(Sermon, Feb. 28) “Remembering this saving commandment and all those things which have come to pass for us: the Cross, the Tomb, the Resurrection on the third day, the Ascension into heaven, the Sitting at the right hand of God the Father, the Second and Glorious Coming...” (Prayer at the Consecration of the Gifts at Liturgy)

“Remembering our all-holy immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady, Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us commend ourselves, and each other and all our life, unto Christ our God.” (Exclamation following each Litany)

The Orthodox Church has a lengthy history and an equally long memory of her experiences with God throughout the centuries.  On a personal level, however, individual Christians tend to have short memories when it comes to positive moments and events. In contrast, they cling tenaciously to the negative, to thoughts of how they were injured, either by others or simply by circumstances in life.  

The Church is all too familiar with these human tendencies.  In her wisdom, therefore, she offers a rich tradition that celebrates God’s saving activity in the lives of people: lest we forget. Orthodox Christians have inherited, for example, icons, prayers and a 2000-year-history that bear witness to the mighty works of the Lord performed in each generation, to individuals transformed by divine grace. We are to learn from their experiences, and always remember that, God is with us! He never abandons those whom He loves.

At the first Passover, the Israelites were instructed to recall, to relive each year, and to tell their children about God’s deliverance of His people from bondage to the enemy. (Exodus 13) We Christians have the same mandate, except in our case the enemy is not Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The enemy is identified with death, worldly corruption and the devil. Thus, each Holy Week prior to the Christian Passover (Pascha), we recall step by step, Christ’s Procession to the Cross, the details surrounding His Burial, the events immediately after the Resurrection, and the Old Testament prophecies concerning these things.  Similar attention surrounds the feasts of Christmas and Theophany (the Winter Pascha), as well as additional feasts of the Church throughout the year.  

Remembrance, however, is not only fundamental to the Faith.  More specifically, it is at the heart of the Gospel heard on this third Sunday of Pre-Lent, the Parable of the Prodigal Son. (Luke 15:11-32) The father never forgot his youngest son who had gone astray. All the months, perhaps years of praying, of wondering what happened to his child, ended emotionally with an outburst of tears, as the father embraced his son “once dead, now alive, once lost, but now found.” (15:24,32).

The wayward boy also never forgot. He certainly rejected his birthright for a period of time, but buried in his subconscious were memories of his home. As the months went by, he became more self-aware, acknowledging to himself his former dignity, as well as personal acts of betrayal. This ultimately became the impetus for repentance, for the son’s return to the father.

During the upcoming Fast (begins March 15), we will be called to remember how Man has betrayed God through sin, how each of us personally is guilty – on some level – of denying our birthright in Christ. We too, therefore, must return to the Heavenly Father through heartfelt repentance, a loving Father Who awaits us with open arms.

It is important to note that the story of the Prodigal affirms the place of freewill in the life of Man. Ultimately, all advice and counsel, even grace itself, must be freely received by an open heart willing to change.

Quite telling is the fact that the father in the Gospel never went after his son to force him to do the right thing. He could have very easily enlisted the help of his eldest son and servants for a rescue mission, but he did not. As a result, the Prodigal had to learn the hard way, discover for himself the foolishness of his actions. Nothing that a desperate father could have said to his rebellious child in such a situation would have made an impact on the boy’s heart, unless he was in a receptive state of mind.  To be sure, he could have been brought back forcibly to the estate, but inwardly – in spirit – he would have remained a Prodigal.   

In like manner, the Heavenly Father honors our freedom. He never coerces Christians or non-Christians. Instead, He invites, calls, encourages, instructs, warns us of what might lie ahead, and allows for every possible door of opportunity. He even gives freely to Man the gift of grace, “the power and effectual operation of the Holy Spirit,” to bring about a profound transformation within believers. But it all must be received willingly.

This explains prolonged periods of preparation before major Church celebrations, such as Pascha being preceded by Lent.  As we approach God, it is not just a matter of His acceptance of us, but of how open we are to His presence in our lives.     

The upcoming Fast will be welcomed wholeheartedly by many. It will prove difficult, even irritating for others, precisely because it involves freedom, self-discipline, and preparation.

No one forces us to fast, pray, to guard our senses, to practice charity toward others. No one is watching daily to see if we adults are following the disciplines of Lent designed to soften our hearts. No one, in fact, is keeping track of whether or not we generally follow the teachings of Christ. In the final analysis, we are responsible for our words, actions and thoughts, for our spiritual progress or lack thereof. We are responsible, but the Church through her longstanding tradition – by the act of continual remembrance – is able to show us the way, provide us with the grace of redemption, the Spirit of enlightenment which must be willingly received and nurtured in the lives of believers. 

If we are open to possibilities, much can be learned through the act of remembrance, recalling the events of our Lord’s ministry, invoking as well the names of those who have gone to their rest before us. We glean much from our forefathers’ mistakes, and especially from their spiritual victories. We benefit greatly from their prayers on our behalf, and from our union with them in Christ.

Again, the Fast begins on March 15. Even though we still “enjoy” COVID-related restrictions, the Coronavirus cannot overcome the gift of grace and a strong desire to be with God. St. Paul assures the believer, “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, (is) able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) It has been noted by our bishops that the Crosses currently before us offer many hidden opportunities to approach the Lord.

Taking all this to heart, let us indeed enter the upcoming Fast with joy and all seriousness, using the time wisely for the glory of God, to the best of our abilities.