I guess I have stayed a bit too long away from my blog. It is almost Great and Holy Lent, and I have not posted since the visit of His Eminence, Metropolitan Paul of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines. Anyway, my apologies.
Last Sunday was Judgment Sunday and Meat-fare Sunday. We recall on that day the final Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46), where we see Jesus as Judge. We also realize that His Judgment is hinged not only on our faith, but how we lived our faith. Overall, what Jesus wants from us is to love--love the Lord as well as our neighbors. What we do then has much importance; recall, for instance, that in Romans 2:5-8 Paul shows the same Judgment scene, where those who do good will go to their reward while those who do evil to their punishment. It is clear then that Judgment will be based on how we have lived our faith, a faith working in love. As Paul would later affirm in Romans, love is the fulfillment of the Law.
As we near Lent, we reflect on this--how we lived our lives, and are called to repentance. The first Sunday of the Triodon has the Publican and the Pharisee; the second Sunday the Prodigal Son and last Sunday, Judgment. In all these, we are prepared for that time when we recall His suffering, death and Resurrection. In that time, we should reflect on our lives, and what we can do to correct whatever we need to. The Lord is kind, as we are shown in the Prodigal Son--He waits for us patiently to return to Him. But we must not recall these things only during Lent, but each day, for often we fall short and have need of His mercy.
Last Sunday as well was Meat-fare Sunday. It is the last day for us Orthodox to eat meat, in preparation for the Great Fast of Lent. Fasting must be done in prayer; we do not fast simply for its own sake, but to help us in prayer as well as help us to slowly take out sins and our disposition towards sin, towards as more holy life. So we should reflect as well on this, that our life is a life of sacrifice, as life lived in penance. Such a life then, lived in prayer and contemplation, would be a holy life, one where, as we in the Cherubic Hymn, we lay aside all the cares of this life, and focus on a life in service to our Lord.
Last Sunday was Judgment Sunday and Meat-fare Sunday. We recall on that day the final Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46), where we see Jesus as Judge. We also realize that His Judgment is hinged not only on our faith, but how we lived our faith. Overall, what Jesus wants from us is to love--love the Lord as well as our neighbors. What we do then has much importance; recall, for instance, that in Romans 2:5-8 Paul shows the same Judgment scene, where those who do good will go to their reward while those who do evil to their punishment. It is clear then that Judgment will be based on how we have lived our faith, a faith working in love. As Paul would later affirm in Romans, love is the fulfillment of the Law.
As we near Lent, we reflect on this--how we lived our lives, and are called to repentance. The first Sunday of the Triodon has the Publican and the Pharisee; the second Sunday the Prodigal Son and last Sunday, Judgment. In all these, we are prepared for that time when we recall His suffering, death and Resurrection. In that time, we should reflect on our lives, and what we can do to correct whatever we need to. The Lord is kind, as we are shown in the Prodigal Son--He waits for us patiently to return to Him. But we must not recall these things only during Lent, but each day, for often we fall short and have need of His mercy.
Last Sunday as well was Meat-fare Sunday. It is the last day for us Orthodox to eat meat, in preparation for the Great Fast of Lent. Fasting must be done in prayer; we do not fast simply for its own sake, but to help us in prayer as well as help us to slowly take out sins and our disposition towards sin, towards as more holy life. So we should reflect as well on this, that our life is a life of sacrifice, as life lived in penance. Such a life then, lived in prayer and contemplation, would be a holy life, one where, as we in the Cherubic Hymn, we lay aside all the cares of this life, and focus on a life in service to our Lord.
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