Lenten Journey Day 10 – Forgiveness

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Day 10: Forgiveness

Lenten Recipe

Recipe 10: Red Cabbage Slaw

Lenten Journey Day 10 – Forgiveness

Jesus instructs us to pray the “Our Father” prayer. We say, “Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be Thy name…” Along with the request to give us this day our daily bread, there is another request that is uniquely qualified. That is, the fulfillment of the request is dependent on our actions.

We pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” This is a conditional request. Very plainly, we are saying that forgiveness from God is dependent on our willingness to forgive. Additionally, we ask for forgiveness by the same standard by which we forgive. “Forgive us our trespasses aswe forgive those who trespass against up.”
In the “Our Father,” (sometimes referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer”), Jesus has us focus on many different concepts… “Thy kingdom come thy will be done.” Or, regarding temptation, “Deliver us from evil.” Now consider this, that all of the ideas that he introduces in the prayer – heaven, God’s Will, His Holy name, deliverance from evil, temptation, and so on – and consider the complexities involved in these concepts, there is only one area of the prayer that he amplifies. After teaching the prayer (Matthew 6) Jesus continues his instruction about forgiveness. He says, “For if you forgive men of their trespasses your heavenly Father also will forgive you, but if you do not forgive men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.” It is conditional. It is the one request we make of God on which there is a condition – put upon us by God (by virtue of Jesus’ instruction) and confirmed by us (by virtue of us reciting the prayer). What we are saying is that I expect to be forgiven by the same standard by which I forgive others.  This is a rather difficult one to understand and requires a more mature approach to our faith. In fact, we’ve been taught that God gives, God gives abundantly. We’ve been taught that God forgives. We’ve forgotten, however, that His forgiveness is dependent on our forgiving all those around us as well as forgiving ourselves.
Sometimes the word “debt” is used in place of the word “trespasses” and it offers a better metaphor for understanding the dynamics of forgiveness.  “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors…”  Let’s move from the spiritual to the secular. For the sake of this example let us think of it in terms of banking. Who can forgive a debt? Only the one who holds the note. Since the bank holds the note, only the bank can forgive the debt. How?
There are two ways of wiping the slate clean. Either, you have to pay off the debt (we call that a “mortgage” or a “ransom”) or the bank decides on different terms – renegotiating, adjusting, or completely forgiving.  That’s what God has done with us. God says, I hold the note on life. You are indebted to me for this beautiful thing that you have and enjoy. You have the smile of your children, the air that you breathe, the mountains around you and the spray of the seas. You owe Me! But I know it seems overwhelming and you feel you can’t pay Me back. So, I will work out a payment schedule so that you can pay off your debt. Here’s the deal: Love people.  Forgive people. That’s it. Love each other and We’ll call it even.
That’s it.
How will God forgive us our sins? By the same standard we use on other people. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” We’re driving the bargain. If we forgive, God forgives.  If we do not forgive others neither will He forgive us. Thus, we begin to understand that if we really want peace and if we want harmony, if we want to find the happiness in life, it is dependent on us and does not come about from some outside force. Many times, we think of peace coming from above. We pray for peace, failing to understand that real peace begins with each and every one us resolving to living in harmony.
God has already given us all of the ingredients for peace.  The recipe for that harmony is in the breath that we take. It is a blessing from God. And all of God’s blessings are the ingredients for peace. That includes the love that we see in the eyes of our children, the majesty of the mountains, the delicate nature of a flower or the crashing waves at the ocean. They all signal the presence of something Great, Awesome and Creative. That tells us that everything has been given to us. All of the universe is there to be enjoyed and to exist with in harmony. Therefore, the only direction where we must look for love and for peace is within each other. We need to reconcile with brothers and sisters, share the love that God has given. And this road to harmony and reconciliation begins by forgiving.
During the Lenten journey we’ve been asked to inventory different aspects of our life. Today we are asked to look at the ones that have hurt us. Who are they? Remember to look within and include yourself if necessary. Once identified, begin to forgive. Forgive yourself. Forgive others their trespasses, now with the certainty that once we do so, God has forgiven us.
Let us pray the prayer of St. Nerses Shnorhali:
Beholder of all I have sinned against you in thought word and deed erase the record of my offenses and write my name in the book of life. Have mercy upon your creatures and upon me a great sinner. (I Confess with Faith 7/24)
 
To learn more about Forgiveness visit us at http://7×77.org

Lenten Journey Day 9 – Listening

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Day 9: Listening

Lenten Recipe

Recipe 9: Stuffed Egglplants

Lenten Journey Day 9 – Listening

Day 9 is a turning point in your Lenten Journey. Many of the toxins in your system have been eliminated by this point. Be sure to nourish your organs with plenty of water.

Day 9 is also an appropriate time to begin taking inventory of the your Lenten Journey itself. Up until now, we have been inventorying habits, emotions, relationships and those things related to the journey. Now turn your attention to the journey itself – to these days we have spent together. Even though we are still toward the beginning of the journey we are realizing that it is a trip that will change us powerfully. Inventorying will create a map of the journey and remind you of the details, of the turns and twists in the road.
As we reflect on the Lenten Journey, we find that the changes we experiencing, physically, emotionally and in our relationships are good changes. They are patterns and habits that we’d like to carry with us beyond the 40 day period of Lent.
Because we know there is light at the end of the tunnel, we know this journey has a purpose and a goal. The destination is the goal, but we’re beginning to figure out that this Lenten journey prescribed to us by our forefathers, is not about a 40 day expedition. Rather, it is about a lifetime of being connected with the One, with the Ultimate which brings us happiness, peace and the true meaning of life.
The Psalmist reminds us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” In that stillness our hearing abilities are sharpened. In that stillness we hear sounds with our ears and also with our hearts.
Hearing with your heart? What does that mean? Today, you might understand it only as a possibility, but it’s exactly for that reason that I ask you take a Lenten inventory. Just think how strange “listening with your heart” would have sounded ten days ago. But today you understand that it is a possibility. You understand that there is a possibility to see with your heart and to sense with your heart. You know that the heart is not merely a pump or a mechanical device, but it is something which has receiving and giving capabilities. The heart is a receptor, it responds to outside stimuli and at the same time it is provider, that is, a place from which our feelings sprout.
Hearing from the heart, implies listening. Begin with the receptor called the ear. Do we listen? Do we listen enough? Do we listen too much? Are there things that we should not listen to? What about times to listen? Are there times when we should shut down and not listen to anything? And in shutting down, will that allow the soul or the heart to listen?
In the Gospels we read of Jesus the incredible orator. He always has the right words. He is never at a loss for words in and at any occasion. He is always speaking to the times and events. He is bringing people together, charismatically drawing them to his message of love, his message of hope and his message of faith.  He is never at a loss for words and even finds words where no one could have been imaged.
In the Gospel of John, Nicodemus says to Jesus, “Teacher, we know you are sent from God because no one can do the things that you do unless God is with him.”  What a nice statement. You or I would have either blushed or thanked Nicodemus for the compliment. But Jesus, rather than acknowledging the compliment or thanking him, turns it around. He pulls, from what may seem like nowhere, the reply, “Unless one is born from above – born again – he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3) Jesus heard with his heart and answered accordingly. Nicodemus’ statement was not one for the ear, but had underlying meaning which Jesus perceived with his heart.
Jesus was never at a loss for words. In fact, the people of the time marveled and acknowledged that no one had ever spoken the way he had.  And when we listen from the heart, we too will marvel that no one can capture us the way Christ can.
Yet, when the time came when it was necessary for Jesus to speak, he didn’t. He shut down. During his trial, Jesus is silent. The Evangelist Matthew writes, “… he gave no answer, not even to a single charge.” (27:14).
There are times to listen, times to talk, times when we shouldn’t talk, and times when we should not listen. Much of the difficulty that we endure in life is because we place importance on things that do not matter. We are hurt by words that should not matter in our lives. An insult or a put-down can devastate us, but only if we allow it.
Jesus, standing in front of his accusers, heard many things with his ears. But he was listening with his heart, and that type of listening allowed him to understandthe people around him.  He looked at his accusers and saw his children. Likewise, when we listen with our heart, we begin to understand others.
Although we aren’t God and find it very difficult to stand in the way of these insults, through understanding we will not allow those verbal abuses and hurtful cursing to devastate us, nor will we allow them to destroy us. We understand those sounds as coming from places where there is no harmony. And in so doing we pray, for those who persecute us, and for those who are out of harmony. We pray that they may find the fullness of God, the love that He gives each of us, that same love that is in our heart.  
We pray the prayer of St. Nersess Shnorhali,
O Christ, True Light, make my soul worthy to behold with joy the light of Your glory, in that day when You call me and to rest in the hope of good things in the mansions of the just until the day of Your glorious coming. Have mercy upon Your Creatures and upon me, a great sinner. (I Confess with Faith 21/24)

Lenten Journey Day 8 – Judgment

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Day 8: Judgment

Lenten Recipe

Recipe 8: Almond French Toast

 
As we begin the second week of the Lenten Season we explore our emotions and the actions they produce. We begin this week by looking at the instruction pertaining to judgment given to us by Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount. We read Jesus’ words,
Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others you will be judged. And with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye. How can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the plank out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7)
In this very short passage we find a very powerful message which is instructional for life. “Do not judge,” says Jesus. In that instruction we come to understand God’s vantage point. How does God view each of us as a collective, that is, as His children inhabiting this planet?
In the eyes of God there are no differences between people. There are no races to differentiate people. We are all His children. If you think about it for a moment, you would understand the saying that all wars are considered to be civil wars, in the eyes of God. We are all His children, therefore and assault on anyone is an assault on God’s creation.
Jesus says do not judge because on the playing field we are all equals.  There is no one to judge another. Jesus goes on to remind us that God makes the sun shine down on the good and the bad because He does not differentiate between the two.  Therefore, if God doesn’t differentiate between people, who are we to dare to presume that we are better than anyone else? That is why He says look first within, look at the damages you have in your own life, remove that so that clearly you can see the greater picture. After all, that is exactly the purpose of Lent! It’s time – 40 days – where we are looking to remove those planks from our eyes, so we can see the wonders in life. We are pulling back the curtain so that we can see the good of God’s creation all around us.  Wouldn’t it be beautiful to look into the eyes of another human being and see the reflection of God? What if we could look deep into the soul of another and truly see the presence of God? Do you want to get to that point? Well, first remove the plank from your own eye, so you can clearly see the wonders all around you.
Last week, we had an instruction on prayer. Jesus teaches us the “Our Father” We pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be they name…”  The one request that we make of our Heavenly Father in this prayer is that he forgive us our sins. How? By the same measure with which we forgive others.  We say, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.” In other words, by thatsame standard we will be judged. As we read today, Jesus says not to judge. Be careful! By the same standard we judge others, we will be judged.
Indeed, today’s lesson is a simple one, yet a difficult one to actualize. But that’s what Lent is about, simple yet difficult. Take this opportunity to look at your relationships, with loved ones, spouses, children and parents. Look at relationships you have with friends, coworkers, acquaintances and people that you would like to know. Look at the judgments you make and see how artificial they are. Look at your prejudices – pre-judgments – that you make every day. We all make judgments. It doesn’t mean we’re bad people, it just means we are human. But in that humanity, take a lesson from Jesus Christ. You can find love, and that love is no farther than the people all around you. Look at the difficulties – those “planks” – that distort our perception and prevent us from seeing the beauty that is all around us.
Judge not lest you be judged. Remove the plank out of your own eye… What you will find is that you won’t be able to see the speck in your brother’s eyes. Instead, you will only see the presence of God.
Let us pray the prayers of St. Nersess Shorhali:
 Righteous Judge, when You come in the glory of the Father to judge the living and the dead, enter not into judgment with Your servant, but deliver me from the eternal fire, and make me worthy to hear the blissful call of the just to Your heavenly kingdom. Have mercy upon Your Creatures and upon me, a great sinner. (I confess with faith #22/24)

Lenten Journey Day 7 – Expulsion

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“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”  ~Jesus (Matthew 5)

Lenten Recipe

Recipe : Mushroom Ragu

Unique to the Armenian church is the practices of naming each Sunday of Lent with a descriptive and special name. This Sunday is called the Sunday of Expulsion. We are reminded of how sin enters into our life and prevents us from experiencing the best of life – Paradise – in God’s fullness.
When you enter an Armenian church during Lent, you immediately notice the huge curtain draped across the altar area. The curtain is there to remind us of sin, because sin, just like the curtain, prevents us from seeing the beauty of God.
Sin is a normal part of life. It literally means, “missing the mark.” In archery, you aim your arrow at the bull’s eye. When it misses the mark, the arrow is sinning. Likewise, we are called to enjoy Paradise – the bull’s eye. We fall short from reaching that mark because of our imperfections.  Sins are the obstacles that prevent us from experiencing, the fullness God – a life full of love, peace and happiness.
Sin is avoidable but is very much a part of life. Do not make the mistake of believing that because sin is in your life that paradise is lost or cannot be attained. Sin is merely a reminder that we are human, that we are not God. Only God is without sin because by definition God is love and love cannot be sin. Love cannot be that barrier between us and paradise. Love is pure. Therefore, if sin is an obstacle, it can be overcome.
Expulsion Sunday is a reminder that we were created in and for paradise.  God gives us paradise and he wants us to be in complete union with His awesome love. In that paradise, much like the myth of Adam & Eve, we choose to go against His will. In other words we seek the fruit of knowledge of good and evil to become like God.
God gives us one set of instructions and we, of our own free will, opt for and choose another. God tells us love one another, and we say not everyone. God tells us care for one another and we say only for those who give us something in return. God says love your neighbors as you love yourself and we build bombs, stock pile weapons and destroy towns, villages and countries. God says value the family and we say I will bring the work home, to take time away from the family. God says, value life but we say the dollar buys us more. God says enjoy your life and we define that enjoyment by all kinds of abuses to our body and our life style. God says, take care of this world and we say who cares, and go about cutting down the rain forests and polluting the environment. God says worship me and we say I have better things to do. God says know me and we say there’s no profit in it.
The sin of humankind is that we exert our will over the will of God, and so we distance ourselves from God and paradise. Sin causes the divide, the separation from God. Sin is the curtain that prevents us from looking beyond and seeing the beauty on the other side.  
During the Lenten season we have this opportunity to look within, to reflect and make improvements on our life. Taking inventory is important and today we take inventory of the sins in our life. If you break them down you will find that each and every one of them are related to us exerting our will, in a way that is out of sync with God’s will. Remember the lesson of prayer and remember to listen to the voice calling within. Listen for the Will that is speaking to you. You will find it no further than the love that He has placed in your heart. That is the love which can conquer all of the difficulties, including the greatest sins that are before you.
Let us now pray the prayer of St. Nerses Shnorhali:
Spirit of God, true God, who descended into the Gordan, and into the upper chamber and who enlightened me by baptism in the Holy font. I have sinned against heaven and before You. Cleanse me with your divine fire as you purified the Holy apostles with fiery tongues.
Have mercy upon your creatures and upon me, a great sinner. Amen. (I confess with Faith 5/24)
Music: Lifebeats, Jethro Tull 1973

Lenten Journey Day 6 – Facilitating the Vision

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Day 6: Facilitating the Vision

Lenten Recipe

Recipe 6: Roasted Veggies

Saints are remembered on the Church calendar during the Lenten Season, as they are throughout the year. On the first Saturday of Lent this year the Church remembers St. Theodore the Warrior, a personality from the 4th Century.
In Orthodox tradition we look to the saints as examples of living life with purpose and in the path of Christ. Saints are never worshiped. Each of them are people just like us. In their humanity, they were able to rise to the occasion, usually through selfless sacrifice, and express their love in unique ways. One such saint that the Church remembers is St. Sahag Barthev. He was a saint who used his God given talents and spread the Gospel of love and hope to the world.
St. Sahag lived in the 5th century. His story begins a hundred years yearly, when the Armenian people accepted Christianity in 301AD. Immediately, the move to educate the people in the ways of Christ was underway. Quickly it became obvious that first and foremost in the education of the people, it was necessary to translate the Holy Scriptures into Armenian. An Armenian monk by the name of Mesrobe (St. Mesrobe Mashdots)  had the vision to invent an Armenian alphabet with the sole purpose of bringing the Christian message to his people. He found a partner in making that vision a reality in the person of the Chief Bishop, or Catholicos, Sahag Barthev. As the head of the Armenian Church, St. Sahag commissioned and underwrote the project. It was in 431 AD that the translation of Bible into Armenian was completed.
In Armenian Orthodox tradition, the Bible is precious and sacred that is has a unique name. It is called the Breath of God, or Asdvadzashoonch.  The vision became a reality. The Armenian people were able to read and understand scriptures in their native language.
Each and every one of us has our own dreams. We have our own visions of what our life and communities should be. We dream of goals for our family and ourselves. Each of us walking through the Lenten Journey should seize the opportunity to inventory those dreams. During Lent we have reviewed and altered our diet and inspected our relationships. Today, we look at our dreams closely. What dreams do we have for ourselves, as well as our families and our communities? What dreams to our family and friends have that can use our support? Today’s lesson is about turning dreams into reality and to freely give the encouragement and support that you possess to others. Mesrobe Mashdotz realizing he could not actualize his dream alone, plugged into a larger community of people who shared his vision. Sahag Barthev realizing he had a desire to do good, needed to find the means by which to make his dream come true. Together, they make the dream come true.
Let us find strength in our relationships with family and friends. Find people who share your same vision. Encourage the little steps others take to make the big strides, and eventually the goal, possible. And now push yourself to think bigger…
As we heighten our prayer life during Lent and as we turn inward in meditation, let us keep in mind that Jesus also has a dream. It is a dream for peace. His dream involves love, kindness and charity to all of His children. He’s counting on us to be the Sahag Barthev that will encourage and support His Dream. He looks to us, His Holy body the Church, to become the facilitators, the means by which peace can come. We become the arms, the legs and the mouth to do His work here in this world.
Let us pray the prayer of St. Nerses Shnorhali:
Oh Jesus, Wisdom of the Father, Grant me wisdom so that I may think, speak and do that which is good in your sight. Save me from evil thoughts, words and deeds. Have mercy on your creatures and upon me a great sinner. (I Confess with Faith 11/24)

Lenten Journey Day 5 – Intense Fasting

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Day 5: Intense Fasting

Lenten Recipe

Recipe 5: Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries and Pecans!

 
As we approach the end of our first week in Lent, remind yourself that your accomplishments as well as your failures are behind you.  If you are fasting, and your prayer and giving cycles have increased, then these are accomplishments which should encourage you to continue and be even stronger in the weeks to come. If you have strayed from your goals, then regard this time as a catalyst for change. Challenge yourself to re-focus and be determined to take on the next few weeks with optimism.
Today we will talk about intense fasting, that is, fasting beyond food. In scripture we read a passage from the Gospel of St. Luke which says, “Jesus called the crowd to Him and said to them, ‘Listen and understand it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.’”
The message here is a strong one. So many times, and especially during the Lenten period, we are consumed with all of the laws and the regulations of life, the dos and don’ts of life. Do abstain from meat. Don’t drink milk. etc. We spend time asking the wrong questions: Do we abstain from this type of meat? Or that type of food? Rather than the rules and regulations, we should investigate the reasons for those rules. That is, we should be navigating ourselves to the true true intention of the Lenten period.
Lent, as we have learned, is a time to simplify, to bring it down to the bare basics, to find out what is necessary to live. We abstain from certain foods – meat and animal products – to help us simplify. Today we will crank it up a notch as we start to abstain from the bigger foods. We will focus on the things that defile us, or as Jesus says, “… not what goes into our system but what goes out of our system.”
What are those things that come out of our system and are they defiling us? Are there words, are there emotions that are destroying us, that are literally killing us and the people around us? I am talking about those expressions of anger, those expressions of hatred. How about discouragement and discontent? These are all emotions that tear us apart. They rip apart the relationships from people that we love. They defile us. They pollute our systems and our lives. They prevent us from becoming all that we can and should be.
As we know, the words that we speak can destroy us. There is an expression among Armenians that the wound created by a sword will heal, but the wound caused by the tongue never heals.
Think about the words that you have used in haste, perhaps in anger. Think about those expressions that have divided you from friends, or perhaps from family. Some words have even destroyed others, Willingly or maybe unwillingly, those small words have come out of your mouth and you have hurt others. Unfortunately,  more often than not, you end up hurting the ones you love most. Perhaps it’s because we think that those who love us will tolerance us, put up with us. Whatever the case or the reason, when we hurt others, we destroy relationships and in so doing, we destroy our relationship with God.
In fact in the Gospel of Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus specifically makes this point, “You have heard that you shall not murder, but  I tell you if you have anger toward your brother you are guilty of that murder!” That’s it! Christ tells us in no uncertain terms that there is no place in the life of a Christian for anger, for hatred, for  divisive conversations, and even the thoughts that are the basis for those actions. 
Now, when you rid yourself of the evil thoughts which lead to the evil actions, you must replace them with the only thought powerful enough to keep those thoughts away. That power comes from love. Love is the one ingredient of life that can overcome those thoughts and words that divide and devastate us.
Without love, what meaning or what purpose can our existence have? Love is the necessary component of life. While it is a natural element of our existence, that is, it exists in us all, nevertheless, it needs to be cultivated and nurtured. During this Lenten period we have a golden opportunity to do exactly that. By cultivating and nurturing the feelings of love in our life, we build the necessary habit to overcome the difficulties of life beyond this period of Lent. While abstinence and restrictions are one part of the Lenten journey, the greater task for the believer is to exercise love and to be in harmony family, friends, with nature, with surroundings, the world and ultimately, all of the universe, namely God. 
Let us pray:
All provident Lord place your holy fear as a guard before my eyes, so they may not look lustfully, before my ears so they may not delight in hearing evil words, before my mouth so it may not speak any falsehoods, before my heart so that it may not think evil, before my hands so that they may not do injustice, before my feet that they may not walk in the paths of injustice. But so direct them that they may always be according to all your commandments. Have mercy upon your creatures and upon me a great sinner. Amen. (St. Nersess Shnorhali’s Havadov Khosdovanim 9/24)

Lenten Journey Day 4 – Giving

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Day 4: Giving

Lenten Recipe

Recipe 4: Spinach Salad with Passionfruit Dressing and Maple-Glazed Almonds

 
As we are coming to understand, Lent gives us an opportunity to slow down and strip life to its essentials. We are finding what is really essential and necessary for our life.
Today we discover that the act of giving, that is charity, is an essential element of life, that is, it is necessary for healthy living. In real terms, giving is one act that you can’t “give-up” for Lent. Giving to others enhances our spiritual life.
Let us take at the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus instructs us on the proper manner of giving. Jesus says, “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them. For then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. So whenever you give alms do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the street so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you they have received their reward. When you give alms do not let your left hand know what the right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6)
Giving, or acting on charity, is an outward expression of our faith. By giving to others we are expressing the inner desires of our heart. Those expressions tell a lot about us. In the giving process we develop patterns and slowly we find that we are juggling our giving along with the receiving and taking processes.  We seek to find a balance between our giving and receiving. For instance, we give to those from whom it is possible to receive and we take from those who are giving.
When Jesus says, “It is better to give then it is to receive,” he is disrupting the balance. He is placing a greater-than sign in place of the equal sign and we’re called to do the same. He says when you give, keep it pure. If you give to others make sure that is a true giving without expectation of anything in return.  In fact throughout the Gospels Jesus instructs us to help the poor, to aid those in need. Why? Well, the first answer is obvious: because they need it. But what is not so apparent is that even more, weneed to give! When we aid others and help them we understand that life is more than the accumulation of wealth. We realize that life is not made up of the stuff and things that we call possession. Those thing, in fact, possess us!
When Jesus cautions us not to sound a trumpet when giving, he is instructing us to keep it pure. Give with no expectation. Even the applause and the praise of others is something we receive in return, so avoid it by giving in secret. In so doing, our giving is unidirectional, and that type of giving is egoless, selfless. On this fourth day of Lent, we are beginning to understand the importance of losing the self. When ego doesn’t matter, the desires of the heart are truly pure. Giving becomes an expression of love, unconditionally, without expectation of anything in return.
During the Lenten period we are called to really examine ourselves, with fasting, with prayer and with giving. Giving is the easiest of the three to examine, because we notice ourselves giving. There is a record of our actions. Take advantage of this time.  Try this small and simple exercise. Examine your past and your present for people who have touched you in a unique manner. You may be surprised to find that the ones who have influenced you the most were not the superstars. They were not the athletes, the recording stars and the mega-rich. In fact, they were the very simple people who gave something to you without expectation for their personal rewards. Perhaps it was a mother, a father,  perhaps a grandfather or grandmother. Perhaps a friend who shared some time with you or some advice. And the fact that you remember these people is proof that giving never dies because it is an expression of love.
One-way giving is the kind of giving God expects because it is the type of giving He demonstrates in His love for us. One-way giving is a definition of Love. God gives us the most precious gift of all, that life that we have. He gives us salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ and it is given unconditionally, in other words despite ourselves. So in the same manner give to others. In fact throughout the gospels Jesus instructs us to give to others who have absolutely no way to pay us back. Why? Because in so doing we become God-like. God did the same thing. He gave to people who had absolutely no way to repay Him. How can you payback life and salvation? And God answers by saying, do the same to others. Love and care for others with no expectation and no conditions.
So give freely. And remember, the object of your giving is not only tangible goods. More important that what is in your pocket is what is in your heart. Give your time. Give your attention. Give your love. Find an elderly person who needs a few moments of your time. Find a child who needs you to read a book. Find a person who needs food. Find another who is in need of shelter. Or simply, find someone who needs a smile and for you to hold his or her hand. Give and express your love.
Let us pray one of the prayers of St. Nerses Shnorhali:
Bestower of mercy grant that I may come to you with true faith, with good works and by the communion of the Holy body and blood. Have mercy upon your creatures and upon me, a great sinner. (From St. Nersess Shnorhali’s “I confess with Faith,” 19/24)

Lenten Journey Day 3 – Prayer

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Day 3: Prayer

Lenten RecipeRecipe 3: Spicy Peanut Noodles

 

Today we will discuss prayer in the life of the Christian and its importance during the Lenten period.
 
As we discussed in our previous sessions, during the Lenten period we are called to a discipline of fasting, of giving and of heightened awareness in our prayer life. Usually when we think of prayer we define it as a conversation with God. While this is an acceptable understanding of prayer, we must also admit that conversation is a two way street and so, if we are to talk, we must also listen.
 
Let us begin by listening to the words of Christ regarding prayer. We read from the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew chapter 6): “And whenever you pray”, Jesus says, “Do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you they have received their reward. But whenever you pray go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father in secret. Your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you are praying do not heap up empty phrases, as the gentiles do for they think they will be heard because of their words. Do not be like them for your Father knows what you need before you ask.”
 
Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms that God knows the wants and needs of our hearts. He knows our deepest desires. Therefore, the question comes up, if God knows what we need and want, why pray? Prayer, therefore must be more than a conversation with God and it is.
 
As much as prayer is a conversation with God, more importantly, it is a conversation with the self. It may sound strange that the self would not know its own needs, but think about it for a moment. The needs and desire of your heart are within your grasp, and the prayer that you make to God can only be to awaken and strengthen your resolve to actualize your dreams.
 
The self needs to be awakened and that is what this Lenten journey is all about. Lent is that windshield wiper that drives away the dirt, the grime and the rain that is blurring our vision. It allows us to see the clear picture, to see the life that is in front of us.
 
During the Lenten Journey, we are streamline and minimize. We find what is truly necessary to survive and live. We fast and in our prayer life we have a conversation with our self to find the true desires of our heart. In so doing, we discover that we can actualize our desires with the tools that God has given us, namely with faith, hope and love our deepest dreams can come true. Through the Lenten Journey, we wash away the toxins in our system and eliminate the excesses only to uncover and find the true treasures in our life. They are not the things and stuff that consume our daily existence. No, we find the real treasures of faith, hope and love.
 
During Lent we have a beautiful opportunity to communicate with God and with our selves. We understand that God and self exist in a unique relationship that brings them into close proximity and connection.  
 
St. Gregory of Nareg (Gregor Narekatzi) reminds us that prayer is a conversation that originates from the depth of our heart, that is, from the center of our being.
 
For today’s lesson, I ask that you find a place where you can be alone. It should be where you are not easily distracted. You may wish to burn some incense to keep focused. By looking at the smoke that rises to heaven, you will be reminded that your prayers must also rise beyond yourself and the temporal plain. As you smell the fragrance of the incense, it awakens your senses, much like the Zen master that paddles his students who have lost focus and fallen asleep. While in prayer we need that awakening, that jarring, that says stay focused and listen to the sound of God.
 
When you are alone, awake and in prayer, be concise and precise in articulating your heart’s message. As our Lord says, your Father already knows what you need. Jesus, therefore, instructs us with a model prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,  your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory. Forever and ever!”
 
As you say, “Amen” at the end of the prayer, let it be! Release yourself to God. Submit. Let it be! Give it all to God and then sit back and listen. Give some time to listening in your prayer life. Away from distractions with a clear focus, listen to how is God responding to you? What is God saying to the depths of your heart?  You may not hear an answer right away, but trust me, in the next few weeks, as we travel this Lenten Journey together, your senses will become more aware. You will be more conscious of your surroundings and to the voices that do not talk to ears but to the heart. Yes, you will be hearing with your heart!
 
Let us pray…
Heavenly King, grant me Your kingdom, which You have promised to Your beloved; strengthen my heart to hate sin, and to love You alone, and to do Your will. Have mercy upon Your Creatures and upon me, a great sinner. (I confess with Faith by St. Nersess Shnorhali, vs. 13/24)
 
On this third day of Lent, I invite you to begin journaling. Write the wishes of your heart and write the responses you receive. You will find this a helpful practice during the Lenten season. Especially as we begin this Lenten Journey, it may be tempting to stray.  

Lenten Journey Day 2 – Fasting

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Day 2: Fasting: Abstaining from Food and Drink

“And whenever you fast do not look dismal like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show the others that they are fasting.  Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward.  When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face so that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who is in secret will reward you.” ~Jesus (Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6)


Lenten Recipe

Yesterday we took a general look at the Lenten period and noted the instruction given to us in Holy Scripture regarding almsgiving, prayer and fasting. Of these three, fasting is the most pronounced when it comes to Lent.
Often, people understand that Lent is a period of time when we “give up” something.  We are familiar with Mardi Gras, which means “Fat Tuesday.” It is the day before Lent where anything goes because the on the following day, Ash Wednesday, the period of deprivation begins. For us in the Armenian Orthodox tradition, we are already in the Lenten cycle – two days before Ash Wednesday. Lent begins on Monday, so“Fat Tuesday” is actually Fat Sunday. In Armenian we refer to last Sunday, the day before Lent as Poon Paregentan.  It is a compound word meaning “Good” (pari) and “Living” (gentan) = the day of Good Living. 
As for dietary habits, the Armenian Orthodox Church clearly pronounces a menu. For us, we abstain from all animal and animal products.  That is, no meats, no poultry, no fish as well as their products.  No milk, cheese and dairy products.  Basically, we bring it down to a vegan diet.  It is a beautiful opportunity to clean our systems during Lent.  But be careful.  Sometimes people look at Lent, especially the fasting rituals, as an opportunity to drop some pounds or to lower cholesterol.  That is not what it’s about.  You do not fast to lose weight.  You do not fast to drop your cholesterol levels.
The purpose of these dietary restrictions is to reminds us of what is essential in our lives.  During Lent we strip away all the excesses, we purge our system of the toxins and we find what we need to live.  Think of Jesus in the wilderness.  For 40 days and 40 nights he fasted and then he was tempted.  “Change theses stones into bread,” said the Tempter.  “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the Lord,” response Jesus. These words must guide us in our fasting and dietary discipline.  What do we need in our lives? What is essential for us to live? What is being spoken to us?
John Jesus says, “I came that you might have life and have it abundantly.” That abundant life should reflect a life filled with passion, victories, love and happiness. I’m not talking about superficial happiness, but the one that comes from within, when we live a life of purpose and full of meaning.
When we fast, we stay away from certain foods. We clean out our systems, yes, but at the same time we are reminded of the necessities of life, that is, what is necessary to life? If you take a personal inventory of your life, you’ll find that most everything that you have falls into the “excess” category.  There is so little that you really need to survive.  But that too is a challenge.  God does not call us to live a life without those excesses.
In the Armenian Church there is a practice to bless the homes. A family invites the priest into their home, and place bread, water and salt on a table, for this blessing. The bread is blessed for the physical needs of the family. We bless water for the spiritual fidelity of the family. And equally important, we bless salt, to remind us that life has to have flavor. Life is beautiful and it is meant to be lived in excess – to love in excess, to smile in excess, to care in excess. Lent is not about forgoing the excess but to inspect and find what are the excesses that we can live without and what are those things – the smile, love, care – that we need to increase, fill our lives and live the abundant life.
Today with this lesson on fasting, I invite you to really take an inventory of your life.  What is really necessary to get through?  What is necessary to survive? And what is really necessary in your life to enjoy?  You will find that taking an inventory gives you a unique insight into your life and living practices. You will find that the necessities of life are in the acts of love, kindness and charity. These are what define us as people and make us truly worthy to be called children of God.
We conclude with one of the prayers of St. Nerses Shnorhali, (Verse 16 from Havadov Khosdovaneemk):
Oh my God, who opens your hands and fills all things living with your bounty, to you I commit my soul.  Do care for me and provide for the needs of my soul and body forever.  Have mercy upon all your creatures and upon me, a great sinner. Amen.

Lenten Journey Day 1

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Day 1: The  Lenten Journey

 “From the east to the west and throughout the entire Christian world, wherever people call on the name of the Lord in holiness, by their prayers and intercession, may the Lord have mercy upon us.”

Lenten Recipe

These are the first words of the Prayer of Sunrise from the service of the same name, Arevakal, in the Armenian Orthodox Church.  We are reminded today that just as the Sun rises from the East and travels to the West, shining its light, radiating its heat, so too we find God everywhere.  We find the presence of God everywhere and anywhere where there is life, where there is love.

On this first day of Lent, our Church Fathers direct us to the Gospel of St. Matthew asking us to keep in mind our three main obligations during the Lenten journey: Giving, prayer and fasting.  While fasting is more formulated, in other words, keeping away from meat with dietary restrictions, and while prayer gives us an opportunity for conversation, giving is the action element to the Lenten cycle. 
We will be looking at all three of these elements – giving, prayer and fasting – in  detail in the next few days. For today, as a primer, we will look at all three of them in the context we find in the Gospel according to St. Matthew, specifically from the Sermon on the Mount. 
Matthew Chapter 6: And Jesus says Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  For whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may be praised by others.  Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward.  For when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your alms may be done in secret and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 
Secondly, Jesus talks about prayer: And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by others.  Truly I tell you,  they have received their reward.  But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door.  And pray to your Father who is in secret.  And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
And regarding fasting, Jesus says, And whenever you fast, do not look dismal like the hypocrites for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting.  Truly I tell you they have received their reward.  For when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face so that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret.  And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
The first day of Lent is a time for a fresh start. Do not approach Lent as an obligation but approach it as an opportunity to grow. This 40 day period is an opportunity not a responsibility. In the Scriptural passages above we see that giving, prayer and fasting are private opportunities to build on your relationship with God. The Lenten Journey is between you and God. It is a time for reflection and introspection.
During the next 40 days you will see what is really important in your life. Remember, after Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness he was tempted to change the stones into bread to feed his physical hunger. His answer, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from God” is the cornerstone to the Lenten Journey. We are reminded that there is so much more to life than our physical existence. There is a soul which has spiritual hunger. These next 40 days will give you the opportunity to see what is necessary in your life. You will find that prayer, fasting and giving, will connect you to a higher reality.  Remember, it is between you and God, and God is “From the East to the West…”, that is, He is everywhere, within and without you. St. Nectarous says, “Seek God within your heart and not outside of it.”  It is just between you and God. Lent is between you and all of life.  Take advantage!  Here’s an opportunity like no other.
 
Let us now pray the prayer of St. Nerses Shnorhali (the Graceful): 
Oh Christ, Guardian of All, let your right hand guard and shelter me by day and by night; while home and while away; while sleeping and while awake that I may never fall.  Have mercy upon all your creatures, and upon me, a great sinner.