One of the unique things about our Church is that through her liturgical practices during the Great Fast she leads us gradually to the celebration of the Great and Holy Week, one of two weeks which she celebrates as beyond time. The other week beyond time is Bright and Holy Week – from Easter to the Anti-Pasch – which is celebrated as eight days and depicts the beginning of the new creation that God brought about by His incarnation as Jesus, the Christ.

The Great and Holy Week, which we will be observing shortly (March 29-April 4), summarizes in a concrete way the total of God’s revelation through Jesus to humankind. Like John’s depiction of the process of spiritual growth as a step-by-step process, (i.e., like climbing a ladder), so too is the revelation of God to us a step-by-step process. Throughout the liturgical year our Church uses Gospel stories and various commemorations to gradually help us see what the process of spiritual growth is like. She exhorts us to climb the ladder of spiritual growth. We, however, have to voluntarily accept the challenge and begin to make the climb. Our Church does everything in her power to help us see the importance of this process. She uses images and activities (i.e., the Great Fast) to help us become engaged in the process. She never forces us to become engaged but continuously reminds us of how others have accomplished the task and exhorts us, for our own good, to follow in their footsteps. She presents saints, who were people like us, who embraced the way of metanoia, that is the way of spiritual growth through personal discipline which can help us change our minds and hearts.

If we really become attuned to the life of our Church, we will be led to the way of metanoia – we will truly embrace this way of living. Earnestly living our life with the life of our Church will lead us to the conclusion that it is most beneficial to live as Jesus lived as others have lived it throughout our Christian history.

Of course this means that we have to voluntarily embrace a life which is in sync with our Church. It also means more than just attending weekly services, although weekly attendance is a true beginning. When we feel that we need to attend weekly services because they help us to live, then we know that we are on the road to making our ascent to God – we’re on the first rung of the ladder. The first step: importance of regular worship of God in community.

Let us truly begin our climb to union with God!