Reflection by Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky
Director of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations, Orthodox Church in America
He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” —John 1:43
Christ’s call to those who would follow Him is straightforward: Follow Me. And the remarkable thing is that so many did: they chose to leave what they knew and follow a charismatic stranger along a path they could not imagine. They believed Him, and they acted on that conviction by following Him.
Follow Me. I think it is worthwhile, as we begin the journey of Great and Holy Lent, to hear these words with fresh ears.
To follow Christ—and holy Scripture makes this clear—is to serve our neighbor. Christ, through Whom all things were made, became a human being and served others with deep compassion. He fed the hungry, He healed the sick, He washed His followers’ feet.
As we follow Christ toward the Cross this Lent, let us renew our commitment to serving wherever and whenever we can, in ways small or large, because this is our offering to Christ.
Most Holy Trinity, give me strength for the journey that lies ahead, and give me the heart of a servant, that I may humbly offer myself to You.
