THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST PART 3

THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST PART 3

CHRISTMAS 2012

     The young child of God Mary, was apart from the world and its attractions, instead she enjoyed the companionship of heavenly angels, and advancing in years she remained in the temple of God. Mary had no idea that she would soon become the most known and blessed of the human race, the Queen of heaven and earth, our prize and gift to God. Nor did she know that the Messiah whom she so yearned for would dwell in her womb and that she would become His Mother. She repulsed from herself any inclination of sin, but knew and felt the weakness of human nature, and her sensitivity made her feel this more than many. Because of this, she yearned greatly that the Savior who would come one day, who had been promised by God through many Prophets. There were women in Israel of different ages, who nourished the desire that the Messiah who was to come, would be born of one of them. However, David the Prophet King foresaw his daughter Mary’s day when he prophesied: "At your right hand stood the Queen, arrayed and adorned in clothing of solid gold.

THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST PART 2

THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

PART TWO

CHRISTMAS 2012

     The gracious child Mary, is destined to become the most honorable Mother of God, the most greatly blessed of all humanity, for she will in the fulness of time, give birth to the Savior of the whole world. The Virgin Mary, chosen of God, was gracefully filled with His grace from her earliest childhood, for she was chosen by God out of the entire human race. Her God-fearing and loving parents also contributed much to her spiritual beauty, and filled her with parental love. And here is a symbol of her greatness and supreme rank in heaven, with none higher than her except God. The grace of God with which she was filled will be transformed into her permanent name. This was fulfilled when the Angel Gabriel, greets her at the Annunciation. For he addressed her with her new name in this manner: "Rejoice! Full of Grace!"

THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

Part One CHRISTMAS 2012

      Some say that this year Christmas doesn’t seem to be like it used to be, and upon hearing this the writer thought, I love Christmas and it becomes better every year. Why the difference of opinion? There is Christmas in the world and there is the Christmas which is the Nativity of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Christmas in the world consists of many visions of Santa Claus, Christmas trees, holly, wreaths, mangers. Christmas presents, Christmas carols, candy canes, elves, shopping lists, Christmas cards, and one horse open sleighs. The only thing missing is what this day was originally about – the birth in Bethlehem of the Lord Jesus Christ, and His being laid in a manger. Christmas of 2012 has indeed changed as the powers that be, continuously secularize the day and making certain that Jesus Christ is hidden and not brought to anyone’s attention. Let us approach Christmas as Orthodox Christians do. We begin with the prophecy of His birth from the Virgin.

THE OLD LIFE OF MISERY vs THE NEW LIFE OF JOY

THE OLD LIFE OF MISERY vs THE NEW LIFE OF JOY

"You have not resisted unto blood in striving against sin" (Heb. 12:4).

"That we too might walk in the newness of life" (Rom. 6:4)

     St. Paul rebukes some early Christians with these words: "You have not resisted unto blood in striving against sin." His rebuke is not only for them but for all of us until this day. When we were baptized into Christ, St. Paul said in the baptism epistle: "We were buried therefore, with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ is raised from the dead, by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life . . ." The newness of life is the whole purpose of the Church’s existence, the reformation of each of us to become an image of Christ, fearing and loving Him and doing His work in this fallen world.

     What is the oldness of life? The oldness life, is the life of the pagan and unbeliever; the wretched life of sin and passions. It is living only for the

POPE CALLS ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS DEFECTIVE

 

POPE SAYS JESUS

FORMED BUT ONE CHURCH

– THE PAPACY

 

Pope: Other denominations

not true churches

Benedict issues statement asserting that Jesus established ‘only one church'

 

MSNBC News Services

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19692094/ns/world_news-europe/t/pope-other-denominations-not-true-churches/

LORENZAGO DI CADORE, Italy -

Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches.

THE PONTIFF OF ROME INSULTS JESUS CHRIST

AND CHRIST’S TRUE ORTHODOX
CHURCH

     Standing apart from the One Holy Catholic Church which they abandoned a thousand years ago, the Pope looks at the True Church, calling it defective, for one reason,  it is not his, for he imagines himself as the only authority in the world! In the thousand years since the great Apostasy of Rome, after separating from the  Catholic, Apostolic Church, the Papacy falsely proclaimed itself the Catholic Church. Orthodox leaders of our times, know for certain, what we all know, that the Orthodox Church alone is the true One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, as confess in our Holy Creed. Some leaders have thought that dialogues with the Papists could bear fruit, hoping that Rome would renounce its errors and  return to Orthodox. But the Papacy cannot and will not move a single inch away from its fundamental dogma, which is: the Pope of Rome is the only super-bishop ruling over all mankind, to be questioned by no one being the infallible representative of God on earth.

    The Pope says that the Orthodox Churches are indeed "churches" and that they enjoyed "many elements of sanctification and truth." But, he said, they lack something because they do not recognize the primacy of the Pope – and are defective causing them harm.

　　

"Orthodoxy is Defective and Wounded"

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