Lenten Reflections: Embracing Forgiveness and Transformation - Season 5, Episode 11

Join us for a poignant episode as we dive into the profound significance of Forgiveness Sunday and the Rite of Forgiveness in the Orthodox Church, marking the beginning of Great Lent.  In a heartfelt announcement, I share my decision to depart from the podcast and social media for the duration of this sacred season, seeking introspection and spiritual renewal.  

Throughout this episode, we explore the essence of forgiveness and repentance, key themes of Lent, through insightful articles by Fr. George Morelli. "Forgiveness: The Heart and Repentance" and "The Ethos of Lent" shed light on the transformative power of forgiveness and the spiritual ethos that defines this sacred period.

As we embark on this Lenten journey, I also share the profound words of Kerry Patrick San Chirico in "Lenten Transformation," a reflection that resonates deeply with the spirit of this season.  Together, these resources provide a rich tapestry of understanding, guiding us towards a deeper connection with ourselves, each other, and the Orthodox Christian faith. 

In the show notes, you'll find links to these enlightening articles, offering further exploration into the Lenten season and its significance in the Orthodox tradition.  May this period of reflection and repentance lead us towards the joyous celebration of Christ’s Resurrection and the continual resurrection in our own lives.  Join us on this transformative journey as we embrace forgiveness and seek renewal in the light of Pascha and Great Lent.

~

Become a Patreon Supporter!

Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/allaroundgrowth

~

Like & Follow on Social Media or connect via email!

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/allaroundgrowth

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/allaroundgrowth

Email:  allaroundgrowth@gmail.com

Telegram Group Chat: https://t.me/allaroundgrowth

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/allaroundgrowth

Facebook Community:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/allaroundgrowth

~

Discussion Links:

Forgiveness (Cheese-Fare Sunday) - Intro Music via YouTube

Great Lent and Holy Pascha

Forgiveness: The Heart and Repentance

The Ethos of Lent

Fasting and Great Lent

Lenten Transformation

The Date of Pascha

The Historical Development of Holy Week Services In the Orthodox/Byzantine Rite

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the All Around Growth Podcast. My name is Rob Kaiser, and I am your host. Today is season five, episode eleven of the show, and today is a bit of a special episode. Today is what we call in the Orthodox Church Pure Monday, and it is the beginning of Great Lent. It is the beginning of the Lenten season, and in today's episode, I am going to share with you a few articles on Great Lent and Holy Posca. And it is a way to not only learn a little bit about the season myself, but to share with you what I'm learning and also to talk a little bit about why this is a special time of year for me and perhaps more so than ever based on what took place yesterday at church. So for those of you who don't know, Lent is a preparation for the resurrection of Christ resting on a tripod of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. There are several articles and resources pertaining to Lent, and those are the articles that I am going to read and share with you today. But before I get into any of those, I would like to share with you a story in addition to the sermon from Liturgy yesterday. And yesterday was the Sunday of forgiveness and otherwise known as cheese fair. So we'll get into that in a little bit, but it is the Sunday of forgiveness, and like in many church services, there is a sermon where the priest or the pastor, whatever the case may be, will provide some spoken words, some words of wisdom, if you will. And this isn't exactly what was shared with us yesterday, but it sets the tone for the Sunday of forgiveness, and I will read the sermon that was printed in the bulletin with you, and I will share a story with you, and then I will go ahead and read another article titled Forgiveness, The Heart and Repentance, and then we'll touch on some other articles and resources pertaining to Great Lent afterwards. So, guys, I hope that you enjoy this episode. The reason I've chosen to do this episode is pretty the pretty short and pretty sweet. During this time, during this Lenten season, I am going to step away from content creation. I am going to step away from podcasting. Not that I'm a big video maker or creator, but I won't be doing any of that. And I'm not going to or I'm going to try to make a concerted effort to back away from social media. I'm going to use this time during the Lenten season to do some of the things that I've been talking about doing and take some time to reflect on all of the things that I am doing and actually take action on some of the suggestions that have been made by you guys, Sean, Rachel, and others. There's no better time than the present than to make some changes and take a good hard look at what I do and why, and it begins with this sermon and a story about yesterday before diving into an article on forgiveness. So let's begin. The sermon reads as follows. We begin our journey with forgiveness on this forgiveness Sunday, starting out in the same way we hope to end it, calling everyone brothers in the resurrection. We greet each other, asking forgiveness of one another and granting forgiveness, reconciling our differences, and returning to unity with one another. Our unity with one another leads us to unity with God, who created us for unity with Him. God created the paradise of delight for us, giving us everything we needed for earthly life, placing Adam and Eve, our forefathers, in the garden as its caretakers. He fashioned them out of the earth and clothed them with glory, giving them dominion over everything in the garden. He walked through the garden with them, and they spoke to him, enjoying union with God and perfect communion. Yet Adam shunned this union with God. He ate the forbidden fruit, disobeying the one commandment God had given him, thereby severing union with God. For his disobedience he was cast out from the glory of paradise, no longer able to behold the face of God, but instead condemned to toil and labor for his food and to return to the dust from which he was taken. As our hymns tell us, Adam sat before the gates of Eden, crying out, Woe to me, no longer can I see my Lord, my God, and creator. We have all followed the example of Adam in our own sins. Our sinful actions separate us from God, severing the union he desires and causing us to weep bitterly outside the gates of Eden. Our disobedience with his commandments strips us of the robe of grace and causes us to be naked, with only skins and fig leaves to cover us. We, the children of Adam, are likewise condemned to toil and labor, and ultimately to return to the dust from which we were taken. Our sins have closed the gates of paradise to us, and we are unable to see its beauty and behold the face of God. But this reality, this separation from God, does not have to stay this way. Our Lord Jesus Christ in his eternal compassion desires not the death of us sinners, but rather that we would turn from our wickedness and live. He freely chose to heal our separation, bringing God to man, so that man might be brought back to God. He became one of us, a human being, subjecting himself to everything that we endure, so that he might heal the wound of the serpent and bridge the divide of separation between us and God. He suffered mocking, pain, torture, and ultimately death on the cross, all so that he might free us from suffering and make our earthly delight, deaths, a path to resurrection. He gives us his holy body and precious blood in the Eucharist, giving us the bread of life, with which we are nourished, healed, and granted eternal life. Through Christ no longer do we return to the dust without hope. He has reopened the gates of Eden, as He said to the penitent thief on the cross, today you will be with me in paradise. He offers us reconciliation with God, returning us to our former beauty, clothing us once again with the robe of grace and allowing us to partake of his kingdom. Our path to resurrection, our path back to paradise, to reconciliation with God begins with forgiveness. Our Lord tells us today that if we forgive each other, God will also forgive us. Each of us have sinned, each of us has offended our neighbor, and the path is open to us to reconcile with each other and with God in forgiveness. God is eager to forgive each of us and every sin we commit, but we must also forgive one another of each and every offense we have committed against each other. Today we will celebrate Vespers with the right of forgiveness. We have the opportunity to come before each other and ask forgiveness from each other, so that we all may enter into the great fast with unity and love. We also have the opportunity to offer forgiveness to each other, fulfilling the commandment of the Lord and turning from our sins against our neighbors. As we come before each person today, let us put aside all anger, all malice, all envy, and let us forgive and be forgiven. As we will sing at the end of our Lenten journey on the great and glorious day of Pasca, let us call brothers even those that hate us and forgive all by the resurrection. In our forgiveness we will unite with our brothers and sisters, and by that union we will draw near to God. As we turn from our wickedness, our sins, and our divisions, we will be brought back to paradise and live eternally with our Lord. And as we forgive others, so too God will forgive all of us. All we have done. In this way our garment of grace and beauty will be restored, and we will be brought to God, glorifying Him throughout the ages. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. So guys, there were some things in that written sermon and that was printed inside the bulletin that you may have been wondering what what that consisted of. And you know, we said we greet each other, asking forgiveness of one another and granting forgiveness. And that today we celebrate Vespers with the rite of forgiveness. So what that what that meant is that there was liturgy, there was the service, and then afterwards, this rite of forgiveness began first and foremost with the priest asking forgiveness of everybody in the church. And then he some of the elderly people came up and sat at the front of the church because most people stood, but he then asked forgiveness of everybody who chose to sit at the front because of their age, and then one by one, from the front to the back, everybody shook hands, hugged, or kissed one another, and asked forgiveness of one another. And in turn we told each other verbally that we did forgive them, or just with a look that is beyond words that indeed they were forgiven. And this must have taken twenty or thirty minutes. I don't I don't particularly know because but as each person asked forgiveness of the next and the other forgave them, they formed a line around the church. And as more people from the back continued up and made their way around the entire church, the line extended out the door of the church and into the lobby and into the hall where people were gathering for coffee. Forgive me, forgive me. Forgive me. As God forgives me, I forgive you. Please forgive me. Time after time after time after time. And it was it was incredible. So that is what Forgiveness Sunday is all about. So let's talk a little bit about forgiveness. And I'm gonna share an article with you titled Forgiveness, The Heart and Repentance. And this is an article that was written by Father George Morelli. If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses. Matthew chapter six, verse fourteen. Generally, psychologists are not known for supporting values such as forgiveness and honesty. If anything, psychologists support what could today be called postmodernism or moral relevatism. Engelhart in nineteen ninety six. The only value seems to be the value to value the values of others as long as others' actions to not infringe on the rights of others. The theme that starts the Lenten season in the Eastern Church is totally the opposite of this trend. It supposes a real truth. It entertains a question, not what is the truth, but who is the truth. The answer is our Lord God, Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus told his followers, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me. As he wrote in John chapter 14, verse 6. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. As we read in John chapter 4, verse 24, truth means purity of heart. At the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord said, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew chapter 5, verse 8. They are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bring forth fruit with patience. Luke chapter 8, verse 15. The church fathers have emphasized our Lord's words many times. Hausher in nineteen ninety devotes a whole chapter for, quote, the need for the openness of heart, close quote. Saint Philotheos of Sinai states, quote, let us preserve our hearts' purity and always be filled with a deep compunction toward God through his the best of through this best of undertakings, close quote. Saint Macarios tells us, quote, for Christians, what true rest is there other than deliverance from the sinful passions and the fullest active indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the purified heart. And the apostle again impels his readers toward this by referring to faith. Let them draw near with a true heart and in the full assurance of faith, our hearts cleansed of an evil conscience. We read that in Hebrews 10, verse 22. We imitate Christ. Who is truth when we live? Who is truth in our hearts? The great apostle tells us, therefore be imitators of God as beloved children. We read this in Ephesians chapter 5, verse 1. Put off your old nature, which belongs to your former manner of life, and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another, and be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. And again that comes from Ephesians, this time in chapter four, verses twenty-two through twenty-five, verse thirty-one. He told his holy apostles and from them their successors, the bishops and priests. Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, even so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven, and if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. John chapter twenty verses twenty one to twenty three. Side note, guys, I will link to this and all other articles that I'm sharing today, and everything that I didn't have an opportunity to read in the show notes, so please be sure to check the show notes for links to everything that I've spoken about and referenced today. Moving on. The task of going before our Lord and confessing one's sins and receiving forgiveness sealed by the Holy Spirit through his instruments, the bishops and priests come from our Lord to his apostles and to us in modern times. So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 13 to 15. These teachings of Jesus passed in the tradition to his church. Saint Luke told his readers, quote, Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the Church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own son, close quote. Acts chapter 20, verse 28. Following Saint Paul, these traditions, oral first and then written, were passed from the apostles to their successors, the bishops and priests. Christianity is known therefore through the oral tradition and practice of the church and through the written scriptures. The written scriptures compiled by Saint Athanasius, the Old Testament in 328 A.D., and the New Testament Synod of Lodotia in 381 AD and both ratified by the Sixth Ecumenical Council in 680 A.D. by the same overseers, the Episcope, whom the Holy Spirit inspired to care for the church by maintaining the traditions. So what this is saying, guys, is that the Bible didn't really come to be as we know it today until the fourth and seventh centuries, right? There was centuries of the church that existed long before the Bible existed as we know it. And so back to the article. The non-written traditions have been passed to us by the teachings of the Holy Fathers in the liturgy, prayer, and practices and customs of the church, the people of God. And that is what we do within the Orthodox Church. Back to the article. The asking of forgiveness and one of the holiest and sanctifying of these traditions, the mystery of confession and absolution, is especially to be employed during the start of the Lenten season. The true follower of Christ, committed to imitate him, the Son of God, seeks forgiveness from those whom they have offended, and forgiving those whom they have offended, and confessing these and all our sins to Christ through his instrument, the unworthy priest, and receives the seal of absolution. There is a problem in the modern day that has not been focused on legalism and causes. Confession and forgiveness is not a legal or juridicial process. Quote, it is not like doing time and you are now off the hook, close quote. There have been unfortunate modern Western church influences on the Eastern Church. The West tends to be legalistic. This can be easily seen in the causistry attributed to the Jesuits. In a sense, cause history may be viewed as justifications for the unjustifiable. Its fullest sense it has described in an understanding that focuses on concrete instances than to abstract generalities. For example, if someone asks, Where did you go to college? in the questionnaire's heart, where did you get your college degree? And the answer is given by the respondent is, I've been to Harvard. Now, according to causes tree, this is not wrong. If the person stepped on the Harvard campus and then stepped off, then they answered truthfully, but literally they have been to Harvard. And of course, God and the individual knows the real meaning of the question in the heart, but a profound mistruth has been told the person that did not graduate with a degree from Harvard University. They have been to Harvard. But now in the Eastern Church, this is the ultimate hypocrisy. The outside looks clean, the inside is corrupt and full of deception, dishonesty, and falsity. The Eastern Church follows the words of Jesus that it is all about the heart. Matthew chapter 5 verse 8. Chapter 2 and chapter 9 verse 9. And it's cleansing in Ephesians chapter 5, verse 5. A simple example. Your mom tells you to say, I'm sorry to them. And you say it. In the Western mind, you may say the words, I'm sorry, and be off the hook, but your heart may still say, I still hate the mean son of a scallywag. In the Eastern Church, the gospel passage above introducing this reflection is about you and I. Legalism is not for Jesus or the Eastern Church, which has kept his teachings. No matter what words we utter, God is looking into our hearts. And this is what counts. Before the final judgment, which we read in another Sunday leading to Lent, only two persons know our hearts, God and ourselves. After the last judgment, our hearts will be revealed to all. Now it is the time to cleanse the heart. A pure heart, forgiven by God, cleanses the book of life. What is written there is wiped out. If not wiped out, it is written in the stone of the book of eternal life for all to see. I recently came across a sad example. One who calls themselves Christian was offended by another who called themselves Christian. The first told me, quote, I do not want to sit at the same table with that other person. Without specifics, I mentioned this example to another priest, saying, Boy, do we have a long way to go? Of course, no servant is greater than their master. Jesus preached this, and obviously his message of forgiveness fell on many deaf ears. Quote, let those who have ears let them hear. Matthew chapter 11, verse 15. Now is the time to open our ears and hearts. After the book of life is closed, we and all will hear and see loud and clear. Who did Christ sit with? He shared his table with sinners. What an opportunity to reach out to those who have offended us or to those who we have offended to be at the table with them. It may begin with, you know, we may disagree, but I do not want this to come between us. I am a sinner. May God forgive me. It is a sacrilege to say I was angry in confession and then not forgive from the depths of our hearts. This is true for forgiveness. This is true in what we worship. It is true in terms of what we treasure. It has to be true in all our relationships with God and man. This is true repentance. The depths of our hearts can only be cleansed if we recognize what it is really in it. David the prophet said, The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. O God, thou wilt not despise. Saint John of the Latter teaches us repentance is the renewal of baptism. Repentance is a contract with God for a fresh start in life. Repentance goes shopping for humility. Repentance is critical awareness and a sure watch over oneself. Repentance is reconciliation with the Lord. Repentance is the purification of the conscience. Once again, King David tells, purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Saint John of the Ladder, pray for us. The priest before the great entrance and before receiving our Lord's body and blood turns to all and says, Forgive me for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake. This should from all of us, to all of us, from the depths of our hearts, without reservation today and all the days of our lives, forgive me for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake. This should be the Lenten prayer for all Christians, and this Lenten prayer should carry over to the rest of our lives. And the reason for my brief pause towards the end of the article when it read, Who did Christ sit with? He shared his table with sinners. Yesterday, the Sunday of forgiveness is also called Cheese Fair Sunday. So in the Orthodox Church, we ease into Lent. Last week was Meat Fair Sunday, and after last Sunday, which would have been Sunday, March 9th, we stop eating meat. And then we enjoy dairy for another week. And then I'm sorry, that would have been Sunday, March 10th. Then we stop eating meat. And then Cheese Fair Sunday we stop eating dairy. So we'll get into the ethos of Lent and what some of the fasting looks like and why we fast in the first place in a little bit. But Ben, my godfather, my sponsor, and friend, for the past two weeks has invited people over to his house on Meat Fair and Cheese Fair and the Sunday of Forgiveness, or the Sunday of Forgiveness, and to share a meal. The agape feast, as he called it. Just a feast of love with friends. Spending time with each other, those we care about. And it was beautiful. New people entering our lives, sharing a meal with us, talking about our experiences inside and outside the church. I would spend my time no other way on Sundays like this when given an opportunity. So now that today is pure Monday, yesterday was the Sunday of forgiveness, and we learned a little bit about that. Let's talk about the Ethos of Lent, another article by Father George Morelli. The Ethos of Lent for the committed Orthodox Christian is told to us by Saint Dorotheus of Gaza. He likened it to a wake-up call, a coming to oneself, like the prodigal son, to find meaning for the entire year. The great and saving forty days are to wake us up to all times and seasons of all year. Saint Dorotheus means more than this year only because each and every year are God's times. God created and redeemed the world. We tithe as Saint Dorotheus instructs us in thanksgiving to God, not merely for these forty days, but for all times. Lent is to help us bring to mind the entire year and all our lives. Lent is not meant for God, but Lent is made for mankind. Once again, God gives himself to us. In his discourses and sayings, Saint Dorotheus tells us, quote, You see, God gave us these holy days so that by diligence and abstinence, in the spirit of humility and repentance, a man may be cleansed of the sins of the whole year and the soul relieved of its burden. Purified he goes forward to the holy day of the resurrection, and being made a new man through the change of heart induced by the fast. Like in one of the Gospels read in preparation for the Lenten period, the story of Zacchaeus, we have to first see ourselves as small and needing to see Christ. What are the requirements? We have to see ourselves as potentially nothing. Without God, we are not small in stature, but infinitely sm infinit infinitesimally small, actually non-existent. Real quick side note the story of Zacchaeus, the story goes as follows. The long and short of it is, Zacchaeus was a small man. He was also involved in money. And when he heard word that Christ was passing through, he climbed into a tree just to get just to have sight and and to see him with his own eyes. And then Christ saw Zacchaeus and decided to share a meal with him, of which he was scolded and mocked because Zacchaeus was a man of money, a tax collector. And apparently Jesus didn't see it this way. He saw something different. Back to the article. Do we reflect on this, our worth as creatures that are completely dependent on God? Do we sense, do we see it? Do we sense this? Are we made in God's image? Do we reflect on this? Our intelligence and free will come from him. Do we acknowledge this?

unknown 36:36

St.

SPEAKER_01 36:37

Dorotheus has meditated on our smallness, and he tells us, quote, When God created man, he breathed into him something divine, as it were, a hot and bright spark added to reason, which lit up the mind and showed him the difference between right and wrong. This is called the conscience, which is the law of nature. This is compared to the well which Jacob dug, as the fathers say, and which the Philistines filled up. That is, to this law of conscience adhered the patriarchs and all the holy men of old before the written law, and they were pleasing to God. Of course, our human ancestors, induced by pride, fell to the temptation of the evil one and disobeyed God's command. Our fallenness, passions, and susceptibility to sin and death as the consequence of their disobedience. Do we see this not only in its cosmic proportions, but existentially and individually in each of our lives? Saint Dorotheus continues, but when this law was buried and trodden underfoot by men through the onset of sin, we needed a written law. We needed the holy prophets. We needed the instruction of our Master Jesus Christ to reveal it and raise it up and bring us to life. Zacchaeus climbed a tree to overcome an obstacle to see Jesus. Psychiatrist, Victor Frankel, 1984, has indicated that meaning can be found in life by overcoming such life obstacles. Interestingly, psychologists and psychiatrists have indicated meaning in life can be found by simply dealing with the barriers life imposes. They even extend this to humanely dealing with suffering and death. Without God and his infinite eternal existence, however, this leads to an existential vacuum. Nonxistence added to all the human meaning anyone could possibly imagine as nothing. By his grace, he has promised to share eternal life with us if we are worthy. And what a blessing. Frankel does say, quote, to life, people can only respond by being responsible. Frankel would add that this responsibility should be zealous. This is an astute observation. This is what Zacchaeus is doing. He is taking responsibility for overcoming the barriers in his life. He climbed the sycamore tree to see Christ. Reflect on this more than on the human level, Frankel suggests. If overcoming obstacles gives human meaning, how much more meaning occurs when obstacles are overcome to attain divine illumination? What are we eager for? What are we zealous about? Are we zealous for divine illumination? Like Zacchaeus, we have to see that we can have so much more of Christ. For us, the tree would stand for barriers and obstacles in our lives to see Christ. Lent is the time to come to oneself and discover our own barriers. The church gives us another gospel to prepare for Lent. The Canaanite woman came to Jesus crying, Have pity upon me, son of David. It is the only occasion which Jesus was ever outside of Jewish territory, the land of Tyre in Sidon, north of Galilee, where the hated Phoenicians, the enemies of the Jews lived. What is implied here? Did it foreshadow the spread of the gospel to the whole world? Was it the beginning of the end to the geographical barrier to his message? Could it be that even enemies should have the gospel of Christ proclaimed to them? Is it a call for all to hear his message? What is the personal lesson for us? She was tenacious and resilient. After she pled for help in curing her daughter's possession by a demon, Jesus replied, It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs. Hardly a comforting response given that calling a person a dog was an insult with the most contemptuous intent. Historians write that in those days dogs were the unclean scavengers of the street, lean, savage, and diseased. The Canaanite women had to have been aware that Jesus was telling her that Jews considered her to be contemptible, but this did not stop her. She acknowledged him as quote son of David, close quote. She was persistent and did not let obstacles, the others' insults, stop her. She was cheerful to the question asked by Jesus, is it not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs? She answered, Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. Linguistic historians comment that her reply was a clever play on words of someone with a cheerful, quick wit. Saint John Christostom asked, Was she silent and did she desist? By no means. She was even more insistent. Christostom pointed out Jesus knew that she would say this. Jesus wanted to exhibit her high self-command. But she went even a step further, demonstrating her profound humility by not calling the Jews children as Jesus had done, but master. To follow the Canaanite woman's lead, we too must be committed to Christ with all our heart. We have to be persistent, tenacious, stubborn, undiscourageable, and joyful. This is similar to the psychological toughness that Zacchaeus had. Both Zacchaeus and the Canaanite woman share something in common. They are tough and resilient and take responsibility to overcome barriers. Resilience is a psychological process of adaptation in the face of obstacles, trauma, tragedy, and stress as related to good emotional and physical health. One characteristic of resilience is hardiness to take decisive action, surely a fitting description of the Canaanite women. Interestingly, religious people are more involved, hopeful, and optimistic than non-religious individuals. Both Zacchaeus and the Canaanite woman, however, look to Christ and not to themselves. This is exactly how Saint Dorotheus of Gaza said we should approach Lent. Quote, let us strive with all our power to never put our trust in our own conjectures, for nothing separates us so completely from God or prevents us from noticing our own wrongdoing or makes us busy about what does not concern us as this. In the parable of the prodigal son, another gospel the church reads in preparation for Lent, Jesus tells us. Something very important, so easy to overlook. Something happens to the sun, an awakening, an enlightenment. But when he came to himself, he said, How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough to spare, but I perish here with hunger? The prodigal son was finally able to see himself among the swine. He tested the reality of his situation and came to himself. This is our Lenten task, to have the vision and to want to see Christ, like Zacchaeus, the resilience to attain it like the Canaanite woman, the awakening to see the plight of ourselves without Christ as the prodigal son, and become, as Saint Dorotheus implores us, to become, quote, new men and all share in the illumination of his life in us by our resurrection in Christ. Now when it comes to fasting and Great Lent, there's an article that I'll share with you. And there is something called the Lenten Transformation and the date of Posca and how that comes. But we're already at 45 minutes, so I will link to the article on fasting and Great Lent so that you can see that and you can learn about how the fasting within the Orthodox Church takes place. But I won't get into the details of it. The long and short of it is fasting goes far beyond food in terms of eating or not eating certain foods. Fasting is a season of repentance and it is a spiritual journey. So there's more to it than food, but that is a big part of it. And it's not there's always mechanisms and tools that are employed for those who have special dietary restrictions or allergies or whatever. So this article on fasting and Great Lent is not the be all end all in the Orthodox Church, but these are general guidelines that many people follow because again, it's not all about food. There was a meme floating around recently that said if fasting was all about the food, then the cows would be holy. But it's not because we don't just eat meat and go to fish fries, right? There's it's a whole season of repentance and a spiritual journey resulting in the Lenten transformation. So I'm gonna read this to you because this is part of a St. Mary's Lenten lecture series that dates back to 2003 by Carrie Patrick and Chirico. And I'll go ahead and close out the episode with this because I think that this is good, despite the fact that I haven't even read it yet. But this is what Lent is all about. It's a transformation. The title Lenten Transformation is rather broad. Perhaps when you read it, you naturally thought of a transformation within the person who maintains the disciplines of the season, those being prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. Well, you are partially right. A couple weeks ago, in preparation for the Lenten Spring, we read the story of the prodigal son. Thinking about this parable, it dawned on me that our activities in Lent can be likened to the prodigal's journey back to the Father. We take stock of who we are, about how we will be, uh we prepare in anticipation for the eventual encounter, we rehearse our words and are filled with anxiety about how we will be received. Struggling along that path, we might wonder how we ever got into this mess. We experience moments of rebellion, then humility, then supplication, boredom, expectant joy, then trepidation. Lent, as we often hear, is our journey home. In this way, Great Lent is a condensed lifetime, and we may find ourselves facing in microcosm what we face not only throughout the year, but throughout our lives. Moreover, because the time is so condensed, both our victories and even more our weaknesses are seen in striking relief. Our shadows become stark, dense, taking on lives of their own. This is interesting because in nature shadows are the darkest when the light is the closest. So in those dark times, as counterintuitive as it may seem, the sun is actually the nearest. As we were reminded last week, there is no place where God is not. For I am convinced, Saint Paul confesses, that neither life nor death, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That comes from Romans chapter 8, verses 38 through 39. As we read from the Psalter, where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you, the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. We read that in Psalm 139. Now there is one significant difference between us and the prodigal son, of course. We know the father's response to him when he arrived in those rags. Before the prodigal even got those well-rehearsed words out of his mouth, the elder father was running out to greet him. And this is God's fundamental disposition towards us, his children. Unlike the prodigal, we can be assured of the father's embrace. We know that God hears the prayers of us sinners, that as Father Anthony reminds us over and over again, the love of God for us is inexhaustible as God is Himself. And this is good news. The Lenten transformation is thus a coming to our senses, the realization of who we are in the Father. It is brought about by comparing our identity in Christ with the identity we consciously and subconsciously fashion out of the rags and refuse of this world. Of course, this is the meaning of that cliched word spirituality. If you want a definition of it, consider this one. Spirituality in the Christian sense is the process of growing into things as they are. It is the stripping away of all the illusions we attach ourselves both inadvertently and willingly. This stripping away takes place by God's grace through face, by God's grace through faith, and by our participation in that grace. Well, these are the basics of Lent. If we could get a handle on these realities to really internalize them, we would do more than move mountains. But tonight I want to take this time, this theme of Lent and transformation one step further. It's a step we often fail to make. Because if Lent is about transformation, it is not merely about individual transformation. During the next few minutes, I'd like us to think about the social implications of prayer, worship, almsgiving, fasting, repentance, honesty about who we are, reconciliation with God and with neighbor. Because after all, none of these actions take place in a vacuum. We are inherently social beings. The story of Robinson Caruso, the story of one man marooned on an island who can do everything himself and needs no one, is a bourgeoisie myth of the 19th century, reflecting the aspirations of Western Europeans of that age. That reality has never existed and will never exist, thank God. And John Wayne, the actor who went it alone, who never showed emotions. Well, that was just bad acting. Of course, if you think about your Orthodox faith, we know this to be true. Every sacrament is social. We began this Lenten journey with forgiveness. Let's note the obvious. We did it together. We asked one another for forgiveness. Our failings and our triumphs are experienced in community, within relationships. We did not prostrate ourselves in front of our bedroom mirror. Salvation, like life, is a corporate affair. We read in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 28, for our members for we are members of one another. Perhaps the only thing we truly do alone is go to hell. How unnatural then, how unlike God's intention is that place. We are social beings, and if this is the case, then all that fasting, praying, almsgiving, reconciliation, soul searching should have effects on society. I want us to think about the radical transformation of society that could take place. If we took these Lenten characteristics out of the 40 days and applied them to the other 325. But before I do that, I want to talk about our relationship as Christians to the world around us. You know, perhaps one of the biggest issues to face Christianity over the last two millennia is Christ's relationship with culture. Do we reject it, forming isolated communities attempting to be sealed off from the world? Do we say Christ and culture are basically the same? The problem when nationalism and religion get mixed up? Do we say that the calling of God and that the world forever will make conflicting yet legitimate claims on us, forever placing us in a paradoxical relationship to both God and society? Or do we see Christ as the transformer of culture? There's that word again, transformation, Christ the transformer of culture. I want to argue that when the Orthodox faith particularly and Christianity generally has been true to itself, it has had the effect of transforming the environment in which it finds itself. Whether we speak of the transformation that took place as Christianity encountered Hellenism, thus changing Hellenism from the inside out, or whether we speak of Christianity's civilizing influence over the tribes of Northwestern Europe through the Middle Ages, or the process that took place between Russian missionaries and the native elutes of Alaska in the 19th century, we can see a pattern wherein Christianity affirms that which God has given a culture affirms it as good while rejecting those elements of culture believed to be contrary to the gospel. Let me give you an example from the fourth century with St. Basil the Great in a letter he wrote to some youths preparing to begin studies in Athens, something that he had done himself a couple generations earlier. Now Basil knew that his young charges would be encountering pagan thought, literature, poetry, science, for this was education that formed the typical Roman citizen. But Basil knew that these were pitfalls, and he knew that there were aspects of this culture that were deeply antithetical to the Christian faith. He writes to them, at the very outset, we should examine each of the branches of knowledge and adapt it to our end, according to the Doric proverb, bringing the stone to the line. That is, all learning is to be tested to see if it measures up to the Christian standard. Not just in learning, but seemingly in all aspects of life and with all forms of knowledge, the students are commended to seek that which leads to eternity. And they are to discern the possible eternal nature of all of this by placing it up against the Christian standard, exemplified in Christ's teaching to love God and neighbor. Now I hear you asking, what about the aesthetics, the monks? Weren't they trying to get away from society? Well, yes, but remember, the good ones were there praying for the people back in those cities, and there is a long aesthetical tradition of withdrawal that ends in service. This was the case for Saint Anthony, Saint Basil, Saint Benedict, Saint Gregory Palamas, and for St. Seraphim of Sarav, among others. These two aspects of withdrawal and leadership in service are connected because without first undergoing aesthetical preparation, often for decades they would not have had the spiritual resources to be spiritual in ecclesial guides and masters. More often, as we have read about in the writings of the Desert Fathers, the great aesthetics would soon be discovered and sought out, with monasteries forming soon thereafter, and we see the birth of Koanabitic or Communal Monasticism. So even there in the desert, society cannot be avoided. There is no escaping the social. Yet how do we tie Lent into social transformation? Fasting, praying, almsgiving? How can these activities affect society? Let's look at each one of these in turn. First, fasting. You know, Sherry and I spend a lot less on food during Lent. A diet without meat and dairy can be healthier, but it definitely should be cheaper. We hear a lot in our country about the need to grow the economy. We're told to spend, even though most of us are just putting it on a credit card. I guess the assumption is that we can eventually pay off that visa bill. But by changing our diet, we are going to be quite counter-cultural. You see, we're not just accepting society's eat more, buy more, be more mentality, and this is hard. There used to be a time in America when because of the Catholic population, there were always fish dishes on menus. Well, now that Catholics are not stressing fasting for meat on Fridays, that has largely been lost. And so it seems that there are even fewer voices saying, no, man does not live by bread alone, but by every word which comes out of the mouth of God. We need these reminders, and so does our society. Desperately. Our society, and we are part of it, have become satiated. A lenten attitude brings us back to things as they are. And what is that in this case? That, in fact, in two-thirds of the world, it is the norm to not eat meat, not for religious reasons, but because meat is so expensive. Seeing things as they are means realizing that resources are limited and should thus be well used. Did you know that people in the did you know that in this country only one in 10,000 households experience hunger or the risk of hunger? Or that 840 million people in the world are malnourished? 153 million of these people are under the age of five. Churches have been very active in trying to alleviate hunger. It's been churches running the soup kitchens reporting an increase in the number of people in their programs, increases that churches can't match. The U.S. Conference of Mayors reported that last year requests for emergency food assistance increased an average of 19%. Also, 48% of those requesting this aid were members of families, and 38% of the adults requesting help were employed, and they had jobs. Some of the reasons given for this include rising housing costs, low-paying jobs, unemployment, and the economic downturn. So by looking at fasting and our relationship to food, we may get a sense of what it is like for most of the world's population. It also moves us toward doing some things about hunger. Seeing things as they are includes coming to terms with the suffering of our neighbors. Because if we spend less on our stomachs, if we slow down our lifestyles to support a lighter diet, then we have more time to spend on helping our neighbor both with our time and our financial resources. I want to stress that the best way is to give, the best way to give is to give of ourselves. As Orthodox, we believe in the inherent value of persons. I liked what Father said a couple weeks ago about saying hello to a person on the streets. So often we avert our eyes and we get scared. After all, he might push me beyond my comfort zone, or he may ask me for something. She may want something I don't want to give. What if I get embarrassed? Is that person really poor? What if he hurts me? Seeing the face of Christ in the poor takes time. It's a gift, but it's also a muscle that develops through the ins and outs of service. In nineteen ninety nine I visited Mother Teresa's missionaries of charity for the first time in Calcutta. On the third day, a few of us were asked to work at a place called Premdan. Among other things it serves as a shelter for the aged, retarded, and disabled. We donned our aprons and went to work, but then I saw what we had to do. I looked out and saw scores of elderly and sick men who needed to be bathed by hand. I thought to myself, dear God, this is too much for me. All around were men who looked like concentration camp survivors. Most were so thin and frail that we had to carry them to the large outdoor baths to be washed. I remember one man, he was nineteen years old, dying of tuberculosis. He was my height but maybe sixty pounds. I remember washing him, every part of him, awkwardly praying for strength. He looked up at me with those eyes full of life and understanding at the awkwardness of the moment and a certain amount of quiet resignation. How beyond my comfort zone was this experience, yet how utterly ridiculous are comfort zones in such situations. There were few times in my life when I felt like I was doing the right thing, but at this moment everything made sense. There was no room for rationalizations, for hiding, for the totalism of the ego. This was one of the most real experiences I ever had. The point of the story is that I couldn't think my way into this understanding. I had to live it. I had to do it. And isn't that the way of the Lenten disciplines? We have to do them. You see, most often we don't think our way into a new way of acting, we act our way into a new way of thinking. And when we're giving alms, are we not only changing the world? We are changing ourselves one action at a time. Now the word almsgiving in Greek is Eliomosin. It literally means doing acts of mercy. So we should not think of this discipline as being primarily financial. It is to imitate the merciful God, by which we mean the God who shows steadfast love. By imitating God's steadfast love, we become like God. Nevertheless, doing acts of mercy will probably include the financial element. As we begin to see Christ in one of the least of these, it is also important to put our resources where our mouths are. You want to see what people really believe in? Take a look at how they spend their money. Through my work with nonprofits, I've learned that you should be able to figure out the mission and values of the agency by looking at its budget. If someone were to look at your spending, would there be enough evidence to indict you as one who cares for the poor? Now giving alms in this day and age actually takes careful discernment. In this country, we don't often see beggars sitting at the church doorstep. Again, this is the reality in many parts of the world, and it is certainly true in the patristic period. This means we have a tougher job. We have to discern the best ways to spend our money and time, the best agencies to work with, the best politicians to elect who believe in helping the poor in the best ways possible. Now if we're just rushing from one activity to the next, not thinking about God and neighbor, then it will be nearly impossible to find time. But if we are dedicated to taking the Lenten lifestyle into the rest of the year, slowing down, taking stock, prioritizing our activities based on our values, then we will find more time. Hopefully you will see that when I speak about almsgiving, I'm not talking about writing a check. Eleo Moisine. I'm talking about personal engagement, which might include writing a check. A lot of us don't have much money, but we can give some time. We can give of ourselves our most valuable commodity. Which leads us finally to prayer. We know that without prayer, our aesthetical efforts will be short-lived. Prayer undergirds Lent from beginning to end. We know this, that's why there are so many services. They provide us with the strength to make it through the Lenten journey. Just as it's prayer that will get us through life, it is prayer that places all things before God and prayer that transforms us and our world. Looking at what we've discussed so far, it's prayer that helps sustain and give reason to our fasting. Also, if we are going to discern how to give alms properly, we need to pray. Too often, Christian agencies seeking to serve the poor lose any power they once had because they foolishly allowed prayer to become an accessory rather than the foundation. When that happens, burnout is not far behind. Along with ineffectiveness and the loss of Christian witness. C.S. Lewis once said that Christians who did the most for this world were those who never lost sight of the next. When Christians lose sight of the kingdom, their irrelevance is almost guaranteed. Fasting, prayer, almsgiving. These three things have the power not only to transform us but to change the society we live in. Hopefully, I've given a glimpse of how that can happen. I learned a lot in India, and a lot on the back of a scooter listening to my co-worker, an Indian pastor named Robin, speak about Christian witness in India. He said, Brother, as Christians, we have two eyes looking out at the world, but we have millions of eyes looking back at us. The world sees what Christians are doing, and what it is, and what is it that they see? Will they see us loving the world unto transformation, or will they see us as no different at all from everyone else, self-centered, self-absorbed, scurrying from one activity to the next while failing to do the one thing needful? Will they hear us hiding behind highfalutin platitudes about loving the poor, or will they actually see us serving the poor and looking for long-term solutions to limit poverty as it now exists? These are serious times and the hard questions we must face. But the only thing that really proves the Christian faith proves that Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life, are churches that actually practice what they preach. Thank God we have a place like this where we can work to demonstrate the reality of Christ's resurrection and his ongoing resurrection in our own lives. Now, this is written by Kerry Patrick's son Chirico, and he holds a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Cemetery, a master of social work from Rutgers University, and a master of theology from St. Vladimir's Seminary. He served with Habitat for Humanity in India for three years from 1993 to 1996 and in the inner cities of New Jersey. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies in the theology department at Boston College and the Lives with his wife Sherry in Arlington, Massachusetts. I know that some people may be thinking when they listen to this that degrees don't mean shit. And you can be a barnyard pastor. And you're not gonna hear me disagree. Who am I to say what's right and what's wrong? I'm just talking about what I believe. And I believe that anyone, anywhere, can talk about anything and do it with wisdom, provided their heart is in the right place. They do it honestly, they keep an open mind and are willing to do what it takes. And the one who is willing to do what it takes Christ to die for us, that is what we are preparing for as we go into Lent. That is what we're seeking to engage in when it comes to this Lenten transformation. We rebel, we are then humbled. There's a lot that goes on. And this article on Lenten transformation was quite good. I hope that you enjoyed it. Because I enjoyed sharing it with you. There's also some articles and resources about dates, the date of Posca, the historical development of Holy Week services, but at this point in time. I'll leave those for you to read. Because I think that article on Lenten transformation really summed it up. This is a time where we take time for ourselves. And we take that time for ourselves so that we can take that time for others. After liturgy yesterday, celebrating the rite of forgiveness with everyone there. Sharing a meal with my friends, sharing a message with new friends of forgiveness. And there's no better time than the present to think about that. In one hour at 6 p.m. tonight, there's a service at church, so I need to really wrap this up and get to it. That service is the Great Compline and Great Lent. And just to share that with you, it is served on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings in the first week of Great Lent, each with its relevant quarter of the Great Canon and the specific gospel reading. It's wonderful. I can't I can't wait. So everybody. I hope that this message finds you well. Please check out the show notes for articles on the Lenten season. Holy Posca. Forgiveness, the heart and repentance, the ethos of Lent, fasting and Lent, and especially the Lenten transformation. What a wonderful, wonderful article. That really details out who we are as a church and why we do what we do. I hope that this message finds you well. I look forward to connecting with you again soon. Whenever that may be. Good morning, good afternoon, and good night. This is Rap Cancer.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:33

God bless.