St. John's on the Hill

Discernment

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:51:00 +0000

A strange thing happened to me the other day, well, sadly, it is something that really isn't all that strange....

I had stopped to get gas for my car. As I stood and waited for the pump to fill my car, I noticed that another gentleman who was filling his car on the other side of the pump I was on began to stroll around the area where we were. His strolling eventually took him over to where the air and vacuum machines were. Needing air in my tires, I hoped he would soon return to his car. Alas, this was not the case.

As I began t take the caps off of the valve stems of my tires, the man approached me and made a comment about having to pay for the air for my tires. (It was .75 cents). I smiled and said that I was in a hurry and did not want to run into the store to be able to get the air for free. The man, a total stranger, then began a tirade of explicatives and racial epitaphs against the people who ran the store.

Now, you may think, and rightly so, how terrible it was for someone to just come out and say things like that to another person, especially a stranger. However, I feel that the greater sadness here is that this person saw nothing wrong with how he was speaking. He saw nothing wrong with judging a person based on their race. He saw nothing wrong with using words that would make most of us cringe. Now, I am not naive, no will I sit here and type that I have never sworn of judged another person. I do not want God to strike me down for lying!!! But....I can say that when I have done those things I have known they were wrong and usually done out of anger or frustration. The very sad point here is that this man felt and spoke like this as if were normal.

I think maybe one of the harder things that is asked of us as Christians is to recognize when we sin. In a world that has certainly lost its moral compass, there doesn't ever seem to be much that is "wrong" or "off limits". Therefore it can be hard some times to know when our behavior has moved away from the path of salvation. This can most especially be true with our children.

So, how do we fix this? The simple answer is to practice a spiritual life, that is, a life of prayer, fasting and worship. If all we see and hear is the sinfulness of this world, then this is what we will imitate. If however, we try to balance or overcome the sinfulness of this world with words of prayer, sounds of Liturgy and the discipline of fasting, then we can distinguish between what is right or wrong. We may not always make the right choice, but when we make the wrong one, we will, without a doubt, know it.

An Olympic ending

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:20:00 +0000

Well, the winter Olympics came to a spectacular conclusion this past weekend. The pageantry of the opening and closing ceremonies always amazes me. What also amazes me is the effort put in by the athletes. It is hard to imagine spending four years of your life training for shot at the Olympic games. Not to mention that most events are over in a matter of seconds or minutes.

I would imagine it is safe to says the all of the athletes, medalists and non-medalists alike, find themselves changed by the event and by the training. Most, if not all, of those athletes are different people by the time the games come to a close.

I think that in many ways, Great Lent is much the same. Lent is almost like a training ground. It is the training to make us ready to celebrate Pascha, that moment of the Resurrection of Christ. The same way that Olympic athletes train four years for that spit second of competition, we train 40 days for that split moment when we see the church clothed in white, the bells ringing and the refrains of "Christ is Risen" filling the Church.

The challenge of all of this is that we too must find ourselves changed by this "olympic" event. We cannot allow ourselves to go through Lent, the additional services, the added prayer life, the adult education opportunities and not be changed. We cannot experience the beauty and majesty of the Resurrection of Christ and not be changed. If we do, then we have not truly put in any effort into the Lenten season.

Certainly, we can go through Great Lent as we go through the rest of the year, doing whatever it is we want to do. Or, we can make a truly Olympic effort in our Lenten journey and experience what the true joy and meaning of Pascha really is. God give each of us the strength to shoot for the gold medal of prayer, fasting and worship as we journey towards the Resurrection of Christ.

Bringing Haiti Home

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:56:00 +0000

We all remember the devastating earthquake that rocked the nation of Haiti a few weeks ago. And while the appeals for help have faded and the news stations have moved on to to what they consider more important or relevant information, we must remember that our help, financial, physical and spiritual, is still needed. And not only in Haiti, but in other areas of the world.

One of the hardest things sometimes to do is to put a face on a need. Certainly the pictures of the devastation in Haiti were effective in helping us to realize how terrible the earthquake must have been. But I think the above pictures tells an even more compelling story, because it tells the story of humanity.

The contrast of the pictures above of the destruction of the earthquake against an Orthodox community receiving the Body and Blood of Christ can be seen as a story of our Christian life. Original sin destroyed our relationship with God. It broke down that bond with God that we were created to have. It was a devastating event for humanity.

But, with the advent of Jesus Christ, His death and Resurrection, that relationship, that bond is offered to us once again, most notably in the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ. Just as the overwhelming donations and the thousands of volunteer hours will rebuild this poor nation, so too, our spiritual life rebuilds our relationship with God.

There is no better time to concentrate our efforts on this rebuilding that during this Lenten season. Let us take advantage of the things that are offered to us: Confession, Communion, Lenten Services, Additional Prayers, Alms-giving, to reestablish that bond that we were meant to have with God.

We here at St. John's made a sizable donation of funds and necessities to help with Haiti. If you were unable to contribute as of yet, do so now. And all of us, as part of our Lenten effort, should continue to remember the people of Haiti, and most notably, the Orthodox Mission churches there, in our prayers. Let us pray for them every day of Great Lent that God will give them the strength and courage to completely recover from this terrible event.

For more information on the Orthodox Church in Haiti, please click here or here.

What is in an Apology?

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0000

I wasn't sure that I really wanted to write about this, but it seems that I cannot get past the "apology" of Tiger Woods. We all know what he did, you can't really escape it. And I don't necessarily want to talk about the quality or lack thereof in his apology. But what I do want to talk about is why?

I find it entirely ironic that a society that willingly accepts and even promotes behavior from its celebrities, sports stars and music stars that most of us consider wrong (at best) and downright horrible (at worst), would feel that it is owed an apology from this man. Is it because we allowed him to make so much money? Is it because we made him a star? Why is it that a society that is essentially devoid of God and bristles at the notion of "right" and "wrong" feels itself so wronged by what he did?

There may not be a really good answers to these questions but I think there is a lesson for us to learn here. Christ says in scripture that we must not be concerned about the sliver of wood in our neighbor's eye when we have a log in our own eye. During our Lenten journey we are called to introspection, of looking within ourselves, at our thoughts and desires, and seeing them for what they truly are. We are not called to do that to others. As we saw in the story of Ham, we are called to look away from the sins and faults of others.

The media certainly did not look away this past week, nor did most of society. I think that if we could be half as concerned about our own actions as so many were about the actions of a man who is essentially a stranger, we might truly begin to practice introspection. Perhaps the media frenzy that was Tiger's apology was a wake up call for us to refocus our own attention and get back to the work of Lent: prayers, fasting, humility and repentance.

If there is an apology to be concerned about, it should be ours to God in contrite humility at our confession.

Compunction

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:59:00 +0000

Last night in the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, one word keep coming up over and over: compunction. The dictionary tells us that compunction means a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain.

What a powerful word to contemplate during our Lenten struggle. Often during Lent we tend to focus on the ideas of repentance and confession. We sometimes see them as obligations that are necessary for the Lenten season. But what the Church tries to teach us is that repentance is not so much and obligation as it is a way of life.

Think about the definition above. When was the last time that you felt uneasy or had anxiety over something you had done that you knew was wrong or that hurt someone? Surely we are uneasy over many things: paying our bills, our jobs, or family and more. But have we ever taken the time to see how or words, our deeds, our actions affect those around us.

I think the reason that St. Andrew uses the term compunction so often is that compunction is a necessary component of repentance. We cannot truly repent of something unless we see and understand how it was wrong or hurt others. And we certainly can't be repentant over it if it doesn't bother us. In that case our confession is not truly a confession, but simply an act that we perform. And most importantly, if we don't truly repent, we cannot be forgiven.

This Lenten season let us struggle and work for the tears of compunction that St. Andrew speaks of. Let these truly show us the path to true repentance and therefore true forgiveness. Let us truly live and spiritual life and not just act out a spiritual life.

Ham, the son of Noah

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0000

In today's service of the Great Canon, there is a verse that mentions Ham, one of the three sons of Noah. The verse in the service says:

You have imitated Ham, that spurner of his father, my soul. You have not concealed your neighbor's shame by returning to him looking backwards.

I do not know how many are familiar with this story from the life of Noah and his sons. After the flood, Noah became a tiller of the soil and planted a vineyard. When it was harvested and made into wine, Noah drank and became drunk and lay in his tent naked. Ham, seeing his father, went and told his brothers. His brothers then came and, walking backwards as not to see their father in his moment of weakness, covered him. When Noah woke and found out what Ham had done, he cursed Ham and Ham's son Canaan.

There is a lesson her for us, one about judgement I think. St. Andrew says that our soul had imitated Ham in that we have not concealed our neighbor's shame. Most of us do our best to stay away from judging others, but often times we fall to this sins without even realizing, much as Ham fell to his sin. When we say or hear things such as "Well, I really didn't want to say anything but..." or "Well you know it is the truth..." we can be sure that we are falling into judging others, and sadly, trying to justify it.

We are told to return to our neighbor backwards, concealing his shame. So what does this mean? It tells us that when we see the faults or failings of those around us, we are not to comment on them, or point them out. We are called to turn our eyes away from them so as not to highlight their shame. This is the beginning of humility and a lesson that is hard earned but one that is vital to our Lenten experience and our spiritual life as a whole.

God give us the strength to be like Shem and Japheth, Noah's other sons, and turn our eyes from the sinfulness of others, simply embracing and loving them as fellow travelers on the path of salvation and eternal life.

Clean Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0000

It is interesting that during this first week of Great Lent, the world is watching a sporting spectacle that only happens every four years, the Winter Olympic Games. It is hard not to get caught up in the spirit of competition, the effort to achieve greatness and national pride. While we watch or read about the spectacular achievements and the stunning disappointments that these games bring, we can be reminded of the effort that is asked of us during this penitential season.

St. Paul in his Epistles often compares the Christian life and its struggle to the athletic struggle. The ancient Olympic games were a part of the culture that the Church developed in and that St. Paul and the Apostles lived in. In his first Epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul says that in a race, all runners compete but only one receives the prize. He then encourages the Christians of Corinth to run the race, not to receive a perishable wreath, but an imperishable one, that is, salvation and eternal life.

Perhaps one of St. Paul's most famous passages also refers to athletic competition. He says near the end of his second Epistle to Timothy, speaking about his impending martyrdom, that he has "...I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Olympic athletes are expected to train and sacrifice and give their best effort in competition. As we can see from St. Paul, we are expected to do the same in our spiritual lives. The Lenten season gives us the opportunity to make this effort. Great Lent is a 40 day race, a 40 day fight in which we are asked to keep the faith through prayer and fasting. It is an exciting opportunity that we are given. God give us the strength and courage to embrace this opportunity and make the most of this moment. Just as the athletes do, let us seize the moment.

Great Lent 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Well, it has been a long time since I have posted to this blog. I guess in a sense, coming back to it at the start of Great Lent is a little but of what the Lenten season is all about...that is...getting back to the things that are important.

There are so many aspects to Great Lent that sometimes it may seem difficult to know exactly where to start or even what to concentrate on. However, I think the simple idea of getting back to what is important is a great start.

So...what is important to you? It is an interesting question to ask yourself. It is especially interesting if you give yourself an honest answer. If we could take a moment and step back from our every day lives and watch ourselves go through our daily routine, we might be surprised by what we see. I would hazard a guess that for most of us, the thoughts of God, prayer and spiritual life will not be things that we see. This is not an accusation, but simply a necessary thing for us to do as we begin this Lenten journey. The first step in a successful Lenten journey is being able to acknowledge our spiritual shortcomings and making the decision to overcome them.

One of the stichera from the Vespers of Forgiveness Sunday say: "Let us set out with joy upon the season of the Fast and prepare ourselves for spiritual combat. Let us purify our soul and cleanse our flesh, and as we fast from food, let us also abstain from every passion..."

What powerful words to keep in our hearts as we begin our own season of the Fast. It is with these words of encouragement that we can truly examine our lives, see where we fall short of what God hopes for us and begin to make the most of this Great Lent, purifying our soul, cleansing our flesh, and as the above stichera concludes "...be counted worthy to see the solemn Passion of Christ our God, and with great spiritual gladness to behold His holy Passover."

A blessed and beneficial Lenten season to each and every one of us.

CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN!

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:17:00 +0000

As we come to the mid point of Bright Week, I must apologize for not blogging for so long. As can be imagined, Holy Week and Pascha are a busy time. But in any event, we now revel in the joy and glory that is the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bishop's Archpastoral letter for this Pascha talked about a beautiful concept, the concept of Divine Friendship and human recognition. The idea is that if we can keep the idea of friendship with God in our hearts, it will become easier for us to recognize God in the world around us, especially in the people that we deal with. This is one of the great challenges of the Christian life, to see and recognize, however hidden it may be, the image and likeness of God in those around us, and to nurture that image and likeness.

During the reading of the 12 Passion Gospels, at one point Jesus says to his disciples that He speaks to them plainly now because they are His friends. As we listened to those Gospels, as we witnessed the Passion of our Lord, as we stood beneath His Cross and He looked up to heaven and said "Father, forgive them for them know not what they do", we too have become friends of Jesus Christ. And as friends, we recognize Him not only in the joy of this Resurrection, but in all the world around.

In Pascha, all things have been made new, all things have been redeemed, all things now rejoice. Christ is Risen and death is overthrown, the demons are fallen, the angels rejoice and life reigns.* Let our hearts burn as the hearts of Cleopas and Luke burned as they talked with the Risen Lord on the road to Emmaus for Christ being risen from the dead has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.*

* Taken from the Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom

Passion Week Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:53:00 +0000

Last night we celebrated the second to the last Pre-Sanctified of this Lenten season. I know it seems silly to mark that occasion, but it always encourages me when we get to the "last" of certain services as we approach Pascha. last Friday we celebrated the last Paraklis service, a beloved service and a favorite of mine, but its end marks the final march to the Resurrection of our Lord.

These first two days of Holy Week speak to us about watchfulness and preparedness. On Monday and Tuesday evening, in the Gospels at Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, our Lord speaks plainly to his disciples about what is to come to pass. He explains to them the need to be ready for what lies ahead. And He speaks to them about things that are going to take place shortly and also about this that have yet to come to pass, things that we still wait for today.

It is a powerful message as we begin this journey of Holy Week to the Resurrection of Christ. This week is like a microcosm of our entire life. We are called to a lifetime of repentance, a lifetime of watchfulness, a lifetime of preparation for those things that Christ speaks about: The tribulations to come and His final coming in glory.

Yes, Holy Week is a preparation for celebrating Pascha but it is also a preparation for our life, a life in Christ, a life in the Risen Lord. Let us learn from these lessons placed before us each day this week and in so doing, let us embrace this life, a life that leads to salvation and the kingdom of heaven.

Lights, Camera, ACTION

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:44:00 +0000

We have talked repeatedly about the fact that prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the pillars by which we sustain a good and focused Lenten effort as well as a good and focused spiritual life. These three good works call us to action in our lives, they call us to be active.

I am sure we can all agree that we each lead active, if not frenzied lives. One of the goals of the Lenten season is to take a moment to look at our lives, look at the action in our lives and see if that action is worthy of God, worthy of salvation. How often are our actions needless, inconsequential or even selfish? Have we allowed the frenetic pace of society to cause us to simply do things without thinking? On the other hand, does this mean that anything that we do that is not directly related to God is bad? Of course not.

The key here is that what we do is not as important as how we do it, assuming what we do is not sinful. If we make God a part of our daily life then our everyday activities become infused with God and with holiness. If we live a life full of the love of God then our actions, in their many forms, become worthy of God. In essence, we are called to do all things for the glory of God. This is action of which we can be assured will benefit us, will bring us closer to God. This is action that will do more than provide a meaningful Lenten season for us, this is action that will transform our lives and show us the path of salvation.

The Good News

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:24:00 +0000

Yesterday, on the Julian Calendar, we celebrated the Annunciation of the Mother of God. This Feast day commemorates the announcement by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she is to become the Mother of God.

The fact that this Feast usually falls during the season of Lent holds special significance for us. Certainly we see and understand that the Feast must occur now, nine months prior to the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord. However, the fact that it occurs during these days of ascetic struggle is equally important.

As we come near the end of our Lenten journey, the temptations will certainly increase for us. As we get closer to the moment of celebrating Christ's victory over death, the devil desperately wants to dampen that celebration with sin. The Annunciation of the Mother of God becomes a way point for us, a safe harbor in this storm of temptation. We see in this Feast the promise of salvation and the we realize that the moment that we have been preparing for, Pascha, has at this moment become a reality.

As the Tropar of the Feast says to us: Today is the beginning of our salvation and the revelation of the mystery that was planned from all eternity. Let us celebrate this reality and embrace it and allow it to help us and lift us up in these concluding days of Great Lent. As Moses says in one of the Old Testament readings for the Feast, as he beholds a bush burning but not being consumed: I will now turn aside and see this great sight. Let us turn aside from this world and behold the sight of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

But I have prayed for you

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Tonight, at our Adult Education class, we concluded the class with a look at the following Gospel passage:

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren.” And he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” He said, “I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you three times deny that you know me.” Luke 22:31-34

While we are used to hearing about the moment when Peter denied our Lord three times, especially during Holy Week, we don't necessarily hear the passage in full as quoted above. It is a very powerful passage as it speaks to the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and to His ability to see what was to come.

In some ways, it is as if He is talking to us today, telling us that He has prayed for us that our faith may not fail. I think we often feel that our faith has failed when we give in to temptation, but isn't that exactly what Peter did, give in to temptation? And yet, in the end he returned to Christ and gave strength to those around him.

Every time we realize our sinfulness, every time we ask forgiveness or apologize, every time we go to confession, it is God praying for us, strengthening us. When we do these things our faith has not failed, but it has strengthened through God's infinite mercy and love. While we may fall to temptation, while the passions may get the best of us, if we repent, we become stronger and we grow closer to God.

May God give each of us the courage to be sorry, the courage to repent. May we grow strong in our faith and our relationship to God.

Run the good race

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:30:00 +0000

As we come to the midpoint of the fifth week of our Lenten journey, it is important for us to "keep our eye on the prize" as they say. In a short time we will once again celebrate the triumphal entry of our Lord into Jerusalem and begin our solemn walk with our Lord through His passion, death and resurrection.

It is now that we must remain vigilant, now that we must remain alert. We must not become complacent concerning the good spiritual work we have done so far. We must keep to it, working harder and harder each day. Already we can see, off in the distance, the Cross of our Lord on the hill of Golgatha. It is that prize that we must remain fixed on.

On goal has not been reached. We have not yet come to the end of our travel. It is close, to be sure, but the true reward comes on that Holy Saturday evening when we shout "Christ is Risen!" Then we will know that we have done our part, if we can shout that greeting with sincerity and a new found understanding of Jesus Christ and the mystery of His Resurrection.

This is what the fast offers us. The is what is just beyond our reach right now. God bless us with success these final days of the fast and bring us to His glorious triumph over death.

The Ladder of Divine Ascent

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:19:00 +0000

Yesterday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, we remembered St. John Climacus,a a great monastic of the Orthodox Church. On of his most important works was his book "The Ladder of Divine Ascent". This powerful writing speaks to us about the steps of the spiritual life, and how easy it is to fall away from the path of righteousness. It can be a difficult book to read and understand, especially if we are just starting out on our spiritual journey. But no matter what level we are at spiritually, there are certainly aspects of the book that we can all use at any time.

In his book, St. John shows the spiritual life as a ladder reaching to heaven. The ladder is composed of 30 rungs, one for each year of the hidden life of Jesus Christ. The first rung, the first step on this ladder, St. John tells us, is the turning of our backs to this world. Sounds a bit harsh, doesn't to? In a monastic setting this is certainly the goal, but can we have the same goal outside of a monastic setting? Without a doubt!

For us outside of the monastic life, turning our backs on this world means, in essence, turning our backs on ourselves. In society today, we are encouraged to always put ourselves first, seeking what we want, as opposed to what we need. Our world is a world that values pride, arrogance and self-love.

St. John tells that the the first step in the path to the kingdom of heaven is to reject these passion of this world and instead, search for humility and repentance. Our "feelings" and our "rights" have to be replaced by the love of God. Sadly, we even let this pride and ego often flow into the Church: "Liturgy too long", "Church is too far away"; "It is too hot/cold"; "We have other commitments". When we decide that the Church, that Jesus Christ, the salvation are less important than us, then we have not even begun to walk the path of salvation.

I would like to end today with a quote from St. John's book concerning who is a wise and faithful Christian:

"It is the man who has kept unquenched the warmth of his vocation, who adds fire each day to fire, fervor to fervor, zeal to zeal, love to love, and this to the end of his life. This is the first step. Let him who has set foot on it never turn back.

Fastin with the whole body

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:02:00 +0000

Lastly, St. John tells us to fast with our hands and feet, with all parts of our bodies. Again, this concept is not a difficult one. Of we truly examine ourselves, I am certain there are times when we can see our hands and feet doing things that are contrary to the Word of God. But I would like to take this just a bit further.

Often times, people who are unfamiliar with Orthodox Iconography are put off by what they see as poor proportions and exaggerated proportions in an Icon. When we look at true Byzantine Iconography we see hands and feet that are much larger than they should be. Eyes and ears that seem to be too large, even elongated noses. We may ask ourselves why.

The answer is easy. The iconographers of the Church were not bad artists. They wrote, in their icons, a truth about Saints and about the human person. They wrote icons that showed the Saint transfigured, as they are in the Kingdom of heaven, as we strive to be here.

The hands are large because they do the work of God, not mischievous things. The feet are large because they walk the path of salvation and not the road to damnation. The eyes are big because they behold the Kingdom of Heaven and not the mundane things of this earth. The ears are large because they hear the angels sing the thrice holy hymn that is sung on high, not the dark sounds of this world. The nose is large because it smells the sweet smelling incense that burns at the Altar in heaven.

This is what we need to strive for, this is fasting with all parts of our body. God give us the strength to go out into this world while at the same time, living and experiencing the world that is to come.

Fasting with our ears

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:44:00 +0000

As we continue this look at fasting with our whole body, we come to our ears. St. John tells us that we must fast with our ears.

This is an easy one! We all know that dangers of gossip and judgment. We know that we are called to refrain from these things, yet it seems that these two sins almost always crop up in our lives, they are almost always a part of our confession.

While the understanding of what it means to fast with our ears is somewhat easy, to understand how to do this is a bit different. But isn't it this way with almost any sin. We know the difference between right and wrong. We know what is sinful and what is not. We certainly know what it good and righteous and what is not.

Sadly, as human beings, we have an infinite capacity to rationalize away our sins. We find every excuse for our sins, from our actions being just to our actions not really being sinful at all. We deceive ourselves on all accounts.

For the remainder of this Lenten season, let our hears hear the words of prayer, let our ears hear the thrice holy hymn that is sung on high, let our ears hear the still small voice of God. This is fasting with our ears.

Fasting with our eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:06:00 +0000

As we saw yesterday, St. John Chrysostom tells us that we have to fast with more than just our mouths, we must also fast with our whole bodies. He tells us first to fast with our eyes. So how do we fast with our eyes?

Think, look back over the past week. What have we looked at during the course of a day. As we "cruise" the Internet, where has our mouse taken us? When we interact with others at work or out and about, where do our eyes fall? What are we reading during this Lenten season? Spiritual books? The Bible? Have we used our eyes at all, even for a few moments, during this Lenten season for spiritual things?

These are just a small sample of the things that we must think about as we progress through Great Lent. Fasting from certain foods means nothing if we continue in our normal, sinful ways.

As Christians, our eyes should be ever heavenward. They should be looking for the salvation of our God. Our eyes should read the words of Scripture or other spiritual books along with our favorite novels. Our eyes should look for those we can lend a hand to. Our eyes should look for purpose, meaning and usefulness in the technologies that God has made available in this world.

In short, our eyes must look for the Kingdom of Heaven. The Church does not ask us to stop looking at the good and proper things of this world that we enjoy, but it does ask us to seek first God's Kingdom, then all things shall find their proper place.

True Fasting

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:12:00 +0000

All this week we are reminded that we have come to the midpoint of Great Lent. It is a milestone as such and an important time for us to look at our efforts, at our progress or lack thereof. But it is equally important to look at the quality and type of fasting we have done. Have we followed the guidelines set before us, or even a bit more? Have we been able to perhaps stay away from that one thing we gave up that we enjoy so much? Yet, in truth, there is much more to fasting that giving up food or pleasure.

St. John Chrysostom, in one of his homilies, tells us the following: "For a true fast, you cannot fast only with your mouth. You must fast with your eyes, your ears, your feet, your hands, and all parts of your body.

What powerful words for us during this Lenten struggle. If we have been truly making the effort to follow our fast over these last few weeks, we have certainly begun to see a change in our lives. No, with the power of fasting with us, we can begin to effect this change in our daily habits, of what we look at, of what we listen to, of where we go, of what we do. The Christian life is lived by our whole bodies, not simply by our minds or our hearts. We must fast, pray and worship with all of our being. Over the next few days we will examine each of these things in St. John's words more fully to help us understand the true nature of fasting. For today, let us try to pay attention and really understand what we do, what we say, what we hear and where we go.

The power of the Cross

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:17:00 +0000

This fourth week of Great Lent is imbued with the ideas, images and symbolism of the Cross. This past Sunday we saw the Cross placed in prominence in our Church and we bowed down to this same Cross as we will throughout this week. On one hand the Church gives us this Cross to strengthen us for the remainder of our Lenten journey, but there is more. The Church also uses the Cross to show us the possibility and power of transformation.

During the time of Jesus, the Cross was a hated thing. It was an instrument of torture and of death. It was something that was greatly feared. But with Christ's Death and Resurrection, the Cross has been transformed into something wholly and completely different. What was once despair and now turned into hope. What was once sorrow has been transformed into joy. What was once suffering has become happiness. What was once hatred has now turned into joy. What was once death has now become life.

In this same vain, we too can be transformed. Our Lenten journey gives us the opportunity to change our lives. It gives us the power to make ourselves different, better than we were, closer to God. For us, living a Christian life transforms us and remakes us once again in the image and likeness of God. Where once we had hatred, we have forgiveness. Where once we had anger, we now have joy. Where once we had judgment, we now have humility. Where once we had passions, we now have peace. Where once we had sins, we now have virtues. This is the powerful message of the Cross.

As we move into the second half of the Lenten season, let us take this Cross with us, holding it high and allowing the transforming power of it, and of our Lenten journey to transform us, to change us, to save us.

Sacrifice

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:56:00 +0000

Your Body and Blood, O Word, You have offered at Your crucifixion for the salvation of all: Your Body to refashion me, Your Blood to wash me clean; and You have given up Your spirit, O Christ, to bring me to the Father.

These words, taken from the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, offer a powerful reminder of why we find ourselves in the midst of Great Lent. The events of the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are so powerful that we must take the time to fully prepare ourselves to remember and to experience them each year.

Your Body to refashion me: Jesus Christ came to this earth as fully man and fully God. By doing so He showed us how we were meant to be, how we were meant to live. By offering His body on the Cross, His sinless Body, His perfect Body, He makes it possible for us to experience, even if only for a moment, what it must have been like in paradise. He allows us to be refashioned.

Your Blood to wash me clean: In His death He offers His precious and pure Blood as a means of cleansing us from our sins. His sacrifice, in the pouring out of His Blood on the Cross, washes from us sinfulness. It cleanses us and purifies us. Again, He makes it possible for us to experience, even if only for a moment, what it must have been like to reside in Eden forever, walking and talking with God.

and You have given up Your spirit, O Christ, to bring me to the Father: Jesus Christ's ultimate sacrifice of dying on that Cross, makes salvation possible. It is not a magical moment that throws open the gates of Paradise for everyone to simply enter. Rather, it is the possibility of the beginning of a journey, a lifetime of moving towards Christ and towards salvation. We must participate in that journey, doing the things we are doing now: fasting, prayer, alms giving. Most importantly, we must participate in this sacrifice as often as possible in the Holy Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ. Do not let this incredible sacrifice be in vain. Do not hold it up on a pedestal, only to be used once or twice a year.

This sacrifice of Jesus Christ was personal. It was for you, it was for me. Let our response be personal by partaking of this Body and Blood that was sacrificed for us at every opportunity we have. Let us embrace the opportunity to come close to God, to reach for salvation and to walk the path that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Darkness and Light

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:25:00 +0000

We talked a bit the other day about the fear of the Lord and its necessity for us as God's creatures. It in interesting to note that there are many instances when God is referred to in a sense of darkness instead of Light. We are, in some ways, conditioned to think of God as light. This is in part because of Jesus Christ, The Sun of Righteousness, and yes, I use Sun instead of Son on purpose as many hymnographers of the Church do. We don't often think of God or salvation in terms of darkness, but listen to the following:

Be watchful, O my soul, be full of courage like Jacob the great patriarch, that you may acquire action with knowledge, and be named Israel, "the mind that sees God"; so shall you reach by contemplation the innermost darkness, and gain great merchandise. Ode 157 St. Andrew's Canon

He bowed the heavens, and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub, and flew; he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering around him, his canopy thick clouds dark with water. Psalm 18:9-11

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

During Great Lent let us contemplate on a God who is, in his essence, beyond our comprehension and understanding. Let us set aside our preconceived notions about God and let us truly begin to put our faith and trust in God. Let us realize that we cannot contain God, or box Him in. We can simply open ourselves to Him, trusting that He will fill us with the indescribable knowledge of Him as much has we can take. Not being able to understand or completely know God may be scary, but remember, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Fear of the Lord

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:08:00 +0000

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Proverbs 9:10

This verse, taken from the scripture reading for today, speaks volumes for us during our Lenten journey. I think that one of the main reasons that we read from the book of Proverbs during this time is because of this idea, fear. The book of Proverbs speaks about fear throughout its entirety. In fact, the word fear occurs 20 times in Proverbs and all but one speak about the "fear of the Lord'. So what is this fear of the Lord?

In truth, we don't like to fear things. Oh, we liked to be scared by scary movies and things like that, but to truly fear something is uncomfortable for us. So this idea of fearing God is uncomfortable. There are those who will go so far as to say that it is not a correct teaching, that we should love God, our loving God, that there is no reason to fear Him.

I think Proverbs teaches us differently. The fear of the Lord is not that tingle of fear we get when we see that silly teenager get out of the car on a deserted road, even though they know no one is around. This is the fear of movies.

The fear of the Lord is reverence. It is a knowledge that God is the Creator of everything we see. It is the acceptance that all things exist through God. It is the understanding that there is judgement, salvation and damnation. The fear of the Lord then becomes reverent obedience that we express in humility and obedient submissiveness to God. As proverbs tells us: this is the beginning of wisdom. Why? Because this is also the beginning of salvation.

A slave to sinfulness

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:30:00 +0000

One of the most prominent themes of the Lenten season that we hear often in its hymns is the idea of our slavery to sin and the need for us to make an effort to overcome this slavery. Yesterday at the sermon during Divine Liturgy I spoke a bit about Moses and what he stood for. Most of us remember that he brought us the 10 commandments but sometimes we forget that he led Israel from the bonds of slavery to the promised land. We forget all of the things he accomplished and sacrificed so that his people could be free.

For us, today, Jesus Christ is our own Moses. It is the sacrifice of the Cross, the event for which we are preparing ourselves, that opens to us the promised land, the kingdom of heaven.

The Israelites understood their slavery. They felt it every day as the Egyptians lorded it over them. Today, we don't necessarily see or understand that we are slaves. We are unable, or even unwilling, to see the grip that sinfulness and the passions have on our lives. We are oblivious to the sinful way of life that has become the norm for us.

Our goal in this Lenten season is to be able to see and understand that we are sinful. We fast and we pray so that we can learn discernment, the ability to see how we truly live, to see ourselves how we truly are. As human beings we have an infinite capacity to rationalize away all of our thoughts, words and deeds, even the things that we don't do, but we should. We need to pray and to fast so that we can stop ignoring our own sinfulness and see it for what it is and begin making the effort to better our lives. The most dangerous thing we can do in our spiritual life is to decide that we are doing just fine, to stop making an effort to get closer to God. Then we are truly lost. Then we abandon all hope.

I ended my sermon yesterday with 5 points that I said were a road map for a successful Lenten season. I think they also make a fine road map for a successful spiritual life so I would like to share them again here:

1. Live simply.

2. Live generously.

3. Care deeply

4. Speak kindly

5. Leave the rest to God.

God bless you.

Sacrifice

noreply@blogger.com (Very Rev. Fr. David Cochran) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:04:00 +0000

There is perhaps no more poignant story in the Bible than that of Abraham's sacrifice of his son Issac.

After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; and he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:1-3)

We can only imagine the feelings that Abraham had as he heard these words from God, or can we? As we read this story we see that at no time did Abraham complain, at no time did he hesitate, at no time did he refuse to do what God had commanded him. Abraham accepted the will of God and did it:

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. (Genesis 22:9-10)

Would we have enough faith and trust in God to do as Abraham had? Do we have enough faith and trust in God to do the simple things that God commands us even today. Can we love our neighbor? Can we help those less fortunate that us? Can we have mercy, compassion and humility. These things pale in comparison to the command given to Abraham, yet while he willingly did the will of God, we most often rebel.

But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. (Genesis 22:11-13)

Abraham's fear of God and his faith in God enabled him to willingly obey God's commands. His reward was the sparing of his son and a blessing upon his and his descendants. Today, we rarely fear anything. In fact, society encourages us not to be afraid of anything. But the fear of the Lord is something that is necessary for our salvation and eternal life. We are commanded during this Lenten period to do certain things: fast, prayer, give alms, attend services. Lest us have the fear, the fear of judgment, and the faith, the faith of love, so that we too can be like Abraham and willingly do the things commanded us by God.