February 27, 2006
Great and Holy Lent 2006
Protocol 06-01

The Faithful Clergy, Monastics, and Laity
of the Metropolis of Denver

As we once again approach the most-sacred time of the year, Great and Holy Lent, we are invited by the Lord to focus our lives more than ever on Him and on His coming Kingdom.

In entering more fully into this third millennium from the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ almost two thousand years ago, we are aware of the striking difference in human behavior and activity. We see the widening of a chasm between those who are considered moral and good and those who appear to be going from bad to worse in how they think and how they live.

This reality should sound a warning to us who seek our entrance into the eternal Kingdom where we will live eternally in the glorious presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul speaks of this separation of peoples in the final days of this existence.

All of us can discern this sign of "the times" in which we live by using two simple terms that reflect on our being and the direction which people are taking. The terms are "self-respect" and "self-esteem." They who seek the eternal truths that lead toward unending life practice self-respect. Self-respect means that my behavior reflects on something greater than me, such as my family, my church, and my God, while Self-esteem reflects only upon me.

There is no question that the spirit of the present time is that of self-esteem. We see it in athletics where athletes use artificial means to enhance their performances. We see it in government when the appearance of an official or a political candidate is more important than the content of his words. We see it in individuals who sport tattoos and outrageous clothing in order to be first in public recognition. We see it on television where people expose their most immoral and shameless behavior in order to be on center stage. In short, it is those of the "me" generation who prevail, rather than they who are reaching for much higher and better values than what they see in themselves.

We can say all this in another way: while the Christian interpretation of living and of life is to strive for the higher spiritual principles in order to emulate the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, today`s value system in oneself serves to stifle potential human growth which restricts itself only to worldly values.

Through our Lord we believe that upward growth has no limits. Even in the eternal condition, perfection means constant movement and activity.

This is the reason why the holy Lenten period is of utmost importance and value to us as members of the Orthodox Christian faith. This is why we must enter into more prayer time in the privacy of our homes and also in corporate worship with the additional, beautiful, and stirring services which uplift the soul. All the sacred services focus on the holiness of God and the imperfection of men. Through those services and the reading of Holy Scripture we know that our imperfection will one day cease, as we enter into the godlikeness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Who entered into this sinful world to make saints out of us.

As we follow this holy path to perfection, we will witness the world becoming more and more anthropocentric and anthropomorphic. We will continue to see one entity, be it a person or an industry, attempting to outdo and outgrow the other, whether by influence or adherence, whether in possessions or wealth, whether in control or power. This will become the ultimate expression of the generation of people today who see success and perfection only in this world and only in themselves. As this progression advances, we will witness the most extreme expression of the adage, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

In contrast, our focus is on the things from above and away from this world which one day will end by being transfigured through fire (2 Peter 3:10), Our focus is on the Lord Jesus Christ Who came into this fallen and sinful world to save us because we could not save ourselves.

Let us, then, enter into the beautiful and inspirational period of Great Lent in order to meet our Lord during Holy Week. We will do so by avoiding the secular spirit of this world which only leads to moral decadence and spiritual darkness, a world which one day will be no more. Let us follow the enlightened way established by our Lord Who will strengthen us to live our lives in the spirit of hope and unending joy.

With Paternal Blessings,
+ Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver