A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER AND UNION WITH OUR LORD, GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST

"I am THE LIVING BREAD which came down from heaven. If
anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread
that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of
the world.’ The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves,
saying, ‘How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?’
Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, UNLESS
YOU EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN AND DRINK HIS
BLOOD, YOU HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU. WHOEVER EATS MY FLESH
AND DRINKS MY BLOOD HAS ETERNAL LIFE, AND I WILL RAISE
HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY" [John 6:51-54].

FROM THE ORTHODOX DIVINE LITURGY:

"With these blessed powers, O Master Who lovest mankind, we also
cry aloud and say: Holy art Thou and All-Holy, Thou and Thine
Only-begotten Son and Thy Holy Spirit! Holy art Thou and
All-Holy, and magnificent is Thy glory! Who hast so loved Thy
world as to give Thine Only-begotten Son, that WHOEVER
BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVER-
LASTING LIFE; when He had come and had fulfilled all the
dispensation for us in the night in which He was given up–or
rather, gave Himself up for the life of the world–TOOK BREAD
IN HIS HOLY, PURE, AND BLAMELESS HANDS; AND WHEN HE
HAD GIVEN THANKS AND BLESSED IT, AND HALLOWED IT,
AND BROKEN IT, HE GAVE IT TO HIS HOLY DISCIPLES AND
APOSTLES, SAYING"

Take Eat! This is My Body which is broken
for you, for THE REMISSION OF SINS.
Amen.

And likewise, after supper, He took the cup,
saying:
Drink of it, all of you! This is My Blood of
the New Covenant, which is shed for you
and for many, FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS!
Amen.

For the Orthodox Christian the Divine Liturgy is more than a worship service, it is a personal encounter and union with our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. The Divine Eucharist (literally "thanksgiving") is the Mystery in which the bread and wine of offering are changed by the Holy Spirit INTO THE TRUE BODY AND TRUE BLOOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, and then the believers receive communion of them FOR A MOST INTIMATE UNION WITH CHRIST AND ETERNAL LIFE. This Mystery is composed, thus, of two separate moments: (1) the changing or transformation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Lord, and (2) the Communion of these Holy Gifts. It is called "the Eucharist," "the Lord’s Supper," the Mystery of the Body and Blood of Christ." The Body and Blood of Christ in this Mystery (Sacrament) are called the "Bread of heaven and the Cup of life" or the "Cup of salvation"; they are called the "Holy Mysteries," "the Bloodless Sacrifice." The Eucharist IS THE GREATEST MYSTERY (Sacrament).

In heterodox Christian traditions [i.e. Protestant Christians], unlike Orthodox Christian practice, worship is mainly composed of prayers, hymns and the sermon. These services are reverent, solemn and even inspirational, however, the core and main purpose of Christian worship, the Eucharist, is absent. How can this be when our Lord and Savior and God Jesus Christ Himself instituted Holy Communion? It is absolutely clear in the New Testament: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood dwelleth in Me, and I in him" (John 6:53-56).

Further, Christ adds, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). By this remark Christ does not ask that His words about the Bread of Life be understood in any "metaphorical{ meaning. "There are some of you that believe not," He added immediately (John 6:64). By these words the Savior Himself indicates that His words are difficult for faith: How is it that believers will eat His Body and drink His Blood? But He confirms that He speaks of His ACTUAL BODY. His words concerning His Body and Blood are "Spirit and life." They testify (a) that he who partakes of them will have Eternal Life, and will be resurrected for the Kingdom of glory in the last day; and (b) that he who partakes of them will enter into the most intimate communion with Christ. His words speak NOT of life in the flesh, but OF LIFE IN THE SPIRIT. "The Bread of Heaven and the Cup of Life; taste and see the Lord is good"—these are words we hear at the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. This Communion of His Body and Blood is not important for the quenching of physical hunger, as was the feeding with the manna in the desert, for the feeding of the five thousand–BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ETERNAL LIFE.

Christian worship is not limited to words of praise and thanksgiving but far more. One has to be careful about reducing worship to emotion or feelings, sentimentality, ecstasy, skits and theatrical performances. Of course, "fellowship" is of great importance to all church related gatherings. We live at an age when people seek quick satisfaction or instant gratification. A "good preacher" is one who incites and excites the Christian believer. One who is able to stir up one’s emotions and passions so the faithful feel good about themselves and continue their lives convinced that they are saved just by reciting a few words from the Holy Scripture. But is this all to our Christian faith? How does this attitude compare with the Divine words of Christ Himself? In Matthew 26:26-28 Jesus institutes the Eucharist, the long-awaited MESSIANIC BANQUET, in which He admits even Judas, seeking by all means to save him. These words are repeated in the Orthodox Divine Liturgy at the invitation of Christ to receive His "Body" and "Blood". Thus it is clear we are invited to feast, to the Mystical ("Last") Supper, at which we become TRULY UNITED TO CHRIST. He gave "thanks" (v. 27) to teach us (1) how we should celebrate this Mystery (Sacrament), (2) that He comes willingly to His Passion, and (3) whatever we may suffer, TO BEAR IT AS HE DID: THANKFULLY.

Sunday worship in the Orthodox Church is not optional or left to each one’s discretion. As a matter of fact according to the Canon 80 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council a cleric or layman who misses THREE CONSECUTIVE SUNDAYS of Divine Liturgy without a grave necessity will face a consequence: a cleric is to be deposed from office, and a layman is to be removed from communion. This means the individual Orthodox Christian is excommunicated and excluded from the community of the Church. As one can see, attending and participating in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays is a necessity and a duty or an obligation for all believers. However, if this Canon was to be implemented or enforced today a great many people would be in trouble. Not attending the Sunday Divine Liturgy without a serious reason is an affront to the Lord and certainly a sin.

Depriving oneself of worship God on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) is an offence and against the commandments of God who said: "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your GOD" [Exodus 20:8-11). It is abundantly clear that the Lord’s Day is His Day, a day for all Orthodox Christians to worship, praise, thank and honor God for His many blessings. Sunday is a holy day to be set apart for Him and Him alone. In our Holy Orthodox Tradition, every Sunday is celebrated as a "little Pascha" or "little Easter," a weekly commemoration of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This practice stems from the early Church, which designated the First Day of the week as the Lord’s Day(Gk.Κυριακή η Ημέρα Κυρίου) to remember the Resurrection. The central Theme of Orthodox Christian worship IS THE RESURRECTION WHICH IS WHY IT IS OBSERVED ON A WEEKLY BASIS, NOT JUST AS THE ANNUAL PASCHA FESTIVAL. Therefore each Sunday Divine Liturgy is a miniature version of the Great and Holy Pascha feast, which celebrates victory over death. Why? because the Resurrection is considered the most significant event in the Christian faith, making Christ’s defeat of sin and evil and death. This weekly remembrance in the church reinforcing the belief that Jesus Christ is RISENs and has brought new life to the world.. The Holy Apostle Paul argued that without the RESURRECTION, faith would be futile and believers would still be in their sins, as Christ’s death would have been insufficient to those for them. The RESURRECTION also serves as proof of future judgment and provides believers with the assurance of their own future bodily resurrection.

There is absolutely no justification for missing the Divine Liturgy on Sunday for the Orthodox Christian. Nothing but nothing can replace worship on Sunday. Every Orthodox Christian is expected to be spiritually prepared through confession, fasting, repentance, to approach the Holy Gifts. No Orthodox Christian attends the Divine Liturgy to be a spectator of a so-called "drama" taking place. Receiving Holy Communion is to receive "remission of sins and life eternal." Let us not forget that the Church according to the Orthodox Tradition is "a hospital" and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the "Physician of our souls and bodies." We, Orthodox Christians, arrive at the church hospital as people injured by our sinful ways, spiritually crippled and in need of therapy and healing. Through the grace of God we are restored to spiritual health and continue our earthly life with all its demands, dangers, challenges and victories.

See you in church!!!

____________
"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