ORTHODOXIA AND ORTHOPRAXIA ARE ONE AND INSEPARABLE

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

Christ is in our midst! He was, is, and ever shall be.

ORTHODOXIA AND ORTHOPRAXIA ARE ONE
AND INSEPARABLE

What do we mean when we say Orthodoxia and Orthopraxia?

Today more than ever before we must be careful, precise, genuine, and authentic in the words we use and what they truly mean. Words have an enormous effect and impact on what we are attempting to convey to others. I don’t believe we want our words not to have any substance or significance when we are conversing with others or to raise doubt or questions of what we are trying to say.

Let us look at the word ORTHODOXIA. The word Orthodoxia (Orthodoxy) comes from the joining of two Greek words: ORTHE, meaning right or correct, and DOXA, meaning opinion or glory. Ancient Greek philosophers like Plato used these two words side by side or employed the verb ORTHODOXEO–to have a correct opinion. Therefore ORTHODOXY means CORRECT OR SOUND DOCTRINE.

In the post-biblical periods, one finds reference to HETERODOX teachers and doctrines as early as Saint Ignatios of Antioch. The word orthodoxy finally was used in the writings of Eusebius of Caesarea in 339 A.D. Julias Ist in 359; Athanasios in 373 A.D; and Basil in 379 A.D. and was also used by the Synod of Ephesus 431 A.D. as well as the Synod in Chalcedon in the year 451 A.D. It is extremely important to understand that gradually ORTHODOXY came to mean not simply RIGHT DOCTRINE but the traditional and universal doctrine of the Holy Church of Christ as defined IN OPPOSITION TO HETERODOX OR HERESY. In this context, it was seen AS THE PURE CHRISTIAN TRADITION, handed down through an UNBROKEN LINE from the AUTHENTIC Gospel of Jesus Christ and His holy Disciples. After the defeat of iconoclasm in the ninth century, a liturgical feast day of ORTHODOXY, THE SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY, was introduced in the Eastern Church to be celebrated each year on the First Sunday of Holy and Great Lent. From the fourth to the tenth centuries, Greek authors applied the adjective "ORTHODOX," to interpretations of Scripture, the faith of the Church, the Church’s liturgical worship, various decrees and opinions, writings, Churches, and individuals.

ORTHOPRAXIA (ORTHOPRAXIS)

Orthopraxis (ortho: straight, right, correct; praxis: human action, conduct). It was and continues to be an attempt to reintegrate faith and action. To take seriously the New Testament AFFIRMATION THAT "NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS TO ME, ‘LORD, LORD,’ SHALL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, BUT HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN" (Saint Matthew 7:21). Orthodoxy and Orthopraxis represent distinct and yet complementary concerns, BOTH OF THEM INTEGRAL TO CHRISTIAN LIVING.

We, Orthodox Christians, must take good care that what we profess and what we practice is real and true. Nothing about our faith must become superficial, empty, and reduced to simply KENODOXIA or TYPOLATREIA so as some to question its authenticity or validity. No one should be able to accuse the Church of being ‘dead orthodoxy,’ nor a ‘superstitious religious relic.’ There are those in Greece today that refer to the Faith as a ‘myth.’

On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the First Sunday of Holy and Great Lent we, the Orthodox Christians, throughout the world celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxia over heresy. If Orthodoxy triumphed in the era of the vicious and horrific iconoclast controversy, this was because so many of the true Christians were prepared to undergo exile, torture, and even death for the sake of the Truth (Ortho). The holy Feast of Orthodoxy is above all a celebration in honor of the holy Martyrs and Confessors who suffered for the faith.

It seems to me that it is no longer enough to just profess that one is an Orthodox Christian. All Orthodox faithful are to live and confess their faith, not in words alone, but by living the faith, Orthopraxia (correct living). Living the faith rightly according to the Divine Teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a life guided by God the Holy Spirit. We cannot live the True and Authentic Christian life without His inspiration and grace. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. Our Lord Jesus Christ promised His disciples to send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, Who would remain with them FOREVER, the Spirit of Truth Who would instruct them in everything and remind them of the future. After the Resurrection appeared to His disciples and He granted them the Grace-given power of the Holy Spirit with the divine words, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit: Whosesoever sin ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained" (Saint John 20:22-23). Ten days after His Ascension, the Lord, in accordance with His promise, sent down the Holy Spirit upon His disciples on the day of Pentecost in the form of fiery tongues.

In the Holy Spirit, God’s Divine power, is given us "all things that pertain unto life and godliness" ( 2 Peter 1:3). "These Grace-given gifts are in His Holy Church, which the Lord founded on earth." They comprise THE MEANS OF OUR SANCTIFICATION AND SALVATION. As Orthodox Christians, we confess openly and vigorously that we believe in the "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church;" the ONLY Authentic Church of Christ.

Orthodox Christians of this century and era must be willing to die defending Our Holy Orthodox Christian Faith. There can be no compromise nor defection nor betrayal of the Church that God entrusted to us. His divine Bride, whom He loves and sacrificed His life on the Cross, "That He might present her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that SHE SHOULD BE HOLY AND WITHOUT BLEMISH" (Ephesians 527). We have witnessed over the years, especially the 20th and 21st century, the implosion within the heterodox community and its demise. There is such an unpresedented number of heresies that they cannot be identified any longer as being a Christian body of any kind. They have done more damage to the Christian Gospel than those who openly persecute the Church. What they promote and preach is heresy and distortion.

The Church IS CHRIST! It is not some artificial and symbolic ‘institution.’ An attack on the Church is an attack on our Lord Jesus Christ. A heresy against the Church is a heresy against God the Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of Truth. To advocate that the heretical groups, the enemies of Christianity, have the truth is loudicrous and wrong. No Orthodox Christian leader should treat them with respect nor as equals. To do so is to betray Christ Himself.

We need to look around us and see the reality of what is taking place both within and without the Orthodox Church. There are definite signs that a silent war has been declared against Christianity. Christian leaders are giving in to the demands of the wicked and dark powers of the world to compromise severely the Faith. One way is to keep quiet on social issues that are condoned and promoted by secular and world governments, i.e. euthanasia, breakdown of the family, divorce, various and new sexual lifestyles, abortion and infantaside, injustices, poverty, loss of morals, indoctrination of the school age children from kindergarden to College age men and women, oposition to religion, especially Christianity, the lack of freedom of thought and speech, the absence of human rights and civil rights, restriction of freedom of religion, the lack of privacy, governmental corruption, the cancel culture, intrusion upon our lives, businesses, and home, identity crises, and the deliberate creation of confusion between the biological sexes, etc. Very few, if any Christian leades, voice any oposition. Because of this, the Christian faithful are lead to their slaughter. Allow me to bring to your attention what a good Shepherd does to protect his sheep. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ explains in John 10:10-15, "The thief does not come except to steal and to kill, and to destroy. I have that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. "I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD. THE GOOD SHEPHERD GIVES HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP. But a hireling, he who IS NOT THE SHEPHERD, one who does not own the sheep, SEES THE WOLF COMING AND LEAVES THE SHEEP AND FLEES, AND THE WOLF CATCHES THE SHEEP AND SCATTERS THEM. The HIRELING flees BECAUSE HE IS A HIRELING AND DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE SHEEP. I am the Good Shepherd and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. AS the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father, and I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR THE SHEEP. " Do I need to say anything more? No one in the Church can hide behind the so-called ‘tolerance." Tolerance is another way of saying "CONDONING." An example of tolerance is the crime of abortion which is not only tolerated, but legal in many places, even in so called ‘Christian’ countries, i.e., Western Europe, Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, Canada, North and South America, etc. because the majority of their citizens at one time were of the Chistian faith. In the Orthodox Church we commemorate the 14,000 infants murdered by Herod. This horrific and barbaric crime of humanity, this mass infanticide, is universally seen as repulsive and inhuman. However, just in the United States of America, with the approval of the Supreme Court, over 65 million children have been murdered thus far and there is hardly any outcry or protest by anyone, including the Christian Community. This is what tolerance does! We must, as all of the disciples of Christ, confront the "wolves" of today’s world together as the Church of Jesus Christ and by the grace of God protect His "sheep" from the butchers block. Otherwise, we believe and know too well, that one day soon we will all give an accounting of our actions or lack of, to the Good Shepherd, to the Supreme Judge in Heaven Who sees all and knows all. Genuine and authentic Christians throughout the centuries have always shown extraordinary courage and loyalty to the Lord Christ and went willingly to the arena to be tortured, eaten alive by wild beasts, sawn in two by the sword, torn asunder, burned alive, dismambered, beheaded, etc. for the glory of God. Our Orthodox Church History, our Synaxaristes, reveal the countless men, women and children who gave their lives for the sake of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our God.

_____________________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

“THERE IS STRUGGLING AND TOIL AT FIRST.”

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

Christ is in our midst! He was, is, and ever shall be.

‘THERE IS STRUGGLING AND TOIL AT FIRST."

"There is struggling and toil at first," teaches Mother Syncletike. Furthermore, Mother Syncletike says, "for all those advancing toward God, but afterward, my children, inexpressible joy. Indeed, just as those seeking to light a fire at first are engulfed in smoke and teary-eyed, thus they obtain what they seek. As I said, "Our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29). So we ought to kindle the Divine Fire in our hearts with tears and toil."

Saint Syncletike taught all her spiritual children to "constantly clean out the soul. Smoke out the poison and vermin of sinful thoughts with the divine incense of prayer." Even when a disciple came to the Mother very upset, asking: "What if you realize you yourself have done evil? Saint Syncletiki would say, "Remember, if any time you fall into sin, you say with humility, please forgive me, it will be forgiven you."

Amma (Mother) Theodora, another Desert Mother of our Church, offered a simple story:

Once there was a true seeker of God who came to Amma frustrated with daily temptation in life. Mother Theodora advised them to do the following, "Try this," she said, "Turn and face your temptations–just talk to them just as if they were demons." "Yes," the woman cried out, and she turned and said, "I can’t fast enough to get rid of you." And they answered her: "We do not eat or drink." And she said: "What if I stay up all night and pray the Vigil?" And they answered her: "We do not sleep." And she cried out: "What power than sends you away?" And her demons answered: "Nothing can overcome us, but only humility."

"God, beholding our toils, despite an often unwilling heart, bestows upon His struggler true prayer of the Spirit, true charity, meekness, kindness, and in short, the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The athlete of virtue must continually expect God’s mercy without any doubtful faith."

The spiritual warfare before the Lord Christ is twofold: inward and outward. The inward struggle takes place on the field of the heart, against the whispering and suggestions of the evil spirits. Saint Paul makes this abundantly clear when he says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).

Speaking on love, Saint Synclitike said: "My children, all of us know how to be saved, however, due to our negligence we lose our salvation. First, we must preserve what was revealed by the grace of God. Thou shall love the Lord thy God with All thy soul, and thy neighbor as thyself" (Saint Luke 10:27). These two commandments are the summit of the law and upon them rests all the fullness of grace. These words are few but great and beneficial to the soul which hangs on these two commandments. According to the testimony of Saint Paul, "the end of the commandment is love" (1 Timothy 1:5). Whatever useful words have been spoken, according to the grace of the Holy Spirit they commence with love and they conclude with love. Whereupon, salvation is this two-fold love. I must, however, add what each of us should know. We must always desire to possess love which is the greatest virtue of all."

On poverty and riches, Saint Synclitike states: "One of the nuns asked the righteous woman if poverty was the perfect good. She answered, "There are many things that are good for the strong and the brave. Those that endure poverty shall undergo bodily suffering, yet the soul is at leisure. Similarly, when beautiful and new dresses are trodden underfoot and rent, they may later be used to clean and brighten objects. In like manner, a stouthearted soul, when it is in straits and afflictions with voluntary poverty, will be rendered stronger and more steadfast.

On the other hand, for those that are weak-minded and easily disheartened, they only become more feeble and faltering. She who is discomfited by a slight privation will not bear the good that comes from penury (poverty). This may be compared to torn and old dresses which cannot withstand washing, for they will shred and perish. Now the end of the tattered garment and the durable garment is not the same, as the end is not the same for the vacillating soul and the faithful soul. The durable fabric may be used to clean and restore objects, but the tattered fabric will shred. Hence, poverty is a precious treasure for the courageous soul. Poverty may be used as a bit and bridle to curb one form of sinning. Those who wish to avoid sin must first exert themselves in fasting, in lying on the ground, and in other hardships of the body. After this, they can gain through practice, cast away their money, and come to regret this action. This is because riches are the components of a life of rest and ease. Thus, she who does not take the proper prerequisites will be like one who squanders her goods without careful deliberation, only to repent of her rashness.

Good, therefore, is poverty for them that labor in the life of austerity; they will easily take possession of these good things. These people cast off all that is superfluous and place their mind and all their hope solely on God, chanting the words of the Psalm, "The eyes of all look to Thee with hope, and Thou gavest them their food in due season" (Psalm 144:16).

When an Orthodox Christian, man or woman, is seeking guidance or inspiration you only have to turn to our Saints, to our Desert Dwellers, men and women, the righteous ones and holy ones of God. The best way to explain it is this way: imagine you inherited a chest but you have no idea what is in it. You are happy and even appreciative of inheriting this chest but you never open it to see what is in it for many years. It is simply put away in a closet or basement and almost forgotten. Until one day out of curiosity, you open it and what do you see but a great fortune. Fortune that you could have used for a better future. The Holy Tradition of our Church is our treasure chest and in it, there is everything that one needs to acquire grace and to inherit the Kingdom of God, in other words, salvation. The precious stones found inside this spiritual treasure chest are the virtuous works of the Holy Fathers, the Holy Mothers, their sacred works, their virtuous lives, and wisdom which are more valuable than rubies, diamonds, amethysts, gold, silver, etc. It is up to every Orthodox Christian individually to turn to our Holy Orthodox Tradition and take what he/she needs and use it and share it with others. However, we all have the serious responsibility of protecting this Sacred Treasure and not permitting anyone of stealing it, squandering it, or abusing it.

"A treasure is secure as long as it remains hidden. Yet, once it is discovered and laid open publicly, it is plundered. It is the same with virtue. It is secure as long as it is undisclosed but if rashly exposed, it often evaporates like smoke. As the wax melts before the fire, so PRAISE WEAKENS THE PITCH OF THE SOUL, WHEREAS, REPROACH, AND MALTREATMENT STRENGTHEN THE SOUL AND ENGENDER GREATER VIRTUE. Thus saith the Lord: "Rejoice and be glad when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My name’s sake" (St. Matthew 5:11-12).

Every human soul is priceless in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. Let us turn to our God and Savior Jesus Christ and listen to what He has to say about the human soul. "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (St. Matthew 16:25-26). Saint Theophylact interprets this verse in this way: "Let us suppose, He says, that you have gained the whole world: what profit is it if your body prospers while your soul suffers ill? That would be as if the lady of the house dressed in tattered rags, while her maidservants were gorgeously arrayed. For in the age to come a man can give nothing in exchange for his soul. Here one can give tears, sighs, and alms, but there, nothing. For it is a Judge Who takes no bribes that will receive us, and He judges each one according to his deeds. He is also awesome and dreadful and comes in His Glory with His Angels, not in lowly form."

It must be understood by all that our great Adversary the Devil pursues us to steal and possess our immortal soul. If he wins and takes our soul voluntarily or involuntarily, then we are spiritually doomed. The evil one is cunning and never tires and is never discouraged. If he cannot convince through trickery, then he will place all kinds of snares for us to be captured in, and if that fails he will use our own weaknesses and/or our passions to capture us. We must be constantly alert and vigilant and remain constant in our prayers. He has no power to force any one of us to do his bidding, however, he will use our pride, our weak faith, our greed, our passions, i.e., lust, avarice, vanity, greed, gluttony, envy, sloth, and anger. He is the arch-liar and arch-deceiver but when it comes to evil and cunning no human being is his match. We must protect our immortal soul with all our might for it is a matter of life and death, the death of our soul, and the loss of eternal salvation. The evil one reminds me of a mosquito. The mosquito, usually the female mosquito will bite and suck blood from its victim. It can and does transmits diseases like malaria and other illnesses. It is responsible for thousands upon thousands of human deaths every year throughout the world. This dangerous insect uses a cunning method to sting a person or animal. Its stinger contains a fluid that when it lands on its victim, first anesthetizes the area which it will penetrate, and then sucks the blood so that by the time the person or animal realizes what is happening it’s too late. The mosquito has what it wants and at the same time, it has infused its victim with the deadly virus. That is how the devil also works against us. Evil will use sin, (our own wicked passions) against us to gain access to our souls with the intent to infect with the deadly virus known as sin and corrupt them with evil. However, by the time we realize it’s all over and our souls have been compromised and destroyed. You must always know that. Whenever you feel tempted by evil or evil thoughts, you only need to make the sign of the Cross and say "get thee behind me Satan," and any evil spirits will retreat. There is great and divine power in the Sign of the Cross of Christ but it must be done with profound faith and conviction.

______________

"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

TRAVERSING THE SPIRITUAL DESERT IN THE WORLD AND ITS HAZARDS

My beloved brothers and sister in Christ God,

Christ is in our midst! He was, is, and ever shall be.

TRAVERSING THE SPIRITUAL DESERT IN THE WORLD AND
ITS HAZARDS

When we speak or mention a desert, all kinds of images appear in our minds. Some of them are quite frightening. We realize immediately the many dangers we would face in the desert such as immense heat, sandstorms, mirages, scorpions, snakes, contaminated water, lack of food, no shade from the sun, no place to rest and/or sleep, sunburn, eye irritation, and overall climatic stress. We definitely know that we have neither the knowledge nor the ability and the skills to survive the desert, and that is why we are terrified to even thinking of that possibility.

In our Orthodox Christian tradition and history we have devout men and women who are known as Desert Dwellers, ascetics who became known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers of our Church and who founded Monasticism in the desert i.e., Saint John the Forerunner and Baptist, Saint Anthony the Great, Saint Pahomius, Saint Mary of Egypt, Amma (Mother) Syncletike, Amma Sarah, etc.

Through their faith, prayers and tears were able to transform the desert to a spiritual oasis, a place of repentane, of ascesis, of cleansing, of communion with God, of Wonders (miracles) and healing, and finding the way to our Savior Jesus Christ, the Living Water. Through Orthodox Monasticism the Holy Church was infused with genuine spirituality at times of crisis, protected from heretics and heresies, corruption, interference from secular power, interference in theological matters, and lack of spirituality, prayer, modesty, fasting, confession, and repentance. Our Ascetics provided a spiritual transfusion to the Church and many times revived her to continue her Divine Mission according to her Head and Founder Jesus Christ. Milions of Christian believers have been saved from evil and death because of the spiritual nourishment, guidance and prayers of our Holy Fathers and Holy Fathers of the Desert.

While the majority of these early Christian Desert Dwellers were men praying in solitude to God in the rough desert caves and terrain, there were woman as well who withdrew into the desert, seeking to truly live the command of our Lord Christ. Both the male and female ascetics have left us a treasure of spiritual wisdom in their writings or apopthegmata-short sayings. They taught by example and by a true and humble virtuous and pious life. The harsh environment, their admirable inner stillness, their constant and many temptatins from the devil, their real purity of soul and body, was and still is our most treasured inspiration and example.

We who live in the world, the city dwellers, live in a different kind of spiritual desert. This desert, believe it or not, poses similar threats and dangers not only to our bodies but specifically to our souls. Although they may not look the same, they are just as forecious and dangerous. These dangers are usually disguised and insidious, they are deceptive, posing as good and beneficial while they are exactly the opposite, full of poison just like a scorpion or snake. They are filled with anxiety and greed, manipulative and unpredictable, using sinister methods to achieve their adgenda, killing all inocence of children, and worshipping death and not life. There is no peace, unity, nor love for one another. There is no justice and respect of human life. They create an atheistic world and society. A spiritual wasteland, Godless and without love.

I wonder if we were to compare the deserts which of the two, you would think, is more hazardous? Undoubtedly the desert, of course, in which the people ceased to believe in God. Wondrously, however, the people of faith, the ascetics, were not only enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit but their communion with God was strengthened there. They spoke with God and became His messengers and teachers to His people. When God is present, there is no need for anything else, you possess everything.

The foolish man, who in his corrupt and sinful mind decided in his disbelief to dethrone God, is a lost soul. He believes, in his darkened soul, that he has the power to remove the Almighty God from His own creation and universe. This kind of a human heart is more desolate than the most remote and desolate place in all the universe! There can be no salvation for a heart that is so evil and dark. You see, God, no matter who we are or what we have done, will never abandon His Creation and especially not the human race. He is always PRESENT! He will NOT ever allow mankind to destroy what He Created. Instead, when mankind reaches a state beyond redemption and has totally surrendered to evil, then he will provoke His wrath and bring down his own destruction. Do you not remember what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? Although Abraham interceded for the righteous of Sodom, the city was so morally depraved that Lot, his nephew, was the only righteous person in the entire city. Abraham’s intercession saved him. Abraham’s entreaty was, "Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous wthin it? … Then the Lord said, ‘If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes" (Genesis 18:23-26). But God could not even find ten righteous in the city. He said, ‘I would not destroy it for the sake of the ten." (v.32) Let us pray and hope that the Almighty God will find enough righteous among us to spare us from destruction.

LORD HAVE MERCY ON US AND SAVE US. AMEN, AMEN, AMEN.

__________________

"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

GOD’S UNIVERSAL JUDGMENT: THE SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

Christ is in our midst! He was, is, and ever shall be.

GOD’S UNIVERSAL JUDGMENT: THE
SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD AND
SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST

"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…" (Saint Matthew 25:31).

The God of love is also a God of Righteousness, and when Jesus Christ comes again in glory, He will come AS "OUR JUDGE." "Behold the goodness and SEVERITY OF God" ( Romans 11:22). The Son of Man will come in His glory to judge the living and the dead. He shows the heavens opened and "all the Holy Angels" to witness His Final Judgment. In His First Coming the Son of Man came in HUMILITY, to "serve" and to die, the Second Coming will be in His "Glory" as a King TO JUDGE "ALL THE NATIONS" of the earth.

What is clear to Christian believers throughout the centuries is that indeed He is coming for the second time and that everyone on earth will be ACCOUNTABLE OF HIS/HER ACTIONS AND LIFE. There is accountability! In the book of Revelation 20:12, we read: "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and BOOKS WERE OPENED. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead WERE JUDGED ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS, BY THE THINGS WHICH WERE WRITTEN in the books." The books of judgment (Daniel 7:10), contain A RECORD OF MEN’S OWN DEEDS; THEIR OWN WORKS WILL JUDGE THEM (Psalm 62:12; Jeremiah 17:10). God’s mercy is far greater than human works or bad. In our Divine Liturgy, we petition the Almighty God for "A GOOD ACCOUNT BEFORE THE DREAD JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST."

God, our Heavenly Judge, executes judgment from the "GREAT WHITE THRONE" (Daniel 7:9; Enoch 18:8). "I continue to watch until thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days ENTHRONED Himself. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His Throne was a fiery flame, and its wheels a burning fire. A river of fire flowed from before Him. Thousands and thousands stood before Him. The COURT WAS IN SESSION, AND THE BOOKS WERE OPENED." (Daniel 7:9-11).

We must not be disbelieving or dismissive of the fact that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s Second Coming will happen but when no one knows. Christians, throughout the centuries, lived always in anticipation of His Coming, that is, as though He is coming this very minute, today. Not knowing when, and that they will be judged by Him, lived, as much as humanly possible, righteous and virtuous lives. They believed what is revealed by the Holy Church and Holy Scripture as true, unlike contemporary Christians who are oblivious to His Second Coming. Because of ignorance, there is no concern, no preparation, no repentance, no fear of God, not ready to give any accountability for sinful actions and the lack of works of mercy. In some heterodox Christian traditions that have removed and erased any trace of His Second Coming. Furthermore, arrogantly consider themselves as "saved." For them, there is no Second Coming and NO ACCOUNTABILITY TO GIVE TO THE ULTIMATE AND GREAT HEAVENLY JUDGE. They have "a free pass to the Kingdom."

In the current Christian community, one can live any kind and any contrary lifestyle to the Divine Teachings of Our Savior and without repentance can inherit the Kingdom of God. In other words, today’s Christian is delusional and totally unrealistic. Today’s Christian is uninformed and religiously illiterate. However, for the Christian, who truly and genuinely is interested to learn, the resources and tools are there, within our Holy Orthodox Christian Church to take advantage of. Just like the early Christians, we too must prepare ourselves spiritually as though our Lord and God, is Coming Today!

"Behold the goodness and SEVERITY OF GOD" (Romans 11:22). Such is the message of Holy Lent to each of us: TURN BACK WHILE THERE IS STILL TIME, REPENT BEFORE THE End comes. In the words of the Great Canon:

"The end draws near, my soul, the end draws near;
Yet thou dost not care or make ready.
The time grows short, rise up: the Judge is at the door.
The days of our life pass swiftly, as a dream, as a flower."

The Great Fast is a preparation for the Second Coming of the Savior for the Eternal Pascha in the Age to come. "Nor is the judgment merely in the future. Here and now, each day and each hour, in hardening our hearts towards others and in failing to respond to the opportunities we are given of helping them, WE ARE ALREADY PASSING JUDGMENT ON OURSELVES,"

"The Saints have become according to grace that which the Lord Christ is according to nature. That is, they havae become gods according to grace: pure and living habitations of God. For God says: ‘I will dwell in them, walk in them, and I will be their God’ (2 Corinthians 6:16). The Holy Scripture likewise says: ‘the souls of the righteous are in God’s hand, and death cannot lay hold o them’ (Wisdom of Solomon 3:1). For death is rather the sleep of Saints than their death. Further: ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints’ (Psalm 119:6).

According to Saint Justin Popovic, "The truth of the Gospel is that the sin of man is a foul odor before God and every sin pleases the devil. Through the Holy Mysteries and holy virtues, Christians become "A SWEET-SAVOUR OF CHRIST UNTO GOD."

O LORD REMEMBER ME IN THY KINGDOM!

___________________

"Glory Be To God
For
All Things!"

THE EARTHLY WORLD SHOULD MIRROR THE HEAVENLY ONE

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

Christ is in our midst! He was, is, and ever shall be.

THE EARTHLY WORLD SHOULD MIRROR THE
HEAVENLY ONE

"… We render thanks to Thee also for this liturgy which Thou
dost deign to receive from our hands, although there stand
beside Thee thousands of Archangels and myriads of Angels,
the Cherubim and the Seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed,
soaring aloft on wings." (St. John Chrysostom)

"Look down, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, from Thy Holy
dwelling-place, and from the Throne of Glory of Thy Kingdom,
and come to sanctify and ARE HERE PRESENT WITH US. And
do Thou deign by Thy Migthy hand to give to us of Thy
immaculate Body and of Thy Precious Blood, and through us
to all the people" (Divine Liturgy).

"Heaven is My throne,
and the earth is My footstool.
What house will you build for
Me? says the Lord,
Or what is the place of My rest?
Has My hand not made all
these things?" (Acts 7:49-50)

"…But he [ Protomartyr Stefanos] being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw
the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and
said, ‘Look I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing
at the right hand of God!’ (Acts 7:55-56).

"And He said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you
shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and
descending upon the Son of Man" (St. John 1:51).

"After these things I looked, and behold a door standing open i heaven.
And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me,
saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take
place after this.’
Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, A THRONE SET IN HEAVEN,
AND One sat on the Throne. And He Who sat was like a jasper and a sardius
stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the Throne, in
appearance like an emerald. Around the Throne were twenty-four thrones,
and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting in white robes;
and they had crownes of gold on their heads. And from the Throne
proceeded lightnings, thunderings and voices. Seven lamps of fire burning
before the Throne which are the seven Spirits of God.
Before the Throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst
of the Throne, and around the Throne, were four living creatures full of eyes
in front and in back. The first living creature was like a LION, the second living
creature like a CALF, the third living creature like a face of a MAN, and the
fourth living creature was like a FLYING EAGLE. The FOUR LIVING CREATURES,
each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest
day or night, saying"

‘Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!" [Revelation 4:1-8)


      According to the teachings of Our Holy Orthodox Christian Church "with the end of this age and the transformation of the world into a new and better world, there is revealed the Eternal Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Glory."

   Death will have no power in the Kingdom of Glory, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death… Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory" (I Corinthians 15:26, 54).  "There shall be TIME NO LONGER" (Revelation 10:6).

   But the principle thing is that those who attain the future blessed life and become "PARTAKERS OF THE Divine Nature" (2 Peter 1:4) will be participants in that most perfect life, whose source is in God alone.  By the words "partakers of the Divine Nature, we are NOT of course to understand that we can become God by nature, but rather that we can partake of God's Nature through participation in His Grace [Energies].

Depicted symbolicly in the Book of Revelation: "they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Rev. 7:16-17). The Holy Apostle Paul writes: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for they that love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).

However, this glory of God, according to the Holy Fathers of the Church, WILL HAVE ITS DEGREES, corresponding to the MORAL DIGNITY OF EACH ONE. The Holy Scripture reveals the following: "In My Father’s house are many mansions" (Saint John 14:2); "He shall REWARD EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS" (Saint Matthew 16:27); "every man shall receive his own reward ACCORDING TO HIS OWN LABOR" (1 Corinthians 3:8); "one star differs from another star in glory" (1 Corinthians 15:41).

Saint Ephraim the Syrian writes: "Just as everyone takes enjoyment of the rays of the sensual sun according to the purity of his power of seeing and of the impressions that are given, and just as in a single lamp which illumines a house, each ray has its place, while the light is not divided into many lamps; so also in the future age all the righteous will dwell inseparably in a single joy, but EACH IN HIS OWN DEGREE WILL BE ILLUMINATED BY A SINGLE MENTAL SUN, AND TO THE DEGREE OF HIS WORTH HE WILL DRAW IN JOY AND REJOICING AS IF IN A SINGLE ATMOSPHERE AND PLACE, AND NO ONE WILL SEE THE DEGREES THAT ARE HIGHER AND LOWER, lest looking on the surpassing Grace of another and upon his own depirvation, he will thereby have some cause in himself for sorrow and disturbance."

We all hope and implore the Almighty God and Creator to bestow His mercy upon us by His Divine compassion and permit us to enter into His Glorious and Everalsting Kingdom. One cannot merit nor be worthy of His Kingdom of Glory, but through His unconditional love for us sinners. Within us is a place of residence for God’s Spirit, somethng most unique in Creation. Therefore, man exists at the intersection of the spiritual and physical worlds between heaven and earth. Man is much more than merely a rational animal. He is a worshipping creature and the crown of God’s creation. We were created to be the sons and daughters of the Most High God to unceasingly pray, adore, worship and be forever in communion with Him.

We have somehow forgotten our divine purpose here on earth. Rather, we have wasted the time and we have lost the numerous opportunities to remain steadfast in our faith and to retain our loving relationship and communion with Him Who is always Ever-Present. What happen to us? Why have we failed Him so greatly? Is it because we have allowed pride to take charge of our mind and heart? Is it possible that we have grown indifferent and have replaced Him with our ego? Can we be so dreadfully ungrateful for all that He has done and continues to do for us? We have we lost sight of His Great Sacrifice on the Cross to save us? What greater proof of His love do we need to see? The sinful and evil results of our actions have created an atmosphere of violence, hatred, division, immorality, materialism, rebeliousness, apostasy and the loss of communion with our Heavenly Father, as well the loss of His grace.

The world that He entrusted to us had every chance under His Divine guidance to be an earthly heaven. It would be a holy place, a place where God would reign and everything would revolve around Him. The words in the Lord’s Prayer: "Thy will be done ON EARTH as it is in Heaven" would come to fruition and the earth, united with heaven, would truly give glory to God, the Author of Life. There would always be peace, justice, brotherly love, harmony and joy among all people. There would be no suffering, wars, killing, poverty, enmity, selfishness, ingratitude, spiritual illness, lack of compassion, neglect, exploitation, and corruption of our beautiful planet. There would never be any confusion of who we are and what were created to be.

Just as we make the necessary preparation before we embark for a long journey to a distant place, we must in the same manner prepare ourelves spiritually for this one-way trip to the next world. We must check everything and make sure that what is required of us has been done. How have we lived the life that God gave us? Have we invested the talent or talents that He entrusted to us so that He may receive the interest He is anticipating? This is what our Lord says, "For the Kingdom of God is like a man traveling to a far country, who CALLED HIS SERVANTS AND DELIVERED HIS GOODS TO THEM. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each one according to his ABILITY; and immediately went on to his journey." The first two servants invested the talents that their lord had given them, while the one that had one did not. Upon his return, their lord sought to settle accounts with his servants. He was very pleased with the first two servants, who he rewarded by inviting them to "enter into the joy of their Lord." To the third servant, who had not invested the talent but instead attempted to justify his wickedness and laziness, his Lord took away from him his talent and gave it to the one who had the ten talents, "And cast the UNPROFITABLE SERVANT INTO THE OUTER DARKNESS. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Let us not grieve and anger our Lord by our disobedience and laziness. He cannot make it any more clear what we need to do. He has given us a life-time to do it in. We have no excuse or justification. Aong with His guidance and instruction, there is a clear warning and a real threat which we must take seriously. We must not be so foolish as to toy with God and our salvation.

BE MERCIFUL TO ME O LORD!

__________________

"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

LIFE IS SACRED AND MUST BE RESPECTED, PROTECTED, AND PRESERVED

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

Christ is in our midst! He was, is, and shall ever be.

LIFE IS SACRED AND MUST BE RESPECTED, PROTECTED,
AND PRESERVED.

"Then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according
to Our likeness…So God made man; in the image of God He made them;
Male and female He made them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them,
‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill all the earth and subdue it, and have
dominion…" (Genesis 1:26-28).

"Then God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed in his
face THE BREATH OF LIFE; MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL" (Genesis 2:7)

God the Creator of the universe, formed Adam’s body "out of dust from the ground". We believe that the "breath of life" mentioned here is the grace of God the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life (Symbol of Faith). God, the Author of Life, breathed the BREATH OF LIFE into man’s body and he became a LIVING SOUL. It is clear that Adam, the first human being, was a living soul because he possessed a body, a soul, and the grace of God the Holy Spirit.

The following is a most solemn prayer dedicated to the Holy Spirit:

O Heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit
of Truth, who art in all places and fillest all
things; Treasury of good things and Giver
of Life: Come and dwell in us and cleanse
us from every stain, and save our souls,
O Gracious Lord.

God is LIFE and the "life of all free beings." He is the salvation of all, of believers or unbelievers, of the just or the unjust, of the pious or the impious, of those freed from the passions or caught up in them, of monks or those living in the world, of educated or the illiterate, of the healthy or the sick, of the young or the very old. He is like the outpouring of light, the glimpse of the sun, or the changes of the weather, which are the same for everyone without exception. "For God is no respecter of persons" (Romans 2:11). In other words, there is no partiality with God. As impious man is a rational being, one that must die, who willingly runs away from life and refuses to believe in the existence of his own Everlasting Creator. A transgressor is someone who observes the Divine Law only in his own depraved fashion and holds on to a heretical belief in opposition to God. A Christian is AN IMITATOR OF CHRIST IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED, as far as this is humanly possible, and he believes rightly and blamelessly in the Holy Trinity. A friend of God IS THE ONE WHO LIVES IN COMMUNION WITH ALL THAT IS NATURAL AND FREE FROM SIN AND WHO DOES NOT NEGLECT TO DO WHAT GOOD HE CAN." (Saint John Climacus)

On the other hand, pride IS A DENIAL OF GOD, an invention of the devil, contempt for men. It is the mother of condemnation, the offspring of praise, a sign of barrenness. It is a flight FROM GOD’S HELP, the harbinger of madness, the author of downfall. It is the cause of diabolical possession, the source of anger, the gateway of hypocrisy. It is the fortress of demons, the custodian of sins, the source of hardheartedness. It is the denial of compassion, a bitter pharisee, a cruel judge. IT IS THE FOE OF GOD. IT IS THE ROOT OF BLASPHEMY." (Saint John Climacus)

Saint John Climacus adds, "Pride takes up residence wherever we have LAPSED, for A LAPSE is in fact AN INDICATION OF PRIDE. And an admirable man said once to me, "Think of a dozen shameful passions. Love one of them, I mean pride, and it will take up the space of all the other eleven." "God RESISTS THE PROUD but GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Therefore SUBMIT TO GOD. RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU. DRAW NEAR TO GOD, AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU… HUMBLE YOURSELVES IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP" (Saint James 4:6-10). Saint Maximos the Confessor writes: "The rewards for the toils of virtue are DISPASSION AND SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE. For those are the MEDIATORS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, just as passions and ignorance are the mediators of ETERNAL PUNISHMENT." (The Philokalia, Vol. 2, p. 71).

Saint John Climacus, the author of ‘The ladder of Divine Ascent" writes that "obedience is a total RENUNCIATION OF OUR LIFE and it shows up clearly in the way we act. Obedience is the mortification of the members, while the mind remains alive." What we all witness in today’s world is disobedience to our Creator and Savior. Mankind prefers to rebel against God’s will and wisdom. Saint John says, "the sea is the source of the fountain, and HUMILITY IS THE SOURCE OF DISCERNMENT."

Furthermore, humanity has lost the ability to discern and to make prudent judgments. Discernment is necessary and useful virtue to possess. It takes discernment to distinguish between good and evil. "Discernment," says Saint John Climacus, "is and is recognized to be a solid understanding of the will of God in all times, in all places, in all things, and it is found only among those who are PURE IN HEART, IN BODY, AND IN SPEECH."

Is it possible that we are stupefied and we can no longer think for ourselves? Can we no longer decide what is right and what is wrong? Are we to believe the unbelievers that there is no such thing as good or evil, that there is no such as right or wrong, that there is no God or devil, that there is no such a thing as sin or virtue, that there is no such thing as heaven or hell, that there is no such thing as righteousness or evil thoughts and passions? What we must admit is that the secular society has embraced violence, unbelief, and corruption, which leads to destruction.

Humanity is spiritually ill. "Illness," according to Saint John, "Can occur sometimes to cleanse us from our sins and sometimes to humble our thinking. When our Ever-Gracious Master and Lord discovers people getting lazy in their religious lives, He may humble their bodies by illness, as if by a lighter form of asceticism. Illness too can sometimes purify the soul from evil thoughts and passions."

Contemporary Man is a proud man. "Pride IS A DENIAL OF GOD," writes Saint John Climacus. Pride "Is an invention of the devil and the contempt for men. It is the Mother of condemnation, the offspring of praise, a sign of barrenness. It is a flight from God’s help, the harbinger of madness, the author of downfall. It is the cause of diabolical possession, the source of anger, the gateway of hypocrisy. It is the fortress of demons, the custodian of sins, the source of hardheartedness. It is the denial of compassion, a bitter pharisee, a cruel judge. It is the foe of God. It is the root of blasphemy."

What we are witnessing today is the effort for the strong to dominate, control, and enslave the weak. This attitude is derived from arrogance and lack of respect for one’s fellow man. Imposing harsh and painful measures so as to terrorize one into submission. Our Almighty God did not create us to inflict suffering upon each other. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God, teaches us to "love one another." He says, "A new commandment I give to you, THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER. By this, all will know that you are My disciples if you love one another. (Saint John 13:34). What we must not allow anyone to replace LOVE with hatred, unity with division, compassion with cruelty, mercy with malice, life with death, good with evil, and what is right with what is wrong.

When there is an absence of love, God is no longer present. We must not drive Our All-Loving Redeemer and Savior from us. He sacrificed His life to save us from evil and death. Why would we, His creatures and disciples, desire to drive Him away? If we created a vacuum, an empty space where there is no love, then it will surely be filled with evil. Therefore, instead of our world be flooded and filled with Divine Light, it will be overcome by darkness and death.

There is no more urgent time than now that all should pray and entreat our Lord and God to forgive us and protect us from the evil one. "Thy will be done on earth as it in heaven," O Lord. "Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our transpasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us NOT into temptation, but deliver us FROM THE EVIL ONE."

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us, sinners.

______________________

"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

SPIRITUAL DEATH ACCORDING TO THE HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

Christ is in our midst! He was, is, and ever shall be.

SPIRITUAL DEATH ACCORDING TO
OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN
CHURCH

"…There is sin LEADING TO DEATH..All un-
righteousness is sin…" (1 John 5:16-17).

Currently, people throughout the world are living in fear, but not just any fear, fear of death. Of course, this is not unexpected since mankind has apostatized from the Source of Life, the Almighty God, and Creator. Mankind has drifted and continues to drift further and further from the Life-Giving Savior Jesus Christ. This is what Saint John says to us, "And this is the testimony that God has given us Eternal Life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son HAS LIFE, he who DOES NOT HAVE THE SON OF GOD DOES NOT HAVE LIFE. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that YOU MAY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE and that YOU MAY CONTINUE TO BELIEVE IN THE NAME OF THE Son of God" (1 John 5:11-13).

By NOT believing in God, one does NOT believe in eternal life either (‘the life after’). For the unbeliever ‘there is no life after this life here on earth’. For the unbeliever, there is nothing to hope for him, there is ONLY DEATH. This is why death terrifies the unbeliever. For the Christian, the cross, the instrument of torment and death, is transformed by the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon it, the Son of God, the Life-Giving Tree, the instrument of the salvation for ALL OF mankind. "Sin leading to death," that which is beyond our prayer, is wilful, continual disbelief in the Grace of God, the Holy Spirit toward us.

As you know, spiritual death originated immediately following the act of disobedience of Adam and Eve. Saint Gregory Palamas, one of the Great Holy Fathers of the Church states: "The soul of Adam was separated from God and died." In another Homily, this same Holy Father says: "Sin is SPIRITUAL DEATH." We, as Orthodox Christians, believe that bodily death will be done away with when the future Kingdom of God comes, WHILE SPIRITUAL DEATH WILL BE IMPOSED UPON ALL THOSE WHO TRANSGRESSED THE LAW OF GOD HERE ON EARTH AND LEFT EARTH UNREPENTANT." (Saint Symeon the New Theologian) Therefore THE DEATH OF THE SOUL is essentially the presence of sin" (Saint Gregory Palamas). Saint Thalassios writes, " the soul’s disease is an evil disposition, while the death is sin put into actions." Since then, those who are at odds with God ARE SEPARATED FROM GOD. What the unbelievers and all those who have rejected and apostatized from God feel is the horror of death and the end of the present life. Through their apostasy, they rejected the Divine Gifts, and in addition, they are also deprived of all their benefits and are preoccupied with every kind of evil. Thus, spiritual death, or THE DEATH OF THE SOUL, is nothing other than the estrangement of man from God, Who IS LIFE ITSELF (Saint Gregory of Nyssa).

People, as prisoners of sin, resemble those who walk in darkness and "live in a land of deep darkness" Isaiah 9:2. As long as people are slaves to sin, they do NOT have the enlightened mind of the True knowledge of the Lord. They, instead, resemble the dead, even though biological death has not yet come upon them. Without God, the soul is tormented and lives in darkness and desolation. Those who ignore heavenly priority are spiritually DEAD.

This is the death which was denoted by our Savior Jesus Christ when someone who wanted to follow Him requested first permission to go and bury his father. With this request, the Lord Jesus answered: "Leave the dead to bury their own dead" (Saint Matthew 8:22). The "dead", who was to bury the dead, was certainly not dead bodily. Clearly, the dead were those who WERE SPIRITUALLY DEAD. According to Saint Gregory Palamas, the Lord classified as dead also those who were alive, but who "WERE DEAD IN THEIR SOUL."

On another occasion, Jesus said to the Jews: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me, has ETERNAL LIFE; he does NOT come into judgment, but has passed from death to LIFE. Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead WILL HEAR THE VOICE OF THE SON OF GOD, AND THOSE WHO HEAR WILL LIVE" (St. John 5:24-25). In using the words "death" and "dead" here, our Savior Jesus Christ means the spiritual death of sin and the people who are spiritually dead.

The horrific condition of spiritual death applies to those who live after Christ and are slaves to sin. Saint Gregory the Theologian wrote: "There is only one life, seek afterlife. There is one death and it is sin, the destruction of the soul. As for the other matters that certain people take pride in, they resemble dreams that only mock reality and which are false fantasies of the soul." Saint Justin Popovic states: "the evangelical divine truth is this: holiness IS LIFE and SINFULNESS IS DEATH, piety IS LIFE and impiety IS DEATH; FAITH IS LIFE AND DISBELIEF IS DEATH; GOD IS LIFE and the DEVIL IS DEATH. DEATH IS SEPARATION FROM GOD AND LIFE IS RETURN TO GOD AND LIFE IN GOD."

Beyond the agonizing condition of spiritual death, there is still another condition even more painful. If the moral death of the soul is a great evil, which indeed it is for it separates and estranges the soul from God Who is Life, the worst evil of all IS ENDLESS OR ETERNAL DEATH. For everyone who has died spiritually but continues to live bodily, there is still the hope OF REPENTANCE, OF RESURRECTION, and OF SALVATION. One of the Great Holy Fathers of the Church, Saint John Chrysostomos says, "We are all under punishment. But forgiveness has not been excluded from us, nor are we beyond the possibility of repentance. For we are still standing in the arena of the daily struggle for our perfection in Christ, and are ready for the difficult struggles of repentance.." But when we DEPART FROM THIS WORLD "IN SIN" AND UNREPENTANT and fall into the arms of "undying death", then there is no further opportunity for efforts to repent, to be raised from the dead, and for the Light of Christ to shine upon us."

Very few Orthodox Christians contemplate the spiritual death or the death of the soul. The tendency for all people is to be preoccupied with the death of the body and not the soul. There are many people who do not even believe in the existence of the soul and therefore are not concerned about its salvation or eternal life. Orthodox Christians believe that we were given by our Creator a soul and it is this soul that gives life to the body. Biological death is the separation of the soul from the body. Just as we take care of our body throughout our earthly existence, we must also take care of our soul. Just as the body needs nourishment, cleanliness, exercise, protection, medical attention when ill, healing, and rest from labor, so does the soul need spiritual nourishment, Divine grace that is given by God the Holy Spirit, and sanctification that is derived through the Sacraments, specifically the Holy Eucharist which is given "for the remission of sins and life eternal." The Sacrament of reconciliation, cleanliness, and forgiveness is Confession; exercise, through prayer, worship, fasting is the Holy Scripture; protection is by remaining faithful and being a member of the Church of Christ; spiritual medical attention we receive from the "Physician of our souls and bodies," our God and Savior Who heals every bodily and spiritual infirmity. He (Jesus) is the One Who finally grants us everlasting rest and peace. We must also never forget how necessary charity is or ‘works of mercy’ to the salvation of our souls.

It would be a great mistake for any of us to neglect or ignore our sous. It is not the sin that condemns us, but the lack of repentance for sins committed by us. Take care of your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and to your IMMORTAL SOUL which gives life to the body. Let the Creator of our souls and bodies bless them and sanctify them by the Grace of the Holy Spirit so that they may inherit Eternal Life in God’s Kingdom. Amen.

_________________

"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

“…A THORN IN THE FLESH WAS GIVEN TO ME…” (2 Corinthians 12:7).

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

Christ is in our midst! He was, is, and ever shall be.

"And lest I should be exalted above measure by the
the abundance of the revelations, A THORN IN THE
FLESH WAS GIVEN TO ME, a messenger of Satan to
buffet me, LEST I BE EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE.
Concerning this thing I PLEADED WITH THE LORD
THREE TIMES THAT IT MIGHT DEPART FROM ME.
And He said to me, ‘MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR
YOU, FOR MY STRENGTH, IS MADE PERFECT IN
WEAKNESS.’ Therefore gladly I will rather boast
in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest
upon me.

Therefore I TAKE PLEASURE IN INFIRMITIES, IN
REPROACHES, IN NEEDS, IN PERSECUTIONS,
IN DISTRESSES, FOR CHRIST’S SAKE. FOR
WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG" (2 Cor. 12:-7-10).

When in pain or suffering we must not rush to judgment when we turn to our Lord and we are not immediately freed from it. There are different ways that man suffers or is in pain. It can be a physical ailment, it can be spiritual, it can be emotional, or it can even be psychological. As a human being, I know that no one is exempt from pain, agony, disappointment, failure, sorrow, sadness, illness, or even death. It is not pleasant for anyone to go through these experiences, but no one can escape them. Saint John Chrysostom reveals to us the proper attitude of how a believer should confront these negative emotions when he says, "Glory Be To GOD, For All Things!"

Saint Paul, one of the great Holy Apostles of Christ, suffered and "pleaded with the Lord THREE TIMES that it may depart from me and He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you…". By thorn in his flesh, Saint Paul was referring to the persecutions he had so often suffered from ruthless adversaries. The Holy Apostle Paul could hardly bear the plots that were going on behind his back and he sought three times to be freed from them, but Saint Paul’s affliction was "INTENDED FOR A HIGHER PURPOSE". By the grace of God, HIS HUMILITY OVERCAME HIS WEAKNESS. "By this, it became clear that God’s power IS MADE PERFECT IN PERSECUTIONS AND SUFFERINGS. When one suffers greatly from an illness or when one feels abandoned and alone, it is then that our power is made stronger and our faith is made more perfect. The more trials we face, "THE MORE GRACE WE ARE CAPABLE OF RECEIVING." Saint John Chrysostom asks, "Does this imply that the devil is good because he is useful? On the contrary, he is evil because he is the devil, but God Who is Good and Almighty draws many good things out of the devil’s spite."

The Holy Apostle is also testifying that God makes provisions for those who have done well, while at the same time He allows them to be thrown down by different kinds of challenges which they experience. This is both so that they shall not be deprived of the fruits of their work and that they may be ENRICHED by their trials or struggles so that they may have even greater eternal rewards. Therefore, my dear friends, when we are going through personal troubles or difficulties in life, it can be both our blessing and our destruction. "We don’t know how we should pray," because they are hard to endure and because the pain is unbearable and, as human beings, we seek relief and healing. But this need of devotion we owe to our Lord our God, that, if He does not remove them, we are NOT to think that He has deserted us, but rather, by lovingly bearing evil or suffering, we are to hope for the greater good. This is how power is made perfect in adversity, then our faith is crowned. This is the difference between us and the unbelievers who do not know God, that they complain and grumble when facing problems or troubles. Adversity does not turn us from the truth of virtue and faith, it empowers us in suffering.

Saint Augustine asks, "Who could love us more than God does?," Yet He continually teaches us sweetly as well as frightens us for our good. Often adding the most stringing medicine of trouble to the gentle remedies with which He comforts us, he tries the patriarchs, even good and devout ones, by famine; He chastises a stubborn people with heavier punishments; He does not take away from the Apostle the sting of the flesh, though asked three times, so AS TO PERFECT STRENGTH IN WEASKNESS."

Saint John Chrysostom states: "Accordingly, whether we have our requests granted or not, LET US PERSIST IN ASKING AND RENDER THANKS NOT ONLY WHEN WE GAIN WHAT WE ASK BUT ALSO WHEN WE FAIL TO. Failure to gain, when that is what God wants, is not worse than succeeding. We do not know what is to our advantage in the way that God does. The result is, then, THAT SUCCEEDING OR FAILING WE OUGHT TO GIVE THANKS. Why are you surprised that we don’t know what is to our advantage? Saint Paul, a man of such quality and stature, judged worthy of inefffable blessings, DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS ADVANTAGEOUS IN HIS REQUESTS: when he saw himself beset with trouble and diverse tribulations, he prayed to be rid of them, not once or twice but many times. "Three times I asked the Lord," he says…
"Three" MEANS HE ASKED FREQUENTLY WITHOUT SUCESS. So let us see how he was effected by it. Surely he didn’t take it badly? He didn’t turn fainthearted, did he? He didn’t become dispirited, did he? Not at all. On the contrary, God said, "My grace is sufficient for you. My power has its full effect in weakness." Not only did He did not free him of the troubles afflicting him, but he even allowed him to persevere in them. Therefore, we ought to yield to the Creator of our nature and with joy and great relish ACCEPT THOSE THINGS THAT He has decided and have an eye not to the appearance of events, but to the decisions of the Lord. After all, He knows better than we what is for our benefit and also knows what steps must be taken for our salvation" (Homily 30:16 on Genesis).

As Orthodox Christians we all know that there is not one Saint who has not walked the path of suffering until he was saved. Saint John Chrysostom again says: "Let us not consider this a sign that God has abandoned us and has despised us, when we are subjected to trials (sorrows), but let it be a sign to us that the Lord cares for us, because, BY ALLOWING THE TRIALS TO COME, He IS CLEANSING OUR SINS."

_________________

"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

HONORING AND VENERATING THE HOLY RELICS OF OUR SAINTS

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

Christ is in our midst! He was, is, and ever shall be.

HONORING AND VENERATING THE HOLY RELICS OF
OUR SAINTS, THE PRICELESS TREASURE OF OUR
HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH

"And the Logos/Word became flesh
and dwelt among us, and we beheld
His glory, the glory as of the only-
begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth" (St. John 1:14).

The above verse taken from John 1:14 speaks about the humanity or human nature of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Logos/Word became man without ceasing to be fully God: the mystery of God Incarnate. By His Incarnation, matter has been magnified with Divine glory. "God has become flesh, has become human so that the ENTIRE MAN, THE ENTIRE BODY, MIGHT BE FILLED WITH God. and with His miracle-working forces and powers. In the God-Man, the Lord Christ, and His Body, all matter has been set on a path toward Christ – the path of theosis (deification), transfiguration, sanctification, resurrection, and ascent to an eternal glory surpassing that of the Cherubim…Through its Divine and human existence in the Church, the HUMAN BODY, AS MATTER, AS SUBSTANCE, IS SANCTIFIED by the Holy Spirit and in this way PARTICIPATES IN THE LIFE OF THE HOLY TRINITY. MATTER THUS ATTAINS ITS TRANSCENDENT, DIVINE MEANING AND GOAL, ITS ETERNAL BLESSEDNESS AND ITS IMMORTAL JOY IN THE God-Man." (Saint Justin Popovich)

According to Saint Justin, "The holiness of the Saints, both the holiness of their souls and of their bodies derives from their zealous grace-and virtue-bestowing lives in the Body of the Church of Christ, of the God-Man. In this sense, HOLINESS COMPLETELY ENVELOPES THE HUMAN BODY. THE HOLINESS OF THE SAINTS DOES NOT HOLD FORTH ONLY IN THEIR SOULS, BUT IT NECESSARILY EXTENDS TO THEIR BODIES; SO IT IS BOTH THE BODY AND THE SOUL OF A SAINT ARE SANCTIFIED. Thus we, in piously VENERATING THE Sins, also VENERATE THE ENTIRE PERSON, IN THIS MANNER NOT SEPARATING THE HOLY SOUL FROM THE HOLY BODY. Our pious veneration of the Saints’ holy relics is A NATURAL PART OF OUR PIOUS RESPECT FOR AND PRAYERFUL ENTREATY TO THE SAINTS."

"Clearly", writes Saint Justin, "during his life on earth, the Saint, by A CONTINUOUS AND SINGULAR GRACE-AND VIRTUE-BESTOWING SYNERGY OF SOUL AND BODY, ATTAINS TO THE SANCTIFICATION OF HIS PERSON, FILLING BOTH THE SOUL AND BODY WITH THE GRACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND SO TRANSFORMING THEM INTO VESSELS OF THE HOLY MYSTERIES AND HOLY VIRTUES… Establishing themselves in the Holy Spirit through grace-bestowing ascetic labors, the Saints PARTICIPATE IN THE LIFE OF THE HOLY TRINITY, BECOMING sons of the Holy Trinity, temples of the Living God (2 Corinthians 6:16); THEIR WHOLE LIVES THUS FLOW FROM THE Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit."

By piously venerating the holy relics of the Saints, the Church reveres them as temples of the Holy Spirit, temples of the Living God, in which God dwells by Grace even after the earthly death of the Saints. And by His most wise and good will, God creates miracles in and through these holy relics. Moreover, the miracles which derive from the holy relics, and there are numerous, WITNESS ALSO TO THE FACT THAT THEIR PIOUS VENERATION BY THE FAITHFUL IS PLEASING TO GOD.

The pious veneration of holy relics is nothing new or unprecedented but originated from Divine Revelation. We see in the Old Testament God ordained to celebrate with miracles the holy relics of righteous people who were pleasing to Him. Thus, by THE TOUCH of this Prophet Elisea, a dead man was resurrected. The tomb and bones of this Prophet, who had prophesied to Jeroboam the destruction of idolatrous altars, were greatly revered in Judea. The Patriarch Joseph also left a testament to the sons of Israel to preserve his bones in Egypt and, during their exodus, to carry them to the promised land (Genesis 50:25).

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came to deify and to make Christ-like the entire human being, both the soul and body, and this by the resurrection, insuring thereby victory over death and eternal life. The Resurrection hymn chanted at Pascha reinforces this, "Christ is risen from the dead, by death trampling upon Death, and has BESTOWED Life to those in the tombs." And the holy Apostle Paul adds, "And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!… But he who is joined to the Lord IS ONE SPIRIT WITH Him… For you were BOUGHT AT A PRICE; THEREFORE GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY AND IN YOUR SPIRIT, WHICH ARE GOD’S" (1 Corinthians 6:14-20).

The holy Apostle of the Nations Paul emphatically reminds us all that "the body", our body, belongs to God not as people today contend that the body is their own and can use it anyway they determine to use it. "It’s my body," they say, and "I can use it as I desire." They even consider the baby inside of them as part of their body and can be aborted, kill it, at will. The Christian believer believes that the body belongs to God, the Creator of the body. The body, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, is sacred, and CANNOT be used as an instrument of sin and abuse. Therefore, we are commanded to treat our body with reverence and to keep it holy and pure. This is one of the reasons why our Holy Orthodox Church teaches abstinence from "foods" is the first discipline of the Fast, which also includes prayer and almsgiving. Outside the Great Orthodox Cathedral of Agia Sophia, there was a fountain and the inscription on it for the faithful to see and read was, Nipson anomemata, me monon opsi. In other words "wash away your transgressions, not only your face," before they entered the holy church and participated in the Divine Eucharist.

We must never forget, as Saint Pauls says, that our bodies are "members of Christ" 12:20, "But now indeed there are many members, YET ONE BODY." And immediately following the Mysterion (Sacrament) of Holy Baptism we chant: "As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ." Saint John Chrysostom adds: "We have many improper wishes, but we must repress them, for we can."

I concur with Saint Paul when he says to the Thessalonians: "Therefore, brethren, STAND FAST AND HOLD THE TRADITIONS WHICH YOU HAVE TAUGHT, WHETHER IN WORD OR OUR EPISTLE" (2 Thessalonians 2:15)..

_______________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

“…WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SO GREAT A CLOUD OF WITNESSES…” (Hebrews 12:1)

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

Christ is in our midst! He was, is, and ever shall be.

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great
a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and
the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with
endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto
Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith who for the
the joy that was before Him endured the Cross, despising
the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the
Throne of God. For consider Him Who endured such
hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you
become weary and discouraged in your souls" (Hebrews 12:1-3)

"…Still, others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains
and imprisonment. They were STONED, THEY WERE SAWN IN TWO,
WERE TEMPTED, WERE SLAIN WITH THE SWORD. They wandered about
in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented–OF
WHOM THE WORLD WAS NOT WORTHY. They wandered in deserts and
mountains, in dens and caves of the earth" (Hebrews11:36-38).

One distinguishing and certainly truly unique Orthodox Christian tradition is the VENERATION OF THE SAINTS. The Saints of our Holy Orthodox Church are the Christian heroes and heroines of our Faith. I am referring to the millions of men, women, and children who "fought the good fight," and won. Who gave their lives to the service and glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "The lives and praises of the Saints are like the stars in brilliance. Because of their number, we do not know the names of all the Saints; still, they amaze us by their radiant majesty, as do the stars, which while fixed in their position in the heavens illumine all that is below, being seen by us, shining upon the land and guiding by their light those at sea. Similarly, the radiance of the Saints, though their holy relics be entombed in sepulchers, is not bounded by the ends of this earth here below. Therefore, we marvel at their lives and are amazed at how God has glorified them that please Him." (Saint Symeon Metraphrastes)

Among the holy people of God are the holy, and venerable Prophets, and righteous men and women of the Old Testament. The Greek word προφήτης (prophetes) derived from πρόφημι, means FORETELL, that is, TO TELL BEFOREHAND. In Hebrew, the word "prophet" (nabi) meant not necessarily one who foretold the future, but ONE COMMISSIONED BY GOD TO SPEAK TO MAN. What is rightly described as prophecy, not because it predicts future events, but BECAUSE IT UNCOVERS HIDDEN TRUTHS."

Christians were and are still referred to as "saints." They are the "holy people of God." Also, "the way,", the "disciples of Christ." The disciples were called Christians in Antioch for the first time. Of all the attributes man ascribes to God, that of HOLINESS expresses the innermost entity to which all others are related. "Holiness embodies the sense of the incomprehensible and an inarticulate feeling which is outside and beyond, but, at the same time, present and near to the everyday experience and heart of man…Therefore, it is the revelation of the PRESENCE OF HOLINESS that stimulates man’s innate tendency to worship…Wherefore God’s presence is felt, there man meets with the mystery and awesomeness of His holiness. The intimacy of God’s Holiness depends upon man’s faith, activities, and conduct. This holiness is granted TO ALL WHO ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT IT, for as "He Who calls you is Holy, be holy yourselves IN ALL YOUR CONDUCT" (1 Peter 1:15). This call to holiness is especially needed in our society today.

In Catechism one learns that in the Creation God created man in His "image" and after His "likeness," and although man fell into sin through ARROGANCE AND DISOBEDIENCE, God in His compassion now offers fallen man salvation and the chance to regain his state of sanctity. It is written as a covenant and promises that the state of holiness is offered to man, for "You shall be holy, for I (God) am Holy" (1 Peter 1:16). This Divine offer, however, depends upon man’s acceptance. It means that one will attain a state of holiness through the sincere change from arrogance and disobedience to HUMBLENESS AND OBEDIENCE.

The Orthodox Christian grows up hearing about the Saints of the Church. However, who are these Saints? and why are their lives so important to us? According to our Holy Tradition, "To those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints," is the call that the Almighty God makes to everyone today to enter the state of holiness and sainthood (1 Corinthians 1:2). This calling to sainthood applies to the faithful members of the Church who share the blessing of this divine testament as holy people of a Holy God. Christians are saints by virtue of being "in Christ Jesus," Philippians 1:1." The first people to be called saints were the holy Martyrs, who died for their strong faith and conviction and confession of Christian beliefs and practices.

The Holy Martyrs and Saints of the Church are honored in various ways. On the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Saint, the Orthodox Christians gather in the church where they offer the Divine Liturgy (Eucharist), and the local priest speaks about the life, deeds, and miracles attributed to the Saint. We, as Orthodox Christians, are inspired by their pious and virtuous lives and attempt to emulate them in our personal lives. We invite them to also intercede to God on our behalf, believing them to be much closer to Him. They gave up their lives out of faith and love and for the glory and honor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When the Orthodox Christian is baptized, he or she, receives the name of one of the Saints of the Church who then becomes his/her protector and intercessor Saint. We are taught to honor our Saint by living according to his/her holy example and to attend the Divine Liturgy on his/her feast-day and receive Holy Communion on the feast-day.

The veneration of the Saints is one of the greatest Orthodox Christian traditions and it a holy tradition that must be continued. In today’s secular world, however, people are influenced by its many and worldly enticements. Today’s Orthodox Christians are at risk and in danger of losing their Orthodox Christian identity and spiritual roots if they do not stay connected with the Church. In the fifty-one years that I have served our Savior Jesus Christ, I have seen dramatic changes throughout the world and concerning changes among our Orthodox faithful. What is frightening is that there are to many of our Orthodox faithful know even the basic beliefs of our Faith. The Orthodox kat’ oikon ekklesia (the home church) is devasted and practically non-existent. In many instances the Orthodox Christian home is devoid of any spiritual life i.e., there is no prayer, there are hardly any holy icons in the house, there is no regular worship as a family, there is no religious discussion, no mention about the Lives of the Saints, especially about the personal Patron Saint of the child/ren, Christian morality and values is hardly touched upon, they have absolutely no knowledge or even participation of the sacraments, there is no discussion about self-respect, respect of others, and respect for life. It is a fact that children are thirsty and yearn to know more about the faith in which they weree baptized in as well as the Orthodox Christian Tradition. What does it mean to be an Orthodox Christian? They also are looking for role models to emulate and follow. The world and society produce it own role models, i.e., from the sports world, to actors in Hollywood, as well as enetertainment. Christian children should be guided by their parents to emulate our Christian Saints and personalities rather than people who may not even believe in God or have any values or ethics.

Sadly, my good friends, due to the lack of knowledge and implementation of the Orthodox Christian faith, it has been reported in recently by our Greek Orthodox Archdiocese that we are losing over %65 per cent of our young adults, either to other religions or to no religion at all. Another contributing factor may be the great increase in inter-Christian marriages where the spouses do not share a common Christian faith. It is true that when the husband and wife do not share a common Christian faith at home, that in order to avoid conflict within the marrige and family that Orthodoxy suffers. The reality is that the children of that family are caught between two opposing Christian traditions. I have witnessed it personally where children are totally confused and don’t know where they belong. The problem becomes more acute when they grow older and become young adults and independent of their parents and need to chose for themselves a place to worship and where to belong. What happens much of the time according to the Church authorities is to either join another religion or ignore religion all together. For some of our young adults it may not be that difficucult to convert to another religion since they don’t know much about Orthodoxy. the Faith in which they were baptized in. I personally consider this situation very frightning and alarming to say the least. This should be considered, in my humble opinion, a major emergency facing our Orthodox Church. However, my question is shouldn’t there be an outcry, concern, action, and an alarm? Thus far there is only silence, and the silence is deafening!

All of us are concerned of someone stealing our identity, and consider it a deplorable criminal act, and of course a violation of our person when it happens. But how do we feel when our religious identity is threatened or violated? How to react and what kind of measures do we take to protect it? Of course, we all know that it is not only about the identity that we are concerned with but also about our children’s salvation. The Orthodox Church is unquestionably the Authentic Church of Christ, and therefore, salvation is found within it. Our children are protected by us throughout their lives from all kinds of dangers and threats, should they not also be protected from questionable and dangerous religions and cults? Should they not be given the chance to discover our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be saved? Our children need to be in worship, at the Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning, and NOT on a soccer field or a baskeball court. Why are the Christian parents currently placing entertainment and sports above the Lord and the Holy Church? Listen to what the Holy Bible says, "When parents brought to Him (Jesus) that He might put His hands on them and pray, the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME, AND DO NOT FORBID THEM FOR OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. And He laid His hands on them" (St. Matthew 19:13-15).

"The disciples thought that bringing children to Jesus diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master. Christ therefore show that He especially accepts THE GUILELESSNESS OF A LITTLE CHILD, saying, "Let the little children come unto Me, for of such is the Kingdom of heaven." He does not say, "of these," but "of such," that is, the Kingdom of heaven belongs TO THOSE WHO HAVE SIMPLICITY, GUILESESSNESS AND INNOCENSE" (Saint Theophylactos).

Let us not betray Our Savior Jesus Christ and our Orthodox Christian Tradition, and Faith. Instead, let us make God real in our Orthodox Christian home. To truly feel His presence through prayer, through the veneration of the holy icons, by annually blessing of our home, by living daily a genuine Christian life. In addition, by emulating the holy and virtuous lives of our Saints, by receiving the Holy Eucharist freequently and participating in the Sacrament of Repentance/Confession as a family, by being obedient and adhering to the Divine Commandments of God, by acts of mercy, and living the new life in Christ.

Through the prayers of our holy Fathers and Mothers,
Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us and
save us. Amen.

_________________________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"

– Saint John Chrysostomos

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

+ Father George