ON SPIRITUAL FOOD

ON SPIRITUAL FOOD

St.  Nikolai Velimirovic

“I am the bread of life” (John 6:48)

   Thus spoke the Lord Jesus to the hungry human race, and these words are proven through the ages to innumerable followers of Christ who received the Lord as the food of their souls.  One young man in despair, who was near suicide, went to confession. The Priest listened to him carefully, then said to him: “My son, you yourself are at fault in your distress. Your soul is famished to death.  All your life you have done things that only feed the body, but you have never given thought to the soul’s need for food. It needs more, and more frequently than the body does. Your soul is dying of hunger. Eat and drink Christ my son. Only thus can your soul be turned back from death. Eat and drink Christ every day, incessantly.  He is the lifegiving bread of our souls.”  The young man obeyed the elder and was restored to life.

    My brethren, let us feed our souls with Christ, that they may be alive and healthy. Let us constantly feed our minds with thoughts of Christ, that they may be enlightened and clear.  Let us constantly feed our hearts with the love of Christ, that they may be pure and joyful.  Let us constantly feed our wills with the commandments of Christ and the example of Christ, that our wills may at every moment perform good works.  May Christ’s thoughts be our thoughts; and Christ’s love be our love; and Christ’s good will be our good will. Let us constantly feed our souls on Christ the Lord; constantly feed on Him and assuage the thirst of our souls on Him. There is no more nourishing bread than He; there is no sweeter drink than He. In Holy Communion, He gives himself wholly to us, His Body and Blood.

  But to receive Communion is a reminder to us that our souls must feed on Him without pause. We must eat and drink Him as incessantly as we breathe.

  O our gracious and sweet Lord, move our souls to feed constantly on you and to be made alive.  You are the Bread of Life. To you be glory and praise forever. Amen.        (Prologue Vol. 1 p222)

WHO WILL BE SAVED? THE GREAT FAST IS APPROACHING

WHO WILL BE SAVED?

THE GREAT FAST IS APPROACHING

WE NEED TO WALK IN THE NEWNESS OF LIFE!

   The mind of the world and of western Christianity to which we are exposed is not conducive to a beneficial the Forty Day Fast of the  Orthodox Church, so we need to separate ideas of Orthodoxy from the ideas of secular Christianity which have nothing in common.  The secular Protestants twist the Gospel as they follow their own opinions. Many  proclaim that they are saved by faith alone, and that this is what the Bible says,  and they are correct – but so wrong about their conclusions!  Their wrong ideas have crept in among many of our own Orthodox, and influenced by them,  they also can have the wrong ideas about our Faith. 

   For example, while they do not keep the fasts, we see the Great Forty Days Fast coming upon us and this fast is an important distinguishing mark of Orthodox Christians worldwide. Orthodoxy keeps Wednesday and Fridays, and four fasts a year, and a few other days as fasting periods, which constitutes about half the year. It is a major part of the Orthodox Christian way of life, and is most healthy for the soul and the body. The fast teaches us moderation and temperance, which possibly extends lives, and for sure nourishes good health, not only of the body, but it certainly leads us to everlasting reward in the kingdom  of the future! The benefits are enormous, the investment procures riches above all wealth and moderation we learn,  produces contentment and good health of body and soul, which in turn reduces medical expenses. Protestants do not keep the fasts, disregarding the many references in the Bible,  and  many Orthodox,  fail to keep the fasts, depriving themselves of  the important benefits of Orthodox fasting to their bodies and souls.

"UNLIFTED" ANATHEMAS OF THE PAPACY AGAINST ORTHODOXY

"UNLIFTED"  ANATHEMAS OF THE PAPACY AGAINST ORTHODOXY 

FOOLISH ORTHODOX –  HONORING ENEMIES WITH DIALOGUES

Papal authority is not just faith and morals but everything! 

Only total submission to the Pope – nothing less!

      “If anyone say that the Pope has only the office of over-seer or of manager,  but not the full and supreme rulership of sovereignty over the whole Church,  not only in matters of faith and morals,  but also in the matters of discipline and of government of the Church throughout the world . . . let him be anathema.” (Vatican Council 1870). 

These words from the Papacy about the Papacy are proof positive that it is not the Church of Christ, but the source of supreme arrogance.

      In 1964 the unfortunate Latin-minded, Patriarch Athenagoras,  having first abandoned his own Orthodoxy, then  proceeding without authority,  he “lifted the anathemas”  against the papacy.   However it was an empty gesture, because as Patriarch he is not the Church.  No single patriarch represents the Church, for this is exactly what caused the Papacy to abandon the true Church.   Neither can anathemas  be lifted because they always are in force and permanent. They are issued against heresy and wrong belief.   A person under an Orthodox anathema can correct himself and come out from under the anathema, but the anathema remains permanently.  The papacy clearly shows its fraudulent intentions, for they cannot  lift their own anathemas against the  Orthodox, being outside of the authority of the Pope and the cardinals. They are indelibly inscribed in their canons as will be shown in what follows.

  The following anathemas, formulated by the Pope of Rome  and the papacy remain in  effect against all Christians of the world who refuse to commemorate, recognize, and submit to the authority and discipline of the Pope of Rome being Christ’s infallible vicar.

  In the year 1870, (Vatican Council)  the Pope of Rome declared an anathema against everyone outside of the Papacy. That is, it was directed   against anyone  who refused to accept the Pope as  Supreme Pontiff,  infallible Head of the Church, the only successor of Peter and the Vicar of Christ.  

SOME FACTS ABOUT GOD AND MAN AND THE GREAT FORTY DAYS

SOME  FACTS ABOUT  GOD  AND  MAN

AND

THE GREAT FORTY DAYS

    The great season of the Fast is rapidly approaching,  and it is a good time to take stock of who we are, where we are, where we are going,  and what our task ought to be during a special period like this. We need to act, for the Great Fast goes by quickly and Pascha awaits us at the end. The Resurrection of Christ, in which we all rejoice and celebrate we need to make our own. Christ showed by His example, that the way of the Cross leads to the resurrection.

   Man was created in the image of God, with the potential of acquiring  the likeness of God as well. This in fact,  is the true destiny of man, to become like Christ, the image and likeness of God. For this reason Christ came into the world, not just to save man but to restore the fallen image who had rebelled, wash him to make him whiter than snow, and raise him up to heaven forever.  Christ commands: “Be holy for I am holy.” And, “Be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect.” This is the reason why we are given a certain number of years on earth, to enter the struggle and cooperate with God and each other to become what we are meant to be. There is nothing more wonderful, more glorious, or delightful in this world,  than to enter the mildly ascetic type of life that is called Orthodox Christian. It is accessible to all but needs to be preached in the churches over and over.