Be Transfigured Ministries

Is Our Lenten Struggle Worth It?

Half-way through Great Lent, we are tired, hungry and a bit grumpy, and the Church encourages us to keep up the struggle if we desire to be with God in Heaven. We are all willing to struggle, sacrifice and work hard for something which we desire. Do you desire to be with God in heaven? The Way of the Christian is the way of the Cross, IF we desire God. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8.34) Our Great Lenten struggle isn’t forced upon us by God as punishment, but an offering to help us follow Christ. So, is our Lenten struggle worth it? It is, if you desire to be with God in heaven. It’s your choice.

Do You Love Your Friends Enough?

On the Second Sunday of Great Lent we hear of a paralytic who had four friends who loved him enough to not give up trying to get him into the presence of the Grace of God. When Jesus saw THEIR faith, the Gospel says He turned to the paralytic and said, “Your sins are forgiven.” How much do you love your friends? Do you love them enough to never give up trying to bring them to encounter the Grace of God in His Church? Do you love them enough to bring them to Christ in His Church so they can hear the words, “Your sins are forgiven?” The Uncreated Energy of God is present in His Grace in the Holy Sacraments of the Church. If we truly loved our friends enough, our Churches would be filled to capacity with those seeking a real encounter with the Grace of God. Our friends would hear the words, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Being True to the True Faith

On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the first Sunday of Great Lent, the Church proclaims the truth of the Faith. The Church proclaims, “This is the Faith of the Orthodox! This is the Faith of the Apostles! This is the Faith which has established the universe!” What are you doing to be true to the Faith of the Church as revealed by Christ, received and protected by the Holy Apostles, and guided by the Holy Spirit? Are you living as Nathaniel and Philip who went and told their friends about Christ, or are you keeping the truth to yourself?

Come into the Common Place of Our Heart

On the threshold of Great Lent, the Church calls us to the high calling of forgiveness, but many of us do not fully understand that forgiveness isn’t something we do to others; it is something we experience with others. When we invite others to share the common space of our heart, we share a divine experience following the example of Christ. We cannot fully experience Great Lent without first allowing others into our heart. It is this shared experience that draws us closer to God and each other. It is the common experience we call Orthodox Christianity.

Absolute Freedom

Saint Paul reminds us, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.” (1 Corinthians 6.12) In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, we hear of a father who allows his youngest son to waste his inheritance on loose living with harlots until the son was completely broke and starving. While the son took advantage of his father’s generosity and wasted his life and fortune, the father never stopped loving his son and never stopped waiting for his return. It wasn’t until the son “came to himself” (Luke 15.17) and returned home in repentance, that the father was able to restore the son to his original glory. How many times do we take advantage of the freedom that God has given to us? How many times do we find ourselves living a life that God would not approve? Until we can return to Him in repentance, He cannot save us. Absolute freedom can be a dangerous thing.

Thank God You’re Not like Those Sinners

Where ever you look, you are surrounded by sinners. You spend your days fasting and keeping all the “rules” of the Church, and every night you thank God that you’re not like those sinners you know it the world. Did you ever stop to think, YOU might be sinning? Did you ever consider the YOU were the one that needed to repent? As the Triodion period begins, and Orthodox Christians begin to prepare themselves for the coming of Great and Holy Lent, the Church reminds of the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. One went home justified, and I’ll give you a hint....it wasn’t the one who kept all the rules.

Can You Hear God Calling?

The world is filled with distractions, from busy street sounds to hectic lifestyles, many of which can stop us from hearing God’s voice. The story of Zacchaeus teaches us the benefit of filtering through all the commotion in our life so we can focus on God. Until we can eliminate the clutter from our lives, we will continue to be lost, unable to hear God calling us to safety. The Orthodox Christian way of life offers us an opportunity to learn to filter through these distractions of wealth and comfort, and welcome God into our hearts.

Nobody is Turned Away by God

Do you sometimes feel that God won’t listen to your prayer? Do you sometimes feel that your sins are keeping you from coming to Church? Then this week’s episode of Be Transfigured! is for YOU! In the story of the Ten Lepers, Christ reveals that there is nobody who will be turned away from God.

We Have Seen the Light

During every Divine Liturgy we sing the words, “We have seen the Light,” but it is what we do AFTER the Divine Liturgy with the Light that really matters. Many who have received the Light of Christ, fail to make good use of the Light in their lives. Some even reject it. Just as with any gift we receive or plan we make, it requires more than just good intentions for us to be successful and for the Light of Christ to grow within our hearts. All good intentions aside, if we do not make good use of the Light that has been given to us at our Baptism, Jesus will take it away and give it to someone who desires for it to grow. What have you done with the Light you have received?

We are not Worthy of God’s Love

The first sermon of St John the Baptist, as he was preparing to baptize Jesus Christ, he commanded his followers, “Repent; For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” When he spoke about Jesus directly he admitted he was not worthy even to untie Jesus’ sandals. YET....many of us declare ourselves worthy of every blessing. However unless we admit that are not worthy, and that we must repent, we cannot truly welcome the appearing of Jesus Christ into our lives. Without repentance, there is no Kingdom of Heaven.