INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES

Great LentREFLECTIONS FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

The Sunday of OrthodoxyFIRST SUNDAY OF LENT

Bishop JOHN, Antiochian Orthodox Bishop of Worcester and New England,

IOCC Frontliner

“One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one Godand Father of all, who is above all, andthrough all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:5)

St. Paul calls us to recognize our God-given unity which is in Christ so that wecan share in this unity which is in Godthe Father. To share our lives with Godand each other is indeed what it meansfor us to be complete as persons. We are created by God to share in His imageand likeness; indeed we are created byGod to share in His life and ministry. To be really human is to be like Godbecause God made humans to be likeHimself. This is accomplished in unitywith Him. Therefore we can only behappy or content when we are being anddoing what God created us to be and do.

GREAT LENT is often referred to

as a spiritual journey, a time to descend

from our mind, filled with worries and

distractions, to the stillness of our heart

where we can more clearly hear God’s

voice and direction for our life. During

this period we participate with God’s

grace in a more intentional way in order

to be conformed to His likeness. And,

as we grow more Christ-like, we

respond like Christ with compassion,

sacrifice and love to those around us

whose lives have been torn apart by

natural and man-made disaster.

At the forefront of IOCC’s compassionate,

sacrificial and loving response to our

brothers and sisters in need in America

are 101 members of the IOCC Frontline.

These specially trained Orthodox clergy

and laypeople have been on the front-

lines, providing spiritual and emotional

care on the heels of turbulent events

such as Superstorm Sandy, the bombings

at the Boston Marathon and flooding

in the Midwest. We invite you to read

the inspiring words of six of our IOCC

Frontliners as they share their personal

spiritual reflections on each week of Lent.

mercy and forgiveness to those who havewronged, not only us personally, but on alarger scale, whatever that scale may be.

In our self-examination during the LentenSeason, we need to turn away from theerrors of the world, to turn closer to Christ,and ask for His intervention in the crisisthat exists globally. But how can the worldchange if we haven’t changed? Again,through our internal prayer, or as St.Gregory Palamas has taught us, through theintegration of hesychasm, or silent prayer.This allows us, as Father John Meyendorffwrote in his book on St. Gregory Palamas,“the positive element in spirituality, acquisition of grace and of the life in JesusChrist, is based on the uninterrupted mono-logical prayer.” This prayer is a memory ofGod, a conscious activity of the humanbeing, when the Apostle Paul recommended‘to pray continually’ (1 Thess. 5:17).

St. Paul continues in Ephesians to explainwhat Jesus accomplished by taking onflesh. Christ descended from heaven so thatHe could praise the Father and take care ofus. He did so in our midst to be an examplefor us. He then ascended into heaven, sharing His life with us making our way toascend with Him. As much as we choose tojoin Christ in His ministry of praising Godthe Father with Him and taking care of Hiscreation with Him, we share in His lifewhich is the eternal life of the Trinity.

Christ took on flesh to praise God and serveman. IOCC is an opportunity for OrthodoxChristians in America to unite, and in ourunity with God and each other, to praiseGod and serve Him as we encounter Him inthe suffering men, women and children wefind in crises and in need. IOCC needs oursupport and dedication to accomplish thiswork and we need IOCC and other effortslike it to share in the life and unity God created us to share in.

Saint Gregory PalamasSECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

Rev. Angelo Pappas, IOCC Frontliner

On the Second Sunday of Great Lent, aSunday when we remember St. GregoryPalamas, we need to examine ourselves asto who we are within the spiritual realmof our existence. It seems in today’sworld, society and culture, we continue torevert back to our primitive state ofhatred, contempt and distrust. Not lookingto our Savior Jesus Christ for peace in oursoul, and to offer love and compassion toour brothers in need. To show Christ’s

Praise God and serve Him as we encounter him in the suffering

men, women and children…

Veneration of the CrossTHIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

Father Jon-Stephen Hedges, IOCC Frontliner

Lent is like a battle. In the middle of battle,a flag is held high to encourage the spirit ofwarriors, showing them why they fight.Today the church lifts up and venerates theHoly Cross. “God forbid that I should gloryexcept in the Cross of Jesus.” (Gal. 6:14)

This Cross is deeper than mere wearing orhanging on the wall or signing or proclaim-ing with words. The Cross Christ carriedand hung upon, the Cross He extends tous, is in a place deep in the heart.

In the chaos and the confusion of thedaily battles of this life, how is it that we see that Cross and how is it that

we connect with that place inour heart where it is?

As we grow spiritually in our faith, so willour inner change of heart grow as well.That neighbor that was annoying may notbe so annoying after all. Friends who cansometimes be overbearing may need to beseen in a different light. Our spouses orchildren or relatives may act troublingtowards us, because we fail to understandhow they love us. Our enemies may notunderstand us, therefore hate us, but havewe tried to get into their mind set or offeran “olive branch” of peace to them? Theseare critical questions with critical answers.

As Pascha quickly draws near, let our loveand joy in the Resurrection of our Lordshine, not briefly flicker on that day alone,but let it glow brightly everyday of our life.May the words of the Evangelist Luke resonate in our souls, “Love your enemies,do good to those who hate you and pray forthem who persecute you and sayevil of you falsely.” (Luke 6:27)

Following The Ladder of Divine Ascenthelps lead one to a deeper relationshipwith God and a deeper spiritual relation-ship with others on the path, whichleads to our Lord and Savior, JesusChrist. Our own Lenten journey shouldutilize these same spiritual struggleswritten of by St. John.

This journey upon the ladder takes theclimber from breaking free from thedesires of this world to the union withGod in stillness, prayer, dispassion, andabove all, Love. The last rung of the ladder rests on the divine gifts of Faith,Hope and Love. These gifts open theeyes of the soul to recognize the face of God in others and in His creation.Enlivened by these gifts we becomekeenly aware of the needs of others. We become compelled by Love to dosomething to meet the basic wants of

Seeking the Cross is a struggle. AsChrist laid down His Life for us so mustwe, insofar as we are able, lay down ourlives in the holy disciplines of charity,prayer, fasting and forgiveness if we areto find His. What does it mean to laydown our lives?

The Prayer of St. Ephraim is the prayerof the Cross. Speak the words with faithas to Christ on the Cross. You will findyour heart bowing as much as yourknees. Bowing is the beginning of sacra-mental charity for the life of the world.

If we desire union with Christ we cannotavoid what He did not. Jesus submittedHimself joyfully to the pain of the Crossbecause He looked ahead and saw thegain, like a mother looking through thepain of childbirth to see the joy of thechild who is to be. The joy of taking upthe Cross is that with the Cross comesChrist Himself. Bowing this day is thebeginning of sacramental charity for thelife of the world.

Saint John ClimacusFOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Father Miles Zdinak, IOCC Frontliner

The Fourth Sunday of the Holy andGreat Fast commemorates St. JohnClimacus (Ladder). He is called Climacusbecause of his spiritual instruction to his fellow monastics on asceticism, the spiritual discipline which leads toGodliness. This spiritual writing is entitled, The Ladder of Divine Ascent.

So must we, in so far as we are able, lay down our lives in the

holy disciplines of charity, prayer,fasting and forgiveness.

Saint Mary of EgyptFIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Chaplain Eleni Fredlund, IOCC Frontliner

“The road of cleansing goes through the desert. It shall be named the way of holiness.” (Isaiah 35:8)

On the fifth Sunday of Lent, we celebratethe venerable St. Mary of Egypt. Her lifeas a hermitess is a radiant example ofrepentance through prayer and fasting.Born in Egypt around 344, she fled toAlexandria in her youth and lived as aprostitute for 17 years. After that time,she traveled to Jerusalem in hopes ofnew adventures and arrived on the Feastof the Exaltation of the Cross. WhenMary tried to enter church where thesacred relic was venerated, an unseenforce prevented her from entering. Thus,a most precious gift was offered. Marywas given the opportunity to view herlife and choose a different path.

Mary hid in the church courtyard, weeping with remorse for the life shehad led. In fear and humility, sheturned to an icon of the Mother of Godand begged for permission to enter thechurch and venerate the Cross. Shepromised to renounce her old life and go wherever God led her. Encouraged by prayer and hoping for mercy, sheapproached the church entrance and wasallowed to enter. The second gift wasgiven. After venerating the Holy Cross,she returned to the icon and while praying, heard a voice say, “If you crossthe Jordan, you will find true peace.”

others, whether these needs be for food,drink, clothing, or comfort as spoken byour Lord in the writings of the HolyApostle and Evangelist Matthew in theGospel for Sunday of the Last Judgment.

The work of the Church through charitable ministries like missions and relief efforts brings to life the combination of Love for God and serviceto others. Nowhere else does the Churchfulfill better the command of God to love others than in the ministry of service. By supporting IOCC throughprayer, contributions, and participation, we become servants doing unto Christ as we do unto others. May you beblessed during the remainder of yourLenten Journey and Good Pascha to you.

Asceticism is … a gift to all people as an opportunity for

soulful inspection and preparation

join her eternal family. The third giftwas now apparent. The kingdom ofheaven is within, and that is where wemust begin. Asceticism is not exclusivelyfor priests and monks, but a gift to allpeople as an opportunity for soulfulinspection and preparation.

As we withdraw from the world anddevote ourselves to prayer and fasting as St. Mary of Egypt did, we are able tohear the whispers of unconditional love,support, and healing always present inthe desert of our heart.

During this solitude, our hearts aretransformed regardless of circumstances,so that we may enter the Passion andResurrection of Jesus.

Mary heeded the voice and traveled toJordan that evening. She received HolyCommunion the next morning in themonastery of St. John the Baptist, andthen crossed the river into her new life.

For 47 years, Mary lived in the desert,fasting on plants, not seeing a singlehuman being, and beset by tribulationsmitigated by her prayers to the MostPure One. At the end of that time, apriest named Zosimus left his monasteryto spend Lent in the desert.

The person he found in the desert wasnot Mary of Alexandria, but St. Mary ofEgypt, whose heart and ego had beentransformed, who was forgiven andloved by God, and lifted to heaven to

vanquished, only a band of brothers, somein blue, others in gray.

There is, however, one transcendent connection. General Chamberlain couldnot have been so compassionate and forgiving toward the Confederates if theoriginal Palm Sunday procession had notoccurred, if the Lord had not been execut-ed on the Cross, and if the Lord had notrisen on the third day, conquering deathby death and showing us how forgivenessis more powerful than vengeance.

Palm Sunday in Appomattox healed andsaved a divided nation. Palm Sunday inJerusalem, continuing to the Empty Tomb,healed and saved a divided world. On thisPalm Sunday, we Orthodox are called todemonstrate our love for humanity by forgiving our enemies, serving the least of our brethren, and sharing our largessewith philanthropies such as IOCC.

Palm SundayArchpriest Alexander F. C. Webster, PhD

Chaplain (Colonel) U. S. Army, Ret.IOCC Frontliner

The first Palm Sunday in Jerusalem inaugurated the greatest week of human-itarian generosity in history. Another procession in Appomattox, Virginia, onApril 12, 1865, Palm Sunday in the West,marked a quieter humanitarian moment.This is a tale of two processions.

The Union Army of General Grant at thesurrender of the Confederate Army ofGeneral Lee could have behaved in theusual crude, triumphalist manner of victors. The Confederates wept as theylay down their arms, but Grant allowedthe defeated officers to retain theirsidearms and all the men their mounts.“The horses and mules will be needed for the spring planting,” he decided. Moredramatic was the decision of BrigadierGeneral Chamberlain, hero of Gettysburg,now in charge of the detail. As bedraggled Confederates proceeded down the gauntlet, Union soldiers liningboth sides stood at attention in silence.

In one procession, palm branches were laid before the approaching Jesus ofNazareth. In the other procession, rifles andswords were laid in a pile by vanquishedwarriors. In one event, the crowd shouted“Hosanna!” but their fickleness and dishonorwould be displayed five days later atGolgotha. In the other event, Union troopsin the stillness of Appomattox paid silenttribute to brother warriors, with honor and respect. In Jerusalem a gloriousentrance by the Lord was soon followed by a crushing defeat and destruction on Calvary. In Appomattox a crushing defeat anddestruction of an army was transfigured in a moment of glory. The United Stateswas united once again. No victors and

Your Lenten gift will be a blessing for our brothers and sisters in need around the world.

iocc.org/Lent

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