For centuries, The Church has had its own version of a boot camp.  It calls this first week of lent “Clean Week”…and if we take our spiritual lives seriously, this week should be more difficult than anything we have experienced before, because our goal is eternal salvation…and personal transformation.   The battle field which we are preparing for is not some field that we can find on a map…it is the battlefield of life.  The freedom which we are fighting for is not from an oppressive government dictatorship…but rather freedom from ourselves.  We embrace the next few weeks that the Church has given us, in order to conquer the demonic ranks…and to seek out and destroy our own personal struggles with evil! 

...The young man wasn’t aware of the magnificence of being around his dad, and he started listening to evil thoughts…thoughts that I’m sure we all have had to endure while living and being in the Church:  There is nothing special about being here.  All of the things you were taught, are worthless. Leave the house…enjoy yourself… because all of these fasts, and prayers, and services aren’t worth your time.  All of these religious people are trying to steal your fun!”

Turn on the television, read a newspaper today, or spend one Saturday night or Sunday morning, driving up Hollywood Blvd and watch the antics that are being played out by all of the prodigal sons who are out in the world.  Doesn’t this sentiment sound familiar? 

...And here’s the biggie:  Have we sought and desired to be with God…more than we have desired air to breathe? 

These are difficult realities that we all must examine in our lives, now.  If we want this Lent to mean anything…if we want to have a transformative experience during the Great Fast…we must begin our preparations NOW.   We were reminded at the Dormition Dinner this past week, that you and I were put on this earth for one purpose:  to pray, worship, and come into communion with Him who put us here.  Today, we start the process of asking ourselves…how have we done?...

We live in a world that has been slowly programmed by fallen society to constantly be on the move.  The schedules of a typical family in today’s world is erratic.  We wake up early.  We grab our coffee to give us strength to get to work.  We drink an exorbitant amount of caffeine, and it has gotten so bad, that most of the world will tell you that coffee is now necessary in the morning, just so our bodies are able to function and keep up with the demands that the world has now placed on our shoulders!

"...It is difficult to conceive of an Orthodox Christian faith that does not include monasticism at the heart of its spiritual life.  The monastic orders in place today, in both the East and the West, are direct benefactors of the life and work of St. Anthony the Great and the brave men and women who over the centuries have decided to swim against the tide of their popular culture.  This is part of that rich treasury of the Orthodox faith that our predecessors have fought, and often died, to preserve.  It is now our turn to do our part to ensure that the monastic communities continue to thrive and provide an island of peace and sanity for future generations...."