A Call to Holiness

 

Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,  that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

The Model Prayer

 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.  In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us this day our daily bread.
 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

Today’s blog deals with Matthew 6:1-13, the account of which you can read above. The Church prepares us for the Great Fast by outlining the need for our spiritual renew and to reject the ways of the world. Today when a natural disaster or an affair occurs the first thing people will do is announce that they are supporting the cause and to make a large show of support. We are seeing this today with the Russian-Ukraine Crisis and the support for both sides. People rush to make their intentions known to not be called out for being on the wrong side and to receive the glory of being on the side that everyone supports. However, this is foreign to the Orthodox Christian because we are called to do our works in secret.  We do not expect to receive great rewards from people here on Earth because of our actions. Satisfaction should be enough that we will be recognized by God for our actions.  Christ also outlines the way for us to pray. I’ve spoken before on prayer on this blog, but we will revisit the subject again today for the purpose of this reading. Finally, we will talk about the goal of all of this and how it impacts our lives.

Christ within this passage of Scripture is talking directly to those who follow Him. He is doing away with the old and ushering in a new wave of spirituality, one that was and is foreign to the way of the world. Those who performed charitable acts, just like today would often announce the act before they performed it to draw a large crowd and receive the applause and admiration of the admiring public. When a celebrity donates money towards a charitable cause or starts a foundation to help the underprivileged, they will most of the time make a big display on social media and in public announcing its arrival or the amount of money contributed, and it will be broadcast on the news stations. As stated in the opening paragraph, this is foreign to true Christianity, because as Christ says, “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Giving to charitable causes that are based in morally righteous causes is itself not a bad thing. In fact, it is the job of the Church to take care of the underprivileged and misfortunate who cannot take care of themselves. We see this in Acts with the distribution of the food to the widows.  However, we have failed in this and have allowed the government, especially in the West, to take this role from us and allow them to promote unscrupulous causes like abortion and homosexuality. When was the last time any of us, were involved in a soup kitchen, a campaign, or taking the time to do something nice for someone without expecting something in return? Many of us will admit that we always want to be compensated for our work and want to be honored among men. However, Christ would call us hypocrites! Woe to us! When we take dinner to a family or buy groceries or a meal for someone in line at the store, we should not expect any compensation. We should do our jobs in the same manner. Yes, a salary is nice, but a salary will not matter when we get to heaven. Our impact on the lives of those we touched will. In this same vein I am reminded of the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man. The Rich Man, saw Lazarus every day at his gate, and yet never invited him inside to dine at his table.  The Rich Man eventually was condemned for his actions and suffered eternal torment in the fires of Gehenna. Our actions define our character. I pray that our actions become pleasing to God and that we accept Christ to work in our lives and to tune out the wiles of the devil.

Secondly Christ causes us to prayer. The Church is a Church of Prayer, and we must do as our Lord commands. Prayer should come from the heart, not of the mind. When we intellectually place our own thoughts and feelings into prayer, we lose the focus of what the heart of the matter is. That is why Christ calls us to go to our inner room, our inner sanctum and to close out all distractions that might impede us in our prayer. He also calls us to not use lofty words and repetitions. While repeating a phrase repeatedly is perfectly fine, especially when saying the Jesus Prayer, it is more about tuning our hearts and minds to the will of God. People love to call continuously on the name of Jesus or to call God father, but during their prayer they are focused on what they want, and what God can give them.  Prayer is never to be used solely for our needs, but is to be used for repentance, forgiveness, and spiritual growth. I am again reminded of another passage of scripture the Church has placed in our path before Great Lent, that of the Publican and the Pharisee. The Publican in his humility did not ask anything of God, except for mercy, whereas the Pharisee praised himself and was condemned. The Pharisee used prayer for his own means. Many people do this today during prayer they want people to glorify them in how well they speak, how much knowledge they have and how righteous they are in the eyes of man. But this is delusion. Prayer is our open communication with God. Just like any good relationship, communication is the best way to develop a relationship with God. It is the way our Father speaks to us and we speak to our Father. We might not know the words to say or the things to speak and that’s why the Church gives us written prayers to use because they help focus our minds on what’s important.

These two aspects of the scripture that has been read today is important to understand. I do not claim to know all the answers or have the spirituality that many of the saints had. I am simply speaking from my heart. We are approaching the Great Fast and we must prepare our hearts to receive the King of All. Great Lent is a 10^th of the year, a tithe of our year to the Lord. We are called to holiness, to be set apart from the world. Without these two aspects of faith that I have mentioned above, we cannot be set apart. We are no different than those who reject Christ. Let us pray that our actions be pleasing to the Lord and we are set on the narrow path towards salvation.

Amen.

The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist

 

            One of the most polarizing topics in Christianity is the Real Presence of Jesus within the Eucharist. Our protestant brothers and sisters deny the real presence, merely taking it as a symbol of faith, and Roman Catholic brothers and sisters try to be so academic in their theological approach that most people don’t fully understand the teachings and their minds melt. The Orthodox Church however simply believes that because Christ said it, that it is true. But, because there must be a deeper understanding I will try and lay the entire teaching out in a simple format for everyone to understand.

            First, let us take the words of institution, more specifically the portion of the Anaphora that is recorded in the Bible. For us Orthodox Christians, this is not merely some symbolic representation of Jesus’s sacrifice at Golgotha, rather this is the very sacrifice of Jesus on Golgotha. The Divine Liturgy transcends time and space, from the moment the priest begins with “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” to the dismissal, we are no longer on earth time but heavenly time. God is in all places at once, so we too enter this and are drawn back to Golgotha and Jesus’ sacrifice.  Matthew 26:26-28 is where we receive the words of Christ and the very moment that the Priest will echo. It says, “ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.  This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”  Notice that there was not a long dissertation about how that it was merely a symbol, and there is certainly no academical treatise to explain how Christ enters the bread and wine and it becomes his body and blood in full. Not just a portion of his body, or a portion of his blood, rather it is his entire body and entire blood. Again, some would argue that the disciples understood the nature of this and it did not need to be explained. I would agree. Let’s again look at another piece of scripture that fully explains this. John 6:51-58 says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus was not speaking metaphorically, rather he was speaking literally. The Jews of his time understood this. That is why they rejected him. They could not fully comprehend this teaching of eating his flesh. Many today also reject this teaching and try to rationalize it in their minds. They try everything in their power to try to reason with God and to make God in their image instead of accepting Christ at his word. For us as Orthodox Christians, we profess and proclaim that the very bread and wine that is used by the church therefore becomes the body and blood of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. The last scripture I will leave you with is a writing from St. Paul himself, In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 he writes, For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,  and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. St. Paul reiterates the words of Christ and also does not give a description, rather he takes Jesus at his word. Denying any of this is to deny Christ himself.

                If that is not enough for you, there are many saints who speak about the real presence of the Lord within the Eucharist. St. Ignatius of Antioch, one of the earliest Christian leaders is quoted as saying, "I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life.  I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire His blood, which is love incorruptible."  Another quote of his is also potent, "Heretics abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the Flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ." St Justin Martyr says, "Not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by Him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nourished, is both the Flesh and Blood of that incarnated Jesus."  All these quotes were set within the first 100 years of the Church. If it was merely a symbol or a sort of intellectual exercise, then these Christians who had been taught by the apostles and their immediate successors should have known better. But they clearly professed the very presence and the very nature of the Eucharist in their writings and their beliefs.

            I have presented a few quotes and a lot of scripture that verify the teachings of the church in this issue. While there are many more quotes, and dissertations that could be discussed within this blog, my goal is only to present a beginning stage and allow you to do your own research into this topic. I pray for all of you and ask you for your prayers.

 

Amen.

The Church's Response to War

 

War. War never changes. Its an age old saying that truly embodies the very nature of violence that is shed in the name of various factions and rulers as they vie for land and resources. It causes innocent people to lose their homes, their lands, and the families for the sake of disputes and arguments that often times can be solved through diplomatic and peaceful means.  That does not mean that sometimes fighting breaks out and at that point people must do what they must do to protect themselves. But as Orthodox Christians, and as Christians in general what can we do and how should we respond to war?  That is the question I would like to answer today.

First, let me make clear, that the Church prays for those both in public service and in the armed forces at every divine service celebrated. It is part of the very litany of prayers that the Church reads at every service. We pray for peace for the whole world, the holy Churches of God, the deliverance from wrath, danger and necessity. They are our petitions that God would have mercy on us and save us from these troubles that are called. The Church recognizes the need for armed forces and for government.  In the gospels, we see that Christ never nor his disciples commanded the soldiers that they met or witnessed to renounce their job and quit fighting. But the Church does understand that nonviolence and pacifism is the goal of all men. Matthew 26:52 says… “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” The Church also teaches that if a man would devote his entire life to Christ, that both political and military service becomes nonexistent to him. Priests and clergy who have spilled blood even by accident cannot continue in their ministry.  It is a very serious offense and rightly so.  A Christian by example must live his life in complete obedience to God and the teachings of Christ. Just as Matthew 16:24 says, “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” While it may be cliché to say, a Christian would rather surrender his life than for him to take the life of another.

The Orthodox Church and Christian teaching understand that living a completely peaceful existence is not possible in the world today. Not only that but Romans 13:4 gives the authority to the government to punish wrongdoers. It says, “for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.” We also know that due to the fallen state of man, violence, anger, and other forms of brutality are commonplace. Therefore, it is our duty, our responsibility to pray. Not just for those who are for us, but for those against us. Because Christ also said for us to love our enemies. We look at the example of St. Nikolai of Japan, who though Russian by birth was the hierarch of the Church in Japan.  He had been given the flock of the Japanese people who at the very time of his witness in Japan were at war with St. Tsar Nicholas II and the Russian people. Did he abandon those who his country of birth were fighting against? No. Did he condemn his motherland for their actions? Also no. St. Nikolai of Japan prayed for both sides of the war, and commanded his parishioners to pray for the defense of their homeland.

We are seeing in the world today, that people are taking sides in the struggles of the world. There is always a bad guy and a good guy. There is no middle ground. However, Orthodoxy is the Royal Path, the middle road. We strive to deviate not to the right or to the left. Thus, finding the right course of action is difficult. In society today we are called to choose sides and if we are on the opposing side we are often looked upon with disdain. Even now the current situation in Russia with Ukraine has caused many well-intentioned people to falter and lose their way on the straight and narrow path. They have chosen sides in this war without discerning the proper place for the Christian in this conflict. There are many Orthodox Christians on both sides of the war. There are many devout civilians on both sides. The Church calls us then not to condemn but to forgive. These men and women who are risking their lives on both sides are doing so in obedience to their government. Whether right or wrong, the Christian is also called to give obedience to the government.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus lists the beatitudes, and in those one of them are the peacemakers, who will be called the Children of God. It is our duty to acquire the spirit of peace, the Holy Spirit. Let us pray not just for peace in Ukraine or peace in Russia, but the whole world. Today my dear friends the world needs it now more than ever.

Amen.

Praying for the Dead-Is it Biblical?

 

If the Church is the New Israel, we are also the heavenly Jerusalem. As the heavenly Jerusalem, it is our duty to be the beacon of light in the world. The salt of the earth, the city set on a hill. Thus, the Orthodox Church teaches that we must pray for the dead. Many of our Protestant brothers and sisters and their respective churches deny this, but the Bible clearly says otherwise.  The Roman Catholics believe in purgatory, but the Orthodox Church rejects this as a heresy developed after the Roman church fell away and became apostate. This topic is very relevant to the current timing of the church as the church prays for the dead on the two Saturdays before Lent and the first Saturday of Lent.

The Bible commands us as Christians to pray for one another. Because of the victory of Christ over death, there is no veil between those in this life and those in the next. And James 5:16 clearly commands us to pray for one another. Furthermore, both Ephesians 5:30 and Romans 14:6 say that we are members of Christ’s body, whether we have reposed in the Lord or are currently struggling in this earthly life.  Thus, scripture clearly suggests that prayers for the dead are valid. Hebrews 12:22-24 includes the angels and those perfected in righteousness. Romans 8:38-39 says that even death cannot separate us from the love of Christ, so if death does not separate us, then we must understand that Christ loves those even in death and we must pray for them. Again, the scriptures do not talk about “death” meaning that those who die cease to exist, rather the Bible talks about our soul living on after death, both in Luke 16:19-31 and Revelation 6:9-10.  In the Orthodox Cannon of Scripture, we include the Maccabees and the Book of Sirach. In Sirach 7:33 it states, “Give graciously to all the living; do not withhold kindness even from the dead.” So once again the Scriptures confirm the prayers for the dead by their words. If we hold true that the Holy Bible is the inspired written word of God, then must take these writings as true and cannot have qualms about it. We cannot deny part of the Bible and accept other parts. We either believe the whole thing or it becomes worthless. As one can see, through these Biblical examples we understand those may not be present in the body, but they are still alive. Christ even teaches that God is not the God of dead, but the living. (Mark 12:27 and Luke 20:38).  If God is the God of the living our brothers and sisters who have reposed in their earthly bodies are not dead but much more alive than us. Thus, by being alive they too need our prayers.  

What happens to us in the next life is not very clear, as the scriptures do not give us a clear account of what the soul experiences after our earthly death. Some like Father Seraphim Rose have proposed the Tollhouse theory, which I will not discuss here, but you can find information on in other locations on the internet. Others like our protestant brothers and sisters teach Soul Sleep where the soul goes into a long rest and awaits the final judgment of Christ at his Awesome Judgement Seat. We as Orthodox are not so dogmatic about death, we just know that it occurs and that we are waiting the final judgment at the Second Coming. Plus, we also have tradition that has been passed down from even the apostles themselves to pray for the dead.

This apostolic tradition comes from the life of St. Paul himself.  Regarded as one of the greatest Christians of the early church and with many of his writings included in scripture there is no better source than St. Paul on this teaching.  In 2^nd Timothy, we learn of the repose of Onesiphorus, one of St. Paul’s most beloved friends. St. Paul says, “The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain…” Onesiphorus is clearly no longer among the earthly living and St. Paul is praying for his soul.   In this example and this belief, we ask God to keep those who are asleep in the Lord in his memory and for it to be eternal, meaning that God will grant them peace, life, and mercy, along with forgiveness for their sins.  We also pray that they will give a good account of their actions before the Awesome Judgement Seat of Christ at the Last Judgement, which an account of was read this past weekend. Finally in Revelation 1:18-19 Christ says he holds the keys to the underworld, and by that he can mercy on those he chooses. We do not know the mind of Christ. We can only believe that Christ knows what’s best for us, and we are not in the business of questioning or trying to understand the thoughts of God.

I have only scratched the surface on this topic, and I do not wish to get to theological or wordy in my writings. Usually, I would give patristic writings that would deal with the subject but in its place the source of writings of the Church Fathers the Holy Scriptures are the best place to deal with an issue this big. If one wishes to discover more on this topic, I am sure there are many websites and even books you can get to understand praying for the dead even further. I pray that you are well and that as we prepare for Forgiveness Sunday, you would forgive me as God forgives.

 

Amen.

The New Israel

 

So, its weird and very amazing how God works in the lives of people across the world every day. Sometimes a simple conversation can open the eyes of people to the truth without having to use complicated theological terms and expressions. That is exactly what happened in a recent conversation I had with my grandmother, a protestant. Let me explain.

            My grandmother is one of the most important people in my life, someone I look up to and respect with the highest regard.  However, me being a converted Orthodox Christian, and her a Southern Baptist protestant, we often disagree on matters and have some heated discussions. However, the discussion I had with her on this occasion led me to writing this blog and explain the Church’s teaching on Israel and what it means for us as Christians.

            You’ll remember in my previous blog that I discussed the posterity of Abraham, and that just because one was a member of the posterity of Abraham, they were not Sons of Abraham. Jesus Christ says as much in the gospels. John 8:39 is the moment that Jesus condemns those who do not believe in him as not being children of Abraham and having him as their father. Abraham, though by nationality, was a Jew, he believed in the incarnation of Christ, and was a Christian. Though Abraham lived well before Christ, he himself longed for and prayed for Christ to come and reveal the mystery of the incarnation to the world and bring all peoples to God. The Jewish people, though well intentioned, were themselves deceived that by being the offspring of Abraham that entitled them to salvation and having God to themselves. It is no different today when Americans talk about the United States of America being a Christian nation. If America is the Christian nation it proclaims to be, then it must follow Christ in everything. As we know from the example of the Jewish people now and in the bible, and Americans in modern society, this is not the case. Americans allow things that are abhorrent to God, like homosexuality, abortion, and other issues to name a few. By removing themselves from God they no longer were the “Chosen People” of God and God who will always maintain a remnant. So, what is this remnant? Let me answer that in a new paragraph.

            The new remnant are those who follow God. They are not chosen by being born of a certain people or belonging to a certain club or producing a certain sign (see my discussion on Baptism of the Holy Spirit).  These people are the Church.  The Church is Israel.  Gone are the days that the Jews are God’s chosen people. Those within the Church, who practice her doctrine, who adhere to her tenants are the Israel of the Bible. Let me explain it the way I did to my grandmother. If one wishes to become a naturalized citizen of the United States, they must be taught the fundamentals of being an American, take a test, and then swear an oath of allegiance to their new country. They become naturalized citizens of America, having not been born here but choosing America out of their own free will. So too, when we enter the Church and become members of the Body of Christ, we are becoming naturalized citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. We remain so if we act like members of Christ’s Body. So too, do members of a nation only remain citizens of that country so long as they do not commit treason. God allows us to be his sons and daughters and experience him in a way so mysterious that it would not be in the best interest to try and describe how it happens, rather that it does happen. I am of course talking about the Eucharist and by partaking of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ not only are we naturalized members by Baptism, but we are also blood relatives of Christ by taking his body within our own. Thus, we are united with Abraham who as father of the Jews, is now our father.  We have followed his example by believing in Christ. The Jewish people, especially those who reject and deny Christ, are no longer Israel. They have rejected the very foundation that God established with Abraham and have turned their back on God. That is why, The Church…is the New Israel.

 

Amen.

Father Noufrakis and Defying the Enemies of God

 

When we Orthodox think of the Hagia Sophia, we imagine a great cathedral, a beautiful divine liturgy, and masses beyond compare coming to the city of Constantinople to worship our Lord. However, for most of the world it pictures a museum, or for the world’s Islamic population a mosque.  We pray that one day the world gives the church back to us. We cried on July 24, 2020, when it was reverted to a mosque under the Turkish regime.  But there is hope.  St. Paisios, the Athonite Elder, prophesied that it would one day be returned to us.  And after hearing the story that I am going to relate to you, hope is even closer than we think.

                Father Eleftherios Noufrakis was a Cretan priest who dared to defy the Turkish regime and to enter the Hagia Sophia and to perform the Divine Liturgy for the first time in nearly 500 years! A military chaplain within the Greek Army, Father Noufrakis was stationed with the 2^ND Greek Division in route to Ukraine, when they stopped over in Constantinople. A group of six men, which included Father Noufrakis took it upon themselves to perform one of the most courageous and beautiful acts on January 19^th, 1919.

                Father Noufrakis and the other five men were able to enter the great cathedral with a little difficulty but entered all the same.  He uncovered the location of the holy doors, and where the altar would have been.  He placed a table in the middle, decorated it for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, and vested himself in the manner of performing the services. Major Liaromatis one of the men accompanying Father Noufrakis was the chanter for the service. Brigadier Frantzis another of the men, read the epistle. While there were many Turks who came to pray in the mosque during this time, Father Noufrakis was undisturbed during the duration of the entire liturgy. However, at the end of the service, the church filled with angry Turks and awe inspired Greeks was about to overflow with danger. However once again, the six men were allowed to exit the church unscathed as the Turks were not about to start a diplomatic incident with Greece. Though the Allied victors of WW1 condemned the protest by the priest, and publicly the Greek Prime Minister did as well, the Greek Prime Minister privately conveyed his congratulations and heartfelt admiration for the daring priest.

                Father Noufrakis is a wonderful example of the spirit we as Orthodox and Christians everywhere should have.  We are already victorious over the forces of evil, with the power of Christ.  We have nothing to fear for our repose is just a transition into the fullness of life with Christ.  The Hagia Sophia is a symbol of unification among all Orthodox of every jurisdiction and whether we squabble and fight over territories and lands, we all want the same thing. We want the world to see Jesus as he is meant to be seen. We know that in the face of the very enemies of Christ, the Islamic Turks, Father Noufrakis did not fear the repercussions, and neither should we when we defend the faith.

 

Amen  

Judgement...Where do we fall?

 

            Let’s look at the readings for today, especially that of Jude 1:1-10, the pronouncement against false teachers.  False teachers have always been in our midst, and, if you have been reading the blog for a period, then you know this is a topic I’ve covered very recently. This past Sunday was the Sunday of the Last Judgement and the Church for this week has continued our theme of judgement. Jude clearly outlines what happens to those who teach and believe false teaching. That they will enter eternal judgment, just like those at Sodom and Gomorrah.

            First, in the Orthodox Church, the priest as spiritual father of the parish, and likewise the bishop as spiritual father of the diocese has the hardest position within the church, because not only are they responsible for their own sins, but responsible for the sins of those who they are meant to guide. Just as my father was responsible for me when I was younger, before I left his care and began to live on my own. The spiritual fathers that Jude discusses within these words, are those who have led the flock astray, who have taught the wrong things. Orthodoxy means right teaching, or right belief. This means that the church has held fast to the teachings of the Apostles, Church Fathers, elders, and teachers, who in turned learned from those who came before. As a priest or bishop, one is expected to hold fast to those teachings, because they have been carefully guarded and preserved for the entire existence of the Church. When men stray from these teachings, they rebuke themselves, revile the very practices and beliefs that Christians have held and in turn condemn themselves. On the day of the Last Judgement, they will be as if the Lord never knew them!! How sad! They will be cast with devil and his angels into eternal torment. Those who have held firm to the faith, will be brought into everlasting life and eternal glory with Christ and the angels who serve Him. Straying from the path the Lord has outlined for us, believing that we have it figured out more than Him is dangerous. Trying to interpret the scriptures without guidance, trying to flatter the Lord with our free-flowing prayer, and in general being prideful are all ways of us self-serving our needs instead of the needs of our souls. The way of life of a Christian must be taught to us by our spiritual father, the priest, just like we were taught by our parents when we were younger. As my mother would say, “Don’t try and invent the wheel.”

            Dear brothers and sisters, as we prepare for the coming of Great Lent next Monday, we are coming to the point of the year where we will be in our greatest spiritual battles. No Lent for me has ever come without great distress and spiritual struggles that have tested the very core of my faith. This year I can assure you will be no different. And I pray that the same struggles come your way. Not because I believe that you should suffer. Rather, it is because without these struggles, the enemy has already won. These struggles are because the enemy sees your works and fears them. He sees your efforts and tries to wrestle you out of the palm of God’s hand. I pray that we do not fall away like those Jude discussed in his epistle. I pray that we do not reject serving Christ like the angels who fell from heaven with the devil. This Lent, let us strive for spiritual purity instead of spiritual prelest.

 

Amen.