For Orthodox Christians, the middle of November means the beginning of the Advent Fast. It is a time of preparation for the great feast of the Incarnation of the Word, a preparation which needs to be analyzed at the beginning of each fast.
”As we all know, there is a physical fast and there is a spiritual fast. The physical fast is when the stomach abstains from food and drink. The spiritual fast is when the soul abstains from evil thoughts, deeds, and words,” says St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. We must begin by fasting from food and drink, knowing well that this is just the beginning of fasting. Physical fasting helps to put our passions to death. For having less and poorer food denies the body the sensation of being full. The body that is less nourished does not manifest inclinations toward the passions. This is a reality which must be experienced during fasting. We cannot experience this with only a few days of fasting, but only after prolonged effort can we feel that our bodies are in such a state.
St. Tikhon then speaks of spiritual fasting: “True and pure fasting is abstinence from all evil. If you wish, O Christian, for the fast to be beneficial, then while you are fasting physically, fast also spiritually and fast continually. As you curb your stomach, in the same way curb your thoughts and your evil passions. Let your mind fast from vain thoughts. Let your mind fast from keeping account of evil. Let your will fast from your evil desire. Let your eyes fast from seeing evil: “Turn my eyes away from worthless things” (Psalm 118:37).
St. Tikhon exhorts us to a spiritual fast which represents the most profound aspect of fasting. Much more difficult, but totally necessary if we wish to fast profitably. For both physical fasting and spiritual fasting ought to yield spiritual fruit. And this fruit is peace of soul, and greater and more heartfelt prayer that brings us closer to God. We fast out of love for God and the desire to feel Him near. We fast in order to gain the light our minds need to understand spiritual and earthly problems. We fast in order to experience what the Savior Himself went through in the wilderness, and then told us that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” We fast from earthly things in order to nourish ourselves on spiritual things.
St. Tikhon concludes his brief remarks on fasting with an insistent exhortation: “Repent, and cease from every evil word, deed, and thought, adopt the virtues, and you will always be fasting before God.”
Let us seek to fast according to St. Tikhon’s challenge, and to prepare ourselves appropriately for the feast of our Lord’s Nativity!
At that time, a ruler came to Jesus and asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ” And he said, “All these I have observed from my youth.” And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. Jesus looking at him said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
I am always amazed at the symbolism that is used in Scripture. Most of the symbols that Jesus used is speaking would have been common knowledge for those who were listening but for us sometimes the meaning is lost. This is true with the Scripture passage chosen by the Church for the 30th Sunday after Pentecost. The Gospel pericope is chosen from St. Luke’s Gospel and the 18th chapter.
In this passage a man approaches Jesus and asks Him what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus tells him to obey the commandments, and the young man replies that he has been obeying them all his life. After pressing Jesus more His reply is that the young man should sell all that he has and follow him. Jesus goes on to say that it will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven.
What is this eye of the needle that Jesus is speaking about here. For those listening this would have been obvious but as I mentioned before this is sort of lost on us. The eye of the needle could mean many things but most commentators agree that it is most likely the gate of a city. The gate was built of a certain size that would not allow a fully loaded camel to get through. This is the point of the passage, we need to unburden ourselves.
Just before the Great Entrance of the Divine Liturgy we sing the Cherubic Hymn. In this Hymn we say, “Let us lay aside all the earthly cares of life,” and this is how we unburden ourselves. It is the earthly things that burden us. For the young man in the story it was his riches that kept him from following Jesus and for us it might be something else. Salvation is impossible for those who are attached to the earthly things of life.
What is not being said here is that we need to divest ourselves and give it all to the poor, no, we need to care for the poor as we are commanded too, but what is being asked of us to keep it all in perspective. Stuff is not bad, it’s what that stuff does to us that is. Are we controlled by our stuff or do we control our stuff. Can we live without it or will the world end for us if it is gone? This is what is being asked of us as followers of Jesus Christ.
What baggage do you have that needs to be set aside so you can truly follow Jesus?
The Orthodox Monk has a particular attachment to the earth. It is difficult to speak about attachment, and the monastic as our whole life is about detachment but in this case the monk has this attachment.
The Orthodox Church has a fairly well developed theology around the care for the earth. We view all of creation as just that creation, created by God, and as God said in Genesis it is good. We are stewards of this creation, and it is our responsibility to care for it. God gave us dominion over the creation, but that dominion comes with an immense amount of responsibility. We have to care for the land so that the land will produce what we need to survive.
As an Orthodox Monk, I try to live a sustainable lifestyle. What does this mean? We are to try to live a life that leaves as small a foot print on creation as possible. We do this in many ways. Here at the monastery we keep the heat at a low temperature and wear a sweater when it gets cold, but we also cover the windows and make sure that the heat we do use is used in the most efficient way. We limit the amount of water that we use. How many of us run the water whilst we are brushing our teeth in the morning, or do not fill the washing machine when we do a load of laundry. Our machine has a setting that limits the amount of water, or I wait until I have a full load to wash the clothes. In the warm months, we use the clothesline to dry the clothes, and I am considering an indoor clothesline for the winter months.
We try to turn off the lights in the rooms we are not using or only use the light when needed. Several years ago we switched the lights we could to compact florescent lights. These use less power and last longer. They need to be disposed of properly, so that causes us to recycle.
The Town we live in has an excellent recycling program. It is a single stream program, so we throw all of our recycle stuff into one large, 90 gallon, container that is collected every other week. This makes the task of recycling remarkably simple. We compost all that we can so that limits the amount of waste that is heading to the land fill. Yes this requires additional effort, but once you establish a system it works fantastic and the soil that is created from this composting is perfect for the garden.
We are fortunate that we have a large piece of land here at the monastery. We are able to raise chickens and have a rather large garden. I was able to can several pints of summer squash, zucchini, and bread and butter pickles this year all from the garden. The tomatoes that were grown were used as they were harvested and the basil has made a delightful addition to many of the recipes that we cook. Anyone, no matter how small a plot of land you have, can produce something one it. If not consider shopping at a farmer’s market.
Buying local food is more expensive but in the long run it is better for you and it uses less fuel to transport it. Yes it’s satisfying to have all sorts of fruits and veggies available all year long but at what cost? Studies show that eating what is grown locally and what is in season is far better for you than the diet most of us have now. Commercially grown fruits and veggies are produced with pesticides and all sorts on garbage that is weakening our immune systems and causing all sorts of health issues. Looking the farmer in the eye and asking him what he uses on his plants is worth the price of admission.
We have plans this year to use the rain barrels that we purchased several years ago to collect water to water the garden. We have plans to raise chickens for meat and turkeys this year and to keep up with what we already have. Garden expansion is also in the works, and I am using the “off season” to plan what that will look like in the spring when we are able to plant again. The ultimate goal here is to produce enough of our own food, or to sell what we do not use, to be able to sustain our life here.
Recently, on his podcast The Morning Offering, Abbot Trypon of All Merciful Savior Monastery in Washington State talked about sustainability and what they are doing at their monastery. It is a short podcast and well worth listening too.
This about what you can do to reduce your foot print and aid in the sustainability of the earth that we all share.
Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann celebrated the divine liturgy for the last time on Thanksgiving Day. This was particularly appropriate since Father Alexander had devoted his whole life to teaching, writing and preaching about the Eucharist; for the word eucharist in Greek means thanksgiving. At the conclusion of the liturgy, Father Alexander took from his pocket a short written sermon, in the form of a prayer, which he proceeded to read. This was a strange occurrence since Father never wrote his liturgical homilies, but delivered them extemporaneously. These were his words, which proved to be the last ever spoken by him from the ambo in Church.
Thank You, O Lord!
Everyone capable of thanksgiving is capable of salvation and eternal joy.
Thank You, O Lord, for having accepted this Eucharist, which we offered to the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and which filled our hearts with the joy, peace and righteousness of the Holy Spirit.
Thank You, O Lord, for having revealed Yourself unto us and given us the foretaste of Your Kingdom.
Thank You, O Lord, for having united us to one another in serving You and Your Holy Church.
Thank You, O Lord, for having helped us to overcome all difficulties, tensions, passions, temptations and restored peace, mutual love and joy in sharing the communion of the Holy Spirit.
Thank You, O Lord, for the sufferings You bestowed upon us, for they are purifying us from selfishness and reminding us of the “one thing needed;” Your eternal Kingdom.
Thank You, O Lord, for having given us this country where we are free to Worship You.
Thank You, O Lord, for this school, where the name of God is proclaimed.
Thank You, O Lord, for our families: husbands, wives and, especially, children who teach us how to celebrate Your holy Name in joy, movement and holy noise.
Thank You, O Lord, for everyone and everything.
Great are You, O Lord, and marvelous are Your deeds, and no word is sufficient to celebrate Your miracles.
Here is a prayer that can be used at the Thanksgiving Table. It comes from the Orthodox Moleben Service for Thanksgiving. Remember on this day that we give thanks to give thanks to the God that created all.
O Lord Jesus Christ our God, the God of all mercies and bounties Whose mercy is immeasurable, and whose love for mankind is an unfathomable deep: falling down in adoration before Thy majesty, with fear and trembling, as unprofitable servants, and now humbly rendering thanks unto Thy loving-kindness for Thy benefits bestowed upon Thy servants, we glorify Thee, we praise Thee, we sing Thee and we magnify thee as our Lord, and Master, and Benefactor; and again falling down before Thee, we humbly thank Thee, supplicating Thy boundless and inexpressible mercy. And in that Thou hast graciously vouchsafed to accept the petitions of Thy servants and to fulfill them, so also grant that henceforth thy Holy Church and this city may be delivered from every hostile assault, and may be granted peace and tranquility, and that increasing in true love of Thee, and in all virtues, all Thy faithful people may receive Thy benefits; and that we may ever offer thanksgiving unto Thee, together with Thy Father, Who is from everlasting, and Thine all holy, and good, and life giving Spirit, God glorified in three persons; and that we may say exceeding good things and sing: Glory to Thee, O God our Benefactor, unto the ages of ages.
Today is the prelude of the good will of God,
of the preaching of the salvation of mankind.
The Virgin appears in the Temple of God,
in anticipation proclaiming Christ to all.
Let us rejoice
and sing to her:
“Rejoice, O Fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation!”
Troparion – Tone 4
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (I Thessalonians 5:18)
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The vibrant tradition of the Thanksgiving holiday in this country is a special opportunity for the Church to offer a witness of the priority of thankfulness in our relationship with God and as a foundation for our lives in this world. As Orthodox Christians we bring an offering of thanksgiving to God when we gather for worship, praising and honoring Him as Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. We commune with Him and express our faith in His grace and power through our participation in the Holy Eucharist, an act of thanksgiving for His mercy and salvation.
The priority of thankfulness in our worship and faith guides us to offer thanksgiving all the time, to live in gratitude in all of the circumstances of life. This is the true witness of Thanksgiving and of the power of God’s presence. Even in the midst of very challenging experiences and conditions, we express a gratitude to Him that comes from our deep faith in His promises and from the comfort of His love. This was in the mind of the great Apostle Saint Paul when he urged the Christians in Thessalonike: Give thanks under all circumstances (I Thessalonians 5:18). This has been the witness of so many Saints and Martyrs down through the ages who offered praise to God in the face of persecution and death. It was the witness of the Pilgrims, in citing the heritage of this holiday, who gave thanks as they faced tremendous challenges in forging a new life in this land. It was the hope of President Abraham Lincoln when he established a Day of Thanksgiving, seeking to focus the hearts of a wounded nation on a greater, spiritual power who offered healing.
Thanksgiving is also our witness of hope and the power of God. We can easily be thankful for material blessings, for our health, or for a life free from conflict and stress. However, we know these are not constant, and the true challenge is being thankful in the midst of crisis and struggle. When we are thankful in the most challenging circumstances of life, when we bring a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God even when so much has been taken away, when we continue to follow His will living in holiness and faith, others will see that our gratitude is not dependent on the temporal success and security of this earthly life, but on the promises and salvation of God!
As we give thanks on this day, may we be thankful for our families and friends, for our communities, and the many blessings and provisions that enhance our quality and experience of life; but may we first give thanks to God for His great love for us. May we deepen our gratitude to Him, a thankfulness that comes from our souls, knowing that His promises will be fulfilled, His love endures forever, and we will have life in Him for eternity.
OCPM ministers to nearly 1,000 men and women who are in prison or who have recently been released. Many have embraced the Orthodox Faith, while others who were already Orthodox found their way back to The Church.
Five men have been tonsured Orthodox monks in prison and several others have become Iconographers.
There are currently over 300 Orthodox catechumens in jails and prisons across America.
Many of the men and women whose lives have been touched by OCPM are now out of prison and leading productive, Christ-centered lives as active members of their local parishes.
OCPM has published 8 books and distributed more than one million copies to prisons.
Over two million icon prayer cards have been printed and distributed.
OCPM ministers monthly to more than 300 homeless and needy people, including families of those in prison.
OCPM sends more than 5,000 personal letters to those in prison each year offering them spiritual guidance and hope.
With a tip of the Skufia to Fr. Greg I post below the text of an address by His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston given at the recent meeting of the The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation held in Washington, DC.
I will have to agree that Sunday has become just another day. There are far to many events scheduled on this day that take place of coming to church. I find it hard to believe that any right believing Christian would allow their child to participate in a sporting event rather than attend liturgy. Life is made up of choices and we need to teach our children what is right and proper in this world. If you are going to call yourself a Christian then you belong in church on Sunday not on the ball field or court. Now I do realize that some people have to work on Sunday and that is excusable but Sunday is a day of rest to be spent with family after coming to Church.
I also find it disturbing the number of people who shop on Sunday. Recently it was announced that stores would be open on Thanksgiving day in the early afternoon to get a jump start on “Black Friday.” What has this world come to? Can we not be saved from mammon for one day to enjoy time with family. Remember this, each time you shop on Sunday, or you shop on Thanksgiving day, you are requiering someone to be there and not with their family. God gave us 6 days to labor and one to rest. Give to Caesar the things that are Cesar’s and give to God the things that are God’s!
The Importance of Sunday
The North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation
Saint Paul’s College, Washington, DC October 27, 2012
His Eminence Methodios, Metropolitan of Boston
Recovering the theological significance of Sunday is fundamental to rebalancing our lives. As Orthodox and Catholics, we share a theological view of Sunday and so our purpose in this statement is four-fold: to offer a caring response to what is not just a human, but also a theological question; to add a little more volume to the growing chorus of Christian voices trying to be heard in the din of our non-stop worklife; to offer brief reflections in hopes of drawing attention to the fuller expositions elsewhere; and to reinforce the ecumenical consensus by speaking as Orthodox and Catholics with one voice.
For Christians, Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is a special day consecrated to the service and worship of God. It is a unique Christian festival. It is “the day the Lord has made” (Ps. 117 (118):24). Its nature is holy and joyful. Sunday is the day on which we believe God acted decisively to liberate the world from the tyranny of sin, death, and corruption through the Holy Resurrection of Jesus.
The primacy of Sunday is affirmed by the liturgical practice of the early church. St. Justin the Martyr writing around 150 AD notes that “it is on Sunday that we assemble because Sunday is the first day, the day on which God transformed darkness and matter and created the world and the day that Jesus Christ rose from the dead (First Apology, 67).” Sunday has always had a privileged position in the life of the church as a day of worship and celebration. On Sunday the Church assembles to realize her eschatological fullness in the Eucharist by which the Kingdom and the endless Day of the Lord are revealed in time. It is the perpetual first day of the new creation, a day of rejoicing. It is a day for community, feasting and family gatherings.
As we look at our fellow Christians and our society, we observe that everyone is short of time and stressed. One reason is that many of us have forgotten the meaning of Sunday, and with it the practices that regularly renewed our relationships and lives. More and more Christian leaders see the effects of a 24/7 worklife and ask “Where is the time of rest?” As members of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation, gathered October 25-27, 2012, we add our combined voice to their call.
Our purpose here is not to replace or replicate their message; it is to underscore and point to it. Anyone who looks at the 1998 Apostolic Letter Dies Domini (The Lord’s Day) of Pope John Paul II and its cascade of patristic quotations will see there is already a feast of food for thought on the meaning of Sunday. Anyone who reads the recent book Sunday, Sabbath, and the Weekend (2010, Edward O’Flaherty, ed.) will see there is also strong ecumenical consensus on the need to recover the meaning of Sunday– not just for our souls, but for our bodies, our hearts, and our minds as well.
Sadly Sunday has become less of a day of worship and family and more like an ordinary work day. Shopping, sports, and work squeeze out the chance for a day of worship or rest in the Christian sense. By abandoning Sunday worship we lose out on the regenerative powers that flow out of the liturgical assembly. And when Sunday becomes detached from its theological significance, it becomes just part of a weekend and people can lose the chance to see transcendent meaning for themselves and their lives (The Lord’s Day, 4).
Sunday is more than just the first day of the week. In our faith we see how it is the ultimate day of new beginnings: “It is Easter which returns week by week, celebrating Christ’s victory over sin and death, the fulfillment in him of the first creation and the dawn of “the new creation” (cf. 2 Cor 5:17). It is the day which recalls in grateful adoration the world’s first day and looks forward in active hope to “the last day”, when Christ will come in glory (cf. Acts 1:11; 1 Th 4:13-17) and all things will be made new (cf. Rev 21:5. The Lord’s Day, 1).”
Sunday even unlocks the mystery of time itself, for “…in commemorating the day of Christ’s Resurrection not just once a year but every Sunday, the Church seeks to indicate to every generation the true fulcrum of history, to which the mystery of the world’s origin and its final destiny leads (The Lord’s Day, 2).” The Lord’s Day is the day after the last day of the week and so it symbolizes eternity as well: what St. Augustine calls “a peace with no evening (Confessions 13:50).” St. Basil the Great in his Treatise on the Holy Spirit writes, “Sunday seems to be an image of the age to come… This day foreshadows the state which is to follow the present age: a day without sunset, nightfall or successor, an age which does not grow old or come to an end (On the Holy Spirit 26:77).”
The apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II calls it a day of joy, rest, and solidarity. Joy there is, because the disciples are always glad to see the Master. God scripturally established a day of rest as a gift to us, and rest there must be for every human person. Rest is built into our nature and also withdraws us “…from the sometimes excessively demanding cycle of earthly tasks in order to renew [our] awareness that everything is the work of God. There is a risk that the prodigious power over creation which God gives to man can lead him to forget that God is the Creator upon whom everything depends. It is all the more urgent to recognize this dependence in our own time, when science and technology have so incredibly increased the power which man exercises through his work. Finally, it should not be forgotten that even in our own day work is very oppressive for many people, either because of miserable working conditions and long hours — especially in the poorer regions of the world — or because of the persistence in economically more developed societies of too many cases of injustice and exploitation of man by man (The Lord’s Day, 65,66).”
As members of the Consultation, we strongly urge both clergy and laity to work cooperatively within their communities to stress the importance of Sunday for worship and family. Foremost we call for all to render thanks to God and render love towards one another – and be willing to reserve time to do both — and avail ourselves of the riches of the Lord’s Day. Appropriate authorities can be approached to schedule sports activities after 12 noon in order to give young athletes and their family the opportunity to worship on Sunday morning. We call for our children to live in a timescape that respects the God-given rhythm of the week.
“Yes, let us open our time to Christ, that he may cast light upon it and give it direction. He is the One who knows the secret of time and the secret of eternity, and he gives us “his day” as an ever new gift of his love. The rediscovery of this day is a grace which we must implore, not only so that we may live the demands of faith to the full, but also so that we may respond concretely to the deepest human yearnings. Time given to Christ is never time lost, but is rather time gained, so that our relationships and indeed our whole life may become more profoundly human (The Lord’s Day, 7).”
On November 15th the Orthodox Church begins a period of preparation leading up to the Nativity of Christ on December 25th. The period of abstinence, called the Nativity Fast or St. Philip’s Fast, is a period similar to the western Advent but rather than 4 weeks it is 40 days. This time of year needs to be different than the rest of the year. There is a pull and desire to attend parties and other such festive events but we need to remember that the Christmas Season does not begin until December 25th. The Advent Season is penitential just like Great Lent leading up to Pascha.
The abstinence during this period of the year is a bit more relaxed than during Great Lent. Fish, Wine, and Oil are allowed on certain special feast days and on all Sundays. Meat and dairy products are not allowed at any time during the course of the Advent Season although it has become the custom for this to be relaxed for Thanksgiving. The amount we eat should also be less than we would normally eat during the rest of the year. These are guidelines to be followed to the best of our ability. All of this should be done in consultation with your spiritual father.
When we fast with humility and repentance it draws us closer to God. We need to think of this time not of what we are not supposed to be eating but the spiritual side of our lives. Orthodox theology looks at what happens between the body and soul as a single unit so what happens to one, happens to the other. Our Holy Church teaches that it is simply not enough to fast from food but also from anger, greed, and covetousness. There is also almsgiving involved during this period of time. Do something for someone else without expecting anything in return.
We tend to spend an enormous amount of time focusing on the food part of the fast period. We cannot neglect the spiritual in all of this. To that end consider going to confession during this period of time. These penitential seasons are a great time to get back in the habit of going to confession. Frequent confession is good for the soul but it also helps keep us on track. We become accountable to another person on our spiritual life and we can use these times of confession to check in with our spiritual father.
As mentioned, almsgiving should be part of our practice during this season. We have two opportunities to put the Gospel message of love your neighbor into practice. The Community Meal will be served on Thursday, December 6th and Thursday, December 20th. Come and serve a meal and have a conversation with someone. There will also be a box at the entrance to the church to place nonperishable food items that we can distribute at our meals for the needy in the Community. We should practice this all year long but we should make a special effort during the Nativity Fast.
Scripture reading should be a part of our lives every day but if we do not have a time that we read Scripture use this time of the fast to begin. There is a 40 day Scripture Challenge that will get you through the entire New Testament in the time of Advent. Commit to expand your Scripture reading or start reading during this time of the year.
We will be adding Liturgical Services during the week and several special Vesper services during Advent as well. I will be praying the Morning Hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 7:30 am in the Monastery Chapel and will serve Vespers on Wednesday night at 6:00 pm in the Chapel. I will also serve compline each night during the week.
Along with the services I mentioned we will serve Great Vespers on Tuesday, November 20th for the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple. On Thursday, November 29th for St. Andrew and for St. Andrei Saguna. Monday, December 3rd for the Great Martyr Barbara. Wednesday, December 6th for St. Nicholas. Wednesday, December 12th for the Repose of St. Herman of Alaska. All of these services will be held in the monastery Chapel with the exception of November 30th. There may be other services added as well. They will be posted prior to the day of the service.
We will serve the Royal Hours on Monday, December 24th at 9:00 am in the Chapel. Some of the hymn of the Royal Hours are the same as those of the Theophany and Good Friday. This ties the symbolism of Christ’s Birth, Baptism, and death into one feast. The Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil at 5:00 pm in the Church. At this service eight Old Testament parables are read that prefigure the Incarnation of Christ.
As with all spiritual disciplines we need to do the best we can. I have made some suggestions for you to follow if you choose you can follow them all or start small and work your way up.
