UNION WITH CHRIST IS GOOD OTHER UNIONS ARE WICKED

UNION WITH CHRIST IS GOOD 

OTHER UNIONS ARE WICKED

    Orthodox Christians worldwide, who faithfully attend church,  constitute the  one Church of Jesus Christ, and are united in perfect union with Christ, as a rock, on the rock which is Christ,  the main cornerstone of the Church, and against which the “gates of Hades will not prevail.”  Orthodox  are in union with Christ in the mystery of  triune Baptism wherein we joyfully  sing: “As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” They are in union with Christ’s death when immersed in baptism, and into His Resurrection when they arise from the water. Orthodox are in union with the Holy Spirit by being sealed and anointed with holy chrism with the words: “the seal of the gift of Holy Spirit.” We are in union with Christ in the  mystery of Holy Communion, through His Body and Blood which we approach “with the fear of God, faith and love.”  We are in union with Christ as a pupil to his Teacher, as a disciple to his master, and as bride to her Bridegroom. We are in union with the Father, having become through Christ, His own adopted sons and daughters, and though we are  unworthy, we delight in  union with such a gracious and merciful Father!  We lack nothing and have more than everything, we are wealthy beyond all wealth, and our joy is beyond all possible joys!

ATTENDING CHURCH CAN PLACE US IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

 ATTENDING  CHURCH CAN PLACE US IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 

     “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto ages of ages.”

     The Divine Liturgy in Orthodox Churches wherein God reigns, and is petitioned as our King  and is worshiped and glorified by the Priest and people.  This is the Kingdom of  heaven! The Church is in the world but not part of the world, for it brings us before Almighty God to confess, pray, and to develop loving intimacy with Him.

   Attending Church means entering to the temple and worshiping with the Church which is the gathered people. Attending Church is good and beneficial if it results in the joining of the people of God in the house of God, to serve the living God, for just being there does not mean that we went to Church. If our minds and hearts are  on our homes, our children or our business, while in Church then only our bodies are present, but we are not attending Church. If our mind and heart is on Jesus Christ, having a humble spirit of repentance, fear and love  of God,  and if we have left outside all the cares of this life, then we are attending Church in truth.

   The rules of Church behavior are simple, do not talk, dress neatly and simply, be attentive. The  command that women should have their heads covered in Church, is scoffed at today due to ignorance. But nothing God says is vain, for He is Truth and He is the Author and Inspirer of the Divine Scriptures. God says through St. Paul: “Every woman that prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head as if it were shaven. For if the woman is not covered, let her be shorn; but if it is a shame for a woman to be shaven, then let her be covered” (1 Cor. 11:5-6).The greatest human being that ever lived or ever will live is the Holy Theotokos, who always appears with her head covered!  If a women covers her head the Lord with give her understanding as to why she is required to do so.

The wonderful Saint John of Kronstadt, declares the glory of the Church as follows:

   “Truly the Church is heaven upon earth, for where the throne of God is, where the terrible Mysteries are celebrated, where angels serve together with men, where the Almighty is unceasingly glorified, there is truly heaven, and the heaven of heavens.  And thus let us enter the Church of God with the fear of God, with a pure heart, laying aside all passions and worldly care, and let us stand in it with faith and reverence, with understanding and attention, with love and peace in our hearts, so that we may come away renewed, as though made heavenly, so that we may live in holiness natural to heaven, not binding ourselves by worldly desires and pleasures”.

ORTHODOX TIDBITS 3

ORTHODOX TIDBITS 3

THE LITTLE CHILD SELECTED BY CHRIST

     On a day when the Lord was teaching His disciples, he taught them by example the need for humility. He took a child and set it among them, saying: “Whoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of heaven” 

   The beauty of our holy tradition is that preserved in her vault is the life and beauty of this child, touched by Jesus. He became St. Ignatios the Godbearer, Bishop of Antioch. He was named such because he always had the name of Christ on his lips and kept God deep in his heart as his greatest treasure, serving Him with joy and love.

    The end of Ignatios' time on earth, is filled with beauty, the beauty that only love can express. He was thrown to lions as food, and he urged them to eat well. They devoured him completely. Leaving only a few larger bones and his heart! When the faithless pagans cut open his heart, they found the words in gold: JESUS CHRIST!

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HOW THE TURKS PRAISED OUR FAITH

 There was a young man named James who was the guest of a Turkish ruler (Bey). The Turks were eating meat but James was keeping the Fast.The Bey said to him:Your Christian Faith is indeed great! He related that his wife had been mentally sick, and after trying all doctors and medicines, he took her to the Patriarch for prayers to be read over her. As soon as the Patriarch started the prayers to be read a heavenly light filled the Church.When the prayer was ended, his wife was made whole. 

James, hearing how the Turkish Bey was praising his faith, gave away all his possessions and went to the Holy Mountain, where he became a monk in the monastery of Iveron. He lived an ascetic life and suffered for the Faith at the hands of the Turks in Jedrene on November 1, 1520. A martyr for our holy Faith, his wonder working relics are in St. Anastasia Church near Salonika.;

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GREGORY WONDERWORKER BISHOP  OF NEOCAESAREA 

BEGAN WITH 17,  ENDED WITH 17 

     Gregory was a man of God and a glorious Wonderworker, and many called him a second Moses! He consecrated himself totally to Christ, whom he loved and served during his entire life. He spent  many years living in the desert. He fled when an attempt was made to make him a Bishop, but they found devious means to consecrate him as Bishop.  He commanded evil spirits, controlled mountains and waters and healed every sort of pain and illness and lived to a great old age. When he arrived in Caesarea there were only 17 Christians, but when he left there were only 17 pagans.