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The Holy Fire in Jerusalem

The Miracle of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem

by Niels Christian Hvidt

“On Holy Saturday believers gather in great crowds in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. For on this day fire comes down from Heaven and puts fire on lamps in the Church.” Thus one reads in one of the many Easter itineraries to the Holy Land.

“The Miracle of the Holy Fire” by Christians from the Orthodox Churches is known as “The greatest of all Christian miracles”. It takes place every single year, on the same time, in the same manner, and on the same spot. No other miracle is known to occur so regularly and for such an extensive period of time; one can read about it in sources as old as from the eighth Century AD. The miracle happens in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, to millions of believers the holiest place on earth. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre itself is an enigmatic place. Theologians, historians and archaeologists consider the church to contain both Golgatha, the little hill on which Jesus Christ was crucified, as well as the “new tomb” close to Golgatha that received his dead body, as one reads in the Gospels. It is on this same spot that Christians believe he rose from the dead.

One can trace the miracle throughout the centuries in the many itineraries to the Holy Land. The Russian abbot Daniel, in his itinerary, written in the years 1106-07, in very detailed manners presents the “Miracle of the Holy Light” and the ceremonies that frame it. He recalls how the Patriarch goes into the Sepulchre-chapel (the Anastasis) with two closed candles. The Patriarch kneels in front of the stone on which Christ was laid after his death and says certain prayers, upon which the miracle occurs. Light proceeds from the core of the stone a blue, indefinable light which after some time kindles closed oil lamps as well as the two candles of the Patriarch. This light is “The Holy Fire”, and it spreads to all people present in the Church. The ceremony surrounding “The Miracle of the Holy Fire” may be the oldest unbroken Christian ceremony in the world. From the fourth century AD all the way up to our own time, sources recall the awe-awakening potent. From these sources it becomes clear that the miracle has been celebrated on the same spot, on the same feast day, and in the same liturgical frames throughout all these centuries. One can ask, if it would happen also in the year 1998.

In order to find out, I travelled to Jerusalem to be present at the ceremony in which the Miracle of the Holy Fire occurs, and I can testify that it did not only happen in the ancient Church and throughout the Middle Ages but also on the 18th of April, 1998. The Greek-Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Diodorus I, is the man who every year enters the tomb to receive the Holy Fire. He has been the Patriarch of Jerusalem since 1982 and thereby is the key-witness to the miracle. Prior to the ceremony of this year the Patriarch received us in private audience, where I had the opportunity to speak with him about the miracle in order to know exactly what happens in the tomb and what the miracle means for him personally in his spiritual life. Furthermore I was through his intervention admitted to the balconies in the dome of the Holy Sepulchre Church, from where I had a fine view over the masses that had gathered around the tomb in anticipation of the “Great Miracle of the Holy Fire”.

But what exactly happens in the Holy Sepulchre Church on Easter Saturday? Why does it have such an impact on the Orthodox Tradition? Why does it seem as if nobody has heard anything about the miracle in the Protestant and Catholic countries?

One of the Most Famous Ceremonies in the Orthodox Church

The miracle occurs every year on the Orthodox Easter Saturday. There are many types of Orthodox Christians: Syrian, Armenian, Russian and Greek Orthodox as well as Copts. In the Holy Sepulchre Church alone there are 7 different Christian Denominations. The Orthodox Easter-date is fixed according to the Julian Calendar, and not the usual Western European Gregorian calendar, which means that their Easter normally falls on a different date than the Protestant and Catholic Easter.

Since Constantine the Great built The Holy Sepulchre Church in the middle of the fourth century it has been destroyed many times. The Crusaders constructed the Church that we see today. Around Jesus tomb was erected a little chapel with two rooms, one little room in front of the tomb and the tomb itself, which holds no more than five people. This chapel is the centre of the miraculous events, and being present at the celebration fully justifies the term “event” for on no other day of the year is the Holy Sepulchre Church so packed than on Easter Saturday. If one wishes to enter it, one has to reckon with six hours of cueing. Each year hundreds of people are not able to enter due to the crowds. Pilgrims come from all over the world, the majority from Greece but in recent years increasing numbers from Russia and the former Eastern European Countries.

In order to be as close to the tomb as possible, pilgrims camp around the tomb-chapel, waiting from Holy Friday afternoon in anticipation of the wonder on Holy Saturday. The miracle happens at 2:00 PM, but already around 11:00 AM the Church is a boiling pot.

Festival

From around 11:00 AM till 1:00 PM the Christian Arabs sing traditional songs with loud voices. These songs date back to the Turkish occupation of Jerusalem in the 13th Century, a period in which the Christians were not allowed to sing their songs anywhere but in the Churches. “We are the Christians, this we have been for centuries and this we shall be for ever and ever. Amen!” they sing at the top of their voices accompanied by the sound of drums. The drum-players sit on the shoulders of others who ferociously dance around the Sepulchre Chapel. But at 1:00 PM the songs fade out and after there is silence, a tense and loaded silence electrified by the anticipation of the great manifestation of the Power of God that all are about to witness.

At 1:00 PM a delegation of the local authorities elbows through the crowds. Even though these officials are not Christian, they are part of the ceremonies. In the times of the Turkish occupation of Palestine they were Moslem Turks; today they are Israelis. For centuries the presence of these officials has been an integrated part of the ceremony. Their function is to represent the Romans in the time of Jesus. The Gospels speak of Romans that went to seal the tomb of Jesus, so his disciples would not steal his body and claim he had risen. In the same way the Israeli authorities on this Easter Saturday come and seal the tomb with wax. Before they seal the door it is customary that they enter the tomb to check for any hidden source of fire, which could produce the miracle through fraud. Just as the Romans were to guarantee that there was no manipulation after the death of Jesus, likewise the Israeli Local Authorities are to guarantee that there be no trickery in 1998.

The Testimony of the Patriarch

When the tomb has been checked and sealed, the whole Church chants the Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy). At 1:45 PM the Patriarch enters the scene. In the wake of a large procession he encircles the Tomb three times, whereupon he is stripped of his royal liturgical vestments, carrying only his white alba, a sign of humility in front of the great potent of God, to which he is about to be the key witness. All the oil lamps have been blown out the preceding night, and now all remains of artificial light are extinguished, so that most of the Church is enveloped in darkness. With two big candles the patriarch enters the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre first into the small room in front of the tomb and from there into the tomb itself.

It is not possible to follow the events inside the tomb, so I asked the patriarch of Jerusalem, Diodorus, about the center of the events.

“Your Beatitude, what happens when you enter the Holy Sepulchre?”

“I enter the tomb and kneel in holy fear in front of the place where Christ lay after his death and where he rose again from the dead. Praying in the Holy Sepulchre in itself is for me always a very holy moment in a very holy place. It is from here that he rose again in glory, and it is from there that he spread his light to the world. John the Evangelist writes in the first chapter of his gospel that Jesus is the light of the World. Kneeling in front of the place where he rose from the dead, we are brought within the immediate closeness of his glorious resurrection. Catholics and Protestants call this Church “The Church of the Holy Sepulchre”. We call it “The Church of the Resurrection”. The Resurrection of Christ for us Orthodox is the center of our faith. In his resurrection Christ has gained the final victory over death, not just his own death but the death of all those who will stay close to him.

“I believe it to be no coincidence that the Holy Fire comes on exactly this spot. In Matthew 28:3, it says that when Christ rose from the dead, an angel came, dressed all in a fearful light. I believe that the striking light that enveloped the angel at the Lord’s resurrection is the same light that appears miraculously every Easter Saturday. Christ wants to remind us that his resurrection is a reality and not just a myth; he really came to the world in order to give the necessary sacrifice through his death and resurrection so that man could be re-united with his creator.

Blue Light

“I find my way through the darkness towards the inner chamber in which I fall on my knees. Here I say certain prayers that have been handed down to us through the centuries and, having said them, I wait. Sometimes I may wait a few minutes, but normally the miracle happens immediately after I have said the prayers. From the core of the very stone on which Jesus lay an indefinable light pours forth. It usually has a blue tint, but the color may change and take many different hues. It cannot be described in human terms. The light rises out of the stone as mist may rise out of a lake it almost looks as if the stone is covered by a moist cloud, but it is light. This light each year behaves differently. Sometimes it covers just the stone, while other times it gives light to the whole sepulchre, so that people who stand outside the tomb and look into it will see it filled with light. The light does not burn I have never had my beard burnt in all the sixteen years I have been Patriarch in Jerusalem and have received the Holy Fire. The light is of a different consistency than normal fire that burns in an oil lamp.

“At a certain point the light rises and forms a column in which the fire is of a different nature, so that I am able to light my candles from it. When I thus have received the flame on my candles, I go out and give the fire first to the Armenian Patriarch and then to the Coptic. Hereafter I give the flame to all people present in the Church.”

The Symbolic Meaning of the Miracle

“How do you yourself experience the miracle and what does it mean to your spiritual life?”

“The miracle touches me just as deeply every single year. Every time it is another step towards conversion for me. For me personally it is of great comfort to consider Christs faithfulness towards us, which he displays by giving us the holy flame every year in spite of our human frailties and failures. We experience many wonders in our Churches, and miracles are nothing strange to us. It happens often that icons cry, when Heaven wants to display its closeness to us; also we have saints, to whom God gives many spiritual gifts. But none of these miracles have such a penetrating and symbolic meaning for us as the miracle of the Holy Fire. The miracle is almost like a sacrament. It makes the resurrection of Christ present to us as if he had died only a few years ago.”

While the patriarch is inside the chapel kneeling in front of the stone, there is darkness but far from silence outside. One hears a rather loud mumbling, and the atmosphere is very tense. When the Patriarch comes out with the two candles lit and shinning brightly in the darkness, a roar of jubilee resounds in the Church, comparable only to a goal at a soccer-match.

The Miracle Leads to Faith

The miracle is not confined to what actually happens inside the little tomb, where the Patriarch prays. What may be even more significant, is that the blue light is reported to appear and be active outside the tomb. Every year many believers claim that this miraculous light ignites candles, which they hold in their hands, of its own initiative. All in the church wait with candles in the hope that they may ignite spontaneously. Often closed oil lamps take fire by themselves before the eyes of the pilgrims. The blue flame is seen to move in different places in the Church. A number of signed testimonies by pilgrims, whose candles lit spontaneously, attest to the validity of these ignitions. The person who experiences the miracle from a close distance by having the fire on the candle or seeing the blue light usually leaves Jerusalem changed, and for everyone having attended the ceremony, there is always a “before and after” the Miracle of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem.

Unknown in the West

One can ask the question why the Miracle of the Holy Fire is hardly known in Western Europe. In the Protestant areas it may to a certain extent be explained by the fact that there is no real tradition for miracles; people dont really know in which box to place the miracles, and they dont take up much space in newspapers. But in the Catholic tradition there is vast interest for miracles. Thus, why is it not more known? For this it only one explanation suffices: Church politics. Only the Orthodox Churches attend the ceremony framing the miracle. It only occurs on the orthodox Easter date and without the presence of any Catholic authorities. By certain Orthodox this evidence proves the notion that the Orthodox Church is the only legitimate Church of Christ in the world, and this assertion obviously may cause certain apprehensions in Catholic circles.

The Question of the Authenticity of the Miracle

As with any other miracle there are people who believe it is fraud and nothing but a masterpiece of Orthodox propaganda. They believe the Patriarch has a lighter inside of the tomb. These critics, however, are confronted with a number of problems. Matches and other means of ignition are recent inventions. Only a few hundred years ago lighting a fire was an undertaking that lasted much longer than the few minutes during which the Patriarch is inside the tomb. One then could perhaps say, he had an oil lamp burning inside, from which he kindled the candles, but the local authorities confirm to have checked the tomb and found no light inside it.

The biggest arguments against a fraud, however, are not the testimonies of the shifting patriarchs. The biggest challenges confronting the critics are the thousands of independent testimonies by pilgrims whose candles were lit spontaneously in front of their eyes without any possible explanation. According to our investigations, it has never been possible to film any of the candles or oillamps igniting by themselves. However, I am in the possession of a video filmed by a young engineer from Bethlehem, Souhel Nabdiel. Mr. Nabdiel has been present at the ceremony of the Holy Fire since his early childhood. In 1996 he was asked to film the ceremony from the balcony of the dome of the Church. Present with him on the balcony were a nun and four other believers. The nun stood at the right hand of Nabdiel. On the video one can see how he films down on the crowds. At a certain point all lights are turned off it is time for the Patriarch to enter the tomb and take the Holy Fire. While he is still inside the tomb one suddenly hears a scream of surprise and wonder originating from the nun standing next to Nabdiel. The camera begins to shake, as one hears the excited voices of the other people present on the balcony. The camera now turns to the right, whereby it is possible to contemplate the cause of the emotion. A big candle, held in the hand of the Russian nun, takes fire in front of all people present before the patriarch comes out of the tomb. With shaking hands she holds the candle while over and over making the sign of the Cross in awe of the potent she has witnessed. This video appears to be the closest one gets to an actual filming of the miracle.

Miracles cannot be proved

The miracle is, as most miracles are, surrounded by unexplainable factors. As Archbishop of Tiberias Alexios said when I met him in Jerusalem:

“The miracle has never been filmed and most probably never will be. Miracles cannot be proved. Faith is required for a miracle to bear fruit in the life of a person and without this act of faith there is no miracle in the strict sense. The true miracle in the Christian tradition has only one purpose: to extend the Grace of God in creation, and God cannot extend his Grace without the faith on behalf of his creatures. Therefore there can be no miracle without faith.”

 

Source: Orthodox Christian Information Center

The Journey to Pascha

The Journey to Pascha-New Each Year!
The journey to Pascha is an individual journey and a collective journey. Each believer determines the degree of seriousness applied to the journey. The Church moves fully and with certainty to Pascha. The Church has a definite order for the movement to Pascha. Definite order, practices and expectations exist for the movement during the time leading to Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha. A definite and helpful structure exists. Even for the time following Pascha leading to Ascension and Pentecost, the Church has well defined order, practices and expectations. Individuals within the Church vary in their knowledge and attentiveness to the order and structure. Individuals in the Church will vary in degree of commitment. Many different factors are involved in determining the degree of commitment to honoring the journey to Pascha. Personal upbringing and experience are a great influence. Individuals raised in the Church in homes where Christ is the foundation and goal are more prone to honor the journey to Pascha in their personal lives. These individuals will have had the practice well established in their hearts. Adults coming into the Church consciously and after much thought and prayer will honor the journey to Pascha. They have come to know the value of the journey after much consideration. They want dearly to be a part of it. God is at work through the Church. The world changes as the Church moves through the liturgical year. The Church has far reaching effects on the order of the world and individuals in the world. Individuals making the journey to Pascha are expected to increase in prayer and fasting. Great Lent is to be honored. Concern for the soul and rejection of sin are central to the effort. Attention to the Cross of Christ is necessary. Love for Christ has a place in the journey. Appreciation for the goodness and mercy of Christ has a place in the journey. Firmness of belief in Christ determines the results of the effort. Every day has a set period of time. Each person has only the time immediately available. The way a person chooses to use the time shapes the direction and finality of the person’s life. Prayer is always possible regardless of the activity in which a person is engaged. Prayer is beneficial in the beginning of each activity and in the course of the activity. Thanksgiving to God has a constant place in the Christian life. Great Lent is a time to reach out to God in prayer. Great Lent is a time to focus within on the condition of the soul. The content of the Lenten services summon the believer to repentance and drawing closer to God. The narrow path described by Christ(Mt.7:13-14) requires the believer to have a focused life. Jesus said to “Seek first the kingdom of God….”(Mt.6:33) Great Lent provides the structure for the believer to remain on the narrow path. Personal goals determine the direction of a person’s life. Pursuit of personal goals determine where a person will spend eternity. Willingness to follow Christ is determined by the person’s view and belief in Christ. Not everyone learns of Christ at the same age and in the same way. Not everyone has the same ability to hear and learn about Christ. Not everyone grows up in a Christian home where Christ is at the center and is the foundation. Love is central to the Christian life. The love of Christ was evidenced when He went to the Cross voluntarily. Believers reflect their degree of love for Christ by what they do for Christ voluntarily. Desire to be in the presence of God is part of the Lenten journey. Desire to have the personal life changed by God is part of the Lenten journey. Comfort and support exists in knowing the others in the Church are making the same journey. Unity exists among believers in the journey to Pascha. Seriousness of effort among believers has an influencing effect. Clergy leadership and instruction help believers to more fully understand the journey. At the outset, the journey from the pre-Lenten period to Pascha can seem very long. The journey is to be welcomed with great joy. The Church provides constant nourishment, assistance and instruction throughout the period. Daily life is not to be separated from the life of the Church. The life in Christ affects all aspects of daily life. Believers’ personal goals, thoughts and activities are to be measured and chosen according to the way of Christ. The atmosphere in the home, in the car and the workplace are to be measured by the standards and teachings of Christ. Believers control their personal thoughts and their practices of prayer. Believers control their reactions to others they meet in daily life. Believers are responsible for their actions in daily life. Prayer and fasting help believers to be close to God during the course of daily life. Hunger for God will be satisfied when seriousness is applied to the Lenten journey. Christ is present in the Church. Christ’s teachings are plentiful and most complete in the Church. Christ’s love is experienced in the Church. Christ’s Body and Blood nourish the believer in the Church. Christ’s presence awakens the mind of the believer worshipping in the Church. Miracles of Christ occur in the Church. Questions about life are answered in Christ’s Church. The Lenten journey is a movement away from the life of sin to a greater life in Christ. Believers are expected to experience movement during the Lenten journey. Believers are expected to be different at the end of Great Lent. Believers are expected to be more united with Christ at the end of the Lenten journey. The battle with sin is a constant battle. Even when a person feels progress regarding sin, the danger of pride can set in and new perils can arise. Clinging to Christ and seeking mercy is necessary for purity of heart, mind and soul. God helps believers in the Lenten journey. God welcomes sinners desiring to repent.(Lk.15:7) God helps those feeling tired and weary in the Christian effort.(Mt.11:28-29) The Holy Apostle Paul said: “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”(Gal.6:9) Hope in the Crucified and Resurrected Christ is a necessary part of the journey to Pascha. The Lord Jesus Christ will return to judge the living and the dead. Individuals confess belief in the return of Christ at the time of Holy Baptism. At each Divine Liturgy believers reaffirm the belief that Christ will return. At the funeral service, the return of Christ is mentioned in the Epistle to the Thessalonians.(I Thess.4:17). Daily consciousness about the Last Judgment serves as a measurement for the way the personal life is being lived. Great Lent is a time to prepare for the Last Judgment. Great Lent is a time to experience the joy of the life in Christ. Great Lent is a time to reduce the likelihood of everlasting punishment and increase the interest in eternal life.(Mt.26:31-46) The repulsiveness of personal sin is central to Great Lent being beneficial for the believer. Believers need to wage war against personal sin during Great Lent. Believers need to avail themselves of Holy Confession to begin anew. Serious self-examination and detesting personal sins have a part in growing closer to God. The believer needs to want to change if Christ is to have an impact on the person’s life. The Holy Apostle Paul speaks about “we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.”(II Cor.3:18) For individuals to be transformed and become more Christ-like, openness to Christ is necessary. The seeking of Christ is necessary. Christ needs to dominate the heart, the mind and the soul. Christ needs to be cherished. Christ needs to be constantly on the mind, in the heart and on the lips to have an impact. Christ needs to enter the body through Holy Communion. Christ needs to heal the person through Confession, Communion and Holy Unction. Sinful thoughts and activities are perilous and have long range consequences. The Gospel of St. Luke states: “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”(Luke 16:10). Great care must be taken not to sin in the least. Great Lent has borders and walls of protection to help the believer. Believers immersing themselves in the services and expectations of Great Lent will move closer to God and further from sin. Christians are expected to be active. Prayer is an activity requiring seriousness of purpose and direction. Prayer requires the mind to act and be attentive to God. Prayer requires conscious thought about God. Fasting occurs through conscious decision making. Fortitude and resoluteness are necessary in rejecting sin and pathways to sin. Vigilance protects against a weakening of the commitment to draw near to Christ. Sinful thoughts need expelled from the mind. Activities that weaken resolve must be firmly rejected. Control of the appetite regarding food and intoxicating beverages is fundamental to an effective fast during Great Lent. Quietness and stillness enable contemplation of God. Quietness and stillness establish the atmosphere for looking into the heart. During Great Lent the heart is a battleground. Christ is victorious in the hearts fully welcoming Him. Every day of Great Lent has value. The time of life is a gift from God. Time comes only once and cannot be relived. Attentive believers are conscious of the precious gift of the time of life from God. No guarantee exists that the believer will have any day beyond the present day. Jesus said: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”(Mt.25:13). Wise believers treat the time of life with great care. Wise believers attempt to use each moment of time for the benefit of the soul and for giving glory and service to God. Great Lent is a time for believers to seriously consider the direction of their lives. Are they living in ways pleasing to God? Too often sin creeps into a believer’s life and causes a distance to be created between the believer and God. Shame can set in and keep a believer from drawing closer to God. Fear can keep a believer at distance from the ways of God. Being uncomfortable with past actions can paralyze a believer from drawing closer to God. A believer despondent over personal sin can fall away from the Church and give up on life in despair. Too many baptized Christians leave the Church for various reasons. The Church welcomes the return of former believers. The Church provides remedies for illnesses of the soul. The Church provides supportive and instructive prayers. The Church provides services with healing effects. The person who has exhausted his or her life in pursuit of fulfillment outside the Church is welcome in the Church to find the authentic satisfaction for the soul. Restlessness can give way to peace when a person finds a home in the Church. The life in Christ necessitates attentiveness to the words and life of Christ. The life in Christ entails willingness to follow Christ. Christ sets forth specific teachings and standards. The believer must be willing to search out the teachings and standards of Christ and adopt them as part of daily living. Zeal for Christ is expected. Being lukewarm can lead to unwanted consequences.(Rev.3:16) The Psalmist speaks of life being 70-80 years in length.(Ps.89/90:10) A certain amount of individuals live well beyond eighty years. Great Lent is a measuring point for assessing if the person’s life is in conformity with Christ. With each passing day, a person draws closer to the end of his or her life. Believers seeking eternal life will make the determined effort to invest in the journey to Pascha and seriously seek the Kingdom of God. Reaching out to God in prayer opens the believer’s mind to receive instruction from God. Reaching out to God in prayer draws the believer closer to God. The presence of God is felt during serious prayer. The presence and healing power of God are acknowledged through the act of prayer. Praying to God is an expression of hope in God. Praying to God is a way to lighten the burdens that weigh upon a person. The mind has a major part in the approach to God. The mind has a controlling part in worship and prayers to God. The mind is a determining force in the battle against sin. Strong Christian minds can exist in withered and illness ravaged bodies. Strong Christian minds can keep a person united with Christ. Strong Christian minds can help believers overcome obstacles impeding entry to God’s Kingdom. Believers need the Body and Blood of Christ for the fullness of the life in Christ. The Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts makes the Precious Body and Blood of Christ available on weekdays of Great Lent. The Lord Jesus Christ said: “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.”(Jn. 6:56). Believers are encouraged to partake of the Precious Body and Blood of Christ regularly to maintain this unity with Christ. Believers honest when measuring themselves against the teachings and standards will admit having fallen short and being engaged in sin. Christ is the way out of sin. Christ is the way to experience the fullness of life. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”(Jn.14:60). In contemporary society, individuals spend great amounts of time and money in pursuit of excitement. No life is more exciting than the Christian life. Living the Christian life brings daily challenges. Living the Christian life brings daily personal battles against sin. The Christian life has the most elevated goals requiring great effort. The Christian life is full of diversity while having commonality in Christ. Christians follow Christ in the desert and in the mountains. The journey to Pascha is undertaken in countries across the globe. Believers in remote villages and in large metropolitan cities make the journey to Pascha. The Gospel is preached and the Divine services are served in many different languages. The message in God’s Holy Church is the same. Centuries ago John the Baptist said: “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”(Mt.3:2). The stature of St. John the Baptist among humankind is very well defined by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ said: “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.”(Mt.11:11). St. John the Baptist’s words carry the greatest of weight because of his stature in Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ spoke as St. John the Baptist spoke. The Lord Jesus Christ said: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”(Mt.4:17) The words of St. John the Baptist and the words of the Lord Jesus Christ are compelling. Believers serious about their lives will heed the words to repent. Repentance means a repudiation of sins. Repentance means to draw closer to Christ seeking forgiveness, mercy and strength to begin anew. Beginning anew in Christ is an expectation throughout life. Believers exit the Baptismal font with the understanding they will remain true to Christ and follow Christ throughout life. Sins affects the degree each person is faithful to Christ. Some believers sin more than others. Some individuals sins more extensively than others. All sins are abhorrent. Sins not only affect the sinner. Sins affect people the sinner meets. The closer a person draws near to Christ the more abhorrent sins are considered. Individuals drawing close to Christ want to maintain that closeness. Sin is a barrier to full unity with Christ. The purity of Christ is a basis for believers to see the filth of their own lives. The healing power of Christ is an assurance that believers need not remain in sin. Christ offers hope. Christ provides the way out of sin and toward eternal life. The effect of turning to Christ can be immediate and dramatic. The thief on the cross turned to Christ at the last moments of his life. He was blessed to hear from Christ: Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”(Lk.23:43) Wise believers will not delay in rejecting sin and turning to Christ. Every day that sin is rejected and the life in Christ is embraced, the fullness of life increases. The world changes over time. Believers may live through many different societal and cultural changes during the course of a lifetime. Societal conflicts and upheavals can cause uncertainty. Families can go through changes. Each person’s life will change as the person advances in years of life. Believers know that: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”(Heb.13:8) The journey to Pascha provides the believer with a Christian perspective. Individuals rejecting sin and drawing closer to Christ are prepared for the eventualities of life. Not all eventualities are pleasant. Being rooted in Christ is the way to deal effectively with any eventuality. The Holy Apostle Paul told the Philippians: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”(Phil.4:13) The Cross is a part of Great Lent. The Cross is a part of Holy Week. The Cross is a constant reminder of Christ’s love and Christ’s victory over death. The Cross is a reminder of Christ’s suffering. Christ took on earthly life. Christ experienced an earthly death. Christ rose from the grave. Christ provides believers with the way to view life and to view death. Christ provides believers with the hope of eternal life. Christ offers lasting nourishment. He told the Samaritan woman: “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”(Jn.4:14) Believers seeking nourishment for the soul do well to focus on Christ for the source of nourishment that satisfies. Seeking nourishment from other than Christ will not satisfy the hunger of the soul. Great Lent precedes Holy Week and Pascha. Believers are called away from activities which tarnish and harm the soul. Believers are summoned toward the Crucified and Resurrected Christ. Believers are expected turn inward. The condition of the heart, the mind and the soul are to be examined with reference to Christ. Believers are expected to look outwardly to the teachings of Christ and the services of the Church. Believers are expected to withdraw from activities, foodstuffs and drinks which prevent the believer from fully focusing on the life with God. Believers are to increase in prayerfulness. The teachings of Christ and life of Christ provide illumination. The teachings and life of Christ provide direction. They provide standards of measurement. They provide armor and a source of strength in combating evil. Individuals hungry for Christ will seek to draw closer to Christ. Individuals will search to satisfy the hunger of the soul. Christ provides the satisfaction. Too often individuals go far astray seeking nourishment for soul. Sometimes individuals search for nourishment of the soul in locations that lead to unexpected physical death. Sometimes individuals have unimaginable and bizarre experiences in their search for nourishment of the soul. Too often news accounts appear that speak of tragedies and abusive practices among extreme religious groups attracting individuals seeking to care for their souls. Too often news accounts appear of scandals of self-proclaimed religious leaders with great followings. Money and power were their primary interest. Abuse of their positions of trust led to their downfall. God’s Holy Church goes back to the time of the Holy Apostles. God’s Holy Church did not recently arise and is not the creation of one single contemporary individual. God’s Holy Church has a record established through the centuries. The Church provides a steady and a lasting presence for the nourishment of the soul. The Church has withstood attacks from without and scandals from within. The Church provides Great Lent with a defined beginning and ending. The Church provides Holy Week, Pascha and the post-Paschal celebration of the Resurrection. The Cross demonstrates the love of Christ and the humility of Christ. The Cross shows Christ’s willingness to suffer. When individuals measure their personal Christian efforts, they will benefit by considering the extent of Christ’s humility. Christ voluntarily took on human flesh and went to the Cross. Christ lived on earth in humble circumstances. When individuals consider their personal Christian efforts, they benefit by learning of the martyrs and saints suffering through the centuries in witness to Christ. When personal efforts increase in Great Lent, benefits occur. During Great Lent, believers do well to consider the sounds that enter their ears. Believers do well to consider the images their eyes see. Believers do well to think about the content of their thoughts. Believers benefit by assessing the desires of the heart and the personal use of the time of life. Believers have the ability to make changes in their lives. Small steps in drawing near to Christ will lead to larger changes in personal life. The prodigal son was welcomed home by his father(Lk.15:11-32) Great Lent is not only for individuals in the Church drawing closer to God. Great Lent is also for individuals outside the Church who want to experience life in the Church. Greater understanding of Great Lent increases with attendance at the Divine services. The impact is greater on families and the communities in which the families live when families are seriously committed to honoring Great Lent. One family member seriously honoring Great Lent makes a difference. When one family member is a practicing Christian, the believer is expected to have love permeate relationships with other family members. Love is necessary in all aspects of the Christian life. Practicing Christians are not to take on the attitude of the Pharisee who disparaged the tax collector.(Lk.18:11-14) The Church offers the best alternative to the shallowness and dangers to the soul existing in modern society. Making a serious journey to Pascha is a course of action individuals can take in order to seek the Kingdom of God. Greed and various forms of immorality find their places in contemporary society. Ethical behavior, chastity, humility and charity are fundamental to honoring Great Lent. Christ calls individuals away from sin. Contemporary societal advertisements and even certain governmental actions encourage or sublimely support sinful behavior. Believers are faced with choices throughout each day. Individuals can choose to yield to hedonistic social advertisements and attractions or choose to follow Christ. Believers face the choice each day of yielding to the widespread practices of greed in society-at-large or to engage in generous acts of charity. Individuals can devote personal resources to frivolous personal pleasure or to glorifying God. God is greater than any single individual can imagine or comprehend. The Church summons the believer to consider the mercy and healing power of God. The journey to Pascha exposes the believer to the transforming actions of God. Believers determine the way they will use their minds and bodies. Believers determine the contents allowable in the heart and mind. The way believers live reflects the value assigned to the soul. The Lord Jesus Christ expressed the value of the soul when He said: “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? “(Mt.16:26) The way believers live reveals the personal values of life. The journey to Pascha is a primary time to honor the great teaching of Christ when Christ said “Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”(Mt.6:21). Extensive thinking is required for men and women to consider the best way to use their personal resources. Mothers and fathers set examples for their sons and daughters in the home. Honoring Great Lent in the home strengthens the family. Sons and daughters growing up in the present world need a world view that enables them to deal with tragedies and temptations in addition to maintaining a positive outlook on life. Christ dying on the Cross was an act of violence. The Resurrection changed the perspective created by Christ’s death on the Cross. Parents steeped in the life and teachings of Christ are in a position to help their sons and daughters. The Holy Apostle Paul told the Ephesians: “Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”(Eph.6:13) The journey to Pascha is a time to shut out the noises of the world that are harmful to focusing on God. The journey to Pascha is a time to pursue efforts that enrich the soul. Care is necessary for the soul as it is for the body. The journey to Pascha is a period of time devoted to God. The Church wants believers to focus on God. Parents have to make decisions regarding the activities of their sons and daughters during Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha. Often in contemporary society, activities are scheduled for youths that conflict with teachings or services of the Church. Parents and youths must make decisions that at times can require much soul searching and resoluteness. Adults having lived wayward lives far from the Church can return to the Church during the journey to Pascha and seek salvation of the soul. Confession is a way to be at peace with God. Confession is a way to begin life anew in Christ. Individuals having experienced the benefits of the journey to Pascha for many years are faced with new challenges each year. Circumstances change. The degree of interest may change. A change in a believer’s health can have an effect. The journey to Pascha is a new experience every year for each believer. The love of God is present throughout the journey. Joy is visible for those seeking joy in the Lord. Forgiveness is an expression of God’s love. Mercy is an expression of God’s love. The structure of the journey to Pascha is sign of God’s love. The joy of completing the journey equates with God’s love. The arrival of each day of the journey to Pascha is a measure of God’s love. The movement of the Church through Great Lent to Holy Week and the celebration of Pascha is a manifestation of God’s love. As Great Lent progresses each year, the believer has the opportunity to assess the effort made. Renewal of commitment to honoring Great Lent can take place along the way from Forgiveness Sunday to Lazarus Saturday. The days of Great Lent require more than abstaining from certain foods or activities. Renewal of the life in Christ and unity with Christ are central to Great Lent. Satisfying the hunger of the soul is central to Great Lent. Appreciation for the love of God has a constant place in honoring Great Lent. The air we breathe, the sun giving us warmth and light, the earth that provides food and the stars that brighten the sky are reasons to thank God. Every day believers awaken from sleep giving thankfulness for life from God is well due. Having a mind to think, ears to hear and eyes to see are reasons to thank God. Committing personal sins is evidence of ungratefulness to God. Being mindful of the blessings of God gives rise to being appreciative of God. The abundance of God’s blessings exceeds the comprehension of the believer. The blessings of God are reason for great excitement. The blessings of God enable a believer to live and progress in the way he or she lives. The blessings of God are evidence of the immeasurableness of God. The blessings of God are inexhaustible. The degree a person grows in Christ is determined by the investment the person makes in the Christian life. Repentance is a foremost step. Change does not take place in adult believers unless repentance occurs. The Divine services of Great Lent are intended to result in changes in believers. Every time the Gospel is proclaimed, change is intended. Every sermon given has change in behavior as an expected result. The Canon of St. Andrew read during the first week of Great Lent seeks changes in participants. Hardness of heart will limit participation in Great Lent. Skepticism limits participation in Great Lent. Sloth and weakness of belief reduce participation in Great Lent. Believers yielding to sin and temptation violate the intent of Great Lent. Strong desire to fully experience Christ and be united with Christ keeps the believer in compliance with the intent of Great Lent. Believers benefit from expanding their view to see the greatness and majesty of God. Personal practices of believers can become routinized as the time of life increases. A believer’s practice of faith can become shallow and less fervent. Openness to growth and exposure to inspiring experiences help to bring change. Increased prayer and fasting during Great Lent increases personal fervor for Christ. Being with other fervent believers is uplifting. Establishing goals in the honoring of Great Lent leads to accomplishments. The practice of faith is not strengthened when the believer is aimless in daily life. The Kingdom of God is the supreme goal of believers. Unity with Christ is the supreme goal of believers. Being without sin and being with Christ is of primary interest to believers. Healing of believers results from pray and fasting. Healing results from Holy Confession and Communion. Listening to the Holy Gospel and personally reading the Holy Gospel has a healing effect on believers. Battling personal resistance to increased prayer and fasting is necessary if a believer truly intends to benefit from Great Lent. The body and the mind may want to engage in unhealthy activities that detract from the effort of seeking the Kingdom of God. The believer must exert his or her will to move forward with seriousness of purpose to be united with Christ. Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha offer riches beyond measure to the believer seeking to fully experience Christ. The way a believer views the self will change dramatically if Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha are fully honored. Christ is with the believer throughout the periods of Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha. The presence of God is spoken about in Acts 17:28 where it is written: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Great Lent is an integral part of the yearly cycle of the Church. Orthodox Christians share the common bond of having Great Lent. Orthodox Christians make the journey of Great Lent together. The journey of Great Lent begins with the practice of forgiveness. Being at peace with each other and with God is the best way to live. The journey to Pascha is an opportune time to spend with God seeking lasting peace. World leaders would do well to honor the Christian journey to Pascha. Tensions among nations might be reduced if world leaders took the journey seriously. Individuals in jail and prison cells can honor the journey to Pascha if they are inclined. It would be beneficial. Each journey to Pascha is new and different. The believers participating in the journey each year are different to a degree. Changes in hierarchs and clergy occur. Changes in the composition and disposition of believers occur. The world changes each year. A certain amount of people depart this life each year. A certain amount of new births occur. The health and concerns of believers change from year to year. Attitudes toward the journey change. The purpose and content of the services of Great Lent remain much the same each year. Each year the Church moves toward Holy Week and Pascha. Each year the world moves closer to the Second Coming of Christ. Each yearly observance of Great Lent builds on previous observances. The Church extends historically back to the time of the Holy Apostles. The Church takes seriously the commissioning of the Holy Apostles by Christ.(Mt.28:16-20) The incorporation of Great Lent into the yearly cycle of the Church took great thought and preparation. The continued observance of Great Lent among all Orthodox on all continents takes great commitment of purpose. Individuals honoring and observing the journey to Pascha from the beginning must have a perception of hope and value in the forthcoming experience. The choice to honor the journey entails the exclusion of certain practices. Selective choices required in adherence to the journey to Pascha affect the spiritual condition of the believer. Prayer and fasting affect the soul. Prayer and fasting affect the relationship with God and with individuals met in daily life. The power of prayer and fasting was verified by Christ when He healed the person with the mute spirit who was being convulsed. Jesus told His disciples: “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”(Mk.9:17-29). Contemporary believers with personal afflictions do well to fast and pray during the journey to Pascha. Turning to Christ in prayer and fasting is the first step in the healing process for serious believers. Attending the Divine services during the journey to Pascha involves a commitment of time and effort for a specific purpose. The investment of time and effort produces certain results. Investment in the Church is the most secure investment. The choices individuals make affect their future. The Lord Jesus Christ spoke about the strength of the Church. The strength of the Church emanates from the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ said: “I shall build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”(Mt.16:18). Nations rise and fall. Corporations go bankrupt. God’s Holy Church continues. Through the centuries many unsuccessful efforts have been undertaken to weaken and destroy God’s Holy Church. Christ was crucified. He rose from the dead. Believers have been martyred. Their deaths inspired new believers. Belief in Christ will not be stamped out. Faith in Christ will not be exterminated. Hope in Christ continues to be triumphant. Observers of the journey to Pascha are confident about the effort and the purpose. The Cross of Christ rises through the centuries. The Cross of Christ holds the firm attention of believers. The Cross of Christ signals the triumph of life over death, good over evil. Honoring the journey to Pascha is a commitment of days and a commitment of the mind and personal effort. The believer changes during the journey. The believer becomes “new” in Christ to the extent he or she invests the self. Holy Confession and Holy Communion lift the weight of sin and provide healing for the soul and body. A new freedom is experienced. The journey to Pascha is not a confining experience. The journey results in freedom Multiple benefits occur as a result of honoring the journey to Pascha. Benefits occur to the individual believer. The believer is renewed in Christ. The believer’s unity with Christ increases. The believer is more at peace and increases in joy. The individual believer has a different perspective. The individual believer increases in understanding of Christ. The believer is strengthened in faith. The believer moves with greater certainty to observe Holy Week and Pascha. The parish of the believer experiences benefits. The parish is strengthened by the Christian witness and presence of the observing believer. The parish takes on more characteristic Christian love. The believer’s relationships improve. Parishes affect not only the believers within. Parishes affect the communities of which they are a part. When parishes are true centers of Christ and adhere to the essence of their consecration, they advance the Gospel of Christ to many others. Pascha brings healthy change to observing believers. Pascha is the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection in the present. Great Lent leads to Holy Week and Pascha. The collective experience provides the richness of Christianity. Believers honoring the purposes of Great Lent join together in the Church. The collective impact of participating believers’ repenting and confessing Christ affects more than the personal lives of believers. When multitudes of believers honor Great Lent all across the world, the effects are felt in every country in which the believers are located. Unity among participating Christians is felt well beyond geographic borders. Traveling Christians feel unity with participating believers they meet in different cities and countries. Believers can attend Divine services during Great Lent far from their homes and feel welcome. The unity of Christ’s Holy Church becomes known at the time of Great Lent. The celebration of the Sunday of Orthodoxy brings together hierarchs, clergy and believers. The Sunday devoted to honoring St. Gregory Palamas focuses attention on the theology and experiences of St. Gregory Palamas. Believers are inspired to seek total unity with Christ. The Third Sunday of Great Lent places attention on the Cross of Christ. The Cross of Christ is a sign of victory and a source of comfort and strength. The Cross is an instrument of death that proclaims the immeasurable love of Christ. The Fourth Sunday of Great Lent centers on St. John Climacus and The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Christian growth is an expectation from the time of baptism to the time of departure from this life. As long as the person has breath and faculty of mind, the person has the capability to grow in Christ. St. John Climacus described stages of growth in Christ. Not every believer advances to the furthest stage of growth. The Fifth Sunday of Great Lent centers on St. Mary of Egypt. St. Mary of Egypt is a model of repentance. She turned from a life of sin. Every believer sins to a degree. Every believer is capable of turning to Christ for forgiveness. Great Lent draws to a close with the arrival of Holy Week. Increased attention is focused fully on Christ. The Divine services are enriched by extensive readings from the Holy Gospel. Believers having honored Great Lent greet the arrival of Holy Week with great solemnity and anticipation. The believer’s total immersing in the services of Holy Week affect all aspects of the believer’s life. The extensive Gospel readings of Holy Week cause the believer to consider the full earthly life of Christ from Virgin Birth to Ascension. The Crucifixion of Christ captivates the observant believer and brings present life to a standstill. The death of Christ on the Cross requires complete attention. The death of Christ on the Cross affects the mind, the heart and the soul. Observant believers are changed with every Holy Friday. Holy Saturday brings the rays of joy associated with the Resurrection. Light appears after the darkness of death on the Cross. The Tomb is empty. The joy of the Resurrection is in the air. The arrival of Pascha is anticipated throughout the world. Pascha changes everything. Life is new! The outlook on life is bright. Cares diminish. Believers reach out to each other in confirmation that Christ is Risen! Christ’s Resurrection is proclaimed to the whole world. Communities change due to the Resurrection. Believers’ families change due to the Resurrection. The atmosphere in the workplace changes because of celebrants of the Resurrection. Celebrating co-workers influence the lives of each other. Celebrating co-workers are supporters of each other. The light of Christ shines for all willing to see. Believers look forward to Pascha each year. Believers are not disappointed. The total experience from the preparation for Great Lent to the arrival of Pascha changes and redirects the life of the observant believer. The believer choosing to have the total experience is Christ-centered. The believer seeking fullness in Christ realizes the fullness by experiencing Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha. The use of time is influenced. The personal outlook on the world is influenced. Believers making the complete journey to Pascha change internally and externally. Joy is in the heart. Facial expressions change. Conversations change. Greetings change. Attitudes towards others change. Personal relationships change. Values in life change. Material possessions are viewed differently. Posture and movements change. The interior appearances of churches change with the arrival of Pascha. The content of the Divine services become more joyful. Dark colors are replaced by white. Vestments are bright white. Choirs, clergy and hierarchs proclaim over and over again that Christ is Risen! Any notion that the Cross ended Christ’s existence is put to rest. The darkness of Holy Friday no longer is prevalent. When parents take their young child for Holy Baptism they may not give full thought to the years ahead . Young children brought to church for infant baptism eventually become adults. Parents do well to insure each child is exposed to the journey to Pascha throughout their infant years and throughout childhood. Children exposed to the church at young ages become comfortable and familiar with life in the church. The sights and sounds of the church become a part of the young child as the child gets older. The journey to Pascha not only influences adults making the journey. Children benefit from the journey at every age. Much wisdom exists in the proverb: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”(Prov.22:6) Parents must give particular attention to nourish the souls of their young sons and daughters. The journey to Pascha is richly meaningful in the yearly cycle of the Church. No better place exists for children and adults of any age than in being in God’s Holy Church making the journey to Pascha. Children will learn from a very young age if the parental home seriously observes the practices of the Church. Children will learn at a young age if parental behavior is consistent with the expectations of Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha. Children will learn quickly if the love of Christ or the love of sin is dominant in the hearts and minds of their parents. Children will learn from activities in the home, images in the home and language in the home. If parents are at a loss on how to nourish the souls of their young sons and daughters, the parents do well to turn to the Church for instruction. The Divine services of the Church are instructive. Sermons are instructive. Consistent prayer will unite parents with God and provide strength and instruction. St. Ephraim’s Prayer recited during Great Lent is clearly instructive regarding personal behavior. Parents heeding the words of St. Ephraim’s Prayer set a good example for their sons and daughters. The words of St. Ephraim’s Prayer will cause parents to consider their work ethic as well as their values in life. St. Ephraim’s Prayer is as follows: “O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power and idle talk. But give me rather, the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant. Ye O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. If parents take St. Ephraim’s Prayer to heart, they will have a strong work ethic. They will set a good example in personal relationships. They will establish peace in their homes. Christian parents have a responsibility to their sons and daughters to raise them in homes filled with love and moral behavior. All Christians have a responsibility to adhere to the teachings and standards set by Christ. Parents will error and fall short. All Christians will sin to a certain degree. The journey to Pascha provides the opportunity to deal responsibly with sinful behavior. The journey to Pascha provides the opportunity to begin anew. Parents participating in the journey to Pascha and including their sons and daughters in the experience from a young age will establish the value of the journey in the minds of their children. Once baptized, children are never too young to participate in the life of the Church. Parents consciously teaching their sons and daughters about the Church are strengthening the sons and daughters for the future they will face. The journey to Pascha is a strengthening in Christ for all believers. Young children need experiences with Christ from the earliest age. Young children grow to like the sights and sounds of the Church. Young children grow to like the atmosphere of worship. Young children like to partake of the Precious Body and Blood of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ welcomes little children and holds them as an example for adults for the development of faith. Jesus said: “Let the little children come to Me and do not forbid them; for such is the kingdom of heaven.”(Mt.19:14) Some parents have reservations about bringing their young children to church. The words of the Lord Jesus Christ provide a welcoming message. Parents do well let their children fully share in the journey to Pascha. Increased opportunities exist for children and adults to partake of Holy Communion during the journey to Pascha because of the holding of the Liturgies of Presanctified Gifts on Wednesdays and Fridays. The Church is for believers of all ages. Children set an example for adults in their purity. Jesus told His disciples: “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”(Mt.18:3) Believers will never fully comprehend the humility of Christ taking on human flesh and voluntarily ascending the Cross. Believers will never fully comprehend the immeasurable nature of Christ rising from the dead. Enduring hope is rooted in the Resurrection of Christ. Hope exists for the living. Hope exists for those departed this life in faith. The love of Christ continues to change the world. Believers have the opportunity to share the love of Christ in the way they live and the way they practice their faith. Humility is necessary Gentleness is necessary. Forgiveness is necessary. The Crucified and Resurrected Christ is not confined by time or place. The Crucified and Resurrected Christ is accessible immediately to all turning to Him in faith. He listens. He heals. He forgives. He shows mercy. He teaches. Many thoughts enter a person’s mind. The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ deserve to be the guiding thoughts for each believer. The Holy Apostle Paul determined to not to know anything except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.(I Cor.2:2) The Holy Apostle Paul described the Risen Christ in these words: “Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”(I Cor.15:21) Life is a blessing and gift from God. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life.”(Jn.14:6) Believers taking the journey to Pascha make the journey with Christ and towards Christ. Let us ever be thankful.

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Christian Obligations

Orthodoxy is a way of life and not just another religion. Therefore, it is our Christian obligation to live the life of the Church as it has been handed down to us by Our Lord Jesus Christ. His many examples of prayer and fasting should be a part of our daily life. One cannot be a true Christian by simply attending Sunday morning services and ignoring the rest of the week. For one to expect Eternal Life and think it is a “given” or “automatic” because one says, “I’m a Christian”, is indeed in great error. As the athlete knows, he must prepare himself both physically and mentally on a daily basis if he is going to be successful.

Holy Cross Monastery

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