January 15th, 2010 | 
Author: We will recording a new episode next week. We have decided to continue/finish up our Pillars of Piety series. We will be finishing up with an episode on Forgiveness and then continue on with some new topics. Please let us know what you think!
In Christ,
Stephen Osburn Jr.
Blooming in the Desert Co-Host and Web-lacky
P.S.
Thanks Sophocles for that correction. I was tired when I posted that.
Posted in 
Christ is Born! Glorify Him!
How is everyone doing? We hope everyone has been having a good Nativity, filled with family and fun. Things have been mighty crazy in the Las Vegas over the holidays. Just a few updates for everyone:
- Nativity Fast Retreat – Every year the Clark County Orthodox Clergy Association puts on a Nativity Fast Retreat. This year Father Harry Pappas was the speaker. Blooming in the Desert recorded the 3 sessions that were held and will be posting them to give you guys something to listen to since we haven’t been posting podcasts. So look for that soon and email us if you would like a copy mailed to you via CD.
- Sermons – We have been posting the sermons of Fr. John Dresko, Arch-priest of St. Paul’s Orthodox Church and have been getting alot of positive feedback from all of you. Please keep listening to those as they will be posted more frequently. We are also in the process of making a XML feed so you can subscribe via iTunes and RSS.
- Redesign – In the coming months, there will be some major changes to the website, with a complete overhaul of the website. What does this mean to all of you? Nothing. Just kidding. It actually means a better functioning website with a cleaner look. We are looking at making Blooming in the Desert more then just another podcast out there and would like to grow into more podcasts done by different people soon. So alot to look forward with that.
- Choir Concert – We have posted the Choir Concert on the website. We are looking to doing a professional recording of the Choir and are raising a donation fund. We will have more details later.
- Podcasts – Last but not least, the updates to the podcast. Due to the holiday season, we have been very busy and getting a chance to record has been very tough. We will be doing a new episode sometime this month and will be keeping you all posted on that as we get to that point. Thank you all for your patience. It is much appreciated.
With all of that said, thank you all for listening and feel free to email us or comment and let us know what you think.
In Christ,
Stephen Osburn Jr – Webmaster and Co-Host to Blooming in the Desert Podcast
Enjoy and if you really like it please donate. The choir would like to do a professional recording and release CDs, so a small donation of whatever you can afford would be very gracious and thankful.
This week the hosts of Blooming in the Desert bring you a very special episode from the 2009 International Food Festival at St. Paul’s Orthodox Church in Las Vegas Nevada.
The parish is very ethnic with a mixture of Eritrean, Slavic, Greek, and American converts, and the hosts discuss the diversity within in the parish and much broader, the diversity in the Orthodox Church in America. Following the discussion, there are are short interviews by the festival guests where the hosts posed the question:
Outside of the Orthodox Church, many ethnicities never mix. However, the Orthodox Church is the universal Church of Christ. Here at St. Paul’s, we have a truly diverse mixture of people of many ethnicities; perhaps people who under any other circumstances would more then likely not have been brought together. The Church truly brings together all ethnicities into a sharing of the Mystery of Faith. Briefly tell us how you feel about that and a perhaps speak about your experiences in the Orthodox Church since you’ve been here.
Blooming in the Desert also conducted interviews with 3 parishioners who were there at St. Paul’s Orthodox Church’s founding.
Colleen Sufana
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William and Alexandra Carrico
Thank you for listening and we will update you soon to notify you what the next episode will be.
Blooming in the Desert – Episode 6 – Interview with Archpriest Eric Tosi, Secretary of the OCA
Interview Part 1
Interview Part 2
This week the hosts of Blooming in the Desert welcomed and interviewed Fr. Eric Tosi, Secretary of the OCA, about his job and thelogical issues. Blooming in the Desert also hosted an audience from St. Paul’s and St. John’s Orthodox Churches. Many questions were asked, such as:
1.) What aspect of parish life do you miss the most? ( i.e. leading Liturgy, confession, pastoring)
2.) In your current position, do you work with Met. Jonah on a daily basis? And what kind of input does he have?
3.) What has been the most challenging aspect of your job, especially coming in at a time of change…new Met., financial concerns, etc.?
4.) What are some of the challenges that you look forward to in the coming months? Years?
5.) What can we as a parish and/or individual do to assist the OCA in general and the Orthodox Church as a whole, to make our “life in Christ” a reality?
We have also posted a few of the questions asked by some of our audience members. Please note that these are questions were not written by us and may contain errors but that Fr. Eric did answer these questions with a true Orthodox answer.
Also, if you are listening to the podcast via our website, this particular episode is larger then others, so we have broken it into 2 parts for the Media Player but you can download the episode in full by downloading it via the link above the media player.
Blooming in the Desert – Episode 5 – Pillars of Piety Series Part 3: Almsgiving
Thank you for listening to Blooming in the Desert. We apologize for the delay in posting this episode as we have been very busy. The podcast does ask for questions to be submitted at the very end for our interview with Fr. Eric Tosi, however, we cannot take any questions at this time as the show has already been recorded and will be posted soon. Thanks!
ALMSGIVING
He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.
Proverbs 28:28
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.
Hebrews 13:2
Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and ye gave Me nothing to eat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, or in prison, and ye visited Me not. Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee? Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Matthew 25:41-46
Definition of alms
(from Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary)
Pronunciation: \ˈä(l)mz\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English almesse, almes, from Old English ælmesse, ælmes, from Late Latin eleemosyna alms, from Greek eleēmosynē pity, alms, from eleēmōn merciful, from eleos pity
Date: before 12th century (from Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary)
1 archaic : charity
2 : something (as money or food) given freely to relieve the poor
What is Almsgiving?
A. The subject of almsgiving, isolated in and of itself, is more difficult to speak and write on than the subjects of prayer and fasting.
Almsgiving is mentioned in the Church Fathers’ writings in the context of being a part of the whole ascetic endeavor we are called on to undertake and as far as we have been able to ascertain, it would seem that almsgiving, when spoken of, is always placed among prayer and fasting. Again, the writings on prayer and fasting in and of themselves are quite abundant. However , we should make it clear once again as on our previous shows, that prayer and fasting are not treated as independent practices with ends in themselves by the Fathers and with modern Church teachers. Likewise, we would like to make it clear that neither is almsgiving meant to be divorced from any part of the whole of the spiritual life. And the spiritual life is to be approached organically, not as a set of “DOs and DONTs” to be checked off and somehow “accomplished”.
In the Gospel of St. Matthew at the beginning of chapter 6 which is in our Lord’s discourse “The Sermon on the Mount”, we here him say these words to those who were present to hear Him. We will listen now to His words when He spoke about how to give alms, or rather, what disposition is the sought after one when giving alms:
1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
It is a disposition that is “dead” to the esteem of others in the carrying out of the good deed but “alive” to God Who sees that the deed was done for His sake.
B. Speaking once again on the spiritual life it itself is not an isolated “thing” unto itself or something that we possess in the strict sense, seeing that all that we possess is not ours but given to us by God, but is the Life of Christ Himself.
Almsgiving, how to do it, is not spoken of as a subject in and of itself. Or it could be that we were simply unable to locate such a treatise in the Fathers or by one of the Church’s more modern writers.
However, what seems to be said about almsgiving in the Holy Scriptures is how not to give alms. In the Fathers, especially with our Holy Father in the Faith Saint John Chrysostom, it is often spoken of how to view riches and what to do with them.
C. We would like to make certain to the listener that alms do not solely at all times consist in being measured monetarily. Our Lord, as is recorded for us in the Gospel according to Saint Luke 11:41, says
“But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.”
In other words, those things which are in our possession, or we should say, in our stewardship, are to be used for alms. It is not something which we do not have that the Lord asks us to give alms with but with that which we do have. It is inconsequential as well what quantity is in our stewardship for the giving of alms but it is rather a question of the disposition of our hearts with those things we have the use of. And in the giving of alms is revealed to us what place possessions have in us.We would at this point like to direct our listeners and readers to an excellent homily given by Father John(our pastor at St. Paul) on Sunday October 11 on the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 9:6-11:
“Brethren, But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.”
The link to listen to the sermon may be found here:Fr. John Dresko 10/11 (2 COR 9:6-11)
From what has been said already, we should begin to be examining our own attitudes towards the things that have come forth from God and are His gifts to us.
Are we stewards of those things within our use or do the things themselves have attached to them a worth that is not natural? Do the things in our stewardship possess us? Do they, our things, given to us for our use, we being the creature at the pinnacle of all creation and who are meant to offer onto God freely back to Him what He has so abundantly given us for our use, rule us?! Are we the slave of things?
To not be “natural” means they have a worth in and of themselves divorced from their true origin in God from Whom all things find their Source and Worth. God created us good and it is important to understand that the evil that is attached to us is not “natural” to us. So when we give things a worth that they are not meant to have, that is, that we do not see through them to God, the giver of them, we give them an unnatural value.
Meaning, because we are fallen, that which was given to us for good, is taken by us and horded because in the hording we think we will find happiness and fulfillment. Again our Lord warns us against this when He spoke these words during one of the times He was teaching which has been written for us in the Gospel of Luke in chapter 12 verse 13. A man in the crowd yells out,
“Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
To which Jesus responds in the next verse,
“Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
and then comes the warning we are speaking about when He continues and says,
“Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
Mentioning stewardship is important for the correct understanding of almsgiving for the word stewardship implies that we are the users and dispensers of something that is not ours to begin with. Not not ours as in it is not in our possession to do with as we see fit, but not not ours in that all things have their source and origin in God, the Lover of Mankind Who freely gives us all, even not stopping short in the giving of His Only Begotten Son for our sakes.
This week is very interesting as Fr. John speaks not only of the works of St. Luke but also explains how important what we say is from an Orthodox Christian perspective.
Newest sermon is up for Blooming in the Desert Presents: The Weekly Sermons of Fr. John Dresko.
Blooming in the Desert – Episode 4 – Pillars of Piety Series Part 2: Fasting Continued
We have included the outline from the 3rd episode so that anyone can follow us as we discuss Fasting further. Please comment and let us know what you think. We also have a special guest with us this week.
Constantine (Costas) Frangakis, brother of Blooming in the Desert co-host Sophocles, is joining us this week to discuss why we Fast.
Fasting Outline
Gluttony makes a man gloomy and fearful, but fasting makes him joyful and courageous.
And, as gluttony calls forth greater and greater gluttony, so fasting stimulates greater and greater endurance.
When a man realizes the grace that comes through fasting, he desires to fast more and more.
And the graces that come through fasting are countless….
~Saint Nikolai of Zicha~
Much of the information on this program has been obtained online and has been provided Blooming in the Desert for the listener to read while listening to this week’s podcast. We will attempt to pinpoint quotes to their proper sources.
I. What is Fasting?
A) We begin with Christ: In Him all the powers of the human being were(and are) in perfect balance. He was and is truly the most human Person in the fullest sense of the word . There was not one aspect of His Person that was out of proportion to any other. He was and is completely “natural”, putting on no airs whatsoever. He simply was and is “I AM”.
We are to acquire by grace what He is by nature. All that the Church gives us in Her Life, which Life is the Life of Christ, is meant for our union to Him and in and through this union we are healed and by the healing “saved”. Now here we must mention that salvation as understood in the Orthodox Catholic Church has a meaning that does not, for the most part, have a counterpart in the Western understanding of the “concept” of salvation. Again, another quick aside to mention that even to speak of salvation as a “concept” is false in that salvation for each and every human being that exists, has existed and will exist is Christ Himself, not a concept or idea. And going further, He is the Center, the Source and the Reason for all the spiritual disciplines we are to undertake. Fasting, when divorced from the sake of more fully putting on Christ, becomes not what it is intended for. When fasting is undertaken for the sake of fasting itself, we begin to enter into dangerous territory.
B) St. Paul speaks of always being after himself and subduing his body to his spirit for the sake of this union with Christ in perfection. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, beginning in verse 24 he writes:
- 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain [it].
- 25 And everyone who competes [for the prize] is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a perishable crown, but we [for] an imperishable [crown].
- 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as [one who] beats the air.
- 27 But I discipline my body and bring [it] into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
C) Thus for St. Paul the bringing of his body into subjection was his struggle to not allow his body, with its weaknesses, to overrule his spirit and to take him away from Christ.
D) From: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting#Eastern_Orthodoxy_.26_Eastern_Catholicism)
For Eastern Orthodox Christians, fasting is an important spiritual discipline, found in both the Old Testament and the New, and is tied to the principle in Orthodox theology of the synergy between the body (Greek: soma) and the soul (pnevma). That is to say, Orthodox Christians do not see a dichotomy between the body and the soul but rather consider them as a united whole, and they believe that what happens to one affects the other (this is known as the psychosomatic union between the body and the soul).[13][14] Saint Gregory Palamas argued that man’s body is not an enemy but a partner and collaborator with the soul. Christ, by taking a human body at the Incarnation, has made the flesh an inexhaustible source of sanctification.[15] This same concept is also found in the much earlier homilies of Saint Macarius the Great.
Fasting can take up a significant portion of the calendar year. The purpose of fasting is not to suffer, but according to Sacred Tradition to guard against gluttony and impure thoughts, deeds and words.[16] Fasting must always be accompanied by increased prayer and almsgiving (donating to a local charity, or directly to the poor, depending on circumstances). To engage in fasting without them is considered useless or even spiritually harmful.[13] To repent of one’s sins and to reach out in love to others is part and parcel of true fasting.
II. What do we fast from?
This can be somewhat difficult to understand at first, because specific days on the Liturgical Calendar call for different degrees of severity in fasting.
1) The first “level”, if we may call it that, of fasting is when we abstain from all meats, excluding fish.
2) The second level of difficulty is when not only meats are absent but dairy and eggs are cut out of the diet as well but fish and olive oil are still permitted.
3) The third level is when fish as well as the other foods in the above numbers 1 and 2 is cut out.
3) The last level is when all three of the previous levels are in force but as well now, olive oil is taken out of the diet.
With the question of oil there are some differences of understanding as to whether this implies solely the fasting from olive oil or whether this includes all oil in food, thereby greatly increasing the difficulty of the fast. This may seem to be very trivial but it is not when one begins to understand the importance of olive oil in the culture of Jesus and the cultures of the Mediterranean World to whom the taking out of olive oil from the diet was not a small matter. I would go further and add the extremely beneficial properties of olive oil in the diet and elsewhere as has been shown forth in our own day and time and in fact scientific studies have been conducted which further verify this. Fats, nutrients and other benefits are provided by olive oil that are not in other oils.
Shellfish which includes shrimp, oysters, clams, etc. are allowed as they are not considered “meat” or “fish”.
III. Fasting Days and Periods
There are four major periods of fasting in the Church year. Bear in mind that the Church year begins September 1. But not to be too confusing, we will speak of the four fasts throughout the year beginning with the new year everyone will be familiar with.
1) The first fast, which is the greatest, most severe and most solemn fast is that one which begins with the beginning of Great and Holy Lent.
In the week before Great Lent the Church prescribes a meat fast in which all meats, excluding fish, are cut out of the diet. Beginning with Clean Monday, the Fast enters full swing at its most severe. A pious practice kept by many is to fast entirely from all food for the first three days of Great Lent until after the Pre Sanctified Liturgy on Wednesday evening after taking Communion. The Fast continues for forty days leading into Holy Week. During Holy week, the Church continues fasting until the following Sunday when Pascha, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated. All in all, this Fast, when including the week prior to Great Lent where meats are cut out of the diet, and including Holy Week before Pascha, is fifty-five days during which two days marking Feasts, fish is eaten.
2) The second fast is the Apostles Fast which varies in duration according to when Pascha is celebrated.(we won’t go into the rules tonight which govern when Pascha is celebrated nor will we go into the differences between the New and the Old Calendar-these are topics for other evenings and would only confuse those listening to tonight’s program further!) Just to mention, we, your hosts are on the New Calendar. We are not of the opinion that the Calendar Question is of no importance, however. But again, for the sake of the subject matter of this evening’s program, we will not speak of this important issue. It is a less severe fast in that many more days allow the eating of fish and olive oil.
3) The third fast is the Dormition Fast which is a two week fast begun August 1 each year. It is as severe as Great Lent in its rules but of much shorter duration.
4) The last fast of the year is the Nativity Fast which is begun in the third week of November on the New Calendar. This Fast is forty days long and ends on Christmas Day, or the Nativity. It is of approximately the same difficulty as the Apostles Fast in that many more days are given for the eating of fish and olive oil when compared to Great Lent and the Dormition Fast.
Now apart from these four fasting periods, the Church fasts on Wednesdays and Fridays each week. There are weeks with exceptions to this as well which are known as “Fast Free” weeks, weeks which either follow or precede some of the four major fasting periods.
Wednesdays the Church fasts in remembrance of the betrayal of the Lord by Judas and Fridays in remembrance of the Crucifixion of the Lord.
IV. Fasting Authority (Scriptural references)
These references are either to the Lord Himself fasting, and by our desire to put on Christ we imitate Him or they are His teachings on fasting. He never speaks of fasting as an option but states in His teaching, “When you fast…”, never “If you fast…”
There are some scriptural references provided that are from the Apostle Paul as well.
Matt. 4:2-And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
6:16-”Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6:18-so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who [is] in the secret [place]; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
9:14 & 15-Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, [fn] but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.,
17:21-However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Luke 2:37-and this woman [was] a widow of about eighty-four years, [fn] who did not depart from the temple, but served [God] with fastings and prayers night and day.
Acts 10:30-So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour [fn] I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
13:2 & 3-As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
1 Cor. 7:5- Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
2 Cor. 6:5-in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;
V. Why Fast?
A) Begin with question: “Why am I in the Church? The Church is the Hospital and we quote the Lord in Matt. 9:12-13 “Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy abd sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
If we think we are well already, what are we doing in the Church? The Church has been set up by God for a broken world to enter into and be healed.
As such the Church is perfect and Her medicine is potent onto this Day and Age to heal those who come to Her and in faith receive the medicine which She dispenses through Her Mysteries or Sacraments.
We also fast to strip ourselves of our dependence upon ourselves for when the body hungers and we wish to abstain this calls us to act with the will against this desire. To our aid comes increased prayer and calls of help to God to aid us in our struggle to maintain the fast.
The flesh is voracious and can never be satisfied for long. This is tied into our sojourning as pilgrims in the Fallen world under whose sway is the Evil One. Our bodies are also corrupting and dying until the separation occurs at death for us between the material and immaterial aspects of our persons.
B) Following is from: http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/onfasting.aspx )
Our Saviour, the Apostles and Fathers all fasted the physical fast as well as the spiritual fast. When man partakes of the glory of God, he does not partake of it in the spirit only, but physically also in a complete sense. When one praises God, he does not praise Him only in the Spirit, but with physical voice also in chant and prayer. When one worships God, he does not worship him noetically only but physically also the body participating by standing in prayer, by making prostrations and using the fingers and hand to seal itself with the sign of the Cross. When one communicates God, he does not communicate in spirit only but eats the very Body and drinks the very Blood of the Lord unto healing of soul and body. Thus one praises God and is united with God not in part, but completely as one whole soul and body. When one labors in virtue, one labors not only noetically but physically also, even unto blood, in order not to deny our Saviour. Our Holy Martyrs did not witness just by words and thought, resisting evil in their hearts and minds, but gave their bodies up to torments and their heals to be cut off, that they might remain with our Saviour. Thus, since we are not just spirits, but “wear flesh and live in the world,” we cannot possibly fast spiritually only and not fast physically also. There is a unity and interaction between the body and the soul. They cannot be separated while we are still in the body. In the Ladder of Divine Ascent, St. John writes “Satiety of food is the father of fornication; an empty stomach is the mother of purity.” He who always keeps his stomach full and he who fasts know the strength of this saying. (from http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/onfasting.aspx )
As Father Patrick Henry Reardon says in one of his homilies, the period of Great Lent with its fasting and greatly multiplied Divine Services can be thought of as “spring training” for athletic teams which although one trains on one of these teams all year round, there are concentrated times of training which are greater in intensity and focus.
C) We also fast as to more ably equip ourselves for the warfare against the fallen powers of this present age which seek the destruction of our souls. The practice of fasting also makes us ever more vigilant for the awaiting of the Lord’s Second Coming. Prior to His Second Coming there will be a great rise in satanic power and we are warned that this period prior to His return will be preceded with the advent of a figure the Holy Scriptures call the Anti-Christ. This figure will be one who is the most energized by Satan himself and who will wield great power and influence on many innumerable subtle levels. Fasting and all the spiritual disciplines of the Church are given to us to use as tools in our battle against satanic powers and principalities with whom we contend.
VI. Where do I begin?
A) From: http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/fasting_principles.aspx)
One quickly finds in Orthodoxy today that, when it comes to the more minor or secondary rules for practicing any given fast, there are a lot of different opinions as to what is proper practice. This can be quite confusing for the zealous convert. As in all things Orthodox, one must endeavor to walk the Royal Way of moderation, neither rigidly adhering to the law—and judging those who do not—nor modifying it to suit one’s taste (all in the name of “oikonomia”).
B) It is wise and we would have to say mandatory to take on spiritual disciplines such as fasting with the guidance of a spiritual father as with anything, lack of guidance can quickly lead one to very dangerous places in the spiritual realm as well as physical, emotional and psychic dangers.
We are never as wise as we think ourselves to be and an outside perspective on oneself is as a mirror, helping us to see.
Other factors that must be considered to determine how severe one will fast include but are not limited to: our health, our occupations, i.e. how much physical labor is called on by our jobs, whether we are traveling and many other factors which again it is wise to discuss with ones spiritual father.
We would advise to be as hard as possible on one’s self but to realize that just as not everyone can run the marathon, those that do run the marathon train to accomplish this specific goal. In like manner one should understand the goal of fasting and strive to the best of ones ability to strive to attain that mark to the best of one’s ability. Ones proficiency and understanding of ones own physical and spiritual nature will grow with successive practice and struggle in this area as well as all areas of the spiritual life. We should endeavor to study ourselves and learn from what we study in ourselves.
We must also once again stress that fasting is not solely a physical discipline but a spiritual one in which we fast from evil simultaneously with the physical fast. Fasting is the negative aspect and the positive aspect is the increased practice of virtue through prayer, almsgiving, good works, the stopping of evil thoughts in our minds before they enter our hearts and if they do enter our hearts the rooting out of these evils.
VII. Warnings and Encouragements from personal experience
As spoken above in Section A. 1. , we mentioned that fasting can enter dangerous territory when divorced from our intent to love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Fasting is an exercise and as such can be developed, honed , practiced and “perfected”. Much like for me, when I pick up a barbell and do curls, my arms become fatigued as I continue the exercise. Now, if I pay attention, not only will my arms be getting tired, but I also will notice what my mind is telling me during the fatigue. A foolish workout will be when I exceed the capabilities of my body and actually hurt it, thereby rendering it useless for nought. I will have held the barbell past the wise point of doing so and will continue lifting for the sake of lifting, thereby losing sight of my original intent in exercising to promote the overall health of my body.
In like manner I must fast. I should attempt to not remain long in that area of thinking that I fast simply to make it an end in itself. During long fasts and even for those with less experience, the state of our person will change and often. Many conflicting messages will be brought to our attention if we look to study ourselves. This is to the good as this is one of the things fasting is supposed to do. It will bring to the surface many things that are hidden otherwise when we are always well fed. When always well fed our spiritual and bodily senses are dumbed down and “drugged”. When we fast properly, and this entails that during a fast we pay attention to ourselves and study ourselves, we quickly learn that ideas about ourselves as being overall nice people are shot down and a more realistic picture of what it is in us that needs healing by the Lord comes up to the surface which otherwise would remain submerged without the fasting.
So, this means that yes, temptations to get irritable, angry, short will be much more pronounced.
Our bodies will be begging us to give in to the cravings it brings to our attention in very tantalizing forms. Through this we will begin to understand how sin operates and how given over to it we truly are and how profoundly we must ask for the Lord to have mercy on us in spite of us. And having come to the awareness of the need for His mercy we will also recognize more clearly the plight of our fellow man and the distress of the entire fallen creation awaiting the Lord’s return. We will gain in compassion and love for our neighbor and in our neighbor we will see ourselves.
It is a spiritual challenge to force oneself to forgo worldly possession in order to become closer to God.
This is a blog I wrote back on Myspace before Pascha this year and I wanted to share it with some people who haven’t read it yet. I’d love to get some feedback on it.
Its not often that I am up all night because I am pondering something from Church, but tonight is one of those rare exceptions.
Before I go on and explain why I am posting this blog, let me explain what’s been going on. Most of you know that I am Eastern Orthodox (Greek Orthodox) and that this is our Holy Week and Pascha(Easter) this week. Well throughout the week we have had Presanctified Liturgy every morning and Bridegroom Matins every evening. Matins are usually morning services so during Holy Week, when they are served, they are actually representing the following day. So while last night was Thursday, we celebrated Holy (Good) Friday’s Matins. Hence the title of the blog.
Now there is something very important about that particular Matins. It is the comprised of 12 Gospel readings, that detail and outline essentially the betrayal of Judas, Christ’s arrest, torture and crucifixion. Throughout the various readings, we, as the choir, sing about those events in what is known as Antiphons and Odes. It is these Gospel readings mixed in with these various chants that actually create a good chunk of the feelings comprised here.
About halfway through the service, Fr. John, had to carry the cross (which is literally a giant cross with Jesus on it) to the middle of the church to basically re-emulate the actual events that occurred 2000 years ago.
It is really difficult for me to explain much other then you really had to be there, but the whole service itself actually brought tears to my eyes. The fact that, we as people, could be so cruel to a man and that we as people could cause a man so much pain when that man, the Son of Man, God Incarnate, “who camest to the world to fillest all things.” It hurts my heart and soul that we put Christ through that kind of pain. When I say we, I mean humanity. Whether you are a believer or non-believer of God, Christianity, etc…it hurts to know that as a human race, we would put people through such pain. It makes me think about all the other ways we hurt one another and how we treat one another. The Jews wanted salvation through violence. They wanted their Messiah to come and destroy the Romans. Instead He came and told them to love one another as He has loved them. He told them to love their enemies and to love each other. Yet, the people were greedy. They were happy that their savior had come for them but wanted him to do more.
In the Divine Liturgy, we sing a chant known as the Cherubikon or Cherubic Hymn. This particular chant is sung as the priest presents the Diskos (or chalice) for which Communion will be prepared. In this chant are the words “Let us set aside all earthly cares. That we may recieve the King of all.” These words hold that the people of 2000 years ago not only disregarded the King of all, but also held onto their earthly cares.
They held onto their earthly cares so much that they let God made man, who loved and cared for His creation so much that He gave His only begotten Son, to them and they took that gift and spat on it.
It is painful that we as people would do that. Regardless of our own personal beliefs, I see this every day when we murder one another for stupid earthly necesities. We kill one another because of our short fallings as men and women. We cause hate and hurt with one another because we lack maturity and love.
I am perfectly aware that I trailed off and merely through composed alot of this, but this does have an end point. What Christ went through for our sins was very bold and powerful. I urge everyone, whether a Christian, Pagan, Muslim, Jew, Agnostic, Athetist, etc… to take some time to read the sections of the Gospels where it explains Christ’s Passion. To take the time to understand that we, as people, are so cruel to one another and need to love one another. To not deliberatly hurt one another because we are jealous, angry, sad, distressed. To not kill our fellow man because of crimes commited but to see that they learn through love and compassion and that we may better our fallen society. The fallen society which we have no ownership over but that we are given for chance at redemption.
I leave with saying, “Lord. Jesus Christ. Have Mercy upon me, a sinner. Lord. Jesus Christ. Have Mercy upon me, a sinner. Lord. Jesus Christ. Have Mercy upon me, a sinner. By Thy Resurrection grant peace to the Church and salvation to Thy people!”
Amen.