My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

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

THE UNCEASING PERSECUTION OF
CHRISTIANITY OVER THE CENTURIES

Christian persecution has never ceased over 21 centuries worldwide. It has taken different forms and means but it has been conducted systematically and deliveradly. Our Orthodox Church records the persecution of Christians throughout its long history, from the early days of the Roman Empire to the modern era. The tradition commemorates countless “martyrs,” or witnesses who gave their lives for their faith. Historical records of this persecution are found in sources like the Synaxaria and Menologia, which are liturgical books similar to martyrologies.

Major examples of persecution over 21 centuries include:

Beginning with the first three centuries under the pagan Roman Empire and Emperors when Christianity was considered an “illegal religion” by the Roman authorities. Christians were persecuted, imprisoned and tortured for not worshipping the Emperor as a deity and for refusing to offer sacrifice to the imperial pagan gods. Notable periods of persecution occurred under Emperors like Decius (249-251 A.D.) and Valerian (253-260 A.D.), who specifically targeted Christian clergy. The Orthodox Church venerates countless early martyrs who were killed during this era for the faithfulness to their God and Savior Jesus Christ

From the Fifteenth to the twentieth centuries under the Ottoman Muslim Empire. Following the fall of the Queen City of Byzantium, Constantinople, to the Muslim Ottoman Empire in the year 1453. For 400 years Eastern Orthodox Christians were enslaved and could not practice their Christian faith, churches were closed, many were forced to convert to the Muslim faith, Christian children were kidnapped and raised as Muslims known as generoseries, They were subjected to heavy taxes also known as the “head taxes” for if the Christian refused or could not afford to pay it would be beheaded. They suffered forced expulsions, and massacres. The Greek genocide, which included the Pontic genocide from 1914-1922, resulted in the systematic killing and forced displacement of thousands of Orthodox Christians. The Greek Orthodox Church records many “New Martyrs” who suffered under the brutal and barbaric rule of the Turks.

During the twentieth century under the Communist Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc and Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 inaugurated a period of militant state ATHEISM that brutally repressed the Russian Orthodox Church and people. Tens of thousands of priests, bishops, monks and nuns were executed and millions of Orthodox Christians were persecuted, imprisoned in Siberia, summarily executed during the monster Stalin’s purges. Churches were leveled and totally destroyed and properties were seized and propaganda campaigns were used to turn the populace against the Christian clergy and believers. Even after Stalin, campaigns of persecution continued in the 1950s and later, the number of active churches was drastically reduced. The persecution extended beyond Russia to other communist countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Albania etc. with varying degrees of intensity and methods.

Then in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries in the Balkans we witnessed the breakup of Yugoslavia led to renewed persecution of Orthodox Christians, particularly the Serbian Orthodox Church. In Kosovo, hundreds of Serbian monasteries were destroyed by ethnic Muslim Albanians after 1999. Kosovo for the Serbian Orthodox Church and Christians was considered to be the center for many ancient Orthodox monasteries and for all Serbian Orthodox Christians a “new Jerusalem.” The Muslim Albanians were charged with human rights violations which were documented resulting to discrimination.

In our modern era in the Middle East and worldwide the Orthodox Church in the Middle East has faced ongoing persecution, leading to a significant exodus of Christians from the region. Extremist groups have specifically targeted Orthodox Christians, along with other Christian denominations, in countries such as Iraq and Syria and recently in Israel. The wider persecution of Christians worldwide continues with reports from organizations like Open Doors detailing high levels of persecution and discrimination against Christians in many counties, including India, Indonesia, and even in the U.S.A. where prayer was removed from schools, the Bible, the Ten Commandments, morality, values, and traditional Roman Catholic Christians were considered as a threat and therefore their churches to be infiltrated by the authorities. The American head of Turning Point, a young Protestant Christian, was assassinated by an extremist and radical.

Western, Northern and Eastern Europe were considered Christian countries since most of the population were comprised of Christian people for centuries. However, currently Christianity has been reduced to a minority religion in Western and in some places in Northern Europe. In Britain and in Ireland many Christian churches have for various reasons ceased to be used for worship and instead are used for office space, distilleries, museums and even to be used to learn how to play golf for those interested. The European Union decided to open immigration to people from the Middle East, and Northern Africa, mainly Muslim countries and flooded Europe with them. This decision has had an immense impact on the Christian population of these countries who already feel the loss of their ethnic identity and Western- European culture. Other factors are the secularization of the U.S.A, and Europe and legalization of Abortion, prostitution, homesexuality, the demise of the traditional family unit, the dramatic increase in divorces, the reduction of marriages, the reduction of the number of children from Christian couples and of course the lack of interest in practicing their Christian faith. In Italy and Greece all teaching of the Christian faith has ceased and all Christian symbols have been removed from the classrooms. All of the above have been instrumental in undermining Christianity and creating a Godless world and society, known as ATHEISM! In the absence of Christianity we witness an increase in violence, murder, anarchy, perversion, and nihilism.

All Christians must be constantly vigilant and aware of what is happening around them and generally throughout the world. Christians must practice their Christian faith daily by praying, worshipping, and implementing in their lives the divine teachings of Christ and to especially remain faithful to our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, and to His Holy Church.

__________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

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

ON SPIRITUAL WARFARE ACCORDING TO THE
HOLY FATHERS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH.

The Holy Apostle Paul writes:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh
and blood, but against PRINCIPALITIES,
AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE
RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS
AGE, AGAINST SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF
WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY
PLACES” (Ephesians 6:12)

It is prudent that all who stand for good must WAGE A CONSTANT BATTLE WITH THE FORCES OF EVIL. For the demons still have power in the world (v. 12) until our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ comes again in victory. This is clearly acknowledged in the prayers at the conclusion of Orthodox baptism. Christians fight back with God’s arms, that is, His Uncreated Divine energy, given to us (1:19-23; 3:16-21) and actively used by us. The Christians has “put on” (4:24) at baptism all of the qualities listed as armor in vv. 14-17. These qualities must be exercised in the conflict of growth: no struggle, no theosis.

Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Theophan the Recluse and Saint Silouan of Mount Athos, teach that spiritual warfare is a constant, unseen battle within the heart and mind against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Key strategies involve prayer, fasting, and acts of mercy to defeat intrusive, deceptive thoughts or passions. The primary goal is surrender to God’s strength, recognizing one’s weakness and relying on our Savior’s as the Divine Commander to deliver victory.

Demons use intrusive thoughts (logismoi) and feelings to attack the soul, aiming to deceive and separate it from Almighty God. They also exploit worldly desires, passion (πάθη), and attachments (materialism), which can provide “clothing” for the soul that demons use to overcome it. However, to gain eternal joy and treasures in God’s Eternal Kingdom by rejecting the temporary pleasures of the world and allowing our Merciful God to fight for us.

Prayer and fasting are our indispensable spiritual tools and weapons. When the disciples “came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out? So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, THIS KIND DOES NOT GO OUT EXCEPT BY PRAYER AND FASTING” (Matthew 17:19-21).

To drive demons out (exorcisms) require sincere “faith” (v. 20) combined with “prayer and fasting” (v. 21). Faith is a gift of God, either (1) an assent to the Truth, which profits the soul (John 3:18; 5:24) or (2) a special gift bestowed by Our God Christ which effects things beyond our power (Mark 11:23; 1 Corinthians 12:8-9). But it is always both A BELIEFS and A TRUST. We must not fear demons because although enemies and cunning and constant, they are ultimately under God’s command. The believers must possess the gift of discernment so that they may distinguish what is of God and what is of the evil one. To also realize that feelings and thoughts brought by the enemy are not your own, even if they feel natural. The faithful Christians must always stay focused on God and His will to maintain spiritual strength, remembering He is the Divine Creator and Commander. Also, the entire hierarchy of Angels and Saints accompanies and assists those engaged in this spiritual warfare.

Along with prayer and fasting the Christian ought to cultivate virtues like humility and agape (love), and discard worldly attachments, are crucial for resisting the enemy. All believers are called to stand firm in faith by relying on our Most Loving and Compassionate Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, not on their own strength. Our ultimate goal is not personal greatness by surrendering to God and allowing our Savior to lead the battle on our behalf. It is imperative to understand that while many worldly events are beyond our control, the condition of one’s soul and one’s actions of agape and humility are within our power.

According to Saint Silouan and our entire Orthodox Christian Holy Tradition, spiritual life ENTAILS SPIRITUAL WARFARE. This is the primary point that we have to fully acknowledge and accept as we try to live our lives in Christ. For the majority of believers, this spiritual warfare refers PRIMARILY TO THE ENCOUNTER WITH EVIL THOUGHTS (LOGISMOI). Saint Philotheos of Mt. Sinai taught: “It is by means of thoughts that the spirits of evil wage a secret war against the soul, these malicious powers naturally attack it invisibly.” And St. Sophrony continues, “This spirit of wickedness in high places rushes to attack the contrite heart and mind now stayed on God. Brazenly, it invades us, creating the impression that the thoughts and the feelings brought by the enemy (satan) are our own. Indeed, after the fall (he says) there is something in us that does not respond to demonic suggestions.”

“Logismos” is a term usually found in the plurgal, logismoi and used with negative connotations in Patristic literature. This is a technical term, not so much in modern Greek but a Patristic (Holy Fathers), theological term. The word is often accompanied by an adjective such as “evil” or “passionate,” or “sinful logismoi.” Saint Silouan refers to “logismoi” that tempts us and incite us to sin. He also refers to them as “another mind” in conflict with our own.

Saint John Chrysostom states, “But in the case of the evil one it is not possible ever to lay aside one’s armor, it is not possible even to take sleep, for one who would remain always unscathed. For one of two things must be: either to fall and perish unarmed, or to stand equipped and ever watchful. For he ever stands with his own battle array, watching for our indolence for our destruction, than we for our salvation… How shall I be able to help, how to profit thee under so great a burden of office (ministry)? But since this is pleasant to thee, take courage, dear soul, for at any time at which it is possible for thee to have leisure amid thine own cares, I will come and will comfort thee, and nothing shall be wanting of what is in my power.” (St. John Chrysostom, “Concerning the Christian Priesthood).

The Divine Mysteries (Sacraments) of our Holy Orthodox Church are indispensable and crucial to the spiritual battle. They fortify us with God’s grace, making us more resilient to the attacks of the enemy. The forgotten Mystery of Confession/Repentance is a most powerful weapon against sin and the devils snares. Through this Mystery, we free ourselves of the weight of sin and receive forgiveness from our Lord Christ, enabling us to begin anew. The Philokalia teaches, “Repentance is the beginning of spiritual warfare.” Also, through the Divine Liturgy and the Mystery of the Divine Eucharist give us strength and nourishment. As we partake of the Holy Body and Precious Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are UNITED WITH Him in a way that fortifies our souls for battle.

The Holy Apostle Paul writes on spiritual warfare, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all power and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:10-18).

____________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

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

On the Fourteenth Day of the Month of September the Holy
Orthodox Church Celebrates the Venerable Exaltation of the Precious and Life-creating
Cross of the Lord.

Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn. First tone

SAVE, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance, grant Thou
unto the faithful victory over adversaries. And by the power of Thy
Cross do Thou preserve Thy commonwealth.

Kontakion Hymn. Forth Tone

THOU Who was raised up on the Cross of Thine own will, O
Christ our God, do Thou bestow Thy compassion upon this,
Thy new commonwealth named after Thee. Gladden with Thy
sovereign might our most Orthodox hierarchs, and vouchsafe
them victory over false teaching; and as Thy help in war may
they possess the weapon of peace, the trophy invincible.

Saint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the Holy Cross, about the year 325 A.D. A temple to Aphrodite had been raised up the pagan Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha, to defile and cover with oblivion the place where the saving Passion had been suffered. The venerable Helen had the statue of Aphrodite destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord, and three crosses. Of these, it was believed that one must be that of the Lord Jesus, the other two of the thieves crucified with Him; but Saint Helen was at a loss which one might be the Sacred Wood of our salvation. At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, at that moment a corpse was being carried by to be buried. The Patriarch commanded those who bore the dead body to halt, and he had the crosses placed one after the other on the corpse. When the Cross of Christ was placed on him, the dead man immediately arose, resurrected by the Divine power of the Cross of the Lord. Consequently, the Precious Cross was lifted on high by Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem; as he stood on the ambo, and when the Christian faithful beheld it they cried out, “Kyrie, Eleison” (“Lord, have mercy”). It should be noted that after its discovery, a portion of the Venerable and Life-creating Cross and holy nails was taken to her son Emperor Constantine as a blessing. The remaining portion of the Cross was placed in a silver reliquary, she committed it to Patriarch Macarius to be preserved for future generations left in Jerusalem in the magnificent church of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ built by Saint Helen, until the year 614 A.D. At the time, the Persians plundered Palestine and took the Cross to their own country. Later, in the year 628, Emperor Heraclius set out on a military campaign, retrieved the Holy Cross, and after bringing it to Constantinople, himself escorted it back to Jerusalem when he restored it to its place.

Saint Helen directed also that a temple be built at Gethsemane where the grave of the Most Holy Theotokos is located and where her Honorable Dormition (Koimisis) took place. She built eighteen other churches, and then, having embellished them with every adornment, she departed for Byzantium, taking with her portion of the Sacred Wood of the Life-creating Cross and the holy nails with which Christ’s divine body was affixed to the Tree. The blessed Emperor Constantine placed the Life-creating Wood in a a golden reliquary and fastened one of the holy nails upon his helmet.

Orthodox Christians Venerate and make the sign of the cross as a powerful physical prayer, a confession of faith in the Holy Trinity, and a reaffirmation of their baptism and identity in Christ. The hand position, moving from the forehead to the stomach, ten to the right and left shoulders, and the use of three joined finger to represent the Holy Trinity, and two remaining fingers united together and touching the palm to represent the two natures of Christ, Divine and human, are key components of this ancient Christian tradition, which serves as a shield against evil and a sign of triumph.

The Cross is the central symbol of All Christians, not only as the instrument of the world’s salvation by the Crucified Christ, but also as the constant witness to the fact–that one cannot be a Christian unless he or she lives with the Cross as the very content of their lives in this world. “If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me” (Mark 8:34).

The holy Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross centers on the paradoxical nature of the Cross as an instrument of shame that became a symbol of victory and the Source OF SALVATION FOR ALL OF MANKIND. Important themes include God’s wisdom overcoming the world’s wisdom, Christ sacrifice providing life and hope, and the call for believers to embrace their own crosses, thereby uniting with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and receiving forgiveness, healing, strength and protection. We often draw parallels to Moses lifting the bronze serpent in the wilderness for healing, so too is Jesus lifted on the Cross for all who look to Him in faith. All Orthodox Christians are encouraged to invoke the Cross’s grace and power in their daily lives, making the sign of the cross at the beginning and end of the day and in times of danger and need. By reflecting Christ’s love, forgiveness, and giving nature, we become living mirrors of God, transformed by the lessons of the His Cross.

Orthodox Christians are given a cross to wear upon their baptism to signify that the believer belongs to Christ and is a member of the Orthodox Church. Gold is chosen because it is a precious metal that is durable and not corrode and can be worn for a lifetime. Gold also symbolizes Divine glory. Wearing the cross around their neck is a constant sign of our faith and the willingness to be obedient to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Who said: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” [Matthew 16:24).

___________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
+ Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,

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

On the 10th of September, the Holy Orthodox Church
commemorates the HOLY MARTYRS MENODORA,
METRODORA, AND NYMPHODORA.

They were three sisters from some place in Asian Bithynia. Brought up in a Christian spirit, they withdrew from the city into the desert, desiring to lift up their minds to God and free themselves from the illusory world, and thus to live their lives in purity and virginity as true brides of Christ. They gave themselves to fasting, prayer and toil, and God adorned them with the gift of Wonderworking. When people began to bring the sick to them for healing, they became known against their will. A certain governor, Fronton, heard of them and brought them to trial. Seeing them, the governor was amazed at their beauty, for, although they were nuns and their bodies were withered, their faces were radiant, illumined by an inner peace and the grace of God. The governor at first flattered them and promised to send them to the Emperor, who would give them in marriage to his nobles, but, when he realized that his flattery and promises were having no effect on these brides of Christ the Lord, he ordered that Menodora be put to torture and her sisters be thrown into prison. After harsh torture, the governor cried to Menodora, all wounded and covered in blood: ‘Offer sacrifice to the gods!’ To this the holy martyr replied: ‘Don’t you see that I am doing nothing but offering myself in sacrifice to my God?’ When she expired under torture, the governor brought out her two sisters and stood them beside Menodora’s dead body, and, pointing to it, urged them to deny Christ. AS they remained steadfast, he tortured them to death. At that, a thunderbolt fell from the sky and killed the soul-less Fronton and his servants. Christians buried the sacred bodies of these holy martyrs, who suffered some time between 305 and 311 A.D., in the time of the pagan Roman Emperor Galerius, and entered into rest in the Kingdom of Christ. [Resources: The Prologue from Ochrid]

Kontakion Hymn of the Saints. Fourth Tone

YE put the foe to flight with all his devices, when ye contended for
the Trinity bravely, as sisters bound in spirit with a sacred love.
Wherefore, ye are gone to dwell with the five prudent virgins in that
fair and glorious bridal chamber in Heaven; and, O prizewinners, ye
now stand before the King of All with the Angels in endless joy.

___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!
+ Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

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

THE NATIVITY OF THE MOST PURE THEOTOKOS (Part II)

"… She is the most fragrant flower, giving forth the fragrance of the only King. She is hte flower which bears Fruit which is Christ the Lord, the flower which has borne the fragrant Apple. She is sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit which has descended upon her and has overshadowed her, and she is the HOLIEST OF ALL SAINTS as she was born the Logos/Word, Who Himself is more holy than all the Saints. She, the pure and undefiled one, is excluded from the ranks of the sinners of this world, being as stranger from sin who averts sinners from wicked deeds, as the Church says unto her, "Rejoice, thou who dost rescue us from the works of sin" (The Akathistos, Oikos 5)…She is crowned with glory, as the Mother of God, for what could be more glorious than to bear God? She is crowned with honor, as the Ever-Virgin, for what could be more honorable than to remain a virgin even after giving birth? She is crowned with glory, more glorious than the Seraphim, possessed of love for God lie that of the Seraphim. She is crowned with honor, more honorable than the Cherubim, having surpassed the Seraphim in wisdom and knowledge of the Divinity…

"…All this is said in respect to her spiritual beauty, but she was not lacking in physical beauty. Many of the teachers of the Church testify that there has never been nor shall there ever be a virgin as fair as the Virgin Theotokos. When Saint Dionysius the Areopagite saw her, he would have called her God, had not known that God was born of her. The Divine grace with which she was filled shone forth brilliantly from her face. Such was the palace which the Heavenly King prepared beforehand upon the earth! SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL BOTH IN SOUL AND BODY, "as a bride adorned for her husband" (Revelation, Ch. 21), and, what is more, exceedingly spacious: "Thy womb He made more spacious than the heavens," and therein Christ, God UNCONTAINABLE, HAS BEEN CONTAINED…

"…She contains God in her womb and holds us in her compassionate bosom. The chosen and holy vessel, the Apostle Paul, moved by compassion, said to his beloved spiritual children, "Our heart is enlarged; ye are not straitened in us" (II Corinthians, Ch. 6). Yet in which of the saints may be found such all-embracing, divine compassion as in the Virgin Mary? Here the chaste are accommodated, and the sinner is not excluded. Here the penitent has his place, while he who is despairing and unrepentant has a refuge like a new ark which shelters not only clean but unclean animals as well: its entrance is barred to none. Her compassion easily accommodates all those who sorrow, who are offended, who hunger, who are strangers, who are troubled, and who are sick. For it is not possible for her to be lacking in mercy, whose womb bore for us the Gracious God.

The palaces of earthly kings are guarded by armed sentries, who do not allow everyone wishing to enter to do so, but instead halt and carefully question all as to why they have come. But as for the Living Palace of Christ, although she is surrounded by Cherubim and Seraphim, by the innumerable choirs of Angels, and by all the Saints, at the doors of her compassionate mercy no one hinders anyone who desires to enter, neither do the guards expel anyone, nor do soldiers drive away anyone after having questioned him as to why he has come; but having prayerfully entered he receives a gift which profits him according to his petition. Thus, let us hasten to the compassionate bosom of her who has born of a barren womb, hailing her thus, "Rejoice, O Immaculate Palace of the King of All! Rejoice, dwelling place of God and of the Logos/Word! To Him, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and to thee, O Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son, and Bride of the Holy Spirit, be Honor and Glory from us mortals unto the ages. Amen. [Resources: The Great Collection of The Lives of the Saints]

__________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

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

On the Eighth of September Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates
the Holy Nativity of the Most Pure THEOTOKOS and Ever-Virgin Mary.

Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn. Fourth Tone

THY NATIVITY, O THEOTOKOS, hath proclaimed joy to the whole world,
for from thee dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,
annulling the curse and bestowing the blessing, abolishing death and
granting us life everlasting.

Kontakion Hymn. Fourth Tone

JOACHIM and ANNA were freed from the reproach of childlessness, and
Adam and Eve from the corruption of death, O immaculate one, by thy
Holy Nativity, which thy people, redeemed from the guilt of offences,
celebrate by crying to thee: The barren woman giveth birth to the
Theotokos, the Nourishe of our life.

+



The Lord, Who dwells in the heavens, wishing to appear on earth and abide with men, first prepared a dwelling place for His glory: His Most Pure Mother. It is the custom of kings that in whatever city they desire to live, a place of residence be prepared for them beforehand. And as the palaces of earthly kings are constructed by the most skilled craftsmen, of the most costly materials, on the most elevated sites, and are more beautiful and spacious than all the other dwellings of men, so it was necessary that the palace of the King of Glory be erected in a similar fashion. In the Old Testament, when God desired to dwell in Jerusalem ,Solomon built a Temple for Him, employing Hiram, a most wise master, who possessed full knowledge of every art and science and was skilled in every enterprise. He constructed the Temple with materials of great value: with costly stone, with aromatic woods of cedar and cypress brought from Lebanon, and with pure gold, locating it upon a high place, that is, upon Mount Moriah. The Temple was of great beauty, and on its walls were portrayed the likeness of Cherubim and of various trees and flowers. The Temple was so spacious that all of the Isreaelite people could be accommodated therein without crowding, and the glory of the Lord came upon it in fire and a cloud (2 Chronicles, ch. 7). Nevertheless, the Temple even though Solomon built Him a temple, "the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands. What house will ye build me, saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest" (Acts, ch. 7).

At the beginning of the new era of grace, the Lord was pleased to create a temple not made by hands: the Most Pure, Most Blessed Virgin Mary. By what builder was this temple erected? In truth by One Most Wise: by the very Wisdom of God, as the Holy Scripture say, "Wisdom hath built herself a temple" (Proverbs, ch. 9). All things created by the Wisdom of God are good and perfect, and since it was the Wisdom of God that fashioned the Living Temple of the Logos/Word, A PERFECT TEMPLE WAS FASHIONED FOR A PERFECT GOD, A MORE RADIANT PALACE FOR THE MOST RADIANT KING; FOR THE MOST PURE AND UNDEFILED BRIDEGROOM A BRIDAL CHAMBER MOST PURE AND UNDEFILED WAS PREPARED; FOR THE SPOTLESS Lamb, AN UNSULLIED DWELLING-PLACE. A faithful Witness abiding in the heavens said to her, "Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee" Saint John of Damascus wrote, "She is wholly the bridal chamber of the Spirit, wholly the city of God, a seas of grace, wholly good, wholly near unto God."

With what materials was this palace built? In truth, with the most costly. For she, being like a precious stone, was of royal lineage, having descended from David, who placed a stone in his sling and with it killed Goliath, which stone foreshadowed the Rock that is Christ. And she was fashioned, as it were, FROM AROMATIC WOODS OF CEDAR AND CYPRESS, BEING OF PRIESTLY ANCESTORS AS WELL, WHO OFFERED GOD SWEET-SMELLING SACRIFICES. Her father, the holy righteous Joachim, was the son of Barpaphira, who traced his ancestry to Nathan, the son of David. Her mother, the holy righteous Anna, was the daughter of Matthan the priest, who was of the line of Aaron. Thus, the Most Pure Virgin was by her father of royal descent, and by her mother, of high-priestly lineage. Of what precious materials, from what an ancestry ws the most illustrious, animate palace of the King of Glory fashioned! As structures built of stone and wood in Solomon’s Temple were esteemed all the more for the pure gold with which they were covered, so in the case of the Nativity of the Most Pure Theotokos, the nobility of her royal and high-priestly lineage is rendered yet more honorable by the chaste temperance of her holy parents, which is more to be valued than thousands of gold and silver. "She is more precious than costly stones, and nothing that is dear is to be compared unto her," (But not of virginity, for Christ alone was born "of seedless conception"), for the Most Pure Virgin was born of parents possessed of chastity, which is loftier than all nobility, as the holy Damascene testifies. Writing of the righteous ancestors of God, he says, "O blessed couple, Joachim and Anna! Truly, by the fruit of your lions are ye known to be blameless, according to the words of the Lord, "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matthew, ch. 7)…you, having chastely observed the laws of nature in all chastity, have been granted by God that which is above nature and HAVE BROUGHT INTO THE WORLD THE VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD. While in the flesh, you have piously and virtuously borne a daughter WHO IS HIGHER THAN THE ANGELS AND REIGNETH OVER THEM. Most fair and sweet daughter, lily sprung up in the midst of tares from a root most noble and august, by thee the royal priesthood hath been enriched!" With words such as these the holy Damascene clearly indicates the manner of parents who bore the Mother of God and of what costly materials the palace of the Heavenly King was erected…

"..The place where the Most Blessed Virgin was born was a little town in the land of Galilee called Nazareth, which was subject to the city of Capernaum. It was inglorious and obscure, and its inhabitants were held in disdain, even as it was once said of Christ, "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" (John, ch. 1) But the Lord, "Who dwelleth on high and looketh down on things that are lowly" (Psalm112), was well-pleased that His Most Pure Mother be born not in Capernaum, which in its pride was lifted up to heaven, but rather in humble Nazareth, indicating that that "which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God" (Luke, ch. 16) while that which is despised and disdained by them is regarded by Him as lofty and honorable. Moreover, by its very name Nazareth hints at the height of the virtues of the Most Pure Virgin. As by His Nativity in Bethlehem, which name means HOUSE OF BREAD, the Lord mystically signified that He is the Bread that comes down from heaven for the life and strength of men, so by the birth of His Most Pure Mother in Nazareth, He denotes sublime things. For the name Nazareth means a blossoming place, sacred, removed from the things of this world, adorned, as it were, with a crown, and guarded. [Resources: The Great Collection of The Lives of the Saints]

(To be continued)

______
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

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

HOW TO READ THE HOLY BIBLE (Part III)
By Archimandrite Justin Popovic’

FROM DEATH TO LIFE

In the Savior’s words there is a certain elixir of immortality, which drips drop by drop into the soul of the man who reads His words and brings his soul FROM DEATH TO LIFE, from IMPERMANENCE TO PERMANENCE. The Savior indicated this when He said: "Truly, truly I say unto you, whoever listens to My word and believes in the One Who sent Me has eternal life, …and has passed over FROM DEATH to LIFE" (John 5:24). Thus the Savior makes the crucial assertion: "Truly, truly I say unto you, whoever keeps My words WILL NEVER SEE DEATH" (John 8:51).

Every word of Christ IS FULL OF GOD. Thus, when it enters a man;s soul IT CLEANSES IT FROM EVERY DEFILEMENT. Frome each of His words comes a power that cleanses us from sin. Hence at the Mystical ("Last") Supper the Savior told His Disciples, who used to listen to His word without ceasing: "You have already been cleansed by the word which I have spoken to you" (John 15:3).

Christ the Lord and His Apostles call everything that is written in the Holy Bible the word of God, the word of theLord (John 17:14; Acts 6:2, 13:46, 16:32; 19:20; II Corinthians 2:17; Col. 1:15, II Thessalonians 3:1), and unless you read it and receive it as such, you will remain in the mute, stuttering words of men, vain and idle.

THE SANCTIFYING WORD

EVERY WORD OF GOD IS FULL OF GOD’S TRUTH, which sanctifies the soul for all eternity once it enters it. Thus does the Savior turn to His heavenly Father in prayer: "Father! Sanctify them with Thy Truth; Thy word is truth" (John 17:17). If you do not accept the word of Christ AS THE WORD OF GOD, AS THE WORD OF THE TRUTH, THEN FALSEHOOD AND THE FATHER OF LIES WITHIN YOU IS REBELLING AGAINST IT.

GRACE-FILLED WORD

In every word of the savior there is SUPERNATURAL and FULL OF GRACE, and this what sheds grace on the soul of man when the word of Christ visits it…

THE BIRTH-GIVING WORD

Because every word of God contains the Eternal Word of God — the Logos — it has the power TO GIVE BIRTH AND REGENERATE MEN. And when a man is born of the Word, he is born of the Truth… (Cf. I Peter 1:23) … By living the Word, A MAN BRINGS HIMSELF FROM DEATH TO LIFE. By filling himself with Eternal Life, a man becomes A CONQUERER OF DEATH AND "A PARTAKER OF THE DIVINE NATURE" (II Peter 1:4), and of his blessedness there shall be no end.

The main and most important point of all this IS FAITH and FEELING LOVE TOWARDS CHRIST THE LORD, because the mystery of every word of God is opened beneath the warmth of that feeling, just as the petals of a fragrant flower are opened beneath the warmth of the sun’s rays. Amen.

[Address Given at the Meeting of the Seminary Brotherhood of Saint Sava at Sremski Karlovci on December 22, 1929]

The body of Christ and the COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT is responsible for writing the Gospel … "Having received all the spiritual illumination of the Holy Spirit…" the Fathers who proclaimed Christ "Set forth the faith taught by God" [Verses at Lauds, Sunday of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council] …The Church is not producing literature when it writes the Gospel nor engaging in philosophy when it formulates dogma, but in both cases IT IS EXPRESSING THE FULLNESS OF THE NEW LIFE WITHIN IT. For this reason, the Gospel CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD OUTSIDE THE ORTHODOX CHURCH NOR DOGMA OUTSIDE WORSHIP. [Archimandrite Vasileios.  Hymn of Entry]
[Resources: The Bible and the Holy Fathers For Orthodox]

______
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

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

HOW TO READ THE HOLY BIBLE (Part II)
By Archimandrite Justin Popovic

PRAYERFUL PREPARATION

Just as important as knowing why we should read the Holy Bible is knowing how we should read the Holy Bible. The best guides for this are the Holy Fathers of the Church headed by Saint John Chrysostomos who, in a manner of speaking, has written a fifth Gospel. The Holy Fathers recommend serious preparation before reading and studying the Holy Bible; but of what does this preparation consist?

First of all in prayer. Pray to the Lord toIlluminate your mind — so that you may understand the words of the Holy Bible — and to fill your heart with His Grace — so that you may feel the truth and life of those words. Be aware that these are God’s words, which He is speaking and saying to you personally. Prayer, together with the other virtues found in the Gospel, is the best preparation a person can have for understanding the Holy Bible.
Just before the priest reads the Gospel reading of the day during the Divine Liturgy he reads inaudibly the following prayer:

"Illumine our hearts, O Master Who lovest mankind, with the pure light of Thy Divine
knowledge. Open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of Thy Gospel teachings.
Implant also in us the fear of Thy Blessed commandments, that, trampling down all
carnal desires, we may enter upon a spiritual manner of living, both thinking and doing
such things as are well-pleasing unto Thee. For Thou art the Illumination of our souls
and bodies, O Christ Our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father,
Who is from everlasting, and Thine All-Holy, Good, and Life-creating Spirit, now and
ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen."

HOW SHOULD WE READ THE HOLY BIBLE

PRAYERFULLY and REVERENTLY, for in each word there is another drop of eternal truth, and all the words together make up the boundless ocean of the Eternal Truth.

The Holy Bible is NOT A BOOK but LIFE; because its words are "SPIRIT AND LIFE" (John 6:63). Therefore its words can be comprehended if we study them with the spirit of its spirit, and with the life of its life. It is a book that must be read with life — by PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE. One should first LIVE IT, and then UNDERSTAND IT. Here the words of the Savior apply: "Whoever is willing to do it — will understand that this teaching is from God" (John 7:17). DO IT, SO THAT YOU MAY UNDERSTAND IT. This is the fundamental rule of Orthodox exegesis.
At first one usually reads the Holy Bible quickly, and then more and more slowly, until finally he will begin to read not even word by word, because in each word he is discovering an everlasting truth and an ineffable mystery…

SEED IN OUR SOULS

By reading the Holy Bible you are adding years to the dough of your soul and body, which gradually expands and fills the soul until it ahs thoroughly permeated it and makes it rise with the truth and righteousness of the Gospel.
In every instance, the Savior’s Parable about the sower and the seed can be applied to everyone one of us. The seed of Divine Truth is given to us in the Holy ‘Bible. By reading it, WE SOW THE SEED IN OUR OWN SOUL. It falls on the rocky and thorny ground of our soul, but a little also falls on the good soil of our heart — AND BEARS FRUIT. And when you catch sight of the fruit and taste it, the sweetness and joy will spur you to clear and plow the rocky and thorny areas of your soul and sow it with the seed of the word of God…

The beginning of wisdom IS TO LISTEN TO GODS’ WORD (Matthew 7:24-25). Every word of the Savior has the power and the might to heal both physical and spiritual ailments. "Say the word and my servant will be healed" (Matthew 8:8). The Savior said the word — and the centurion’s servant was healed. Just as He once did, the Lord evsen now ceaselessly says His words to you, to me, and to all of us. But we must pause, and immerse ourselves in them and receive them — with the centurion’s faith. And a miracle will happen to us, and our souls will be healed just as the centurion’s was healed.
…He still does this today, because the Lord Jesus "IS THE SAME YESTERDAY AND TODAY AND FOREVER" (Hebews 13:8)…

BE A BROTHER OF CHRIST

In each word of the Savior there is more eternity and permanence than in all of heaven and earth with all their history. Hence He said: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Matthew 24:35)… If a man accpts the;m, he is more permanent than heaven and earth, because there is a power in them that immortalizes man and makes him eternal..
Learning and fulfilling the words of God makes a person a relative of the Lord Jesus. He Himself revealed this when He said: "My mother and my brothers are THOSE WHO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND CARRY IT OUT" (Luke 8:21)… In learning from the Holy Bible, a certain blessedness floods the soul which resembles nothing on earth. The Savior spoke about this when He said, "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND KEEP IT" (Luke 11:28).

WORDS OF THE WORD

Great is the mystery of the word — so great that the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Christ the Lord, is called "the Word" or "the Logos" in the Holy Bible. God is the Word (John 1:1). All those words which come from the Eternal and absolute Word are full of God, Divine Truth, Eternal, and Righteousness. If you listen to them, YOU ARE LISTENING TO GOD. If you read them, YOU ARE READING THE DIRECT WORDS OF GOD. God the Word became flesh, became man (John 1:14), and mute, stuttering man began to proclaim the words of the eternal truth and righteousness of God.
(Resources: The Bible and The Holy Fathers For Orthodox)

____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

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

HOW TO READ THE HOLY BIBLE AND WHY
By Archimandrite Justin Popovich

The Holy Bible is in a sense a biography of God in this world. In it the Indescribable One has in a sense described Himself. The Holy Scripture of the New Testament is a biography of the Incarnate God in this world. In them it is related how God, in order to reveal Himself to men, sent God the Logos/Word. Who took flesh and became man — and as a man told men everything that God is, everything that God wants from this world and the people in it. God the Logos/Word revealed God’s plan for the world and God’s love for the world. God the Logos/Word spoke to men about God with the help of words, insofar as human words can contain the Uncontainable God.

All that is necessary for this world and the people in it — the Lord has stated in the Holy Bible. In it He has given the answers to all questions. There is no question which can torment the human soul, and not find its answer, either directly or indirectly in the Holy Bible. Men cannot devise more questions than there are answers in the Holy Bible. If you fail to find the answer to any of your questions in the Holy Bible, it means that you have either posed a senseless question or did not know how to read the Holy Bible and did not finish reading the answer in it.

WHAT THE HOLY BIBLE CONTAINS

In the Holy Bible God has made known:
(1) what the world is; where it came from; why it exists, what it is heading
for; how it will end;
(2) what man is; where he comes from; where he is going, what he is
made of; what his purpose is; how he will end;
(3) what animals and plants are; what their purpose is; what they
are used for;
(4) what good is; where it comes from; it leads to; what its purpose
is; how it is attained;
(5) what evil is; where it comes from; how it came to exist; why it exists —
how it will come to an end;
(6) what the righteous are and what sinners are; how a sinner becomes
righteous and how an arrogant righteous man becomes a sinner; how a
man serves God and how he serves satan; the whole path from good to evil,
from God to satan;
(7) everything — from the beginning to the end; man’s entire path from the body to God, from his conception in the womb to his resurrection from the dead;
(8) what the history of the world is, the history of heaven and earth, the history of mankind; what their path,purpose, and end are.

THE BEAUTY OF THE HOLY BIBLE

In the Holy Bible has said absolutely everything that was necessary to be said to men. The biography of every man — everyone without exception — is found in the Holy Bible. In it each of us can find himself portrayed and thoroughly described in detail: all those virtues and vices which you have and can have and cannot have. You will find the paths on which your own soul and everyone else’s journey from sin to sinlessness, and the entire path from man to God and from man to satan. You will find the means to free yourself from sin. In short, you will find the complete history of sin and sinfulness, and the complete history of righteousness and the righteous.

If you are mournful, you will find consolation in the Holy Bible, if you are sad, you will find joy; if you are angry — tranquility; if you are lustful –continence; if you are foolish — wisdom; if you are bad — goodness; if you are criminal — mercy and righteousness; if you hate your fellow man — love. In it you will find a remedy for all your vices and weak points, and nourishment for all your virtues and accomplishments. If you are good, the Holy Bible will teach you how to become better; if your are kind, it will teach you angelic tenderness; if you are intelligent, it wil teach you wisdom.

If you appreciate the beauty and music of literary style, there is nothing more beautiful or more moving than what is contained in Job, Isaiah, Solomon, David, Saint John the Theologian and the Holy Apostle Paul. Here music — the Angelic music of the Eternal Truth of God — is clothed in human words. The more one reads and studies the Holy Bible, the more he finds reasons to study it as often as he can. According toe Saint John Chrysostom, it is like an aromatic root, which produces more and more aroma the more it is rubbed. {Resources: The Bible and the Holy Fathers For Orthodox]

_______
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

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

THE ROLES OF MEN AND WOMEN

In the economy of mankind’s life on earth, we discern certain indications laid down by our Lord regarding the roles of men and women.

A woman, the Most Holy Mother of God, was involved in the Incarnation of Jesus, the Christ. Shortly prior to the Passion of Christ, a woman in Bethany anointed His feet in preparation for His burying (John 12:7). The women stood beneath the Cross during His final agony. Mary Magdalene ushered in the new age by announcing "He is Risen" (John 20:17). To another woman, Martha, He revealed, "I am the Resurrection and the Life" — again, tremendous words — at the Raising of Lazarus from four days dead in the tomb (John 11:25). To Photina, the woman at the well, He taught that He was "the Living water" (John 4:10-14). All these are momentous events and profound concepts entrusted to women, involving life and death.

But what of men? Our Lord’s Apostles and Disciples were men. He taught men at length the "Way" of Christ (John 14:6), and the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth (Matthew 13, 20, 22, 25). To one, Peter, He gave the keys to the Kingdom (Matthew 16:19), and told him to feed His sheep (John 21:16-17) He gave them authority to bind and loose (Matthew 18:18). He sent out His Disciples to heal and to cast out demons; and to teach all nations, baptizing them (Matthew 28:19-20).. And, most important of all, He instructed them in performing the sacraments, so crucial to the health of our soul. He gave the, in effect, the function of priests and stewards of the human soul.

In the life of a human being, the infant is born of woman who then nurtures him, guards his life carefully during his early development, and is the first to imbue him with the foundation of spiritual values — ideally, with the help of the child’s godparents. Jesus Ben Sirach says, "A father’s blessing makes the houses of his children firm, while a mother’s curse tears up their foundations" (Ecclesiasticus 3:9). During life, women minister to man’s physical needs, comfort and support them in their weaknesses, and continue to teach by their sacrificial example of "commending ourselves and each other and all our lives unto Christ our Lord," while men maintain their spiritual needs. As the person’s death approaches, the priest comes for the sacrament of Unction, and we see women nursing his body and preparing his mind and soul for a transition to life Eternal.

At the age of 12, Jesus left his mother’s protective realm and joined the elders in the Temple. It would appear from all this that our Lord was conveying to us that the natural role of women is to be involved in life and death, in preparation and various kinds of transition and the role of mane is to baptize and maintain the health of the soul through teaching and sacraments for the life of the world. For this, fervent obedience to God’s will is equally important for both. Praise be to God for making us all a living and productive part of the Body of Christ.

A PRAYER FOR MANKIND

Thou who at all times and in all places art worshipped and glorified, both in heaven and
on earth, Christ God, longsuffering, generous in mercy and rich in compassion, loving to
the just and merciful to the sinner, O Thou Who callest all men to repentance through the
promise of blessings to come: deign, Thou, O Lord, at this very hour to receive our
supplications and to direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls,
purify our bodies, set our minds aright, cleanse our thoughts; deliver us from all afflictions,
wrath, danger and necessity; surround us with Thy holy Angels, so that, guided and guarded
by their hosts, we may reach the unity of the Faith and the comprehension of Thine ineffable
glory, Thou Who art Blessed forever and ever. Amen. [References:  The Bible and the Holy