Sept 6, 2026

As many of our children have returned to school I thought I would share a story about some chickens, well really it’s about one chicken named Fred. Fred was a rooster. For years he would get up every morning and alert everyone to the rising of the Sun. He would proudly crow: Cockadoodledoo! And wake up everyone at the farm. In addition to that He would protect the hens and their eggs. There were some mornings when Farmer Paisios wished Fred would have slept in so that he could also get more sleep but he was usually really happy with Fred the rooster. Fred knew his role and he did it well. He served the whole farm community.

One day while everyone was busy working, a sneaky fox crawled up to the chicken house. This had happened before. Once before Fred came to the farm, the fox snuck up to the chicken house and stole many eggs. But the slippery fox never tried anything like that while Fred the rooster was there to protect the hens, and their eggs. But this one particular day, while everyone was busy and distracted, the fox greasily slid his way over to the chicken house and just as he was getting ready to attack the hens and take their eggs, he noticed that Fred the Rooster was watching. Fox had no way to get past Fred so he came up with a new plan.

He came close to Fred and tried to act like a friend. Fox said to Fred the rooster, “How are you feeling today?” Fred replied that he was feeling good, maybe a bit tired from always getting up early. And this is where Fox began his work. Every day he would come by and tell Fred the rooster that something must be wrong with him. He shouldn’t be tired. He should always feel great. He had convinced Fred after many weeks that perhaps there was something wrong with him. Finally one day, Fred the rooster asked for advice from Fox. “What do you think I should do about my situation? I’m tired and I don’t feel like getting up and crowing at daybreak and protecting the hens for a living. I wish I had it easy like the hens.”

This was the chance that Fox was after. He declared with confidence and without hesitation that perhaps Fred the Rooster was born in the wrong body. Perhaps he was really a hen stuck inside the body of the rooster. This seemed strange to Fred at first but the more it was repeated and the more he thought about it, the more he became convinced that this was really the problem. All of his troubles and all of his problems would go away if only he could be treated like one of the hens. So he made a decision and decided not to get up the next day to cockadoodledoo. He just slept in and ignored the rising of the Sun.

Farmer Paisios slept in as well. He never heard Fred the rooster because Fred the rooster was still asleep. Farmer Paisios finally rose and realized that something must be wrong so he went to the chicken house to see what was the matter. Upon arriving he found Fred still sleeping and he also noticed that there were no eggs anywhere. They were gone. Farmer Paisios yelled at Fred to wake him: “Lazy bum! Why didn’t you wake up and do your job this morning?!” Fred the rooster looked at him and replied, “I don’t feel like being a rooster anymore. I feel like being a hen!” “You feel like being a hen?!” groaned Farmer Paisios. “What gave you the idea that you could become a hen?” So Fred the Rooster shared the whole story about what Fox had told him and how we had convinced him that something was wrong with him.

Suddenly it all made sense to Farmer Paisios and he looked at Fred and said “Fox told you what he wanted you to hear, not because he cared for you, but because he cared for the eggs you were guarding.” “No, it can’t be!” cried Fred. “He seemed so genuine and so caring!” But Farmer Paisios just shook his head thinking about how sad it was. He was sad that the fox had crept into the farm. Sad about all of the eggs being gone. And most of all, he was sad that Fred the Rooster had forgotten his purpose in life.

Later, after Farmer Paisios spent some long hours in prayer, he came to Fred the rooster and spoke with him. “Fred, I know that you were confused and I forgive you, but we must never let that happen again.” Fred was still puzzled and he asked “How do I prevent this from happening again?”

Farmer Paisios turned to the rooster and spoke kindly saying, “Fred, you made a big mistake when you let the Fox even start to talk to you. We know that the Fox is a liar and a murderer — when he speaks, he always lies. That is his nature. It can’t be changed any more than you can change being a rooster, or I can change from being a man. The only one Who never lies is God. Not only does He always tell the truth, but He always loves us. And do you know Who created you?” Fred replied with a question, “Was it God who created me?”

Farmer Paisios was pleased with that response, “Yes my friend, God created you and me and every other creature on the farm! Now do you think God makes mistakes?” “Well, no, I don’t think so” said Fred. So Farmer Paisios opened his Bible to Genesis and began to read to Fred… “in the beginning God made them male and female…” and upon closing the Bible he turned to Fred again. “Fred, you see that you cannot be a hen that lays eggs anymore than I can be a cow that gives milk. God made each of us with a purpose and we can’t change our identity whether male nor female, whether rooster or hen, whether bull or cow, whether girl or boy. We can rejoice and give thanks that God made each of us perfectly as He intended us to be.

The Fox snuck in to fool you. He hates you and everything that you are — as a faithful and vigilant rooster — and the next time he comes around here it won’t be to steal eggs, it will be to eat you! So, be on your guard; don’t listen to him; don’t let him get close enough to even start talking. CROW as loud as you’ve ever crowed and chase him away. That way the hens and the eggs and YOU will be safe and sound.

My dear children, this advice from Farmer Paisios to Fred the rooster is my advice to you: The Fox is a symbol of the devil. Don’t speak with the Devil or anyone else who tries to confuse you or who makes you doubt who you really are. The devil will always lie and he only wants to hurt and destroy you. Keep Our Lord Jesus Christ close to your heart and mind; trust God with all things; get up every morning and pray with all your might so that the Devil is chased away from you and your loved ones. And finally, always give thanks to God for making you who you are — because He did it in love.

Source: Sermons