Daily Journey Through the Great Fast With the Early ChurchSample

“...and there is set before us life upon our observance [of God's precepts], but death as the result of disobedience, and every one, according to the choice he makes, shall go to his own place, so let us flee from death, and make choice of life.” [St. Ignatius of Antioch, 2nd century writer and Bishop of Antioch, known as “Ignatius the God-bearer”]

“Every one, according to the choice he makes” - it is up to you to decide.Put so plainly and boldly, almost uncomfortably. How could I choose differently, why would I choose differently? How could I possibly choose to have faith in anything other than Him, other than His Gospel?

We should determine that our life belongs to Him and seek Him in everything. Brothers and sisters in Christ, the burdens we face in this world are heavy at times - whether you are worried about your child’s sickness, your parents’ health, your financial struggle, loss of a loved one, a broken heart, a promotion or program acceptance, the health of your marriage - should we not be comforted that these are all thingscompletelyout of our control, that they are in the hands of One more capable than us? Should you not be comforted that the One who can resolve and restore is not imperfect as we are, that all His ways and works are perfect? (Psalm 18:30, 2 Samuel 22:31, Deuteronomy 32:4) Should you not be comforted that the solution to your worry is to lay your worry at His feet? Should you not wrestle with Him in prayer, as Jacob wrestled with Jesus until the morning if you are unable to let go? (Genesis 32:24-32)

Be comforted because with God you do not have to seek other solutions. Let this period of Lent be the time you finally allow the worry you feel, to let it rest at His feet. Let this period of Lent be the time to let go and let God, that is, let go of your worries and let God take control of the situation. Let this period of Lent be the time that the anxiety that cripples us, that we carry as a burden, we give it to our sweet God who “daily bears our burdens” [Psalm 68:19] - He will know what to do with our burdens. He has never failed and will not start with you. Do not be bold to think we can find relief from our burdens outside of Him, outside of His Church, out in the world. Do not think so! When you find Christ, truly find Him, then you are filled, you are satisfied, you do not need anything else because you are filled with Him completely, and yet, because He is sweet to the taste you, already being filled, want more and more of Him. You become a completely different person. He is in everything you do, everything you think, everything you say...He gives you His grace and by His grace you are able to endure anything, everything and all things for Him.

Be persistent for the One Who loves you, do not abandon Him for anything else. If you have felt His love before and have a seed of desire for God, stop at nothing to let Him into your heart through repentance, confession and the Eucharist, for He says “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” [Revelation 3:20] Stop at nothing short of repenting, nothing short of letting His Divine love and His Divine word of the Gospel penetrate and purify your heart, because our mighty and humble God will stop at nothing for you - He will “go after the one which is lost until he finds it” [Luke 15:4]

Remain in faith, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Endure and persist. Cry out to Him. Let Him do His work in you through His goodness. Pray plainly. Let your prayers be consistent. Let your prayers be free to fly from the depths of your heart. Be confident that our attentive God hears you.

“Whenever physical hunger turned cruel against me, I found my gratification in prayer. Whenever the biting cold of winter was unkind to me, I found my warmth in prayer. Whenever people were harsh to me (and their harshness was severe indeed) I found my comfort in prayer. In short, prayer became my food and my drink, my outfit and my armor, whether by night or by day.” [Fr. Matthew the Poor, a Coptic Orthodox monk who departed to the Lord in 2006]

“Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven.” [St. Ephrem of Syria, 4th century theologian and hymnographer]

“Do you see how this woman too contributed not a little to the healing of her daughter? For to this purpose neither did Christ say, ‘Let your little daughter be made whole’, but, ‘Great is your faith, be it unto you even as you will’; to teach you that the words were not used at random, nor were they flattering words, butgreat was the power of her faith...But notice, I pray you, how when the apostles had failed, and had not succeeded, this woman had success. So great a thing is consistency in prayer.” [St. John Chrysostom, the 4th century Archbishop of Constantinople and a “doctor of the Church”]