My beloved spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ God,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

BURNING LOVE FOR GOD

By Saint Theophan the Recluse

You are surprised that I spend so much time explaining the very same thing. "Of course," you say, "I need many other things." Now I have finished. You have only to carry it out. The reason I spent so long explaining everything about the remembrance of God is because all the power is in this. Once you are established in this remembrance–not just barren remembrance, but WITH REVERENCE AND SIMILAR FEELINGS TOWARD THE LORD–IT WILL COMPEL YOU TO BE DILIGENT IN EVERYTHING ELSE, TOO. You will be diligent in such a way that you will have a certain wondrous beauty, for there is also a crude, awkward sort of diligence. This remembrance will be four you lord, master, and executor of all affairs, especially those OF YOUR INNER LIFE. That which the Apostle Paul prayed for and wished for the Ephesians, and through them for all Christians, will then be fulfilled within you: "That [God] grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit IN THE INNER MAN; THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEART BY FAITH" (Ephesians 3:16-17). This is what I have been talking about. Saint Paul considered this so important that, when praying about it, he prayed with a special fervor: "For this, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 3:14). How could I not talk about this with you? Once the remembrance of God has been established in the inner man, then Christ the Lord WILL DWELL WITHIN YOU. The two things go together.

A certain warm feeling toward the Lord will serve as a sign to convince you that this most wonderful thing has begun TO OPERATE INSIDE OF YOU. If you carry out everything that has been prescribed, this feeling will soon begin to appear more and more often, UNTIL FINALLY, IT IS THERE CONTINUALLY. Beginning with its first appearance, this feeling sweetly and blissfully arouses the desire TO SEEK AFTER IT, SO THAT IT WILL LEAVE THE HEART, FOR IN IT IS PARADISE.

Would you like to enter into this Paradise a little sooner? Then do this: When you pray, do not stop praying until you have aroused some sort of feeling toward God in your heart. THIS CAN BE REVERENCE, DEVOTION, OR THANKSGIVING, OR PRAISE, OR HUMILITY, AND CONTRITION, OR TRUST, AND HOPE. Do this also when you begin reading during your devotions; do not stop reading until you have felt the truth that you have read. If you pay attention to yourself, these two feelings (methods), by warming you up, are able of keeping you under their influence all day. Work at carrying out these two methods precisely, and you will for yourself what happens.

When something is out under the sun’s rays for a long time, it gets very warm. the same thing will happen for you. By keeping yourself under the rays of the remembrance of God and your feelings toward Him, you will be warmed more and more with an unearthly warmth, and then you will become completely fiery, and just fiery, but ablaze. The following will be fulfilled for you: "I am come to send fire on earth OF HUMAN HEARTS, and I could not wish for more other than that inflame everyone as soon as possible" (Luke 12:49).

Apply the following comparison to this: When a spark falls on a hot object, the object begins smoldering gradually; then it catches fire until finally it is engulfed by flame, and, being dark by its essence, it becomes bright and shining on account of the fire that engulfs it. That is how it will be for you. Growing warm gradually, you will begin to glow; the spiritual flame will break out, and, and once it has penetrated to all parts of you, will engulf you and make you bright, although you are in and of yourself dark. Recall here how at the beginning we said something about the sheath of the soul, and then about the radiance OF THE GRACE-FILLED SOUL That is how it will be with you and inside of you! Truly it will. Ahead of you, however, there is sweat and toil, and how long everything will take is known to God alone, FOR EVERYTHING IS FROM HIM. Just that God is not offended and has not forgotten your labor of love. (Source: Homily no 52, from "The Spiritual Life and How to Be Attuned to it." published by the Holy Monastery of St. Paisius, Arizon0a (2017) pp, 210-212). Posted by Orthodox Heritage.

___________________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

My beloved spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ God,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

"PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER, THAT
YE MAY BE HEALED."

REPENTANCE brings us back to God and the Church to confess and admit our offenses. It is repentance that heals us if it is genuine because it brings us back from dissoluteness to our Father’s House. The priest has no power or authority to speak in the first person and say, "I absolve you of your sins." or "I baptize you," or "I beseech you," or "I crown you," or "I anoint you." At Confession, it is the Chuch that asks THROUGH the priest for the remission of our sins. The prayer of the Church acknowledges and declares our repentance and return, as the Lord did when He received the sinful woman who came to Him in repentance. But He alone is able to declare, "Thy sins are remitted," because He ALONE KNOWS OUR HEARTS.

What washes us of our sins is not the words of the priest but OUR OWN HEARTS. That’s why the Church Holy Fathers, rarely if ever spoke of a "Mystery of Confession" but of the "Mystery of Repentance." Without our repentance, what value is there in the priest’s prayer, even if we confess every possible sin and every detail? "SIN AND REPENTANCE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. SIN IS THE INJURY AND REPENTANCE IS THE MEDICINE. In sin there is shame, but in repentance, there is courage, freedom, and cleansing of sins." (Saint John Chrysostom, 8th Homily on Repentance)
15)
Saint Mary of Egypt was sanctified only BY HER LIFE OF REPENTANCE, PRAYER, AND ASCETICISM. She had been alone in the desert for over 45 years when Father Zosimas saw her in prayer, suspended off the ground. The grace of the Holy Spirit does not wait for us to go to confession. We need to be mindful of these things when we speak of REMISSION OR FORGIVENESS OF SINS. Humanistic expressions can mislead us and make us think only in human terms. "Look here," says Saint Symeon the New Theologian, "when you hear about keys and doors of the Kingdom, do not form images of houses and doors lest a physical form be embedded in your mind and your soul full into doubt and blasphemy. But if, in a manner that befits divine things, you are well able to reason within yourself regarding the use and meaning of all these things. But if you are not able to understand these things, just accept them in faith, and do not desire to meddle in them at all." (Catechism 33)

The Mystery (Sacrament) of Confession, like the Mystery of Unction (Holy Oil), has the origin in the fifth chapter of the Epistle of Saint James: "Confess your transgressions to one another, and PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER, THAT YE MAY BE HEALED. The quickened entreaty of a righteous man hath great power" (v. 16). In commending this Mystery, the Brother of the Lord and first bishop of Jerusalem does not refer to the clergy or to legalistic forgiveness of sins, or even simply to "forgiveness," for he already mentioned remission of sins in the previous verses (14-15) when he does refer to the healing and cure of sins as synonymous with forgiveness or remission. He advises us to REVEAL OUR SPIRITUAL WOUNDS, OUR PASSIONS, AND OUR FAILINGS TO OUR BRETHREN IN CHRIST AND TO PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER THAT WE MAY BE HEALED. As with our bodily ailments, if we do not reveal them, we ought not to expect their cure. If we wish to be healed, WE OUGHT TO FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE OUR ILLNESS.

But before instituting Confession, Saint James institutes the Mystery (Sacrament) of Holy Unction (Holy Oil) by saying, "Is anyone sick among you? Let him invite the presbyters of the Church, and LET THEM PRAY OVER HIM," because it was not possible for the whole community to come to the house of the sick man to pray over him. The Church’s REPRESENTATIVES ARE THE PRESBYTERS and they go to the homes of the sick. The Apostle did not say "The prayer fo the presbyters shall save the sick man." But what did he say? "THE PRAYER OF FAITH [of the Church] SHALL SAVE THE SICK MAN, AND THE LORD SHALL RAISE HIM UP; AND IF HE HATH COMMITTED SINS, THEY SHALL BE REMITTED" (James 5:14-15).

Saint James the Apostle shows that supplications for forgiveness or healing of sins are not exclusive to confession but IS BOUND TO ALL THE MYSTERIES (SACRAMENTS) of the Chuch, moreover to the Church herself as a mystery and to our participation in her. The Church’s supplications for the remission of sins are made in virtually EVERY SERVICE AND MYSTERY (SACRAMENT). This entreaty is made about 13 times in the Divine Liturgy alone preeminently in the words and promises spoken by the Lord Himself: "FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS;" "EAT, DRINK… THIS IS My Body for you… this is My Blood, shed for you… UNTO REMISSION OF SINS." Every TIME SINS SEPERATE US FROM OUR Father’s House, WE MUST RETURN TO IT AND WASH OURSELVES IN ITS MYSTERIES AND IN ITS LIFE.

We know that the early Church kept Saint James’ Apostolic commandment and Christians CONFESSED THEIR SINS PUBLICLY. This acct set forth the wounds of the soul, not only before the presbyters but BEFORE ALL THE BRETHREN OF THE CONGREGATION. THE ENTIRE PARISH PRAYED FOR THE CONFESSING BROTHER ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT, "Pray for one another that ye may be healed." There was never a magic absolution. The prayer of the Church, as the Lord tells us through His Brother, is for the REMISSION OF SINS, THAT IS, FOR THE HEALING OF THE SPIRITUALLY AILING BUT REPENTANT MEMBER OF TEH COMMUNITY. According to the Brother of the Lord, the effectual remission or healing of the repentant member’s sin’s, in those days and in ours, depends A GREAT DEAL ON THE POWER OF THE SUPPLICATIONS OF THE RIGHTEOUS IN THE CONGREGATION, EVEN IF THE RIGHTEOUS ONES ARE ONLY ONE OR TWO.

And who are the righteous ones? They ARE THE LIVING SAINTS AMONG US IN THE Church. Perhaps God has not revealed them to us, but before Him, truth authority in the Church belongs to the Prophet, the God-bearing Saint or THEOPHOROS, who might not even have holy orders. It is noteworthy that Saint James does not specify the ordained clergy, the bishops, and presbyters, as the righteous ones whose entreaty for the healing of sins has power (v. 17). The example he gives us is of a holy Prophet, a God-bearing Saint without priesthood and at that, a Saint of the Old Testament.

Confession before the SYNAXIS (ASSEMBLY) or congregation was the only confession known until the early 4th century. Sinners awaited healing of sins from this confession and the supplications of the congregation.

After the Roman persecutions officially ended in 313 A.D., large numbers of people who had never passed through fire for Christ started joining the Church. Consequently, the SYNAXIS (Assembly) of the faithful LOST THE SPIRITUAL HEIGHT THAT IT HAD ATTAINED DURING THE CENTURIES OF PERSECUTION. And the result was that Confession WAS NO LONGER MADE "TO ONE ANOTHER" (James 5:16) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ASSEMBLY OR SYNAXIS, AND SERIOUS LIMITATIONS WERE CREATED FOR THOSE CONFESSING. Then, to facilitate matters, THE CHURCH PERMITTED PRIVATE CONFESSION. Visibly, of course, the most reverent person in the parish was the presbyter. Nevertheless, the Church DID NOT PERMIT CONFESSION TO JUST ANY PRESBYTER. SHE SELECTED CERTAIN EXPERIENCED PRESBYTERS WHO WERE KNOWN FOR THEIR REVERENCE, SPIRITUAL WISDOM, GIFT OF DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS, AND CONFIDENTIALITY. To such men WAS GIVEN THE OFFICE OF HEARING CONFESSIONS OF SINS in the place of the whole Church. This SPECIAL CATEGORY OF PRESBYTERS WAS CALLED THE "PRESBYTERS OF REPENTANCE," AND THEY WERE SOMETHING LIKE TODAY’S "SPIRITUAL FATHERS." To the present day, the Greek Orthodox Church GENERALLY DOES NOT PERMIT CONFESSION TO BE HEARD IN THE PARISHES BY JUST ANY PRESBYTER. Only certain presbyters are appointed confessors by the Church through a special service performed by the local bishop because the Church never considered the hearing of confessions an ex officio part of the presbyter’s ministry by virtue of ordination alone. Unfortunately, this tradition WAS ABANDONED Y THE POST-MOGHILA SLAVIC CHURCHES.

CONFESSION, therefore, is what its founder, Saint James says it is: the exposing of our failings and thoughts to our fathers, brothers, and sisters in Christ for the purpose of our spiritual healing. Naturally, this confession is not wisely made to just anyone, especially when we require guidance. "Do not tell these things to just anyone who happens to be available but to those who are elders because they have spiritual discernment, and not because they are white-haired with age. For, many looked to those with age and instead of finding therapy, they fell into despair because of the inexperience of those who heard their confession." (Saint John Cassian, Philokalia, vol. 1, p.80) [Source: Nostalgia for Paradise by Alexander Kalomiros]

___________________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

– Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +

With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+ Father George

My beloved spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ God,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

INSPIRED ORTHODOX POSITIONS

By Saint Nicolas of Ochrid

The Lord said: Repent and believe in the Gospel. True repentance is not only to grieve over the sins one has committed but a complete return of the soul form darkness to light, from the worldly to the heavenly, from me to God.

What does faith in the Gospel mean? It means to believe the Good News that the Heavenly Messenger (Angel), the Son of God, and God brought to the human race. In other words, it is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His revelation. The Revelation of Christ is the greatest revelation since the creation of the world. It is the only revelation that can change the man-worm into man-god and a son of God.

Only "the One Who descendent from heaven, the Son of Man Who is in heaven (John:13)" could bear witness to the world what exists in Heaven, Who God is, what the spiritual reality is in the other world, how the spiritual world is that encompasses God, and what happens to human souls after bodily death. "What we saw we preach and what we heard we confess" (John 3:11).

We could say His witness is on a spiritual level, completely empirical. He does not bear witness according to worldly logic, or according to the conclusions of human understanding, or according to the wisdom or philosophies of the earthly man but according to him mwho has seen and heard. He is the Heavenly Messenger of the heavenly reality. "And to this end am I come to this world, that I should bear witness to the truth" (John 18:37), which no one of those born on earth could bear witness to accurately. He Himself calls this witness Good News.

The Heavenly Messenger of the Good News bears witness that: God is One, in the Triune harmony of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; that Godis not only the Creator but also Father, namely the Most Beloved and closest relative of all who wish to become His children; that God the Father is True Love (Agape), and out of love for the human race He sent His Only-begotten Son to save the world. He bears witness: THAT THE SOUL OF MAN HAS GREATER VALUE THAN THE WHOLE MATERIAL WORLD AND THAT THERE ARE LEGIONS OF INNUMERABLE ANGELS IN THAT WORLD WHO – SOMETIMES INVISIBLY AND AT OTHER TIMES VISIBLY, CEASELESSLY NONETHELESS – WORK FOR PEOPLE IN THE EVENTS OF THIS WORLD; THAT AFTER DEATH, THE RIGHTEOUS OF THIS WORLD SHINE LIKE THE SUN IN THE OTHER WORLD; AND THAT THE SON OF GOD CAME DOWN TO THE WORLD WITH THE PURPOSE OF MAKING WORMISH MEN THE SON OF GOD, TO MAKE THEM gods, ACCORDING TO THE WILL AND MERCY OF THE FATHER. He bears witness to the just judgment of God, the Resurrection of the dead and eternal life, and to many more things – one more joyous than the other.

Christ called men to believe this Good News: REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL. This means that He called us to believe Him and in Him, in His every word. Since for humans, there is no other way to come to the knowledge of the Truth about the most important questions of life and existence, other than accepting to believe His words, seeing as He is an eyewitness to the Heavenly and Spiritual Truths. Either they will believe in Christ OR THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WALK IN THE DARK AND STORMY SEAS OF LIFE, guessing and hypothesizing about the earth and the edge of the ocean. A third solution does not exist in the history of the human anthill to this day.

From this, it becomes obvious that the Christian faith does not in the least resemble the other faiths and theories of the world, since the other faiths ARE MAN-MADE, from the earth and of the earth, by people who spoke about the spiritual world, either according to their natural reasoning or through the DECEIT OF EVIL SPIRITS, None of the founders of other religions said about himself that he had descended from heaven, or that he had been sent by the Father, or that he bears witness to that concerning heaven which He saw and heard and that He will return to heaven. For this reason, there can be no talk about the equality of or similarity between the witness of Christ and that of the other religions and confessions of the rest of the world.

Do not ask a Christian if he believes in God but ask IF HE BELIEVES IN THE GOSPEL, IN THE Good News of Christ. For if he says he believes in God according to his won logic but not in the Gospel, then he is regressing and is a pagan since he arrived at faith just as people who lived some two thousand years ago (i.e., some of the philosophers of Greece and Asia). Then for what reason did Christ descend from Heaven? For what reason did He seal with His Blood His revelation to the world, the Good News? Such a Christian has in truth the All-Holy Blood of the Son of God on his head like those who cried, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"

The Orthodox Church – the ONLY Church of Christ in the world – HAS KEPT THE FAITH IN THE GOSPEL, WITHOUT LOOKING RIGHT OR LEFT, WITHOUT BEING SUPPORTED BY OTHER FAITHS, OR BY PAGAN PHILOSOPHERS OR BY THE NATURAL SCIENCES. For if one follows a far-sighted and keen-eyed leader, it is useless and laughable to ask the crooked and blind for directions.

While Christ says: "WITHOUT ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING" (John 15:3), the heretic world in thousand of ways expresses the following saying: "Without Christ, we can do everything". The entire contemporary culture is turned against Christ. All THE MODERN SCIENCES COMPETE IN SEEING WHO WILL SUCCEED IN SERVING THE HARDEST BLOW TO CHRIST’S TEACHING. IT IS A REVOLUTION OF THE VULGAR SERVANTS AGAINST THE MISTRESS OF THE HOUSE, A REVOLUTION OF WORLDLY SCIENCE AGAINST THE HEAVENLY SCIENCE OF CHRIST. HOWEVER, THIS WHOLE REVOLUTION IN HOUR DAYS BOILS DOWN TO WHAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN WITH SUCH CLARITY: "PROFESSING THEMSELVES TO BE WISE, THEY BECAME FOOLS" (Romans 1:22).

Truthfully, no one knows where the greatest insanity of the modern world that has fallen away from Christ lies: In each private life or in marriage? In school or in politics? In vulgar and barbaric, falsehood and violence triumph.

Just as the faithless Jews once trampled upon the Commandments of God, one after the other, and marched according to the wishes of the world and their hearts, they now have done the same with the teaching of Christ, the Master of all teachings. They have undermined and abolished one dogma after the other. They have gotten rid of all the Gospel commandments. They have rejected the Apostolic and Patristic decrees. They have ridiculed all the sayings of the Saints, and the Ascetic examples they have reduced to myths.

The stongest blow the heretic theologians have imparted to the Gospel is in their questioning the Divinity of the Messiah of the world, some doubting it and others totally rejecting it. This was followed by a whole string of denials of spiritual truths such as: the existence of Angels and Demons, of Paradise and Hell, of th eternal glory of the Saints and the Just, fasting, the power of the Cross, the value of the prayer, etc…

The Orthodox Christians believe an confess that Jesus Christ is the ONE and ONLY Messiah, Savior of the World, the One Who has REDEEMED THE HUMAN RACE FROM SIN AND RESTORED IT, THE SON OF GOD WHO WAS INCARNATE OF THE EVER VIRGIN MARY AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD OF GOD, THE FULFILLMENT OF TRUTH, THE SOURCE OF LIFE, THE VICTOR OVER DEATH, THE CAUSE OF RESURRECTION, THE ONLH TRUE PATH TOWARD THE PROPER GOAL, THE JUDGE OF THE LIVING AND THE DEAD. (Source: From the book "Inspired Articles of Orthodox Spirituality")

______________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

My beloved spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ God,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

Speaking Truth To God

In the books of Acts 5:1-11, we read the story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira who ended up dead because they both committed a grave sin by lying to God. "But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira his wife sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the Apostles’ feet. But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart TO LIE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? ‘While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? You have not lied to men but to God.’ Then, Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last… Now it was three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?’ She said, ‘Yes for so much.’ Then Peter said to her, "How is that you have agreed together to test the spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.’ Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last… and carrying out. buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things."

Ananias and Sapphira were not forced to sell their possessions, nor to give everything to the Church. But by withholding back and not only lying to the Apostles but lying to God they committed a deadly sin.

"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My words, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall KNOW THE TRUTH, and THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE" (John 8:31-32). Being free refers to freedom from slavery in sin given by the Savior through His death and Resurrection. Jesus continues, "Why do you not understand My speech? Because YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO LISTEN TO My word. You are of you father THE DEVIL, and the desires of your father you want to do. H was A MURDERER FROM THE BEGINNING, AND DOES NOT STAND IN THE TRUTH, BECAUSE THERE IS NO TRUTH IN HIM. When HE SPEAKS A LIE, HE SPEAKS FROM HIS OWN RESOURCES, FOR HE IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF IT. BUT BECAUSE I TELL THE TRUTH, YOU DO NOT BELIEVE ME. WHICH OF YOU CONVICTS ME OF SIN? AND IF I TELL THE TRUTH, WHY DO YOU NOT BELIEVE ME? HE WHO IS OF GOD HEARS GOD’S WORDS; THEREFORE YOU DO NOT HEAR BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT OF GOD" (John 8:42-47).

"Jesus said ot him, ‘I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE" (John 14:6). Further Jesus says, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may ABIDE WITH YOU FOREVER—the Spirit OF TRUTH, Whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Hi, but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:16-17). Our Lord and Savior calls us to know "the Spirit of Truth" Who is in us and helps us pray. The prayer in Jesus’ name because when we are IN UNION with Him, our will corresponds with His will. Thus what we ask for is precisely what Jesus wants to give.

As Orthodox Christians we believe God to be the absolute Truth. He exposes those harbor in their hearts envy, spite, and murderous thoughts. those who cannot permit themselves to listen or to hear His word but instead have made up their mind about Him. "You cannot hear My word," meaning "You refused to hear." Then He explains why they refuse to hear. "Because "you are of your real father", the devil.

According to Saint Theophylact in his commentary on the Gospel of Saint John he writes: "He was a murderer from the beginning; thus when you seek to kill Me, you show your likeness to him who slew Adam. The devil "stood not in the truth," but IS THE FATHER OF LIES. Therefore, when you Jews speak falsely about Me and say that I am not of God, when you neither stand in the truth nor abide in My word, you show yourselves to be children OF THE ORIGINATOR OF FALSEHOOD." The devil slandered God to men, saying to Eve, "God barred your from the tree because He was jealous of you." Satan also slandered man to God, saying about Job, "Does Job freely worship the Lord" (Job 1:9)? Whenever THE EVIL ONE SPEAEKS FALSEHOOD, HE SPEAKS FROM WHAT IS HIS OWN; when MEN USE FALSEHOOD, THEY USE WHAT BELONGS TO ANOTHER. THE DEVIL IS THE ORIGINATOR OF FALSEHOOD, AND HE HIMMSELF IS THE CHIEF LIAR. THUS HE IS ‘THE FATHER OF FALSEHOOD." "…Bescause you can charge Me with nothing EXCEPT SPEAKING THE TRUTH, your rage against Me on this account, AS TRUE SON OF THE FATHER OF LIES."

"I AM THE, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE: NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME" (John 14:6). "When you follow the path of active virtue", writes Saint Theophylact, "Christ is THE WAY. When you practice divine contemplation, He Is The Truth. But many have done both yet failed to obtain life. Either they practiced virtue in order to impress men (and so they received their reward in this lifes), or THEY BECAME CONCEITED ABOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF DOCTRINES AND STRAYED FROM THE RIGHT PATH. Therefore, to THE WAY and THE TRUTH — THE PATHS OF ACTIVE VIRTUE AND DIVINE CONTEMPLATION– THE LORD ADDS LIFE. Ignoring THE DEADLY PRAISE OF MEN, let us follow THE PATH and ADHERE to the doctrines leading to Him Who is LIFE IMMORTAL."

Why am I bringing all the above to all of you at this time? Because all of us today are exposed to a plethora of lies, deception, and slander. Men have perfected the ‘art’ of lying. Society is saturated with falsehood and evil which brings "DEFECTIVE REASONING AND CONFUSION OF THOUGHT" as mentioned in the Sacrament of Baptism. People HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO DISCERN BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. They have even lost the concept of TRUTH. People have been CONDITIONED AND INDUCTRINATED to believe the flagrant lies that are spewed by evil men. The good Christian is one who has not lost the path that Christ has placed before us, which is the parth of righteousness and truth. To deny the truth is to deny our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Himself Who is the Truth.

It is a fact that the warfare today in the 21st century is the fierce battle between TRUTH nad FALSHEHOOD, BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. Those who follow the evil one are led to destruction and death. Those who follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ are led by the Holy Spirit to the Eternal Life and the Kingdom of God. The disciple and believer in Christ seeks always truth which transcends human limits. The Almighty God and Creator of the Universe is sought out by the one who humbly seeks to be united with Him and be in communion with Him. The unbeliever not only spreads poison but also spreads hatred among men.

Pray to the Spirit of Truth to bestow upon you the gift of discernment and love. We should not be afraid of the evil one and his discples but stand firm and with courage expose them for what they really are. There is no question at all that you will be persecuted but there is no other way to fight the battle against evil. Just as in war there are some who will be injured badly and others who may even lose their livelihood and perhaps even their freedom and life buy we must fight on.

"For perverse thoughts seperate men from God, and when his power is tested, it convicts the foolish… For a holy and discpline spirit will flee FROM DECEIT…AND WILL BE ASHAMED AT THE UPROACH OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS" (Wisdom of Solomon 1:3-5). With the Christian concept of Truth and its "knowledge", man’s life acquires a deeper, a true meaning and understanding of His Divine Truth.

We are reminded as the discples of Christ by Saint Paul who writes, "Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall tributlation or distress,or persecution, or famine or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come,no hight nor depth, nor any other created thing, SHALL BE ABLE TO SEPERATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD WHICH IS CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD" (Romans 8:35-39).

Our Redeemer Christ God has given us the power to withstand all the assaults of the world and the devil and come out of the attacks "MORE THAN CONQUERERS" (Romans 8:37). And as Saint John the Theologian said: "CHILDREN LOVE GOD AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER."

___________________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

– Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +

With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

The Orthodox Veneration of The Mother of God

By Saint John Maximovitch

THE ORTHODOX CHURCH teaches about the Mother of God that which Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture have informed concerning Her, and daily it glorifies Her in its temples, asking Her help and defense. Knowing that She is pleased only by those praises which correspond to Her actual glory, the Holy Fathers and hymn-writers have entreated Her and Her Son to teach them how to hymn Her. "Set a rampart about my mind, O my Christ, for I make bold to sing the praise of Thy pure Mother" (Ikos of the Dormition). "The Church teaches that Christ was truly born of Mary the Ever-Virgin" (Saint Epiphanios, "True Logos/Word Concerning the Faith"). "It is essential for us to confess that the Holy Ever-Virgin Mary is actually Theotokos (Birth-giver of God), so AS NOT TO FALL INTO BLASPHEMY. For those who deny that the Holy Virgin is actually Theotokos ARE NO LONGER BELIEVERS, BUT DISCIPLES OF THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES" (Saint Ephraim the Syrian, "To John the Monk").

From Holy Tradition it is known that Mary was the daughter of the aged Joachim and Anna and that Joachim descended from the royal line of David, and Anna from the Priestly line. Notwithstanding such a noble origin, they were poor. However, it was not this that saddened these righteous ones, but rather the fact that they did not have children and could not hope that their descendants would see the Messiah. And behold, when once, being disdained by the Hebrews for their barrenness, they both in the grief of soul were offering up prayers to God–Joachim on a mountain to which he had retired after the priest did not want to offer his sacrifice in the Temple, and Anna in her own garden weeping over her barrenness–there appeared to them an Angel who informed them that they would bring forth a daughter. Overjoyed, they promised to consecrate their child to God.

In nine months a daughter was born to them, called Mary, Who from Her early childhood manifested the best qualities of soul. When She was three (3) years old, her parents, fulfilling their promise, solemnly led the little Mary to the Temple of Jerusalem; She Herself ascended the high steps and, by revelation from God, SHE WAS LED INTO THE VERY Holy of Holies, by the High Priest who met Her, taking with her the grace of God which rested upon Her into the Temple WHICH UNTIL THEN HAD BEEN WITHOUT GRACE. (see the Kontakion of the Entry into the Temple. This was the newly-built Temple into which the glory of God HAD NOT DESCENDENT AS IT HAD UPON THE Ark or upon the Temple of Solomon.) She was settled in the quarters for virgins which existed in the Temple, but She spent so much time in prayer in the Holy of Holies that one might say that She lived in it. (Service to the Entry, second sticheron on "Lord, I have cried," and the "Glory, Both Now…") Being adorned with all virtues, She manifested an example of extraordinary pure life. Being submissive and obedient to all, She offended no one, said no crude word to anyone, was friendly to all, and did not allow any unclean thought. (Abridged from Saint Ambrose of Milan, "Concerning the Ever-Virginity of the Virgin Mary.")

"Despite the righteousness and the immaculateness of the life which the Mother of God led, "sin and eternal death" manifested their presence in Her. They could not but be manifested: Such is the precise and faithful teaching of the Orthodox Church concerning the Mother of God with relation to ANCESTRAL {‘ORIGINAL’) SIN AND DEATH." (Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov, "Exposition of the Teaching of the Orthodox Church on the Mother of God.") "A stranger TO ANY FALL INTO SIN" (Saint Ambrose of Milan, Commentary on the 118th Psalm), "She was not a stranger to sinful temptations." "God ALONE IS WITHOUT SIN" (Saint Ambrose, same source), "while man will always have in himself something yet needing correction and perfection in order to fulfill the commandments of God; "BE YE HOLY AS I THE LORD YOUR GOD AM HOLY" (Leviticus 19:2). The more pure and perfect one is, THE MORE HE NOTICES HIS IMPERFECTIONS AND CONSIDERS HIMSELF ALL THE MORE UNWORTHY.

The Virgin Mary, having given Herself ENTIRELY UP TO GOD, even though She repulsed from Herself impulse to sin, still felt the weakness of human nature more powerfully than others and ardently desired the coming of the Savior. In Her humility, She considered Herself unworthy to be even the servant-girl of the Virgin Who was to give Him birth. So that nothing might distract Her from prayer and heedfulness to Herself, Mary gave to God A VOW NOT TO BECOME MARRIED, IN ORDER TO PLEASE ONLY HIM HER WHOLE LIFE LONG. Being betrothed to the elderly Joseph when Her age no longer allowed Her to remain in the Temple, She settled in his house in Nazareth. Here the Virgin was vouchsafed the coming of the Archangel Gabriel, who brought her the Good Tidings (News) of the Birth fro Her of the Son of the Most High. "Hail, Thou that are full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed are thou among women… The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also that which is to be born shall be Holy, and shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:28-35).

Mary received the angelic good tidings HUMBLY AND SUBMISSIVELY. "Then the Logos/Word, in a way known to Himself, DESCENDED AND, AS He Himself willed, CAME AND ENTERED INTO MARY AND ABODE IN HER" (Saint Ephraim the Syrian, "Praise of the Mother of God"). "As lightning illuminates what is hidden, so also Christ PURIFIES WHAT IS HIDDEN IN THE NATURE OF THINGS. HE PURIFIED THE VIRGIN ALSO AND THEN WAS BORN, SO AS TO SHOW THAT WHERE CHRIST IS, THERE IS MANIFEST PURITY IN ALL ITS POWER. HE PURIFIED THE VIRGIN, HAVING PREPARED HER BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THEN THE WOMB, HAVING BECOME PURE, CONCEIVED Him. He purified the Virgin while She WAS INVIOLATE; wherefore, having been born, He LEFT HER VIRGIN. I do not say that Mary became immortal, but that being illuminated by grace, She was not disturbed by sinful desires" (Saint Ephraim the Syrian, Homily Against Heretics, 41). "The Light abode in Her, cleansed Her mind, made Her thoughts pure, made chaste Her concerns, sanctified Her virginity" (Saint Ephraim the Syrian, "Mary and Eve"). "One who was pure according to human understanding, He made pure by grace" (Bishop Ignatius Brianhaninov, "Exposition of the Teaching of the Orthodox Church on the Mother of God"). (source: The Orthodox Veneration of MARY The Birthgiver of God)

_______________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

– Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +

With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE CONDEMNATION OF HYPOCRISY BY JESUS CHRIST

"Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples
saying: The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses; seat.
Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe
and do, but do not do according to their works; for they
say, and do not do." (Matthew 23:1)

The scribes and Pharisees do not stand before a simple and ordinary Rabbi but before the Pantokrator, the All-Ruling Christ, the Heavenly Judge. However, they are so corrupt and spiritually blind that they do not see that this is The Christ and the Messiah that the Hebrew people anticipated coming. Our Lord, God, and Savior is the ultimate Judge that everyone shall stand before at the Final or on Judgment Day. In the Creed, we say, "And He shall come again with glory to judge to living and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end."

But who is a hypocrite? A hypocrite is someone who pretends to be something that he/she is not. A hypocrite might act pious and holy and faithful outwardly, but on the inside, he/she is the opposite i.e., vicious, manipulative, dishonest, arrogant, boastful, egotistical, and hateful. The scribes and Pharisees who were the religious leaders were pretending to be faithful, but their actions were contrary to God’s Commandments. They were able to deceive the people of God with their hypocrisy and were able to give their own corrupt interpretation of the Law of God which eventually replaced the actual God’s Law.

Jesus’ description of the hypocrites Who compared them to "whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanliness" (Matthew 23:27). They have God-given authority and many God-given commandments, but they are personally ungodly, coldhearted, and vainglorious. Their teaching is to be honored, BUT THEY ARE NOT TO BE IMITATED (vv. 2-7). Pharisees place themselves in God’s stead. In His eightfold INDICTMENT of the Pharisees (Vv. 13-36), Jesus accuses them of inverting God’s values and being mean-spirited, greedy, ambitious, proud, absorbed by externals, hypocritical, and blindly self-righteous How much worse will it be for Christian who lapse into patterns of religious life similar to that of the scribes and Pharisees.

In Isaiah, we read, They have "drawn near to Me with their mouths, and with their lips honor Me, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME". The Orthodox Christian is called upon to abide by the will of God the Father instead of abiding by the will of the "father of lies", the devil. As always the choice or decision is ours. The Evil One and the great deceiver constantly attempt to convince us to follow the hypocritical example of the scribes and Pharisees. But you, do not be like the hypocrites, our Lord Christ taught the people. Do not be like the hypocrites when you give alms, "Therefore when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets… but when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing…" (Matthew 6:2-3). Wearing masks of compassion, inwardly are cruel and heartless.

Jesus says to the scribes and Pharisees not only, He says, are you unbelievers who lead a corrupt life, but you teach others not to believe in Me and you corrupt them by your life and example. Because the people are apt to become like their rulers, especially if they see them inclined towards evil. See, therefore, that "woe" is the reward of every teacher and ruler whose evil life obstructs others in progress towards good. He alls them hypocrites because they are professing piety and doing nothing worthy of what they profess.

All those who wish to follow Christ God must avoid hypocrisy. Honesty is a virtue that everyone should value and possess in their lives. And of course the true believer should not neglect genuine humility. If we imitate anyone it must be our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Eventhually all hypocrites are exposed. It is very difficult to continually deceive people who trust and believe in them. There are many imposters and charlotens in society who take advantage of the innocent and vulnerable. In every case they inflict pain and trauma to those who they were able to exploit and manipulate. We are told in the Holy Scripture, "…do not believe every spirit, BUT TEST THE SPIRITS, where they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).

_____________________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!’

My beloved spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ God,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

"A TIME FOR WAR AND A TIME OF PEACE" (Ecclesiastes 3:8).

Mankind’s history is replete with conflict and war. War and the killing in times of war are contrary to the teachings of Christianity. Violence is contrary to the commandments, ethics, and principles of the Christian Faith. Saint Basil the Great states clearly that although the act of violence may be required for the "defense of the weak and innocent… it is never justifiable."

Christianity is credited for introducing the belief of non-violence. The early Church was very negative towards the participation of Christians in war. Also, the Church has always upheld her fundamental resistance towards war and does not permit clergy to be engaged in any military campaign. A genuine Christian would rather be killed than to kill. The reality, however, is that inevitably the will of the state will conflict with God’s will over time, and it is important to understand that "we ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

The holy Fathers of the Church’s position on war, was that it is the lesser of greater evils, but nonetheless evil. In Orthodoxy, there is no such thing as a "just war" or a "good war." The Christian clergy and lay Christians were to remain pacifists and not engage in killing. There are those times, however, when under certain circumstances and in order to protect the innocent, war was unavoidable.

Christians ought to be focused on peace and should work towards maintaining a loving attitude that is not contrary to God’s commandments. The Holy Scripture states, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Our Lord, God and Savior reveals Himself as the Reconciler, the Prince of Peace (Ephesians 2:14, 16). God the Holy Spirit gives peace, the sign of His presence, to all those who imitate Him. Peace bestows communion with God and concord with all creation, the sign of our sanctity. Thus, "peacemakers" share God’s peace with those around them, participating in the divine work of God’s Only-begotten Son Jesus Christ.

The holy Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans says, God is referred to as a "God of peace" (Romans 15:33). War is a result of a separation from our Creator, which is also a separation from peace and love. Since the Almighty God is the Source of our existence, separation from Him leads to annihilation. As the Holy Scripture says, "…for all who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52).

According to holy Canon 83: "If any Bishop, Priest, or Deacon, is engaged in military matters, and wishes to hold both civil and a holy office, let him be deposed. For ‘render unto Ceasar the things that are Ceasar’s and unto God the things that are God’s" (Matthew 22:21).

In the Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire, the enemies of the State were also enemies of the Church. Therefore, the defense of the Empire also became the defense of the Christian Church. The Empire was believed to be protected by God since it was a Christian Empire. The Church has upheld its position on war and has never deserted its stance. The Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Phocas (963-969 A.D.) asked the Church to recognize the Christians killed in battle to be included as martyrs.

The answer to the Emperor’s request from the Church was, "How could they be regarded as martyrs or equal to the martyrs those who kill others or die themselves at war, when the divine Canons impose a penalty on them PREVENTING THEM FROM COMING TO Divine Communion for three years."
The Orthodox Church has always condemned war, but has been tolerant of the Christian soldiers that served in the military. War may be unavoidable under certain conditions to protect the innocent and to limit even greater destruction and evil.

"Following the traditions of the Holy Scripture and the teaching of the Holy Fathers of the Church, the Orthodox Church teaches that peace is divinely ordained condition for human existence and that every form of conflict and strife is a manifestation of sin. War as the antithesis of peace, therefore, belongs to the realm of human sin. Thus, warfare as an activity belongs to the realm of fallen human existence and can in no way embody the justice, righteousness, and, indeed, peace that is the very essence of the reconciliation of God and humanity."

From a personal perspective, war goes against human nature and human dignity. War has never been a solution to the human condition. Millions upon millions have been killed over the centuries without lasting solutions. World War I was expected to be the war that ended all wars, but it has happened. Wars continue and innocent people are killed and referred to as, ‘collateral damage." It seems that the world has not learned anything from the experience of war. Humanity has been desensitized and accepts the devastation of war as a way of life.

I can honestly say that I, along with my parents and siblings, were victims of the civil war in Greece. The civil war immediately following World War II in Greece was caused by the communists who wanted Greece to be part of the Soviet Union. This civil war was more vicious and horrific than the war with the Axis powers, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. During this war, our family was devastated and it was only by the grace of God that we survived. Nevertheless, we were victims of this war along with thousands, if not millions, of other Greeks. We were made homeless and we became known later on as "displaced persons," or D.P’s. It forced our family to be uprooted from the homeland and emigrate to a distant and unknown country, America.

It is one thing to see war taking place in a faraway land, and another to be in it and on the receiving end. It is a most traumatic experience to see death all around you and for your house to be bombed and annihilated before your eyes while your entire family is still in it. Hearing the wailing and crying of people who lost their loved ones and the horror of seeing dead soldiers all around you, is horrific. The memories and scars of war stay with you for the rest of your life.

Peace should be the norm and goal of all Christian life for everyone. At the Divine Liturgy, we offer the Litany of Peace. The priest says the peace supplications: In peace let us pray to the Lord, for the peace of the whole world, the stability of the holy Churches of God and for the union of all mankind, let us pray to the Lord, etc. War must be avoided at all cost and peaceful resolutions of human conflicts must be pursued. However, there are situations when evil powers seek your destruction and the destruction of one’s country and conflict cannot be avoided. In this case, one has to defend it from oppression and enslavement. If allowed, the hostile enemy attacking would definitely deprive you of life and freedom. In such situations, an Orthodox Christian has no other choice but to defend himself, his family, and, of course, his country. It is considered to be a "necessary evil". It is necessary, because the innocent and good people must be protected. It is considered evil, because such protection requires the taking of human life, which is considered to be a grave sin.

As everyone knows, we do live in a perfect world, but a fallen world. Evil cannot be permitted to take the world hostage, control its destiny, and destroy humanity altogether. Everyone must be alert and vigilant and always seek God’s help, guidance, and protection. The good and faithful people of God must be willing to die for Christ, if need be, just as the millions of Christians died at the hands of infidels throughout the centuries. Let us not forget the war that was fought in heaven with Lucifer and his angels, when evil was expelled from heaven forever. Evil cannot be ignored or tolerated and allowed to dominate God’s world. The warfare against evil is fought not only by us here on earth, but also with the help of the Angelic powers of God.

_____________________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"