As we meditate on Zaccheus Sunday, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield encourages to heed the Church’s initiation of the four preparatory Sundays leading up to Great Lent. We all are subject to the temptation to get lost in the externals of Lent, or to let the season pass by without engaging ourselves in deeper reflection. Fr Chad encourages us to allow the exterior aspects of Lent–the services, the Lenten hymns, the fasting–to call us to move into the interior parts of our hearts and minds. It is there that we meet Christ and are cleansed by Him.

Reflecting on the conversation between Jesus and the Canaanite woman in the Gospel of Matthew, the Rev. Dn Dr Vitaly Permiakov calls us to follow her example. We can only be healed of our brokenness by approaching the Lord with humility and a real understanding that we are only saved and made whole by Him. Although it may sound as if the Lord is demeaning the Canaanite woman upon an initial read, in context, we understand that he is engaging her in conversation to teach his disciples a great truth–he is the Messiah come to save people of all nations, and not just a chosen few.

It’s hard to understand, at first, why the man who hid his one talent in the parable of the talents was so harshly punished by his master, says the Rev. Dn Dr Harrison Basil Russin. Drawing on related texts in Deuteronomy, Dn Harrison explains by emphasizing the importance of receiving God’s blessings in gratitude, cultivating them, and offering the first fruits back to Him and one’s neighbors in need. This grateful heart and willingness to multiply, offer back, and share one’s gifts are nothing less than the way we are to be saved.

The Feast of Theophany is an occasion to meditate on the cosmic nature of Christ’s entering into the waters of the Jordan, preaches the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield. By entering the water to be baptized, Christ shows us the way we must also follow, and sanctifies all of creation, the cosmos itself. We are then sanctified and born anew in the waters of baptism, and sealed with the sign of the Cross as we join Christ’s flock, anticipating His coming again.

On the feast of St Herman of Alaska, His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Fort Worth, Auxiliary to the Diocese of the South (OCA) calls us to consider how St Herman embodied the fruit of the Spirit described by St Paul: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, and self-control. Raising many examples from St Herman’s life about his enaction of these qualities, Bishop Gerasim exhorts us to follow his lead in serving the Church lovingly and beautifully.

During the Nativity Fast, the Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield points out, four recurring themes stand out in the hymnography: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. We must be especially watchful during the fast, striving to pay special attention to our relationship with the Living God, lest we move away from Him, which is self-destruction. Referring to the baptism of a seminary baby earlier in the service, Fr Chad emphasizes the freedom that comes from being born in Christ, breaking the chains of sin and death.

On the feast of St Nicholas of Myra, the Rev. Dn Dr Vitaly Permiakov describes the venerable hierarch as a “living image of that one and only High Priest, according to the order of Melchizedek...our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave his life on the tree of the Cross.” For St Nicholas, the life of a bishop was not one of high position or honor, but that of service in unceasing intercession. St Nicholas is remembered not only for his charity and care for his flock, but also for his boldness and courage in interceding for those who were wronged, for denouncing injustice and corruption, and for doing everything in his power to protect his people.

The story of the young rich ruler who could not distribute his wealth and follow Christ reminds us that we are all guilty of a similar failure to recognize that all things ultimately belong to God, says the Very Rev. Vincent Temirov. The lesson in this gospel account is not that the wealthy are inherently unable to reach the Kingdom of Heaven, but that anyone who clings to treasure on earth rather than building up treasure in heaven is in danger of shutting themselves out of the Kingdom. We must trust that everything we receive in this life is to be offered back to God for His glory.

In examining the healing of the woman who had been bent over for 18 years, the Very Rev. Dr Bogdan Bucur asks us to consider the symbolism behind her unique ailment. For almost two decades, she was only able to see the ground beneath her; she was unable to lift her gaze and look toward heaven, suggesting that she was also spiritually unable to look toward God and offer praise. The first thing she did upon receiving the Lord’s healing was give thanks and praise to the Lord. Conversely, the first thing the surrounding Pharisees did upon witnessing the miracle was dispute the timing of the healing, as it had happened on the Sabbath. Fr Bogdan urges us to avoid the “religious” tendency to regard the letter of the law over mercy toward our fellow brothers and sisters.

Upon hearing the parable of the rich man who only thought of building himself bigger barns for his crops, Fr Vincent Temirov asks us to consider the ways in which we also worry about gaining wealth and security in this life, rather than striving to build up treasure in heaven. We all have responsibilities in this life, says Fr Vincent, but it is imperative that we “always trust our Father who provides us with every good gift from above” and share what we have been given with those in need.