My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY IS A CHRIST-CENTERED FAMILY
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit now and ever and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie Eleison
As You send the light and it goes on its way, O Lord,
As You cause the sun to dawn
Upon the evil and the good;
As You bring about the morning and give light on the whole world,
O Lord of All, illumine also our hearts.
Grant to us the possibility to please You on this day;
Protecting us from every adverse and evil influence
That comes each day,
Through the intercessions of our All-Pure Lady, the Theotokos,
Of the immaterial ministering spirits and heavenly powers,
And of all the Saints, who have pleased You from the beginning.
For it is Your will to show mercy and to save us, our God,
And to You we offer up glory,
To the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers,
Lord Jesus Christ, our God,
Have mercy upon us and saves us. Amen.
[Prayer of the First Hour (8:00 a.m.)
For Orthodox Christians the home is believed to be the "little church," or "home church" (E Kat'oikon ecclesia). The Orthodox Christian family and home is sacred and blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ. Both the family and their dwelling place is blessed at least once a year by the parish priest. Every room in it has a holy icon or a cross and there is traditionally an icon-corner in which the members of the family offer their prayers together or individually. All these sacred objects are a constant reminder to all living there of God's presence and His protection of all who pray and glorify Him with faith and humility.
What unites the Orthodox Christian members of that family is God's infinite and eternal love and the love that feel for one another. Their home is a place where love is nurtured and where all are united and guided by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Husband and wife share a common love and respect for one another and where the children honor their father and mother as commanded by the Almighty God. Children are brought up with Christian values and nourished by the Mysteries of our Church. The Lord's Day is respected and the first day of the week is honored as a time of family worship.
There are numerous examples in the Lives of the Saints and in the Holy Scripture of godly families dedicated and devoted to the Lord and Savior. An example of harmoniousness of the household has been given for Christians by one of the Great Holy Fathers of the Church Saint John Chrysostom who writes: "Consider Abraham and Sarah, and Isaac and the three hundred and eighteen born in his house" [Genesis 14:14]. How the whole house was harmoniously knit together, how the whole household was full of piety and fulfilled the Apostolic injunction.
Not only the Christian family but all families are assaulted by an unbelieving society who makes every effort to dismantle it and reduce it to a hostile environment and a place open to arguments, disrespect, selfishness, disorganization, unbelief, and where one is set against the other. In other words a worldly and secular group of people who happen to live together under the same roof. A family which is unprotected by outside wicked forces which want access to it so that they would be able to threaten it and exploit it. They are determined to interfere so that no family would be able to maintain their religious tradition, their faith in God, Christian values and identity.
Together with the blessing of having children, the parents are held responsible by God for their correct upbringing. No Christian parent should default in their parental duties but seek God’s guidance and wisdom to teach their children by example. It is not only the physical, and emotional needs of the child that need to be addressed but most importantly his/her spiritual development. According to Saint John Chrysostom, "This obligation belongs to fathers as well as mothers. There are fathers who spare nothing in order to secure for their children teachers of pleasure and to pander to their cravings as wealthy heirs". Instead, seek to make ‘rich in virtues. Teach them not to think up illusory needs, reckoning their worth according to worldly standards. Attentively watch their deeds, their acquaintances and their attachments-and do not expect any mercy from God if you do not fulfill this duty.
"…Children who are submissive and faithful to God in their obedience to His law will have found an abundant source of happiness, even in this temporal life. A poor man with Christian morals inspires respect and love from others. Meanwhile, with an evil and depraved heart, all your riches will not save you from the displeasure and aversion of everyone around you. The youth to whom you give a good upbringing will not only enjoy general respect, he will also become dearer to you yourselves!
"…First of all think of the salvation of their souls. God has placed you as the heads and teachers over your families. It is your duty to watch, and to watch continually after the behavior of your wife and children. Listen to Saint Paul who said, "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord" [Ephesians 6:4}. Children are expected to "obey" and respect their parents. The meaning of the Greek word for obey (hupakouo) begins with the idea of listening attentively. The caution regarding the fathers puts a restraint and requirement of goldy instruction on the parent…
"… Having made the necessary exhortation to children, the Apostle addresses himself also to the fathers saying: "You fathers… bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord [Ephesians 6:4]. Do you want your child to be obedient? Then from the beginning bring him up n the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Do not think that it is not necessary for a child to listen to the Scriptures; the first thing he will hear from them will be, Honor thy father and mother {Exodus 20:12), and immediately you will begin to reap your reward. Do not say, the Bible is for monks; am I turning my child into a monk? No! It is not necessary for him to be a monk. Make him into a Christian! Why are you afraid of something so good? It is necessary for everyone to know Scriptural teachings, and this especially true of children. Not knowing Divine Truths, they do know something of the pagan stories, learning from them about wondrous lives, about heroes in their sight, who served the passions and were afraid of death."
Liberate your children from the bondage of all the latest electronic games, mobile phones, video games, facebook, etc. Children have become hostages and addicts of these enticing instruments of entertainment. In some cases they are used as an escape from other more serious family and personal issues which relentlessly batter them. Tragically they feel hopeless and without any moral or spiritual support and understanding. There is also fear, a person’s greatest enemy. A dysfunctional family at one time was almost rare but lately it is widespread. It has inflicted suffering, pain, bewilderment and fear upon the children who are caught in it and feel incapable of doing anything to change it. There is an absence of God, of faith, of guidance, of family unity, lack of love and compassion in a dysfunctional family. Therefore, the solution is for the parents to turn to God for help and to make God real in the lives of their children. Transforme the home into a holy, a place of prayer, a place of mutual love, a spiritually nurturing place and of tranquility. This is the only way to save the family from certain destruction.
May God bless you and your children and may always be in your midst!
_____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 