JESUS ASKED HIS DISCIPLES SAYING, ‘WHO DO MEN SAY THAT I, THE SON OF MAN, AM?” Matthew 16:13

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ the Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

"He," Jesus, "asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say
that I, the Son of Man, am?" [Matthew 16:13].

"So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and
others Jeremiah or one of the Prophets.’ He said to them,
‘But who DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?’ Simon Peter answered
and said, YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING
GOD" [Matthew 16:14-16].

The Holy Apostles’ confession–an insight given to him by the Father according to Jesus Himself who said: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (v. 17). What was it that was revealed? Jesus’ Messianic IDENTITY and Divinity, the mystery hidden from eternity.

In God’s wisdom it was necessary that Jesus’ true identity was revealed to His disciples and through them to all, so that everyone understood that He was the anticipated Messiah, the Son of God, and the Redeemer Who came down from heaven to save mankind. From this biblical account we come to understand how very important personal identity is for all of us. At some point in all of our lives, we may be faced with a similar question of who we are. How important to you is your identity? How far are you willing to go to protect your God-given identity?

The Christian believes that the Almighty God and Creator bestowed our identity when in His Divine Wisom created the first man and the first woman. When "God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness" [Genesis 1:26]. Indeed, man was made in the image and likeness of the Holy Trinity, and he was made male and female. Therefore, the dignity of each man and each woman is the image and likeness. "Then God formed man out of dust from the ground, and BREATHED IN HIS FACE THE BREATH OF LIFE, AND MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL" [Genesis 2:7]. "The breath of life" is the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life [the Creed], God breathed the breath of life into man’s body, and he became a "living soul." Therefore, Adam was a living soul because he possessed a body, A SOUL, and the GRACE of the Holy Spirit. For the Christian this is his/her true identity. This is how God knows each and everyone of us.

The soul of each human being is unique and true to his/her identity that no one can ever rob. It is yours for eternity. However, it is the most precious gift given to us by our Creator and must always be protected and nurtured by the grace of the Holy Spirit, however, the responsibility of every genuine Christian is to live by this grace. There is no else in the world that has a soul like ours. It cannot be duplicated, stolen or borrowed by anyone. No worldly authority can deprive us of our Christian identity. Wicked men and governments over many centuries have not only persecute Christians but have taken everything away from them, have enslave them and their families, have imprisoned them, they have inflicted horrific tortures on them and countless were killed by them but they could never take their true identity, their God-given soul from them.

Identity, as we understand it in the world which we live in, is a combination of one’s physical and behavioural traits that define who one is. For example, one’s name is part of his identity, as is one’s eyes and fingerprints. This set of characteristics allows one to be definitively and uniquely identified. In today’s world one’s identity is constantly challenged and questioned. Using modern technology authorities are able to know every detail of one’s being. life, and movements. Official documents such as passports, drivers license, and identity cards are used as a proof of one’s name, and one’s photo ID on these documents is the most expedient way of knowing who one is.

Protecting one’s identity has become more complicated and even very expensive. People now are concerned about identity theft. We use our personal data to perform numerous tasks every single day, including accessing bank and credit card accounts, email, social media sites, and others. Although this data is usually encrypted, that does not mean it is totally secure. In fact, one’s personal information, and thus one’s identity, can be stolen and used by identity thieves for their financial gain.

There is, however, another kind of identity and that is one’s religious identity. Christians know fully well how hostile governments, over the centuries, have used religious identity to persecute them. Christians made an easy target for scapegoating. The common people of Rome believed rumors about Christians. Some thought Christians practiced cannibalism because of the Mystery (Sacrament) of the Eucharist called for believers to eat of the flesh and blood of Christ. Others believed that Christians practiced incest because they preached loving their brothers and sisters. Many believed Christians hated humanity because they kept secrets and withdrew from "normal" social life. Many pagans feared that the gods would become angry and punish the Roman people since Christians refused to participate in the pagan rituals, etc. Therefore, the Christian genuine identity was deformed, maligned and distorted by its enemies which produced great and horrific persecutions against them. But Christians, nevertheless, professed with boldness: "I too am a Christian!"

There is also the spiritual identity of the Christian which is most significant. Orthodoxy from its very beginning believed that Christians are created, not born. We became Christians through our entry into the Holy Church, whether through baptism as an infant or through "conversion" later in life. Forming an Orthodox Christian identity takes a lifetime to develop and growing spiritually is a continuous process. It takes a life in Christ, living the faith, having a sacramental life, a life of prayer, fasting, worship, and adhering to the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ, Saint Dionysios the Areopagite divides the spiritual life into three categories: Purification (Katharsis), Illumination and Theosis (Deification). Philanthropy (Alms-giving) is one of the most vital spiritual disciplines, one of the "three pillars" of Orthodox Spiritual Life, in conjunction with prayer and fasting.

We today live in most precarious and dangerous times, and therefore it is extremely necessary and important that we do NOT surrender to the various and strong undercurrents in society, pulling us this way or that way, to our certain demise. Our identity is sacred and something that needs to always be protected and not violated. Our enemies should not be able to use anything worldly against us. The Christian is not attached to anything earthly or material wealth. As Christians we are dead to this fleeting world. We belong to the God’s Kingdom instead. Every Orthodox Christian family ought to make sure that their children and grandchildren are knowledgeable of their Christian Faith and have strong moral values and character.

It is certain that we will see greater changes and threats in the days ahead but we must not cower. Persecutions will inevitably take place once more but we do not ever fear them because our Lord is always with us. It is, however, necessary to be vigilant and alert on what changes are taking place all around us and be ready. The worst thing that one can do is to become complacent and apathetic to the numerous threats confronting our Faith at this very moment. Our prayer life must always remain strong and seek God’s guidance, enlightenment and protection. Please do not think that I am an alarmist or paranoid because I am not. I recall going to the Holy Mountain sometime ago and to my astonishment, discovering how well informed the fathers (monks) were about current events, and what was happening throughout the world. That is what I am talking about! It is ludicrous to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that all is fine when in reality it is a horrible situation. The dark powers leading governments throughout our world now are dictating, corrupting, polluting, deceiving the public, destroying and violating everything in sight such as, traditional family (Christian family), education, marriage, childbirth (abortions), gender-sex mutilation, sports, professions, medicine (doctors and hospitals), criminality, justice, law-enforcement, citizenship, attempting to take children from their parents, priests and ministers are censored and not free to preach the Gospel in their churches , viruses-tempering and weaponized and used to kill millions of people throughout the world, senior citizens are target by governments because they present a financial burden to the state, food-tempering or GMO’s ["genetically modified organism" or genetic engineering] and controlling farmlands so that they cannot produce food to feed the world, new definitions are created and everything is redefined and given new interpretations, ignoring and/or even depriving one’s human rights, freedom, free speech, free thought, praying in silence; governments becoming tyrannical and turning against their own people, weaponizing, medicine, energy,food, and monetary currency etc. Should we not sound the alarm now?

Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ reminds, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION; BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER, i HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD" (John 16:33). Despite persecution and suffering, Orthodox Christians can maintain the peace and joy of Jesus Christ Who has "overcome the world" of darkness through His Saving Work. The Christian’s faith and loyalty to our Divine Master is tested at times of persecution, tribulation, suffering, imprisonment, and martyrdom. Our Most Merciful Savior says, "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is NOT greater than his master.’ If they persecute Me, they will persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20).

We, Christians, who share a common faith in Christ, are one spiritual family and whatever we may face in the future, we will face together. As true followers and disciples of Christ we are comforted from the Holy Spirit and we must never become despondent. We truly understand that there is an ongoing battle between Light and darkness, between Jesus and the prince of this world. However, Jesus says, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are NOT of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18-19). And finally He says, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12).

Let us pray to the Lord,

Kyrie Eleison!

O Eternal God, the Uncreated Light, Infinite and without beginning, The Creator of all creation, the inexhaustible Source of mercy, the deep ocean of goodness, and the unsearchable abyss of loving-kindness for mankind, let the Light of Your Countenance, O Lord, shine upon us, and illuminate our hearts, O spiritual Sun of Righteousness, and fill our souls with Your gladness. Teach us always to meditate and to speak of Your judgments, and to constantly confess You, Our Master and Benefactor. Direct the work of our hands to conform with Your will, thus, even though our unworthiness, Your All-Holy Name will be glorified, the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, of the One Godhead and Kingdom, to Whom befits all glory, honor and worship unto the ages of ages. Amen.

______________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George