodox Church

Your Graces the archpastors, venerable fathers, all-honourable monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters:

CHRIST IS RISEN!

By the grace of the All-Generous God, we have been vouchsafed to come to the radiant Paschal night and once again rejoice in the glorious Resurrection of Christ. From the depths of my heart I greet all of you, my beloved, with this great holiday and “feast of feasts.”

Almost two thousand years separate us from the event we recall today. And yet, every year with unchanging spiritual awe the Church celebrates the Resurrection of the Lord, tirelessly bearing witness to the exceptional nature of what occurred in the burial chamber by the walls of ancient Jerusalem.

The whole earthly path of the Son of God – from His miraculous Incarnation to His Passion and terrible death on the cross – is the fulfillment of the Maker’s promise, once given to our forefathers. God promised to send into the world the One who “bears our infirmities and carries our diseases” (Is. 53:4) and who will “save his people from their sins” (Mt. 1:21). Many times the Lord affirmed this promise through His prophets. He remained true to this vow even when the chosen people rejected the covenant and violated the Creator’s will.

It is, then, in the Resurrection of Christ that God’s love is revealed in its fullness, for death has finally been vanquished – the last boundary separating the human person from the true Fount of life. And although death continues to exist in the physical sense and takes away our human bodies, it no longer has the power to destroy our souls, that is to say, to deny us life everlasting in communion with the Maker. Death has been defeated and its sting has been removed (cf. 1 Cor. 15:55). The Lord has made “captivity itself a captive” (Eph. 4:8) and cast down Hades. “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Lk. 1:37), for truly “he is risen, as he said” (Mt. 28:6)!

In the current year the peoples of the earth have been enduring extraordinary ordeals. A baneful epidemic has spread throughout the whole world and has come to our lands too. The authorities have introduced restrictions in order to avert a further rapid spread of the epidemic. In some countries of the Moscow Patriarchate’s pastoral responsibility public worship, including the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, has been suspended. However, we Orthodox Christians are not to be despondent or to despair in these difficult circumstances; even more so we should not surrender to panic. We are called upon to preserve our inner peace and recall the words of the Saviour spoken on the eve of his redemptive Passion: “In the world you face sorrow. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” (Jn. 16:33).

Pascha has become for all of humanity the transition from enslavement to sin to the freedom of the kingdom of heaven, “the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rm. 8:21). It is only thanks to the Saviour’s Resurrection that we obtain the true freedom of which the all-praised Apostle Paul speaks, calling upon us to “stand fast… in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us” (Gal 5.1). How many times have we read or heard these words? And now we have to think hard on whether we live today as though Christ’s Resurrection never happened. Are we not in danger of exchanging the riches of eternity for never-ending worldly concerns in once more being held captive to the vanity of this world, in surrendering to transient fears and forgetting the incorrupt spiritual treasures and true calling of the Christian to “serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness before him” (Lk. 1:75)?

And yet, “pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father” (Jm. 1:27) is this: to treat each other with love and patience, to help and support one another in tribulations, following the example of the Good Shepherd shown to us in the Gospel. No outward restrictions should ever tear apart our unity and take away from us the true spiritual freedom which we have obtained through coming to know our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Who has conquered death and granted to us the chance to “be called the children of God; for that is what we are” (1 Jn. 3:1).

All the faithful children of the Church are of “one heart and one soul” (Acts 4:32), for apart we are but members, while together we are the Body of Christ and nothing in all creation “shall be able to separate us from the love of God” (Rm. 8:39). Therefore, let those who today are unable for objective reasons to come to church and pray know that they are in other people’s thoughts and prayers. Faith grants to us the strength to live and overcome with God’s help all sorts of infirmities and tribulations, including that which has become a part of our lives through the spread of the dangerous virus.

I ardently call upon all of you, my beloved, to strengthen your common prayer to the Lord so that we may, in spite of all hardships, remain partakers of the grace-filled liturgical life of the Church, so that the holy sacrament of Eucharist may be celebrated and the faithful may with boldness draw near to the Fount of Life which are the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and so that the sick may receive healing and the healthy be protected from the dangerous infection.

We believe that the Risen Saviour will never forsake us and that He will send down upon us the resolve and courage to stand steadfastly in faith and to make our salvific journey through our earthly life to life everlasting.

I wholeheartedly congratulate all of you, my beloved brothers and sisters, on the bright feast of the Holy Pascha and call upon you to always be the image of the Saviour’s true disciples in setting a good example to people around you and in proclaiming the mighty acts of the One “who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Pt. 2:9), so that all the days of our life we may through our deeds testify to the unsurpassed power and truth of the Paschal greeting:

TRULY CHRIST IS RISEN!

+KIRILL

PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

Pascha

2020

Palm Sunday

Today our Lord Jesus Christ enters into Jerusalem, hailed as the King of Israel. A great multitude of people greet Him with palm branches and cry out: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

All of Jerusalem turns out to greet their Messiah, an event which had been prophesied and anticipated for many ages. Our Lord had been ministering to the people: teaching, healing, and performing miracles of compassionate love for three years. His fame and the news of His miracles had spread far and wide, and now, with His entry into Jerusalem, the people of Israel were taken up with enthusiasm that their King had arrived and that the time of their triumph would soon be inaugurated.

These people were expecting Christ to reign as an earthly king… that the time was at hand when Israel would overthrow the tyranny of Rome; and Jesus Christ, one of their own, would sit on the throne of Israel as their king. Their reading of the prophecies were earthly and even the disciples of the Lord continued to misunderstand the otherworldly message of Christ.

Imagine how shocked and disillusioned they all must have been when Christ was arrested, mocked and scourged, and paraded through the streets of Jerusalem as a common criminal to then be crucified amid thieves. This was an earth shattering and soul shattering event!

But what was Christ’s message from the very beginning of His earthly ministry? He Who was born in such lowly circumstances in a cave in Bethlehem, Who had not a place to lay His head as He wandered from town to town ministering to the poor and the outcasts. He emphasized over and over again that His Kingdom was not of this world. But the people would not hear it.

And what about us? Do we hear the voice of Christ Who calls us to that which is higher, greater, and eternal? Where is our focus and where is our hope? Where do we seek satisfaction and happiness? Is it in the things of this world? Is it in our achievements, our business, the pursuit of the gratification of our senses? And when these things do not provide us that lasting joy, or when the inevitable difficulties of life create obstacles to our worldly pursuits, does this derail us and lead us to despair?

Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul from this morning’s Epistle reading:

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, these are the treasures which are eternal. These are the attributes of Christ’s Kingdom - which is not of this world, which is heavenly and which is also within us.

And this exortation of the Apostle Paul to think on those things which are pure, which are lovely, which are of the Kingdom of God… to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, to let our requests be made known to God. This is the perfect prescription for our times, for today. We may think on these things no matter where we are… in church, at work, or at home. For what does the Apostle say will be the result of keeping our hearts and our minds on such heavenly things? He says: the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus! And the God of peace will be with you!

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ! Isn’t this what we seek? Isn’t this what we need amid the anxieties and fears of the world today?

We are now moving into Holy Week and the events of the final days of Christ’s earthly ministry. Let us raise up our minds from the distractions and worries of the world and turn our attention to what is true, what is noble, what is just and pure and lovely. Let us take up our Gospels this week and read through those chapters detailing the events which took place during the final days of our Lord’s earthly life. Let us read our Lord’s words and sympathize with Him in our spirit as He states, ‘Now My heart is troubled…’, as he looks upon His sleeping disciples and asks, ‘Could you not stay awake to keep watch and pray with Me?’. 

Let us watch and pray this week. Though we cannot be together in the Church for the services of Holy Week, let us meet each other in spirit and in prayer as you view the services online. Let us transport ourselves to be there in spirit with our Lord as He endures the arrest, the trial, the mockings, and His sacrifice upon the cross. If we immerse ourselves in these events of Holy Week, our joy in greeting the news of Christ’s glorious resurrection will be all the more bright and radiant.

May God give us the strength and attention to watch and pray, that we may be with Him this week in His sorrows as we await the joyful news of our Lord’s resurrection in just one week’s time.

   Sunday of St Mary of Egypt

sermon by Fr Andrew Gliga

         Looking back about over a month ago, most of our lives were progressing without any sort of constraints. Our children were in school studying and doing what they needed to do in order to get good grades. Our jobs were maybe mundane but still were going on with the typical office culture. We had places that we could shop at and could meet with anyone we wanted at any time. Our Churches were open, always welcoming, having people come and go as they pleased and could. Almost in the blink of an eye, our lives changed and everything turned upside down on its head. Now the things that we took for granted are gone and will be gone for the time being. Our churches are closed to the public, schools done for the school year, shops and gatherings are prohibited. Speaking to anyone a couple months ago and they would never dream of being told by our government to shelter in place and having all churches closed. Basically, the unexpected happened, and this unexpected which happened is supposed to transform our lives. This theme of having the unexpected happen is so important to us today as we are living in these modern and chaotic times. The church this week presents us a perfect model of repentance this week. We are speaking of course of St. Mary of Egypt, whose life is revealed and placed in front of us.

            This past Wednesday we read her life in Church during the Great Canon of St Andrew. As most of us have heard the story, we know that in her early youth, she was living life in a state of sin. For 17 years as she relates that she was able to indulge in innumerable exploits and sinful pleasures. Everything in her life was going just fine, she did not have a care in the world. And yet, something unexpected happened that made her change her whole way of being. When she arrived in Jerusalem to venerate the Cross of the Lord, some invisible force stopped her on the porch of the Church and she was not allowed to enter inside. This took her by surprise and changed everything about her life. Everything she knew or had done was all for nothing when this one moment arrived. She knew in her heart that her past life was what was holding her back from Christ.

            So when St Mary came face to face to Christ and had the unexpected happen to her, what did she do? She abandoned every form of her past life, had confession, took Holy Communion, and departed in the desert. In a sense, her reaction to the unexpected, was in fact unexpected. Instead of justifying her sin, or asking people to feel sorry for her, or even to have her sin be accepted, she instead turned to repentance and embraced holiness. Now this new life wasn't easy as she was obviously tempted in the desert. But she was able to endure it to the end and was even able to perform great miracles. This great feat she undertook of giving up her old life and living in the desert  is why she is known and beloved among all of us Orthodox Christians. And especially in this time, she is a model example for us struggling in the world.

            So what can we learn from St Mary, especially in this time. We too had our world unexpectedly turned around. No one over a couple months ago expected any of this to happen. We all expected our lives to go on as usual. But now we are here, and we are in this state. We are nearing the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, let us finish this fast strong and with vigor. Maybe we will not be able to gather as a community, which is heartbreaking. But we should know that Christ is with us and does not abandon us! Let us observe this quarantine as a spiritual blessing. What a great thing that the world around us has slowed down. Maybe people around us do not observe Great Lent and yet a Lenten lifestyle has been given to all of us. This means we all are in the same boat and traveling together among the rapids. But we have the teachings of the Church to strengthen us and give us direction to where to go.

We see a major difference between what the world and the Church expects us to do in this time? The world expects us to stay at home, watch movies, spend time on our phones reading new updates on the coronavirus, and embrace distractions in this time. So let us also emulate Mary of Egypt and do the unexpected. Let us instead have a strong prayer life, fast extra, give alms if we can, and love those around us in this time. Let us not be distracted by the things happening around us. As Bishop Luke of Jordanville said this past week, spend no more than 15 mins a day to inform yourselves about this epidemic. He continues: "The Lord commands,"Let not your heart be troubled..." We create our own spiritual problems by our obsession with these issues which do little positive towards our hope for salvation. As true Orthodox Christians prepare for eternity, spend the extra time in heartfelt prayer, spiritual reading and other good works!". This is perfect advice. We have to keep in mind that our life here is temporal, we will all pass and come to the next life. What will matter for us is what we did with what was given to us. Therefore, let us have a sober attitude about us. With our prayer book in hand, we can successfully finish the course of the fast and be drawn closer to Christ.

Fourth Sunday of Great Lent – St John of the Ladder

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we come to the fourth Sunday of Great Lent. On this day we commemorate a great saint of the church, St. John of Ladder, the author of the famous work ‘The Ladder of Divine Ascent’. In this great work we read first of the rungs of ‘Renunciation’, then ‘Detachment’ and ‘Exile’… cutting ourselves off from our obsessions with the things of this world. We later read of the rungs discussing the struggles against ‘Remembering Wrongs’, ‘Slander’, ‘Despondency’ and the other passions which try to pull us down. As the Christian makes his upward climb we later read of such things as ‘Vigil’, ‘Simplicity’, ‘Prayer’, and finally we reach the summit of ‘Love’.

As I read through the titles of the chapters of the Ladder of Divine Ascent, it struck me how relevant and how instructive this all may be for us in these strange and challenging times, when we are called upon to ‘shelter in place’, when the restaurants and stores and other things we are used to have all been closed, when we suffer the pain of not being able to gather together.

Listen to the titles of the first three chapters of the Divine Ascent… first is ‘Renunciation of the World’, then comes ‘Detachment’, and then we have ‘Exile’. Isn’t that a remarkable description of the reality of what we must face today?

The fact that disease is spreading throughout the world is the result of our sinfulness and estrangement from the Source of Health and Life. It is a consequence of this fallen world and each one of us plays our part in contributing to the sin that plagues and brings down our world. Our response to this must be repentance and an awakening to the spiritual realities of this life which was given to us by God for the purpose of our salvation.

So, while God is not the cause of this pandemic, God can and will use this situation as a means toward our salvation. Look what we are faced with… we are forced to stay at home, to distance ourselves from one another, to no longer have access to the things we have grown accustomed to. Renunciation, Detachment, and Exile have been presented to us whether we like it or not.

The question for us is: What will we make of this? St John of the Ladder shows us how each of these things are and can be used as steps leading us toward our salvation in Christ our Lord. We have the opportunity during this Lenten season to reduce the distractions of our lives, to stay at home, to begin to detach ourselves from all of those things which take up our time and attention away from that one thing that is needful, the healing and salvation of our soul.

Amid all the chaos that this pandemic, and the world’s reactions to it, have introduced into our lives, God is presenting to us a ladder of divine ascent. Those first rungs of the ladder are laid out before us… renunciation of the world, detachment, and exile. If we can redeem this time, making good spiritual use of this unexpected detachment and exile, then perhaps we can ascend a few rungs further where St John describes repentance and the soul-profiting remembrance of death. These too are certainly things that the challenges of our time should bring to the forefront.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, let us redeem this time that has been given to us! If we are forced to stay at home for now, let us resist the demons of boredom and soulless distractions. Let us approach all of this as St John of the Ladder instructs us… accepting our current detachments and exile as the steps of spiritual pilgrimage that it can be.

And then, perhaps we can go a bit further up the ladder where we begin to recognize and do real battle with the sins and passions that constantly assault us. Such things as anger, remembrance of wrongs, self-justification, judging one another. If we use this time to sit still and begin to examine ourselves, it will become abundantly clear which things ensnare us and create obstacles between us and the God Who loves us.

Being stuck at home will undoubtedly create temptations if we live in close proximity with others within the ever-shrinking walls of our home. Irritability, blaming others, and all manner of short temperedness will surely assault us if we are not careful. This can be a stressful time, but we must stay spiritually awake! These are temptations. The arena of your spiritual contest is in your home right now. Arise and take up the armor of prayer and fasting!

And let us never lose sight of the goal and of the highest rungs of this ladder of divine ascent that we are called to climb. After many chapters describing the warfare with the passions and sins that beset us, St John goes on to describe the highest steps which are stillness, prayer, and finally, love. And awaiting us at the top of the ladder is Love Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ.

All of these lower and middle steps are the sometimes-arduous means toward our goal. The goal is our unity with our Lord Jesus Christ, Who instructs us that all of the law and prophets are fulfilled in loving God with all of our heart and mind and soul and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

We have been given in this Lent a golden opportunity to stand before this ladder of divine ascent. The first few steps of the ladder have been given to us if we will take them in the proper way… renunciation of the world, detachment, and exile. Let us ascend, dear brothers and sisters. Let us do the spiritual homework that we have been assigned. Let us examine ourselves and work against those passions that constantly ensnare us. And let us never take our eyes off of the summit of our ascent… that final step of love and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

     Sunday of the Adoration of the Cross

sermon by Fr Andrew Gliga

       Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ! We have come a long way on our Lenten Journey. It might not seem like much, but this weekend consists of the halfway point for the 40 days of fasting until we reach Holy Week. We are fully within the fast and within the journey towards Pascha. However, as for most of us, these past two weeks probably felt like they were the hardest journey to Pasha that any of us have ever encountered. One by one, the things that we had grown accustomed to have been shut down. Services have been reduced to a handful of people. But even outside the Church all non-essential goods and services have been closed. This really brings you to a realization of what is important and what is not. Food and medicine is open, but all sorts of entertainment and luxury stores are closed. The only one that I feel is essential is the Church and thank God that we can still have services, although with a limited gathering.

            Before this outbreak happened, many of us might have taken our faith for granted. Many might have been coming to Church, but still having their minds on this world. Now the things of this world are fading and we should come to an appreciation and a longing of what we had before this outbreak happened. The things of this world are fading and gone, and yet even though we do not have the Church in the same way, our prayers are still present. We can always lift up our arms to God and have him hear us. The Church is still open, we are here praying for everyone, offering these commemorations up to God. However, while this is happening at Church, at home we should be praying even more than before. Our prayers lifted up to God will protect and shield us through this time.

            This is why this Sunday is so important to us, especially during this time. We see here placed in the center of the Church the perfect symbol for us, to guide us and to protect us: the Cross of our Lord. This is not surprising that we have this beacon placed in front of us during the halfway point of Lent in order to show us the direction that we are going towards. We know that we cannot have the resurrection of Christ without first having His crucifixion. And this is exactly the message we hear in today's Gospel. Christ speaks to his disciples and tells them in order to attain life, they will have to lose their lives for his sake. Who shall be ashamed of Christ, so too will the Son of Man be ashamed of them. What powerful and frightening words. But we see, by giving up our worldly cares and that around us, we too will be glorified with Christ. Maybe we did not give up our worldly cares when we had the chance. Now unfortunately, we don't have a choice because they have been closed and taken away from us. This epidemic going on is exactly what is going to lead us towards salvation.

            Another feast we have today is the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste. These 40 soldiers were all Christians. After a great victory, the pagan leaders compelled them to offer sacrifice to the false idols. After witnessing their Christian faith to those pagans, these 40 honorable soldiers were put to death. During the evening, they were placed on a frozen lake where they had to endure the bitter cold. In order to temp them more, a warm bath house was set up on shore. 39 of these 40 endured until the end. One of them, tempted and afraid of death tried to escape and in his escape he died. However, his place was taken by one of the soldiers on the shore in order to maintain the 40. In the morning Christ had protected them, they had not died but rather angels were ministering to them. The soldiers came and broke their legs and they finally met a martyr's death. What an extraordinary account! And fitting too to fall on the day of the Cross. These Martyrs are a living example of what it means to take up one's cross. They were tempted in order to embrace worldly pleasures. And yet they endured until the end, and now they are crowned with glorious Martyrs crowns. And if we need help in times of trouble, we can call upon them to pray for us and to intercede for us to God.

            What I want to add is that most of us end up putting faith in science. We see this with the state officials who took the advice of the scholars of this age by putting us in quarantine in our houses. And I do agree, science is important and we should absolutely listen to the doctors and scientists. However, we are also Christians, and we should also have absolute trust and faith in our Saviour. If God forbid, we contact the virus, do we not believe that God can destroy it and protect us? Do we not believe that when we are united to Christ's body and blood, that it can eradicate that destructive virus within us? Do we believe that the intercessions of the Saints and those around us, can shield us from this? We heard in the story of these 40 men surviving the night on a frozen lake, if so, we too will be protected if we approach this by taking up our Cross. Now I'm not saying to go out and try to get sick since that would be putting God to test, but we should also not have fear and not let this fear captivate us. We should turn our mind to God and constantly pray to him to help and give us the strength to endure these hardships.

            So when we go out of our houses, when we have to do our essential shopping, we should not forget God. Someone I know had to go to the store this week. And when she was about to get out of her car, she had some thoughts like "What if I get this virus while grocery shopping? What if I then transmit it to someone that is high risk?" and right at that moment she saw on her car door a small icon of St. Nicholas Planas. Immediately she said, "All right then, St. Nicholas you gotta come with me to the store". And with this icon in hand, she felt the grace of God and the intercessions of God's saint protecting her. What a wonderful thing to have a Saint traveling with us! If we have to leave our houses, take an icon or something with us and pray to that Saint. We see that there are many saints that have claimed to protect people from the Coronavirus, such as St. Nicephorus the Leper, who appeared to someone in Greece saying that he will heal people of that virus as long as people pray to him. Brothers and Sisters, the question comes down to, do we really have faith that God will protect us? I would say that the faith we need to have in this time, is actually the cross that we have to take up. And taking up this cross of faith will be what will protect us from this virus at hand.

Second Sunday of Great Lent – Gregory Palamas

(Mark 2:1-12)

On this second Sunday of the Great Fast we commemorate St Gregory Palamas, one of the great heroes of Orthodox Christianity. St Gregory Palamas is an important figure in our further clarification of the Orthodox understanding of creation and God’s interaction with mankind.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Triumph of Orthodoxy and all the icons were set out in glorious display. We do this in honor of the Orthodox council that clarified and proclaimed the Orthodox understanding of the relationship between man and God, between the material and the spiritual, and that God did indeed become a man in the Person of Jesus Christ and that He transfigures and heals that which was fallen into the image of God that it was created to be. The veneration of the icons confirms this understanding of the reality of matter transfigured by the healing presence of God.

St Gregory Palamas is another key figure in understanding and clarifying both the relationship between man and God and of the reality of how God interacts with us to heal and transfigure us into that which He created us to be.

At the time of St Gregory there were debates raging about the absolute unknowability of God or whether we can indeed know and experience Him. St Gregory Palamas clarified that God in His essence is eternally distinct from His creatures, but that mankind can and should strive to participate and commune with the energies, with the Grace of God – which is a truly an experience of God Himself. St Gregory was able to confidently defend and articulate this understanding because he had experienced this himself.

This is an important point… As my spiritual father of blessed memory Archimandrite Anastassy used to tell us: ‘You cannot give that which you yourself do not possess.’ If you wish to be a transmitter or peace, you must have peace. If you wish to be a transmitter of love, you must have love. In the case of St Gregory Palamas, he was able to brilliantly defend the proper understanding of God’s essence and energies, because he had experienced these things himself.

The analogy which is most frequently used is: just as we cannot approach the fiery orb of the sun, yet we can still truly experience the sun through its warmth and its light. St Gregory’s distinction of the essence and the energies of God may seem obscure at first – but it was an important declaration and clarification of the proper understanding of the relationship between God the Creator and man, His creature… and it underscores just how intimate that relationship is and can be.

This awareness of the intimacy and nearness of God is essential for us to understand.

God is not a distant deity sitting on His throne in heaven… a Being with Whom we’ll have no direct interactions until we pass from this life into the next. Orthodoxy teaches and experiences that God is present here and now. He is present in your home and in your workplace. He is present in our very hearts and He stands at the door of that heart and knocks.

Brothers and sisters in Christ… it is a convenient mistake for us to think of God as distant and removed from our day to day lives. Such a viewpoint creates the false assurance that our secret sins are not known to Him… that our daily neglect of Him is not seen by Him… that our judgment of others and selfish passions don’t matter. As the blessed Hieromonk Seraphim Rose once said, ‘The thing about understanding that God is both personal and present, is that He requires something of you!’

I had mentioned in a homily at one of our recent weekday services that I was reading St Maximos the Confessor. One of the things that he says that struck me to the core was that if we experience distraction during prayer, it is a sure sign that we do not truly love God. This caused me great sorrow… because I struggle with distraction during prayer and because more than anything else in this life, I want to love God. Yet, as St Maximos explains, our relationship with God is a kind of mystical marriage and we must be scrupulously faithful to our beloved. Just as we would never dream of betraying our spouse with infidelity, we must take the same care to never betray God by the infidelity of our distracted thoughts. And truly, I must say that I am aware that I do a better job attending to a conversation with another person than I do attending to my conversation with God in prayer. This is a sorry thing and it is something we should be aware of and seek to repent and repair.

Because, as St Gregory Palamas teaches us, when we are interacting with the energies of God, we are interacting with God Himself. We come into direct contact with God in prayer, through the sacraments, through every recognition of His Divine Presence in our lives. Just as we experience the sun itself through its light and warmth, we experience the true God Himself through His grace and energies.

And so, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us be attentive!

The more we begin to realize and recognize the nearness of God and of His Heavenly Kingdom, the more we will enter into that relationship with God which transforms us by His grace… by His life creating and life restoring energies.

This is the message of St Gregory Palamas. This is the message of Great Lent. This is the message and the mission of Jesus Christ – to transform us and to heal us by His grace.

May we all be engaged in that awareness of God… and, living a life within the grace of God, may we be transformed into that which God intends us to be. And as we acquire that grace, may we then begin to share that heavenly treasure with all those around us.

Second Sunday of Great Lent – Gregory Palamas

(Mark 2:1-12)

On this second Sunday of the Great Fast we commemorate St Gregory Palamas, one of the great heroes of Orthodox Christianity. St Gregory Palamas is an important figure in our further clarification of the Orthodox understanding of creation and God’s interaction with mankind.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Triumph of Orthodoxy and all the icons were set out in glorious display. We do this in honor of the Orthodox council that clarified and proclaimed the Orthodox understanding of the relationship between man and God, between the material and the spiritual, and that God did indeed become a man in the Person of Jesus Christ and that He transfigures and heals that which was fallen into the image of God that it was created to be. The veneration of the icons confirms this understanding of the reality of matter transfigured by the healing presence of God.

St Gregory Palamas is another key figure in understanding and clarifying both the relationship between man and God and of the reality of how God interacts with us to heal and transfigure us into that which He created us to be.

At the time of St Gregory there were debates raging about the absolute unknowability of God or whether we can indeed know and experience Him. St Gregory Palamas clarified that God in His essence is eternally distinct from His creatures, but that mankind can and should strive to participate and commune with the energies, with the Grace of God – which is a truly an experience of God Himself. St Gregory was able to confidently defend and articulate this understanding because he had experienced this himself.

This is an important point… As my spiritual father of blessed memory Archimandrite Anastassy used to tell us: ‘You cannot give that which you yourself do not possess.’ If you wish to be a transmitter or peace, you must have peace. If you wish to be a transmitter of love, you must have love. In the case of St Gregory Palamas, he was able to brilliantly defend the proper understanding of God’s essence and energies, because he had experienced these things himself.

The analogy which is most frequently used is: just as we cannot approach the fiery orb of the sun, yet we can still truly experience the sun through its warmth and its light. St Gregory’s distinction of the essence and the energies of God may seem obscure at first – but it was an important declaration and clarification of the proper understanding of the relationship between God the Creator and man, His creature… and it underscores just how intimate that relationship is and can be.

This awareness of the intimacy and nearness of God is essential for us to understand.

God is not a distant deity sitting on His throne in heaven… a Being with Whom we’ll have no direct interactions until we pass from this life into the next. Orthodoxy teaches and experiences that God is present here and now. He is present in your home and in your workplace. He is present in our very hearts and He stands at the door of that heart and knocks.

Brothers and sisters in Christ… it is a convenient mistake for us to think of God as distant and removed from our day to day lives. Such a viewpoint creates the false assurance that our secret sins are not known to Him… that our daily neglect of Him is not seen by Him… that our judgment of others and selfish passions don’t matter. As the blessed Hieromonk Seraphim Rose once said, ‘The thing about understanding that God is both personal and present, is that He requires something of you!’

I had mentioned in a homily at one of our recent weekday services that I was reading St Maximos the Confessor. One of the things that he says that struck me to the core was that if we experience distraction during prayer, it is a sure sign that we do not truly love God. This caused me great sorrow… because I struggle with distraction during prayer and because more than anything else in this life, I want to love God. Yet, as St Maximos explains, our relationship with God is a kind of mystical marriage and we must be scrupulously faithful to our beloved. Just as we would never dream of betraying our spouse with infidelity, we must take the same care to never betray God by the infidelity of our distracted thoughts. And truly, I must say that I am aware that I do a better job attending to a conversation with another person than I do attending to my conversation with God in prayer. This is a sorry thing and it is something we should be aware of and seek to repent and repair.

Because, as St Gregory Palamas teaches us, when we are interacting with the energies of God, we are interacting with God Himself. We come into direct contact with God in prayer, through the sacraments, through every recognition of His Divine Presence in our lives. Just as we experience the sun itself through its light and warmth, we experience the true God Himself through His grace and energies.

And so, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us be attentive!

The more we begin to realize and recognize the nearness of God and of His Heavenly Kingdom, the more we will enter into that relationship with God which transforms us by His grace… by His life creating and life restoring energies.

This is the message of St Gregory Palamas. This is the message of Great Lent. This is the message and the mission of Jesus Christ – to transform us and to heal us by His grace.

May we all be engaged in that awareness of God… and, living a life within the grace of God, may we be transformed into that which God intends us to be. And as we acquire that grace, may we then begin to share that heavenly treasure with all those around us.

Second Sunday of Great Lent – Gregory Palamas

(Mark 2:1-12)

On this second Sunday of the Great Fast we commemorate St Gregory Palamas, one of the great heroes of Orthodox Christianity. St Gregory Palamas is an important figure in our further clarification of the Orthodox understanding of creation and God’s interaction with mankind.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Triumph of Orthodoxy and all the icons were set out in glorious display. We do this in honor of the Orthodox council that clarified and proclaimed the Orthodox understanding of the relationship between man and God, between the material and the spiritual, and that God did indeed become a man in the Person of Jesus Christ and that He transfigures and heals that which was fallen into the image of God that it was created to be. The veneration of the icons confirms this understanding of the reality of matter transfigured by the healing presence of God.

St Gregory Palamas is another key figure in understanding and clarifying both the relationship between man and God and of the reality of how God interacts with us to heal and transfigure us into that which He created us to be.

At the time of St Gregory there were debates raging about the absolute unknowability of God or whether we can indeed know and experience Him. St Gregory Palamas clarified that God in His essence is eternally distinct from His creatures, but that mankind can and should strive to participate and commune with the energies, with the Grace of God – which is a truly an experience of God Himself. St Gregory was able to confidently defend and articulate this understanding because he had experienced this himself.

This is an important point… As my spiritual father of blessed memory Archimandrite Anastassy used to tell us: ‘You cannot give that which you yourself do not possess.’ If you wish to be a transmitter or peace, you must have peace. If you wish to be a transmitter of love, you must have love. In the case of St Gregory Palamas, he was able to brilliantly defend the proper understanding of God’s essence and energies, because he had experienced these things himself.

The analogy which is most frequently used is: just as we cannot approach the fiery orb of the sun, yet we can still truly experience the sun through its warmth and its light. St Gregory’s distinction of the essence and the energies of God may seem obscure at first – but it was an important declaration and clarification of the proper understanding of the relationship between God the Creator and man, His creature… and it underscores just how intimate that relationship is and can be.

This awareness of the intimacy and nearness of God is essential for us to understand.

God is not a distant deity sitting on His throne in heaven… a Being with Whom we’ll have no direct interactions until we pass from this life into the next. Orthodoxy teaches and experiences that God is present here and now. He is present in your home and in your workplace. He is present in our very hearts and He stands at the door of that heart and knocks.

Brothers and sisters in Christ… it is a convenient mistake for us to think of God as distant and removed from our day to day lives. Such a viewpoint creates the false assurance that our secret sins are not known to Him… that our daily neglect of Him is not seen by Him… that our judgment of others and selfish passions don’t matter. As the blessed Hieromonk Seraphim Rose once said, ‘The thing about understanding that God is both personal and present, is that He requires something of you!’

I had mentioned in a homily at one of our recent weekday services that I was reading St Maximos the Confessor. One of the things that he says that struck me to the core was that if we experience distraction during prayer, it is a sure sign that we do not truly love God. This caused me great sorrow… because I struggle with distraction during prayer and because more than anything else in this life, I want to love God. Yet, as St Maximos explains, our relationship with God is a kind of mystical marriage and we must be scrupulously faithful to our beloved. Just as we would never dream of betraying our spouse with infidelity, we must take the same care to never betray God by the infidelity of our distracted thoughts. And truly, I must say that I am aware that I do a better job attending to a conversation with another person than I do attending to my conversation with God in prayer. This is a sorry thing and it is something we should be aware of and seek to repent and repair.

Because, as St Gregory Palamas teaches us, when we are interacting with the energies of God, we are interacting with God Himself. We come into direct contact with God in prayer, through the sacraments, through every recognition of His Divine Presence in our lives. Just as we experience the sun itself through its light and warmth, we experience the true God Himself through His grace and energies.

And so, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us be attentive!

The more we begin to realize and recognize the nearness of God and of His Heavenly Kingdom, the more we will enter into that relationship with God which transforms us by His grace… by His life creating and life restoring energies.

This is the message of St Gregory Palamas. This is the message of Great Lent. This is the message and the mission of Jesus Christ – to transform us and to heal us by His grace.

Second Sunday of Great Lent – Gregory Palamas

(Mark 2:1-12)

On this second Sunday of the Great Fast we commemorate St Gregory Palamas, one of the great heroes of Orthodox Christianity. St Gregory Palamas is an important figure in our further clarification of the Orthodox understanding of creation and God’s interaction with mankind.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Triumph of Orthodoxy and all the icons were set out in glorious display. We do this in honor of the Orthodox council that clarified and proclaimed the Orthodox understanding of the relationship between man and God, between the material and the spiritual, and that God did indeed become a man in the Person of Jesus Christ and that He transfigures and heals that which was fallen into the image of God that it was created to be. The veneration of the icons confirms this understanding of the reality of matter transfigured by the healing presence of God.

St Gregory Palamas is another key figure in understanding and clarifying both the relationship between man and God and of the reality of how God interacts with us to heal and transfigure us into that which He created us to be.

At the time of St Gregory there were debates raging about the absolute unknowability of God or whether we can indeed know and experience Him. St Gregory Palamas clarified that God in His essence is eternally distinct from His creatures, but that mankind can and should strive to participate and commune with the energies, with the Grace of God – which is a truly an experience of God Himself. St Gregory was able to confidently defend and articulate this understanding because he had experienced this himself.

This is an important point… As my spiritual father of blessed memory Archimandrite Anastassy used to tell us: ‘You cannot give that which you yourself do not possess.’ If you wish to be a transmitter or peace, you must have peace. If you wish to be a transmitter of love, you must have love. In the case of St Gregory Palamas, he was able to brilliantly defend the proper understanding of God’s essence and energies, because he had experienced these things himself.

The analogy which is most frequently used is: just as we cannot approach the fiery orb of the sun, yet we can still truly experience the sun through its warmth and its light. St Gregory’s distinction of the essence and the energies of God may seem obscure at first – but it was an important declaration and clarification of the proper understanding of the relationship between God the Creator and man, His creature… and it underscores just how intimate that relationship is and can be.

This awareness of the intimacy and nearness of God is essential for us to understand.

God is not a distant deity sitting on His throne in heaven… a Being with Whom we’ll have no direct interactions until we pass from this life into the next. Orthodoxy teaches and experiences that God is present here and now. He is present in your home and in your workplace. He is present in our very hearts and He stands at the door of that heart and knocks.

Brothers and sisters in Christ… it is a convenient mistake for us to think of God as distant and removed from our day to day lives. Such a viewpoint creates the false assurance that our secret sins are not known to Him… that our daily neglect of Him is not seen by Him… that our judgment of others and selfish passions don’t matter. As the blessed Hieromonk Seraphim Rose once said, ‘The thing about understanding that God is both personal and present, is that He requires something of you!’

I had mentioned in a homily at one of our recent weekday services that I was reading St Maximos the Confessor. One of the things that he says that struck me to the core was that if we experience distraction during prayer, it is a sure sign that we do not truly love God. This caused me great sorrow… because I struggle with distraction during prayer and because more than anything else in this life, I want to love God. Yet, as St Maximos explains, our relationship with God is a kind of mystical marriage and we must be scrupulously faithful to our beloved. Just as we would never dream of betraying our spouse with infidelity, we must take the same care to never betray God by the infidelity of our distracted thoughts. And truly, I must say that I am aware that I do a better job attending to a conversation with another person than I do attending to my conversation with God in prayer. This is a sorry thing and it is something we should be aware of and seek to repent and repair.

Because, as St Gregory Palamas teaches us, when we are interacting with the energies of God, we are interacting with God Himself. We come into direct contact with God in prayer, through the sacraments, through every recognition of His Divine Presence in our lives. Just as we experience the sun itself through its light and warmth, we experience the true God Himself through His grace and energies.

And so, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us be attentive!

The more we begin to realize and recognize the nearness of God and of His Heavenly Kingdom, the more we will enter into that relationship with God which transforms us by His grace… by His life creating and life restoring energies.

This is the message of St Gregory Palamas. This is the message of Great Lent. This is the message and the mission of Jesus Christ – to transform us and to heal us by His grace.

May we all be engaged in that awareness of God… and, living a life within the grace of God, may we be transformed into that which God intends us to be. And as we acquire that grace, may we then begin to share that heavenly treasure with all those around us.

Sunday of Orthodoxy - sermon by Fr Andrew Gliga

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we finish this first week of fasting, our bodies finally begin to get used to the new rigors we are enduring. Last week we had many Church services, lots of prostrations, low intake of food, and extended prayers. We heard during the great canon of St. Andrew all those sins which weigh us down, all those things we need to put off in order to take on Christ. This great rigor we undertook last week was just a prelude to the journey to Pascha. As we see with many things outside of Church, starting something with great discipline and fervor will lead to favorable results. This is why we are thrown right into a strict first week in order to help us complete the journey. As we complete this week, we are greeted with a great celebration of the triumph of Orthodoxy in the face of heresy. We see all the icons placed in front of us, showing how the truth of Christ will always prevail. The Fathers of the Church had always strived to keep our Orthodox faith intact. Because of this, they of course struggled to ward off false teachings that began to creep in the Church. The truth was so important to them, that many gave up even their lives to protect that truth.

We can contrast this joyous struggle that we untook with what is going on in our world today. We see many people panicking, workplaces shutting down, people stocking up on food and supplies because of this widespread Coronavirus. This is no surprise that this great panic took place just as we began to enter Great Lent. The devil is always ready to stir up anything to deter us from any sort of labours we might be undertaking. We should be vigilant and be able to not let these mass panics affect us in any way. Instead, we should always put our absolute trust in God that whatever happens is his will, whether good or bad. If what happens is bad, we should come on our knees towards repentance. If good, then we should also come on our knees offering thanksgiving to him. It is our faith which strengthens us As Bishop Irinei of London states do not let the "concerns of the moment shake you from the firm foundation that is unhindered faith in the living God, Who heals the sick and restores the broken-hearted".

One thing I do agree with the masses, is that we should take precaution. If we are actually sick and not feeling well, we should stay home. We should take sanitary measures like washing our hands. This is exactly why we have disposable cups for zapifka today in order to take measures in order to protect ourselves and especially our elderly. These things are good and we should not avoid them. However, by the same token, we should also not remove important portions of our worship and replace them because of the fear that we will get sick. One of those that tends to be brought up, is the Eucharist. Brothers and sisters, we can in no way get sick from partaking of Holy Communion. How can that which gives us life, also transmit sickness and disease? The Bishops of the Ukrainian Church in America say the following:  "When the common spoon of communion is dipped into the Chalice following the communion of one individual, it is cleansed by the Blood of our Lord beyond our broadest comprehension of what “cleansing” is in human terms. Throughout all the history of our more than two millennium Church, we can recall no thread of witness or even a shadow of one, indicating that any disease has ever been spread through the Chalice containing the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord. Perhaps the most convincing fact here is that if the Chalice did, indeed, spread disease, we would certainly be praying regularly for the repose of the souls of tens of thousands or more deacons and priests who, throughout the past 2000 years have consumed the full Chalices following communion of the faithful during hundreds of thousands of Divine Liturgies throughout our history. This is our faith, dearly beloved, and if we lose that faith, we are in grave danger far beyond the physical danger of a virus."  As the Fathers of the Church fought for the truth, we too should not be afraid of standing firm in the truth.

Another case comes with kissing relics or holy icons, which yes, we should clean and keep neat. But we also know that the grace of God is present in these icons. Again, to quote from the Patriarch of Romania: "in the case of kissing the holy icons, the believers who have a strong and living faith are not afraid that they will become ill, but they enjoy the prayer and the blessing of the saints depicted in the icons. As faith unites freedom with love, it is through faith that people express their love of God and His saints freely".

These are very trying times for our faith. But we should keep in mind that these are placed in front of us to deter us from the goal of our faith. Sometimes we forget that our goal is salvation, not earthly comfort. Which is why I urge you to take this Lent seriously. Try to attend an extra service or two during the week. Make sure you keep the fast to the best of your ability. Do your evening and morning prayers. And doing so, you will be able to "come and see" as Christ said in the Gospel reading. You will be able to come to a realization of how important these things are. And doing these things will bring us the ultimate form of healing; the healing of our soul. And that can also bring healing to any earthy disease or discomfort. Become icons of Christ and nothing can harm or hurt you.

Forgiveness Sunday

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have arrived now at Forgiveness Sunday – the gateway toward our season of repentance that is the Great Fast.

Before we can begin our journey of repentance and healing, the Church calls us to set aside our resentments, our judgments of one another. We must knock down those walls we build between our self and others that allow us the delusion of thinking we’re isolated and separate. We must realize the part that we play in the disease and disorder of this world.

Today we are called to ask forgiveness of one another. We must ask forgiveness not just of those whom we may have offended by our selfishness – though this is also a requirement and is often the most difficult reconciliation because of our foolish resentment and pride that create such barriers between us.

But in addition to asking forgiveness of those whom we have directly offended, we must also beg forgiveness of one another for the part we have played in contributing to the sin that affects this world that we share. Every sinful thought, word, and deed we commit tips those scales of good and evil in the direction of evil. God help us to stop contributing to that storehouse of evil that spills out in destruction across the world!

We must instead realize and understand that every good and pious thought, word, and deed can help tip that scale of good and evil toward the good. Every prayer, every sigh, every tear, every selfless gesture of courtesy and kindness contributes to the good and has ripples across the world!

We must wake up and understand that what we do, what we say, and what we think deeply matters! Apostle Paul calls to us today… ‘now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand.’

Today, on Forgiveness Sunday, we are given a special opportunity to awaken from our spiritual drowsiness and blindness. We are called to begin our Lenten journey with our eyes open to the awareness of the presence of God and to the impact that each one of us has upon one another. May this Lenten season be a season of repentance for each of us.  

We will conclude the Divine Liturgy now and will then begin the Forgiveness Vespers service. As we begin to hear the solemn melodies of Lent, as we once again pray the prayer of St Ephraim - let us indeed pray that God would grant us to see our own sins and not to judge our brother. Forgive me my brothers and sisters! May God bless us and grant us repentance!

Sunday of the Last Judgment - sermon by Fr Andrew Gliga

I was reading a quote this week from a famous secular man, who said that religion causes devisiveness. He further states that religion should have one purpose and that should be about helping your fellow man. If people would follow that religion then there would be world peace. Part of this quote is completely true. Our faith when it comes down to it, should be about helping our fellow man. However part of this quote is completely missing the point. This is a typical view of what people outside the Church believe that religion should be doing. Most people outside the faith adhere to a sense of Social Justice, where we can eliminate the poor, and remove all sorts of unfairness. This dream of removing all inequality around us sounds really nice. And yet, our faith, our Orthodoxy is not about bringing justice to society and removing all inequality. In fact, that is impossible as long as sin is the dominating force in our lives. Our faith is about more than that, it's about transforming each one of us as individuals.

This quote I began with really shows the modern shift in thought about what religion is all about. We hear nothing about what happens to us after we pass into the next life, but rather it only focuses about the here and now. This is why I chose to speak about it today because today we have the Gospel reading about the dread judgement. This is not something that we should take very lightly. We should "tremble at the fearful day of judgement", as we heard in the vigil last night. St Paisios the Athonite explains: "On the Day of Judgment, each person’s state will be revealed in an instant and each one will move on to where he deserves to be.  Each person will observe his own wretched state like on a TV screen, as well as the other’s state.  He will see himself reflected against the other and will bow his head in shame and thus move on to the place that he deserves." This judgement has everything to do with helping our fellow man. As we see in the Gospel we will be judged based on how we help those around us. We do not see anything about faith, belief, or anything else. Rather Christ focuses on love for the neglected among us.

            In the gospel reading Christ separates those who have done good on his right, and those who have done evil on his left. He begins to praise those who have done good. He then proceeds to relate how they have fed Him how they clothed Him, or he was sick or in prison and they visited him. These men, being surprised at all these good works, ask when have they done this. Christ states that when they did it to the least of these, they did it to him. In fact this is actually what our judgement is all about. When we help those around us, in turn we show our love for God. In the same token, we see the humility in these men, who have no idea what they did was right. After this, the Gospel reading then turns to the wicked where Christ admonishes them for the good that they should have done, but rather did not do it. And they ask the same question, when did we not do these things? And this question is asked because they neglected and thought in their own hearts they were doing the right thing.

            As we see, those who did good did not do it in order for gain. They did not do it to bring world peace or social change. They did good to their fellow man, because this is who they were. Being righteous was a part of their inner being. They just did the right thing. These righteous did the things they did not for any reward either. This is what we need to be in order to transform our lives. Each one of our good deeds transform us to be more Christ-like. And doing more and more good for those around us also transforms us to be more humble about it. It's like with anything in life, the first time we do something positive, we feel really good about ourselves, we feel like we are successful. This is our pride speaking to us. However, as we continue to do the same thing, that feeling of pride begins to fade and this becomes normal and natural to us. This is the mindset we should have as Orthodox Christians. Not to do things just for gain or to bring about social change or even for "getting into heaven", but rather to do good because that will bring us closer to God.

            So as we approach Great Lent, we too should emulate those on Christ's right and show our love for our fellow man. We have time now, we should not be neglectful as those on the left of Christ were. Part of this begins with prayer and fasting, but the goal of prayer and fasting should be the love of our fellow neighbour. We need to start showing our love to those around us, those who are closest to us. I think it all begins with seeing each person around us as an icon of Christ, not as an enemy. We tend to view people who we don't get along with as wicked and start to gossip about them. Rather, we should show our love for them, even when we don't want to. If someone begins to gossip about that person, we should instead try to defend them or to not involve ourselves in that conversation. What a great witness would that be, if those around us would see our love for our neighbour, I believe that that would soften their hearts as well. This can also bring those people around us closer to Christ. Once this action takes root in our hearts this will become part of our daily life and we too will be like those on the right hand of Christ, doing what needs to be done without any question. And when it comes time for us to stand before Christ in the fearful day of judgement, if we have done these, we will hear: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world"

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

(Luke 15:11-32)

The Gospel reading appointed for this Sunday is the parable of the Prodigal Son.

In this parable, our Lord tells us of a man who had two sons. These sons lived with their father where all that was necessary and good for their wellbeing was provided and available. In addition, the father had seen to it that each son would receive a generous inheritance of his wealth to take care of their future needs.

The younger son, demonstrating impatience, lack of contentment, and succumbing to the seduction of the world, asked for his inheritance in advance and left his home to go to a far country where he wasted his money and himself on the lusts of this world. After he had already squandered his fortune and reached his lowest point, The Gospel tells us that he ‘came to himself’ and reasoned that he might return home and, even if he could only be hired on as a servant within his father’s estate, he would be better off than continuing in his current misery. And so, he took action and in humility he returned to his home. The Gospel tells us that while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, I am no longer worthy to be called thy son.’ But the father was overjoyed to recover this lost sheep that was his son and commanded that a great feast be prepared in celebration of the return of he who was lost and is now found.

But the parable does not end here… it goes on to tell us about the other son; the faithful son, who had stayed behind all those years and diligently carried out his father’s work, doing everything right and remaining home at his father’s side. This son, we are told became upset when he saw all the fuss being lavished upon his brother… the fatted calf had been killed and a huge celebration was being held to welcome his wayward and prodigal brother back home. We read in the Gospel that he was angry and would not go in to the feast. His father came out to him to invite and encourage him to come into the feast, but the brother replied: ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this young son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ The father replied: ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’

The more I hear this story and reflect upon it, the more I feel that the central character of the parable is neither the prodigal son, nor the dutiful son, but the focus and the primary lesson for us may be about the father and the nature of his love.

For when we examine this parable, we come to see that neither of the sons really understand their father.

The prodigal son, who so arrogantly and selfishly took his inheritance and squandered it on decadence and immorality, finally reaches his lowest point. And from that point of desperation, he ‘comes to himself’ and realizes that it would be better for him to return to his father’s house as a mere servant than to remain in his present misery. He resolves to return home and beg forgiveness of his father. And yet, as the Gospel tells us, while he was still a far way off, the father saw him and ran to greet him and embrace him. The prodigal son thought that his father would no longer love him because of his betrayal and sins. But the father, in his outpouring of love for his lost son, had been waiting and watching each day in hope that he might catch a glimpse of his son returning…

The dutiful son, who so faithfully stayed by his father’s side and remained steady in his service to his father, also misunderstands his father’s love. He assumes that he earns his father’s love by his dutifulness. Of course, the father is appreciative and proud of his dutiful son, but the outpouring of his love is generously given from the abundance of his heart, it is not dependent upon the dutifulness of his son. There is a lesson for us in the resentment of the dutiful son toward the prodigal son… Faithfulness to the father, if it is to be genuine, must be given from the generosity and sincerity of the heart. That fidelity and dutifulness must stem from an outpouring of love toward the father, just as the father’s love is an outpouring of love for his sons.

It is this unchanging, unshakable, generosity of love which defines the father that is so remarkable in this Gospel parable. Both sons - one in his fear of rejection for his prodigality, and the other in his expectation of reward for his dutifulness - both sons do not fully understand the loving generosity of their father.

And isn’t it the case with you and with me as well?

Perhaps we imitate both the prodigal son at times and the dutiful son at times. On the one hand, we find ourselves in an endless cycle of betrayal, failure, guilt, repentance, and promises… cycling back again into betrayal, failure, guilt, repentance, and promises.

On the other hand, we may be entangled in pharisaical pride regarding our diligence and dutifulness in keeping the fasts, saying our prayers, attending church, and being a good person. We become presumptuous of the favor and mercy of God… that He must certainly reward us and overlook our minor offenses, because we have been so dutiful.

Both of those approaches may not only be familiar, but preferable to us because they allow us the fantasy of being in control. The rollercoaster ride of our sinfulness and repentance, and the driving train of our righteousness… these are familiar territory and somehow seem safer and more understandable ways for us to live our spiritual life.

How infinitely harder and how vastly more challenging it is to dare to accept and to enter into the love of God. Here we have no footing, we surrender our control, we are cast into the mystery of God… and it requires complete trust in Him and in His goodness and love for us.

But if we are willing to dare to take this step. To make good on our baptismal vow to ‘unite ourselves to Christ’… then everything begins to change.

Entering into the love of God – we struggle even more mightily to refrain from sin, not for fear that He will turn away from us, but because we understand that our sin turns us away from Him! Our zeal to fast and to pray may very well increase, not because we expect to earn His approval, but because we love Him, and we wish to give something of ourselves to Him in gratitude and joy.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… The blessed season of Great Lent is quickly approaching. This is our annual season of spiritual spring cleaning, given to us by the Holy Church as an offering to help us more fully unite ourselves to Christ.

May we approach this season of spiritual renewal with this understanding of the depth and the breadth of the Father’s love. Let us learn our lesson from both the prodigal son who doubts the father’s willingness to forgive, and from the dutiful son who presumes upon his father’s approval.

Let us enter into the season of Lent with our eyes open to the magnificence and the generosity of the love of God. A love into which we are invited and from which we may be inspired with all of our heart and mind and soul and strength to love God in return with gratitude and determination!

The Publican and the Pharisee - sermon by Fr Andrew Gliga

Dear beloved in Christ, today we begin our first step into the journey towards Pascha.
The Lenten Triodion is opened and used for the first time this year. This book is the one that will
provide the hymns and readings that we hear in Church until Pascha. One of the first lessons
we are presented with from the Triodion is the Gospel reading which we hear today that of the
Publican and the Pharisee. This reading always takes place three weeks before the beginning
of Great Lent and is a preparatory scripture for us to enter into Great Lent.

In order to understand what this Gospel reading is about, we first have to understand the
setting and what was taking place at that time. In the time of Christ, Pharisees were not viewed
as how we view them today as hypocrites of bigots, but rather they were the spiritual elite. They
were the ones who would keep the law, follow the commandments of God; they were basically
model citizens of that time. They were viewed as holy men, but also as people who were the
closest to God. On the other hand, the Publicans were viewed as the exact opposite. During
that time the Roman empire had occupied the land of Israel. In order to collect taxes for the
Empire, they would appoint Jews to do so from their own people. These publicans not only were
viewed by their fellow Jews as people who betrayed their nation, but also as people who had
betrayed God. Remember, the Jews according to the Law of Moses were not allowed to
associate themselves with Gentiles. A lot of these publicans were also corrupt and would take
more money than what the people owed, so a lot of them were very wealthy. So in a sense,
these were the most wicked of all citizens.

What we see happening in this parabe, is that both of these men go up to the Temple of
God to pray. The Pharisee who was supposed to be a righteous man, begins to boast about his
accomplishments to God. On the other hand, the publican, knowing his unworthiness bows low
and asks God to be merciful. Even though the Pharisee was part of the elite group his heart was
not towards God. At the same time, the pharisee commits a sin of judging his fellow man, where
the publican was in fact asking forgiveness for his transgressions.

I will also add a story which came to mind when I thought about the publican, which is
related to the feast of the new Martyrs under the Communist yoke which we commemorate
today. In Romania, there was a prison known as Pitesti. This was a place where people who
were considered to be enemies of the state (namely Christians), were placed under extreme
tourture. It was known as a "re-education". Prisoners were beaten until they could not stand.
Other times, the prisoners were asked a question like: do you believe in Christ? When they
would affirm it, they were hit and the question would keep repeating this tourture until the person
would deny Christ. At the same time, the people in charge had a sadistic way of offering relief to
those who were being tortured. They would comel those who were tortured, to beat their fellow
prisoners in order for their own pain to stop. This reminds me of how the Publicans betrayed
their own people in order to have a better life at the hands of the enemy. In communist Romania
there were many who had stated that they had succumbed to this temptation and caused pain
and suffering to their fellow inmates. However, as the Publican did, they greatly repented of their
sin, and eventually they became great spiritual leaders who led Orthodoxy outside of the
communist yoke. Through their hardship and tourture they endured and came out spiritually
strong, even though they had succumbed to their weakness initially.

This should be one of the messages for us, as we enter great lent, we have many
struggles set before us, that of fasting and that of long services. Pride is the annihilation of
virtue", says John Climacus. We should enter all of these with humility and repentance in our
hearts and take the example of the publican. We should also take our struggles and rejoice in
them, as did the new Martyrs did. The new martyrs only wanted one thing, that is to be close to
God. They even gave up their lives in order to not give up their faith in God. And yet, when it
comes to fasting and prayer, the reaction always seems to be the same: Oh I'm not looking
forward to it, it's so hard, it's so long. It's so hard not to eat meat for 9 weeks. If that is our
attitude towards Lent, we are looking at it completely wrong. God does not require us to fast or
come to prayer services because he demands it of us. Not at all, these are gifts given to us by
him. Fasting is a gift of being able to resist good foods, to live on less, to be able not to be
dominated by those things around us. It is much harder to come close to God on a full stomach,
than on an empty stomach one. Prayer is what unites us to God, brings our hearts closer to him
and to his teachings. These should be done in order to grant us love of one another, and not
because we have a duty to do so. The Pharisee did his duty, he did fast twice a week, he gave
to the poor. However, heart was not in his actions. He was more interested in the outward
appearances which totally defeats the point. We should never fast or pray only out of duty, but
we should do it to come closer to God, to be able to come to an act of repentance, just like the
publican.

Zacchaeus Sunday

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… the first of the preparatory Sundays leading to Great Lent is already upon us. Today is known as ‘Zacchaeus Sunday’, for on this day we read the Gospel account of Zacchaeus the tax-collector and we also hear the Epistle of Apostle Paul to Timothy in which he advises Timothy and us to live exemplary Christian lives. Today’s Gospel and Epistle lessons work hand in hand together in calling us and instructing us toward preparing for the spiritual season of Great Lent.

In today’s Gospel account, we hear of Zacchaeus, a despised tax-collector who, being short of stature, ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree in order to see Christ passing by. When our Lord passed by the sycamore tree, He called out to Zacchaeus to “make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house”.

This vivid image of Zacchaeus - short of stature, unable to see Christ because his view was blocked by the throngs pressing upon him – isn’t this an accurate image of us? We are spiritually ‘short of stature’ and our view of Christ is often blocked by the various obstacles and distractions pressing upon us.

And what does Zacchaeus do? He takes action! Regardless of what people might think of him, he climbs up the sycamore tree in order to assure that he can have a clear view of Christ as He passes by. Here is our lesson as well… Christ is present and we must make the effort to elevate ourselves above those distractions and obstacles that block our vision. It takes a conscious effort – but if we love Christ and if we want to see Him, we must make that decisive step and pull ourselves up.

Today’s Epistle reflects and builds upon this theme as well. In Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy, he says: ‘for to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.’ The Apostle Paul is encouraging us to struggle and to endure our sufferings, to make that effort to raise our sights up toward God…. trusting in the love and promise of God. As he writes in his Epistle to the Romans, ‘we know that all things work together for good to those who love God’.

Trusting that this is so, and having elevated our sights above the distractions of this world, we must then answer the call of God - making haste to come down, and being ready and willing to labor and struggle for the sake of God and the kingdom of heaven. Nothing in this world comes easy… if we want to learn something, we must study; if we want to get in shape, we must exercise; if we want to achieve something, we must apply ourselves toward that goal. The spiritual life is no different. In order for us to take steps in coming closer to God, we need to discipline ourselves and make an effort.

We hear in today’s Epistle that we are to be an example ‘in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.’ Do we take this seriously? And if we do strive to live exemplary lives in word and in conduct, do we do so with the right attitude and from the right motivation?

It is easy to fall into the trap of looking upon ourselves – our words and our conduct – against the context of the world in which we live. Perhaps in comparison with the ways of modern society, we take pride that our words and our conduct might be a little better than many others. We go to church, we try not to use profanity, we try to behave fairly toward others, etc. That’s all good and commendable, but if this leads us to a pharisaical pride that we are living exemplary Christian lives, we are kidding ourselves! And if we dare to judge ourselves as being good and others as being evil based on such superficial observations, then we are in real spiritual trouble!

What should be the standard against which we judge ourselves? The Apostle Paul tells us to ‘give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.’ This advice of the Apostle is especially important for us – who live in a modern world so often deprived of things which edify us and elevate our sights toward the heavenly kingdom.

We must make a conscious effort to counter the constant assault on our eyes, ears, and mind by feeding our soul with things that edify us, that draw our sights a little higher. We need to make room in our lives for God, for prayer, for silence. We need to take up the discipline and delight of spiritual reading. The Gospels, the Psalms, the lives and writings of saints, these must be our antidote against the worldliness so constantly bombarding us. And as we read the Gospel, as we immerse ourselves and acquaint ourselves with the lives and exploits of the saints of Christ’s Church – these are the standards against which we must judge ourselves. And these resources are readily available... The daily Gospel and Epistle readings can be found on any Orthodox calendar – either online or offline. The lives of the saints of the day can also be found readily on Orthodox calendar apps or in accessing the wonderful ‘Prolog of Ochrid’ which summarizes the lives of the saints each day and offers lessons based upon the daily readings.

If we are to compare ourselves to anyone, we should be comparing ourselves not with the low moral standards of modern society, but with the Gospel commandments, with the courage and determination and love of the saints and martyrs. In immersing ourselves in these sources, we not only draw our sights up above the distracting worldliness that surrounds us, but we gain familiarity with and inspiration from the spiritual standard to which we must aspire. As Apostle Paul says, we ‘must meditate on these things and give ourselves entirely to them, so that we may progress spiritually.’

May this first call of the Holy Church leading us toward Great Lent cause us to rise up above the distractions of our lives so that we may see Christ our Lord. And, when Christ calls us, we must then make haste to receive Christ joyfully into the house of our soul. May we do this by drawing from the sources of inspiration, meditating on them, and then putting them into humble practice. In doing so, may our lives be touched by godliness and grace, that we may be true Christians ‘in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity.’

The Sunday After Theophany - sermon by Fr Andrew Gliga

Just last week we celebrated the great feast of Theophany where Christ came to John to be baptized of him. When John would baptize people, he would baptize them for the forgiveness of sins. A person would come to be baptized of John so that they could could be washed away of their transgressions against God. However, Christ who was the sinless one, came to be baptized of John, who had no need of this baptism. Rather he came and filled the waters with himself and brought true forgiveness of sins to people through baptism.

This event lead us to today's Gospel reading for the Sunday after Theophany, where Christ begins his public ministry. This took place immediately after his Baptism in the Jordan river. What we hear in this reading are the first public words that Christ spoke, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand". This almost seems like it is a call to the people around him to come and change their life. This is an interesting parallel as John was also baptizing people for the forgiveness of sins, where now we have Christ telling people to come to repentance. Repentance and forgiveness of sins comes hand in hand, you cannot have one without the other.

Now this word repentance in our modern context has a very interesting connotation. A lot of people outside of the Orthodox Church view reptence as a feeling of guilt or an emotional change. This is especially true in other Christian groups where there is an emphasis about how good works do not lead to salvation, but rather faith. The Orthodox Church views both works and faith necessary for salvation. This also means that repentance has a different meaning altogether. Repentance isn't a one time transaction after saying a prayer and it isn't a feeling of guilt. Repentance is an action. In Greek, the word μετάνοια, which is the word Christ used in the original text, specifically is an acton. The definition is basically to turn around and do the opposite of what you were doing earlier. In the Gospel context it means that we turn ourselves away from the world and instead turn ourselves fully to Christ through the rejection of our sinful life. And how can we begin to do this? It is through prayer and fasting.

Now the question is, are we striving for the kingdom of heaven? Are we leading a life of repentance, trying to change our ways? For example do we fast from meat, dairy products, and alcohol on Wednesdays and Fridays as well as all the 4 fasts of the year? Or do we cheat, and think no one is watching us when we eat that piece of meat or take something we know has cheese in it? Or even worse, do we just completely neglect the fasts through various excuses? Yes, the church does give dispensations for fasting when someone is sick or infirm. But some people who should be fasting say they can't fast otherwise they can't concentrate on their work or they need the protein for their diet. When I hear that, it makes me think of the monks in monasteries who eat only once a day on fast days, and do hard manual labor for the rest of the day. If they can do so much with so little, then we too can do much more with the abundance we have.

Another question I have is do we have a strong prayer life? Are we doing all we can to  the morning and evening prayers, akathists, and the psalms? Many people say, I don't have time, I have meetings at work, I have to get my kids ready. But when it comes time to watch Netflix, to watch sports, or even to read up on the latest news stories, then all of a sudden they are no longer busy and they have all the time in the world. Giving God at least 5-10 minutes a day seems so enormous to us. Instead of watching two episodes of a show, watch one and devote the other time to prayer. Or instead of reading the news which just leads us to anger and resentment, read an akathist which leads us to peace and calmness.

All of us will fail at one point or another when it comes to our spiritual life. But this is where our action of repentance comes into play. We have to constantly pull ourselves up when we fail.. A quote from Elder Thaddeus says: “The Holy Fathers and the Saints always tell us, ‘It is important to get up immediately after a fall and to keep on walking toward God’. Even if we fall a hundred times a day, it does not matter; we must get up and go on walking toward God without looking back. What has happened has happened – it is in the past. Just keep on going, all the while asking for help from God.”. Elder Thaddeus is right, never give up and always strive to pick oneself up after failing.  In doing so, we will have a successful spiritual life. In turn we will gain true repentance which then leads to the kingdom of heaven.

The Holy Theophany

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we celebrate today the great feast of Theophany upon which we commemorate the baptism of our Lord… a day which marks the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry and a day in which ‘the worship of the Trinity was made manifest’! The word Theophany means the appearance of God. On this day, Jesus Christ was baptized and the voice of the Father spoke out calling Him His beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove to rest upon Him. It is a startling and powerful revelation of the true nature of God as Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The great event of Christ’s baptism is the manifestation of the Holy Trinity and Christ shines forth His Light to the world. Indeed, in the Kontakion of the feast of Theophany we sing: ‘Thou hast appeared today to the whole world, and Thy light, O Lord, hath been signed upon us who hymn Thee with understanding. Thou hast come, Thou hast appeared, the Light unapproachable.’

Christ’s appearance to mankind brings Light to the world. But as we hear in the opening verses of the Gospel of St John: ‘In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.’

The Light of Christ’s love and truth shines upon us and upon the whole world, but we do not comprehend it. This is the great tragedy of mankind and of ourselves…

We see the world entangled in sin and darkness – and, if we are honest with ourselves, we see that we participate in this too. How do we move out of that darkness and into the Light of Christ?

Our Lord gives us the prescription in His first sermon coming out of the waters of the Jordan… He exclaimed: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

To repent means to make a change… to turn from one way to another way.

This glorious feast of Theophany occurs at the start of a new year. It is a perfect time to make positive changes in our life… to repent and to cast off that which encumbers us and to embrace all that will lead us to love God more fully.

For God has given us all that is necessary for our salvation. With this feast, He has revealed Himself to us in the fullness of the manifestation of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And in this startling revelation, we get a glimpse into the reality of the living presence of Love which defines the very Being of God! Within the Person of God there is a relation of self-giving love. This sets the God of Christianity apart from any and all other conceptions of God and it is a unique and telling revelation which sets the tone for how we might attain our salvation and union with God.

The God Who reveals Himself today is a God of intimacy. He cares for His creatures and wishes to enter into communion with us. By the Holy Spirit, God blesses and permeates His creation, bestowing His Life-Giving Grace upon things and upon us.

Today we celebrate the Great Blessing of Waters. It is an amazing thing that God grants this manifestation of His grace to us. Ordinary water, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, becomes extraordinary, becomes sanctified, holy.

And isn’t it this way with all things? By the grace of God, ordinary things may become extraordinary and holy. A simple piece of painted wood – through prayer and God’s grace becomes a holy icon, a window into heaven. An ordinary human life, through prayer and the grace of God, may become sanctified, may become holy.

This is part of the mystery and glory of Jesus Christ. He renews all things – all of creation rejoices in God that we may be united with Him!

On this great feast of Theophany, let us remember and renew our own baptismal vows… We vowed to renounce Satan and to unite ourselves to Christ. Our only hope of fulfilling this important and essential vow is by heeding the call of Christ to repentance… by making a conscious step of determination to be united with Christ and by our humble submission to the grace of God.

Glory to God that He provides us with such an abundance of grace! The waters of Theophany shower us with God’s blessings, protection, and grace. What a tremendous gift indeed!

May each and every one of us draw strength and consolation from the outpouring of grace given to us through the healing and sanctifying waters of Theophany. I urge you to take advantage of the blessings offered to you by the Holy Church and invite the priest to sanctify your homes with the holy waters of Theophany. This begins the new year in the right way - with spiritual refreshment and encouragement. May the light of the appearance of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, enlighten and fill our lives with blessings and joy!  

The Sunday After Nativity - sermon by Fr Andrew Gliga

Beloved in the Lord, in our Orthodox faith, we have Saints who have shown forth as examples of how we should live our faith. We have three of them which we commemorate today, Joseph the betrothed, David the King, and James the brother of the Lord, who was one of Joseph's children from an earlier marriage. Not only do we have Saints who lived forth and showed us righteousness, but we also have examples of the opposite; wicked people that live in sin which we should use as an example of what to refrain from. One of those, presented in the Gospel reading today, is the evil King Herod. Herod himself was a man who desired power and position. He had received his crown from the occupying Romans and was not a true heir of the King David. When Herod saw that a prophecy foretold that a King of Israel would be raised up out of Judea, he feared that he would lose his position of power and no longer be king. He had sent the three Magi to find where the Christ child was born in order to have him killed. However, as we see, the Magi had realized Herods wickedness and had gone home another way. In his rage, King Herod ordered the murder of 14,000 children ages two and under in order to preserve his false kingship. Christ and his family had escaped to Egypt and there they found salvation. We see that this story is very similar to that of Moses where the Pharaoh had all the children killed in order to maintain his rule over the Israelites. As we see the Church had always placed importance on human life and the dignity of the human being. The Roman empire had practiced abandoning unwanted children and leaving them to die. When the Church had replaced the pagan religion of the empire, this practice too was also outlawed. Those youngest among us should always be preserved.

All these ancient practices to our modern human society seem extremely barbaric. We in our modern advanced age see all those ancient kings and people as primitive. However, in our modern day and age we are no better than those before us, and even worse than they are! Take for example of what we heard just last week; a famous actress had won an award for some movie she played in. During her acceptance speech, she was thankful for the fact that she was able to choose to abort her child, and that if she hadn't done so, she would not have been able to be a successful actress. What strikes me is how similar this account is to the story of Herod! She chose her career, her comfort, her luxury over the life of her own child. When she said this, all the people present cheered her on for the decision she exercised. This shows that those today not only have no shame in their sin, but are encouraged by those around them. This epidemic of abortion in our society is really troubling. We have 1,058,000 abortions done each year in our country. What makes it even troubling is that the statistics on abortion show that 97% of all abortions are done purely out of convenience, or not wanting a child. This is such a staggering number.  It isn't about victims of rape, which constitute less than 0.5% as we so often hear but rather the statistics show that this modern practice is all about maintaining materialistic pleasures.

Life according to the Orthodox Church begins at conception as we see the Prophet John leaped in the womb of Elizabeth, when he sensed Christ in the womb of Mary. The Christ child was not just a couple of cells, but a living person. We, as Orthodox Christians, have to stand by and protect the innocent, even those the smallest in the womb. We should always keep in mind that our faith should affect every aspect of our lives. If it does not, then we are doing something wrong. We cannot sit idly and watch those around us continue to freely choose death over life; this is not what one who loves their neighbor does. In two weeks on January 25th, we have the annual Walk for Life in San Francisco, where us Orthodox Christians, get together with other people and protest this wicked modern practice. We will have a moleben in which we will pray for all those who have been victims of this modern practice. We should try our best to show up to this event in order to offer our voice and support to those around us. This is a peaceful gathering of people in order to try to make a difference and change the hearts and minds of people. By attending we lend our voice in order to protect those innocents; by staying home we show our indifference to this. We should always try to live out our faith to the fullest.

On December 25th, our parish celebrated its feast day. 

See the report on this event at the Western American Diocese Website here.

Sunday Before Nativity

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… We stand today on the threshold of the great feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. We heard today in the Epistle and Gospel readings of the lineage of the generations leading up to the birth of Christ and of the rich and amazing history of the faithfulness of those people who lived in anticipation of the promise.

The significance of the incarnation of Christ is something that we cannot fully understand in our minds and hearts. It is an act of extraordinary compassionate love!

The Evangelist John proclaims: ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.’

God takes on human flesh and enters into this world of joy and sorrow, of blood and sweat and tears. He deigns to be born in obscurity and poverty – lying in a cave meant for beasts, vulnerable and naked – a baby in the arms of a young virgin.

It is so important for us to recognize Who He is… that this vulnerable Infant is God, the Maker of heaven and earth. And that God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, has become this vulnerable Infant. Think about this for a moment!...

When we contemplate the fact that God Himself has taken on humanity and become a man born in time and place, a man of flesh and blood, submitting Himself to cold and heat, to friendship and loneliness, to hunger and fullness, to joy and to sorrow, even unto death... we should not only be astounded by the generosity and compassion of God, but we also must recognize that God – having passed through the human experience – understands our own sorrows and trials in the most intimate way possible… He has endured them all.

And not only has He endured our pains and sorrows, but as God, He has triumphed over them and has transformed them – giving us hope and opening them up as a door toward our own healing and salvation.

The Orthodox Church has fought valiantly over the centuries to uphold this clear truth about the nature of Jesus Christ – that He was fully God and fully man. This is not just theological hair-splitting… it is essential for us to be clear and faithful to this Divine Truth.

This is important because the Child Whose birth we are about to celebrate, being fully man, experiences our human life in all of its highs and lows with only one exception – He does not submit to sin. He has shed tears, even experiencing such anguish in the Garden of Gethsemene that those tears fell down as blood. God is not distant… He can be with you in your darkest hours because He has passed through more than any of us can ever even imagine.

And He is fully God… the Eternal One and Second Person of the Holy Trinity entering into this human life out of His great and compassionate love. This is critically important, because as God He sanctifies everything He touches – healing the blind, the deaf, the lame, and facilitating and inviting us to the healing of all of the human experience if we enter into this life of Christ. He has sanctified the human experience by gracing it with His Divinity. He has transfigured everything – even suffering, sorrow, and death… triumphing over all things by the radiance of His Holiness.

And Christ calls us to enter into and participate in His triumph as we unite ourselves to Him.

The feast of the Nativity, which we are about to celebrate, is THE pivotal moment in history. It can be THE pivotal moment in our lives if we come to this feast with a clear understanding of the great mystery and incredible mercy which is about to unfold - if we approach to worship the Christ Child offering the true and acceptable sacrifice of our love and devotion.

Let us watch and pray as we await the awesome Nativity of our Lord. Let us reflect on how incredible it is that He who cradles the universe in the crook of His arm deigns to be cradled in the arms of a young virgin. May the words of the Nativity Hymn guide our celebration: ‘Thy nativity, O Christ our God, hast shone upon the world the light of knowledge. For by it those who worshipped the stars, were taught by a star to adore Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee, the Dayspring from on High, O Lord glory to Thee!’

Sunday of the Holy Forefathers - sermon by Fr Andrew Gliga

Today we commemorate the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers, those who
preceded Jesus Christ. However, the Gospel reading today is not that of the genealogy
of Christ, but rather is a parable about a man who made a great supper and called
people to join him. Since context is important, we need to establish where this passage
is within the Gospel of Luke. In the passage before, Christ healed a man on the
Sabbath and the Pharisees had complained if it's lawful to heal on the Sabbath day.
They had seen God's glory and greatness and had rejected it making excuses as to why
this healing was unlawful. Christ admonishes them on this account and gives a parable
ending with, "The first shall be last, and the last shall be first". The reading read today is
a continuation of this line, as we see those who are called to join the supper begin to
make excuses as to why they are not able to come.
The parable begins with many people who are invited to this great feast.
However, when the supper is ready most of the people start to make excuses as to why
they cannot attend. One thing we notice here is that these excuses are actually
extremely poor excuses. The first man says that he bought land and has to tend to it.
The second man states he has bought 5 oxen and needs to prove them, basically to put
them to work. As we can see these men seem to choose to put their day to day work
above this supper. St Cyril of Alexandria states based on this parable: "by senselessly
giving themselves up to these earthly matters, they cannot see things spiritual; for being
overcome by the love of the flesh, they are far from holiness, and are covetous and
greedy after wealth." The last man states that he has taken up a wife and cannot come.
In those times, it would be assumed that his wife would also be invited to the banquet
and so even that is a poor reason as to why he should not attend the Lord's banquet.
No one was forcing these three people to do anything, they chose to not attend the
banquet for themselves.
As I mentioned earlier, today is the feast of the Forefathers. Therefore since this
reading is on the same day, we should also examine how the forefathers reacted when
they were called by God. Noah was called by God in order to build the ark which would
save the human race, and his response was that he humbly built the ark. Abraham was
called by God to sacrifice his son Isaac and he silently took up his son to be sacrificed.
We see how Isaac had been called to trust in God to find his wife, how he firmly
believed in God's power, and God eventually brought him his wife Rebecca. Finally,
David the King, was called by God to repent of his double sin of murder and adultery,
yet he made no excuse but rather fell on his knees and wept. The Forefathers had real
hardship, but they accepted it without any sort of complaint. Compare their reaction with
the people in the parable who make excuses, and yet are simply called to the Lord's
supper. They reject the free gift that they are given.
For us, we should use these examples given to us and answer God's calling for
us. God has called us, and given us his Mystical Supper. We should receive this free
gift and always strive to partake of his Body and Blood as often as we can with
preparation and repentance. Of course there are times where it is permissible to be
absent for a reasonable cause, such as being sick, or having to work to provide for our
family. However, most of the time, don't our excuses boil down to: "I have work the next
day", or "I don't have time" or "I'm tired, I slept in I cannot come". How similar are these
excuses to those given in the parable. Instead we should use the examples of the
Forefathers and even in hardships, give ourselves over to the will of God and strive to
join ourselves with him.

On Saturday afternoon, December 21st, in the Church Hall, the children of the parish were invited to a St Nicholas Party. 

A wonderful time was had by all... activities included the creation of Gingerbread Houses and Christmas tree ornaments. Snacks and drinks were enjoyed by all and Fr Martin shared some stories about St Nicholas and how the virtues that he so well exemplified can provide guidance and inspiration in our own lives.

Many, many thanks to Carmen Gliga and to the others who helped to make this party such a success for our young people!

The Ten Lepers / Conception of Theotokos

Luke 17:12-19

The Gospel reading for this Sunday tells us of the ten lepers who stood afar off – ostracized by their disease and utterly cast off from society. As Jesus was passing by they lifted up their voices and shouted: ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’

Our Lord Jesus Christ heard their cries and had compassion upon them. He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was, that as they went, they were cleansed from their horrible infirmity.

The nine who were healed, continued straight away to the priests to be declared clean and able to re-enter the community. One of them, who was a despised Samaritan, upon seeing his cure, turned back and ran to Jesus and fell down at His feet, giving Him thanks.

Jesus answered and said: ‘Were there not ten that were cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’ And He said to him: ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.’

On this day we also celebrate the conception of the Mother of God by St Anna. St Anna was the youngest daughter of the priest Nathan from Bethlehem, descended from the tribe of Levi. She was married to St Joachim, who was a native of Galilee. For so many years, they were childless, suffering the terrible reality of their barrenness. But, through their fervent prayers and by the design of God, an angel announced to them that they would be the parents of a daughter, who would bring blessings to the whole human race.

There is a beautiful connection between these two commemorations assigned for this day… we have on one hand the conception of the Mother of God by St Anna and on the other hand the Gospel account appointed for today about the ten lepers.

What is this connection?

In both cases we see the healing grace and divine providence of God.

The ten were afflicted by the horrible disease of leprosy. The beloved handmaiden of God, Anna, was afflicted with a barren womb. Both St Anna and the ten lepers were touched by the mercy and the grace of God and were healed of their afflictions.

Both of these accounts of the mercy and grace of God have much to teach us about our own hope of healing.

In the case of St Anna, we see the suffering of barrenness. Don’t you and I also suffer from this affliction in a spiritual sense? Most of are weighed down by the barrenness of our spiritual life. We may wish that our spiritual life was more healthy and that we might bear fruit… but we find ourselves day after day and week after week struggling with a spiritual dryness… our prayer life is feeble and our minds are distracted when we do indeed try to pray. As much as we may wish to live by Christ’s commandments to love God above all else and to love our neighbor as ourselves, we are constantly falling back into our petty selfishness. As the Apostle Paul himself laments: ‘For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice… I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!’

We must thank God too, that we may be delivered from our spiritual barrenness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Just as St Anna was delivered from her barrenness, so too may we be delivered from our spiritual barrenness by God’s grace. Becoming fruitful in our spiritual life depends upon our trust and love for God and our willingness to submit ourselves to Him.

And what might we learn from the account of the ten lepers? Well, we see again the power of the mercy and love of God to heal any affliction. But there is also something particularly important from this Gospel account. While the ten were all healed of their infirmity, only the humble Samaritan returned to Jesus Christ to fall down at His feet and give Him thanks.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we must cultivate this understanding and this heart of gratitude to God for all of His blessings… both known and unknown to us.

Do we realize our indebtedness to God? Every breath we take, every beat of our heart, every moment of our life is a gift from God. If only we had this awareness, this humble and thankful heart of gratitude to God… our lives and our perception of things would be illumined with Grace and Love and Joy.

No matter what our present circumstances may be – we have so much to be thankful for! Every day that we wake up to the rising of the sun is a gift from the lovingkindness of our Almighty God! How will we spend this day? How will we make best use of the moments expanding out before us?

Let us give thanks to God! Let us not take anything for granted! If we live our life in the conscious awareness of the generosity of God, we will perceive and rejoice in the miracle that is life... And if we can hold on to that conscious awareness of the goodness and generosity of God, our minds and hearts and souls will begin to receive healing. And having received some measure of healing, our barren souls can begin to bring forth spiritual fruit. Let us take the good example of that one leper who returned to give thanks to God, that we may also hear the words of our Lord: ‘Arise and go your way, your faith has made you well.’

What Must I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?

Luke 18:18-27

In today’s holy gospel, a man comes up to our Lord and asks, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ This is a good and an important question! ‘What must we do to inherit eternal life?’

In answer to this question, our Lord reviews the commandments of God… Thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, etc. And the rich ruler responded that he had kept all these things from his youth. We can see from the scrupulous care which he gave to following the commandments of God, and from the question which he asks of Christ, that this man is a good and pious man… desirous of the kingdom of heaven.

When Jesus heard his reply, He responded: ‘One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’

Christ, the Great Physician, knew precisely the medicine needed for this particular soul.

Asking him to give away his material wealth cut straight to the heart of the particular passion that weighed this man down. And it was too much for him… the Gospel says he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions.

What a tragic scene… for here was a man who clearly desired the things of God and yet he could not make that complete surrender, that death that was necessary to bring him to resurrection.

And Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, acknowledged how difficult it is to give up that which binds us, that to which we cling - in this man’s case, his great wealth. Christ said: ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’

The same may be said for any of those passions which may have us in its grip. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a judgmental person to enter the kingdom of God. Or for a lustful person, or for a selfish person, or for whatever passion possesses us and would cause us to turn away sad because we feel we can’t give it up.

Those who heard Christ’s statement then asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ …to which Christ replied: ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’

And so, you see… even though this rich man goes away sad, he is not condemned. There is still tremendous hope being offered by Christ. What is impossible with man is possible with God.

And Christ says the same thing to each one of us.

Let us ask ourselves… What particular passion of ours might Christ pinpoint if we were in this Gospel scene? What sin of ours binds us and prevents us from following Christ as we should?

Perhaps it is laziness, perhaps it is the love of comfort, perhaps it is sensual sins, or pride, or gossiping, or something else. Each of us have one or more particular sins that anchor and weigh us down in our spiritual life. We need to identify, acknowledge, and work to root out our particular ‘anchors’ – those sins that might cause us to walk away sorrowful from the Lord’s invitation to follow Him.

And, as the hopeful words of Christ indicate, there is no sin which cannot be forgiven if we turn to God with a repentant heart. And there is no sin which is mightier than the strength and grace and will of God. Let us not be deceived into thinking that our particular sins are insurmountable… this is a lie - and if we allow ourselves to think this way it only demonstrates our lack of trust in God. Christ has trampled down death and all sin… it is now up to us to unite ourselves to Him and thereby unite ourselves to His victory over all evil.

Overcoming those sins and those things which anchor us to the earth is difficult, but we must always remember Christ’s words: ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’ The process of our salvation is a process of cooperation between ourselves and God. We must do the work of setting our priorities – and what can take precedence above God? We must do the work of raising up our mind, warming up our heart, and taming our will and passions. We must give nothing less than 100%... and yet, even this is not sufficient. For with man it is impossible, only with God are all things are possible. While setting ourselves to the task of our salvation with strength and determination, we must always place our trust and our hope in God and in God alone. It is by His grace and by His mercy that we may be saved.

It is this synergy of our effort and God’s grace which sets in motion our healing and purification.

Let us love and trust in God enough to respond to His call to follow Him, forsaking anything which would enslave us and cause us to walk away sorrowful. Brothers and sisters in Christ, there is nothing which the world might offer us which will satisfy our ultimate longing. Do not be deceived! For all that we truly seek and hope for will only be fulfilled in God, Who is the Source of all goodness and peace and joy and love.

May that peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, be with you and guard and guide you in all things.

25th Sunday After Pentecost – Afterfeast of Entry of Theotokos

Luke 13:10-17

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is the leave-taking of the feast we celebrated earlier this week: the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple.

When the blessed Virgin was just three years old, her parents Joachim and Anna brought her to the Temple in order to fulfill their vow of dedicating her in service to God. The young Mary was placed on the bottom step leading up to the Temple, and in a manner beyond her years, she confidently ascended the fifteen steps leading up to the Temple and presented herself to the High Priest. The High Priest, Zechariah, inspired by the grace of God, led her directly into the Holy of Holies – a place where only the High Priest could enter, and then, only once a year. Needless to say, all those who witnessed this were astonished!

What a remarkable thing… for she, who enters into the Temple of the Most High God will become the Temple of the Most High God. She, who enters into the Holy of Holies, will become the Holy of Holies. With this feast, we celebrate the entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, anticipating the fact that she herself will become the very Temple of God and bring forth our Lord Jesus Christ into this world.

This feast marks the turning point from the Old Testament era to the era of the New Testament - wherein our Lord Jesus Christ indicated that the hour had come when we shall worship God neither on any specific mountain, nor in Jerusalem; but when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. That veil separating God from mankind was rent in two by Christ and all are called to the opportunity to unite themselves to Him. Just as the Virgin Mary became one who bore God in her very being, so too may we, through the Mystery of Holy Communion and the interaction of the Holy Spirit become God-bearers, bearers of the light and the grace of God.

This is a great mystery and a difficult thing to fully comprehend. But it is the absolute truth and should be the primary purpose of our life. All other pursuits pale in comparison to the importance of this union with our Lord. For it is by this proximity and growing union with Christ that we can be healed of the spiritual infirmities which afflict us.

We heard in today’s Gospel about a woman who bore her infirmity for eighteen years - a sickness which caused her to be stooped over so that she could not even straighten up, but was forced to live out her life bent over with her eyes fixed toward the ground.

Isn’t that a powerful metaphor for the spiritual condition of mankind? Our spiritual infirmities cause us to stoop over so that, after some time, we can hardly even raise our eyes toward heaven… we can only see the dirt below us and can no longer see the reality of the beauty that surrounds us.

What a startling contrast this is! Think of what is presented to us in the images of these two women… One is the Most Pure Virgin, who stands erect and, even as a young child bounds up the steps of the Temple. Through her purity and simple love for God, she is vouchsafed to become the living temple of God Himself! Think of the nobility and the beauty of that! And this, dear brothers and sisters, is what each and every one of us are called to become!

How different is the image of the woman bent over and suffering from her infirmities for so many years. She cannot see the heavens, her gaze is earthward, her pains and sufferings preoccupy her and bring her such great misery. What a sorry state she has come to!

Yet Christ is present… and the grace and compassion of Christ can heal such disfiguration. Christ said to the poor woman: ‘You are loosed from your infirmity’, and immediately she straightened up and stood at her full stature. She was healed by Christ to begin to become that which she was created to be.

God grant that we never lose sight of the dignity to which we are called… to be temples of the Holy Spirit. Can we even begin to comprehend this? God wishes to come and abide in us as living temples. Can God possibly love us that much? And how truly sorrowful it is then, that we would defile the temple of God with our sinful words, deeds, and thoughts.

The Apostle Paul exhorted us this morning: ‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.’

We must wake up and live our lives spiritually alert and recognizing the reality of the presence of God. If we could but live our lives with this focus on the one thing needful, the reality of the presence of God… how different would our lives be? Knowing that God is present, abiding within us and around us, how would we behave? How would we treat other people? With what care would we speak? With what vigilance would we guard even our thoughts?

May God, through the intercessions of His Most Pure Mother, grant us the spiritual alertness to remain awake to the reality of His presence at all times and in all places. May we understand, even in the tiniest fraction, the true dignity to which we are called to be temples and bearers of the Living God. And may we then live our lives in accordance with that dignity and nobility – taking great care to honor and preserve the grace which God bestows upon His beloved children… standing erect and healed from the spiritual infirmities which pull us downward, causing us to be stooped over, seeing only the dirt of this world.

‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.’ Amen!

The Foolish Rich Man

 (Luke 12:16-21)

In today’s Gospel reading we hear about the rich man who thought to hoard all of his wealth and bask in his worldly luxuries and enjoyments. This man had been blessed with an over abundance of crops and his barns were bursting at the seams. He thought to himself that he would build new and bigger areas to store his great wealth. And he said to himself in his great self-satisfaction, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’ But like a blind and foolish man, he gave no thought to eternity and God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

This man, whom the world would call a success, God calls a fool – for he was wholly preoccupied with laying up treasures on earth for himself and neglected that ‘one thing needful’, the love of God and the destiny of his eternal soul.

There are several lessons to be gleaned from today’s Gospel… but perhaps two that stand out most prominently are: the context which death places upon our life, and the proper perspective and use of the blessings which God bestows upon us.

The foolish rich man of today’s Gospel was ready to take his ease and enjoy his wealth, but that very night his soul was required of him… in other words, he met his death and found himself before the judgment seat of Christ.

The presence of death in this world is a result of the fall of mankind. It is both a natural consequence of severing ourselves from the Source of Life and is also a kind of mercy… binding our earthly life and our sinfulness to a finite number of years. Death was not so much the punishment of Adam’s transgression. God did not say: ‘Eat of the fruit of the tree and I will kill you!’ Instead He forewarned His child Adam, saying: ‘Eat of the fruit of the tree and you shall die.’ Death was the consequence of Adam’s disobedience, of his choice to turn away from God, Who is the Source of Life.

And in addition to being a consequence of severing ourselves from the Source of Life, death – though it stalks us and shocks us as a kind of horror – is, actually, also a kind of mercy, in that it introduces a limited time for the evil a man may commit upon this earth, and it provides a ticking timetable reminding and calling mankind to repentance and reconciliation with God before he breathes his last.

Death is a difficult thing, but it truly does provide us with some context within which we live our lives. This earthly life we have been given is extremely brief – certainly so in the context of eternity. If we were to live our life in the knowledge of just how precious our time is, how much time would we waste on acquiring and fretting over perishable earthly treasures? How might we treat those around us if we lived each day as if it were our last? How differently would we pray if we knew our end was upon us? The remembrance of death is not a morbid thought… it is a blessed measure by which we can truly value and bring meaning to our life.

The rich man in today’s Gospel was not a fool because he had an abundant crop and many possessions. That is and can be a great blessing from God. The man was a fool because he selfishly believed that he was the sole source of his good fortune, that his worldly goods were all he needed, and because he allowed his preoccupations with the things of this world to overwhelm and obscure his perception of the true meaning of his life.

If God has blessed us with sufficiency, then we must give thanks and we must act as good stewards of such blessings.

St. Basil the Great has a famous quote for this foolish rich man and for us… He said: ‘The bread which you do not use is the bread of the hungry, the garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of him who is naked, the shoes that you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot, the money that you keep locked away is the money of the poor, the acts of charity that you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit.’ 

We must be grateful for, and generous with, whatever the Lord has given us. It is not so much about whether we’re rich or poor, than it is about our sense of gratitude and generosity. A poor man can be selfish and miserly, and a rich man can be selfless and generous. It is about being awake to the brevity of life and to the opportunities to do good.

The cares of this earthly life, into which we pour so much of our attention and anxieties and hopes, distort and eclipse the reality of just how short our time is here on this earth. Our souls may be required of us at any time. And how shall we be found?

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ… it is not the ‘what’ of the circumstances of our life that will make us or break us… it is ‘how we are being’ in those circumstances that will determine where we are placing our hope and our faith. We may be rich, we may be poor, we may be shouldering great burdens in our life – sickness, sorrow, and sighing… The issue is how are we being in those circumstances of our life. Do we enjoy our blessings with a glad heart full of gratitude to God? Do we bear our sufferings with an enduring love and determined trust in God?

Let us be good stewards in whatever situation we may find ourselves – humbly and responsibly taking care of whatever task is set before us, but not being seduced by the successes or the failures we may encounter in this world. Keeping the gaze of our mind, our heart, and our soul firmly fixed upon that heavenly treasure and the things of eternity – which break forth into our lives, surrounding us in God’s grace and mercy, even while still here on this earth.

23rd Sunday after Pentecost

 (Luke 10:25-37)

In the Gospel reading for today, our Lord is asked directly, ‘What shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ Our answer is this: ‘We must love the Lord our God with all of our heart, with all of our soul, with all of our strength, and with all our mind; and we must love our neighbor as our self.’

We are to love God with our entire being, with all that we are.

Our love for God must not just be something that engages our mind… intellectually loving Him, loving to think about Him and to debate theological topics. This overly intellectual approach simply makes us ‘armchair Christians’.

We have to get up and love Him with all our strength as well… resisting temptation with determination and will, getting our hands dirty with service to others, donating our time and talents to the Church.

And even if we have our minds occupied with the things of God and devote our time and energies to the service of God and others, if we are not engaging our heart and soul in the love of God, we fall short. Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul:  

‘Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.’

Think about what our Lord is teaching us in today’s Gospel parable of the Good Samaritan. After the poor man fell prey to the thieves and lay beaten on the side of the road, he was passed over by a Priest and a Levite. Surely a Priest and a Levite (one of the priestly class of Israel) would be dedicated in service to God. But who does the Lord praise and hold out as an example in this parable? It is the lowly Samaritan who, with a heart of compassion, attends to the poor man and sees to his tender care and recovery.

Our Lord Jesus Christ emphasizes this message of compassionate love over and over again. It is not the person who dresses up in fancy robes and pious looking hats that will be saved… it is the person who loves God with all of his mind, strength, heart, and soul.

In addition to loving the Lord our God with all of our heart, with all of our soul, with all of our strength, and with all our mind - we must love our neighbor as our self.

I know I have mentioned this point before, but it is a critically important one… Please notice that our Lord does not tell us to ‘love mankind’… He tells us to love our neighbor. Loving ‘mankind’ is so abstract and sanitary and safe… it is in the call to love the one right in front of us that things get very messy and very demanding. Your neighbor is that annoying person who is distracting you during church. Your neighbor is your wife, your husband, your child, your parent, your brother, your sister. Christ specifically calls us to love those flesh and blood people right in front of us, those very ones who most effectively challenge our patience and get in the way of our self-centered love. This is why Christ sets before us the Good Samaritan - who inconveniences himself, who gets his hands dirty by pouring on oil and wine into the wounds of the beaten man, who empties his pockets to pay for the lodging and recovery of the needy one set before him.

Following this instructive parable, our Lord asks the young man: ‘Which of these do you think was a neighbor to him who fell among thieves?’ The young man replied: ‘He who showed mercy on him.’ And our Lord Jesus Christ then tells him and all of us: ‘Go and do likewise.’

This is Christ’s command to all of us. He demonstrates that loving disposition of heart which shows mercy on our neighbor and He exorts us to ‘Go and do likewise.’

True Christianity, lived out as Christ wants us to live it, is a challenge. A life following Christ’s commandments to love God and to love others will always makes us uncomfortable because it calls us to force aside that ever powerful tendency to please ourselves first and foremost. It calls us to forgive and have mercy on others. It calls us to love those who may not behave in a way that is very loveable. Compassionate love doesn’t seek anything for itself, it is a courageous and determined one-way street of kindness and gentleness of spirit pouring out of a heart filled with grace.  

May we strive to love God with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength; and to love our neighbor as our self. This commandment must not be placed on the shelf of idealism, it must be strenuously practiced in our day to day lives – each day and each hour and each moment, as our beloved St Herman of Alaska has said.

Christ has given us a call to action. We are to ‘go’ and we are to ‘do’ the work and the will of God. That work and that will of God are to show mercy and to be God’s love in action in our daily lives. May God grant that this be so!

21st Sunday after Pentecost 2019

 (Luke 8:26-39)

In today’s Holy Gospel our Lord Jesus Christ and his disciples sailed to the country of the Gadarenes on the opposite shore from Galilee. When our Lord entered into this land, He came upon a man who was demon possessed – who went about naked among the tombs. This man was so fierce and so feared that he was kept in chains and shackles, bonds which he often broke through in his ferocity and demonically fueled strength. As soon as our Lord came near, the man possessed by the demons cried out, ‘What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!’ Christ confronted the demons possessing the man and asked: ‘What is your name?’ The demons replied, ‘Legion’, for there were many demons possessing the man.

This legion of demons possessing the man could not bear the authority and light of our Lord and at His command they were forced to flee into a herd of pigs, which then went crashing headlong off the cliffs and into the water.

The herdsmen fled and told all of these things to the people of the city and when they came, they found the man who had been possessed clothed, and in his right mind, and sitting at the feet of Jesus. And it is interesting to note that the people, upon seeing this, were afraid and asked our Lord to leave their country. They were more concerned with the loss of their swine than they were with the restoration of a man.

Commenting on this Gospel scene, Metropolitan Anthony of Sorouzh noted: ‘Here is the Savior Jesus Christ is God Who became man. He is the Word of God Who created the universe; He rules the whole world by His wisdom. And suddenly here, as in a whole series of other occurrences, He forgets about everything, it seems, because in front of Him is a specific need, one specific suffering person: this is enough for Him to turn all His divine and human attention to that person. This is a remarkable trait in Christ; this is a remarkable trait in God. We often think that there are great and worthwhile things, and things that are small and hardly worth our attention. But it is not so with God. There is no suffering, no pain, no need, no joy that God cannot relate to completely, with all His Being, and sometimes introduce a new element into a hopeless situation — open, as it were, a door, which makes a way out of this situation where there was no way out before. And here Christ, God of the universe, as if forgetting everything in the world, focuses all His attention on this man, because this man is suffering, because he needs help, because he is in grief.’

With God, everything is personal. God is concerned with each individual person. We must remember this both as a source of encouragement and consolation regarding God’s tender care for us, and also as an example and an inspiration regarding how we should attend to the individual right in front of us.

The demons possessing the poor man in today’s Gospel were legion… innumerable. The influence of the demons upon this man was dramatic but let us not fail to see ourselves in this Gospel scene. Demonic possession does occur, but we are most often confronted in our lives with demonic harassment and provocation. And it frequently the case that these demonic harassments and provocations can come from a legion of demons.

We must never rest on our laurels thinking that our sins and our passions are just ‘little ones’. Remember the story of Gulliver’s Travels… Gulliver was shipwrecked and washed ashore upon the island of Lilliput, populated by people who were no bigger than mice. The Lilliputians found this giant of a man upon their shore and, in their fear, decided to tie him down. But how could they tie such a large man down? Their rope was like the thinnest string in his presence. But string by string they began to secure him and after many hundreds, maybe thousands of strings were secured, they had him held fast. Though each string was little and seemingly insignificant, when a legion of strings were used, Gulliver was held fixed to the earth.

It is the same with us and all of our little sins. Perhaps each one may seem insignificant to us… just a little white lie, just a little gossip, just a peek at something inappropriate on the computer, just an honest assessment of someone else’s shortcomings. But all of these little provocations will add up and bind us to the earth. The greatest saints frequently called themselves the greatest of sinners. This was not a disingenuous humility… this was an appraisal of the many little passions and sins which they had the wisdom and the vision to see within themselves.

Christ sees our sufferings. He sees the legion of demons which may not have gone so far as to possess us, but certainly harass and provoke us. If we would have the humility and the self-awareness to truly see our sins and could then cry out: ‘Lord save me!’ Christ can disperse the demonic hordes and restore us to health and sanity.

This image of the formerly possessed man – clothed, in his right mind, and sitting at the feet of Jesus – is a beautiful picture, and one that we should aspire toward.

One who is spiritually clothed is one who has retained or who has renewed the white garment of baptism. That renewal of our baptismal garment comes from the repentance of a contrite heart. Let us pray that God will create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us. That clean heart and right spirit restores to us a right mind, restores us to spiritual health and well-being. And from that peace of well-being, we may then go about our lives while we spiritually sit at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May God grant us such health and sanity!

20th Sunday after Pentecost (2019)

 (Luke 16:19-31)

The Gospel for this Sunday tells us the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Our Lord tells us of a certain rich man who had every luxury and whose table was overflowing with feasts every day. At the same time, there was a poor and sickly beggar named Lazarus, who sat in misery at the gates of the rich man’s house in hope of some small scrap from the rich man’s bounty.

Both men soon died… Lazarus was taken up to heaven, to the bosom of Abraham, and the rich man found himself in the torments of hell. After such a life of importance and wealth, the rich man takes nothing of his luxuries beyond the grave and we are not even told nor remember his name. The rich man was permitted to see the reward of Lazarus and called out to Abraham that Lazarus might be permitted to come and offer him some small consolation in his suffering. But the rich man was reminded that during his earthly life he had his reward and consolations and Lazarus had nothing and was shown no mercy. Now in the afterlife the rich man found himself in torment while Lazarus was comforted. And, it is added, between the place of the rich man and the place of Lazarus there was a ‘great gulf’ such that none could pass from one place to another.

So the rich man begged that Lazarus might go to his earthly relatives to forewarn them of the realities of the spiritual life and the life beyond the grave. But Abraham rebuked him saying that they have Moses and the prophets, yet they do not heed the word of God. The rich man emphasizes that if someone were to miraculously return from the dead, that then the worldly-minded would awaken and hear God’s word. Abraham replies, that even if one were to rise from the dead, they would not be persuaded to change their ways.

Abraham’s words echo throughout the centuries like a sorrowful cry … ‘even if one were to rise from the dead, people would not be persuaded to change their ways.’ Don’t we see this in our world today? Doesn’t the world groan under the weight and the consequence of this neglect?

God Himself deigned to become man, lived and worked miracles among us, taught us by word and by deed, and suffered at the hands of His creation – accepting to be killed and to die. And, being God, He rose on the third day as recorded in the scriptures and in many other historical sources of the day. We have the testimony of One Who rose from the dead, and yet, as Abraham said: ‘even if one were to rise from the dead, people would not be persuaded to change their ways.’

What do we see as we look at the world around us today? Even though One has arisen from the dead, we who are so worldly-minded continue to go about our ways – seeking self-glory, worshipping youth and fleshly beauty, lusting with ambition, and delighting in worldly comforts and amusements. When obstacles get in the way of these pursuits, we suffer the passions of frustration and anger or with depression and disappointment.

Where do our hearts lie and what is our outlook on this life? Isn’t it too often the case that those of us who call ourselves Orthodox Christians take on this worldly-minded outlook on life? We allow ourselves to be seduced into a kind of blindness to the eternal realities of our existence. We become preoccupied with the things of this world: money, ambition, luxuries, success, sensuality, and comforts. We react to the circumstances of our earthly life as if this is all there is, and when trials and obstacles get in the way of our pursuit of these worldly ambitions, we fall prey to the demons of irritability, frustration, and all the rest.

Brothers and sisters in Christ… May God forbid that we find ourselves in the position of the rich man in today’s Gospel. He lived his life on earth as if he were asleep to the realities of eternity. It was only when he died that he woke up and realized that all of these ambitions and accomplishments were worthless if they meant that he forfeited his soul.

Of course, we have our lives to live and our responsibilities to deal with. That’s just how it is, and we have to go about our business with integrity and honesty, giving 100% in all our dealings. But let us take a realistic look at the span of our lives… This earthly life may last 80 years or perhaps a little more – what is that in the face of eternity? This earthly life is truly nothing more than a blink of an eye. What is more sensible… to bury your head in the sand living like this world is all we’ve got, or to prepare yourself for eternity? We have been created for eternity and we are going to spend eternity in the presence of God. What is that going to be like for us? This earthly life is the time for us to be healed of that fallen nature that estranges us from God. Our hearts and souls must become aflame with the love of God – because we’re going to spend our eternity in the presence of that blazing love. Will we approach the Divine Fire of the throne of God with souls flame or with souls as dead and heartless kindling to be burned?

How will our life change and what will our life look like if we’re living it in the eyes of eternity? Will we make time for prayer? Will we make time for spiritual reading? How important is it that we get our way in the petty disagreements that come up in our family life? Which is more important to us – that we prove that we are right or that we guard the peace and goodwill of our soul and the souls of those we love?

My dear friends… we have the testimony of One Who has risen from the dead. We have the possibility and the promise of One Who has triumphed over death and Who has opened the gates of paradise. Let us do everything we can to assure that we respond and awaken ourselves to the reality and the glorious promise of the eternity which God has prepared for those who love Him. The time for our repentance and healing is now, during this brief earthly life. As the Apostle Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians: ‘See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time.’

19th Sunday after Pentecost / Fathers of 7th Council

 (Luke 8:5-15)

Today we commemorate the holy fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council. As most of you know, in the early centuries of the Church there were a number of councils in which bishops from all of the Orthodox world met to pray, discuss, and discern the truth regarding topics which were of concern to the Church. The Orthodox Church recognizes seven Ecumenical (meaning ‘universal’) councils which helped to rightly define the word of truth.

In the 8th century there was controversy over the veneration of icons… Much of this was a result of the influence of the rise of Islam, but there were those even within the Church who took the position that the veneration of icons was bordering on, or even full-blown, idolatry.

‘Concerning the charge of idolatry’, wrote St John of Damascus, ‘Icons are not idols but symbols, therefore when an Orthodox venerates an icon, he is not guilty of idolatry. He is not worshipping the symbol, but merely venerating it. Such veneration is not directed toward wood, or paint or stone, but towards the person depicted. Therefore relative honor is shown to material objects, but worship is due to God alone. …I do not worship matter, but the Creator of matter, who for my sake became material and deigned to dwell in matter, who through matter affected my salvation...’

The iconoclasts (those who opposed the icons) did not understand the Gospel news that Christ, through His incarnation and resurrection, had redeemed the world… raising up the material along with the spiritual in the wholeness of His purifying and healing Grace. Christ even demonstrated this transformative wholeness upon Mt Tabor when he was transfigured and shone like the sun. The victory of the Seventh Ecumenical Council in its defense of the icons was not simply a matter of defending Christian art or negating accusations against idolatry, these issues dealt with the correct understanding of Christ’s divine and human nature, the Christian understanding of matter, and the very meaning and impact of Christian salvation.

What is the Orthodox understanding of salvation?

The Orthodox understanding of salvation is a process of spiritual transformation. It is an interaction and relationship of the grace and love of God and our struggle toward humility to become the good soil upon which the seeds of grace are planted.

What are the characteristics and conditions of the good soil that bears spiritual fruit?

The first condition is that the good soil must be broken… its hard surface must be broken and turned over if the seed of grace is going to take root. That is a difficult thing for us to accept… when things become difficult or fall apart all around us, we often feel that God has abandoned us. But that is not true…  If we can bear our sufferings in love, then those sufferings can be the tilling of the hard soil of our soul. It requires trust in the Divine Sower that this breaking of the hard surface of our lives will not destroy us but will loosen and make ready our soul for greater things.

The second condition is that the soil must be watered and nourished. We must take care to feed our soul on that which is spiritually profitable. This requires a concerted effort on our part to seek edification through prayer, spiritual reading, fasting, and all those things that might elevate us above the many, many things that drag our spirits down in this life. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is critically important! If you are not nourishing your soul on a daily basis, you run tremendous risk of endangering the conditions of your soul to bear fruit. Our Christian life must not only be lived on Sundays and feast days… This world is assaulting and saturating you with words and images and ideas which are deadly to our spiritual life. You must take this seriously and provide some counter measures to feed your soul upon good and holy things.

The third condition is that the soil must give way when the roots begin to grow. In order for God to act in our lives, in order for His will to be done, we must yield our own will, we must give way and clear out our own selfish desires to make room for God to act in our lives. Just as the soil must give way for the growth and spreading of the roots, we too must have the humility and trust to yield our will to the will of God.

And if we dare to have the courage to be humble, to be broken and nourished and guided by God… God can then begin to transform our lives. He can sow and reap the process of salvation that brings forth spiritual fruit. He can take the dead wood of our fallen and sinful ways and transfigure us into icons reflecting paradise, into the image of God for which we were created and to which each of us are called!

On this day in which we commemorate the holy fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council - those defenders of the truth of our faith, of the reality of the transformation of that which is ordinary into becoming a receptacle of grace… be that an icon or a human soul…  - let us thank God for His great mercy and for the ever-present hope of our salvation through that transforming grace of His divine power. May God bless us with the humility and the perception to be that good soil which can be broken and planted and might bring forth the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

18th Sunday after Pentecost

 (Luke 7:11-16)

In today’s Holy Gospel we hear the account of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain. Christ and His disciples and a large crowd of followers were traveling from one city to the next and, as they approached the city of Nain, their path crossed with a funeral procession. A young man, the only son of a widowed mother, had died and the dead man was being carried out for burial. When our Lord saw this scene, His heart was filled with compassion for the grieving mother and He approached her and said, ‘Do not weep.’

Then He touched the coffin of the deceased and said to Him, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ Immediately, the young man was revived and sat up and began speaking. The shock and consolation and joy of the mother must have been indescribable!

What are we to learn from today’s Gospel reading?

Well, the first thing that strikes us is the love and compassion of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Here was our Lord, traveling along on His important mission of preaching, surrounded by a large crowd of His disciples and followers – and He notices and His heart is moved by the scene of this little funeral procession and the tears of the mother who is now alone without a husband or son to care for her.

This is a marvelous thing and an example to us… Christ our Lord is going about His mission and yet He remains attuned to and aware of the many specific occasions where compassion and mercy may be shown. He notices things… He sees the needs of another, and He stops to extend His compassion.

How many times do we see in the Holy Gospel the manifestation of the compassion Christ? Our Lord’s entire earthly ministry was filled with demonstrations of this practical and heartfelt compassion for people. Christ not only raised the dead, but He spent great time and great care in visiting and healing the sick, the lepers, the lame, and the downtrodden. No-one was insignificant to our Lord.

Today’s Gospel also shows us the tremendous power and authority of Jesus Christ. Let us make no mistake and let us never doubt the life-giving creative power of Jesus Christ. Our Lord, in His earthly ministry He not only healed the sick, but on several occasions we see Him calling back to life those that had died. This should surely come as no surprise, that Christ, Who is God, can heal the sick and raise the dead, for He is the source of all life and Creator of the heavens and the earth.

We see in this Gospel scene of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain, the power and authority of Christ, as well as the love and compassion of Christ.

St Isaac the Syrian said, ‘Do not fear God because of the greatness of His majesty, but fear Him because of the greatness of His love.’

This is a very profound statement… ‘Do not fear God because of the greatness of His majesty, but fear Him because of the greatness of His love.’

It is true that God is above all, that He reigns in majesty, that our very breath and the sustenance of the world is dependent upon His divine providence. He is absolutely worthy of our awe and trepidation. We stand in His presence and gaze into the abyss of infinity and we fear because we are unworthy to look upon the height of His majesty.

But there is something so much more intimate happening in God’s relationship with mankind. When we realize the life-giving power and authority of God it emphasizes to us the extreme humility and compassion of God that He cares for us. That He would deign to become incarnate and submit Himself to an earthly existence and even to suffering and death at the hands of those whom He created. He Who is the source of life itself, willed to submit to death - for us. This is the greatest miracle… not that Christ can raise the dead, but that He submitted Himself to death for our sake – thereby trampling down death by death, unlocking the gates of hades, and bestowing life to all who would receive it.

This is the overwhelming greatness of the love of God!

Brothers and sisters in Christ, our fear of God should transcend beyond the trembling before His majesty… We must fear the possibility of ignoring or betraying the love which God extends to us. This is the true fear of the Lord! That we understand His intimate and loving compassion and patience for us and yet we fall short of valuing and holding this treasure of God’s love.

Christ said if you love Me, you will keep My commandments. Let each of us strive to love God above all else and to do our best to keep His commandments – not out of slavish obligation, but out of gratitude and enthusiastic love for the One Who has loved us. And let us take today’s lesson from the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who stopped to notice the sorrow of another and raised the son of the widow of Nain. May we also remove the blinders of our own preoccupations and take notice of one another. Attuning ourselves to the needs of those who may be right before us and extending that heart of compassion and love where it may be needed.

17th Sunday after Pentecost

 (Luke 6:31-36)

The Gospel reading for today is one of the shortest of the Sunday Gospels. It is only six verses long, yet in those six short verses we are given an advanced course in the spiritual life! Listen again to what we heard in today’s reading:

‘And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.’

This admonition of our Lord is commonly referred to as ‘the Golden Rule’… that we should ‘do unto others as we would have them do unto us’. This is, at one level, the foundation of basic courtesy and a civilized order among human beings. But it is also a profound and foundational spiritual truth which opens the gateway toward the keys to our Christian life: self-denial and Christ-like love.

Today’s Gospel goes on to say that if we love only those who love us, and do good only to those who do good to us, what do we have to boast about? For this is natural to any human being and can even be a source of feeding our own pride and selfishness. If we are motivated to love by an expectation of being loved in return, this is not the self-denying and self-emptying love which God speaks of. And this is why we hear in today’s Gospel the admonition that we are to love our enemies. We are to love and to be merciful, expecting and hoping for nothing in return. In loving our enemies we create a situation of imbalance which challenges and threatens our human will… we are thrust into the arena of loving with no strings attached, with no expectations of reward or reciprocity… simply and generously pouring ourselves out in a spirit of self-denial and demonstration of the love of God. This kind of love to which Christ calls us is dependent upon the state of the giver and not upon the state of the receiver.

For this is precisely the nature and the generosity of the love of God. In the Gospel of Matthew, we hear Christ say that if we are to be children of our Father, we must love as God loves… and that our Heavenly Father ‘makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain upon the just and on the unjust.’

God loves. That love is an integral aspect of His very Being and that love radiates from Him as the rays of light radiate from the sun. The sun does not discriminate about who may receive its light, it simply shines upon us… upon the just and the unjust alike.

Our experience of the warmth and light of the sun will differ depending on whether we place ourselves in direct sunlight or whether we retreat to the shadows. The more we seek the darkened places, the less light we may receive. If we place ourselves deep in a cave, we may find ourselves in complete darkness. It is not that the sun has stopped shining… it is that we have removed ourselves from the place where we can receive it.

It is precisely the same with the love of God. The love of God shines upon us indiscriminately and generously. It is by our choices, by our sins, that we retreat from the light of God’s love and experience the shadows and darkness.

And sometimes it may be that we have not run into the shadows of our own will and desires… sometimes the circumstances of life may descend upon us like a bank of fog. In such difficulties it may be hard for us to remember or to believe that the light of Christ is still shining. But we must understand and trust that this light and love of God does indeed remain true and constant. If we can lift our heads above the clouds, we will see the blue sky and radiance of the light once again.

This love and light of God which shines upon the saint and the sinner, is a manifestation of Who God is. This radiant grace which flows from God is constant and unchanging.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you and I are called to ignite within our hearts such a flame of grace. The love to which God calls us is this radiance of the grace of God. It is a matter of the disposition of our heart and not the circumstances of a situation or the worthiness of another. A heart that is illumined by the grace and the love of God, spills out that grace and love on all those around him or her. It is in this way that we can actually come to love our enemies - for the origin of the love for another is not based on their merits, it is based upon the communion of love which is taking place in a heart that burns with the grace of God.

I think it is important to add here that the call to love our enemies is not a call to mindless submission to evil. By no means! As Christ said, we are to be as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves. What does this mean? It means that our hearts must indeed be aflame with that generous, self-giving love of God, and that our minds must also discern what is right and what is wrong, what is safe and what is dangerous, what is healthy and what is unhealthy for us and for those around us. We hear constantly in the world today that if you are loving, then you must tolerate and approve of everything. This is madness… True love will never tolerate evil and sin. A loving heart will not judge or condemn, but love must seek the good for ourselves and for others. And where evil and sin are compromising and destroying what is good, a truly loving heart will grieve and will pray and will seek to correct and heal that which is wrong.

God grant us this loving heart which seeks first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness - which looks upon all mankind as our brothers and sisters and prays for the good of all. May that ‘golden rule’ of treating others as we would wish to be treated inform and guide our dealings with one another, that we may fulfill the calling of Christ to be conduits of His light in this darkened world.

16th Sunday after Pentecost

Luke 5:1-11

In the Gospel reading for this Sunday, our Lord is preaching to the people from the fishing boat of Simon Peter. After He had finished speaking to the people, our Lord asked the Apostle Peter to cast out into the deeper parts of the lake so that they might cast their nets for fish.

Peter, who was an experienced fisherman, replied that they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing… nevertheless, Peter exclaimed, ‘At Thy word, I will let down the net.’ In other words, ‘Thy will be done’. Against what might be considered his better judgment, Peter was willing to subject himself to the will of the Lord. So, they cast off from their place near the shore and went out into the deeper waters of the lake and they let down their nets. The Gospel tells us that the nets were so full of fish that they could hardly bring them into the boat.

Certainly, one of the key lessons that we learn from today’s Holy Gospel is the power and importance of submitting ourselves to the will of God. Our pride and self-will and sense of ‘knowing better’ are the root cause of so many of our sins and miseries. And yet, we cling to them so jealously.

St Silouan of Mt Athos wrote, ‘The proud and self-willed do not want to surrender to God's will because they like their own way, and that is harmful for the soul.... The proud man likes to be his own master and does not see that man has not wisdom enough to guide himself without God.’

When we live our lives dictated by our pride and self-will, it inevitably sets us up to become frustrated or angry or despondent when things don’t go our way. St Silouan goes on to tell us, ‘The man who is discontented with his lot and murmurs against his fate, or against those who cause him offense, should realize that his spirit is in a state of pride, which has taken from him his sense of gratitude toward God. But, if it be so with you, do not lose heart but try to trust firmly in the Lord, and ask Him for a humble spirit, and when the lowly Spirit of God comes to you, you will then love Him, and be at rest in spite of all afflictions.’

Our modern minds tend to equate humility with weakness and pride with strength. This is completely upside down. What requires more strength... to keep silent in the face of an offense or to react with passionate anger? It takes no strength or self-control to just react. Fighting against these passionate reactions is a truly heroic act of strength.

This humble submission to the will of God is no easy task. We are fearful that we must always be the ones in control – if we are not in control, then the only other alternative is that things must then be ‘out of control’. This is not true… When we acknowledge and submit to the will of God in our lives, we are not casting things into chaos, we are handing things into far more capable hands.

St John of Kronstadt, in his beautiful spiritual diary ‘My Life in Christ’ writes:

‘It is never so difficult to say from the heart, ‘Thy Will be done, Father,’ as when we are in sore affliction or grievous sickness, and especially when we are subjected to the injustice of men, or the assaults and wiles of the enemy. It is also difficult to say from the heart ‘Thy Will be done’ when we ourselves were the cause of some misfortune, for then we think that it is not God’s Will, but our own will, that has placed us in such a position, although nothing can happen without the Will of God. In general, it is difficult to sincerely believe that it is the Will of God that we should suffer, when the heart knows both by faith and experience that God is our blessedness; and therefore it is difficult to say in misfortune, ‘Thy Will be done.’ We think, ‘Is it possible that this is the Will of God? Why does God torment us? Why are others quiet and happy? What have we done? Will there be an end to our torments?’ And so on. But when it is difficult for our corrupt nature to acknowledge the Will of God over us, that Will of God without which nothing happens, and to humbly submit to it, then is the very time for us to humbly submit to this Will, and to offer to the Lord our most precious sacrifice—that is, heartfelt devotion to Him, not only in the time of ease and happiness, but also in suffering and misfortune; it is then that we must submit our vain erring wisdom to the perfect Wisdom of God, for our thoughts are as far from the thoughts of God ‘as the heavens are higher than the earth’...

It is a stumbling block of pride to demand that we understand everything. We cannot understand all the ways of God. As God spoke to Job: ‘Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me if you have understanding.’

How often do we hear people - and maybe we even think these things ourselves – saying: ‘Why is there so much suffering? Why doesn’t God answer my prayers? How can He love us when there is so much misery and evil in this world?’

It is a deception to lay the blame for the miseries we see in this world at the feet of God. God is actually the one blameless player in this whole drama of our existence. God has done everything possible to relieve us and restore us from our sufferings… even going so far as to accept them upon Himself, to suffer through them in His humanity and to redeem them in His divinity. And yet, when things go wrong, we are so quick to blame God.

If your heart weeps for the misery and the sin that you see in this world, then there is one true and noble and impactful thing that you can do. Stop sinning yourself! As our Lord said to the angry mob surrounding the woman caught in adultery: ‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.’

Unless we are willing to repent and to get down on our knees and accept our responsibility and our contributions to the weight of the sin that exists in this world, then we must stop looking elsewhere to blame. Do you see evil and injustice in this world? This is not a call to indignation and pharisaical judgment… it is a call to prayer and fasting and seeking to place the greatest care that we ourselves do not contribute one additional drop to the evil that is in this world. Every unkind thought, every unkind word, every act of impatience and judgment and self-righteousness that we commit just heaps additional weight to that repository of evil that spills out into this world.

Just as Peter thought Christ was asking the impossible when instructed to cast out his nets, so too may we think that our sins are insurmountable. If we place our trust and our hope in God, all things are possible. Yes, the world is full of suffering and sin - by God’s grace, let us resolve to not add to it.

Let us face our Christian responsibility and accountability with courage and with trust in God. You and I cannot stand against the weight of the sins of this world. But there is One Who can, and Who has already done so, and has already emerged victorious. That is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As Christians we are called to unite ourselves to Him and to His victory.

Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Cross

On Friday of this past week we celebrated the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. As we read from the Epistle on that day, the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

What kind of madness is Christianity, that we would venerate the Cross – a symbol of torture and the cruelest of deaths? And yet, the Cross is indeed precious and life-giving to us – for through the sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ, the Cross has become our symbol of hope and its message is one of unutterable love.

For our Lord has said: ‘Greater love has no one that this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.’ Our Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t just speak about this as an ideal… He demonstrates this for us in laying down His life for us upon the Cross. The God Who created us; Who established us in Paradise; Who gifted us with the tremendous and terrible grace of freedom… the freedom to respond to His love with our love or to choose to turn away; Who taught us by the Law; Who spoke to us by the Prophets. This God finally takes flesh upon Himself and submits to all the miseries that we have created, and suffers through it all, and submits to death upon a Cross for each of us Whom He calls His friends. There is no greater expression of love than this and this is why we exalt and venerate the Cross.

Our God deigns to lay down His life for His friends. Moreover, Christ tells us:‘You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.’

Today’s Gospel reading spells out quite clearly what are the commandments of Christ: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’

Christ’s distillation of all the Law and the Prophets is that we are called to love.

This world makes strange use of the word ‘love’… I can say I love a good cup of coffee, I love good music, I love to take a nap. What semblance to these ‘loves’ have to do with the love which Christ calls us toward? Not much. These are all things that please me and give me pleasure.

And perhaps we might elevate our meaning of the word ‘love’ a notch or two and liken it to the love two people might feel for one another. In this modern age such love is generally referring to the way we feel about another person who makes us feels good, who pleases us. If such love is again focused on the person that pleases me, then this kind of love can also be incredibly self-serving… as soon as the other person no longer pleases us, we no longer love them. From such an understanding comes the alarming divorce rates we see in our society. Such love also has little to do with the kind of love Christ is calling us toward.

Christ calls us to a love which is best symbolized by the Cross. Christ calls us to a love which is not self-serving and self-pleasing, but is self-sacrificing. Anyone who has truly loved another, knows that with love comes pain of heart. We no longer live for ourselves and for the pursuit of our own pleasures. We live for another… we long for their presence, we co-suffer with them in whatever tribulations they may encounter, we make ourselves vulnerable to them, and we would willingly sacrifice all that we have for their good. In a word, we would lay down our life for them.

This is the way of the Cross. This is what the Cross stands for and this why we glorify the Cross! It is the symbol and the reality of the love of God. It is the signpost pointing us to the way upon which we should walk. It is a path of denying ourselves, taking up our Cross, and following after Christ.

St John Chrysostom said: ‘Christ endured all of His sufferings, that we may follow in His footsteps.’

We must follow Christ along the path of love… emulating His kindness and mercy, His courageous resistance to temptation and evil, and even daring to embrace His way of suffering and death which lead to resurrection.

We can find an excellent and practical definition of love in the writings of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians. There he writes: ‘Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.’

It is a revealing and humbling experience to insert yourself into this description… substituting your name for the word ‘love’… Listen while I recite this passage this way and judge no one but yourself… ‘I am patient and kind; I do not envy or boast; I am not arrogant or rude. I do not insist on my own way; I am not irritable or resentful; I do not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoice with the truth. I bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things. I never fail – or fall short of the call of love.’

How do we measure up? This, dear brothers and sisters is what love is, and it is the call and the expectation for those who would call themselves Christian. If we fall short… and we all do… then let us call upon our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us and grant us the grace and strength to align ourselves more closely with such a definition of love.

And so, as we celebrate this feast time of the Exaltation of the Cross, let us exalt and elevate the Cross in our lives. Let the world call it foolishness, for us it is our symbol of hope and of victory and of love. And may the power of the precious and life-giving Cross guide us in living a life of true love… loving God with all of our heart and all of our soul and all of our mind… and loving our neighbor as our self.

14th Sunday after Pentecost

(Matt. 22:2-14)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this past month has been an extended celebration of the blessings and love of the Mother of God. At the end of last month, we commemorated the Dormition of the Mother of God and then the following week we celebrated the Vladimir Icon. Last week we had the great joy of receiving the myrrh-streaming Hawaii Iveron Icon, and yesterday we celebrated the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God. What a marvelous succession of feasts to honor our Heavenly Mother – she who cares for us and prays for us before the throne of her Son and our God, our Lord Jesus Christ.

As we mentioned yesterday, it is a great mystery that God, He Who cannot be contained, willed to be contained within the frail vessel of the Most Pure Virgin. And this condescension of God toward mankind continues to be offered to us, as He deigns to enter into the temple of our bodies by offering us His Body and Blood, and through the interaction of the Holy Spirit within each human heart.

Our life is lived within this context of the call of God to Mankind… He calls out to us, He wishes to come and abide in us, He stands at the door of our heart and knocks.

Today’s Gospel provides us with a parable of the call of God, illustrated by the wedding feast. A king arranged a marriage for his son. He prepared a great feast and sent his servants out to invite all of their friends and family. But what happened? Those invited were too busy and had endless excuses to not attend. When the king heard this, he struck out at these negligent people and instead went out into the highways to invite anyone who they came upon. He clothed them in wedding garments and brought them into the feast.

God calls out to us… but do we hear Him? Do we respond as we should? The parable of the wedding feast emphasizes to us that God will not force His Kingdom upon us, if we are negligent, if we prefer our selfish interests above the things of Heaven, our will shall not be overruled… we will be passed by. This is a sobering consequence of the freedom that God bestows to us.

And yet, perhaps we may hear the invitation of God our King… We see that among those invited and attending the wedding feast, there was a man who was not properly clothed in the wedding garment. The host called him on it and said “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?” And the man was speechless... The king then had him ‘bound hand and foot, taken away, and cast into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen’.

This passage should cause us to stop and think seriously about what it means to us. The thing is, every encounter with God is a moment of crisis and judgment for the soul… But that does not need to be a cause for despair!

Metropolitan Anthony Bloom wrote following:

“We must recapture an attitude of mind which, usually, we cannot conjure even out of our depth, something which has become strangely alien to us – the joyful expectation of the Day of the Lord – in spite of the fact that we know that His day will be a day of Judgment. It is striking to hear in church that we are proclaiming the Gospel, the gladdening news, of Judgment, but we are proclaiming that the Day of the Lord is not fear but hope and, together with the Holy Spirit, the Church can say: ‘Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!’ As long as we are incapable of speaking in those terms, we are missing something very important in our Christian consciousness. We are still, whatever we may say, pagans dressed up in evangelic garments. We are still people for whom God is a God outside, for whom His coming is darkness and dread, whose judgment is not our redemption but our condemnation, for whom a meeting face to face is a fearful event and not the hour we long and live for.”

There is a great paradox here… for, on the one hand, the thought of the coming of Christ and the Judgment strikes fear and dread in a man. And yet, on the other hand, there is this joyful anticipation and longing for this moment of encounter with our Lord. How can this be?

What does Christ’s Gospel parable tell us today? What was the difference between the one who was cast out and those who were invited into the feast? It was the wedding garment… those who were clothed in the wedding garment celebrated in joy with their king, while he who was not clothed with this garment was sent out.

What is this wedding garment that we are to be wearing when we come to the feast of Christ?

Apostle Paul says in the Epistle for this Sunday: ‘Now He Who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, Who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.’ At your baptism you were anointed with oil and the Holy Spirit was sealed upon with holy chrism and you were donned in a white robe which symbolized the purity of your new birth in Christ. This is the wedding garment of the Heavenly Banquet and it is a garment that we are called to put on daily through prayer, repentance, and selfless love. Every day we are to clothe ourselves with Christ’s compassion, His kindness, His lowliness, His meekness, His patience, His forgiveness, and above all His love, which binds everything in perfect harmony (Col. 3:12-24).

Our great need today is to wrap ourselves up in the grace of God regularly through faith, prayer, reading the Holy Scriptures, the Sacraments and the total relinquishment of our life into God’s hands. The person who daily wraps himself up in the grace of God covers the nakedness of his soul and is ‘clothed’ with a hope that fears neither illness nor death. In the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us.’ (Romans 8:35-37).

May this be our prayer! May we be good stewards of the blessings given to us by God. May we hear and heed the generous invitation of God to come to His feast, taking care to wrap ourselves in the garment of salvation through heartfelt prayer, sincere repentance, and selfless love. And may the peace and joy that God gives so generously, dwell in our heart all the days of our lives!

Myrhh-streaming Icon / Peter & Fevronia

We are truly blessed today… As on every Sunday, we celebrate the bright resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; and on this day, we commemorate the right-believing Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia – the patrons of family, faith, and fidelity; and, if this were not enough to fill our hearts with joy, we have the tremendous blessing of receiving the Most Holy Mother of God in her myrrh-streaming Hawaii Iveron icon!

Let us hear a word about the righteous Peter and Fevronia… Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia were benevolent rulers and always helped their people with alms and prayers. They treated all as if they were their own children. They were true benefactors of their city and ruled with truth and humility. They gave shelter to pilgrims, fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and helped the poor in their misfortune.

When death was nearing, Peter and Fevronia prayed to God that they both might die in the same hour. And they requested that they be buried in the same tomb and in a common coffin in which their bodies would be separated only by a partition. Before their deaths they took monastic vows, Prince Peter becoming Brother David, and Princess Fevronia, Sister Euphrosinia.

After their deaths, some of the people decided that Prince Peter should be buried in the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin, which was within the walls of the city of Murom, and that Princess Fevronia should be buried in the Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, which was outside the walls of the city. The body of Prince Peter was put in a casket and was placed in the cathedral, where it was left overnight. The body of Princess Fevronia was put in another casket and placed in the church outside the city walls. A tomb, which had earlier been carved from a huge rock as a resting-place for Peter and Fevronia, remained empty in the yard of the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin.

The next morning the people went to the caskets of Peter and Fevronia and found them empty. The bodies of the holy prince and princess were found together in the tomb of stone, which they had ordered prepared for them. The people, not understanding the meaning of this event, once more placed the bodies in separate caskets. On the following day the bodies of Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia were once again found together in the tomb of stone. Since that time no man has dared to disturb their holy bodies, but left them in their common tomb in the yard of the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin, which is located in the city of Murom. To this day, those who approach the holy relics of Peter and Fevronia with prayer, always receive comfort and healing.

In honor of these beloved saints, the Russian Orthodox Church marks their commemoration as a special day of blessing and honor for Orthodox families. Peter and Fevronia are beloved as the patron saints of family, faith, and fidelity.

It is a fitting thing that our Most Holy Lady Theotokos would come to us today… for in the assembling of all those who are here today, we must surely look upon one another as family. We are truly brothers and sisters in Christ and we share our love of our Mother, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, who gathers us together under her protecting veil.

I remember so clearly the reassuring words of my spiritual father, the ever-memorable Archimandrite Anastassy… he said: ‘In Orthodoxy there are no orphans.’ And it is true… God calls us to come out from the world and be separate and ‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty’. Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us to call upon God as our Father. And, from the cross, in the person of His beloved disciple, Christ tells us ‘Behold your mother’… gifting us with her holy intercessions and concern.

What a remarkable thing! As Orthodox Christians we literally have the same Blood flowing through our veins – as we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ from the same Chalice.

And so, look around you… look upon the icons of the saints on the walls. These are your elder brothers and sisters in the faith. Look around the room here… these are your brothers and sisters in the faith. And here in the midst of us all is our Most Blessed Mother!

This remarkable icon has been gushing forth myrrh for nearly 12 years now. The icon is a simple printed copy of its predecessor, the Montreal myrrh-streaming icon, which was with us from 1982 through 1997, when its guardian, Brother Jose Munoz-Cortes was martyred, and the icon was taken and has not been seen since. The Hawaii icon, which you see here before you, has been a source of consolation and healing for these past twelve years to so many. As Deacon Nectarios can attest better than anyone else, the miracles that have occurred in the presence of this icon and through the myrrh which streams from it, are innumerable.

I remember hearing from Fr Nectarios one time, that a Greek elder had remarked that all icons are windows into heaven, but somehow, this particular window has been left open… and the grace of God flows in and out from this open window, bestowing blessings upon us all.

God is so merciful to us. We are a blind and foolish people. Sometimes it takes an obvious miracle to wake us up out of our spiritual slumber and slothfulness. A myrrh-streaming icon is an inexplicable miracle which we behold before our very eyes. Thank God for His great condescension that He would encourage us with such a miracle. And let us pray to God that the eyes of our soul may be opened to recognize the ‘not so obvious’ miracles that surround us every day.

It is a great joy to see so many people gathered here in honor of the Mother of God and hungering to see this miracle and receive her blessing. Yet, one must ask… do we realize that every time the Divine Liturgy is served, we stand before the greatest miracle of all? Mere bread and wine are transformed into the very Body and Blood of Christ! Our churches should be overflowing with faithful people crowding the church to not only behold such a miracle, but to actually partake in this through Holy Communion.

May we all be blessed and enriched here in the presence of the Most Holy Theotokos in her Hawaii icon. And may this undeniable and evident miracle encourage us and strengthen our faith. God’s love is extended to us through these touchpoints of grace. May that grace do its work upon our hearts so that they may be purified, for as Christ has indicated: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God’.

12th Sunday After Pentecost

Matthew 19:16-26

In today’s holy gospel, a man comes up to our Lord and asks, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ This must be the question for each of us… ‘What must we do to inherit eternal life?’

Our Lord reviews the commandments of God… Thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not steal, etc. And Christ finally sums it up by saying that ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself’. Elsewhere in the Gospels Christ similarly summarizes all the commandments as boiling down to ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength and with all thy mind: and thy neighbor as thyself.’

We must remember one thing and we must transform our lives according to this one thing: we must love God above all else and we must treat our neighbors with love. It is as simple as that. And it is as challenging as that.

There is no higher calling than God’s call to love; and if we can fulfill it – or, with God’s help, at least be striving towards it - then all the other commandments, canons, and rules of conduct and piety fall naturally into place. You don’t judge, or harm, or insult, or try to get the better of someone you love. You seek to console, protect, and see all good things for those whom you love. What a different world we would live in if mankind lived by this Gospel commandment. You and I may not be able to change the world – and besides that, ‘the world’ is an abstraction. Christianity is always personal, not abstract. We can change our lives and the lives of those around us if we do our very best to live Christ’s commandment of love.

Now the young man in today’s Gospel declared that he kept all of these commandments. What else did he lack? Christ, the Great Physician, knew precisely the medicine needed for this particular soul and he told him that if he would be perfect, he should go and sell all that he possessed, give it to the poor, and follow Him.

This cut to the heart of the particular passion that weighed this man down: while he zealously kept the commandments, he suffered from an underlying love of possessions. And it was too much for him… the Gospel says he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions.

How tragic! But before we dare to judge this young man, let us ask ourselves… what particular passion of ours might Christ pinpoint if we were in this Gospel scene? Perhaps it is laziness, perhaps it is the love of comfort, perhaps it is some sensual sin, or pride, or our desire to be in control, or fear, or something else. All of us have one or more particular anchors that weigh us down in our spiritual life. In addition to striving toward that love of God and neighbor that draws us forward, we need to identify, humbly acknowledge, and work to root out our particular ‘anchor’ – that thing that might cause us to walk away sorrowful from the Lord’s invitation to follow Him.

The way into the Kingdom of Heaven is by the narrow gate... it can be like threading the eye of a needle. If we continue holding on to those many passions and anchors, we burden ourselves with a load that will prevent our ability to enter through that narrow gate. Those sins and passions that we jealously hold on to become our personal camel that will not allow us to pass through the eye of the needle.

But Father, you may say… I have been trying to conquer my particular passion for years! Every time I come to confession it is the same list of things over and over again! I’ll never win!

Yes, you’re right. As the Apostles cried out in today’s Gospel: ‘Who then can be saved?’

Christ looked upon them with compassion, just as He looks upon you with compassion and He says: ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’

You and I are called to struggle courageously to take up our cross, to deny our self and to follow Christ. We must seek to shed ourselves of anything that gets in the way between the love of God and our ability to receive that love. That is hard work. It requires humility and honesty to admit our sins and it requires persistence and patience to stay the course in working to root them out of our lives.

And the fuel and the motivation that should drive our zeal is nothing other than love for God.

We will not persuade God to love us more if we are successful. We will not earn our salvation if we are successful. The fact of the matter is, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we will not be successful! The sooner we can figure this out, the better.

‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’

Our priority and our focus must be on the love of God. We strive courageously, not because we will be victorious, but out of the abundance of our love for God. We strive courageously because in doing so, we reduce our attachment to our passions, and we unite ourselves to Christ. And this is the point… Christ is the victor over sin. If we unite ourselves to Christ, we enter into His victory, we enter into His crucifixion and His resurrection. And this is our salvation!

St Herman's Pilgrimage To Russia

After much prayer and preparation, a group of seven pilgrims ventured off to Russia for a two week tour of the holy sites in and around St Peterburg and Moscow.

The group consisted of: Titus and Susan Bradley, Paul and Cathy Kozachenko, Martha Nichols (a dear friend from Oregon), Fr Martin and Matushka Sarah.

We started in St Petersburg, where we toured and prayed in the main cathedrals and churches of that city including: St Isaac’s, the Kazan Cathedral, the Church on the Spilled Blood, St Nicholas’ Naval Cathedral, etc. We visited the Smolenskaya Cemetery where St Xenia’s relics repose. There, we were able to sing her Akathist. Likewise, at St John of Rila Monastery, we venerated the relics of St John of Kronstadt and were able to sing his Akathist. We took a day trip to Kronstadt, where we toured the apartments of St John and visited the enormous Naval Cathedral there. In addition to the holy sites, we toured the Hermitage Museum and Galleries, the Faberge Gallery, the parks and fountains at Peterhof, and enjoyed a boat ride seeing this beautiful city from its waterways. On the weekend, Fr Martin was blessed to serve Vigil and Liturgy at the Kazan Cathedral - celebrating their feast day.

Taking the speed train from St Petersburg, we arrived in Moscow on Tuesday, July 23rd. Our hotels in both cities were very centrally located – in Moscow we were just off the Arbat Street, a very popular pedestrian street with many shops, restaurants, street artists, etc. In Moscow, we again visited the many churches and cathedrals including: Christ the Savior, St Basil’s, the churches of the Kremlin, and numerous churches throughout the neighborhoods. We visited beautiful and holy monasteries including: Novodevichiy, Sretensky, St Elizabeth’s Mary and Martha Convent, St Sergius’ Trinity Lavra, and an unforgettable day trip to Optina Pustyn. We toured the Tretyakov Gallery where we viewed ancient icons including Rublev’s Holy Trinity and the Vladimir Mother of God.

Everywhere we went, we were greeted with genuine warmth and kindness. We had so many encounters with people who knew and loved St John of San Francisco… when they found out we were from California, they were very excited and interested. Fr Martin had been equipped with many bottles of holy oil from St John, so handing these out as gifts and blessings was a tremendous joy and forged spiritual closeness with many.

Speaking with our group of pilgrims, we have all expressed how hard it is to process all that we saw and did, and to understand the deep impressions that have been made upon us all. It was a truly blessed spiritual pilgrimage and it has left an indelible mark on us all.

We are in the process of sorting through the many, many photos taken and intend to have a ‘show and tell’ presentation for the parish in the very near future.

May God grant that the grace-filled experiences of this trip be stored like a treasure in our hearts and that they bear fruit for us and for those with whom we may share our adventures.

11th Sunday After Pentecost

Matthew 18:23-35

In the Gospel reading for today, we hear of a man who was deeply in debt, owing a great fortune to the king. The king wanted to settle his accounts with his servants and therefore demanded the payment of this debt. The poor servant could in no way pay back this great amount and so the king ordered that he and his wife and children should be sold into slavery to repay the debt. The man fell on his knees and begged the king for mercy and patience to give him time to try to pay back what he owed. The king was moved to compassion by the cries of the debtor and, with a loving heart, forgave him everything.

When this man went out he found one of his fellow servants who happened to owe him some small amount of money. This time, the one who had just been forgiven so much, showed no mercy and threw the debtor into prison. When the king heard about this, he called the first man before him and said, ‘You wicked servant, I forgave you the great debt that you owed and you have turned around and shown no mercy on the one who owed you so little.’ In righteous judgment the king put this man into prison until he was able to pay back all that he had originally owed.

Our Lord Jesus Christ concludes this parable telling us that this is how our Heavenly Father will treat each of us unless we forgive our brother from our heart. The message is very clear – if we expect to be forgiven, if we expect to receive mercy, then we must forgive and show love and mercy toward others.

This parable of the debtor brings out a very important concept about the justice and the mercy of God.

The man who owed the great debt begged the king to show mercy… to not deal with him, as we might say, ‘with justice’, which would suggest giving him what he deserved. The man was delinquent on his debt and he may have deserved to go to the debtors’ prison until his debt could be paid. Instead, the king shows mercy and forgives him everything. Later, when this same man refuses to show mercy on his servant, the king unhesitatingly throws him into the prison... meting out his just desserts.

I think many of us tend to think that mercy and justice are not really compatible. If we deal with someone with justice, the person gets what they deserve. If we deal with someone with mercy, we override that justice, in favor of forgiveness.

Yet how often do we hear in Scripture and in our Church Services about the justice and mercy of God? Throughout Scripture these two go hand in hand together.

If God is showing mercy, is he not being just? If God is delivering justice, is he not being merciful?

If we think of justice in the way our culture has taught us to think of it, we equate justice with someone getting what they deserve for a given offense. We see justice as being fair and impartial. If you commit the crime, you do the time.

This concept of justice prevailed in much of the development of Western Christianity. Oversimplifying the theology it would state: mankind sinned, God was offended, He was dutybound by justice to punish us for our offense, and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was the substitutional punishment that saves us from the justice of God. Many Christians actually think that way. God the Son saves us from God the Father. That is not Orthodox Christianity!

We always have to check our conceptions of God against what the Church and the Scriptures teach us. The unfolding revelation of God from the beginning to the incarnation of Christ to the descent of the Holy Spirit and the testimony of the lives of the saints over these two thousand years has been that God is a God of love.

It is easy to understand mercy in the context of a loving God. But what about justice?

I’ll share with you a portion from a sermon by Fr Joseph Gleason of Christ the King Orthodox Church in Illinois. He challenged the notion of justice simply meaning that we get what we deserve. He said: ‘But if justice doesn’t mean getting what you deserve, what does it mean?  …suffice it to say that in general the word ‘justice’ means ‘setting things right.’ And in many, many cases, setting things right does not involve giving people what they deserve.

The ultimate focus is not payback for what you did… The real question is, ‘Have things been set right?’ Yes, this wickedness was committed, but has the relationship been restored? And setting things right does not always require retribution. In fact, I would say most of the time, setting things right requires mercy. Setting things right requires forgiveness.

Let us think about the Gospel in that way. Let us think about our families and our friends and every person in our life in the same way. Let us not be out for the jugular; let us not be out to give people what they deserve. Let us not ask God for justice in the sense of the judge bringing down the gavel… Let us seek to set things right between ourselves and God, between ourselves and our spouses, between ourselves and our children. For if we will show mercy, we will show compassion, that will not put justice into question: it will be a demonstration of justice. For God himself, who is just, had compassion and mercy upon us, and sent His son, not to bear His retribution, not to bear His tortures, but as a gift, because of mercy for His people, so that we could be restored to relationship with Him, so that things could be set right.’

The king is today’s parable sent the ungrateful man to the debtors’ prison in the hope of setting things right – primarily for him! That there, the gravity of his sin could be known, and he could repent. This is the justice and mercy of a loving God Who will do what is necessary to soften our hearts and to facilitate our salvation.

If we have a God of such generous love and mercy, then we too must join ourselves to that gracious love and mercy in all of our dealings with each other. Our objective in relations with others should not be to even the score, to make sure everything is fair… but to seek that things are set aright. It requires a generosity of heart that unselfishly seeks what is best for one another. As Christ said: ‘Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.’  May God grant us this justice and mercy!

10th Sunday After Pentecost

Matthew 17:14-23

In the Gospel reading for today, our Lord is approached by a man whose son is sick and possessed by a demon. The child often falls into the fire and into the water. The disciples attempted to cure him, but they could not. Jesus responds ‘O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.’ The child is brought to our Lord and He immediately rebukes the demon and cures the child. The disciples are confused and frustrated, saying ‘Why could we not cast out this demon?’ Our Lord tells them that they could not cast out the demon because of their unbelief. He emphasizes that if only they had the faith of a mustard seed, they could move mountains. And finally, He clarifies that this kind of demon does not go out except by prayer and fasting.

Today’s Gospel reading underscores for us that the effectiveness of our spiritual life is directly proportional to the health of our faith in God. The disciples were not able to cast out the demon because of the weakness of their faith. When our faith is lacking, we become spiritually weak and unhealthy, our ‘spiritual immune system’ fails us and we are more easily susceptible to sin, doubt, and all manner of problems. In that weakened state, not only are we more vulnerable to sin, but that lack of faith makes our prayers feeble and less effective… and this has consequences not just for us, but for those close to us and even for the whole world.

It really is a demonically vicious cycle… the faithlessness so prevalent in the world today and the consequent incidents of evil across the globe distress us and can sow the seed of despair in our hearts. That seed of despair then weakens our faith… we see the state of things and we feel powerless. And round and round it goes…

It is all very reminiscent of the position of the Apostles in today’s Gospel reading – feeling powerless against the demons that throw us into the fires of passion and conflict or into the waters of fear and depression. Why can we not cast out these demons and why can we not find peace within ourselves when such troubles erupt all around us?

Christ responds to the Apostles when they express their frustration and powerlessness: ‘O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring these troubles to Me.’

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is very easy to feel discouraged when we see the sorry state of the world, when we feel increasingly alienated from the direction the world is heading, when even those close to us go astray and/or suffer from various afflictions. These troubles weigh on the soul.

It is as Fr Gerasim Schmalz, the caretaker of St Herman’s Spruce Island hermitage, said when reflecting on the increasing troubles of the world… he said: ‘Christian love is evaporating from this world.’

So, what are we to do in the face of this growing apostasy? If Christian love is evaporating from this world, let us not wring our hands in despair, frustration or condemnation; let us bring all things to the Lord, moistening the parched earth with our tears of repentance and prayer.