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.

HOLY LENTEN SERVICES: THE LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED

A distinctive fear of Holy and Great Lent weekdays is "the Liturgy of the Presanctified", celebrated on each WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY, but at one time on every weekday of Holy Lent. Strictly speaking, the term ‘Liturgy’ is a misnomer, FOR THERE IS NO EUCHARISTIC CONSECRATION AT THIS SERVICE; IT IS SIMPLY THE OFFICE OF VESPERS (ESPERINOS) FOLLOWED BY THE DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION FROM ELEMENTS CONSECRATED ON THE PREVIOUS SUNDAY. The full celebration of the divine Eucharist, being always A FESTIVE AND TRIUMPHANT EVENT, is felt to be inconsistent with the austerity of the weekday Lenten Fast; and so already in the 4th century it was laid down that there should be no complete celebration of the Liturgy during Great Lent except on Saturday and Sunday. But so as to enable the faithful to receive Holy Communion on weekdays in Holy Lent — for n the ancient Church it was normal TO COMMUNICATE FREQUENTLY, AND IN SOME PLACES EVEN DAILY — the order of the Presanctified Liturgy was devised.

Many moments in the Presanctified Liturgy recall the period when Holy Lent was a time OF FINAL TRAINING BEFORE THE RECEPTION OF BAPTISM, THE SACRAMENT (MYSTERION) OF LIGHT OR ‘ILLUMINATION’. Thus between the two Old Testament lessons, the priest holding THE CENSER AND A LIGHTED CANDLE, BLESSES THE CONGREGATION, SAYING: ‘THE LIGHT OF CHRIST SHINES (OR ILLUMINES) ALL’; and following the Litany for the Catechumens and their DISMISSAL, there is during the second half of Holy Lent an additional Litany ‘FOR THOSE WHO ARE READY FOR ILLUMINATION’ (BAPTISM). Each time we take part in the Liturgy of the Presanctified, we should ask ourselves: IN A WORLD THAT IS INCREASINGLY ALLIENATED FROM CHRIST, WHAT HAVE ID ONE SINCE LAST LENT TO SPREAD THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL? [Source: The Lenten Triodion]

The Presanctified Gifts are offered to the faithful, after the ninth hour, about 3:00 p.m., usually at the end of a day of fasting, in what is actually an elaborate Office of Vespers with Holy Communion. The Presanctified is conducted from fifteen to eighteen times a year:

1. On Wednesday and Friday of the first six weeks of Holy and Great Lent.

2. On Thursday of the Fourth Week of Holy and Great Lent.

3. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy and Great Week.

The Sacrificial (or Resurrection) Liturgy is celebrated on all Saturdays and Sundays of Holy Lent, on the Feast of the Annunciation, on whatever day it falls, and on Holy and Great Thursday. (There is NO Liturgy on Holy Friday).

PARTICULARITIES OF THE PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY

On the preceding Sunday, at the Prothesis, after dedicating the principal Amnos, or "Lamb", to be distributed in Holy Communion that day, the Priest prepares as many additional "Lambs" as there will be Liturgies of the Presanctified during that week, saying for each the same dedicatory prayers as for the first.

However, at the Consecration of the Gifts ALL the "Lambs" are presented AS ONE, for Christ is ONE. Similarly, at the ELEVATION, ALL THE "LAMBS" ARE ELEVATED TOGETHER.

At the fraction, the Priest breaks ONLY that Amnos "Lamb" which he dedicate first at the Prothesis. As for the others, he takes them one by one IN HIS LEFT HAND, AND WITH THE SPOON IN HIS RIGHT POURS A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE Holy and Precious Blood of the Lord crosswise on the UNDERSIDE INCISED with the Cross, then places them in the tabernacle.

___________

THE PRAYER OF THE FIRST ANTIPHON

Priest: Gracious and Merciful Lord, forbearing and generous in mercy, hear our prayer and heed the voice of our entreaty. Give us a sign of Your favor. Lead us in Your way, that we may walk in Your truth; gladden our hearts, that we may be in awe of Your Holy Name, for You are Great in the Wonders of You perform. You alone are God, and among all deities none is Your like, O Lord: mighty in mercy and benevolent, helping and comforting and saving all who trust in Your Holy Name.
For all glory, honor and worship are Your due, Father Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

THE PRAYER OF THE SECOND ANTIPHON

Priest: O Lord, do not rebuke us in Your anger; do not chastise us in Your wrath; but deal with us according to Your loving kindness, as Healer and Physician of our souls. Guide us to the harbor of Your will; enlighten the eyes of our hearts that we may know Your truth; and grant that the rest of this day ma be peaceful and without sin, as may our whole life, through the prayers of the Theotokos and of all the Saints.
For Yours is the dominion, and Yours the Kingdom and the power and the glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

THE FIRST PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

Priest: O God, great and praised, through the Life-giving death of Your Christ, You have borne us from corruption to immortality. Liberate all our senses from killing passion, setting over them as a benevolent sovereign our inner reason. Let the eye be averted from every evil sight, and the ear be deaf to idle talk. May the tongue be purged of unseemly speech. Purify these lips that praise You, Lord. Make our hands abstain form wicked deeds, doing only such things as are pleasing to You, thus sealing with Your grace all our members, and our mind,
For all glory, honor and worship are Your due; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen,

PRAYER BEFORE RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION

I believe, Lord, and confess that You are truly the Christ, Son of the Living God, Who
came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the greatest. I also believe that this
is truly Your Spotless Body, and that this is truly Your Precious Blood. Wherefore I
pray to You: have mercy on me and forgive my offences, whether intended or not,
whether committed in word or in deed, knowingly or unknowingly; and count me worthy
to share without judgment in Your pure Mysteries, for remission of sins and for
everlasting life. Amen.

Priest: (Standing before the holy icon of Christ) Almighty Lord, You have created all things in wisdom.
In Your inexpressible Providence and great goodness You have brought us to these saving days, for
the cleansing of our souls and bodies, for control of our passions, in the hope of the Resurrection.
After the forty days You delivered into the hands of Your servant Moses the tablets of the Law in
characters Divinely traced. Enable us also, O Benevolent One, to fight the good fight, to complete
the course of the fast, to keep the faith inviolate, to crush underfoot the heads of unseen tempters,
to emerge victors over sin and to come, without reproach, to the worship of Your Holy Resurrection.
For Blessed and Glorified is Your Most Honorable and Majestic Name, of the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

____________
"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 CANON OF SAINT ANDREW OF CRETE

At the Compline on the first four days of Holy and Great Lent, the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete is read, divided into four sections; on the fifth week it will be read again, this time in continuous form. With its constant refrain, ‘HAVE MERCY UPON ME, O GOD, HAVE MERCY UPON ME,’ the Great Canon forms A PROLONG CONFESSION OF SIN, AN UNREMITTING CALL TO REPENTANCE. At the same time, IT IS A MEDITATION on the whole body of Holy Scripture, embracing all the sinners and all the righteous from the creation of the world to the Second Coming of Christ. Here, more than anywhere in the Triodion, we experience Holy Lent AS A REAFFIRMATION OF OUR ‘BIBLICAL ROOTS.’ Throughout the Great Canon the two levels, the historical and the personal, are skillfully interwoven. ‘The events of the Sacred History are revealed as events of my life; God’s acts in the past as acts aimed at ME and MY salvation, the tragedy of sin and betrayal as MY personal tragedy.’ The appeal of the Great Canon is very wide.

Saint Andrew of Crete, composer of the Canon, and to Saint Mary of Egypt are also included. The Church of Jerusalem implemented this practice during Saint Andrew’s lifetime. When in the year 680 A.D. Saint Andrew traveled to Constantinople for the 6th Ecumenical Synod, he brought with him and made public both his great composition and the life of Saint Mary written by his compatriot and teacher, Sophronios Patriarch of Jerusalem. The life of Saint Mary of Egypt is read together with the Great Canon at Orthros (Matins) on Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Great Lent.

The Great Canon consists of a conversation between THE PENITENT and his OWN SOUL. The conversation begins:

"Where shall I begin to weep for the actions of my wretched life? What first shall I offer O Christ
in this my lamentation? But in Thy compassion grant me forgiveness of sins," –with what shall
I begin to repent, for it is so difficult."

A troparion follows:

"Come wretched soul, with thy flesh to the
Creator of all. Make confession to Him, and
abstain henceforth from thy past brutishness;
and offer to God tears of repentance."

Kontakion following the 6th Canticle of the
Canon:

"My soul, O my soul rise up! Why art thou sleeping?
The end draws near and soon thou shall be troubled.
Watch, then, that Christ thy God may spare thee, for
He is everywhere present and fillest all things."

The Canon of Saint Andrew is presented to us with the hope that it will ignite our awareness of our soul’s anesthesia and a kind of spiritual unconsciousness. The Christian believer is exhorted to question himself what must I do? Our Holy Church presents the Penitential Canon so that we examine our souls much deeper and see what is there. And yet, the soul continues to sleep, in that is our sorrow and our grief. It is rare for the average Christian to be concerned about the spiritual condition of his/her soul, when in truth, there is not even the slightest thought of its existence.
The troparion says, "The end is drawing near, my soul, is drawing near! But you neither care nor prepare. The time is growing short. Rise! The Judge is near at the very doors. Like a dream, like a flower, the time of life passes. Why do we bustle about in vain? [Matthew 24:33; Psalm 38:7].

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ asks, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and LOSES HIS OWN SOUL? Or what WILL A MAN GIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS SOUL?" [Matthew 16:26]. Saint Theophylact states: "Let us suppose, He says, that you have gained the whole world: what profit is it if your body prospers while your soul suffers ill? That would be as if the lady of the house dressed in tattered rags, while her maidservants were gorgeously arrayed. For in the age to come a man CAN GIVE NOTHING IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS SOUL. Here one can give tears, sighs, and alms, but there, nothing. For it is a Judge who takes no bribes that will receive us, and He judges each one according to his deeds. But He is also awesome and dreadful, and comes in His glory with His Angels, not in lowly form."

The Great Canon of Saint Andrew uses broad images and personalities taken from Holy Scripture from the Old and New Testaments. Tragically, however, many are not knowledgeable, as they should be of them, and, therefore, they are disconnected, and the message is lost and there is no actual benefit. The earnest and genuine believer can begin to search and study the Holy Scripture and be inspired by the spiritual struggles and victories of those who sought the Lord and His guidance. Individuals in their quest who stood before God spiritually naked. Those who were faithful to Him and those who had not. The righteous and the sinners, those who had fallen and those who repented and rose up from their sinfulness. Very much like all of us today. As has been said, "A Christian is one who falls and rises, who falls and rises again". The Holy Scripture reveals some of the personalities in a positive light, and about others in a negative one. Like Reuben, wretch that I am, I have planned an unprincipled and lawless act against God Most High, having defiled by bed as he defiled that of his father. {Genesis 35:21; 49: 3-4]. Righteous Joseph was given up by his brothers, that sweet soul was sold into slavery, as a type of the Lord; and you, my soul, have sold yourself completely to your vices. (Genesis 37:27-28). Let Moses’ hand assure us, my soul, how God can whiten and cleanse a leprous life. So do not despair of yourself, even though you are leprous.[Exodus 4:6-8). We ought to emulate the one, and not the other.

Kontakion Hymn, Tone 6:

My soul, my soul, arise! Why are you sleeping? The end is
drawing near, and you will be confounded. Awake, then, and
be watchful, that Christ our God may spare you, Who is
everywhere present and fills all things.

The believer’s soul is at risk and therefore as a sinful man he must repent and plead with God to forgive him. Another Troparion states: "I have reviewed all the people of the Old Testament as examples for you, my soul. Imitate the God-loving deeds of the righteous and shun the sins of the wicked." One must honestly admit his/her sinfulness and then with contrition of heart and mind to repent of them. "It is time for repentance. I draw near to Thee, my Creator. Take from me the heavy yoke of sin, and in Thy compassion grant me tears of compunction."

What condemns a person is not the sin but the unwillingness to acknowledge it and repent of it. Every opportunity is given to us humans to adhere and implement the commandments of God in our lives. Our lifetime here on earth is brief, riches and pleasures are temporary and will be extinguished in time. Therefore, we should say, "I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned against Thee, Be merciful to me. For there is no one who has sinned among men whom I have not surpassed by my sins."
+

The Prayer of Saint Ephraim

O Lord and Master of my life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth,
despair, lust of power and idle
talk. (Prostration)

But give rather the spirit of chastity,
humility, patience and love to Thy
servant. (Prostration)

Yes, O Lord and King! Grant me to
see my own transgressions and not
to judge my brother (and sister), for
Blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages.
Amen.
______________
"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.

HOLY AND GREAT LENT: A TIME TO CHOOSE LIGHT OVER
DARKNESS.

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I AM THE LIGHT
OF THE WORLD. He who follows Me shall NOT WALK IN
DARKNESS, but HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE” [John 8:12].

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city that
is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a
lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand,
and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let YOUR
LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN, THAT THEY MAY SEE
YOUR GOOD WORKS AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN
HEAVEN” [Matthew 5:14-16].

“LIGHT” is a Christian symbol of God Who is the True, Uncreated Light. Prophet Isaiah writes, “Shine, shine, O Jerusalem, for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Behold, darkness and gloom shall cover the earth upon the nations, but the Lord will shine on you, and His glory shall be seen upon you. Kings shall come to your light, and the Gentiles in your brightness” [Isaiah 60:1-3]. 60:1 is the hymn we chant at Pascha in the liturgical services, “On the day, the whole creation rejoices and exults, for Christ is risen and Hades despoiled.” In the New Testament the Son is called “Light”. “In Him was life, and the life WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN” [John 1:4]. In the Gospel of Saint Matthew, the followers of Jesus Christ “are the light of the world;” and believers shine as light in the world. In the epistle of Saint Paul to the Philippians it says, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom YOU SHINE AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD” [Philippians 2:14-15]. In these and other references in the Gospel of Saint John, God IS THE SOURCE OF THIS UNCREATED, LIFE-GIVING LIGHT.

Saint John writes: “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through Him might believe. He was NOT that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That WAS THE TRUE LIGHT WHICH GIVES LIGHT TO EVERY MAN COMING INTO THE WORLD” [John 1:4-10]. As the Divine Logos/Word INCARNATE, Christ IS ALSO THE SOURCE OF “LIFE” and ENLIGHTENMENT. Because the Logos/Word IS GOD, He IS LIFE: ONLY GOD HAS LIFE IN HIMSELF. By seeing and participating in Christ’s “life” believers become LIGHT AND CHILDREN OF LIGHT. In chapter 12:36 the Lord says, “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” The theme of Jesus as the “light” receives renewed emphasis. The crowd wants to know the identity of the Son of Man. But Jesus challenges them to come to the Light while there is still time to become children of light. Christ is “Light of Light” (Nicene Creed): “Φώς εκ Φωτός, Θεόν αληθινόν, εκ Θεού αληθινού..” “Light of Light. True God of True God..”. In such UNION WITH Him, we partake of His Light, becoming children of Light.”

Therefore, the Orthodox Christian believer during this spiritual journey is reminded that he or she is a “child of light,” who believes in Jesus Christ as the Incarnate Logos/Word, and Son of God Who is the Light of the world. Believes in His Divine miracles and His Divine Mission to save the human race from the evil one and his darkness. Failure to believe in Jesus and His countless miracles is attributed to a person’s willful blindness and hardness of heart. The world and humanity is still rejecting our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ and Divine Light and therefore willfully has chosen to live in eternal darkness. There is absolutely no reason for the world to be engulfed in darkness, evil and apostasy from God. Our Lord revealed to mankind “the light of Life” and sacrificed His life on the Cross to save it. But mankind is obstinate and unwilling to change from its path of destruction and death.

Jesus Christ is the ONLY hope that mankind has. If humanity wanted a world free of evil, wars, violence, hatred, darkness, hopelessness, injustice, and death the answer is before it, and to believe in the Son of God and Savior. Who knows better what the world and mankind ought to be than the Almighty God Who created it from nothing. Man’s pride has become his downfall! During Holy and Great Lent we are taught the importance of humility and obedience to God’s commandments. Also how vulnerable humans are to evil influence. There are two ways “the devil” influences the human heart (1) through ideas or Logismoi (evil thoughts) and (2) through conceptual images suggested by the devil–the moment they occur. Judas Iscariot cooperated with the devil’s will and carried it out. Far from being a victim, Judas was the devil’s willing co-conspirator. We are constantly taught through the Holy Scripture, the hymns, divine services, throughout this holy season to be vigilant and watchful and to reject any evil thoughts , and fight against the passions. It is up to us to choose either to be instruments of goodness and of God or to betray Him and choose to be instruments of evil and the devil.

“Lord of the Powers, be with us; for other helper have we not, in tribulations but You. Lord of the Powers have mercy on us,” we chant in the divine service of the Great Compline during Holy Lent. Our Holy Mother Church through the divine services teaches her children how to implement all which God has instructed all of humanity through His Commandments. There is nothing too difficult or impossible to accomplish as long as we act in the spirit of faith and love. The message of our Holy Orthodox Church is clear that we depend entirely on the mercy of God and not our human abilities for everything. Unlike human experience where a young person looks forward to becoming independent of his/her parents as he/she reaches adulthood. Spiritually speaking, the more a believer grows in Christ, the more he/she becomes childlike, i.e., innocent, trusting, pure,godly, obedient; and his/her dependence on God becomes greater and greater. As our Beloved Lord and Savior said, “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God AS A LITTLE CHILD WILL BY NO MEANS ENTER IT” [Mark 10:15].

Psalm 69 {70]

O God, come to my assistance; Lord hasten to help me.
Let those who seek my soul be shamed and reproached.
Let those who wish me evil turn back and be disgraced.
Let those who say to me: Well done! Well done! turn
away in shame.
Let those who seek You, O God, rejoice and delight in You;
and let those who love Your salvation always say: The Lord
be exalted!
But I am poor and destitute, O God; help me.
You are my helper and my deliverer, Lord; do not delay.

The Prayer of Saint Ephraim

O Lord and Master of my life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth,
despair, lust of power and idle
talk.
(Prostration)

But give rather the spirit of chastity,
humility, patience and love to Thy
servant. (Prostration)

Yes, O Lord and King! Grant me to see
my own transgressions and not to
judge my brother (and sister), for
blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages.
(Prostration)

_____________
“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.

"AND YOU WILL BE HATED BY ALL FOR MY NAME’S SAKE"
[Luke 21:17].

"And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But
he who endures to the end will be saved" [Matthew 10:22].

He who believes in Jesus Christ and follows Him is one who lives only to do everything for His sake and glory. We are are δούλοι Κυρίου or slaves of the Lord, our God and Savior. When a slave was bought by his/her new master the first act by him was to shorn a lock of his/her hair to indicate to his slave that he/she was completely his property and from that day he/she was to serve him and be obedient to him in everything. The Christian, however, chooses to freely and willingly be a slave of Christ, his/her Divine Master. To serve Him out of love and and to faithfully serve Him with obedience and humility. Our Lord Christ says, "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor" [John 12:26]. Jesus also tells us, "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you" [John 15:15].

As the followers of Christ, the Christians are "hated by all," and persecuted by the unbelievers, but are always prepared to willingly suffer and give their life for His sake. Millions upon millions of Christian men, women and children have been imprisoned, tortured, and killed over the centuries. We know and honor them as Christian martyrs. A martyr is one who gives his/her life for Christ, physically dying as a witness to the Faith. Martyr itself comes from the Greek μάρτυς, which means "WITNESS." By traditional liturgical ranking, the martyrs are first among the Saints. Every devout Christian is a martyr, a true witness of the Lord and Savior Christ.

The believing and practicing Christian says as Saint Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ; I NO LONGER LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME; and the life which I now in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me" [Galatians 2:20]. It is very appropriate to refer to the holy Apostle’s words, " I have been crucified with Christ" as we begin today the season of Holy and Great Lent. Words which mean our sinful "passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24) have been crucified. This is not the crucifixion of human nature, but of "the flesh," the corruption into which humanity has fallen. This crucifixion must be willingly and freely accepted, just as our Lord and Savior accepted His Crucifixion and death.

Our Lented forty-day journey ought to be a tine of spiritual renewal and catharsis. A time of genuine introspection, of reevaluations of our life, priorities, and of self-examination. A time of repentance and of prayer, fasting and "living in faith." Just as living in the "flesh" involves the whole person, body and soul, so living "in the faith" involves the whole person, body and soul, and makes possible our ultimate desire union with our Christ Himself. The Orthodox Christian strives unceasingly to be one with Christ the Lord. Holy Lent is like the process of refining gold. Taking the ore that contains the precious metal along with other minerals and impurities. Crushing and grinding: The mined ore is crushed and ground into a fine powder. Then the fine powder is then mixed with water and chemicals to separate the gold from other minerals. The concentrated gold is then heated to a high temperature in a furnace which causes the gold to melt and separate from other impurities.

We, as sinful people, are full of impurities, and therefore we need to be separated and cleansed from them. We need to be purified and cleansed of all wicked impurities and refined so as to rediscover the precious gold which lies deep within us, the brilliant and beautiful image of God. This spiritual process of refining requires specific steps that one needs to take in order to accomplish it. The Orthodox Christian strives sincerely to fast, to pray, to worship, to repent, to reconcile with one’s enemies, to be engaged in works of mercy and love by helping others, to participate to the various divine Lenten services throughout the 40-day Great Fast, to be reconciled with God through the Mystery of Repentance/Confession, of resolving to live a more virtuous, compassionate, selfless, grace-filled life, of becoming a more humble, and obedient servant of God.

Another purpose of Holy and Great Lent is to come to our senses and decide to return to our true home, our heavenly Father’s Home, the Church. There He awaits to embrace us in His Divine,loving and Fatherly embrace. To heal Him say, "…let us eat and be merry; for this my son [ or daughter] was dead and is alive again; he/she was lost and is found" [Luke 15:23-24]. God always longs for the return of every sinner to His forgiving embrace. But we are also reminded to be repentant and remorseful just like the Prodigal Son and to say: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before You, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son/daughter. Make me like one of Your hired servants" [Luke 15:18-19]. Why is it that some Christians to still do not see or understand our relationship between our Creator and Father and us. It is very simple, He is our Father and we are His children.

Those of us who accept the invitation to participate in this very intense ascesis or struggle, will find that in the end our will-power, our faith, our communion with the Lord, our resistance to evil temptations, our humility, and our commitment to our Savior will be much stronger. And remember the answer to the question, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" … You know the Commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and your mother. And he said, ‘All these things I have kept from my youth.’ So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow Me" [Luke 18:18-22].

Holy Lent is also a time to find healing and relief from all of the burdens that weigh heavy on one’s soul. Turn to the Great and Divine Physician of our souls and bodies, our God and Savior Jesus Christ, and entreat Him to heal your every injury, iniquity, and infirmity of your soul and body. "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma" [Ephesians 4:31-5:2].

THE PRAYER OF SAINT EPHREM

O Lord and Master of my life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth,
despair, lust of power and idle
talk.

But give rather the spirit of chastity,
humility, patience and love to Thy
servant.

Yes, O Lord and King! Grant me to
see my own transgressions and not
to judge my brother, for blessed art
Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen.

_________
"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.

JESUS SAID: "LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO
THE END OF THE AGE" [Matthew 28:20].

Since the Lord is sending His disciples out among the Gentiles (pagans) to face death and danger, He gives them courage by saying, "Fear not, for I will be with you until the end of the age." Saint Theophylact says, "See also how He mentioned the end so as to arouse in them disdain for these calamities. Do not be downcast, He says to them, for all things will have an end, boht worldly sorrows and worldly joys. Do not be oppressed by sorrows for they will pass, and do not be deceived by good things, for they too, will come to an end. His promise to be with them was not made only to the Apostles, BUT TO ALL HIS DISCIPLES. For of course the holy Apostles would not live unto the end. He makes this promise even to us, and to those after us, not that He would be with us until the end, and then after the end He would depart from us–far from it! For it is rather from that moment on that He will be with us ever more clearly and distinctly. For the word "until", wherever it occurs in Holy Scripture, does not exclude the things that come after. Giving thanks, therefore, to the Lord Who is with us here, and provides us with every good thing, and again will be with us more perfectly after the end."

As Orthodox Christians we are not only reassured but also comforted by His promise to be with us always. There is no time when the Lord Jesus Christ is absent from His disciples and followers. This means that He is with us at the most critical days of our life, throughout the days and nights when we experience the various human conditions and challenges whether it is illness, torment, loneliness, despair, fear, sadness, sorrow, and temptations. He is present also on the most happy days of our lives, when we rejoice and we experience the many blessings that come from Him. No matter if our closest relatives or friends are present or not, we are never alone for Christ is present with us. Our Savior remains close to all those who entreat Him and seek His friendship and presence. He is there no matter what the circumstance may be. Everyone at one time or another faces a turbulent time in his or her life when conditions are threatening, when we run out of options, when we are lost, when we are exhausted from the numerous problems or sorrows, when our life feels like a wasteland, dry, empty, and even aimless. However, we are never alone, for God is with us, and when we begin to trust Him and believe this way, we will endure, and triumph over all of life’s obstacles. Jesus calms all the storms that threaten us. In the most difficult moments of life, faith unites us with Christ and gives us His strength and comfort.

Life, as we all have come to know, can change drastically and unexpectedly. It can be tranquill one day and violently stormy the next. This brings to mind the miracle when Jesus saved His disciples from a stormy sea. According to the Gospel of Saint Matthew 14:22-33, "Jesus made His Disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side…the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘BE OF GOOD CHEER! IT IS I; DO NOT BE AFRAID." In saying to the disciples, "be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid," He is also assuring us He will be with His people in the midst of the storms of life. "And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, "COME." "Come," is Christ’s invitation in the midst of wherever turmoil, trouble, struggle we are confronting. "Do not be afraid," as long as He is with us we should never be afraid of anything.

"And when Peter had come down out of hte boat; he WALKED ON THE WATER TO GO TO JESUS. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; AND BEGINNING TO SINK HE CRIED OUT, SAYING, "LORD, SAVE ME!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand AND CAUGHT HIM, AND SAID TO HIM, ‘O YOU OF LITTLE FAITH WHY DID YOU DOUBT?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased." On the one hand we see that our faith in time of danger is wavering, and on the other hand, we see the Lord stretching out His hand to catch us. He does not allow us, even when our faith is "little" to drown in the sea of adversity. The tendency for some, at times of trouble, is to be distracted and look away from God instead of looking towards Him. We hesitate and are weakened because we take our eyes off Christ, and instead, we focus on the issues, the storm, that threaten us. Don’t allow, what seems like enormous waves, to frighten us. When we allow the storms of life to frighten us, we become so overwhelmed by fear, and disoriented, that even when we see our Lord coming toward us, we don’t recognize Him and we, just like the disciples, see a "ghost," instead.

Believe and trust our God and Savior and do not lose faith in Him. As human beings we will face many challenges, problems, storms, illnesses, struggles, disappointments, sorrows, tragedies, etc. throughout our lifetime. As long as our faith remains steadfast all the concerns which we have in life will be dealt with and by the grace of God will be resolved. We witness many miracles such as the one mentioned above and if you look closely at your life you will see clearly a number of miracles that have taken place already in your life. A miracle will manifest when we call upon God in faith for His help and what seems to us to be an impossible task becomes possible in an instant. Everything that God does, He does in wisdom and when He feels is the right time for His intervention, and NOT ours!

In Our Orthodox Christian Traditions, prayer is essential and as Saint John Chrysostom emphasizes prayer is the most powerful thing in the life of a person, and nothing can be compared with prayer. Prayer is the unique and priceless gift of our Creator to man, because it is through prayer that we are united with Him. The holy Apostle Peter cried out, "Lord, save me!" which is the shortest prayer in the Holy Bible. In our Orthodox Tradition we constantly chant and say, "Kyrie Eleison," or "Lord, have mercy." We also offer the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner," which is an expansion of it. However, if one is to offer it to God, it must be said with faith, trust, humility, sincerity and with absolute conviction.

_____________
"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 DESTRUCTIVE VICE OF ANGER

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil
speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God in Christ
forgave you" [Ephesians 4:31-32].

Saint Basil the Great recognized the loss of reason in anger,"it makes a man completely bestial…in fact, it does not even allow him to be a man at all, because he no longer has the lelp of his reason." Furthermore, Saint Basil says, "Anger nurses a grievance. The soul, itching for vengeance, constantly tempts us to repay those who have offended." Saint Isaac the Syrian writes: "Do not pass through the streets of the hot-tempered and quarrelsome, lest your heart be filled with anger, and the darkness of delusion dominates your soul." And Saint John Cassian states: "No matter what provokes it, anger blinds the soul’s eyes, preventing it from seeing the Sun of Righteousness."

The deleterious vice of anger has been responsible for even murder which leads to one’s damnation. It is through prayer and obedience to our Lord’s admonition to love our enemies. He said: "But I say to you, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, BLESS THOSE WHO CURSE YOU, DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU, AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SPITEFULLY USE YOU AND PERSECUTED YOU" [Matthew 5:44]. Having freed us from hate, sadness, and anger, He offers the greatest possession of all–PERFECT LOVE. Saint Theophylact states, "Here has reached the very pinnacle of the virtues. For what is greater than to love one’s enemies? But it is not impossible to accomplish. For Moses and Saint Paul loved the Jews who were raging against them more than they loved themselves, and all the Saints have loved their enemies. "Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you…" . "We bless them because we must consider them our benefactors. For anyone who persecutes us and puts us to the test, lightens the punishment that we will suffer for our own sins. We will also bless them when God gives us the great crown of the contest" writes Saint Theophylact.

The vile passion of anger is detrimental to our salvation. The holy Apostle Paul writes, "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma" [Ephesians 5:1-2]. In the Gospel of Saint Luke 23:33-34 we are told, "And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DO." This is a remarkable prayer, showing the BOUNDLESS MERCY OF THE CRUCIFIED JESUS. To be imitators of Christ means that we too must show the same mercy to our enemies.

The vice of anger has no place in the heart of the Christian and neither does hatred, vangeans, envy, malice, and vindictiveness. Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also" [Matthew 5:38-39]. Through Christian forbearance it brings both us and our enemy under the yoke of God’s love. We are reminded by the holy Apostle Paul that "the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL" [Galatians 5:22]. Even though someone may attempt to provoke us to anger we must resist and instead respond with kindness, patience, self-control, and gentleness.

Having a hot temper and to lash out at someone is wrong and hurtful to the innocent person. We must exercise self-control at all times and if we are tempted to lose our temper at someone we must immediately seek God’s aid to avoid it. There is no one that deserves any unjust chastement by us. There are some people, however, who get some kind of personal satisfaction or gratification by blowing up at others but that is totally wrong and wicked. That type of attitude is unchristian and becomes an obstacle to our relationship with our Lord and to our spiritual welfare. We, as Orthodox Christians, know that there is an adversary who is relentless in his attacks upon us. We are, therefore, to "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 the age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" [Ephesians 6:11-12]. All who stand for good must wage a constant battle with the forces of evil. For the demons still have power in the world until Christ comes again in glory. Christian fight back with God’s arms, that is, His Uncreated Divine energy, given to us and actively used by us. The Orthodox Christian has "put on" at baptism all of the qualities listed as armor in vv. 14-17 in Ephesians Chapter 6. These qualities must be exercised in the conflict of growth: no struggle, no theosis (deification).

Be gentle and respectful to all. just as Jesus is with all of us. He says to us, "learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly of heart" [Matthew 11:29]. To attempt to justify our wrong actions of flare ups is unacceptable. The good and meek Christian does not place his burdens on others. Everyone has problems, frustrations, disappointments, failures, and worries but we must not take our anger out on others who are not responsible for them. We must instead deal with all our personal issues through prayer, trust in God and faith. To lash out on people who love us and help us is unfair and unjust. This kind of treatment is a form of violence and is directed to people who may be vulnerable and are unable to defend themselves. Violence and physical, emotional, spiritual, or psychological abuse that causes pain and injury to another person is condemned by our Holy Orthodox Church. We all know for a fact, that words and vicious threats can be just as injurious, as physical attacks. Those guilty of such hostile behavior must come to their senses and end it immediately. Also, they need to find a spiritual father or father confessor and participate in the Mystery (Sacrament) of Repentance/Confession. By the grace of God, he or she will be granted forgiveness and reconciliation with God, and those who have been wounded by them.

Christians understand that nothing that we think, say, or do goes unnoticed by God. There are high standards that every Christian must adhere to and values that must be implemented in his or her life. Our behavior today has consequences for the future. As we have been blessed so must we bless others. We, an Orthodox Christians, are living witnesses to God’s graciousness to all of us, unworthy as we are, and the entire world, "Glory Be To GOD for all things!"

___________
"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.

PATHS OF HEALING

A NEW BIRTH

To live for the Divine Life, one must first be born into it: "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God" [John 3:5]. This refers TO BAPTISM and its necessity is therefore absolute. "In Baptism man is mystically born into spiritual life. In Chrismation he receives Grace which gives growth and strengthens. In Communion he is spiritually nourished. In Repentance/Confession he is healed of spiritual disease (sins). In Priesthood he receives the Grace spiritually to regenerate and nurture others, by means of teaching, prayer, and the Mysteries (Sacraments). In Matrimony he receives Grace which sanctifies marriage and the natural birth-giving and upbringing of children. In Unction (Holy Oil) he is healed of diseases of the soul and body by means of a healing of spiritual diseases.

The Church is surrounded by the sinful, unenlightened world; however, it itself IS A NEW CREATION, and it CREATES A NEW LIFE. And every member of it is called to receive and to create in himself this new life. This new life should be preceded by a break on the part of the future member of the Church with the life of "the world." However, when one speaks of the break with "the world," this does not mean to go away totally from life on earth, from the midst of the rest of mankind which is often unbelieving and corrupt, "since then," writes the holy Apostle Paul, "you would need to go out of the world" [1 Corinthians 5:10]. However, in order to enter the Church one must depart from the power of the devil and become in this sinful world "strangers and pilgrims" [1 Peter 2:11]. One must place a decisive boundary between oneself and "the world," and for this one must openly and straightforwardly RENOUNCE THE DEVIL; for one CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS. One must cleanse in oneself the old leaven, so as to be A NEW DOUGH [1 Corinthians 5:7].

Therefore, from the deepest Christian antiquity the moment of entrance into the Church has been PRECEDED BY A SPECIAL "RENUNCIATION OF THE DEVIL," after which there follows the Baptism with the cleansing away of sinful defilement. The Mystery (Sacrament) of Baptism serves AS THE DOOR LEADING INTO THE KINGDOM OF GRACE, OR THE Church, and it grants ACCESS TO PARTICIPATION IN THE OTHER MYSTERIES (SACRAMENTS). Even before the establishment of the Mystery of Baptism, the Lord Jesus Christ in His conversation with Nicodemus indicated THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY OF IT FOR SALVATION: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." When Nicodemus expressed his perplexity, "How can a man be born when he is old?" the Savior replied that THE NEW BIRTH WOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED BY WATER AND THE SPIRIT: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" [John 3:3-6].

The mystical Grace-given aspect of Baptism as indicated by the Holy Scripture is a "NEW BIRTH," and it is performed for the salvation of men [Mark 16:16]. Saint Symeon the New Theologian writes concerning the saving fruits of this Mystery (Sacrament): "There has come another birth, or rebirth, which REGENERATES MAN THROUGH HOLY BAPTISM by the Holy Spirit, again UNITES HIM WITH THE Divine Nature as it was when he was created by the hands of God restores all the powers of his soul, renews them and brings them to the condition in which they were before the transgression of first-created Adam; in this way it leads him into the Kingdom of God, into which NO ONE UNBAPTIZED CAN ENTER, and ENLIGHTENS HIM WITH ITS LIGHT AND GRANTS HIM TO TO TASTE ITS JOYS. Thus each one who is baptized becomes again such as Adam was before the transgression, and is led into the noetic Paradise and receives the commandment to work it and keep it–to work it by fulfillment of the commandments of Jesus Christ Who has RECREATED HIM, AND TO KEEP IT BY THE KEEPING OF THE GRACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH WAS GIVEN TO HIM THROUGH HOLY BAPTISM, CONFESSING THAT THE POWER OF THIS GRACE WHICH DWELLS IN HIM FULFILLS TOGETHER WITH HIM THE COMMANDMENTS OF CHRIST."

Moreover, setting forth the Grace-given significance of Baptism, the holy Apostles in their Epistles indicate that in it we are "sanctified," "cleansed," "justified"; that in Baptism we "DIE TO SIN" so as to walk in renewed life, we are "buried with Christ, " and we arise with Him, "Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word" [that is, Baptism with the utterance of the worlds instituted to accompany it; Ephesians 5:25-26]. "You are washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" [1 Corinthians 6:11]. "We are buried with Him by Baptism into death, that life as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" [Romans 6:4).  Baptism is called "THE WASHING OF REGENERATION" [Titus 3:5]. As for the subjective side–the state of our soul of the person being baptized–it is indicated by the Apostle Peter, who calls Baptism THE PROMISE OF A "GOOD CONSCIENCE TOWARD GOD" [1 Peter 3:21]. Through Baptism at the same time one IS JOINED TO THE CHURCH.

The Greek word BAPTIZO itself signifies "TO IMMERSE." The IMMERSION in water is done three times with the pronunciation of the words: "The servant of God [name] is baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," in accordance with the commandment given by Christ Himself: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT" [Matthew 28:19]. Making disciples CANNOT BE DONE IN THE STRENGTH OF MAN, BUT ONLY IN THE POWER OF GOD. Thus was it performed in the ancient Church.

Since in Baptism a man receives, in place of the old existence he had, a new existence and life, and BECOMES A CHILD OF GOD, a member of the Body of Christ or the Church, an inheritor of Eternal Life, it is therefore evident that Baptism IS INDISPENSABLE FOR ALL, INCLUDING INFANTS, so that growing in body and spirit they might grow in Christ. In the Apostolic Scriptures many times there is mention of the Baptism of whole families (the house of Lydia, the house of the prison guard, the house of Stephanas–1 Corinthians 1:16), and NOWHERE IS IT MENTIONED THAT INFANTS WERE EXCLUDED FROM THIS. The holy Father of the Church in their instructions to the faithful insist upon the Baptism of children.

The Mystery (Sacrament) of CHRISMATION is performed usually immediately after the Mystery of Baptism, comprising together with it a single Church rite. The performer of the Mystery, the bishop or priest, "anoints the one who has been baptized with Holy Myrrh, makingthe sign of the Cross on the brow and eyes, the nostrils, the lips, both ears, the breast, and the hands and feet" while signing each part of the body he pronounces the words, "THE SEAL OF THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT." The words by which the Mystery is performed, "the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit," indicate its significance and effect. It is (a) the culminating act of "being united" to the Church, the confirmation or seal of union; and (b) "the seal of hte Grace-given powers" which are bestowed in it for strengthening and growth in spiritual life. [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

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.

REMAINING CONSCIOUS OF GOD’S PRESENCE AT ALL TIMES
AND EVERY PLACE.

“Where can I go from Your
Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your
presence?
I ascend into heaven, You are
there;
If I make my bed in hell,
behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the
morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts
of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.”
[Psalm 138[139]:7-10].

Each of us is known by the Lord. The psalmist wonders at the depth of God’s plan and foretells the calling of the Gentiles and the resistance of the Jews. Verse 8 is prophetic, and could only be true for us had God entered Sheol. Thus, Christ descended to Hades on our behalf, trampling down death by death, so that through God in the flesh dwelling in hell, WE ARE NOT SEPARATED FROM HIM EVEN IN DEATH!

God is NOT subject to any limitation in space, but He fills everything. Filling everything, God, as a simple Being, IS PRESENT IN EVERY PLACE, NOT AS IT WERE IN SOME PART OF HIM, OR BY MERELY SENDING DOWN SOME POWER FROM HIMSELF, BUT IN ALL HIS BEING; and He is NOT confused with that in which He is present. “The Divinity PENETRATES EVERYTHING without being mingled with anything, but nothing can penetrate Him” [Saint John Damascene]. “That God is present everywhere we know, but how, we do not understand, because we can understand only a sensuous presence, and it is not given to us to understand fully the Nature of God” [Saint John Chrysostom]. Saint Gregory Palamas teaches that both God’s Essence and His Energies, being inseparable from each other, ARE PRESENT EVERYWHERE IN CREATION.”

The holy Desert Fathers and ascetics state that the greatest sin of all is FORGETFULNESS OF GOD. Therefore, the question is how do we remain conscious of the Divine Presence at all times? This is the only way for a believer to make significant spiritual progress. As Orthodox Christians we believe that through our Lord Jesus Christ, God entered into history, that is into time and space and from this moment in time there is no single place or moment that is not filled with His Divine Presence. Jesus brought about the end of a religion whose practice was to call upon God in prayer, worship or the temple. Our Lord speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well said to her: “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father… But the hour is coming, AND NOW IS, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth… God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” [John 4:21-24]. Jesus teaches that worship is NOT tied to any geographical place. He possesses a spiritual nature which cannot be confined to a particular geographic location.

Now God is in everything. The holy Apostle Paul says everything is through Him and in Him. If we are wondering about the purpose of life the answer is quite simple “to encounter within all our successive activities, at the heart of every happening, the God Who waits for us there.” We pray to the Holy Spirit: “O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, YOU ARE EVERYWHERE AND FILL ALL THINGS. TREASURY OF BLESSINGS AND GIVER OF LIFE: COME AND ABIDE IN US, AND CLEANSE US FROM EVERY IMPURITY, AND SAVE OUR SOULS, O Good One!” And in the divine service of the Great Compline we chant: “God is with us, know it you nations and be submissive, For God is with us. Hear it to the ends of the earth. For God is with us…”

Indeed, God is with us! But for some reason some people find it difficult to believe. However, believing that He is always present is the true path to holiness and genuine asceticism. When we begin to believe that God is with us and everywhere present, that He sees everything that we do or do not do, we would think twice before we break His commandments, or before we offended Him. Knowing that He knows us and our actions throughout our lifetime we could never plead ignorance on the dreadful Judgment Day. We read in the book of Revelation 20:12: “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS, BY THE THINGS WHICH WERE WRITTEN IN THE BOOKS.” “Standing before God” at His Throne at the Final Judgment, “the dead” are confronted with “their works.” “The Book of Life” contains the names of all who are saved by grace. God’s mercy is far greater than human works, good or bad. The Orthodox Divine Liturgy thus petitions God for a “GOOD ACCOUNT BEFORE THE DREAD JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST.”

It is essential for people to know and believe that there is accountability for everything that we do. No one can escape this Final Judgment of God. “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the Second Death” [Revelation 21:8]. Those who fall away through cowardice or unbelief face instead “the lake of fire.” They lose God’s inheritance, receiving instead the damning recompense of sin and death in company of the beast, the false prophet, Death, and Hades. The most complete picture of this Last or Final Judgment by the Savior is given in Matthew 25:31-46 [“When the Son of Man shall come in His glory…”).  The Judgment will be universal, that is,  extending to all men living and dead, good and evil, and according to other indications given in the word of God, even to the fallen angels themselves [2 Peter 2:4; Jude, v. 6]. It will be solemn and open, for the Judge will appear in all His glory with all His holy Angels before the face of the whole world. It will be a “day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God [Romans 2:5]. Also, final and definitive, determining for all eternity the fate of each one who is judged. The result of the Judgment will be eternal reward–blessedness for the righteous and torment for the evil who are condemned.

The great mistake made by man is to deny God’s presence among us and in us. For the Orthodox Christian the Lord’s presence is very real in the Divine Liturgy. Although the bread and wine are transformed in the Mystery into Body and Blood of the Lord, He IS PRESENT IN THIS MYSTERY (SACRAMENT) “WITH ALL HIS BEING”, that is, with His soul and with His very Divinity, which is inseparably united to His humanity. Although, further, the Body and Blood of the Lord are broken in the Mystery of Communion and distributed, still we believe that “IN EVERY PART–even in the smallest particle–of the Holy Mysteries, those who receive Holy Communion RECEIVE THE ENTIRE CHRIST IN HIS BEING, THAT IS, IN HIS SOUL AND DIVINITY AS PERFECT GOD and perfect man. This faith the Holy Church expresses in the words of the priest at the breaking of the Holy Lamb: “Broken and divided is the Lamb of God, which is broken, though NOT disunited, which is ever eaten, though never consumed, but sanctifieth those that partake thereof.” [Orthodox Dogmatic Theology]

Those who doubt Christ’s presence in the Divine Eucharist commit a grave sin. To receive communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord is the essential, necessary, saving, and consoling obligation of every Orthodox Christian. This is evident from the words of the Savior which He uttered when giving the promise regarding the Mystery of the Eucharist: “Most assuredly, I say to you, UNLESS YOU EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, YOU HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU” [John 6:53]. We receive the benefits of Christ’s Sacrifice by coming to Him IN FAITH, and by communion with Him we “EAT HIS FLESH AND DRINK HIS BLOOD. To receive Everlasting Life, we must partake of His Eucharistic flesh and blood. Saint John Chrysostom [Homily 47:2] teaches we must NOT understand the Mystery (Sacrament) carnally, that is, according to the laws of physical nature, BUT SPIRITUALLY PERCEIVING A TRUE BUT MYSTICAL PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN THE DIVINE EUCHARIST.

__________
“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 ORTHODOX PERSPECTIVE ON PRAYER

Saint John Chrysostom speaking on prayer says, "As Christians we are obligated to honor and appreciate the Saints of God for two reasons: The first reason is because all the Saints had placed the hope of their spiritual salvation upon the sacred prayers. The second reason is because the prayers which they offered to God with joy and fear have been preserved in their writings. Thus their spiritual treasures, having been transmitted to us, may draw all subsequent believers toward the zeal of these Saints. The way of life of the teachers must be transmitted to their pupils. Thus the pupils of the Saints, that is, us Christians, must prove ourselves to be imitators of their righteousness. This we may do by always being preoccupied with prayer and the worship of God, considering thus as life and health and wealth and the end of all good things our prayer toward God with a pure heart and an incorruptible soul. For as the sun illumines the body so also does prayer ILLUMINE THE SOUL. If then the blind person is deprived because he cannot see the sun, how much more IS THE CHRISTIAN DIMINISHED AND HARMED WHO DOES NOT PRAY CONSTANTLY, AND WHO, CONSEQUENTLY, DOES NOT GATHER INTO HIS OR HER SOUL, THROUGH PRAYER, THE LIGHT OF CHRIST."

" PRAYER therefore must begin with some sort of a retreat that is both a spatial retreat and a moral retreat. The Lord Himself taught His Disciples to pray "IN SECRET," That is, to RETREAT FROM THE CROWDS AND TO AVOID PRETENTIOUS PRAYER THAT IS MEANT TO BE NOTICED BY OTHERS. Prayer is always personal, inasmuch as it is always a person who prays. And indeed, it is only the human person who can stand before God, face to face, as we have already noted, and pray to Him Who is "in sec\ret." One must retreat into solitude in order to be able to pray effectively. This solitude is not merely a retreat into our room, but it is more importantly also a spiritual severance from the world of evil passions, imaginations and concerns of a worldly life. This spiritual action of separation from the world is most difficult precisely because it is often these very passions and concerns of this world that we want to bring to God in our prayers so that He may help and serve us! The walls of our room with the closed door and every other external barrier cannot by themselves protect and guard our attention, nor can these external barriers keep us from sin."

The spiritual solitude and concentration required to pray in truth and in spirit is realized only through an intensive ascetical and inner struggle, with a steadfast and constant discipline and exercise, as well as with a total orientation of our life toward God. When our personality is liberated from sin and the passions, then the old self can be reborn and gradually grow by grace in the Holy Spirit, according to the stature of the New Adam, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Saint John of the Ladder states, "PRAYER IS THE COMMUNION AND UNION OF MAN WITH GOD." it is the apex of the human relationship with God and the most intimate, personal, and transcendent moment in the life of a believer. As such it is like a mirror which reflects they mystical level of the heart and reveals the secrets of the soul.

LET US PRAY TO THE LORD!

Kyrie Eleison

A PRAYER FOR ALL TIMES

O Master and God, Father Almighty,
Lord, and Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
and Holy Spirit,
one Divinity and power,
have mercy on me a sinner,
and save me, Your unworthy servant,
in any way You know;
for You are Blessed unto the ages of
ages. Amen.

A MORNING PRAYER TO THE HOLY TRINITY

O Lord, Yours is the day and Yours in the night;
You have perfected the light and the sun;
You have made all good things of the earth,
and we ask You:
cause Your rich mercies
to rise on our lowliness,
together with the daylight.
Free us from the darkness
and the shadow of death
and from every evil thought
and device of the devil.
For Yours it is to have mercy
and to save us, O God,
and to You we send up glory,
to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit, now and ever and
unto ages of ages. Amen.

A MORNING PRAYER TO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

O Christ our God, the ever-shining and most bright sun of
righteousness, You Who shone with Your flesh in the
darkness of our ignorance and called all people to the
deep knowledge of Your ineffable glory, consume in the
fire of Your incomprehensible Divinity our wickedness
which furiously desires material things.
Extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one.
Shine within our hearts Your pure Light of the knowledge
of God, and open the eyes of our mind that we may
understand Your Gospel teachings and be aware of Your
marvelous works.
Instill in us also the fear of Your Blessed commandments
so that by trampling down all the desires of the flesh,
we may live a spiritual life, thinking and doing all those
things that are pleasing to You;
for You are Blessed unto the ages of ages. Amen.

A THANKSGIVING PRAYER AFTER HOLY COMMUNION

O Christ, Master and God, King of the ages and Creator of all,
I thank You for all the good gifts You have given me, and for
the participation in Your immaculate and Life-Giving Mysteries.
Therefore, I pray to You, O Good Lord Who loves mankind:
guard me under Your protection and under the shadow of Your
wings; and grant me until my last breath, that I may partake
worthily and with the pure conscience of Your holy Gifts, unto
remission of sins and Life Everlasting.
For You are the Bread of Life, the Fountain of Holiness, the
Giver of every good, and to You we send up glory, together
with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto
the ages of ages. Amen.

A FOURTH PRAYER BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION

I believe, O Lord, and I confess that You are truly the Christ,
the Son of the Living God Who came into the world to save
sinners, of whom I am the first.
I also believe that this is indeed Your Immaculate Body, and
that this is indeed Your Precious Blood.
Therefore, I pray to You:
Have mercy on me, and forgive me m transgressions,
voluntary and involuntary, in word and in deed, in knowledge
and in ignorance; and make me worthy without condemnation
to partake of Your immaculate Mysteries, unto remission of
sins and unto life Eternal. Amen.

A PRAYER TO THE MOST-BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Rejoice! O Lady, Mother of mercy,
life, sweetness, and our hope,
rejoice!
To You we cry, the children of Eve in exile.
Upon You we gaze, groaning and wailing in this valley of
lamentation.
Wherefore, go ahead, our Defender, turn Your
compassionate eyes to us and with this look show us
Jesus, the Blessed Fruit of Your womb,
O sweet Virgin Mary.

A PRAYER FOR ALL TIMES

The Father is my hope,
the Son is my refuge,
the Holy Spirit is my shelter;
O Holy Trinity, glory to You.

To You, O Mother of God,
I commit all my hope;
keep me under Your protection.

PRAYER BEFORE THE MAIN MEAL

The poor shall eat and be satisfied, those
who seek the Lord shall praise Him.
Their hearts shall live forever" –Psalm 22:26

The Blessing

Christ God, bless the food and drink of Your
servants, for You are Holy always, now
and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

After Meals

We thank You, O Christ our God, for You
have satisfied us with Your earthly
blessings.
Deprive us not of Your heavenly Kingdom, but
as You came to Your Disciples and granted
them peace, so come to us and save us, O
Savior!

___________
"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.

AN ANTHOLOGY OF ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN PRAYERS

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord.
Kyrie Eleison

O Christ our God,
At all times and at every hour, in heaven and on earth,
You are worshipped and glorified;
You are long-suffering, most merciful, most compassionate,
You love the righteous and have mercy upon the sinners;
You call everyone to salvation
through the promise of future blessings;
Receive, O Lord, our prayers at this hour
And direct our life toward Your commandments.
Sanctify our souls; make our bodies chaste;
Correct our thoughts; purify our intentions;
And deliver us from every grief and pain that comes from evil.
Encompass us by Your holy Angels,
So that guarded and guided by them
We may attain to the unity of the faith
And to the knowledge of Your unapproachable glory,
For You are Blessed unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer to the Guardian Angel

O my holy guardian Angel,
Attendant of my wretched soul and afflicted life,
Do not abandon me, a sinner,
Do not depart from me because of my lack of self-control.
Do not allow the evil demon to subdue me
Through the oppression of this mortal body of mine.
Take hold of my wretched and outstretched hand
And guide me on the way to salvation.
O holy Angel of God,
Guardian and protector of my miserable soul and body,
Forgive me for all those things with which I have grieved you
Throughout all the days of my life;
And for whatever I have I have sinned this day.
During this present night shelter me and keep me safe
From every attack of the adversary,
That I may not through some sin bring anger to God.
Intercede with the Lord in my behalf
To give me strength to stand in awe of Him
And to become a worthy servant of His goodness. Amen.

+



A PRAYER FOR DAILY PERSONAL SUPPORT
(Saint Paisios the Great)

Lord Jesus Christ my God, today grant me a good day without
sin and vain distractions. Lord, do not abandon me. Lord, do not
turn away from me. Lord, extend to me a hand of assistance. Lord,
support me in the fear of You. Let this fear of You but also Your
love be implanted deeply into my heart. Lord, grant compunction
and humility to my heart. Lord, grant me constant tears and contrition
and the remembrance of death. Lord, deliver me from every
temptation of the spirit and of the body. Lord, uproot from me
negligence, laziness, sorrow, forgetfulness, insensitivity,
callousness and the surrender to captivity of my mind. Lord, as You
know and as You want, have mercy on me and forgive all of my
transgressions. Lord, having attained peace through a good repentance
and a ready and full confession, I hope that You will permit my
lamentable soul, n due time, to make its exodus from this body in
pure and perfect faith. Amen.

A PRAYER OF SAINT BASIL THE GREAT

Blessed are You, O Lord God Almighty,
You have illumined the day with the light of the sun
And the night You have brightened with the rays of the fiery moon;
You have made us worthy to go through this day
And to approach the beginning of the night.
Hear our petitions and those of all Your people,
And forgive us all our voluntary and involuntary sins.
Receive our evening prayers,
And send down upon the people of Your inheritance
The multitude of Your mercy and compassionate love.
Encompass us with Your holy Angels.
Arm us with the weapons of Your Righteousness.
Outline us with the mark of Your Truth.
Guard us by Your power.
Deliver us from every circumstance
and influence of the adversary.
Grant us once again, O Lord, that this present evening,
together with the approaching night,
and all the days of our life,
Will be perfect, holy, peaceful, sinless
and without any scandalous imaginations.
We pray for this through the intercessions of the Holy Theotokos
and all the Saints who have pleased You through the ages.
Amen.
[Source: A Prayer Book. An Anthology of Orthodox Prayers
by Father Peter A. Chamberas

___________
"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