THE GREAT FAST-- SOME THOUGHTS

THE GREAT FAST

SOME THOUGHTS

     The period of the Forty Day Fast, offers many opportunities  to believers to increase their relation with God and the benefits are great!  This article will be of interest to those who try to keep the fast and who keep it strictly, according to the requirements of the Church.  Fasting is an important part of our Orthodox Faith for through it we show obedience to God and reduce our passions. Also it fasting by calming the body’s desires, helps prayer to become more lively and joyful. The great Moses fasted for forty days on the mountain.  Our Lord Jesus Christ fasted for forty days before He began His ministry. St. Paul, following His encounter with Christ, became blind and fasted three days and nights from all food and drink, and later became the greatest preacher of the Church. 

     Fasting has the distinction of being the very first law of God given to man, when the Lord told Adam, to completely fast from the forbidden tree, He established the penalty death. Orthodox Christian with a few exceptions, fast Wednesdays and Fridays, the Great Fast of Forty Days, Holy Week, the Fast of Peter and Paul begins a week after Pentecost, the Fast for the Falling Asleep of the Theotokos in the first two weeks of August, the forty days before the Christmas, August 29, beheading of John the Forerunner and Sep. 14th for the Exaltation of the Cross.

      In this article we will not go into the details of bodily  fasting as there are many sources available with detail on methods and reasons for fasting for medical, physical and spiritual reasons. Here we will deal with a different aspect of fasting that does not deal with material food and drink alone.

When we fast it is usually a bodily fast when we limit partially or totally the intake of food and drink, there is also another aspect of fasting which is vital.  

WHO IS MY BROTHER? – A MAJOR ERROR

We learn from the Gospels how to deal with the three types of people, our brethren, others in general, and with our enemies. There are special rules for each found in the Gospel. But to deal with them we have to understand how to identify who they are. “Our brethren”  refers to those who believe correctly and are co-members of the Body of Christ – the Church.  “Others in general” refers to those who are neither our brethren nor our enemies. Our enemies are those who are inimically disposed toward us. We must avoid confusion of the Gospel teaching as it will result in misapplication of its instructions. Listed are many passages which confirm the meaning of brethren as being the firm believers and members of the One Church of Christ.

Brethren are those who are of one mind and one Body belonging to the Body of Christ 

Others in general refer to those who are neither brothers nor enemies and toward them we “do unto others as you would have them do to you.

Enemies are those inimical toward us and to those we love as our enemies.

“Who is my brother?”

     Christ first raises then answers the question: “Who is my brother?” saying, that it is those who hear the Gospel and are faithful members of the Church, and not every Tom, Dick and Harry.

Who is my brother?”

    “As He talked to the people, His mother and His brethren stood outside, desiring to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, Behold, your mother and brethren are standing outside desiring to speak with you. But He answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and said, behold my mother and my brethren!  For whoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Mat.12:46-50,  (Mar 3:34, Luke 8:20)

THE LOGOS OF GOD

THE LOGOS OF GOD

‘In the beginning there was the Logos . . .”

“In the beginning God created heaven and earth.”

     Every mind, starting with the divine Mind, our Father in heaven, has a logos through which it communicates with other minds. God the Father communicates and rules over other  minds and all creation through His Logos. The Logos of the Father Mind declares and proclaims the Mind that has given Him birth. He is perfectly equal in nature and essence coeternal and co-reigning with the Father. Human beings also communicate through their logos’ which includes their words, by writing, orally, and with  expressions of their body. The human mind is imperfect and subject to increase` which also increases the human logos.

     The beginning of the Book of Genesis states: “In the beginning God created heaven and earth.” This beginning of the works of God constitute truth; for it is true that in the beginning God did create Heaven and earth, and God is the beginning and the cause of all that exists on earth and in heaven

     John the Evangelist declares that “In the beginning there was the Logos”, which is also a true statement. The Father Mind and His Logos and Spirit are coeternal and undivided. The Logos is the true, faithful and accurate depiction of the Father. The ever existing and all-knowing  Father, gives birth to His Logos, who is coequal and coeternal with Him.  The Logos is the coeternal Truth because He accurately and faithfully depicts the Father. By beholding and understanding the Logos, we are able to understand through Him the Mind, whom He portrays accurately without excesses or omission.  St. John says about the divine Logos: “The Logos became flesh and dwelled among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”  

GOD IS ALL-POWERFUL HUMANISM IS HELPLESS

GOD IS ALL-POWERFUL

HUMANISM IS HELPLESS

    We are living in an age of humanism and its fruits which include unbelief in a Creator with a purpose, the unreasonable exaltation of man and the descent into the folly of atheism. Imagining themselves to be filled with advanced knowledge which came not from God but from man, doing away with the idea of God they ignored man’s total dependence on God’s  providence.  

Of course man does not and cannot supply the world with food and water. God does. Man cannot energize the weather system and bring the rain, snows, dew and sunshine needed to grow crops.  God does. Without God’s sun, snow and rain, nothing would grow and no life could exist. Remove God’s power and everything would disintegrate, the sun would blink out, stars would disappear, heavenly bodies would fall, supplies of water and food would vanish, in fact we cannot even begin to imagine the loss of God’s power.  For God’s power holds the world together and maintains perfect order according to His will.

      Man’s meager power is feeble and limited, and given the need, he may encounter an idea, think about it, then decide in his will to fulfill it. It may take some effort depending on its magnitude, and he may have to  confer with other men to get help so that he might accomplish his task. How feeble are man’s efforts in comparison to God who as soon as God wills, it is already accomplished. To accomplish some task, man always need to increase his feeble power by assistance from others.

     The all-powerful God said: “Let there be light and there was light.” No plans, no assistants, no effort.  God wills and it is already accomplished because his will and power are equal. God wills for matter to be existent and it is done. God decided to separate darkness and light, by calling the darkness night and the light day, and it was so. 

God is faithful in His dealings with men, and remains ever the same.  However we change and  our souls are by nature philosophical seeking to acquire knowledge. Many are interested in answers to questions such as these: Why do I exist? What is my purpose in being here? What is God’s purpose for creation? Such questions arise in the souls of men because they concern our nature and men shun ignorance and crave knowledge. 

SAINTS – WHO ARE THEY?

      We frequently hear about saints in church, especially on Sundays and Feast Days, or we sometimes reading about them. It is good to understand why they are so honored and called saints and learn more about them, because it directly concerns us. We should understand why we offer them reverence and  recognition in the Church, and  place  their icons where they can be kissed and honored. 

     First, it is important to understand the meaning of the word “saints”.  It means the same as the word holy, except that saints is a noun and holy is adjective of the same word. Our Creator and God is continually glorified as being holy. So to become holy is to become like God.saint. It means ridding ourselves of every blemish and moral defect, and to acquire every virtue and purity of thought, word and deed. The more holy we become the more we reflect the image and likeness of God, which is the purpose of Orthodoxy in this present life.

          In the Orthodox  Church we offer homage to the one who is far above all the saints being  who is the holiest of them all. Her names describes her exceptionally high standing above all the saints and heavenly powers. She is the All undefiled, All-holy and Ever-blessed Ever-Virgin Mary, the Theotokos and Mother of God. We honor her because she is the purest woman that ever existed being being filled with holiness and truth, and so holy and pure that God chose her to bear His Son in the flesh. The holy sinless flesh that the Son of God wrapped himself, He took from this holy woman. She is honored as being exceedingly higher than the highest and we Orthodox praise her saying: “More honorable than the Cherubim and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim . . .”

     

     However, in our Orthodox Faith the word saint or holy is not  meant to be used only for certain exceptional and outstanding saints and heavenly creatures, but to denote all those who hear the Gospel, believe in Jesus Christ, and become part of His holy Body – the Church. Jesus sternly commands that we all must become holy saints, saying: “Be holy for I am holy,” and “be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

TWO BEAUTIES AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF ALL

TWO BEAUTIES AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF ALL

     In Central New England, during the fall of every year, we are treated with various colors of foliage which people to join us in gazing in awe at the yellow, oranges, reds and the in between colors then joyfully talk about this display of beauty with others. How wonderful that the Creator bestows on us sinners, not just food and drink, but such beauty!   In the winter another type of beauty appears with some discomforts from snow and ice. But the whiteness of snow and the  rustic looking trees are endowed with a special beauty. 

HURRICANES, TORNADOES, SEA STORMS, FLOODS THEIR SOURCE

HURRICANES, TORNADOES, SEA STORMS, FLOODS

THEIR SOURCE 

     Hurricane sweep through southern Florida, with 130mph winds! Volcano erupts in Hawaii on big island threatening nearby towns. Floods cripple Midwest as rivers overflow banks. Forest fires in California threaten homes as residents flee. Tsunami inflicts great damage on many homes in Japan. These are frequent headlines, that are usually qualified with the big lie, there is no God!

      Many natural events, even weekly, wreak tragedy on thousands of people, including loss of life, and homes and other great property damage. Who is brought to mind by newscaster when these events occur? Mother Nature!

     The Mother Nature story originated when the believers and leaders of the Enlightenment chose to separate nature from God. This led to the feminization of nature, and the creation of the word: Mother Nature. Boyle suggested that examination of man is an examination of God. Therefore, nature had to be converted to woman, "a great...pregnant automation" to be examined.[4]. When nature was feminized and degraded, Carolyn Merchant suggests that it made possible for people to exploit and study it.[5] Hence, the words "mother nature" come into play. God, who created everything and controls everything is cast aside and fictional Mother Nature is exalted as a force controlling all weather, storm, water flows, and all creation.

   The degradation of God and exaltation of Mother Nature, produced a drastic change in human behavior. Prior to the so-called enlightenment, during tragedies and dangers most people would flock to houses of worship, seeking relief from God with firm hope in His compassion. The truth is that it is impossible that God is not the Creator of everything. It is not Mother Nature, but the Lord who controls the arrival, intensity and duration of all weather conditions for He is the Lord of all that exists, therefore creation is subject to Him. Men forgot everything and turned to God when the World Trade Center Tragedy occurred on 9/11. Newscasters told of crowded churches and synagogues where people sought solace from God.

POPES ALWAYS SOUGHT TO DOMINATE

ALWAYS ENEMIES OF ORTHODOXY

     For the Orthodox, there has been a perpetual battle against or capitulation to the popes of Rome, whose objective is to dominate the Orthodox. During c=different eras faithful Orthodox leaders fought valiantly against attempts of various heretics to spread their heresy in the Church,  and  there have been against the Roman Church  which sought to dominate, rule and destroy the Eastern Church, which stands as a witness to the truth against them. They were often assisted by unfaithful fallen Orthodox within, and other from outside the Church. For at various times there appeared unfaithful Orthodox leaders who betrayed the Faith and assisted the encroachments upon Orthodoxy by the Latins, many of them accepted the pope’s asserted authority and thus fell from truth and their own salvation. Some were rewarded for their betrayal with their cardinal position in the papacy. 

     Pride and love of authority led the Roman Church to abandon Christ as their Head, and the Orthodox Church as His Body. The Roman Church gradually became the papacy to replace the church, and its head by crowning and enthroning the Pope of Rome as absolute head and supreme Vicar of Christ. But long hundreds of years before, when they were still part of the true Church. many popes, even then, sought to dominate the Orthodox. The plans for preparation for total domination over Orthodoxy was in the minds of early Roman Catholic popes, many of whom actually tried to establish their distorted form of total authority over Orthodoxy.

HERETICS, SCHISMATICS, FALSE TEACHERS, DECEIVERS, WOLVES IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING

     There are many of the hierarchy today who abandoned true Orthodoxy and openly preach heresy with little or no resistance from the Orthodox faithful. Orthodox Christians believe in and confess One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, and when hierarchs preach another church they preach heresy. When they recognize and embrace the pope of Rome as a bishop, and the papacy as another church, they preach heresy. When they recognie Protestants as brother Christians, and their churches, they preach heresy.  

     When they deny the truth of the unique nature of Orthodoxy as being the only true Church, the only Body of Christ, they preach heresy. When they recognize the mysteries of the non-Orthodox as being valid  they preach heresy. God through Holy Scriptures denounces every form of heresy as will be shown.

Holy Scripture, is inspired by God, however the same Scripture  are used actively and  deceptively by most nominal Christians, heretics, papists and Protestant to preach their errors. Besides these heresies there exists the pan-heresy of ecumenism, used by some Orthodox whose  objective seeks  to honor and combine all religions as leading to the same God.  Effectively this is a strong declaration against absolute truth. Satan seeks through his minions to destroy pure Orthodoxy from the face of the earth, preventing the salvation of man. Unfortunately, few do not even consider the events taking place in the Church as important.Heresy attacks from both within or outside the church, boldly and openly with little resistance thus encouraging ever increasing attacks which are still occurring.  

LORD HAVE MERCY! LORD HAVE MERCY!  LORD HAVE MERCY!

     Many have experienced being in real danger, and uttered cries for help, are familiar with the combined feeling of hope and  despair. The cry out for help is usually a form of SOS accompanied by flashers and red or yellow flag on the antenna.  Cries are made  to a passerby or on a cell phone. We Orthodox Christians when in need of help use the same procedure with one difference. Rather than seeking only for  human help which of course may not always be available, when troubles come we do as we do  in church, crying out: Kyrie eleeison or Lord have mercy,   This plea  is used repeatedly  in the Orthodox Church. It is a fact that more than any other expression in Church we hear: “Lord have mercy! A big difference is found in the fact that when we cry out to the Lord, there is no combined feeling of hope and despair but only great and firm hope that lightens any burden we may be carrying. For we know that He hears our plea before it is uttered when it is a thought, it reaches the Lord, and we are sure that He will do what is best fo  Here is the wonderful thing about our Faith. God is always with us and always hears  the sound of our plea. Every Lord have mercy is heard by Him and given His attention.  So when we have any type of trouble we call to Him: “Lord have mercy upon me.” We never need to get His attention nor does He miss a single plea or prayer, and all that is required is our firm faith. We call to God not only for spiritual things but for everything. When we meet as church here are a few of the things, mentioned by the Priest and which we seek from the Lord. “Peace from above, for the temple or building, for our Bishop, the clergy and laity, for the president, civil authorities, Armed Forces, and our country, for every city and country and those who dwell in them. For seasonable weather, abundance of crops, peaceful times. Also we pray for those at sea, travelers by land sea or air, for the sick and suffering, captives and for their salvation, for our deliverance from affliction, danger, necessity.”v Orthodox Christians seek not only their own good but what is good for all mankind.

     Christ teaches that those who seek Him can find Him in His Church, and He told His disciples::

“The kingdom of God is within you.” We need no communication device, just our thoughts are sufficient.. With faith in Christ, we cry for help for minor and major things, for the good things we need from this world to the good things for which we  hope for in the heavenly world. We can say, Lord have mercy or just have the thought , Lord have mercy upon me, both are completely acceptable if they are pure thoughts from a pure heart.r us.

      As we see in the next petition, our devotion is totally directed to Christ. The Priest intones: “Commemorating our most pure, most blessed, and glorious Lady, Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us commend ourselves and one another, our whole life to Christ our God.   

     Our whole life? Is that much? There is no better investment available. Our life on earth is some where above or below a ninety or a hundred years. But when we ask God, Lord have mercy, we are talking about billions, trillions of eons, immeasurable and infinitely multiplied - it is called eternal life. This should be our main goal in life, and this is what we ought to be seeking.

THE BEAUTY AND MYSTICAL ATTRACTION OF ORTHODOXY

THE BEAUTY AND MYSTICAL ATTRACTION OF ORTHODOXY

     Why does our holy Orthodox Faith appear so sweet, peaceful and attractive to the many enthusiastic  converts who have been pouring in? Many of them are greatly amazed at the treasures they have discovered. They soon learn that the most important characteristic of Orthodoxy is that she is changeless having preserved everything intact, including her dogmas and doctrine and has remained true and faithful, from the time of the ancient Church.Orthodoxy is also attractive because she is the depository of divine grace, a radiant beauty surrounds her  derived from her inner divine human being for like her Head, she is abundantly filled with divine grace from the Holy Spirit. Those who enter Orthodoxy become captivated by her splendor and majestic glory, and the sweet odor of incense from the purity of her faith and the rock-solid unshakeable firmness of all her doctrines. All those who love the Church, love her for what she truly is, the unchangeable, unique and only holy Body of Christ.  

     Orthodoxy always remembers and repeatedly celebrates the descent of  the Logos of God who came down from heaven and became incarnate in the Virgin’s womb, and He dwelt among us full of grace and truth, being himself the living Truth. All the precious and divine dogmas and doctrine which He taught, are perfectly preserved only in the Orthodox Church, and are not to be found elsewhere, for  she remains faithful to her Head. When under attack by heretics and schismatics, she is always courageously defended by faithful people who shed their blood and suffered martyric deaths defending  her dogmas and doctrines. 

      Let us be amazed when we review the divinely guided history of holy Orthodoxy! Even more, upon seeing with thanksgiving the supreme glory of Orthodoxy!  When Orthodox gather as Church, angles come and join, sometimes becoming visible. There is nothing in this entire world that can surpass her majesty for she is both divine and human. She radiates her divine light upon those whom she sanctifies. How perfectly things are preserved can by observed, by closing your eyes for a moment, and picture no holy icons, then open them and see the  holy icons knowing they are in every Orthodox church, and remember the millions who sacrificed their lives in defense of holy Orthodoxy. They were beaten with sticks, axed to death, drowned, beheaded, skinned alive, torn apart, cast into flames, their eyes torn out, starved, rolled on torture wheels, but they preserved their  faith in Jesus Christ and holy Orthodoxy, and have received crowns of victory.The holy icons are important to our memories. Seeing the icons we remember Jesus Christ, we  remember the most Holy Theotokos, and we remember John the Baptist and all the Saints.

     Orthodoxy has preserved the fasting days and periods, the Feast Days are wonderfully celebrated, as heaven and angels descend to join in  celebration.  This is particularly visible on the Feast of feasts, Great and Glorious Orthodox Pascha, celebrated throughout Orthodox Churches the world over. We all sing the same living and hopeful song: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death; and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.”  We were buried with Him in Baptism, and arise with Him in His Resurrection. Throughout the inhabited world, Orthodox Christians, universally confess their belief in the co-essential Trinity, the Father almighty,  the Son who became the Lord Jesus Christ,  being true God from true God, incarnate of the Virgin and became true man; and in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father, and in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, in the one baptism, and in the future judgment.

HOW MAN IS MOST DEAR TO GOD, AND GOD TO MAN

HOW MAN IS MOST DEAR TO GOD, AND GOD TO MAN

“I seek not yours, but you” (2Cor. 12:14).

THE BEAUTY OF PURE LOVE BETWEEN GOD AND THE CHRISTIAN

     By these words, which could only be pronounced by the flame of the Apostle  St. Paul’s love for those around him, is stated the essence of the relationship of the Christian with God and of God with the Christian. 

The love of God might say:

     You, Christian, fast for my sake, you performs works of mercy for my sake, you raise ardent prayer for my sake, you build churches for my sake, you make sacrifices and do other goodly deeds

for my sake.  All this is good and pleasing in my sight, but you yourself are dearer to me than all of these.  In the end, I seek nothing of all these, but you, and you alone.

The love of the Christian might reply:

     You, Lord give me health and that is good.  You make the light, release the rain, refresh the air with your lightning, and that is good.  You give wealth and wisdom and length of days and offspring, and abundantly spread countless other blessings on the dining table of this life.  And all this is good and precious, and I receive it all with thankfulness. But in the end, it is but the edge of your skirts; in the end I seek nothing of all these but you, Lord, You alone.

  

     My brethren, God is not seen with bodily sight and neither is man.  That which is seen in the whole of nature is only something of God, and that which is seen in bodily clothing is only something of man.  God is love, my brethren, bringing heaven down to earth, and man is love, my brethren, lifting earth up to heaven.

     Lord, you who loves mankind, the Creator and Sustainer of all, do you abide more and more in us by your life-giving Spirit, that we may live in your deathless Kingdom. To you be glory and praise forever. Amen.

Prologue of Ochrid
St. Nikolai Velimirovic

BAPTISM ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY

   Jesus Christ is the Head and Lord of the Orthodox Church and every member is under the command of the Lord.   The Lord sent His Apostles out ordering triune immersion baptism . The Apostles baptized everyone and after the Apostolic period came the period of the Seven Ecumenical Synods from 325AD to 783 AD. The Ecumenical Synods are the rudder that keeps the Church on course. The Canons are binding upon all, and all heretics and schismatics need baptism.

   The Synod of Carthage was a regional Synod held in Carthage, Africa in 256 AD, and was ecumenical in character being approved,  and this Canon is included in the rudder of the Church, for it bears it bears the authority of the Seven Ecumenical Synods.

CANON OF THE THIRD REGIONAL SYNOD 

HELD IN CARTHAGE IN THE TIME OF CYPRIAN

(PARTIAL TEXT)

“We declare that no one can be baptized outside of the catholic Church, there being one baptism, and this being existent only in the catholic Church.” 

     “While assembled in parliament, dear brethren, we have read letters sent by you concerning those who are presumed among heretics or schismatics to have been baptized and who are joining the catholic Church, which is one single institution in which we are baptized and are regenerated, concerning which facts we are firmly convinced that you yourselves in doing so are ensuring= the solidity of the catholic Church, yet inasmuch as you are of the same communion with us and wished to inquire about this matter on account of a common love, we are moved to give you, and conjoin in doing so, not any recent opinion, but, on the contrary one which has been tried and tested with all accuracy and diligence of yore by our predecessors, and have been observed by us. 

HOW TO BE CERTAIN OF ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AFTER DEATH

  HOW TO BE CERTAIN OF ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

AFTER DEATH

     If offered, who would not want to be certain of  entering the kingdom of heaven after death and dance in delight enjoying endless life with God.  However it is impossible to be offered or for us to  accept the Kingdom after death, for it will be too late. Just as it is also false that God is so good and kind that He doesn’t want anyone to suffer and so will forgive and accept everyone in His Kingdom.  Those who say such things need to read the Bible, and they will find that nothing unholy can enter the Kingdom. Nor will God take away our freedom of choice concerning good or evil.  He will not give us what we did not choose while living in this world. When we die, our ability to choose terminates for life is over. Here and now is the time to make choices, for after death is the time for crowns or weeping.

    Our only guarantee of entering the Kingdom of heaven after death is to have already entered it prior to death. And because none of us have any idea as to when death will take us, and after death it will be too late,  the time for entering the Kingdom of heaven is now, while we are able.  For such a wonderful goal and destination we need the best possible guide. Who else but the God who became man, who is our Savior who did battle and destroyed the power of the Devil and sin over us, whom He loves with perfect love.  And He gave us the guarantee of  eternal life in His Kingdom. Saying that it was ours to accept, for: “the Kingdom of God is within you.”  So there is no other place to go, but to Jesus Christ, the Son of God in His Church, from whom we will get all the answers.  Jesus Christ is the living Truth who descended from heaven and greatly desires to teach and  save all of us as He brings us into His eternal Kingdom.  This is the truth, if we desire to enter the kingdom of heaven after we die, we can only do so if we enter it before we die.

The first step is stop living for this world alone with its eventual physical and moral corruption. Instead we must turn and heed the cry of Jesus and John the Baptizer when they went out to preach the Gospel, for they both called the people to immediate action, saying:  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is here.” The call for repentance is extremely critical being the first step. The word for repent in the Greek original means to change our minds or our thinking  (metanoeite). We have to differ from the general populace of this world who live only for the present materialistic  life. The world is full of sin and iniquity and offers us material things and pleasures alone, but not the Kingdom of heaven, which is not of this world.

NOT ATHEISM – POLYTHEISM ARE GODS OF TODAY”S WORLD

     St. Justin Popovich correctly proclaimed that today’s world is not atheistic but is polytheistic having  five particular gods, who have promoted drastic changes in human behavior.

SCIENCE

TECHNOLOGY

INVENTIONS

POLITICS

FASHION

     Modern man, in general, has become completely occupied in serving the above mentioned gods. Science, inventions and technology continually supply man with many new and advanced devices. Politics occupies many minds and some may believe the promises of the politicians so much as to quarrel and fight over them. Fashion is a continuous attraction, influencing how hair ought to be fixed, what cosmetics will glamorize best, and what clothes to wear to look good.  They suggest  that it is better to look beautiful, and what clothes they ought to wear. These five gods consume most tof modern man’s time, leaving precious little time for anything else. The anything else is where the greatest attention is needed! 

     Science and inventions have enabled technology to supply electricity, water, gas and oil to provide power and heat. Science has produced great medical advances, and treatment and cures have been discovered for various sicknesses and diseases.  Sadly killing babies has become a medical procedure. Handheld devices are seen everywhere, and people are frequently looking, talking and texting. Some people, at times almost like zombies, they lack any real social contact with others, as they communicate without speaking. Ships, submarines, automobiles, airplanes, space travel even to the moon are established. And many praise man with the famous humanistic praise ¨Man can do anything!”  This is the glorification, not of God, but of sinful man! Radios and television, computers, I-phones with more and more promised by the gods makes the flow appear endless.  Cursing and blaspheming has been popularized and marital relations have been redefined, formerly it was the intimacies of husband and wife, but now it has been reduced to fornication.  

     Science offers the know-how to technology who creates devices which offers communication with others, such as entertainment, photos and letters, which also requires much time and effort. Death still threatens everyone, young or old, but there is little believe in life after death or the terrible judgment, for God has been rendered as if powerless in the minds of men, and cannot punish anyone. With many this is not even considered for people are preoccupied with the devices and toys given them by the gods.

THE LAST JUDGMENT

THE LAST JUDGMENT

“And He shall come again in glory, to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.”

      Repeatedly, in the Creed of our Orthodox Faith, we show our faith and strong belief in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God . . . “who shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.” We repeatedly confess this in Church expressing our inner belief in words of the Creed. There is another witness to the final judgment that accuses and excuses us, which is our conscience through which God communicates with us. Our conscience reminds us, at times stinging us when we do wrong and other times praising us when we avoid evil and strive to do only good. A good conscience is a blessing which causes our souls to be at rest and peaceful, a contribution to our happiness in this world.

     Will there be a judgment, some  ask doubtfully and if so, why? The answer is emphatically yes, and the why is testified to by the fact that it is very natural to be judged as we are presently subject to numerous  judgments by others in  many aspects of our lives. This is because we are free and therefore responsible for our thoughts, words and deeds, and freedom always bears responsibility. Whether attending school, at work, in business, or in any other endeavor we are frequently subject to various sets of rules and laws which we must obey under the threat of punishment or the promise of reward by continued freedom and possible gain. A man steals from his employer and is terminated,or goes to jail and often both. Another man is faithful to his employer and enjoys a peaceful and productive life and perhaps a pension. In every aspect of our lives, because we are free, we undergo judgment, whether walking, driving, sitting, standing, whether in schools, universities, or politics. Wherever there is freedom of decision and action there is necessarily responsibility for actions whether good or bad. Freedom is conditional and can be either suspended or taken away taken away from us in the form of punishment and confinement. 

BISHOPS ARE BETRAYING THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

BISHOPS ARE BETRAYING THE  ORTHODOX CHURCH

The Orthodox Church teaches that all bishops are equal. Of course there are different ranks of bishops (patriarch, archbishop, metropolitan, bishop); nevertheless a bishop is a bishop, for the differences apply to the administration, not to the nature of the bishop. Each bishop is ordained and at this ceremony he places his very soul, as a servant, into the hands of Christ, promising  do only His will and to serve only His undivided One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

The function of every bishop in Orthodoxy is to fast and pray and become holy, to care for the poor, living in holiness and truth as he watches over and protects the one true Church, from enemies within and without. His and our effort must be to increasingly become more like Christ. The bishop is to be a shepherd and protector, and a defender and teacher of the Faith. His prime duty is to care for  the flock entrusted to him by the Lord, and he is responsible for each one. By his example and teaching and struggle he must strive to bring every soul possible into the everlasting Kingdom of heaven in the Orthodox Church. His teaching of the faithful, as Scripture commands is that they abandon and confess every sin and become more like Christ, according to His words: “Be holy as I am holy. Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect”.  

Other duties are to always preserve and protect the Faith pure and without change,  and defend the Holy Orthodox Church against all attacks. The bishop must do all in his power to keep the Church free from schisms and heresies, encroachments and plots. Upon ordination every Bishop confesses and agrees to preserve the Sacred Creed, follow the Holy Scripture, adhere to and accept the Seven Ecumenical Synods, Local Synods  and the Sacred Canons, as well as the Holy Fathers, the entire Church tradition, with its dogmas and beliefs.  

     The Bishop necessarily must become an excellent example of Christ before men, following and behaving like Christ, walking in the footsteps of the Apostles, preserving and expounding their teaching to the faithful. Watch over his priests seeing that they preserve the Holy Orthodox Faith without corruption. The bishop raises those who have fallen from grace, recognizes the truth to be true and the lie to be a lie, never confusing them.  He agrees to confess the definitions of the right and pure faith solely held by Orthodoxy, and continually instruct the faithful in the faith, enabling them to assist in her defense as well. It is as important to defend the truth of the Churches uniqueness as it is that of Jesus Christ.

     The ecumenist bishops, loudly and clearly, deny the uniqueness of Orthodoxy, thus betray the true faith, by dialogues, kisses and hugs as well as  concessions to heretics. speaking from the platform of ecumenism with amplified voices.  They shamelessly betray the Faith and address heretics as being their brothers and brothers of Christ. Although the Lord founded one Church they  dogmatize that there are two disunited sister churches, that need to be united because the Church is divided. Then they dare to say that this is the will of the undivided Christ.  This is not something new, for it  was agreed in the betrayal at Balamand. In 1994.

THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH IS REAL!

THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH  IS REAL!

   In grammar school we were taught about Juan Ponce de Leon, and learned that he was seeking the fountain of youth.  Later I thought this story was just a myth but it in researching it sounds correct as there is an archeological park in St. Augustine, Florida called the Fountain of Youth. The thinking concerning the fountain of youth, is that by drinking from it  youth would be restored and you would not grow old but enjoy eternal youth!  All you had to do was to continue to drink from the Fountain of Youth.  

     Many people carry so many agonies in this word without ever realizing the promise of the future, and a real Fountain of Youth. Here we marvelously declare that there is a real and even greater Fountain of youth readily and freely available to all men. He is the Giver of life and the nourisher of our souls and bodies, but what is supremely important is that Jesus Christ is the only Lover of all mankind! He offers everyone  not only the Fountain of youth, but the Fountain of eternal life. (The writer is 91 years of age, but always feels inwardly like a very young man – truly due to the Fountain of youth).   

     Here is the offer to freely drink of this divine and abundant fountain. He who speaks is the Living Fountain and Creator of heaven and earth and of everything that exists. He cries out to all the human race no one being excluded. We first must acknowledge that we are sinners who regret our past sins. Jesus Christ the Son of God is our Lord and our Savior, and came to be crucified to cleans us from our sins and free us forever from the power of the devil. He welcomes us with open arms, the arms of Almighty God, embracing and kissing us. He bestows upon each of us every blessing and lasting happiness. Christ welcomes us all with these sweet words offering us to drink from the Living Fountain of youth and the Fountain of life.

“If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink.”

   Christ is much more than the Fountain of youth, being the Fountain of all life, the Fountain of exceeding happiness and the only genuine hope of eternal life and joy, as He says: “I am the way and the truth and the life. . .” Christ is the Fountain of truth and wisdom and in Him is found everything that man could possible desire! 

APOSTLE PETER HAD NO AUTHORITY OVER OTHERS POPE’S CLAIM TO AUTHORITY FICTIONAL

APOSTLE PETER HAD NO AUTHORITY OVER OTHERS

POPE’S CLAIM TO AUTHORITY FICTIONAL AS PETER WITNESSES

NOT PETER FOR

 ONLY THE DIVINE COULD SUCCEED THE DIVINE

     God alone is the irreplaceable Creator and Father and no one can take His place for He is uncreated, immortal and all powerful. Eternally the Father is giving birth to His Son and Logos, and the Holy Spirit who emanates from the Father. The three are one and the one are three. They are complete equal in nature and in essence, one God in Trinity.

     Christ is the Head and Founder of His Church and being divine and human, His Church like Him, is also divine and human. Christ clearly shows who would succeed Him when He said: “My Father previously worked and now I work.”  The Father had established a covenant with Abraham and  through Moses and the Prophets with the Hebrew nation. He prepared man for the next phase of His work. When He sent His own beloved Son, to whom the Prophets bore witness and who says, now I work, and what a wonderful work, work of suffering His Passion, being mocked and crowned with thorns and crucified.

 

     Christ promised that He would never leave us but be with us until the close of the age, and he established exactly who would succeed Him, not as a vicar or representative but the Lord Himself  to remind them of all that He said and  be their Comforter, the Holy Spirit of truth, the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father and He will guide you and remind you of all my words. Just before His death on the Cross, Christ said: “It is finished”. It is finished for the victory was His, by His unjust condemnation and crucifixion.  Then fifty days after the Resurrection, on the day of  Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon them all just as Christ promised, and Church was energized brilliantly with light and life. For they were filled with Holy Spirit.

ORTHODOX UNION WITH POPE? NEVER!

ORTHODOX UNION WITH POPE?  

NEVER!

 The pope’s visit to Constantinople and current discussion of uniting the true Church of Christ – Holy Orthodoxy, with the contrary papacy, but Orthodox Christian big and small must by duty respond id they wish to save their own souls, hence this article. 

     The Roman Church did not become the papacy overnight it was a gradual process. This is a  contribution toward understanding the truth as why the papacy was dis-united or separated from the Orthodox Church for a over a thousand years. We will mention some changes in the papacy preceding and following their apostasy from Orthodoxy, which should have been examined by  hierarchical “negotiators” prior to any talks.  

     It is an undeniable fact that Orthodoxy is the Church,and anyone who denies this has forfeited his Orthodox beliefs.  Orthodoxy never separated from the Roman Church, and it is foolish to say so because Orthodoxy is the Church of Jesus Christ and is our Head.  The Roman church was once a part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. However the Latins changed the Roman Church into the papacy headed by an infallible pope The cause of the papacy being dis-united or separated was and remains until this day their descent into blackness of supreme arrogance which floods the minds and hearts of the Roman Catholic leaders.  For this arrogance instigated them to descend to the  depths of folly and insanity, which St. Photios describes. for they not only laid claims to be “the only Church” but they introduced numerous heresies, and even changed the changeless creed of our Faith. They have waged war against Orthodoxy since before the time of the Crusades, during the time and in modern times they continue the same warfare, maiming and killing Orthodox Christians, who refuse to become their followers or papists.

     The Papacy has never denounced its numerous heresies nor have they got rid of one of them, nor have they repented. They seek union under their dominion without abandoning there errors and without returning to the true Church, and having not done so, talks of union by the Orthodox bishops constitute a betrayal of Orthodoxy, and a sinful waste of time. What error has the papacy corrected?  What changes have they made by abandoning serious heresies  and embracing truth? What lies and blasphemies have they stopped telling and confessed?