This week’s “Ask Father” sermon is a follow up last week’s question, “If we believe that Orthodox is the true faith, ten why don’t we evangelize?” In the setting of the Sunday of All Saints, we discuss why it is important to be Orthodox and what it really means to live as an Orthodox Christian.

Shortly before our Lord ascended the Holy Cross, He prayed for us to “be one” as He is one with the Father. The Church has struggled for centuries with this dilemma as we are fallen human beings. We tend to gather in separate groups. If we are going to answer the call of Jesus Christ, we must learn to put aside the different groups in favor of being ONE Church, ONE family, ONE Body of Christ.

On the Sunday of the Blind Man, the sixth Sunday of Pascha, the Church once again offers a chance for us to see and believe in the power and majesty of God. Unfortunately many of us choose to remain consumed in our own reality and blind to the truth of God. We say we believe, but we do not live as if God is real in our life. We remain blind to our own sinfulness thinking instead about our self-righteousness. We have seen the Light; now we should live by it instead of remaining blind.

We honor our mother during Mothers’ Day each year in honor of the great efforts they have made in raising us. They do everything for us, and without them we would be and have nothing, but the most important thing they offer to us is to bring us to Church. Without our mothers we would have not faith. They are courageous, strong, and faithful women who are the bedrock of our lives. We honor them with gifts and flowers, luncheons and presentations, but the greatest gift we can give to our mothers is to live a life in Christ. The real honor we offer our mothers is to have a relationship with Christ.

On the Fourth Sunday of Pascha, known as the Sunday of the Paralytic, we hear of a young man who thought he was all alone. When Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be made well,” his response was, “I have no man.” He was not alone, and you are not alone. You have the Church and you have God. Together nothing is impossible.

On Palm Sunday, the day we welcome our King, the Church challenges us to answer the question, “Are we prepared for Christ? Have we done what it takes to welcome our King? How far are we willing to go to honor God?” In the Gospel According to John 12.1-18 read on Palm Sunday we hear about a woman who gave everything to God. She spent everything she had on a costly ointment she then pour over Christ’s feet before wiping His feet with her hair. If we would prepare to greet an earthly king, what are we willing to do meet Christ? We must give it our all!

For many Christians, going to Church and living ‘by the rules’ is about earning a spot in heaven. For Orthodox Christians, going to Church and the Orthodox way of life is about preparing for the reality of being in heaven. Christ said to His disciples, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" Are you able to live the life that Christ has offered? Don’t waste another moment. Great Lent is about learning how to live as God desires, if we choose to follow Him to Heaven.

When we arrive at that moment in life when we just don’t think we can make it any longer, then we turn to God. Just when we think there is no hope for us, then we realize that we can’t do it without God. God is always willing to raise us up, but He will wait for us to come to Him. There is just one problem. Until we learn to admit we need God we can’t, and probably won’t, bring ourselves to God. Through the prayer and fasting of the Great Fast we discover that with God, and only with God, we can accomplish anything....but most importantly He will raise us up to heaven.

Half way through the Great Fast the Church reminds us of our destination. We are on a journey to the Cross. We are on a journey to heaven, but first we must learn to deny ourselves and take up our cross. The Church provides us with all the tools we need for our journey including fasting, almsgiving, patience, love, forgiveness, repentance, and humility. Once we can overcome our own self-desires we can then, and only then following Christ to heaven.

When we gather in the presence of God in the Church, we come face to face with His Power. He has the power to save us. He has the power to heal us. Most importantly He has the power to forgive our sins. We are challenged to find our friends and family who need to God, and bring them to the Church. Once we are on the inside of the Church, we need to be open witnessing His power, even if that means we lose a little attention from God.