My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

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

A WOLF, DRESSED IN A SHEEP’S CLOTHING

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (St. Matthew 7:15). Then the Lord suggests that their true nature will be revealed by their actions "by their fruits shall ye know them. vs. 16. Many Christians are familiar with this biblical passage and still, others quote it frequently in various circumstances.

A variant fable by Aesop. This concerns a wolf that regularly comes to view the flock, but never attempts any harm. Eventually, the shepherd comes to trust it and on one occasion leaves the wolf on guard. He returns to find his flock decimated and blames himself for being taken in.

In his commentary, Saint Theophylact says, "The heretics are cunning and deceitful, which is why He says, "Beware." They produce sweet words and feign a decent life but within lies the hook. "Sheep’s clothing" is meekness, which some pretend to employ, in order to flatter and to deceive. But they are recognized by their "fruit" that is by their deeds and by their life. For though they can dissemble for a time, they are unmasked by those who are heedful."

One does not have to be a fanatic or paranoid to see suspicious and cunning movements within the Church from people entrusted to guide it and to protect it. We only need to review who were the heretics of the past. One of the most dangerous heresies that threaten the unity of the Church was Arianism which created conflict in the Church for a long time was introduced by the Alexandrian presbyter (priest) Arius. Arius was a student in the theological school of Antioch. He began to teach falsely of the inequality of the Son of God with the Father, and of the created nature of the Son. His heresy seized the Eastern half of the Empire, and despite its condemnation at the First Ecumenical Synod, it survived almost to the end of the 4th century.

Apollinarianism

Apolllinarios the Younger was a educated man who had been bishop of Laodicea (from 362 A.D.). He taught that in the God-manhood of Christ the human nature was ilncomplete.

Macedonius, bishop of Constatinople(about 342 A.D) taught falsely of the Holy Spirit in an Arian sense, namely, that the Holy Spirit is a ministering creature.

Nestorianism

This heresy takes its name from Nestorius, who had been Archbishop of Constantinople. Predecessors of Nestorius in this false teaching were Diodorus, teacher of the theological school of Antioch, and Theodore, bishop of Mopsuestia (died in 429 A.D.) whose disciple was Nestorius. Thus, this heresy came from the school of Antioch. Theodore of Mopsuestia taught the "contigruity" of the two natures of Christ, but not their union from the time of the conception of the Logos/Word. Those heretics called the Most Holy Virgin Mary "Christotokos," but NOT "Theotokos" (as having given birth to Christ BUT NOT TO GOD). The heresy was condemned at the Third Ecumenical Synod.

Monothelitism

Monothelitism was a softened form of Monophysitism (of one nature). While acknowledging two Natures of Christ, Monothelitism taught that in Christ there was only ONE WILL–namely, the Divine will. Adherents of this heresy included SEVERAL PATRIARCHS OF CONSTANTINOPLE WHO WERE EXCOMMUNICATED (Pyrrhus, Paul, Theodore). It was supported by Honorius, Pope of Rome. This heresy was rejected as false by the Sixth Ecumenical Synod.

Thee were of course other heresies that were introduced within the Church by prominent theologians, Arcbbishops, Bishops and even Patriarch and Popes. The Holy Chuch has been persecuted and injured not only by non-Christians but also from Christian educated hierarchy and theologians. In the first three centuries of Christianity the heresies spread their influence over a comparatively small territory; but from teh fourth century certain heresies seized about half the Roman Empire and caused immense conflict and took much strengthe to do battle with them.

Other heresies were: The Ebionites, the Nazarites, Gnosticism, Docetists, Nicolaitans, Marcionites, Carpocrates, Manichaeism, Montanism and of course Iconoclasm that aflicted the Church for more than 100 years.

I dont’ believe it would be an exegeration to call these heretics as wolves in sheep’s clothing. They were all excommunicated by the Seven Ecumenical Councils over the centuries. It is true that the enemies of the Church can be found both without as well as within the Church. There is no question, however, that the most sinister ones are those who hide among the true believers and present themselves as theologians, as bishops, as all kinds of religious leaders.

The Orthodox Christians of today must be vigilant and knowledgeble so that they will be able to know who are the heretics and who are not. Even today we must be watchful and not to take anything or anyone for granted. We must not be gullible and naive but to be discerning. As our Lord Jesus Christ tells, "YOU WILL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS" (St. Matthew 7:16). All of us need to pay attention to decision made that change our Holy Tradition, our sacred worship, the mandates and religious disciplines, unorthodox innovations and the introduction of foreign religious practices, of ignoring the dogmas, canons and moral principles of our Faith, of the secularization and moderization of the our Church, of allowing the so called ‘cancel culture’ to enter our Church and to begin cancelling Orthodox spiritual practices and values, etc.

Jesus warns us, "BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but are INWARDLY ARE RAVENOUS WOLVES." (St. Matthew 7:15).

________________

Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

– Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +

With sincere agape ib 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 SACRED TRADITION OF THE
ORTHODOX CHURCH

"Therefore, brethren, STAND FAST AND
HOLD THE TRADITIONS WHICH YOU
WERE TAUGHT, WHETHER BY WORD
OR OUR EPISTLE" (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

In the New Testament, there are two types of traditions. "The tradition of men" (St. Matthew 15:1-9; Col. 2:8) is condemned. Our Lord quotes Isaiah 29:13, "So the Lord said, ‘These people draw near to Me and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and they worship Me in vain, teaching the commandments and doctrines of men." In the second to the fourth centuries, this was called "The Apostolic Tradition," or ‘Sacred Tradition," preserved by the Church, for God is its source. Sacred Tradition is that which our Lord taught to the holy Apostles, and which they, in turn, taught the Chuch under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit our God.

The early Christian Church carefully guarded her inward life against the non-Christians. Who Mysteries (Sacraments) were performed in secret from those outside the Church who were not present to witness them. The divine services were not written down but were only transmitted orally. Saint Basil the Great gives us a clear understanding of the Sacred Apostolic Tradition: "Of the dogmas and sermons preserved in the Church, certain ones we have from written instructions, and certainly one we have received from the Apostolic Tradition handed dow in secret. Both the one and the other have one and the same authority for piety, and no one who is even the least informed in the decrees of the Church will contradict this. For if we dare to overthrow the unwritten customs as if they did not have great importance, we shall thereby imperceptibly do harm to the Gospel in its most important points. And even more, we shall be left with the empty name of the Apostolic preaching without content. For example, let us especially make note of the first and commonest thing that those who hope in the Name of our Lord Jesus Chris should sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross. Who taught this in the Scripture? Which Scripture instructed us that we should turn to the East in prayer? Which of the Saints left us in the written form the words of invocation during the transformation of the bread of the Eucharist and the Chalice of blessing? For we are not satisfied with the words which are mentioned in the Epistles or the Gospels, but before them and after them we pronounce others also as having great authority for the Mystery, having received them from the UNWRITTEN TEACHING. By what Scripture, likewise, do we bless the water of Baptism and the Oil of anointing and, indeed, the one being baptized himself? Is this not THE SILENT AND SECRET TRADITION? And what more? What written word has taught us this anointing with oil itself? Where is the triple immersion and all the rest that has to do with Baptism, the renunciation of Satan and his angels to be found? What Scripture are these taken from? It is not from this UNPUBLISHED AND UNSPOKEN TEACHING WHICH OUR Fathers have preserved in silence inaccessible to curiosity and scrutiny, because they were thoroughly instructed TO PRESERVE IN SILENCE THE SANCTITY OF THE MYSTERIES? For what propriety would there be no proclaim in writing teaching concerning that which it is not allowed for the unbaptized even to behold? (On the Holy Spirit, Ch. 27).

"From these words of Saint Basil the Great we may conclude first, that the Sacred Tradition of the teaching of the faith is that which may be traced back to the earliest period of the Church, and, second, that it was carefully preserved and unanimously acknowledged among the holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church during the epoch of the Great Fathers and the beginning of the Ecumenical Synods." (Source: Orthodox Dogmatic Theology)

To the Orthodox Christian believer, Holy Tradition means the Holy Scripture; it means the Nicean Creed; it means the Decrees of the Ecumenical Synods and the sacred writings of the Holy Fathers of the Church; it means the Holy Canons, the Service Books, the sacred icons and so on. Fundamentally it means the entire system of Doctrine, Ecclesiastical government, worship, and sacred art which Orthodox Christianity articulated over the ages. (Kallistos Ware, the Orthodox Church)

Our faithfulness to the Sacred Tradition of the Church is not something superficial or without purpose. Sac is red Tradition or Apostolic Tradition is a personal conviction and relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Sacred Tradition is the life of the Holy Spirit within the Church. Sacred Tradition is a living experience of God the Holy Spirit in the present. Our Lord tells us when the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the earth (St. John 16:13). Father Georges Florovsky expresses this idea: "Tradition is the witness of the Spirit; the Spirit’s unceasing revelation and preaching of good things…To accept and understand Tradition we must live within the Church, we must be conscious of the grace-giving presence of the Lord in it; we must feel the breath of the Holy Spirit in it…Tradition is not only a protective, conservative principle; IT IS PRIMARILY, THE PRINCIPLE OF GROWTH AND REGENERATION…TRADITION IS THE CONSTANT ABIDING OF THE SPIRIT AND NOT ONLY THE MEMORY OF WORDS."

Teaching is to be considered worthy of Holy Tradition when it stems from the Savior and/or the Holy Apostles and is directly under the influence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Tradition is that which has been safeguarded from the Apostolic Church and has an UNINTERRUPTED CONTINUITY UNTIL TODAY. The Holy Tradition is that which IS CONFESSED AND PRACTICED BY THE ENTIRE UNIVERSAL AND ORTHODOX CHURCH. The Holy Tradition is that which IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GREATEST PORTION OF THE FATHERS AND ECCLESIASTICAL WRITERS.

"When a tradition DOES NOT FULFILL THESE QUALIFICATIONS, IT CANNOT BE CONSIDERED TRUE AND HOLY, AND CONSEQUENTLY CANNOT BE CONSIDERED ADMISSIBLE OR FIT TO BE OBSERVED."

Saint Paul in First Corinthians 11:2, says, "Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things AND KEEP THE TRADITIONS JUST AS I DELIVERED THEM TO YOU". In other words to be obedient to what has been DELIVERED–God-given ORAL TRADITION, from which Saint Paul taught. Saint Paul DOES NOT MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE AUTHORITY OF THE WRITTEN AND ORAL TEACHINGS.

It is absolutely necessary that we must uphold with great respect and godliness Holy Tradition since all that is needful to effect our salvation is not found within Holy Scripture. Holy Scripture instructs us to do many things; however, it does not make manifest to us the light. Saint John says: "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." (John 21:35).

I must emphasize and point out that for the Orthodox Christians, the Holy Scripture forms a part of Apostolic Tradition, but does not lie outside of it. We would be wrong to assume that Holy Scripture and the Apostolic Tradition are two separate and distinct sources of our Christian Faith, There IS ONLY ONE SOURCE; and the Holy Scripture exists, interpreted, and found its formulation within the Apostolic Tradition.

The Ecumenical Synods over the centuries remained faithful to and safeguarded and maintained the integrity of the Apostolic Tradition. Anyone tampering with the Apostolic Tradition is considered a heretic and is immediately excommunicated from the Orthodox Church. No one is above the Faith and therefore no one person or persons has any authority to change it or so call ‘reform it’ as though we are Protestant.

We, Orthodox Christians, must remain vigilant and on guard to make sure that the Authentic Church of Christ, remains Authentic and true to her Founder, Jesus Christ. The Orthodox Church had to face all kinds of heretics and enemies of Christ and the Church over the many centuries and she always triumphed. We must not be taken for fools and ignorant people by sinister elements within the Church but they must know that our Lord, the Bridegroom of the Bride, the Church, will not permit anyone to assault her. Jesus Himself said: "…the gates of Hades SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT" (St. Matthew 16:18). In other words, the powers of evil and death, are powerless against her as shown over thousands of years. The Holy Church is the body of Christ, the Divine-human organism, and to her comes the call of Christ God for the whole of mankind to abide with Him and in Him. "And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the FULLNESS OF Him, Who FILLS ALL IN ALL" (Ephesians 1:22-23). Because He is intimately UNITED WITH THE CHURCH, the Church has the greatest glory of all creation. The Church is God’s MASTERPIECE. Since Christ God is INFINITE; THE CHURCH NEVER CEASES BECOME "FULL".

_______________________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

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

"Let no one deceive you by any means;
for that Day will not come unless THE
FALLING AWAY COMES FIRST, and the
man of sin is revealed, the son of
perdition" (2 Thessalonias 2:3).

The Thessalonian Christians had been speculating about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ our Savior. Saint Paul informs them "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Furthermore, "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition" (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

Christians have for centuries speculated and some went as far as to predict the Second Coming of Christ but of course to no avail. The holy Apostle informs these early Christians that they will be certain signs which will take place before that day comes. Such signs: a general " falling away" (apostasy) of the believers and the "revealing "the man of sin, "son of perdition" who is the Antichrist of 1 and 2 John; Revelation 13). This "man of sin" is also referred to as "the lawless one" described in the Old Testament (Daniel 7:25; 8:25; 11:36). Mentioned by Jesus Christ Matthew 24:15). In his first visit to Thessaloniki, Saint Paul discusses this issue with the Christian community. The devil incites divisions among the people so they WILL READILY RECEIVE THE ANTICHRIST WHEN HE COMES. "The man of sin" is a counterfeit messiah with a counterfeit kingdom. He (1) exalts himself above God (v, 4) and (2) performs deceptive miracles and wonders through satanic power (v.9), and (3) will deceive the righteous into following him (vv. 10-12); (4) WILL BE REMOVED FROM POWER FROM CHRIST HIMSELF AT HIS SECOND COMING (v. 8).

We, of course, will not speculate when the Second Coming of Christ will come. What is important is to be spiritually and morally prepared for the arrival of that dreadful day. Each one of us will be held responsible before God for all of our actions during our lifetime here on earth, to truly repent and by the grace of God to be ready to give a "good account" to our Great and Just Judge, the Pantokrator.

Since none of us knows when he will die we must be prepared spiritually for that fearfrul day of judgment. As you know there is NO repentance after death and therefore we need to repent of our sins here and now. Our Lord says, "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God, over one sinner who repents" (St. Luke 15:10). Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica says, "We need repentance. You see, repentance is not only going to a priest and confessing. We fall many times during our life, and it is absolutely necessary to reveal everything [in Confession] before a priest who is a witness to our repentance."

"Repentance is the RENEWAL OF LIFE. This means we must free ourselves of all our nagative traits and turn toward absolute good. No sin is unforgivable except the sin of UNREPENTANCE."

An apostate is he who renounces his Christian faith and who defects, revolts, rebells against God. It is also he who refuses to repent for his many transgressions. When one willingly severs communion with God he brings condemnation unto himself. That is apostasy! The only remaining cure is his genuine repentance.

Most of the European countries were Christian countries for centuries, however, soon after World War II attitudes, priorities and individual goals changed dramatically. Whatever was the reason, whether it was the devastation of the continent, the shock of the great loss of life, the 62 million people who were killed. There is no doubt that the European people were traumatized psychologically, spiritually, and morally, due to that horific war. Is it possible that this was one of the causes that brought about the apostasy in Europe? In the Old Testament Book of Exodus 32:7-8 we find the Hebrew people who while Moses was on the mountain in the presence of God to receive the Ten Commmandmends, Aaron and the people rebelled against God and made "a malten calf." "Then Aaron said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel…" (v. 4). God told Moses "They turned aside quickly from the way I commanded them. They made themselves a calf and are worshipping and sacrificing to it,,," (v. 8). In some similar way the people of Europe abandoned the commandments of God and chose instead to turn toward a secular and a more permissive and depraved new world. A world that now offered a life of luxury, of unrestricted, vile pleasures, and materialism. Many Christian churches were no longer used for worship but instead some were turned into distilleries, office space, for training how play golf, museums, and even restorants. People of faith were, and still are, constantly ridiculed by former Christians and atheists for believing in God and attending Sunday services. It has been reported in recent years that only a small percentage of Europeans practice the Christiant faith. Furthermore, the secular governments in Europe today have set strict conditions on what a Christian priest or minister can preach from the pulpit, Under the existing laws there is a continued threat of imprisonment for those priests or ministers that do not adhere to them.

Are these not symptoms or signs of apoastasy? There is no need for anyone to speculate on the Second Coming of Christ. However, can we not at least agree, that these are indeed symptoms "of the falling away?" But how are we to respond to this apostasy? Elder Ephraim of Arizona, of blessed memory, would say to us, ‘THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY LEFT, PRAYER!’ So, Let us pray to the Lord. Kyrie eleison.

A PRAYER IN TIME OF TROUBLE

O God, our help and assistance, Who are just and merciful, Who hears the supplications of Your people; look down upon me, a miserable sinner, have mercy upon me and deliver me from this trouble that besets me, for which I know, I am deservently suffering. I acknowledge and believe, O Lord, that all trials of this life are given by You for our chastisement, when we drift away from You and disobey Your Commandments; deal not with me after my sins, but according to Your bountiful mercies, for I am the work of Your hands, and You know my weakness. Grant me, I beseech You, Your Divine helping grace, and endow me with patience and strength to endure my tribulations with complete submission to Your will. You know my misery and suffering and to You, my only hope and refuge, I flee for relief and comfort; trusting to Your infinite love and compassion, that in due time, when You know best, You will deliver from this trouble, and turn my distress into comfort, when I shall rejoice in Your mercy, and exalt and praise Your Holy Name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

____________________

"Glory 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.

ORTHODOX MONASTICISM: ‘LIVING THE ANGELIC LIFE.’

"If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast,
and give it to the poor…and come follow Me" (St. Matthew 19:21).
Orthodox Christian Monasticism is a diakonia (ministry) or service to God. It is a way of life, a life of obedience to His commandments, a life of virtue, prayers night and day, a life directed towards contemplation, and denouncing the worldly life. Being a monk or a nun is a vocation not unlike being a priest.

The beginnings of monasticism go back to the very beginning of Christianity. The majority of the features were to be discovered in the more ancient Christian communities. Celibate ascetics, men and women, were thought of as a unique class. In the epistles of Saint Paul, the concept of celibacy was praised. The ascetically leaning Christians formed the core of this brotherhood. They were the glue that held the brotherhood united.

The word "μοναχός," monk, did not mean the solitary one, but "the unique one" and "the perfect one." "Within the Christian community, the monk was originally "the perfect one" who strove to fulfill the evangelical commandment: "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (St. Matthew 5:48). The Messianic title of Christ as the Only-begotten Son (St. John 1:14) was thus carried over to the perfect Christian, THE MONK. He was the image of Jesus Christ, and being so, was exalted to the rank of an only-begotten son of God.

Monasticism became an established institution of the Christian Church during the 4th century at a time when the ascetic movements throughout the Church were gaining strength. The spread of Christianity in the 4th century was directly related to the spread of the Christian Faith. It flourished among the people of Egypt and Syria. Although the ascetics sought a greater isolation from the world, they realized they could not shut themselves entirely from other people. They were forced out of necessity to use tombs, caves, abandoned villages, and eventually the deep interior of the desert. It was here that they were perfectly situated to fulfill their principal task, the struggle with devils. The emptiness of the desert was thought of as the ideal place where they dwelt. It is also believed that the corruption and secularism within the Church at the time drove many of the faithful away from it and into the desert.

"The original form of the monastery in the East was not a common building with many cells united under one roof, but an assemblange of hermits’ huts within a fenced area: architectural expression of the bridge between the ideal of solitude and the ideal of community life." Saint Pachomius established a monastic rule which it served to regulate the physical life of the monastery. The final shaping of the monastic community life and the clearest statement of its nature and principles must be credited to Saint Basil the Great. His treatise on asceticism, originally written for the monks of Cappadocia, provided the theological foundation for cenobitism, the community life of monks. He was the creator of the monastic rule that later became the standard one for Orthodox Monasticism.

The life of the ascetic was austere and at times reached an extreme physical penance, fasts, prostrations, sleep deprivation and other extraordinary practices. Orthodox monks dedicated themselves entirely to liturgy, mysticism, and contemplation. Their fundamental attitude of withdrawl from "the world" led to their turning thier backs on all forms of secular knowledge. The highest form of asceticism was supposed to be complete liberation from the world and solitude, in which the pious monk’s entire moral and intellectual energies were directed toward God. The conditions of the monastery were intended to further the prayer and contemplation that were the monk’s principal challenge.

Orthodox Christians living in the world have been inspired and have learned much from the monastics of our Church. The faithful have been encouraged to have a spiritual life, a life of prayer, fasting, vigils and combating the passions. Orthodox Monasticism has been the protector of the Faith throughout the centuries when the Church was threaten by heresies, secularism, and a life of comfort. There is no difference in what is required and expeced spiritually from a monk, nun, or, clergy and laity living in the world. There is only on standard within the Orthodox Church and it is encouraged that everyone will remain streadfast and follow it faithfully and obediently.

I believe that all of us realize that we must wage war against the powers of evil and darkness. We believe that constant and unceasing prayer is as natural to us as breathing. Just as oxygen is necessary to live, prayer is necessary to maintain communion with the Life-Giving Savior, Who is the only Source of Life. The heart of the ascetic is filled with love of God and love for his fellow man, and so it should be with our heart as well. The purity of mind, heart and soul is one of the major challenges for all the faithful to attain. To become lithargic spiritually is dangerous and it leads to the crippling of the soul and finally to its spiritual death. We must acquire "APATHEIA," the fruit of love and chastity. It is the state of a soul in which love towards God and people is so ruling and burning as to leave no room for self-centered passions.

An Orthodox Christian believer can hardly conceive of salvation wihtout a certain severance from the secular world without a complete SELF-DENIAL. Our first duty is to achieve the Kingdom of God in our own soul. The best way to attain such an end, is to stand face to face with the Almighty God in silence. The great Saints, holy Fathers, holy Mothers, Confessors, Martyrs, Ascetics, Monks and Nuns, serve as our par excellence examples of what it means to be a true follower of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. If we are looking for inspiration, we look to them and not to anyone outside our Holy Orthodox Church. There is nothing out there that is not polluted and corrupted. The world is an abyss of evil and sin.

Turn to our Holy Church for refuge, for inspiration and healing. The Church is led and guided by God the Holy Spirit. He is our True Physician and He provides the spiritual medicine that we all need to be restored and renewed. It is in the Church liturgical life that we seek and find the successive stages of the normal development of the Christian soul. Saint Cabasilas recommends meditation and mental prayer as the safest way to bind us to Christ. He says in penetrating accents: "The one pattern is Jesus… The Savior is more intimate to us than our own soul…We are concorporeal with Him, living His life, and have become His members." The person of Jesus Christ, according to him, is the heart of the Mystical Body of Christ."

It is through the Sacrament of Baptism that we are reborn through water and the Spirit and become members of the body of Christ. We then immediately follow it with the sealing of the grace of the Holy Spirit. "Do Thou, O Compassionate Master, King of all, grant to him also the SEAL of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the participation of the Holy Body and of the Precious Blood of Thy Christ…". As new creatures now we are able to receive the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ as full members.

When we are in communion with Our Lord Jesus Christ, we feel that inner warmth and we may even sense His Divinie Light within us. We no longer have doubts of His presence and of His perfect love. All fear and uncertainty is destroyed and replaced with Divine strength and hope. There is confidence and we come to understand that there is nothing that we cannot achieve and accomplish in life. There is certainity. There is surety that comes from trusting in God’s wisdom and power. Christ and you have become one and you no longer act apart from Him. "For in Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).

__________________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

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

"And Jesus said unto them, I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE: he that
cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in Me
shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that ye also have seen
Me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth Me shall come
to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. For
I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will
of Him that sent Me." (St. John 6:35-38)

We recall, I am confident, Satan tempting the Son of God soon after "He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry." Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones BECOME BREAD" (St. Matthew 4:2). "But He answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (St. Matthew 4:4).

Bread is essential for life. Saint Theophylact writes, "The Jews thought that Jesus was speaking about ordinary bread. The Jews wanted Jesus to perform a miracle such as Moses to feed their flesh and satisfy their gluttony. Jesus said to them, "Moses did not give you the True Bread." "I am the bread of life." When all mankind was spiritually dead [because of sin], Christ, the SPIRITUAL BREAD, brought us to life again by leavening the lump of our human substance, making it like unto Himself, and baking it with the fire of His Divinity. He is the bread, not of the ordinary type found in everyday life to which we are accustomed, but another kind: ONE STRANGE AND MARVELOUS, NOT CUT SHORT BY DEATH. A man who believes in such a bread "SHALL NEVER HUNGER."

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, contrasting Himself to the manna which was eaten by the Hebrews, He said "Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and they died. THIS IS THE BREAD WHICH COMES DOWN FROM HEAVEN, THAT A MAN MAY EAT OF IT AND NOT DIE" (St. John 6:49-50).

Orthodox Christians believe that the Holy Communion is the "MANNA" for today. This "Bread of Life" is what sustains us and saves us. It is given "for the remission of sins and eternal life." The Precious Body and Blood of Christ God sustains us in our journey through the spiritual wasteland of life. During the Divine Liturgy the celebrant Orthodox priest, shortly before Holy Communion, breaks the Bread, the Body of Christ, and places it into the Chalice, saying the following words: The Lamb of God is broken and distributed, broken but not divided, He is forever eaten and is never consumed, but sanctifies all those who partake of Him." In calling Himself "The Bread of Life," Christ was building on the concept of the manna, but "superseding the purpose of the manna, for His bread leads to eternal life."

A sign of the anticipated Messiah was one who would feed His hungry people in a supernatural way. This bread is the Son of God Himself, Who was willing to die on the Cross so that we might live. Christ is making another revelation to His Deity. He says the "I AM". The phrase "I AM" is the covenant name of God (Yahweh), revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). His invitation to "come" to Him involves making a personal choice to denounce the world and to follow Him. In the word "believe" we are called to place our faith in Him and to trust that He indeed is the Savior and Redeemer of the world.

In the Old Testament Book of Exodus chapter 16, verse 33, we read "Moses then said to Aaron, ‘Take a golden pot, put one full omer of the manna in it, and lay it up before God to be kept for your generations." A type of the Theotokos. For Christ became the Bread of Life in her womb for the salvation of the world. Also, this became the precursor of the Tabernacle that sits on the altar table in all Orthodox churches, where a portion of the "Bread of Life," Holy Communion, remains perpetually.

In coming near to communicate (receive Holy Communion) the faithful say to themselves:

"Behold, I approach for Holy Communion,
O Creator, burn me not as I partake,
For thou art Fire which burns the unworthy,
Wherefore do Thou cleanse me from every stain."

Saint Theophylact says, " To show that faith in Christ is NOT acquired by chance, but IS A GIFT FROM GOD bestowed by the Father to those who are worthy and upright of heart, the Lord declares, "ALL THAT THE FATHER GIVETH ME SHALL COME TO ME." This means, "The Father gives Me those who believe in Me… The Lord is teaching the Jews that the man who does NOT RECEIVE HIM IS AN ENEMY OF GOD WHO OPPOSES THE WILL OF THE FATHER. Since they were insisting that he was the enemy of God, Christ turns the charge against them and says indirectly: "You are the enemies of God, who reject the One obedient to the will of the Father."

"Though the man who eats this bread nevertheless tastes of physical death, he lives in hope of the resurrection. Clearly, the Lord is speaking here about the mystical communion of His Body. Christ said, "The bread which I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." The Lord shows that He went willingly and by His own authority to His crucifixion, not as a servant or a subordinate to His Father," writes Saint Theophylact.

EPICLESIS (INVOCATION)

The elements (bread and wine) ARE CHANGED BY THE INVOCATION, EPICLESIS, of the Holy Spirit. For Orthodox Christians, the EPICLESIS IS AN INDISPENSABLE ELEMENT OF THE CONSECRATION OF the Holy Gifts. In other words, WE BELIEVE that without calling upon God the Holy Spirit TO SANCTIFY the Gifts into the Body and Blood of Christ, there would be no conversion of the gifts. This constitutes an essential difference we have with Western Christendom, which DOES NOT hold unto the belief.

"Send down Your Holy Spirit on this Sacrifice, the
witness of the suffering of the Lord Jesus, that He
may show this bread to be the Body of Your Christ,
and this Cup to be the Blood of Your Christ, that they
who shall receive them may be strengthened for piety,
may obtain the remission of their sins, may be delivered
from the devil and his deceit, may be filled with the
Holy Spirit, may be made worthy of Your Christ,
and may obtain eternal life upon Your
reconciliation to them, O Lord Almighty."

To doubt, God forbid, the Descent of the Holy Spirit and the consecration of the elements of bread and wine, and the change of them to the very Body and Blood of Christ, constitutes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, our God, an unforgivable sin and a great heresy. No matter what the conditions are in the world, epidemics, or pandemics, our belief remains unchanged. When we receive Holy Communion we receive the very Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Those who do NOT believe it MUST NOT RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION! For the unbeliever, IT IS CONDEMNATION and FIRE.

The Prayer before Holy Communion:

"I believe, Lord, and confess, that You are truly the Christ, Son of the Living
God, Who came into the world to save sinners, OF WHOM IA M THE GREATEST.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS TRULY YOUR SPOTLESS Body, and this is truly
Your Precious Blood. Wherefore I pray You: have mercy on me and forgive my
offenses, whether or not intended, whether committed in word or deed,
knowing or unknowingly; and count me worthy to share without judgment in
Your pure mysteries, for the remission of sins and for everlasting life. Amen.

___________________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

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

QUO VADIS? "Where are you going?"

The Latin phrase Quo Vadis denotes an episode from the life of Saint Peter, as told in the New Testament Apocrypha.

The holy Apostle Peter, according to this legend, fled to Rome during the persecution of Christians under the pagan emperor Nero. As he was walking along the Appian Way, he met Christ in a vision. Astonished, he asked ‘Domine quo Vadis?’ (‘Lord, where are you going?’) Christ replied that he was going to Rome to be crucified a second time. Saint Peter then realized that his departure from the city was cowardly and returned to face whatever persecutions might befall him.

It matters, not whether the above account is true or a pious legend. Holy and Great Lent is a time of profound personal reflection for all Christian believers. It is perhaps the appropriate time to ask ourselves the question, Quo Vadis? But not where are you going, but where am I going? That is, where am I going spiritually. Are we seeking a personal encounter with our Savior Jesus Christ? Each person comes to this holy place from different situations. Like the holy Apostle, we will meet Jesus Christ through Quo Vadis events. We, too, will have a choice to make. Do we follow Jesus where He leads us or go our own way?

Ask our Lord Jesus Christ as did Saint Peter, "Quo Vadis Domine?" Then listen to Him, follow Him, and find your vocation–the purpose of your life.

This Sacred Season of Lent is in itself a spiritual journey that we, as Orthodox Christians, take hoping to meet our beloved Lord Who would lead us to glory. He is the only one Who can help us find our way and to find the elusive happiness in life. It is our Savior that can give meaning and purpose to our life here on earth. Don’t ever give up hope that you, too, can meet Him on your life-long journey to the heavenly Kingdom.

Just as the Apostle, we must have courage and not run away from whatever comes our way. Believe in Him Who is with you at all times, both in persecution and a time of peace. He is with you at times of sadness and sorrow, but also at times of gladness and joy. God’s way is one of gentleness and sweetness. Although He knows how we feel about Him, still He wants to hear it from us, just as He asks Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, DO YOU LOVE ME more than these?’ He said to Him, Yes, Lord; You know THAT I LOVE YOU." (Saint John 21:15).

We too, without any hesitation at all must respond emphatically, YES, LORD, YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU! Don’t be embarrassed to confess how much you love Him. It is natural that when we love someone, we tell him or her how much we love them. Expressing one’s love openly and demonstratively is necessary and important. Expressing freely our feelings of love for another is a fulfilling experience that cannot compare with anything else. We need not only tell Christ "I love You," but we must show Him how much we love Him. What unites us with our Creator and with one another is love. The Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Agape!

The world that Amighty God created was created with the specific intent of being a place of love. Love is the creative power of God. All that He Created, He created out of love. "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10). Also, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. WE LOVE HIM BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US" (1 John 4:18-19). Furthermore, "If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God, whom he has not seen? This commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God MUST love his brother also" (1 John 4:20-21).

Abhor hatred, for hatred has as its origin in evil. The source of hatred is the evil one who pursues us and desires our destruction and of everything which is good. Hate is like a dark cloud that obstructs the light, but cannot defeat it. Hate can never overcome love, for love is of God. We as the children of God must decide if we want to be instruments of love or instruments of hate. We are witnessing the battle between hatred and love at this very moment in time in our coutnry. There are those who seek reconciliation and unity, while others who seek to divide the nation and fill it with anger and hatred. This spiritual warfare has been going on for a very long time and the result is a world fighting to survive. Historically, the war between one another begins with the two brothers, Cain and Abel; and sadly has not ceased. Our human history is filled wih regional wars, civil wars, and world wars. Millions upon millions of people have been killed over centuries, and yet, we repeat them again and again without any solution or success. Are not wars evil and do not wars breed hatred among the people of the earth? These actions are totally irrational and sheer insanity.

Quo Vadis? Where are you going my child? No matter the journey, you must have a destination in mind. Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? What does your heart tell you? Don’t be afraid to travel anywhere in the world, for life is an adventure filled with all kinds of experiences. Travelling, as you should know, can be thriling, interesting, educational, surprising, disappointing, rewarding, and at times even dangerous. Life is that way! What ever you face in life, as long as you face it with faith and courage, you will win. Our Lord Jesus Christ, our Loving God and Savior, is always there to support you, to protect you, to encourage you, to guide you, to heal you when you are injured, and to bring you to your destination safely. Jesus says to us, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION, but BE OF GOOD CHEER, I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD" (St. John16:33). Despite persecution and suffering, be at peace with Me, trust in Me, remain steadfast in your love for Me, remain unshaken and untroubled. "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (St. Matthew 28:20).

Rejoice!

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

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

THE CROSS IS A SYMBOL OF TRIUMPH
FOR ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY

WE VENERATE YOUR CROSS, O Christ, and Your Holy
Resurrection we praise and glorify.

SAVE, O Lord Your people, and bless Your
inheritance, GRANTING VICTORY to the faithful over
the enemy, and by Your Cross protecting Your
commonwealth.

TODAY has salvation come to pass in the world.
Let us sing to Him Who Resurrected from the tomb
and is the Author of our life. For, DESTROYING DEATH
BY DEATH, He GAVE US VICTORY AND THE GREAT
MERCY.

Elder Ephraim, "Counsels from the Holy Mountain" writes,

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man
be lifted up" (St. John 3:14). And just exactly as all who were bitten by the
serpents looked upon the bronze serpent which was suspended and were
healed, thus also every Christian who believes in our Christ and has recourse
to His Life-Bearing wounds…IS CURED OF THE BITES OF THE SPIRITUAL
SERPENT OF SIN and, by this Most Holy Nourishment, is made to live unto
the renewal of a new creation, that is, new life in harmony with the Life-Giving
Commandments."

Saint John Chrysostom states: "The Cross, is Wood which lifts up and makes us great –
the Cross uprooted us from the depths of evil and elevated us to the summit of virtue."

"Great honor is due the Holy Cross, for upon it, as if upon an altar,
in His love for man Christ has burned up our sins. The cross has
expressed our shame and disgrace, not the Lord’s. In truth, the
Holy Cross proclaims Christ’s unfathomable love for manind. Hence,
our thoughts about the Cross should, in part, cause us to be ashamed
and ought to inspire in us REPENTANCE FOR OUR SINS." (Saint Cleopa of
Romania)

Throughout the centuries, the Holy Orthodox Church and the Holy Fathers have taught that the Cross of Jesus Christ is an emblem of triumph. We chant "We venerate the Cross of Christ, for through it the power of the demons and the deceit of the devil were destroyed." Saint Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians 1:18 writes: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but TO US WHO ARE BEING SAVED IT IS THE POWER OF GOD." "Being saved" (v.18) refers to the process by which the Cross transforms us with the "power of God." The Cross is to be adored, for wherever the Sign may be, there Jesus Christ will be. His Cross restorers man to immortality and stirs up the desire for the things of heaven. All Orthodox Christians believing in the power of the Cross make the sign of the Cross continually as a prayer of supplication, as protection from evil, as a weapon against demonic powers, as a blessing, as a way of revealing to the world their true identity as Christians, and as a way of inviting the Divine grace of the Cross of Christ to come upon them.

The holy Apostle Paul presents our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the Cross as the victor, powerful over our enemies. Saint Justin the Martyr declares, "The concealed power of God was in Christ the crucified." The Apostolic Father Papias stated: "He defeated sin and condemned Satan, and through His death, He spread His righteousness over all." Another great Father of the Church, Saint Ignatius confesses, "Jesus Christ…died for us, in order that by believing in His death you will escape death." Metropolitan Kallistos Ware wrote: "What has been fulfilled? We reply The work of suffering love, the victory of love over hatred, Christ our God has loved His own to the uttermost." The Lenten Triodion mentions, "the Lord’s Crucifixion and His Resurrection…together form a single, indivisible action." In Orthodox Christianity, "Calvary is seen in the light of the Empty Tomb"–and that Light bathes the Cross in brilliant splendor.

We, as Orthodox Christians, have a Holy Tradition with a vast spiritual treasure that none of the heterodox can ever conceive. There are some of our people as well who have no idea of how profound our Faith is. We in Orthodoxy possess the FULLNESS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. It is time finally to strive to increase the knowledge of our Christian Tradition and to convey it to the world. The Holy Mission of the Holy Disciples, according to our Lord, is to "… Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS THAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU; AND LO I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE" (St. Matthew 28:19-20).

As all of you know that on the Third Sunday of Holy and Great Lent, the Sunday of the Elevation or Adoration of the Cross, we all chant: "This is the day of the VENERATION of the Precious Cross. Now it is placed before us and shines with the brightness of Christ’s Resurrection." We also chant, "Your Cross, O Lord All-Merciful, is honored by the whole world, for You have made the instrument of death into a source of life."

"We must also go on to partaking of the mystery of the Cross through the Mysteries or Sacramental and ascetic life. Through Baptism, as the Apostle Paul says, we are baptised into Christ’s DEATH and RESURRECTION of Christ. Saint Paul writes, "that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). The REBIRTH IS ESSENTIAL, because otherwise man will die spiritually. According to the words of Saint Paul: "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live" (Romans 8:13). The significance of the Sacrifice on Cross by Christ God and that of our salvation, is shown by the fact that the early Christian Baptismal Fonts were constructed IN THE SHAPE OF A Cross. In all the Mysteria (Sacraments), grace is given by blessing IN THE FORM OF A Cross. But the sacraments presuppose and take place in the atmosphere of the ASCETIC LIFE." (The Feasts of the Lord)

There is so much of our Faith that is revealed during the holy season of Lent and especially during Holy and Great Week. Much of our Orthodox theology is taught through the sacred hymnology of our Church. The hymns of our Church were written with the specific purpose of not only inspiring the faithful, but also teaching them our Holy Orthodox Christian faith. For example, on Holy and Great Friday, the Orthodox people chant the following hymn: "Your Cross, O Lord, is Life and resurrection to Your people… We sing to You, our crucified God." On Great Saturday at Orthros, we reverently chant, "You Who are the Life were laid in a tomb, O Christ… We honor Your burial and Your sufferings, through which You have saved us from corruption."

Orthodox iconography does not belabor or emphasize the agony and the suffering of our Savior on the Cross, but rather as the Victor over death and not a victim. The icon of the crucifixion shows the expression of the centurions who, "Were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying "Truly this was the Son of God!" (St. Matthew 27:54). Orthodox Tradition identifies the believing centurion as Saint Longinos.

There are differences how the crucifixion of Christ is portrayed between Western Christianity (Protestantism and Roman Catholicism) and the Orthodox view on the Cross. "Western Christianity tends to see it as judgment for our sake, Orthodoxy emphasizes that it is His Victory for our sake." In Western Christianity, the crucifixion includes the sign of accusation affixed on the Cross. It appears as I.N.R.I. (Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews). Our Orthodox Tradition does not include that mockery meant to humiliate and shame Christ, even as He was dying on the Cross, but rather reveals His Divine Magesty and therefore the sign proclaims, "the King of Glory," The King of Kings!

"The Royal Ministry of the Lord before His Resurrection was expressed, (a) in His miracles, in His Authority over nature; (b) in His Authority over the powers of hell, concerning which there is the testimony of His numerous exorcisms of demons of the word of the Lord: "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven" (St. Luke 10:18); and (c) in His Authority over death, manifested in the resurrection of the son of the widow of Nain, the daughter of Jairus, and Lazarus of the four days.

The Lord Jesus Christ speaks of Himself as a King before His Resurrection when He was being judged by Pilate: "My Kingdom is NOT of this world" (St. John 18:36-37).

When the Lord appeared in His glory to His Disciples after the Resurrection, He said to them, "All power is given unto Me in heaven an in earth" (St. Matthew 28:18).

After His Ascension, the God-Man Christ is Head of heaven, earth, and the underworld.

IN all the power, the Royal Might of the Lord Jesus Christ was revealed in His descent into hell and His victory over hell, His destruction of its bonds; further, in His Resurrection and victory over death, and finally, in the Ascension of Jesus Christ and the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven FOR ALL WHO BELIEVE IN Him." (Orthodox Dogmatic Theology)

"I am the one," says the Christ,
"I am the one that destroyed death
and triumphed over the enemy
and trod down Hades
and bound the strong one
and carried off man to the heights of heaven;
"I am the one," says the Christ."
(Meliton of Sardis)

___________________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

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

THE FRUIT OF THE LIFE-GIVING TREE, THE CROSS,
IS THE SALVATION FOR ALL OF MANKIND

{ON THE SUNDAY OF THE VENERATION OF THE HOLY CROSS]

Resurrectional Stichera. Mode 2.

Every breath and all creation glorifies You,
O, Lord. For by means of the Cross You rendered
death powerless, so that You might show the
people Your Resurrection from the dead, as the
only One Who loves humanity.

Let us joyfully cry aloud, and in odes let us
magnify the All-Precious Cross and salute it
with a kiss. And let us cry out to it and say, O
Cross Ever-Venerable, by the power you possess,
sanctify us in every way, soul and body too.
From all manner of injury arising from our
enemies preserve us who VENERATE IN PIETY.

The support of the Church are you, and the
strength of the emperors, boast of the monastics
and their deliverance are you, All-Venerable Cross
of Christ. And now as we venerate you today,
our hearts and souls are illuminated ineffably by
the grace divine of the Lord Who was nailed to
you and brought down the dominion of the sly
one, and Who abolished the ancient curse.

Glory. From the Triodion.
Mode pl.4.

To flee in the high-minded opinion of the
Pharisees most wicked, the Lord of all things
taught us by way of Parable, and instructed us
all not to think of ourselves more highly than
we ought. He Himself became our Model and
Example, having EMPTIED Himself even unto the
Cross and death. IN thanksgiving, then, with the
Publican let us say, "YOU ENDURED THE PASSION
FOR US AND YET REMAINED DISPASSIONATE GOD,
FROM OUR SINFUL passions free us, and grant
salvation to our souls.

On the Third Sunday of Holy and Great Lent, we celebrate the Veneration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. This solemn celebration of the veneration of the Cross on the Third Sunday in Lent prepares the faithful for the commemoration of the Crucifixion which is soon to follow in Holy and Great Week. The spiritual lesson taught to us on this sacred day is that the entire Lent is a period when we are crucified with Christ. As the Synaxaristes reads, "Through the forty-day Fast, we too are in a way crucified, dying to the passions." The Cross of Christ is understood as a symbol of triumph and glory.

We, Orthodox Christians, see in the Cross of Christ God’s revelation of His unconditional love to save the human race. Do we need any further proof of His agape for us? It is His Cross that saves us and not ours. From the height of the His Cross, He asks His Father, "Father, forgive them, for they DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DO" (St. Luke 23:34). We see the Son of God offering the magnificent prayer, showing once again the boundless mercy of the crucified Christ. Both the Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees and pagan Romans, have no conception that they are crucifying the Lord of glory. Saint Paul says, "…which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE CRUCIFIED THE LORD OF GLORY" (1 Corinthians 2:8). The Incarnate Son of God; who clothes Himself "with light as with a garment" (Psalm 104:2), stood naked before human judges receiving blows from hands which He had fashioned. The Lord of Glory, the Son of the Father, was crucified in His humanity (Acts 2:36).

Every authentic Christian identifies himself with the Cross. There is nothing more powerful, more glorious, more noble, and more sacred than the Cross of Christ. While hanging on the Cross, our Lord brought salvation to the repentant thief (23:43). "Jesus said to him, ‘Assurdly, I say to you, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH Me in Paradise" (St. Luke 23:43). This miracle is as great as any He performed and shows that He indeed is the True Judge and is above any human law. On one side we witness the magninamous mercy of God, and on the other side, the unquenchable hatred and evilness of man toward God Himself.

The question is, why did Christ have to suffer and why did He desire the Passion and the Cross?

"First, Christ became incarnate in order to correct Adam’s error. Where the Old Testament Adam failed to attain theosis (deification), the New Adam, Christ, succeeded. Additionally, Christ conquered death in His flesh, so that MORTAL MAN may receive immortality and be cured. The discovery of a medicine for some bodily illness gives hope to every man who suffers from that particular illness, that he too may be cured. The punishment in the Old Testament, the law, the Prophets, the signs and the changes in the earth, the sky, etc. could not cure man of the various illnesses and idolatry, because "a stronger medicine was needed." This stronger medicine is the Logos/Word of God, Who became Incarnate (takes flesh) and died for man (Saint Gregory Palamas). Thus, IT IS ONLY THROUGH CRHRIST THAT ONE CAN CONQUER DEATH."

Now you all see and understand that when our Holy Orthodox Church treats certain holy days with such reverence and solemnity, it is not to blindly offer you another so-called "ritual," but so that you, the disciples of Christ, may personally experience a specific event and reality in the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The purpose of the commemorations and celebrations conducted in the divine services of our Church is to strengthen your faith and relationship with our Savior. Through these services, as Orthodox Christians, we are transported through time to the exact place in order to experience, as much as possible, what our Lord Himself experienced to save us. We are there to actually feel what He felt when He was spat upon, to feel the blows at His head when slaped, to feel the weight of the Cross as He was carrying it, to feel the agony and pain as they pierced His hands with the nails, to taste the gall and the vinegar on the sponge as it touched His Divine lips, etc. Some of our faithful, unfortunately, have missed the point. They see it as a theatrical peformance or as entertainment for their amusement. Somehow, the original purpose has been lost and this is why hardly anyone is spirituallly impacted or inspired. Some say, ‘it is just an old Greek custom,’ while they look at the time on their watch to convey that the service is very long.

For over a year now we have faced the issues of the pandemic and how Orthodox Christians can continue to commemorate these holy days, but WITHOUT THE VENERATION OF EITHER holy icons or the Cross. That is, as some are telling us today, because these same sacred symbols and blessed objects that have been venerated over the centuries under various and other epidemics and pandemics without any fear or concern, will now somehow transmit the virus from person to person? Without faith and belief in our sacred objects, why hold the commemorations or the feasts at all? What is the purpose? What is the benefit derived from it? Is this the "new normal" of conducting services, sacraments, and worship within the Orthodox Church ? Each Christian must answer this question on his own.

(To be continued)

__________________

"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

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

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

JESUS SAID: "No servant can serve two masters; for either he
will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to
the one and despise the other. YOU CANNOT SERVE GOD
AND MAMMON." (St. Luke 16:13).

Where does our loyalty lie? Christ our God and Savior says to us that we cannot have divided loyalty. "You cannot serve two Masters," He said. We have to chose to be loyal either to one or the other.

He, of course, is addressing the corrupt Jewish hierarchy, the Pharisees who were hypocrites. Jesus points out very clearly that no one can pretend to be loyal to God and Mammon because "God knows your hearts" (v.15). We cannot hide anything from our Creator. He knows what we think and what we feel, and He sees vividly our actions.

Out of love for us, God has given us free will so as to make our own choices without any fear and/or coercion. He wants us to make independent dicisions and not to do anything by force. If we were to make a decision under duress or threat of retribution, it would have no value at all. We would simply act as puppets or marionettes, and not as free beings. Under those conditions, we could not be held responsible for actions on any matter, if they were wrong or offensive. The Lord created Adam and Eve to be free and to assume responsibility for all their decisions and actions. God never intended to create man to simply enslave him and control him and his actions. Simply put, we are NOT God’s slaves, but His children, whom He loves and has set free to exercise their own will.

Mankind, as we can see throughout human history, loses its way and many times becomes confused about what it wants. At times, man feels that he can "serve two masters" and becomes misguided as he believes that he can please and be loyal to both. With this attitude, he reveals his immaturity and lack of wisdom and knowledge.
B
We all know for certain that in the 21st-century humanity has been conquered and enslaved by materialism and consumerism. We have reverted back to idolatry. Our new idols are wealth (mammon) and pleasure (hedonism). Almost everything is centered around these two things, wealth and pleasure. The human being today has become a glutton and it seems at times that he cannot get enough of either one. It has reached the point of obsession or addiction. It is obvious to all, just by paying attention to the commercials on the radio, television, or the internet, that all of these marketers are targetting those of us using them. They convince us of how important it is that we purchase their product. The result is that people end up buying blindly things that they truly don’t need or will ever use. We in America are known as the greatest consumers in the world.

It is said that things will bring us happiness and a sense of satisfaction. We know, of course, that this premise is wrong. True happiness does not come from possessing things. These materials are inanimate objects that cannot offer us anything of value. They do not give us happiness, they do not give us love, they do not give us fulfillment, they do not give us reasons for living, they do not give us the warmth of friendship, they do not inspire us, they do not answer to the meaning of life, they do not satisfy our philosophical questions, they do not strengthen our faith in God, they do not build friendships, they do not give us answers to the immortality of our souls and eternal life, they do not offer forgiveness of sins or of our many errors, they do not offer us guidance, and they do not improve us intellectually or spiritually. They are just things! Things that can be stolen, rust, or destroyed by a storm, fire, earthquake, or tornado in an instant.

How often have I witnessed parishioners of mine caught up in increasing their earthly possessions and, at the end, soon after they die, their things accumulated over a lifetime are disgarded, auctioned off by their relatives or even given away to some charity. In one specific case that I recall, their possessions were out on the curb with a sign to passerby’s, ‘take whatever you want.’ Isn’t it foolish that we have spent time and funds on things that really don’t have any value instead of spending time helping others that have nothing? It is more important that we spend time showing kindness and compassion to our fellow man than wasting time accumulating things that give us nothing in return. Wasting funds that can bring so much comfort and help to those who are homeless, to the many orphans, to the many widows and widowers who have no one to care for them, to those who have been displaced by war, poverty, cruelty, or a storm, to those women and children that are running away from an abusive situation, to those who are enslaved by human traffickers, and to those who are mentally ill and need medical assistance. This is what should be our priority, this is what would please God, this is of great humanitarian value and significance, this is what can make a real difference in the lives of others…and in our own lives.

Through kindness and genuine love, we show that our choice is to "serve God." Christians who know and understand the Gospel know that our loyalty is to God alone. We, as Christians, are to serve Him, and serving Him means that we must serve our fellow man. Jesus says it plainly for everyone to understand. He says, "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you BLESSED of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, INASMUCH AS YOU DID IT TO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE MY BRETHREN, YOU DID IT TO ME.’" (St. Matthew 25:31-40).

The above biblical account is an account of God’s Universal Judgment at His Second Coming when He will come in His Glory. The STANDARD OF HIS JUDGMENT OF MANKIND WILL BE BASED ON THE MERCY OF THE NEEDY AND ALL THOSE WHO SUFFER. The needy are the intimate "brethren" of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Christ identifies Himself with the poor, the outcasts, those who suffer, those who have no one to love and care for them. Those of us who are compassionate, carrying, loving, merciful, to our fellow man are the "righteous" of God and He will reward the righteous with the crown of glory or Light (‘photostefanos’).

It is a very powerful message to today’s generation who feel that everything is about ME. As you can see from our Lord that it is NOT about the individual, but about our fellow man. The universe does not revolve around me! The so call ‘me’ generation’s attitude is a very selfish and a hollow one and lacks compassion and love. Also, it is very important to understand that when we speak of ‘charity,’ it does not always involve money. The word ‘charity,’ as far as I am concerned, should be replaced with the Greek word, ‘Philanthropy,’ which literally means ‘loving your fellow human’ or ‘fellow man’. God created man out of love and for the man to love and be loved.

"WATCH, THEREFORE, FOR YOU KNOW NEITHER
THE DAY NOR THE HOUR IN WHICH THE SON OF
MAN IS COMING" (St. Matthew 25:13).

___________________

"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.

WHO AM I IF NOT A CHILD OF GOD?

The answer to this question comes from the Gospel of Saint John 1:12, who writes, "But as many as received Him, in them He gave THE RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD, to those who BELIEVE IN His Name." As we can see, this IS A GIFT. Those of us who receive Jesus Christ are given His power, His grace to "become children of God. Divine sonship is a gift of grace THROUGH FAITH in Jesus Christ. In other words, by our own faith in Christ God. To "believe" means to trust oneself totally to our Savior: Who He is, what He does, and what He teaches.

"Whether slaves or free, children or elders, barbarians or Greeks, as many as received Him, TO THEM GAVE His power to become sons of God." Who were they who received Him? Those who believed in His name. Therefore, those who received the Logos/Word and the True Light are they who received and accepted Him through faith. Saint Theophylact writes, "Why did the Evangelist John not say that He made them sons of God, but only that He gave them the power to become sons of God?" Listen, and I will tell you. To guard the purity of the soul and body, it is not enough to be baptized. We must ALSO ZEALOUSLY EXERT OURSELVES TO PRESERVE UNSPOTTED THE IMAGE OF ADOPTION IMPRINTED ON US IN THE BAPTISMAL FONT. Many who received THE GRACE OF ADOPTION through Baptism HAVE PROVEN LAZY AND IN THE END, DID NOT BECOME SONS OF GOD…Furthermore, even if we receive the grace of adoption through Baptism, we will receive THE COMPLETION AND PERFECTION OF THIS GRACE IN THE RESURRECTION, WHEN WE HOPE TO ACQUIRE THE FULLNESS OF ADOPTION. As Saint Paul says, "Even we are waiting for the adoption" (Romans 8:23).

Our ancient Hellenic (Greek) ancestors had a phrase γνώθι σεαυτόν’ ("know thyself"). This phrase has a high value and a profound religious value and is of immense significance to us. It makes us face the fact that WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND TO ACCEPT WHO WE TRULY ARE. We cannot truly pretend for the rest of our lives to be something we are not. We must be true to ourselves and face honestly the outcome and reality. Saint Augustine directed the judgment in the Christian sense when he says, "… fall within yourself because inside of man lies the truth."

In any case, "knowing oneself" is a difficult task, the most difficult as Thales of Miletus said. It is, therefore, necessary that we seek through prayer the help from our Lord in order to accomplish this most difficult task. We need first to strip away all pride or ego, which is one great obstacles to overcome. Pride stands in the way of discovering who we are, and if we are to be successful in our effort to find the answer, we must not allow it to interfere with this examination of ourselves. We, of course, understand that our God and Creator knows who we are and is willing to reveal to us the truth, but we need to ask Him.

The Creator made us unique. We were created by Him with certain gifts and spiritual potential to become like Him. Our ultimate goal as His children is that through God’s energies we achieve union with Him. We become united with Him by grace in the Person of our Jesus Christ, Who is God in the flesh. However, the means of becoming "like God" is through perfection in holiness, the continuous process of acquiring the Holy Spirit by grace through ascetic devotion (Theosis).

According to our Church, all people are born flawed because their nature was befouled by the Fall of Adam and Eve, our ancestors. This is why as children, although innocent, we carry this ancestral sin and we need to be baptized and to be born again. We must be made pure and holy by God’s grace and become God’s children. "Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, UNLESS ONE IS BORN AGAIN, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD" (St. John 3:3). Being "born again" is but the beginning of spiritual life in Christ.

When we pray to God, we pray believing that we are His children, and this why we refer to Him as "Our Father…" for He truly is our Father Who is in heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is our real home and we were created by God to live eternally in His glory and to worship and glorify Him as the Holy Angels do.

With God’s help, we will be able to come to know who we truly are. We are not as complicated as some of us believe that we are. By the grace of God, we will dissolve the fog, our pretentiousness, our fakeness, our falseness, our imagining, which hinders the process of discovery. Once everything is clear we will see our genuine self and hopefully we will be pleased with what we see. No one is perfect. If we see imperfections in our character or person, we need not fear. Through God’s grace and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are able to correct our imperfections and attain perfection in the Person of Christ.

Knowing who we are will bring us inner peace and contentment. It will give us the confidence to continue our struggle to theosis. We will find our place in God’s realm and rejoice in His Divine Presence. It will strengthen our relationship with Him and with one another. We will no longer be imposters but children of God. We will discover our spiritual potential and our God-given gifts and be able to invest them in the spiritual bank as the Lord commands that we do. It is only by knowing our imperfections that can we attempt to make the necessary changes and corrections. It is only when we discover our many self-inflicted spiritual injuries that we will seek the necessary healing from our Divine Physician and Savior.

When we are ill, it is wrong to ignore our sickness and to refuse to see a physician. However, as the symptoms progress, there may be no hope of recovery. Likewise, we cannot ignore the spiritual illness of our immortal souls. We need to find out as soon as possible how serious our spiritual illness is and how to prevent the death of our souls. The Mysteria (Sacraments) of our Holy Church was instituted by our Savior Jesus Christ to bestow forgiveness of sins, healing, and reconciliation with God. This CANNOT and SHOULD NOT BE POSTPONED. It is about life and death and not something to be dismissed as fanaticism or exaggerations. Instead, turn to our Loving God and seek His grace, forgiveness, and great mercy.

By the grace and mercy and philanthropy of Thine Only-Begotten Son,
with Whom Thou are blessed together with Thine All-Holy, Good and Life-
Giving Spirit, now and forever, and from all Ages to all Ages. Amen.