Christ is Born, Glorify Him!

I am praying you all had an edifying and spiritually rich Nativity; celebrating the birth of our new born King with friends and family.  May the joy of the precious gift of His birth ever be with you and your loved ones.  Let us take this opportune moment to rededicate ourselves to the worship of the True SON that never fades or sets; an everlasting LIGHT leading us all to communion with the Holy Trinity.  I pray we not take this Feast in vain, but rather spiritually nourish from the depths of this great mystery:
The WORD became flesh and dwelt among us!

A mystery that has changed the course of humanity forever.  A mystery that has now bridged and united man to God and God to man.  A mystery that reestablishes our rightful inheritance as sons and daughters of the Living God.  A mystery that ushers in a new era; where God has become accessible to those that seek Him.  A mystery in which the heavens has opened and the angels minister unto us.

In these dark and uncertain times, 

let us shout to the world that the King of Kings is born. 

  Let us proclaim to all that Emmanuel

"God is with us" 

is now a reality in our lives and so can be in theirs.  

Let us sing unto the Holy Family a new song of Love, Peace, and Goodwill towards all men.  

Christ is Born, may we Glorify Him

Christ is Born, may we Magnify Him

 Christ is Born, may we live in Him

Wishing you all every spiritual reward from above and peace to your souls.

Your servant in the New Born King,

Ft. Spyridon

Divine Disappointment

As my life is taking its new course and direction, meandering through much fog and darkness at times, I cannot help but ponder the meaning of disappointment.  Disappointment plagues us all and in differing forms; we become disappointed in people, places, situations, and even in GOD.  

What is disappointment?

It is the failure or lack of success of our goals, expectations, and wishes.  Disappointment often leads to anger and bitterness which doubles our ultimate grief.  What is one to think, what is one to feel, what is one to do when his/her dreams shatter and life or relationships goes in a different direction then hoped for?  Why is God allowing all this unmet expectations in my life?

We can either let our disenchantment get the best of us and we become bitter, angry, cynical, and negative; or we can put on the mind of Christ and see through His eyes to perhaps discern what HIS will is for us.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor 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

As we walk on the path of Salvation and begin living in the Spirit, we must come to a realization that God loves us, wants the best for us, and is ultimately wiser than us.  We, little by little, begin to trust HIM and begin to ascertain the fact that just because we have desired or wished for something, perhaps, just perhaps, it is not for our own good.  We need remove our ego as the focal point of the universe and realize that not every thought we think, or emotion we have, or goal we set, is a good idea or is healthy for our soul. 

Perhaps God is not allowing the fulfillment of our hearts desire for it is not in our best interest.  If He is truly Our Father, as we profess always, then just as our earthly father withholds the 20^th piece of candy from his children knowing that it will make them sick and vomit, we must trust that our personal Father, who loves and cares for us to the nth degree, maybe withholding his blessings upon many of our misguided adventures.

Disappointment stings so bad for it makes quite clear our collective human weakness, lack of foresight and understanding,  revealing truly how shallow and lost we are, especially as we force our own objectives at the expense of the Divine.

So What Do We Do?

Believe it or not, disappointment (if understood correctly) is the vehicle by which God blesses us with His gifts which are by far spiritually better than the things we have hoped for.  The denial of our plans must lead us to the thought that our goals are either ill-timed or conceived in Gods overall plan for us or HE has an alternative blessing He is waiting to shower upon us--- if only we Trust.

1.      Express your feelings ( wants, desires, disappointment, grief etc) to the Lord of hosts.

a.      We often stop praying when the dark clouds of uncertainty overtake us.  But this is precisely the time when dialogue with our Saviour is of utmost importance.  I said dialogue and not monologue; in our conversation with Jesus, we must provide significant amount of quiet time so we are predisposed to actually hear what He is trying to say.  Oftentimes we throw a bomb so to speak to God--- I need this now!!!!—then we run away and not spend the quiet time necessary to hear His answer.

2.     Remember God loves you and cares about the details of your Life

a.      For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart”  Jeremiah 29:11

3.     Set a new goal, and wait upon the Holy Spirit to confirm the decision

a.     Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.  Psalm 37:7

4.     Reaffirm your trust in your heavenly Father

a.      “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, 
what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns;
 yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not
 of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying 
can add one cubit to his stature? Matt 6:25

5.     Forgive and keep walking on His path

a.     “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it?
 I will even make a road in the wilderness 
And rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

As I look back over the last 25 years of my spiritual journey and misadventures, I am only now realizing that I have been wrong in my goals, desires, and wants more often than not.  I am so thankful that most of what I was praying for during those early years never came to fruition.  They say hind sight is 20-20, but through the lenses of time I am beginning to be able to shout with the psalmist our father King David:

Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!² Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:³ Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies,⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103

I still continue to struggle with disappointment and failures for sure, but I am confident now that in my weakness I will be made strong and that I trust in His words that He will not leave me orphaned and will be with me even unto the ends of the days.

A Prayer

I pray to the Lord God, that He will wipe away every tear we shed, that He will comfort our broken hearts and bring peace to our souls.  I pray for us all who are suffering through much disappointment, that He will send His Divine Wisdom to bring clarity to our minds.  I pray that we foster the spiritual discipline to forgive, confess our weakness, and continue our spiritual race leading us to the Giver of Life.

Your servant in our most compassionate King,

Ft. Spyridon

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Resentment

The man who stores up injuries and resentments and yet fancies that he prays might as well draw water from a well and pour it into a cask that is full of holes. Evagrius, On Prayer, 22 c. AD 395

If I had to identify one primary core cause of being miserable, it is living with resentment. This is an ailment that is so insidious; it affects us all without even knowing that it exists.  Unfortunately everyone around us realizes that it exists, especially those that we have resentment towards, although we remain oblivious; for when one harbors resentment, their actions and reactions become seemingly unpredictable, erratic, destructive and downright bizarre. Again for the person, there is no self-awareness that they are acting out of line (and in fact typically justify themselves) , but the fact becomes increasingly obvious to all else.

WHAT IS RESENTMENT

 It is what our Holy Fathers call “secret anger”. It is when all past transgressions/insults from others (real or perceived), or past difficult life situations (failures, disappointments, hardships)  are left unchecked and without resolution and then all the anger, judgment, and blame will progress and turn into what the Holy Fathers call "secret or hidden anger," leading to chronic and obsessive "remembrance of wrongs," or  what we call "RESENTMENT."

We can harbor resentment towards others, towards ourselves and even towards GOD Himself.  All forms causing a path of destruction for our souls and in all of our relationships.  Resentment becomes an ever enlarging black hole, stealing our inner joy, disrupting the stillness of our hearts, while ushering in chronic interpersonal relational dysfunction.

 St. Tikhon of Zadonsk says: "Just as fire if it is not extinguished quickly will swallow many houses, so anger if it is not stopped right away will do great harm and will cause many troubles.

St. Paul says: “Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil” (Eph. 4:26-7). Did you hear that: “Do not make room for the devil”; holding onto anger and judgment, letting it ferment in our souls will emit such a foul spiritual odor that it will attract our enemy---God Forbid. 

GOD IS LOVE

We know that God is Love; this is the center of our understanding of our relationship with the Trinity and therefore with one another.  Resentment is the rejection of love and therefore the rejection of God.  It is making ourselves the center of the universe and the ultimate judge; we begin to play God and try to assume His position of judgment and retribution.

This rejection of Love ultimately poisons our heart, mind, and souls; we cannot think straight, behave strangely and unpredictably eventually blocking our path to holiness and healing---thereby preventing us from participating in the Kingdom (now as well as later).

SIGNS OF RESENTMENT

Are we experiencing inner turmoil, unable to obtain peace, and always feeling unsettled? Does sleep fail us and are up at night tossing and turning? Are we feeling bothered, weighed down, and constrained with no end in sight? Does chronic anxiety plague us, not allowing any rest to our souls? Do we feel empty and at a loss?

If you, like me, can relate to the above symptomology we may be suffering from hidden and secret anger---Resentment. The fact of the matter is that this emptiness comes from our separation from God by allowing the poison of hidden anger burn our souls. When we choose judgment and anger over forgiveness and love, then we force HIS Grace to flee leaving is hollow, bare, and without Life.

RAMIFICATIONS

This spiritual hollowness and graceless condition leads one to become cynical, passive aggressive, malicious, and an overall negative person. Negative people and negative situations seem to follow us wherever we go; we find ourselves in conflict constantly and we believe we are always right and never in the wrong; the problems then progresses where we feel the need to fill the spiritual emptiness and loneliness with deceit, drugs, alcohol, and/or sex--- trying to numb the pain that we have unwittingly caused ourselves. This spiritual disease then can even progress to physical sickness.

NOW WHAT

Becoming aware of our condition and having some genuine self-reflection is the starting point.  In the next blog, I will be addressing true forgiveness, the remedy for this spiritual tragedy.  But for now, I would encourage us all, especially during this Holy season of Advent, to see your spiritual father, and reconnect with a life of confession and repentance.

Praying for a edifying Advent for you all,

Ft. Spyridon

Holy Thanksgiving-- Eucharistic Living

THANKSGIVING

Great are You, O Lord, and marvelous are Thy works, and no word is sufficient to Hymn Thy Wonders!

What a glorious time we have in front of us.  The entire nation is stopping for a day for “Thanksgiving”.  I do not believe there is any other word that depicts our Orthodox Faith any better nor the state that ones’ soul needs to be in to begin the journey of holiness.  Thanksgiving is one of those days, that Orthodox Christianity needs to take hold of and transform it back to its original Christian roots (of truly thanking God for all things), from its current secularized display of turkey and football.

Thanksgiving is not so much a day for feasting but rather a day of gratitude to our Almighty Lord, for all we have, especially the very blessed circumstance we all find ourselves in that we are actually able to feast---for as we know, most of the world is living under the yoke of evil tyranny with war, fear, and starvation a daily reality. 

Living Eucharistically

We have a holy opportunity that we alone are in a unique spiritual position to actualize;   transform thanksgiving to a day that is a True Feast in our Church and throughout this great land.  Eucharist comes from the Greek word which means thanksgiving. In a particular sense, the word describes the most important form of the Church's attitude towards life itself.  We gather to celebrate the Eucharist, but must come already prepared in a state of perpetual Thanksgiving to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; praising God in complete gratitude for all things, so that He may be all things for us.

I call upon us all in this Holy Season of Advent to set the eyes of our souls upon the coming New Born King.  I urge us all, to reflect deeply upon the most precious gift that we have, our Lord Jesus Christ, and begin to shout with Joy and Thanksgiving, for the Life-giving water that he quenches our thirst with.  I implore this holy community of St. Peter and Paul to take this Divine state of living Eucharistically, to every corner of our neighborhood in the East Bay; displaying in word and deed, to whom all thanksgiving should be directed to--- Jesus our King and our God.

A Prayer

So what better way to celebrate Thanksgiving----- but to give thanks.

1. I thank You Lord Jesus for the life giving and precious gift of the Eucharist for the healing of my soul and body, for the remission of my sins and for life everlasting.
2. I thank You Lord Jesus for my family, my parish spiritual family, and all those that love me and even those that hate me.
3. I thank You Lord Jesus that we are living in a land of peace and pray that Your Divine Peace may soothe this war torn world from its misery so that all may rejoice in your Love.
4. I thank You Lord Jesus for our health, giving us the ability to be a laborers  in Thy Holy Vineyard, praying that many vocations to the priesthood and diaconate are brought forth from our community as sweet and precious spiritual fruit to be lifted upon thy Altar.
5. I thank You Lord Jesus for the multitude and countless blessings that I do not see and appreciate, but long to understand when I come into thy Kingdom.
6. I thank You Lord Jesus for knowing you, your Love, your Forgiveness, and your mercy; unworthy though I be
7. I thank You Lord Jesus for the many co-laborers in thy Vineyard that You have sent me; without them, this parish would not be here.  Keep them, protect them, and guard them all under Thy shelter.
8. I thank You Lord Jesus for the struggles and trying times that I am enduring, knowing very well that you chastise and prune those you love.  I submit myself to Thy Holy Shears and pray that you graft me unto Thy life giving VINE.
9. I thank You Lord Jesus and Praise Thy most precious Name, a name beyond all names, a name that brings Healing and Joy, a Name that every heart and knee will bend, a Name above all names, a Name that brings forgiveness and consolation to our wearied souls.  May I glorify thy holy Name all the days of my life.
10. I thank You Lord Jesus for the ministry that You allow me to share and partake in, may You forever transform me into Thy image and likeness  in the hopes that one day I may be called a worthy servant as you usher me into thy Presence.

With this overwhelming feeling of gratitude I bid you all a HOLY THANKSGIVING a day of  Eucharistic Living, so that we may worthily partake of the Life giving MANNA and never hunger again.

I ask you all to pen some of your own prayers and send them in so we can post it in our new Blog.  Let this be a family affair.  Parents gather your children, discuss the blessings from above in your life, and write out your thanksgiving prayers and submit them it.

Asking for your prayers, and assuring you of mine!

With much Thanksgiving to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Ft. Spyridon

The Mystery of Contentment

Philippians 4:11-13

¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ^[b] who strengthens me.

Contentment is a mystery.  I call it mysterious for it seems so evasive for the majority of us and I wonder often if it’s truly possible to attain.  It is so mysterious that when I do see a real Christian living a life of contentment, I automatically assume there is something that is being hid and it actually isn’t so.  If I cannot find that peace that being grateful and contentment brings, then surely no one else can either. Oh, how wrong was my train of thought.

My assumptions were beginning to be corrected as I realized that contentment isn’t something that is searched after, found, and taken hold of, but rather an interior state of being---a Christ-like attitude of life and the world, and the interplay between the two.

God has a Plan

The reality is that we falsely tie in contentment with money or material possessions; the idea being the more I have (money, homes, cars, things…) then the more content (and thus happy) I will surely be.  But in reality, as we all have come to know, money doesn’t truly buy us happiness and the great paradox is that the lack of it doesn’t either!

Luke 12:15¹⁵ And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Contentment, contrary to popular belief, does not necessarily mean being satisfied with what we have or where we are in life, but rather realizing that God has a plan for us, but only if we allow His will to be done in our lives.  We need to remember that His ways are not our ways, and His timing is not our timing. And it is in this attitude or perspective of life, as we put on the mind of Christ, that we begin to learn to depend on God for our daily bread, realizing that He indeed is our heavenly Father that cares for us personally and in the details of our life.

Priorities and the Purpose of Life

Oftentimes, even the most sincerest of Christians get so bogged down with day to day life of raising a family, going to work, taking care of the children, that we often lose sight of the real purpose of life: to become Christ like, grow in holiness, and to serve our neighbor.   Our lives and priorities are so out of balance that we end up in a tailspin and burn out.

Discontentment then takes hold for we have, unknowingly, adopted the worlds goals and standards (as opposed to Christ’s goals and standards) as our very own : more money, bigger homes, more cars, Wall street. The Lord reminds us that we are in the world, but not of the world; now we need to begin living out our lives and setting our priorities as such; living for Christ and not for the ruler of this world. As St. Paul says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal 5:25).  And it is in the living and walking in the Spirit where the scales in our eyes begin to fall away, and we begin to see what is important and what, in fact, is a delusional waste of our precious time and energy.

How to begin

Let us clearly state that this is not a question of money, wealth, or even possessions. (We can be wealthy and grateful as well as poor and ungrateful)  It is about what is in our heart and how we are serving God, family, and neighbor with what we have.  When we begin to set our priorities of life straight, then we will begin to discern what God’s will is for me, my situation, and my life.  Then whatever I have, be it small or large, I use it for His Glory so that Christ may be all in all!

So here is a short list of ideas to reflect upon so as to foster contentment and gratitude.

1. Intentional Christian: taking your life in Christ and in His Body (the Church) as the single most important relationship to foster.  Not saying that your family is not important, but 1^st things 1^st.  Seek ye first the kingdom of God! We must move from being a Christian by name only, and to become Christians from the inside out.

2.  Living within your means: Our parameters (goals, objectives) for living must be rooted in the Gospel and in the reality of what we have or do not have.  As we allow the world to dictate to us how to live, how much to spend, and what to buy, then we will always fall short and be unsatisfied (not to mention forever being in debt thus held captive to the system). Dedicate yourself and your wealth (health, finances, talents, time) to the Lord and He will bless your circumstance and condition, whatever it may be.

3.  Become a Giver:  It is better to give than receive says the Lord.  Along with tithing, God desires that every Christian becomes aware of and then cares for the needs of others.  Be it feeding the hungry, helping your neighbor, or being friend for someone experiencing hard times, we are all called to become like Christ, and to come out of ourselves, and lay our lives down for one another.

4.  Priorities:  Health is wealth:  spiritual health and physical health; we need to address both at all times.  Love of God and love of neighbor comes first and is our driving force in life.  We surely address all aspects of life, but in the light of the Love of God.

5.   Develop and Attitude of Thankfulness: We often lose sight of the blessings we do have right in front of our nose.  We must begin to acknowledge all of the blessings God has showered upon us and begin to praise and thank Him continually (Bless the Lord oh my soul Psalm 103). Do not let a moment go by that you do not thank God for what you have and where you are.   It is remarkable how much we whine, and yet have so much. Turn that frown upside down and begin to smile, and give thanks and praise to the Lord.

6.  Thy Will be Done. "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8).  Seek Gods will and not the worlds and realize that there is nothing in this world that compares to the gaining of Jesus in our lives.

7.  I no longer fear, I now love, for love cast out fear: . "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).  If God is with us, who then can be against us:  we need to begin to trust that God is involved in our lives and cares for us.  And with Him, I can get through anything.

8.  Peace:  "The peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). He promised to give us His peace from above that transcends any earthly joy.  He didn’t promise us that our problems and difficulties will magically all disappear.  You can be assured of trials and tribulations being a Christian.  What he did promise us is the power and peace from on High, to endure and overcome our tragedies; “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” says the Lord God.  Let us lay our difficulties at His feet trusting that He hears the crying of our hearts.

So my brothers and sisters let us stop running around searching for contentment for it is not an object that can be picked up and held.  It lies within our heart; where your hearts is, so is your treasure. It is even more than an attitude; it is a repositioning of the heart into a receptive state, allowing our most gracious Lord the space to work His Wonders in us, transforming us by Grace, into a new creation, with the potential to become Christ Bearers, making HIM present in this fallen and dark world. And this my friends, brings contentment, peace, and joy into the depths of our beings.  I pray this be a reality in all our lives.

Your servant in Christ Jesus our King and our God,

Ft. Spyridon