ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY AND WHO IS A THEOLOGIAN

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.

ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY AND
WHO IS A THEOLOGIAN?

"Theology is NOT primarily a matter of argument with the Divinely revealed teaching of Orthodoxy. Therefore, its first purpose and intent is always to inspire, to warm the heart, to lift one above the petty preoccupation of earth in order to glimpse the Divine beginning and end of all things and so to give one the energy and encouragement to struggle towards God and our Heavenly homeland…"

"In general, the view of theological thought is this: The Church’s consciousness from the Holy Apostles down to the end of the Church’s life, BEING GUIDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, IN ITS ESSENCE IS ONE AND THE SAME. Christian teaching and the scope of Divine Revelation ARE UNCHANGING. The Church’s teaching of faith DOES NOT DEVELOP, and the Church’s AWARENESS OF ITSELF, WITH THE COURSE OF THE CENTURIES, DOES NOT BECOME HIGHER, DEEPER, AND BROADER THAN IT WAS AMONG THE HOLY APOSTLES. Although the Church is always guided by the Holy Spirit, still we do NOT see in the history of the Church, and we do NOT expect new dogmatic revelation… Theological learning is not called to guide the Church in its entirety; it is proper for it to seek out and to keep strictly to the guidance of the Church’s consciousness.

It is given to us to know what is necessary for the good of our souls. The knowledge of God, of Divine life and Divine Providence, is given to men in the degree to which it has an immediate application in life. The Holy Apostle teaches us this when he writes: "According as His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness…giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance, patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity" [2 Peter 1:3-7].

Theology and philosophy are distinguished first of all by their CONTENT. The preaching of the Savior on earth declared to men not abstract ideas, but A NEW LIFE FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD; the preaching of the Holy Apostles was the preaching of SALVATION IN CHRIST. Therefore, Christian dogmatic theology has as its chief object the thorough EXAMINATION OF THE TEACHING OF SALVATION, ITS NECESSITY, AND THE WAY TO IT. In its basic content, theology is SOTERIOLOGICAL (from the Greek soteria "salvation")

Philosophy goes on a different path, it is chiefly interested precisely in questions of ONTOLOGY: the essence of existence, the oneness of existence, the relation between the absolute principle and the world in us, concrete manifestations, and so forth. Philosophy by its nature comes from SKEPSIS (THOUGHT), from doubt over what our conceptions tell us; and even when coming to faith in God (in idealistic philosophy), IT REASONS about God "objectively"," as of an object of cold knowledge, an object which is subject TO RATIONAL EXAMINATION AND DEFINITION…"

The source of theologizing IS DIVINE REVELATION, which is CONTAINED IN HOLY SCRIPTURE AND SACRED TRADITION. The fundamental character of Sacred Scripture and Tradition depends ON OUR FAITH IN THEIR TRUTH. Theology gathers and studies the material which is to be found in these sources, systematizes this material, and divides it into appropriate categories, using in this work the same means which the experimental sciences use." [Orthodox Dogmatic Theology]

Orthodox Christianity has preserved the authentic theology of the Church pure and unadulterated for over 2,000 years. Over the centuries there has been a concerted effort to pollute the Faith through heretical teaching but the truth triumphed every time for by the grace of God and the Holy Fathers of the Church has remained authentic and true.

Recently, I came across an excellent article written by Andrew Nova, "The Authenticity of Orthodoxy in a postModern World" which I wish to share with all of you. In it he writes, "With the saturation of various religions, sects, and forms of "Christianity," America has become a sort of "anything goes" Nation, religiously speaking. However, despite the proliferation of the vast amount of "spiritual beliefs." many Americans are searching for truth and are asking the same question, knowing when an idea is from God (i.e. authentic)? What is authentic Christianity?

In 987 A.D. pagan Russian Prince Vladimir sent envoys out in search of a noble religion worthy of his adoption. These Russian envoys recorded their impressions of the Christian worship at Constantinople’s Orthodox Cathedral, the Hagia Sophia. The envoys stated "WE NEW NOT WHETHER WE WERE IN HEAVEN OR EARTH — WE ONLY KNOW THAT GOD DWELLS THERE AMONG MEN, AND THEIR SERVICE IS FAIRER THAN THE CEREMONIES OF OTHER NATIONS." What these envoys experienced was THE AUTHENTICITY OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP, and its precisely this authentic element which is drawing the attention of inquirers from all walks of life. While many converts have come to the Orthodox Church through EXPERIENCING TRUE WORSHIP., IT MUST BE NOTED THAN MANY ARE DISCOVERING THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE CHURCH BY WAY OF VIGOROUS STUDY. The secularization and "watering down" of Christianity in America has forced many TO SEEK A DEEPER AND MORE ROBUST FAITH IN CHRIST AND ARE SEEKING AN AUTHENTIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH TO EXPRESS THEIR FAITH IN. In this postmodern culture, Americans are inundated with secular thought and anti-Christian ways of living everyday. With literally thousands of sects, cults and various denominations to choose from, how can anyone know which of these ideas are from God, and how can they know which Church is God’s legitimate representative? The authenticity of the Orthodox Church is the key. The beauty of our faith is a precious gift from our Lord, evidence of the seal of the Holy Spirit given to the Church, and is visible fulfillment of Christ’s promise to the Body of Christ found in Matthew 16:17-18."

(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?

THE MYSTERY (SACRAMENT) OF MARRIAGE

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 MYSTERY (SACRAMENT) OF MARRIAGE

"Marriage IS HONORABLE AMONG ALL, AND THE BED
UNDEFILED; but fornicators and adulterers God will
judge" [Hebrews 13:4].

In the Orthodox Church, marriage is a Mystery (Sacrament) that is considered a holy mystery and the oldest institution of Divine Law. It is a mystical union between a man a woman that is sanctified by an Orthodox Priest in a canonical Orthodox Church. The Mystery emphasizes Christ’s role in the couple’s lives and encourages them to make Christ the center of their marriage.

In the Mystery (Sacrament) of Marriage the Orthodox Church invokes the help of God on those being married, that they might understand, fulfill, and attain the aims set before them; namely, to be a "house Church" or in Greek "e katoikon ecclesia", to establish within the family truly Christian relationships, to raise children in faith and life according to the Holy Gospel,, to be an example of piety for those around one, and to bear with patience and humility the unavoidable sorrows and, often, sufferings which visit family life.

The beginning moment in the existence of the Christian family is the sacred action of Marriage. The chief part in the rite of the Mystery (Sacrament) of Marriage is the placing of the crowns upon those being married with the words: "The servant of God (name) is married to the handmaid of God (name) in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," and then the common blessing of both with the thrice-repeated short prayer, "O Lord our God, crown them with glory and honor."

That marriage has the blessing of God upon it is said many times in the Holy Scripture. Thus in Genesis, 1:27-28) we read: "So God created man in His own Image, in the Image of God created He him; MALE and FEMALE created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth." Likewise, in Genesis 2:18-24), the writer of Genesis, having spoken of the creation of the woman from the rib of Adam and of how she was led to the man, adds: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

Our Savior Jesus Christ Himself, commanding that FAITHFULNESS BE PRESERVED IN MARRIAGE AND FORBIDDING DIVORCE, mentions these words of the book of Genesis and instructs: "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" [Matthew 19:4-6).  These words of the Lord clearly testify TO THE MORAL DIGNITY OF MARRIAGE.  The Lord Jesus Christ SANCTIFIED MARRIAGE BY HIS PRESENCE IN CANA OF GALILEE, and here He performed His first miracle.


   The Holy Apostle Paul compares the mystical character of the Church with marriage in these words"  "Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it;" and further:  "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be our flesh.  This is a great Mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church" (Ephesians 5:25. 31-32).  The Holy Apostle Paul speaks more in detail about marriage and virginity in 1 Corinthians, the seventh chapter.  Placing VIRGINITY ABOVE MARRIAGE, he does not condemn marriage, commanding that it be preserved and advising that once not be divorced even from an unbeliever, in hope OF CONVERTING THE OTHER ONE TO THE FAITH.  Having indicated the highest impulses for remaining in virginity, in conclusion he says the following:  "Such (those who marry) shall have trouble in the flesh; but I spare you" ( 1 Corinthians 7:28).

   Having in mind the Christian purpose of marriage, the Orthodox Church FORBIDS ENTERING INTO MARRIAGE WITH HERETICS (Canons of the Fourth and Sixth Synods), and likewise with those of other religions.  "The Orthodox Church in modern times has NOT been quite so strict.  The present rule of the Russian Church Outside Russia, for example, allows marriage with the non-Orthodox who are closest in faith to Orthodoxy:  Roman Catholics, Aremenians, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians.  Other Orthodox Churches today such as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, have similar rules.  In actual practice, "MIXED MARRIAGES" are not conducive to the formation of a "house church" or to the preservation of fervent Orthodoxy in the children of such unions, and the conversion to Orthodoxy of the non-Orthodox spouse is much to be prefered."

   Marriages between Orthodox and other Christians:  inter Christian marriages are those in which one of the spouses is Orthodox and the other is from another Christian Confession.   Currently marriage is allowed so long as the future spouse has been baptized in the Name of the Holy Trinity: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  If they have NOT been baptized the marriage cannot take place in the Orthodox Church.  Orthodox Christians are prohibited from marrying a person who is NOT a Christian.  Religions which are NOT of the Christian Tradition include adherents of Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism.  Other Eastern religions,  Cults or New Age movements, as well as Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Christian Scientists, Seventh day Advenstist, Jehovah's Witness, Assembly of God, Unitarian and Pentecostal.  An Orthodox Christian who is determined and decides to marry outside the Orthodox Church he/she will immediately lose all her rights as an Orthodox Christian.

   The Orthodox Church only in exceptional circumstances agrees to the dissolving of a marriage, chiefly when it has been DEFILED BY ADULTERY, or when it has been destroyed by conditions of life (for example, long absence of one spouse, without word).  The entrance into a second marriage after the death of a husband or wife, or in general the loss of one spouse by the other, is allowed by the Church, although in the prayers for those being married the second time, FORGIVENESS IS ASKED FOR THE SIN OF A SECOND MARRIAGE.  A third marriage is tolerated only as A LESSER EVIL TO AVOID A GREATER EVIL–IMMORAL LIFE (as Saint Basil the Great explains).  [Source: Orthodox Dogmatic Theology]

__________
"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

ON THE DUTY OF CHRISTIAN CHILDREN

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 DUTY OF CHRISTIAN CHILDREN
By Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

"Christians ought to perseveringly study their religion; they ought
to read the Gospel more frequently, to study the Divine Service,
to fulfill the commandments and rules of the Church; to read the
writings of the Holy Fathers, and religious publications, in order to
become imbued with the spirit of Christianity, and to live in a Christian
manner. Such should be your occupations and recreations."
[Saint John Kronstadt]

1. First, conscience itself convinces a man to honor his parents with love. The pagans taught and made it a law to give parents first honor after God. The word of God also commands us to honor our parents, "HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER" [Ephesians 6:2; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16, and elsewhere).  Then give all respect, Christian, to those that gave you birth, that it may go well with you.  Whom should you honor, if not your parents?


   2.  Second, because your parents are your great benefactors, you should render them due gratitude.  Remember, the pains and labors they undertook for your upbringing, and be thankful to them for it.  Know well that you can give nothing in return for the benefits you have received from them.  They gave to you much, and you are greatly obligated to them.  Then give them heartfelt gratitude for it throughout your entire life.

   3.  Third, show them every obedience.  "Children obey your parents in the Lord:  for this is right" [Ephesians 6:1], and again, "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord" [Colossians 3:20].

4. Fourth, do not undertake anything new without their advice and consent, but you ought to take counsel with them in everything and seek their consent, lest you offend them with your disrespect and lest the matter that you have undertaken go without success.

5. Fifth, be ashamed to show disorderly conduct before them and avoid it. Say no indecent word and do no indecent deed, though Christian duty demands this of your everywhere.

6. Sixth, resolutely avoid offending them with any crude word, but speak to them and reply with every courtesy, so that they may know that you love and respect them.

7. Seventh, if they punish you for something, and you know that you are genuinely at fault for it, acknowledge your fault with humility and endure the punishment with meekness. For they punish you so that they may correct you and that you should be good. But if you know that you are innocent, and your conscience justifies you, then declare your innocence with every courtesy and humility. Show judicious meekness everywhere that they may know that you are their child.

8. Eighth, do not abandon them in any need and want, but help them and serve them, and especially in their old age. Remember how much they labored for you, you should also render them service.

9, Ninth, cover with silence any infirmity you may see in them, which occurs even in good people. But even if you should see something scandalous, resolutely avoid judging them and revealing it to any else. Do not imitate Ham, the son of Noah, who saw his father’s nakedness and went out and told it to his brothers. But follow his brothers, Shem and Japhet, "who took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father" [Genesis 9:23], and so on. Then you should see as though not seeing when you see anything in your parents.

10. Tenth, if your should somehow offend them in your actions and you know it in your conscience, do not delay, but fall down before them that very hour and beg their forgiveness with humility, lest you fall under God’s judgment.

11. Eleventh, even the pagans have established great punishment in their books for those children who do not honor their parents…Therefore, Christians, beware, lest you experience God’s avenging hand on ou at that very moment. After God’s we have no greater benefactors than our parents. Then it is a fearful thing to be ungrateful to them.

12. Twelfth, know of a certainty that as you are to your parents, so will your children be to you, according to the words of Christ, "And with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" [Matthew 7:2]. [Source: Journey to Heaven]

____________
"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

ON THE DUTY OF CHRISTIAN PARENTS

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 DUTY OF CHRISTIAN PARENTS
By Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

The Holy Apostle Paul says this to parents, "Bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" [Ephesians 6:4], and he exhorts them to nurture their children in a manner befitting of Christians. All Christians are renewed by Holy Baptism to the new, holy and Christian life, and they have vowed to serve God in faith and in truth, and so please Him. But lest those who have been baptized become corrupt and come into a poor inheritance and have that saying come true in them, "A dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that hath been washed to her wallowing in the mire" [2 Peter 2:22], good nurturers of children must without fail warn them against this calamitous condition while they are yet small and young. For we sigh with pain to see that many children are corrupted in their youth; this happens to them because OF THE CARELESSNESS OF THEIR PARENTS.

Many parents teach their children the arts that serve the temporal life, and spend no small sum on it, but they neglect the Christian teaching and are remiss in teaching their children TO LIVE AS CHRISTIANS. Such parents beget their children unto the temporal life, but close the door to the Eternal.

Saint John Chrysostom, in considering the misfortune of both parents that neglect the good upbringing of their children and of the children not well brought up, says this, "Parents that neglect to bring up their children as Christians, are most heinous murderers of children" [Homily 3 "Against Those that Slander the Monastic Life'']. For child-killers separate the body from the soul, but these parents cast both soul and body into fiery Gehenna. It is impossible to escape from the former death according to natural law, but it would be possible to escape from the latter death were the negligence of the parents not to blame for it. Moreover, once it comes, the Resurrection is able to abolish bodily death, but nothing can overturn spiritual destruction. Therefore, parents, listen to the word of the Lord, "Bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" [cf. Ephesians 6:4].

A gardener binds a newly planted sapling to a stake driven and fixed into the ground lest it be uprooted from the ground by wind and storm, and he prunes unneeded branches from the tree lest they harm the tree and dry it up. You should also act likewise with your small and young children. Bind their hearts to the fear of God lest they be shaken by the machinations of Satan and depart from piety, and prune away the passions that grow in them lest they nature and overpower them and so put the new, inward man to death that was born in Holy Baptism. For we see that as children grow up, then sinful passions also appear and grow with them as unneeded branches on a tree. Therefore, lest these iniquitous branches mature and harm and kill the man washed, sanctified, and justified in Holy Baptism, it is absolutely necessary to prune them away with the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Then, beloved, PRUNE AWAY THESE SHOOTS FROM YOUR CHILDREN AND "BRING THEM UP IN THE NURTURE AND ADMONITION OF THE LORD" [Ephesians 6:4]. As soon as they begin to understand, reason, even a little, and to know good and evil, you should begin your work and teach them. Do thus with them:

1. Remind them of Holy Baptism and that at that time they promised God to live decently and steadfastly,
to serve Him with faith and righteousness, and to keep away from every evil and sin.

2. Repeat to them as often as possible that we are all born and begotten in Baptism not for this temporal life,
not for the sake of obtaining honor, glory, and riches in this world — that our very death indicates that we should
abide otherwise than forever in this world — but that we are born and begotten for Eternal Life. All our life in this
world, from birth to death, is a journey on which we travel to our promised homeland and Eternal Life.

3. Let them understand Who is the God of Christians, and what He requires of us, that He hates evil and loves good, that He punishes man for evil and rewards him for good, and although we do not see Him, He does see us and is invisibly present with us everywhere and sees our every deed and hears our every word. It is necessary, then, to fear Him and to do what is pleasing to Him.

4. Enlighten their INWARD EYES as to Who Christ is in Whom we believe, and for what cause He came into the world, and lived and suffered and died. Our sins were the cause of this, and our Eternal Salvation, so that being delivered from sin we might obtain Eternal salvation.

5. Teach them the Law {Commandments) of God, and tell them what that Law demands of us: That is, that we should love God
and every person; that everything that is contrary to that Law IS VICE AND SIN, while everything that is in agreement and accordance with it IS VIRTUE.

6. Set before them the last things: DEATH, CHRIST’S JUDGMENT, ETERNAL LIFE, AND ETERNAL TORMENT, that the fear of God may so abide in them and preserve them from every evil. Pour these and other things like milk into their young hearts, that they may mature in piety.

They call you parents, then be true parents. You gave them birth according to the flesh, then also give birth to them according to the spirit. You gave them birth unto the temporary life, beget them also to Eternal Life.

Beloved Christians, you and your children shall appear at that Judgment of Christ, and you shall give account for them to the just Judge. He will not ask you whether you have taught your children the arts or whether you have taught them to speak French, or German, or Italian, but whether you HAVE TAUGHT THEM TO LIVE AS CHRISTIANS!

Young children pay greater attention to the actions of their parents than to their teaching. Therefore, if you wish your children to be pious and good, you yourselves SHOULD BE PIOUS AND GOOD, AND SHOW YOURSELVES AS AN EXAMPLE TO THEM, AND SO "BRING UP YOUR CHILDREN IN THE NURTURE AND ADMONITION OF THE LORD" [cf. Ephesians 6:4]. AND SO YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN TOGETHER SHALL RECEIVE ETERNAL SALVATION IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD. [Source: Journey to Heaven]

___________
"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

A SHORT CHRISTIAN MORAL TEACHING

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

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

A SHORT CHRISTIAN MORAL TEACHING
By Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

Christians, remember what God is, and that He looks not only on your works, but also on your very thoughts and intentions, and that you are not able to hide anywhere or anything from Him.

Remember, that He preserves your life, health, and strength, and that whatever good fortune you may have in life, He has bestowed it all on you. And so thank Him at every hour for the mercy He has shown you, love Him with all your heart, revere Him, obey Him in all things, and call on Him for help in your every endeavor. When He helps you, then all your deeds and efforts will bring you benefit and will meet with success.

Remember, that the Heavenly Father sent our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into the world. Believe in Him, and submit to His Divine Teaching which is revealed to you in the Gospel, and portrayed here in brief, so that you may fulfill the vows that you made to God at Baptism, and inherit Eternal Life, and not be called a Christian in vain.

On Sundays and feast days come to church, and falling down with reverence before God, be mindful of all the mercies you may ever have received from Him. Thank Him for them with all your heart, and as a sign of your thnakfulness, promise to live as He has commanded you. This is a sacrifice most pleasing to God.

Honor the sovereign foremost as the authority appointed by God, and submit to him in all things. Honor your spiritual priests, your masters, your father and mother, and all elders and virtuous people, and obey their useful counsels. Try to be virtuous not only in your person, but counsel your wife, children, and domestics in every good and God-pleasing deed. Avoid not only doing what is bad before them, but even saying it, lest you accustom them to evil. Thus God’s blessing shall rest on your house.

Always remember that you were born into this world so that you may do good to all insofar as possible on every occasion.

Love not only those close to you and your benefactors, but even your enemies, so that you might thereby pacify them, correct them, and make them good people. And so do not fight with anyone, and do not curse; and though someone may have offended you, try to endure it as far as possible, and at the appropriate time do him good. Have compassion also for your cattle or other animals, which God gave you to serve you.

Avoid not only impure deeds, but even words, so that you may be a pure and undefiled person not only in your deeds, but also in your words.

Do not steal anything from anyone, and take nothing, and be content with what you earn by your own labors. Be diligent and avoid idleness. For diligence is pleasing to God, so idleness on the contrary, as a source of every evil, is a sin very offensive to God.

Never lie, but always tell the truth. For all falsehood and deceit is the most harmful of all vices, and the customary work only of the devil.

Do not become a drunk, for God turns all the more away from a drunkard, since a drunkard is more quickly able to do every bad deed than a sober person.

When you observe all these things, then God Who is compassionate will be merciful to you not only in this life, but He shall glorify you in the next with the glory with which His Saints are glorified, and all people shall love you. [Source: Journey to Heaven]

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

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

LOOKING TOWARD HEAVEN

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.

LOOKING TOWARD HEAVEN
By Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

What Christians are in this world

True Christians live in this world as travellers, pilgrims, and sojourners, and they look ever toward their heavenly homeland with faith and with the eyes of the soul, and they strive to reach it. You should also be a pilgrim and sojourner in this world and constantly look toward that homeland and strive to obtain it, and so the world with its enticements and lusts will become abhorrent to you. Whoever seeks Eternal blessedness and desires it and strives to reach it will despise everything temporal, lest while seeking the temporal he be deprived of the Eternal.

Have a greater care for Eternal Life

We were created for Eternal Life by our Creator, we are called to it by the word of God, and we are renewed by Holy Baptism. And Christ the Son of God came into the world for this, that sHe should call us and take us there, and He is the one thing needful. For this reason your very first endeavor and care should be to receive it. Without it everything is as nothing, though you have the whole world under you.

Every sin and attachment to the vanity of this world lays obstacles to the obtaining of Eternal Life. Then avoid all that, lest you be deprived of it. You cherish your temporary life, although you will inevitably leave it, yet you do everything so as not to be deprived of it. How incomparably more must you safeguard your Eternal LIfe and make every effort so as not to be deprived of it, for all things temporal are nothing as compared to the Eternal. Seek, then, Eternal Life as your sole true good, and with every effort flee everything that closes the door to it. God Who loves man wishes you to be saved. Then let that be your desire too, and without fail you shall be saved. Desire it and seek it as a hungry man seeks food and a thirsty man seeks water, and you shall receive what you desire.

Godliness alone is needful in this life

Compare time with Eternity, the present with what is to come, living people with the dead, and so your mind will be enlightened and you will know for yourself and acknowledge that they do ill who lay up treasure for themselves but are not rich toward God [cf. Luke 12:21]. The dead have all left the world, and with the world, they have left everything. You too will leave it, even though you may have the whole world at your feet. GODLINESS ALONE WILL STAY WITH US INTO THE NEXT AGE.
BE GODLY TO THE END, THEN, AND HAVE GODLINESS AS YOUR TRUE TREASURE.

Remember death, judgment, hell and Eternal Life

Remember death often, and the judgment of Christ, Eternal torment, and Eternal Life, and inevitably the world with all its lusts and enticements will become abhorrent to you. You will not desire to become rich, to be glorified, or to make merry in this world. Your only care will be to please God, to have a blessed end, not to be put to shame in the judgment of Christ, to escape Eternal torment, and to enter into the Kingdom of God. This is truly a great and powerful means by which a person may escape enticement by the vanity of this world and remain in true repentance and contrition of heart, which is absolutely necessary to every Christian. Truly, this REMEMBRANCE and steadfast consideration by everyone is able to raise up the most depraved person and keep him/her in fear.

The very mention of Eternal misfortune or torment, brings a person to trembling and horror. It truly so happens that people become attached to vanity, and the sin BECAUSE THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT ETERNITY. O Eternal torment, how bitter is your very memory. It is a fearful and bitter thing to fall into that torment, but it is also a fearful thing TO BE DEPRIVED OF GOD AND ETERNAL LIFE! REMEMBER THESE THINGS, THEN, AND YOU WILL NEVER SIN. [Source: Journey to Heaven]

_________
"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

ON THE IMITATION OF THE HOLY LIFE OF CHRIST

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 IMITATION OF THE HOLY LIFE OF CHRIST
By Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

In order to correct yourself and become a true Christian, that is Christ’s, set the holy life of Christ before the eyes of your soul, and look upon it often and imitate its example. And even though your heart, corrupt as it is, does not wish it, force and convince yourself to imitate the beautiful virtues of Christ.

You look into a mirror so that you may know what is in your face, whether there are any blemishes in itk and having seen blemishes, you cleanse them. Let the immaculate life of Christ be a mirror to your soul, look into it often and know what is in your soul. Does it desire the same things that Christ desires? And does it do what Christ did when He lived on earth? And in it you will see what is contrary to the life of Christ, and you will cleanse it all like blemishes with repentance and contrition of heart. Christ the Lord despised honor, glory, and riches in this world, though He was able to have everything as the Master of all. Do you not seek honor, riches, and glory in this world?

Christ lived on earth in humility. Do you not live in pride and pomp? Christ was loving and compassionate. Do you not hate and harbor malice against men like yourselves? Christ being reproached reproached no one. Do you not reproach anyone that in any way reproaches you; and worse than that, do you not reproach him, who in no way reproaches you? "You are a spendthrift," "You are a thief, " and so on.

Christ was meek to all His revilers. Do you not revile those that revile you? Christ got revenge against no one, though He was able to destroy all His enemies in the wink of an eye. Do you not get revenge for any offense against you? Christ endured all things. Do you not complain and curse in any misfortune and suffering that comes your way?

So compare your soul with the life of Christ, and as you set your face before a mirror, set your soul before the mirror of the immaculate life of Christ, and take every care to correct and go after whatever you may see that is opposed to it. If you do so, then I assure you, that day by day you will become better, for it is impossible for him who looks often into that immaculate mirror not to correct himself.

Whoever truly wishes to be with Christ MUST FOLLOW AFTER HIM. Whoever wishes to be like Christ in glory MUST BE LIKE CHRIST IN THE PRESENT LIFE. Not in vain did Christ say, "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you" [John 13:15]. "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me" [Matthew 10:38].

Consider these words carefully, and you will know and acknowledge to yourself that whoever wishes to be saved and enter into Christ’s Heavenly Kingdom MUST FOLLOW HIM. Whoever wishes to follow Christ into Eternal Life MUST FOLLOW WITH FAITH AND LOVE, IN THIS LIFE, AND WHOEVER WISHES TO COME INTO CHRIST’S ETERNAL KINGDOM MUST GO BY WAY OF CHRIST — there is no other way there. Note what Christ says, "MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE, AND I KNOW THEM, AND THEY FOLLOW ME: AND GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE" [John 10:27-28].

The sheep here signify true Christians that obey His Holy Teaching and live as He taught and that follow Him with faith, humility, love and patience, and so He shall lead them that follow Himinto Eternal Life.

Consequently, they that do not hear His voice or His Holy Teaching and DO NOT FOLLOW HIM ARE NOT THE SHEEP OF CHRIST. And consequently, they SHALL NOT FOLLOW AFTER HIM INTO ETERNAL LIFE. This is a fearful thing, O Christian, but true. Consider these words of Christ for yourself and you will admit that it is so.

Beloved Christians! You must go by the safe way if you wish to enter into Eternal Life. What is the safe way? LIVE IN THIS WORLD ACCORDING THE EXAMPLE OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST. THEN LIVE THUS, AND YOU SHALL BE SAVED. [Source: Journey to heaven]

_________
"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

ON OUR ADOPTION BY GOD

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 OUR ADOPTION BY GOD
By Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

"Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" [1 John 3:1], and so we are, O blessedness! O God’s love for man! O how much God’s love has accomplished! O how profusely has God’s grace abounded! Poor and rejected sinners are made the children of God! The Apostle of Christ wonders at this and says, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God," AND SO WE ARE. For what is more astonishing than that a sinner should become a child of God? God’s love toward man has wrought this. What is more glorious than to be called and to really be a child of God? God’s grace has bestowed this on man. it is glorious to be the child of an earthly king; it is INCOMPARABLY MORE GLORIOUS TO BE THE CHILD OF GOD THE HEAVENLY KING. This honor, glory, merit, nobility, and name is more excellent than all titles of this world. For this, glory to God Who loves mankind!

If Christians are children of God, they are also heirs, "heirs," then, "of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" [Romans 8:17]. If they are children of God, what then, and whom should they fear? Why fear traitors, enemies, the devil, demons, death and hell? God shall stand up for them. "If God be for us, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? [Romans 8:31]. We receive this most exalted gift of God in Baptism, for then we men ARE BORN O GOD AND RECEIVE THIS MOST GLORIOUS TITLE.

Beloved Christians! Let us remember our Holy Baptism and this most exalted mercy which God then showed us, we then became CHILDREN OF GOD. Glory to God for this! But it is required of children that they should be like their parents. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" [John 3:6]. Therefore Christiaans MUST BE LIKE GOD AS THEY ARE BORN OF GOD. Let us therefore show in deed that we are children of God. GOD IS HOLY, LET US ALSO BE HOLY. GOD IS RIGHTEOUS, LET US ALSO BE RIGHTEOUS. GOD IS GOOD, "for He maketh the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" [Matthew 5:45]; letus also be good and do good both to our friends and to our enemies, to those that love us and to those that hate us. God is compassionate, let us also be compassionate and show mercy to our unfortunate brethren. God hates sin, let us also hate every sin and turn away from it. God loves us, let us also love one another. God forgives us our transgressions WHEN WE REPENT, let us also forgive men their transgressions.

The Apostle of Christ admonishes us to do this: "Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children" [Ephesians 5:1]. When we show such character in ourselves, THEN WE SHALL BE TRUE CHILDREN OF GOD AND WE SHALL RECEIVE BOTH THE INHERITANCE AND ALL GOOD THINGS PROMISED TO THE CHILDREN OF GOD IN JESUS CHRIST THE LORD. Amen. [Source: Journey to Heaven]

____________
"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

On July 1st Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates the Holy Martyrs Cosmas and Damianos the Unmercenary Doctors

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 July 1st, Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates the Holy Martyrs
Cosmas and Damianos, the Unmercenary Doctors.

The Unmercenary Doctors and Wonderworkers, these two Saints were brothers. Born in Rome, baptized as children and given a Christian education, they were endowed by God with the gift of healing, generally by the laying-on of their hands, of both men and animals. They sought no reward for their work, only urging the sick to faith in Christ the Lord. Inheriting great wealth, they compassionately divided it among the poor and needy. The Emperor Galerius was on the throne in Rome at that time. Persecutors of the Christian faith brought these two holy brothers, bound in chains, before him. After prolonged interrogation, the pagan Emperor charged them to deny Christ and offer sacrifice to idols. Cosmas and Damianos not only refused to obey the Emperor; they urged him to forsake dead idols and come to the knowledge of the One, True God. "Our God is not created, but is the Creator OF ALL, and your gods come from the imaginings of men and the hands of artists. If there were no artists to make your gods, you would have nothing to worship." After a miracle performed on the Emperor himself — healing him of a grave infirmity — the Emperor declared his faith in Christ and let the holy brothers go in peace. They continued to glorify Christ our God and to heal the sick, and were themselves glorified on all sides by the people. A doctor, a former teacher of theirs, envying their fame, lured them into the hills on the pretext of collecting herbs and stoned them to death. They suffered with honor for the Christian faith in the year of our Lord 284 A.D. Their memory endures in the Church on earth, and their souls went to the Kingdom of the Lord, to live Eternally in glory and joy.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Christians affirm the link between this world, and the next in their prayers and alms for the dead. The Church in this world and the next is ONE Church, ONE BODY, ONE BEING; as the root of a tree beneath the earth is one organism with its trunk and branches above the earth. From this it is clear how we, being part of the Church on earth, can receive help from the Saints in the Church in heaven, and that departed sinners can, in the other world, receive help from us on earth. Saint Athanasios says, "As with wine inside a barrel, which, when the vineyard flowers, senses it and flowers together with it, so it is with the souls of sinners. They receive some release from the Bloodless Sacrifice, offered for them in charity," wrought for the sake of their peace. Saint Ephraim the Syrian uses the same example of wine and the vineyard, then concludes: "And thus, when there exists such mutual sensitivity even among plants, do not the departed feel yet more keenly the prayers and sacrifices made for them?"

HOMILY

– on how we must rejoice in Christ.

"Wherein (in Christ), ye greatly rejoice,

though now for a season, if need be, ye
are in heaviness through manifold trials"
[1 Peter 1:6].

Thus speaks the Holy Apostle Peter, whose life was filled with many trials and much heaviness. Thus speaks a man who left his home and kinsmen to follow Christ, who suffered much for the sake of Christ — hunger, thirst, persecution from Jews and Romans, from false Prophets, from brutal pagans, and finally crucifixion — all for the sake of Christ the Lord. He who was in this life mercilessly assaulted by great heaviness and great trials counsels us to rejoice in Christ, that this joy may swallow up allour insignificant trials and heaviness.

But, my brethren, why rejoice in Christ? Because He reveals the reality of the highest hopes and dreams of the human race.
He reveals to us the one, LIVING AND ALMIGHTY, ALL-WISE AND ALL-MERCIFUL GOD, and gives the right to call ourselves His sons and daughters.
He reveals Eternal Life to us, Life incomparably better than this earthly life.
He reveals the spiritual KIngdom to us, the Kingdom of the Angels and the Righteous, the Kingdom of every good thing and of True Light
and justice.
He reveals to us the purpose of our being here on earth and the purpose of all our labor and suffering in this temporal life.
He reveals to us the ocean of heavenly joy, compared with which all our heaviness and trials are like drops of turbid water, quite unable to cloud the waters of that ocean.
Oh, my brethren, what joy awaits us! Oh, my brethren, what little the Lord demands in payment for the purchase of this joy, in which the Angels bathe and the Righteous swim! Only to fulfill some little commandments of His — that is all the cost!

O Lord Jesus, Thou most wondrous fount of joy, our pride and our boast, our glory and our praise, place Thy finger on our mouths, and do not let the turbid drops of heaviness and trials poison us. To Thee be glory and praise for ever. Amen. [Source: The Prologue from Ochrid]

__________
"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

THE SYNAXIS OF THE HOLY, GLORIOUS, AND ALL-FAMED TWELVE APOSTLES

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 30th of June, our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates
the Synaxis of the Holy, Glorious, and All-famed Twelve
Apostles.

Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn. Third Tone

O HOLY APOSTLES, intercede with the Merciful God that He
grant unto our souls forgiveness of offences.

Kontakion Hymn. Second Tone

NOW Christ God, the Rock, doth glorify the rock of faith
illustriously, the first of the disciples’ choir, with great
Paul together with all the company of the Twelve today;
As we keep their memory with faith, we glorify Him that
glorified them all.

Although each of the Twelve Apostles has his own Feast Day during the year, he Church has set aside this day for a General Feast of all of them together, including Saint Paul. The names and Feast Days of the Twelve are:

Peter — June 29th and January 16th
Andrew – November 30th.
James the Son of Zebedee–April 30th.
John the Theologian – September 26th and May 8th.
Philip – November 14th.
Bartholomew – June 11th and August 25th.
Thomas – October 6th.
Matthew the Evangelist – November 16th.
James the Son of Alpheus – October 9th.
Thaddeus (or Jude the brother of James) – June 19th.
Simon the Zealot – May 10th.
Matthias – August 9th.
Paul – June 29th.

Let us also remember hre how these most holy and selfless men in the history of the world died and finished their earthly course:

Peter was crucified upside-down.
Andrew was crucified.
James was beheaded.
John the Theologian died in a wondrous way.
Philip was crucified.
Bartholomew was crucified, then flayed and beheaded.
Thomas was pierced with five spears.
Matthew was burned by fire.
James the Son of Alphaeus was crucified.
Thaddeus was crucified.
Simon the Zealot was crucified.
Matthias was stoned, then beheaded with an axe when dead.
Paul was beheaded.
[Source: The Prologue from Ochrid]

____________
"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