JEWS IN THOUSANDS BROUGHT  TO FAITH  BY JESUS CHRIST

     St. Gregentius was at first a deacon in the church of Milan, then he was taken to Alexandria where he was consecrated bishop of the Homerites in south Arabia by Patriarch Proterius. He was a good shepherd and wonder-worker, organizing the church with the help of the Christ-loving King Avram. He performed great and wondrous things by his holy prayers. He governed the church for thirty years, and entered peacefully into eternal life in the late fifth century.

     In the town of Zafar, the majority of its inhabitants were Jews who clung to the old law being firm in their conviction not to recognize the Messiah. Gregory strove among them seeking to bring them to Christ and the truth of the Christian Faith. After a period of time the Jews suggested to  King Avram that there ought to be a debate on faith, offering him the assurance that if they were defeated, they would embrace the Christian faith, for they were certain tht God would give them the victory. After a period of forty days of preparation the debate began Ervan being spokesman and orator for the Jews. The spokesman for Christians was Saint Archbishop Gregentius.

    During the debate Ervan accused the Christians of worshiping three gods, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and how the Lord gave the great commandment in Mt. Sinai that God is one. Gregentius countered: “The Christians worship one God the Creator of all, in three hypostases, even as the Lord God was mentioned thrice in the verse just cited. Hearken now to the words of the psalmist David: “By the Logos of God were the heavens established, and all the might of them by the Spirit of His mouth (Psalm 32:61).  Observe how David also proclaims three hypostases, but a single divinity, co-essential, without beginning, co-everlasting, and co-enthroned. The Lord is one God the Father, His Son and Logos, and His Spirit is the Holy Spirit.”  

     Inspired by the Holy Spirit, and drawing prophecies and other writings from Scripture, Gregentius totally dominated the debate, leaving Ervan impotent in his meager efforts. Soon Ervan attempted to flee the debate but his co-religionists prevented him, saying: “Do not abandon us, for God is with us.”

Ervan then  attacked the adoration of material icons claiming this to be idolatry. Gregentius proved the correctness of the honor given by  many other material things, the golden jar with manna, the tablets of the law, the ark of the covenant, the golden jar with the manna, the tablets of the law, Aaron’s rod that budded, the altar, the censer, and the seven lamps” Ex. 25:37). . He said: “Did not the cloud cover the tabernacle of witness? For the tabernacle was filled with the glory of the Lord (Ex.40:34). The debate lasted for four days leaving Ervan dispirited, and he remarked to his fellow Jews, “The man is far superior to me in intellect and oratory, I cannot gainsay or contradict his reasoning.  He has turned to nothing all my arguments and queries. The Jews would not accept Ervan’s words insisting that God is with them, and will assist us to utterly defeat Gregentius. 

     That night Ervan had a dream in which he saw Moses and Christ, Moses having his arms crossed across his breast was bowing to Christ as Lord and God. He asked Moses, if it was proper to conduct myself in such a way before Jesus? Moses rebuked him and told him to be quiet while he was worshiping the Lord. Moses told him to stop harassing Archbishop Gregentius and perverting the Scriptures, saying, know this that you shall be defeated tomorrow. The vision vanished and he was awakened not knowing what to think or do.  

     The next day the debate continued and the Archbishop continued to prevail over Ervan reducing his arguments to worthlessness.. Then Ervan came up with an idea which he hoped would snare the holy man, for he could not offer any further arguments against the Christian faith. He said to the Saint: Why should we consume so much time in discourse and argument which has proved vain and without profit? Let us do away with all contention and rivalry and come to actual deed. Show me this Jesus Christ living, that I might perceive Him with the senses and converse with Him.  Then in truth shall I become a Christian. The Jews objected to his words and urged Ervan to continue and never become a Christian, but play the man and be strong. Stand firm and be strong and do not waver in our religion for God is with us.

Ervan rebuked his fellow Jews, saying: “What nonsense are you speaking, O mindless ones? If Gregentius should truly show me the Christ of whom the prophets spoke, and  if I choose to resolutely disbelieve then would I be an imbecile and wanting in understanding, and indeed estranged from the God of our Fathers".

     The Jews were convinced that  the appearance of Christ alive would be an impossibility. They reasoned that He had been put to death and buried for so many centuries and could never again appear alive.  The Saint, however, was cognizant of the words of the Lord who said in the Gospel: “Amen, amen, I say unto you,  whoever believes in me the works which I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do because I go to my Father” (John 14:12).

     Then the Saint, faced east, and entreated the Lord with tears flowing from his eyes, then with all his heart he cried in faith: “O Master Lord Jesus Christ, Son and Logos of the awesome and invisible Father, who impassibly and without change, was begotten, not made, before all the ages; and who together with the Father and the Holy Spirit is worshiped and glorified by whom the heaven and earth were created and the foundations thereof are laid; and who for our sake and our salvation, bowed down the heavens and descended and became man of the Holy Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit; and who, as the Lover of man showed yourself upon earth and conversed with men, associating with the lawless Jews and  working signs and wonders among them; do you overshadow them with your power and open their darkened eyes which have been blinded by the Devil. Do you appear to them, according to the multitude of your pities, that they may see for themselves, this very day, and believe in you the only true God, together with the Father who sent you and your Holy Spirit” (John 20:21).

     Hearing his words, all eyes turned toward the Archbishop. Suddenly a great earthquake occurred with the boom of a mighty thunderclap in the direction of the east. In terror everyone fell to the ground, and after a while they looked up toward the east. They saw the heavens opened and parted. Then a radiant cloud stretched before them. They beheld Jesus Christ coming on the cloud from the heavens toward them which caused terror among the Jews.

     His countenance was filled with ineffable light, and His garments were shining as lightning. He appeared clothed in a scarlet cloud that was most beautiful and glorious. The beautiful crown upon His head which was extraordinary, the rays coming from the it caused it to look like a crown of thorns. The Christians were filled with awe standing in reverence but the Jews were terrified beating their breasts as they bowed their heads to the ground.

Then the voice of the Lord was heard, saying to the Jews: “On account of the supplication of my great archbishop have I appeared unto you whose fathers had .crucified me." The Jews fell to the ground and were immediately blinded and unable to see anything.  The Christian  believers saw everything, and watched Christ and the cloud receding into the heavens.After all this the Jews continued to resist baptism but when their leader received his faith and the return of his sight upon being baptized, all of the thousands of Jews, desiring the return of their sight, were baptized and then after Baptism believed in Jesus Christ.                                                                                                                                                             

VANITY OF VANITIES ALL IS VANITY

VANITY OF VANITIES

ALL IS VANITY

    Human lives begin and end sooner or later and many do not have an idea of life’s great importance and what really happens to all of us after death which always follows life and is serious and inevitable. The world and its various things and many occupations occupy the  entire lives of many  people, many having heard of God and His laws, but pay little or no serious attention to them. However, after death instead of being unaware and asleep in death which they expected, their whole attention will be on the sins of their lives and their failure to repent. Man was created by God for a very important purpose, created in His image, he must during his time on earth, become also His likeness, and by fulfilling this purpose of the Creator leads man to eternal life. The Creator equipped  him well for his struggling journey into the kingdom of heaven, for God endowed man with intellect, affection  and the full freedom of his will to choose and decide his ideas, actions and how he would conduct his earthly life.

     “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes)  “What advantage is there to a man, in all his labor that he takes under the sun. A generation comes and a generation goes, but the earth stands forever. And the sun arises, and the sun goes down” (Ecclesiastes1:3-4).  

     Everything on this earth can be summed up as large bundles of repetitions. Each day is similar to previous days and offers little that is new and different. Everything that is seen outside of God, cut off from God and done without the fear of God is vanity.

     It is vanity to live out our present lives, when not in accordance with God’s laws, but by our own imaginative  and pointless thoughts and desires. Why do men remain in captivity to such vanity?  It is due to stoniness of their hearts and the many attractions of this world,  which stifle a man in ignorance. A stony heart is empty of the love of God, it is filled with vanity and the fear of everything that threatens carnal gratification.

     What does the fruit of a stony heart produce? Ignorance, complete ignorance of all divine things, divine ways and divine laws. Such a heart is completely blunted where spiritual life and spiritual thoughts are concerned. A stony heart cannot see the eternal good nor realize anything about God or the  potential of his divine destination.

     What is the ultimate end of stoniness of heart and ignorance of divine truth? It is an understanding, which is darkened and alienated from the life of God. Darkened understanding causes the mind to become as dark as the inner workings of the body. The light that is in man becomes darkness, and such great darkness! A man whose mind is in darkness is unable to evaluate the meaning of anything. Such are the pagans and the impious and such are false Christians and those who have little faith. Their lives only concern this world and its desires and truly are just vanity.

      Christ, the divine Logos, came into the world and is the great light of the world, for His light dispels all vanity and darkness and illumines the hearts of men. Christ came with a specific purpose, for being the perfect image and likeness of God, He teaches men and women to become like Him through His commandments and the Holy Mysteries of Baptism and the Eucharist. The light which radiates from Christ causes  vanity to completely vanish from the hearts of believers. Our entire lives  always change drastically as faith in Christ causes gladness and hope to envelop our hearts and His divine wisdom to enter and illumine the mind. Soon everything changes as joy and gladness in the lives of the faithful which becomes the path leading into the kingdom of heaven.

TWO GREAT EVENTS UNDER PATRIARCH PROCLUS

ORIGIN OF THE TRISAGION HYMN

    When St. Proclus, a friend and disciple of St. John Chrysostom, was Patriarch of Constantinople, he governed the church in wisdom and piety. Two events occurred during his tenure in the fifth century. The first event was the translation of the relics of St. John Chrysostom from Comana to Constantinople. The emperor, Theodosius the Younger with his wife Pulcheria  and the patriarch all desired the event of this translation.

     The second event being miraculous, was when Constantinople and the surrounding country were experiencing a terrible earthquake. People were terrified and many outstanding and beautiful buildings were destroyed. The Patriarch with the faithful conducted a barefoot procession seeking help from the Lord. The tremors increased dramatically. While this was going on a young child was taken high up into the heavens and became invisible to the human eye. After a while the child returned and came to the ground very gently. He told them of the miraculous event that had occurred and which he was transmitting to them. Upon being asked where he went, the child said that he was raised up to the heavens among the angels, and listened as they sung: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy upon us.”  He said that a voice commanded him to tell the Patriarch that the people should make their supplication with this hymn. Upon hearing it sung by the child the Patriarch and people joined in singing the new trisagion hymn, and as they sang at once the earthquake ceased.

    This wonderful and heavenl;y hymn glorifying the Holy Trinity was adopted by the Church and is frequently used in the churches until this very day. It is called the Trisagion (Thrice Holy) Hymn. It is used at the end of the Doxology during Orthos and at other times. Also before the reading of the epistle in the Divine Liturgy.  St. Proclus peacefully entered eternal rest in 446 AD.

FULL AND EMPTY

     When we prepare to go on an automobile trip, one of the first things we usually check is the fuel supply. Are we full or empty. Obviously an empty tank will bring us nowhere, but a full tank can  mark the beginning of our long journey.

     We enter this world as an infants who begin the journey of life with a full tank.  When we are baptized in Orthodoxy by triune immersion, and sealed with the gift of Holy Spirit, then our spiritual tank becomes full and we are ready to continue to continue our journey to the next life.  To fill our spiritual tanks we need to listen to Christ and receive fuel and help. Our journey’s destination is to live according to Christ, keeping His commandments, for we were baptized into Christ and have put on Christ and will be all be judged by Christ when we leave this world, and we will enter the final life with our spiritual tanks, empty or filled     .

     If our spiritual tank is empty, we will only  find emptiness and a sorrowful end to the next life for it will be lonely and we will be found empty and unable to escape the terrible punishment.  For we have received life in this world for a specific purpose, not just for pleasure, and although most people do not fill their spiritual tanks with spiritual gifts, there are many whose spiritual tanks are overflowing with various good works and virtues. 

     The Lord spent three years teaching us what we must do and if we fail to respond, our future life will be shallow and our future will be completely empty of every good thing. On our journey through this life to the next life we need to serve the One who will judge us which is Jesus Christ. We have do not have control over the end of our life which can come upon us at any time with or without warning.  

GIVING THANKS TO GOD

FOR HIS LIGHT

 

     God created the universe and everything that exists in it and those who understand this know somewhat of His plentiful bounty. Most Orthodox Christians have a special and keen awareness, for Christ through the Gospel teaches everything that contributes to our progress and edification. Man and woman are the most noble of all creatures being the crowning glory of God’s creation. God grants all benefactions to man that he might gratefully praise God and show his love for Him as he struggles to keep His commandments, for the commandments of Christ are a brilliant light in human souls, and keeping them demonstrates our sincere love for God, as Christ says: “If you love me keep my commandments.”

     But we are often negligent in offering gratitude to God, first for our existence and life, but also for the countless bounties which has been bestowed upon us by the Lord. Behold, the sun rises daily shining brightly giving man heat and light during the day. But do we cry out: “Glory to you who have shown us the light?”  Much needed rain comes systematically giving  gardens much needed watering for plant health and life. Do we give thanks for the rain? The day ends and the twilight arrives heralding the night with the moon and stars for a lesser light. Do we bless the Lord for the moon and the stars and the darkness for sleep and rest? All weather is a blessing from God to who is due our earnest thanksgiving. We should not complain of bad or wet weather, which may be too hot,  too cold or too dry. But we should give thanks for this as well. We need to thank him for each of these blessings which maintain our existence and provide for our daily lives.

     We expect daylight to continue to dawn every day without thinking that this could change as God may so decide. Scripture says: “Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun; But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity” 

     Seeing the light of each day should always remind us of Christ the Light of the world. We should remember that before Christ mankind lived in darkness and had no idea of why he existed and what was his destination before death.  Truly without Christ everything is darkness, vanity and meaningless, but Christ being brighter than the sun shines His light upon the souls of the human race filling them with wisdom and knowledge of the true meaning of life.  He appeared to us as the perfect Godman, as the man whose perfect human nature we all need to acquire for God said: “Let us create man in our own image and likeness.”

     Our giving thanks should be continual and our remembrance frequently expressed if we consider all that Christ continues to give to us. We must turn away from egoistic self-centeredness and the vain material things of this world, and be aware of the beautiful things which  our Creator personally bestows upon us. Through His perfect wisdom and knowledge he shows us how to live happily and in peace with one another, and how to achieve our destination as He desires/  Here, in a parable is an example of what Christ teaches us to enlighten our souls filling them with wisdom.

     “Behold, a sower went forth to sow, and it happened as he sowed, that some fell by the wayside, and the fowl of the air devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depths of earth; but when the sun was up it was scorched; and because it had no root it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, some sixty and some a hundred. And He said unto them, he that has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:3-9).

     Christ often taught with parables which used subjects which we applied things which we knew about, to teach. The light shining from this parable is the sown seed which represents the word of God, the unreceptive ground typifies the souls of unreceptive men.  The good ground are the many souls of receptive men. The Godman Jesus Christ,our Lord and Creator, teaches us everything that our soul needs in order to be sanctified by acquiring perfection and holiness. When we plant seed in the earth we expect it to grow into a desirable or useful plants. Thus, divine seeds that are planted in the human soul grow in man and change him gradually to divine holiness and sanctification.

     Every word of the Bible is filled with the light of God’s truth and wisdom being the best possible food for our souls. Here is an example  found in the fifth chapter of Matthew: “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”  Meekness is a virtue that opposes anger which is a vice that is one of the vices plaguing many families, and which often goes out of control, able of causing much misery.  It can be in the form of loud talk or yelling, and can get physical, so it needs to be remedied, especially for those who desire to live a peaceful Christian life. 

     Christ teaches and blesses the meek which arepo those having the virtue opposed to the vice of anger. The virtue of meekness, which is more peaceful and natural for people, enables them to overcome anger and remain calm at all times. As this virtue increases within the soul, the vice of anger quickly diminishes and eventually will disappear. For this one thing we give heartfelt thanks to the Lord for His benefactions. Acquiring this single virtue eliminates the vice of anger, and demonstrates the important benefit of Christ’s teaching.  The same principles apply to the vice of pride and arrogance which stand opposed to the virtue of humility. Christ showed the virtue of humility which in Him was perfect, to everyone, especially when He suffered His holy Passion, and His great humility while hanging on the Cross. As an example and with these instructive words He teaches us blessed humility, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

OPPONENTS OF CHRIST AND CHRISTIANITY

      For almost two thousand years, the many opponents of Christ striking out against the Church, have achieved results exactly opposite those that they would expect. From the beginning the Jewish leaders loudly demanded the crucifixion of Christ, believing that they would do away with Him once and for all. They deemed Christ only worthy of death by crucifixion crying: Away with Him! Crucify Him! They achieved the opposite of their intentions for after His glorious third-day Resurrection 

     He continues to be honored and celebrated throughout the world. This showed Christ not just alive but as the Giver of Life He offers eternal life to the whole world. The river of Christianity keeps on flowing on always getting larger and traveling further, opponents attempted to block its flow and instead it became widened and deepened, and now has spread everywhere. Their plans were to get rid of memory of Christ and dry up Christianity but they achieved opposite results for instead of drying up, Christianity has continued to flood over the entire world.

Martyrs appeared in many places and glorified Christ; trying to stamp out the Christian faith opponent rulers tortured and put many to death and as a result often hundreds of new Christians observing their brave and firm actions, followed them in strong faith and acceptance of Jesus Christ

The killing of one martyr would cause dozens of new believers to be baptized. The opposite of their intentions was the result, for God’s power is invincible.

CHRISTIANITY IN AMERICA AND THE WEST

CHRISTIANITY IN AMERICA AND 

THE WEST

     The chief error of western civilization is that people want to be people but without God. However, the Creator of man and of  heaven and earth, wants every person to be personally united with Him, which is the only way to become the real person he is meant to be!  God’s plan is for men to become His own image and likeness, so all who live without God live badly and  walking away from God they travel the path leading to destruction and eternal death.

     Most people look at new born babies delighting in what they see and hear, unspoiled innocence with delightful cooing and coupled with sweet smiles but no laughter. In a godless society, the formerly innocent babies will more than likely follow the path to godlessness, and if so  be caught up in well tolerated sins and live badly. Happiness will always be evasive for as long as they travel off their predestined path. The Lord called for the little children to come into His Kingdom and he still calls. There are only two ways to go through the temporary life of this world, 1. with faith following Christ and  2. faithlessly following the devil without Christ. Following Christ leads us up to heaven and eternal life, without Christ leads us down to eternal death. There is no other way.  To those who ignore or hate Him He warns that they will be judged and condemned. To those who love and follow Him, he gives help and the firm promise of eternal and everlasting joy.

     Although Christ and the church are preached outside of Orthodoxy the preaching is woefully distorted by Catholics and Protestants. They all choose to acknowledge that the one holy Church established and headed by Jesus Christ necessarily has remained faithful for almost two-thousand years, as Christ promised. Roman Catholics, who were once part of the true church, placed a man in Christ’s place, thus usurping Christ’s position as head and they morphed into the Papacy, which is not a part of the Church founded by Christ and their sacraments are invalid. Protestants broke from Rome introducing countless errors of dogma and faith, and many leaders formed their own religions, such as Jehovah Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists. They all preach their distorted gospel and deceive many, especially those who do not know the history of the true Church and its Head Jesus Christ.

     The true Church, Orthodoxy has not escaped the influence of western Christianity due to the breaking of divine laws and violation of sacred Canons by hierarchs.  Contrary to divine and sacred laws and Canons converts are being deprived of triune baptism, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and cannot put away their sins. For genuine baptism cannot possibly exist outside the Church.  Inter marriage of Orthodox with non-Orthodox has been illicitly introduced by false interpretation of St. Paul in Holy Scripture.

   Those who willfully distort the words of Christ and of Holy Scripture have no place in the heavenly kingdom, which includes those outside of the Church. Christ will not be present in the heretical and schismatic churches as the Scripture says and as we Orthodox confess: “I believe in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.” “And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light, true God of True God, begotten not created, co-essential with the Father through whom all things were made.” Also every word spoken in Scripture is true, for all Divine Scripture is God-inspired. God is the Absolute Truth and is the Source or Fountain of Truth.

 TRAGEDY OF HOLY ORTHODOXY

      Recently published statistics by Pew Research has established that around 50 % of Young Orthodox leave the Church.  Many of us see in our own communities the truth of these statistics as the churches are practically empty on Feast Days, and very diminished on  Sundays. Few are the younger people who remain in the Church Why is this so and what can be done about it.

    This should send out alarms to our hierarchs involved in ecumenism and the papacy to abandon these fruitless endeavors and return to preaching the Gospel in their churches. This is what their function ought to be. The Bishop should directly represent Christ and be like Him, humble and meek, filled with love and peaceful. Every one of us clergy and laity will one day be judged for what we have done or failed to do during this present life.

Our Lord reminds us: 

    “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise; as some men count slackness, but is fore-bearing toward us; He is not willing that any should perish; but that all should come to repentance”     (II Pet.  3:9).

     The tragedy of our days is the lack of fear or love of God, the lack of preparing for the great day of His appearance. Our unbelief will never cancel God’s firm promise which is sure to come, for God is “not slack concerning His promise” As certain as we are of death which is to come, so we should be just as  certain of the judgment that is to come

MAN – HIS COMPOSITION

BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT

Part Two

     There are two natures in the human soul which  are developed in  accordance with what the desires of its affective faculty, and what it rationally decides  through the cognitive faculty. The body strives to use the faculties of the soul to satisfy itself. It contends against the spiritual nature and thus the fleshly or carnal faculties can  become tyrannical, because the desires of the flesh and of the spirit are contrary to each other. From the spirit of God the soul’s affective faculty receives good things.

     The soul being a single hypostasis without parts is indivisible and indissoluble.  It has three faculties, Cognitive, affective and volitive, intellectual, feelings and the deciding will.  The function of the cognitive faculty is to enlighten the will or volitive faculty to indicate the objects it adapts and laws of fulfillment. The affective faculty feels the needs of the body and soul, and cry out and seeking their fulfillment by the volitive faculty. The function of the volitive faculty is to decide to do whatever is requisite in order to fulfill the needs felt by the affective or cognitive faculty. 

     Example: As noon approaches, the cognitive faculty takes note that it is almost time for lunch. The affective faulty feels the hunger and thirst sometimes with hunger pangs. With this information the volitive faculty acts deciding to eat lunch, and this process will be repeated at the next mealtimes.  The source of the soul’s two natures, carnal and spiritual, are due to the soul’s union with aa carnal body and a spirit from God. The carnal affective faculty makes its needs or demands felt as does the spiritual affective faculty, and this arouses conflicts which may be settled by the cognitive rational faculty. The carnal affective faculty or stomach is aware of a steak cooking and desires arises and almost succeeds in directing the will to get it. But the cognitive faculty reminds the will that it is a fast day and not permissible. Whichever is stronger will prevail, the affective or cognitive faculty. If they agree the will choose accordingly.

MAN – HIS COMPOSITION,

 BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT

     For many years there has been much confusion among different Orthodox writers concerning  the components of man and the difference between man’s soul and spirit  and this has been going on since days of old. This may shed some light on the subject.

     Let us examine  Scripture, which establishes the true facts and to see what this will reveal/. Many writers and speakers say that Adam and his posterity are the image and likeness of God, which is not accurate for Scripture does not apply the words “image and likeness to the creation of Adam it speaks of a man to come who will be just like God.  Scripture says:  “Let us create man in our own image and likeness” and many apply this to Adam, but it  does not refer to him  or his seed. It refers to Jesus Christ, the Godman, who is the perfect image and likeness of God. Concerning the creation of Adam and Eve Scripture says: “And God formed man in His own image, male and female created He them, establishing that Adam and his posterity are the image but not the likeness. Because describing the creation of Adam and Eve the likeness is not mentioned, and this is correct  for later they listened to the serpent and broke God’s law. The man “in the image and likeness of God, the perfect man will be in the likeness of God, and this man is Jesus Christ the Godman, eternal God and perfect sinless man.

Formation of Man

      Regarding the formation of Adam the Bible says: “And God formed man out of the clay of the earth and breathed into his person a breath of life and the man became a living soul.”  There are three things shown mentioned. Man, body and soul lifeless from clay, the inbreathing from God of a breath or spirit of life, “and the man became a living soul.” So the first man is body and soul from the clay of earth and an enlivening spirit breathed into Him from God’s spirit. Therefore, man’s life is derived from the spirit of God. Confirming this is the Scripture statement of death: “Then the clay shall return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return to God who gave it” (Eccles. 12:7). Death occurs when the return of the spirit of life returns to God, the body is buried in a shallow grave and the soul descends into Hades, according to Scripture. Man is therefore, formed in the image of God for he is one and also three, body, soul and spirit.

HOLY COMMUNION – THE EUCHARIST WITHOUT IT WE HAVE NO LIFE

HOLY COMMUNION – THE EUCHARIST

WITHOUT IT WE HAVE NO LIFE

"Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you . . ." 

     The True Christ and the True Church  always have been and will be in harmonious agreement with each other being inseparable, because Christ remains the Head and the Church remains the Body of Christ. Only in the Orthodox Church is the great mystery of the Living Bread who came down from heaven preserved and made available to the faithful. For Christ took (not unleavened)  ‘leavened’ bread (Greek αρτος) and blessed it, and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat, this is my body.  And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying: Drink you all of it’ for this is my blood of the New Covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins” Matthew 26:25-28).

     Among the many denominations we find the greatest distortion of Christ’s words in the Holy Bible concerning the subject of Holy Communion.  This distortion shows that it is not possible to interpret the Holy Bible outside the Church which is the source of these Scriptures, for outside the Church there is no interpretive guidance from the Holy Spirit.  So the denominations deny that Christ means what He clearly says, that the bread and wine offered really become the Body and Blood of Christ himself.  1. He does not say that the bread and wine “represent His body and blood.” 2. Nor did He take “azymes” or unleavened bread, but “artos” which is leavened bread.  3. Nor did He eat the Jewish Passover meal, which must be eaten standing and they were all sitting.

     1. The words in English are clear: “this is my body” and the Greek τουτο εστι το σωμα μου.

The Greek word εστι translates as  “is”.

     2.  Christ did not offer unleavened bread but leavened bread. λαβων ο Ιησους τον αρτον, the last word arton, means leavened bread, the world for unleavened bread is azymos.

     3. The Lord did not eat the Jewish Passover as some claim, but is now himself, the lamb of God, and is the New Pascha or Passover, offering , not the blood of  lambs, but himself as the Lamb of God, who will be sacrificed to the Father as He is lifts up (on the Cross)  the sins of the world.   Also in claiming that Jesus was celebrating the Jewish Passover, they show Him to Him who is alone without sin as being a sinner as a violator of the Passover. For Jesus and His disciples  were reclining, and if eating the Jewish Passover, they were breaking the law. Moses commanded that the Jews be standing when eating their Passover, with their boots on ready to “leave Egypt”. The Jewish Passover, would not arrive until sundown of the next day, Friday. For it says in the Bible, that they hurried to take down the body of the Lord “before Passover.”

WE ARE THE CHURCH!

WE ARE THE CHURCH!

      I am going to  Church or I went to Church, referring to the building is an inaccurate statement. We gather as the Church in the temple of God for the Church is not the building where we attend. The building itself is called in Greek: “ the na-os.” Which means “the temple”. The Church, which includes the gathering of the faithful believers is from the Greek “ecclessia”which is the gathering together of the faithful to hear the Gospel, and are of one mind and one heart with Christ and with each other.

      But the Church in which we gather is not just what we see for there is much which remains unseen to physical eyes, but is seen by spiritual eyes. With our spiritual eyes the Church around us comes to life and this includes we who are bearers of Christ, also the angelic powers are  present and Jesus Christ is always present with us. For Christ is present in every member of the Church, and with the celebrating  Priest, who wearing royal robes, beseeches Christ for His grace on all of us. Being active the Church is always exciting and cannot be boring unless we are spiritually benumbed, dying or dead. But even if were in poor spiritual condition, the glorious and divine Church can enlighten and restore us to the vibrant life of the Church.

IDOLATRY IN THE YEAR 2015

     Today are we faithful Orthodox Christians or modern idolaters like much of the world, that is do we offer worship primarily to the Holy Trinity in the Church of Jesus Christ which is Holy Orthodoxy?  Is serving and worshiping the most important thrust of  our lives? Does our faith in Jesus Christ dominate our very being? If other things demand our constant attention then our faith is only an appendage to our life, and we must consider this, for if we are not worshiping God in spirit and truth then we are in need of understanding and reestablishing our priorities. It is blasphemous to make God number two to anyone, for there is one God, who is our Creator and Provider who alone is preeminent. But we need to sincerely assess our lives and determine where we stand before God, who will judge every one of us when we leave this world.

Words of a Saint, about 1900 AD

     “Idolatry in Christianity consists of self-love, ambition, worldly pleasures, gluttony, love of gain and adultery. It is this that has completely turned away our eyes and hearts from God and His heavenly country and has nailed us to the earth, rendering us to be earthly bound instead of heavenly.  It is this (idolatry) that has uprooted brotherly love and has set us against one another. Woe! Woe! unto us!”  (St. John of Kronstadt).

     St. John is talking about the general condition that existed over 100 years ago which has become even worse of late, because more people have forgotten God and man’s royal destination as members of His heavenly Kingdom. “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever unto ages of ages. Amen.”  When we were baptizede we agreed to have Christ as our Savior and King.  For Christ the Truth descended from heaven  to earth and established His Kingdom in the Church which He founded.

     Before Christ’s advent, both the Greeks of the east and the Latins of the west were gripped in the claws of idolatry, not knowing or worshiping the true God.  The powerful preaching of the Gospel of the Apostles eventually caused many of them to abandon themselves of pernicious idolatry and embrace the Gospel. This resulted  in the destruction of idols and the establishment of Christ’s Kingdom by preaching the Gospel which the Apostles vigorously planted everywhere replacing idolatry which had established  prominence in the worldly kingdom of the Devil.

Idolatry is the worship of an image of a person, place or thing as if it were God. If a person consistently venerates something closer to himself than God it then becomes an idol. Idolatry is a great insult and sin against God the Originator and Creator of all things visible and invisible. It is well known that idolatry, and all false religions were also permissive with no restrictions on sin so long as you worshiped the idol. Idolatry can become strongly rooted in the mind and hearts of misled men wherein are also  nestled  “self-love, ambition, worldly pleasures, gluttony, love of gain and adultery all being companions of idolatry.” Wherever unfortunate men prefer things to the true God, the practice of idolatry darkens their minds with ignorance and foolishness, causing them to be caught up with every type of sin and to live an iniquitous life. Idolatry may not be only something that we deliberately worship as God, for if only our ardent desire for material things is stronger than our desire for God, then we become idolaters. 

MARRIAGE:  MAN AND WOMAN

CHRIST AND THE CHURCH

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself. For no man has ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the Church; for we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife and the two shall be one flesh.  This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church” (Eph. 5:25-32)

From a Saint:

“This is a great mystery; but 

I speak concerning Christ and the Church”

It is a great mystery when a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife, The Apostle himself who has been raised to the third heaven and beheld many heavenly mysteries, calls the marriage of natural man on earth a great mystery. It is the mystery of love and life, and the only mystery that exceeds it is the mystery of Christ’s link with His Church. Christ calls himself the Bridegroom and the Church His Bride. Christ so loved the Church that He left His heavenly Father for her – though remaining equal with Him in unity of essence and divinity – and came down to earth and cleaved to His Church. He suffered for her sake that He might, by His Blood, cleanse her from sin and from all impurity and make her worthy to be called His Bride.  He warms the Church with His love, feeds her with His Blood, and enlivens, enlightens and adorns her with His Holy Spirit. As a man is to his wife, so Christ is to the Church.  

A woman obeys her husband, and the church obeys Christ. A man loves his wife as his own flesh, and Christ loves the Church as His own flesh. A man loves his wife as he does himself, and a wife is in awe of her husband.  Christ loves the Church as His own self, and the Church is in awe of Christ. As no one hates his own flesh but gives it warmth and food, so also Christ gives warmth and food to the Church as His own flesh. Each individual human soul is the bride of Christ the Husband, and the community of all the faithful is the Bride of Christ the Husband.

 The relationship of any one believer with Christ and that of the whole Church with Christ is essentially the same. Christ is the Head of that great Body that is called the Church, and which is part visible and in part invisible.

O, my brothers, this is a great mystery! It is revealed to us according to the measure of our love for Christ, and of our fear of His judgement.  (Prologue 2 p238)

WHAT A PITIABLE CONDITION!

“When the Son of Man comes will He find any faith on earth?”                                                                               (Luke 18:8)

     Christ our God came upon earth being the Godman, and through His zealous and faithful Apostles, His Church spread His Gospel throughout the world, as men believed and hastened to be baptized. Severe persecution made the Church grow more rapidly and the Jews, and Roman Empire were defeated in their attempts to destroy the Church. Cities and countries in the east and west and the Slavs embraced Orthodoxy and the faith overthrew the ancient world of idolatry. Mankind was gradually brought into the Church and as it increased daily. But almost two-thousand years later we have come to a pitiable condition that cntinues to grow worse. This is expressed as follows:

     “Among Christians both the sciences and literature have now become almost wholly worldly. The Gospel and religion are neglected, the lives of saints are being scoffed at, in general there is a kind of feverish worldly activity, while no one is thinking of pleasing God and the salvation of their souls. What a pitiable condition!”  (St. John of Kronstadt +1908).

     It is 107 years since St. John wrote these things and  conditions have become even worse. We must realize that we are living in this age of idolatry and disinterest in anything beneficial to our souls. We even have many who claim that we have no soul and are just matter.  They are unable to  sing: “Bless the Lord O my soul; ad all that is within me bless His holy name.” The bitter truth is that many of us have become materialists assuming that we and everything else comes from matter and returns back to matter for we are born and die and that’s ends everything.

     However, faith in Jesus Christ did not only begin  yesterday but began 2,000 years ago. Devoted Christians kept this torch of the Orthodox Faith burning brightly by their sacrifices and generous contribution to the Church. Highly intelligent, faithful and well educated Church Fathers have made enormous contributions, and have, over centuries, established without doubt that Jesus Christ is the God man and Head of His Church actively protecting His Body the Church. Fathers of Seven Ecumenical Synods accurately defended and defined the Faith. 

CREATION, LIFE AND GLORY 

     Looking upward toward the heavens on any bright day we see the faithful sun, shining so brightly that we can only look with a quick glance. We may see fluffy white clouds, and observe light or heavy rain, hail, snow, and sometimes we see stars and the moon in daylight. Looking upward at night, we see the brightly shining moon and the sky with many bright stars. The quietness and darkness of night help us to sleep and rest peacefully, and we are content with everything. But what we see has a much greater meaning than appearance.

     Looking back down on the earth, we visualize many green valleys, rolling hills and mountains, rivers streams, lakes and ponds realizing that they provide us with adequate water, irrigation of plants for food, and fruits of the earth and fruit trees, truly we lack nothing that we need. We see flowers of various beautiful colors sending forth many sweet aromas.  Looking further we see countless species of birds and poultry, cattle who  supply milk, cheese and meat products.  Bees are busy collecting nectar for honey and spiders are industrially forming their webs. The list of our many blessings is huge and difficult to comprehend in its entirety. One thing however stands out which mystifies many scientists and wise men. This is the various forms of life  seen every which men cannot duplicate or produce, and they are recipients of their own lives from parents. Life is important and we  desire to stay alive and if it were possible to never die.

     Observing creation reveals to us three kinds of life, plant life which grows from shoots and seeds, lives for a time and eventually dies;  animal life which is a higher form of life, for they are mobile and seek satisfaction for their souls. They not only eat and drink but also mate and reproduce new life like themselves, and eventually they die. 

     The highest form of life beyond any comparison which includes freedom, intellect, feelings and the ability to use other forms of life for sustenance, also they have enjoy many relationships with others who share their form of life.  This is human life!  The souls who enjoys this life,  has the outstanding qualities of free will or freedom, and are able to decide and choose as they wish. This freedom which man enjoys allows him to make his own moral decisions. The intellect given him helps him to distinguish between good and evil and truth and falsehood.

THE POWERS OF HEAVEN

THE POWERS OF HEAVEN

SERAPHIM  CHERUBIM  THRONES

LORDSHIPS  AUTHORITIES  POWERS

ARCHEA  ARCHANGELS  ANGELS

    These are the heavenly powers of the invisible spiritual world, some of whom have contact with us from time to time. Knowledge of these powers will greatly increase the understanding of our Orthodox worship and glorification. The Seraphim are the highest powers, the Angels are among the lower powers.

      The Seraphim understands and continually praises God, saying: “Holy, holy, holy Lord of Sabaoth, heaven and earth are filled with your glory.” The Seraphim have so much hatred against sin and iniquity, as much as they have love toward the holiness of God. That is why they are called Seraphim which is a Hebrew derived word meaning incendiaries which burn sin and are warm lovers of the holiness of God.  The soul which loves the holiness of God and hates sin resembles the Seraphim, and flies about feeling happy and rejoices around the throne of the holy God.  One of the Seraphim took hot coals from the altar of God and burned the sins of Isaias the Prophet, saying: “This has touched your lips and will cleanse you from your sins.”  Prophet Isaias saw the Seraphim as animals with six wings, two of them to shield their faces from the divine brilliance, two to cover their feet and the other two to fly about.                                        

                                                    

     The Cherubim means a multitude of knowledge and outpouring of wisdom. They have an understanding of the essence and nature of God and pour out this knowledge to other angelic powers. That is why God is praised as sitting on the Cherubim, because He is known much more by them. The Cherubim is depicted as a calf with wings, carrying God and announcing His presence. As the Prophet David says that God walks on the wings of the wind, meaning this angelic regiment by whom knowledge of God is transmitted.  They also represent the soul that theologizes and learns the essence and nature of God, Mind, Logos and Spirit.

     The Thrones understand the excellence and the glory of God, exalting and extolling Him. They express the greatness and the glory of God, just as the glory of kings is expressed when they are sitting upon their thrones dressed in royal garments and wearing a royal crown. They represent the soul which realizes and understands the greatness and exaltation of God and His superiority.  To us the people they have revealed the one God in Trinity, through His Only-begotten Son and Logos, our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, whose Mother is the Ever-virgin Theotokos, the most blessed among women, praised as more honorable than the Cherubim, and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim

     The Lordships are not answerable or responsible because they are absolute Lord before God, the Lord of Lords. They understand the absoluteness of God’s Lordship and express it to the angelical world, and for this reason they are called Lordships. None of the other regiments oppose them because of their irresponsibility.

     The Authorities have the right to act freely and unbounded, and no one is able to stop or confine the action of the Authorities. This right to absolute and unconfined and related authority is held only by almighty God, from whom springs every related authority, and no one is able to stop  or confine the actions of Almighty God. The Authorities understands and expresses the authority to all angelic powers, hence their name authorities.

     The Powers work is to fulfill the will of the Will.  All beings have free will, and have some active power in their wills.  The powers of free persons, man and the angels are confined and they cannot do all that they will. But the power of God is infinite and without limit, and He alone has this power.

Everything that the Lord willed, he created, including heaven and earth, the waters and all the abysses, he willed and created all beings. The angelic Powers understand and act exactly according to the will of God. Concerning these Powers no other power can overcome them as they execute and act exactly every will of God.

     The Archea in cities of people, would be  according to the essential meaning those persons on whom the action of the public depends.  The people give them ideas and responsibility for their conduct, according to existing laws. The Archea are like laws by which every leader is ruled and in which is concentrated the jurisdiction of each authority.  God is the first authority and the first ruler because from His will is dependent all the actions of other beings. The will of God is not only master and self dependent according to the meaning of absolute and unrestricted, but leading and royal, because it established the right law and fulfills it in perfection, asking those under the law no more or less than the law established, and according to it are responsible.

     The Archangels are organized by the Archea just as generals and majors are in the army who lead them according to the advice of the highest army authorities. The Archangels lead the angels who are under them according to the advice and orders of the higher Archea (leaders) imitating the princely and infallible will of God. Which safely and unmistakably leads and brings each of the beings and all together to their own end.  The Archangels represent the  soul that leads other souls on the path to God

     The Angels are the third and last regiment of the third hierarchy. They understand and imitate the discipline of the will of God, obeying the law which applies to it and acts accordingly. They rejoice exceedingly before the admirable virtues of God by which it saves the the good law, the order and harmony of ethical and free beings, and for which God is praised as faithful and holy and just.  The soul which obeys the divine law resembles the angels. 

ONE GOD OF ORTHODOXY’S CREED

      Some say: “Well there is one God so they believe in the same God as we do.” Such an idea is erroneously held by some of our  noble bishops, but this idea is far from the truth. For example, we could make a single idol of a single god and say we believe in one God like the Orthodox, but it remains a man made idol. A God that is not definable as the true God cannot be   the true God.   Without defining God as He was revealed we cannot say that we know Him or worship Him. Here is how the true God in whom the Orthodox Christians believe is carefully defined in very  great detail in our Creed:

CREED (partial)

I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. 

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Begoptten of the Father before the ages. Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not created, of one essence with the Father through whom all things were made.

Who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit, and of the Virgin Mary and became man.

     And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And rose on the third day according to the Scripture

And ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of the Father.

And He shall come again to judge the living and the dead, whose Kingdom shall have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified who spoke through the prophets.

     As can be readily seen,  a large portion of our Creed defines who God is, and offers details of the three persons and this demonstrates that there can be no other  God, nor can anyone who rejects the definitions of the true God in our Creed, believe in the same God who is further defined as follows:

CHRIST IS RISEN ! TRULY HE IS RISEN!

CHRIST IS RISEN !

TRULY HE IS RISEN!

     Every Pascha we cry out and hear from others: “Christ is risen! Truly He is risen!” But Pascha is not a one-day celebration and has is not ended, for its celebration continues for forty days,  during which we greet each other with: “Christ is risen!”   “Truly He is risen!”  Pascha is the Feast Day above and beyond all other feast days -- it is the Feast of Feasts.  On Pascha Churches are usually filled with celebrants who join together singing: “Christ is risen!” Red eggs are seen everywhere, and celebrants are holding lighted candles. The day of the Resurrection of Christ has no equal in the enthusiasm of its celebration and the accompanying joy, for the fast is over and Pascha is here!

     The week beginning with Pascha, known as New Week, is an extension of Pascha, the seven days being a continuation of the single day of Pascha. With enthusiasm we sing: “Christ is risen from the dead trampling down death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.” In exceeding joy we keep these seven days sending up prayers and glorification to the one who arose from the dead and by His death put death to death.  We continue singing of Pascha for  a full forty days, from Pascha to Ascension, for  we start and finish both private prayers and all services greeting each other and singing: “Christ is risen!

     The joy of this feast is that it directly concerns us by offering us life, greatly affecting our present and endless future, which is everlasting life, and happily death’s empty threats have been annihilated. The Incarnation, Passion, Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection of the Son of God is part of the divine plan of God for the salvation and sanctification of the entire human race. Christ is the Godman who being God also became a man like us and dwelled among us full of grace and truth. He is the example of what the man we must strive to become. God became man to save us and so that man may become a god like God. For this reason the Paschal celebration should inspire us to decide to change our lives. The week after Pascha is called New Week, and concerns the transition from the old to the new, from the old man to the new man Christ, from sin and death, to virtue and Resurrection.  We all need to study, learn and act following Christ’s commandments in order to derive benefit from the Resurrection. Our reformation needs to be sparked by our firm understanding  that following Christ is even more precious than the offering of our praises and glorification on the day of Pascha. In doing this we will remember and celebrate and continually live Pascha each day of our lives, then we will be prepared to enter the never ending paschal domain through the doors of a harmless death. During the thirty-three years before His Passion, Death and Resurrection, Christ was teaching, exhorting and encouraging the propagation of His Gospel, which would be spread over the earth.

SAINTS ARE EVERYWHERE IN ORTHODOXY

SAINTS ARE EVERYWHERE IN ORTHODOXY

     Many speak about Orthodoxy and its numerous saints shown in abundant icons depicting these saints. Within the Church many members also speak of the saints and admire their images painted and hanging prominently in the Church. But there are many more saints that are not spoken of and may not be recognized but are of great importance. These saints and potential saints are all the members of the Orthodox Church and is the reason for the Church’s existence.

     Holy Scripture addresses as saints all members of the Church, and not only church members, but every soul is called by God to become a saint, for He doesn’t  designate a few elect, but desires all men to be sanctified and saved. Christ did not die for a few but for all men, woman and children.  When our Church is properly activated, all over the world it would be attracting all men to enter into salvation and eternal life. Not only Orthodox Christians but all mankind is called to  enter Orthodoxy and become saints, but few are interested due to the attraction of material things and the enjoyment of the pleasures of this world. Christ calls out to all men inviting them into His eternal kingdom. That is why He says to all men in Scripture: “Be holy (saintly) as I am holy; be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

The Holy Bible usually addresses all members of the Church as saints. When St, Paul was still Saul persecuting the Christians, the Apostle Ananias questioned  the Lord: "Lord I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem . . .” (Acts 9:13). He refers to all the Christians as saints.  “And it happened as Peter passed throughout all quarters. He came down also to the saints who dwelled at Lydda” (Acts 9:32).  St. Paul shows that all Christian believers were called to be saints, saying: “to all that dwell in Rome, beloved of God called to become saints; grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:7). Calling the saints to holiness, St Paul says  “But fornication and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be named among you as becomes saints” (Eph. 5:3).

FEAR OF GOD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

FEAR OF GOD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM

     Why should we fear God?  We should fear God so that we will avoid sins and iniquities and because fear teaches us respect; this will also cause us to  realize that He is very concerned with us and loves us, and realizing His goodness we will return that love to Him. God the Creator made all that exists out of matter which he formed from nothing. Examining the structure and perfection of the created universe is a marvelous wonder, that should fill us with awe. The arrangement and good order of everything that exists, the life sustaining temperatures and ample supplies of food and drink, are beyond our comprehension because everything is provided and perfectly arranged for its particular purpose.

     God has communicated with man from the very beginning, then He established a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants, which later became the covenant with the nation of Israel, who became the people of God.  God established this covenant with Israel through Moses in 1483 BC. Moses ascended Mt. Sinai and God called him out of the mountain giving him the words and commandments which he would speak to Israel. Moses presented this to the elders of the people, and they all agreed with the terms They said: “All that the Lord has spoken we will obey and do.” The Lord uttered the ten commandments governing His people who feared Him greatly. The ten commandments are always in force over all men

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

First Commandment:

“I am the Lord your God who have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other God except me.

JESUS CHRIST OUR TREASURE BEYOND PRICE

 JESUS CHRIST OUR TREASURE     

BEYOND PRICE

      Most people in the world seek their income and/or savings and treasure in the form of various things that money buys, such as a house, automobile, traveling, vacations.  The necessary money is often earned by work, profession or investment. Because money is the major medium for the exchange of goods, the accumulation of money can easily become a limitless desire and the passion of love of money.  Concerning this, the Lord says in Holy Scripture says: “the love of money is the root of all evil.”  This verse is often misquoted as: “money is the root of all evil”, which is untrue, for money is neutral. Scripture specifically says the “love of money is the root of evil. 

     Considering that the Lord created us, feeds and clothes us and supplies all of our needs of everything, it is proper and right and  that our thanksgiving and love belong to Him. We don’t have to love money to provide for our needs, but we can earn it properly and use it prudently.  Our affection and love ought to be totally directed toward God and not diverted to money and the perishable goods of this world. It is not just money that we are forbidden to love, but the love of anything in this world, for when we direct our love toward anything other than God we do not return God’s love. Also Holy Scripture says that love of the world and its contents places us at enmity with God.

     We know that there is a requirement for money to live during our brief time in this world so we need money.  But we also need to use it prudently to provide for family and necessities as well as helping others where possible. Seeking to accumulate and hoard money is a great evil and there is no debate about this.  Our church needs money to operate and we need to donate our fair share.  

     If we concentrate our love and attention on money, we make “things” more important than Christ who desires that we love Him above and beyond everything else. However, love of money is only one of many evils that affect mankind. Saul who became St. Paul teaches that anything that separates us from Christ is a great loss to the soul.  Paul was financially well off, well educated and held in great respect, being very distinguished among the upper crust Jews, yet he classifies the love of things instead of Christ to be accounted as refuse, and a terrible loss for his soul.

     “However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted as a loss for Christ. Indeed, I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things. And I do count them but refuse that I may gain Christ. . .” (Phil. 3: 7-8)  

     Christ is the source of our lives, and Provider of the earth we live on, with the  air we breathe and our food and water. He gives all of us what we need to live, so there is no greater treasure we can possess than Christ, who is greatest wealth, most perfect hope, our greater source of mercy, and He is infinitely good and rewards our love by treating as a loving Father does his sons and daughters. We cannot love anything else with a greater love than Christ who loves us and gave himself as a sacrifice for mankind. He who in faith loves Christ lacks nothing and has everything, even if he is living in poverty, for Christ is the only treasure man needs and he who loves Christ is the wealthiest of all men. 

     Saul who later became Paul was a member of the distinguished sect of Pharisees who , out of envy sought to eradicate the memory of Christ forever, by eliminating every trace of His preachers and followers, forbidding the mention of His name. 

TRIUMPHANT SONG OF ALL  ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS

“Christ is risen from the dead trampling down death by death 

and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.”

After the Great 40-Day fast and the emotional readings from Scripture,  and funereal hymns of Holy Week, then on early Sunday morning, Orthodoxy the world over, breaks into triumphant song that can be heard in heaven and on earth in most every country. Churches are filled with people triumphantly celebrating Christ’s victory over death by means of the Cross. The cry is heard everywhere: “Christ is risen!”, which brings the reply: “Truly He is risen!”  Jesus Christ was certainly put to death and did die, and more certainly did He arise on the third day as witnessed not only by many people but by the existence of His holy Orthodox Church which has continuously stood for two-thousand years proclaiming His victory in putting death to death by His life-giving death. “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.”

      We sing forth our paschal song from depths of our hearts which can never be satisfied except with the divine glory, power and richness of God. This paschal song contains these treasures in its holy words. That is why Orthodoxy’s glorious paschal hymn is the central point of our faith and its words are filled with glory, power and the richness of God,  for the Son and Logos of God became incarnate of the Ever-virgin Mary and was crucified of His own will upon the Cross, accused by his enemies as being deserving of an infamous and tortuous death. 

     But His Resurrection on the third day changed everything. The death and resurrection of Christ being life-giving shone more brilliantly than the sun and immeasurably more glorious  than the heavens and it turned the world upside down. The death and resurrection of Christ transformed weakness into almighty power, infamy into heavenly glory and the ugliness of the Cross into an object of adoration and royal beauty. Hence, without restraint Orthodoxy breaks into singing with its triumphant song of Christ’s victory  on the Cross: “Christ is risen from the dead trampling down death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.”

HOLY SCRIPTURE AND THE CONSCIENCE GOD’S COMMUNICATION WITH MAN

HOLY SCRIPTURE AND THE CONSCIENCE

GOD’S COMMUNICATION WITH MAN

     It is obvious that there are many obvious things which affect our lives, some for the better and some for the worse. We live each day among the various events which affect us in some way, often not considering them to be important. Some people go through their entire lives under these conditions, not in the least bit concerned with events that are of lesser or greater importance. Such people are living in a dream-like life for life for many is little more than food and drink, clothing, work and play. The life lived by man people is  where nothing is seemed to be vital or necessary.

     Although we utilize our minds, thinking and remembering, and feel with our hearts loving and despising, and form decisions with our wills, yet we t often think nothing of these gifts given us by our Creator, and what His purpose He has in mind for us, many even deny that there is a Creator, although none will deny creation! Although we have written on this subject previously, it is always good to bring it to mind again for we tend to be forgetful of our ultimate destination.

     How important is man and what is his destination? These are questions that all of us should understand with their answers for they concern us.  Certainly, for the Lord to create us in the first place, He had to have a plan and purpose, for He does not create anything haphazardly and without purpose.

     That man’ superiority over all creatures is easily seen by looking at the world and observing its many creatures.  None can be found equal to man in the physical world, where he rules supreme, not due to his physical strength but due to his superior intellectual abilities.  He rules over the animals, beasts, serpents, fish and birds. Although man in many ways resembles other creatures, having similar faculties, he alone has the intellectual ability which empowers him to rule over all creatures and creation.

     Why is man given such ability? Can it be to rule over creation? Not so, for man has yet  another faculty that other creatures lack, which raises him even higher, which is his conscience that establishes communication between him and his Creator. This communication does not suddenly disappear but is always present, approving and disproving our thoughts, ideas and intentions. Every honest human being would testify to the possession of a conscience. 

Scripture testifies to our active conscience:    

“Purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb. 9:14).