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.
WE ARE FELLOW-TRAVELLERS (Gk. Συνοδοι)
Whether we know it or not we are travel companions as we traverse through life. We most certainly share in the various and challenging occurrences in this world. And more specifically, as Christians, we share in a common faith in our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ and the unrelenting spiritual warfare and constant battle against the wicked principalities. It is most important that we understand that we confront everything together and by doing so we find strength and comfort.
We are never alone. The Holy Apostle Paul reminds us, "We are surrounded by so great cloud of witnesses" [Hebrews 12:1]. We as followers of the Savior are instructed that we are always protected and guided by our guardian angel and that God is always with us. There should be absolutely no fear or concern that what we experience while living in the world, we experience without any help from above. Without this help from our Lord we could never win the battle against the evil one. He said clearly that " for without Me we can do nothing" [John 15:5]. In other words, nothing which is properly motivated and gives glory to God.
Every human experience, good or bad, joyful or sad, has its purpose in life. Our Almighty God seeing our profound weakness and our vulnerability has taken all the necessary measures to prevent our demise and extinction. He treats all of us with agape. patience, care, and His Divine grace so that we are saved from evil and death. He knows what we are up against and of what we are capable of doing. What He desires of all of us is to love one another. It is wonderful when Christians help each other,when they worship together, when they work together to help the poor, the destitute, the naked, the hungry, the sick, those in prison and those persecuted for their faith.
The good Christian is a person with courage and who always strives to serve God and mankind selflessly and with sincere humility. He believes that all human beings are children of God and therefore we are brothers and sisters in Christ. In other words we all, together, comprise a human family, with the same needs and aspirations. There is only one path that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven and only one Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Who grants it to His faithful ones. It should be understood by all that when humanity as a whole abides by His life-saving commandments that His Kingdom becomes attainable. Eternal Life is what our Savior God promises to all those who believe in Him. When a person witnesses loved ones die and depart from this life, life here on earth, is temporary life, and very brief. Knowing this fact lets do as much good as possible and use this precious time to prepare for eternal life.
In an Orthodox Monastic service we pray for the Egoumene (Abbess) or Egoumenos (Abbot) of the monastery and his or her synodia in Christ. Why? because monks and nuns travel together on the same spiritual path that leads to the Angelic life. However, this does not only apply to the monastics but to all Christian believers who share a common spiritual path, purpose, and goal. The path which leads to Christ is glorious and a splendid one for all who are willing to take it. How extraordinary of our Almighty God to guide us and "show us the path of life" [Psalm 16:11]. May it be, by the grace of God, be "a smooth path" [Psalm 27:11].
I believe that all Orthodox Christian understand that the journey which eventually all must take is an irreversible journey and that there is no turning back. Understanding this very fact is important because a believer comes to realize the necessity to be ready and prepared to take it. It is similar to an ordinary trip which we take and how we know something about the country or place which we wish to visit and the kind of clothing which we must take with us. We may need a passport to identify us upon our arrival to the officials in that country, and things like flight tickets, extra funds, medicines, toiletries, and other "essentials." For the one way trip to eternal life we need to make sure to be baptized in the true faith, to have been adhering to the commandments of God, to have been living a godly and moral life, to have been remorseful and penitential for offences and transgressions we had committed while on earth, to have had reconciled with our enemies, to have been compassionate and loving to the unfortunate and poor, etc. We must not forget that our Creator knows the absolute truth about us and what kind of lives we have led for the many years living on earth.
The genuine and authentic Christian person has always looked forward to the spiritual journey awaiting us. He or she looks forward to meeting the Lord in His Heavenly Kingdom and therefore has prepared all of his/her life for that glorious day. Which brings to mind Jesus’ Parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins [Matthew 25:1-13]. The Gospel says, "Then the Kingdom of heaven shall likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went off to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard; ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘give us some of you oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those WHO WERE READY WENT IN WITH HIM TO THE WEDDING; AND THE DOOR WAS SHUT. AFTERWARD OTHER VIRGINS CAME ALSO, SAYING, ‘LORD, LORD, OPEN TO US!’ But He answered and said, ‘ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, I DO NOT KNOW YOU.’ Watch therefore, for YOU KNOW NEITHER THE DAY OR THE HOUR IN WHICH THE SON OF MAN IS COMING."
As one can see, this Parable illustrates clearly the importance of preparedness, or lack of it, while the bridegroom was "delayed." Their refusal to give oil to the foolish ones is not lack of love. It portrays the fact that spiritual preparedness CANNOT BE CONVENIENTLY GIVEN OR BORROWED. This Parable also encourages the proper use of God’s gifts: to bear fruit. Traditionally, virginity has been considered a special "lamp" and philanthropy (almsgiving) or help to the poor a special "oil." [Resources: The Orthodox Study Bible)
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"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 