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 GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THE LOVE OF GOD,
AND THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BE WITH YOU ALL"
AMEN" (2 Corinthians 13:13).
The Second Part
of the Divine Liturgy
The Holy Eucharist.
The Orthodox worshippers put down on the Lord’s grave every enmity and are reconciled to each other. They saluted the Risen Christ with the same confession of faith. Being thus united, they will offer, through the priest, the Eucharist (Thanksgiving) to God, for our salvation in Jesus Christ, in which we partake of the Holy Communion.
1. The Preparation
As the moment of the consummation of Holy Eucharist is at hand, the Deacon or the Priest exhorts:
Let us stand well; let us stand with
fear; let us attend that we may offer
the Holy Eucharist in peace.
The Chanters respond on behalf of the faithful and worshippers that they, as a preparation for attending the Holy Eucharist, offer:
A mercy of peace, a sacrifice of praise.
The Priest blessed the prepared worshippers with the Apostolic benediction (2 Corinthians 13:13), asking for them the special spiritual gift from each of the Divine Persons of Holy Trinity: "The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
The Priest solemnly blesses the faithful, using the Apostolic Trinitarian formula, taken, almost literally, from the Second Corinthians 13:13: "The grace of [our] Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God (and Father), and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you" (the words in brackets are not in the biblical text). This was a substitution of an original simple form of blessing ("The Lord be with you"), introduced by Saint John Chrysostom himself, in about A.D. 390, which soon spread throughout the Church. Saint Nicholas Cavasilas points out how with this blessing the prayer "asks from each of the Divine Persons His special gift: from the Son GRACE, from the Father AGAPE (LOVE), from the Spirit fellowship (COMMUNION). The gifts of grace, agape, and communion mentioned, although attributed to one of the Three Divine Persons, are shared by ALL THREE DIVINE PERSONS, AND COME DOWN TO US AS FROM A SINGLE SOURCE. We pray not that these precious gifts of the Holy Trinity, already bestowed on us at our baptism, be given to us, but THAT THEY MAY ABIDE IN US–SAME AS WHEN THE PRIEST BLESS US, SAING, "PEACE BE WITH ALL."
People: And with your spirit.
It is equivalent to "with you." Thus we see the Holy Apostle Paul concluding several of his letters with the greeting, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit" (Galatians 6:18. Cf. Philemon 25) or "The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit" (2 Timothy 4:22). But he also uses the equivalent, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you" (Romans 16:20, 1 Corinthians 16:23, Philippians 4:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:18).
"Here, the soul is called ‘spirit’…Holy Scripture, too, calls THE SOUL a "spirit’…According to the teachings of our Orthodox Church, the life of the body IS THE SOUL, and life of the soul, IS THE GRACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT." (Metropolitan Augoustinos).
GRACE
In the Apostolic epistles (letters), the actions of the Holy Spirit are called "excellency of power" (lit., "superabundant power," 2 Corinthians 4:7), "Divine power" (2 Peter 1:3), or "by the Holy Spirit." But most frequently of all they are signified by the word "Grace." Those who enter the Church have entered into the Kingdom of Grace, and they are invited "to come boldly unto the throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find Grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16; see also Hebrews, chapters 10-13).
The word "Grace" is used in Sacred Scripture with various meanings. Sometimes it signifies THE MERCY OF GOD: God is the "God of all Grace" (1 Peter 5:10). In this, its broadest meaning, Grace is God’s goodwill to men of worthy life in all ages of humanity, and particularly to the righteous ones of the Old Testament like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, the Prophet Moses, and the later Prophets.
In the more precise meaning, the concept of Grace refers to the New Testament. Here in the New Testament we distinguish two fundamental meanings of this concept. First, by the Grace of God, the Grace of Christ, is to be understood the whole economy of our salvation, performed by the coming of the Son of God to earth, by His earthly life, His death on the Cross, His Resurrection, and His Ascension into heaven: "For by Grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD, NOT OF WORKS, LEST AN MAN SHOULD BOAST" [Ephesians 2:8-9]. Secondly, Grace is the name applied TO THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH HAVE BEEN SENT DOWN AND ARE BEING SENT DOWN TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST FOR THE SANCTIFICATION OF ITS MEMBERS, FOR THEIR SPIRITUAL GROWTH, AND FOR THE ATTAINMENT BY THEM OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
In this second New Testament meaning of the word, Grace IS A POWER SENT DOWN FROM ON HIGH, THE POWER OF GOD WHICH IS IN THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, WHICH GIVES BIRTH, GIVES LIFE, PERFECTS, AND BRINGS THE BELIEVING AND VIRTUOUS CHRISTIAN TO THE APPROPRIATION OF THE SALVATION WHICH HAS BEEN BROUGHT BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
The Holy Apostles, therefore, in their writings often used the Greek word Χάρις (Charis), "Grace," as identical in meaning with the word DYNAMIS (Δύναμις), "POWER." The term "Grace" in the sense of "power" given from above FOR HOLY LIFE IS FOUND IN MANY PLACES OF THE Apostolic Epistles (Letters). The Holy Apostle Paul writes: The Lord "said unto me, My Grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Eastern Orthodox theology teaches that THE FULLNESS OF GOD’S SAVING DEIFYING GRACE(the uncreated energies of God) is found within the Orthodox Church, understood as the Mystical Body of Christ and Ark of Salvation, though God’s general presence and goodness are known in the world; grace operates in the Mysteries (Sacraments), enabling THEOSIS (Deification, union with God), but believers cooperate with it through free will and spiritual practice, with the Church as the primary vessel for this participation, while acknowledging God’s goodness also extends beyond its visible borders.
"Without God’s grace THERE IS NO SALVATION, NO SPIRITUAL LIFE, NO ETERNAL LIFE." Although grace is simple and one, it bestows different gifts to those who partake of it, depending upon the need of each one, and upon one’s degree of receptivity. We partake of God’s grace primarily THROUGH THE HOLY MYSTERIES (SACRAMENTS), especially through Baptism and Holy Communion, and through the ascetical life, primarily prayer.
According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church we obtain God’s grace ONLY IN THE CHURCH, for outside the Church, the Bodyof Christ, "there is NO SANCTIFYING GRACE," the "GRACE THROUGH WHICH WE OBTAIN SALVATION OR UNION WITH GOD, IS FOUND ONLY IN THE ARK OF SALVATION, the Holy Church, the theanthropic Body of Christ, because Christ IS OUR SAVIOR AND OUR SALVATION. The position of the Church has been stated once for all through Saint Cyprian of Carthage:
"Extra ecclesiam nulla sulus–THERE IS NO SALVATION OUTSIDE THE CHURCH."
Is there everyone outside the boundaries of the Orthodox Church damned? Not at all.
Professor Pheidas summarizes the Orthodox position on grace and salvation outside the Church: "Patristic tradition teaches that Christ, through His overall redeeming work, is the Source (pege πηγή) of Divine grace, and the Holy Spirit is the Bestower (Horegos Χορηγός) and the Operator (ho energon Ο ενεργόν) of Divine grace in the faithful."
He further states, that, "The Orthodox tradition, by accepting the Holy Spirit as the Bestower of the Divine Grace, which flows from the saving work of Christ, does not recognize the efficacy of the Divine grace outside the canonical boundaries of the Orthodox Church." {Source: The Heavenly Banquet).
Heretics fail to recognize the truth because their minds dwell in darkness and are closed to the Holy Spirit’s work, often due to pride or self-=devised beliefs. Heresy is a deviation from the true faith delivered by the Holy Apostles and of the decisions of the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Church. The Holy Apostle Paul warned that some would depart from the faith, devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). Heresy, in Orthodoxy is not just a innocent mistake but a deliberate, persistent embrace of doctrines contrary to the Spirit-guided faith, but the Church’s goal remains to lead people bac to the life found in the Holy Spirit through true worship and Doctrines.
There can be no union or reconciliation with any of the heretics as long as they persist on them and retain their heresy. The example is how the Orthodox Church dealt with heretics over the centuries and their actions to preserve the truth. Have we forgotten the Seven Ecumenical Councils and how they excommunicated the heretics and defeated their heresies that posed a threat to the unity of the Church? Are we to embrace not only the heretics but also their heresies in the spirit of "love"? This is totally wrong and of course unorthodox. As Orthodox Christians, we cannot allow this to happen before our very eyes and justify it with this false "love." There can be no so-called "dialogue of love" as long as those in heresy are not willing to change, repent and conform to the Orthodox Christian Doctrine taught by the Holy Fathers of the Church and the Seven Ecumenical Councils.
The doctrines taught by Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Disciples and Apostles are to be SAFEGUARDED BY "THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD, THE PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE TRUTH" (1 Timothy 3:15).
In Orthodoxy today, as in years gone by, the basics of Christian Doctrine, worship, and government are never up for alteration or compromise. One cannot be Orthodox priest, for example, and reject the Divinity of Christ, His virgin birth, Resurrection, Ascension into heaven, and Second Coming. The Church simply has not left its course 21 hundred years. It is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. It is the New Testament Church. It is the first Christian Church in history, the Church founded by the Lord Jesus Christ, described in the pages of the New Testament. Her history can be traced in unbroken continuity all the way back to our Lord Jesus Christ and His Twelve Holy Apostles. [Sources; Orthodox Study Bible, Orthodox Dogmatic Theology)
_____________
"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 