My brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
SECULAR AND PROFANE VS SACRED AND DIVINE
The Holy Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians writes:
"Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and
the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will
also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies
are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ
and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you
not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her?
For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh." But he who
is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside
the body, ,but he who commits sexual immorality sins against
his own body .
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are
not your own?
For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your
body and in your spirit, which are God’s" (1 Corinthians 6:13-20).
The liberals in the city of Corinth-as some do today–argued that illicit sex (adultery and fornication) is as necessary for the body as eating, and both are irrelevant to the spiritual life. However, Saint Paul contends "the body" belongs to God, and everything is relevant to the spiritual life. Therefore, dealing with sin means controlling our appetites or desires. This is why in the Orthodox Church abstinence (fasting) from "foods" is the first discipline of the Fast, which also includes prayer and charitable giving.
When Saint Paul calls our bodies "members" of Christ," he is reminding us of our union with Christ in baptism (Romans 6:3-10). Fornication is therefore a sin to be fled in horror, for it joins Christ to harlots. Saint John Chrysostom writes, "We have many improper desires, but we must repress them, for we can." "Temple" here refers to the individual Christian as a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.
Fornication (Gr. porneia) for those who may not know what it means, it is the sin of sexual intercourse outside of marriage. The word is also applied to polygamy and to many successive marriages. The Greek term means SEXUAL IMMORALITY IN GENERAL. Fornication is strongly condemned in Holy Scripture (1 Corinthians 6:16-18; Galatians 5:19; Colossians 3:5). Christians are called to subdue the lusts of the "flesh" so that they may grow in union with Christ (see Romans 8:4-9; Galatians 5:16-24). By "the flesh," Saint Paul does not mean the body. "The flesh" here is a general term for evil actions, the depraved will, the earthly mind, the slothful and careless soul–things that are under one’s control, not part of human nature. This flesh is crucified with Christ. It is not human nature that is mortified, but its evil deeds.
Christian values are rooted in Divine Biblical Authority, emphasizing spiritual, eternal, and objective moral truths like agape (love), compassion, and the sanctity of life, in contrast, secular, or worldly, values emphasize material, societal, or personal preferences. We, of course, know that the two approaches often diverge on issues of morality, gender, and public life. Christian values come from Holy Scripture and a personal relationship with God. Secular values are based on human consensus, rationalism, or personal preference.
Orthodox Christian spiritual values are deeply rooted in a Triune understanding of God, centering on union with Christ through a life of purification and faith. This framework is built upon the inseparable triad of Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition–the living, handed-down faith–and the teachings of the Holy Fathers of the Church, which provide authoritative interpretation. For those who may not be familiar with the Orthodox Church, the Holy Bible is viewed as a central, inspired record, but it is not separate from Holy Tradition, which includes the Divine Liturgy, creeds, and Synods or Councils. Orthodoxy emphasizes a direct personal, and transformative experience of God rather than just intellectual assent, aiming for THEOSISs (Union with God). Orthodox Christians have a Mysteriaki Zoe or a Sacramental life. The spiritual life is nurtured through the Mysteria (Sacraments) (e.g., Baptism, Confession/Repentance, Holy Unction and Holy Communion).
Orthodox Spirituality, as taught by the Holy Fathers and Mothers of the Church, is a therapeutic ascetical journey aimed at THEOSIS (DEIFICATION), (Union with God) through PURIFICATION, ILLUMINATION, AND REPENTANCE. It emphasizes a holistic approach involving body and soul, utilizing PRAYER, FASTING, LITURGICAL LIFE, and HUMILITY to combat passions and achieve healing, joy, and peace in Christ. The ultimate spiritual goal for the Orthodox Christian is to become by grace what God is by nature, sharing the Divine life. The Holy Fathers of the Church outline a progression: (1)Purification (catharsis) from passions (2) illumination (theoria) of the mind, and (3) Union (theosis) with God.
Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ calls us to repent. Rather than a one-time act, repentance is a continuous state of turning toward God, involving honest self-examination and recognition of our unworthiness. Repentance (Gr. Metanoia) literally, means "a change of mind" and thus of behavior. God is the Author of REPENTANCE, which is an integral part of baptism, confession, and ongoing spiritual life. Repentance is NOT simply sorrow for sins, but a firm determination to turn away from sin to a new life of righteousness in Jesus Christ (see Matthew 4:17; 2 Peer3:9; 1 John 1:9).
What we witness currently throughout the world, including the U.S., is a resurgence of Christian persecution. There are "dark powers" who definitely desire the eradication of the Christian Faith. They view Christianity as a significant obstacle to their world agenda and, therefore, to eliminate its influence in the world community, to drive Christians away from the Church, to undermine it from within and to divide Christians among themselves. In other words, to render it worthless by making it irrelevant in the lives of people.
The Christian faith, principles, values, precepts must remain strong in a immoral and violent world no matter what kind of dangers we, Christians, face. We must be resolute and unwavering in our beliefs. We, however, must begin to practice our Christian faith at home. It is our duty to raise our children in our Christian faith, to instill in their hearts and minds our Christian values, morality and character. Do not surrender your children to the world and to educators who have neither scruple and/or are devoid of any morality and dignity. As always God is with us and watches over us for we are never alone.
Let us remember that Orthodox spirituality is described throughout the centuries AS LIFE IN CHRIST, striving for moral and spiritual perfection. The mystical union in Orthodox spirituality is not the "devout life" that some sects claim but the COMMUNION OF THE PERSON WITH GOD. In sectarian teachings, the "devout life" is a sentimental and emotional relation to "divinity." The Orthodox Christian rejects this concept in favor of one, which envisions the mystical way. Orthodox spirituality IS UNION WITH CHRIST, WITH GOD. A spiritual person is one who purifies himself of all worldly and moral defects in order to be united with the love of Christ. They mystical experience takes place in this world, yet the cause, God, is from beyond the material world. Orthodox spirituality, as well as the whole thought of the Church, is based on the revelation found in the Old Testament and New Testaments. Studying the Patristic interpretation of the Christian truths can see this, in the mystical vision of the divine energies of the advanced Christian, he experiences the divine presence within himself, as vision of the Uncreated Light, and of the energies of God. It is especially through the Mysteries of the Holy Eucharist that we experience mystical union with our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. (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 