On Holy Relics and the Role of the Body in Salvation

Relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Monastery of Diveyevo, Russia

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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ON HOLY RELICS AND THE ROLE OF THE BODY IN SALVATION
By Schema-Archimandrite Sergius, abbot of Saint Tikhon's Monastery

On the topic of "Orthodox Living in the Modern World: Steps to Spiritual Transformation".

Christ Himself, when the Apostles asked Him, "Where do You live," says, "Come and see." And then when the Disciples are telling other potential disciples about the Lord they simply say "Come and see." That's the most important part of our faith, that it's so real and tangible. Pilgrimage is part of that experience. It's about being able to encounter God in a very immediate and a very close way that's very transformative and inspires us and renews us, giving us hope and life.

The holy relics of Saint Nicholas are located underneath the altar. I was just in Saint Nicholas Church in Bari, Italy where Saint Nicholas of Myra in Lycia is. Sometimes we don't realize that the Saints are so powerful that even in the midst of a society that rejects Saints, and the Church, and even the Lord, still the power of Saint Nicholas is coming up through the ground and manifesting itself in our society is a very profound and real way. Saint Nicholas knows everything we're thinking, whether it's naughty or nice and he can see and knows what's going on, because he is united with God and that means he's everywhere. He's still working tirelessly. Going to encounter that great Saint in Bari was such a blessing and it reminded me of the critical place of pilgrimage in our life. I was renewed in that it is very important for us to experience these things and be changed by these things. You can go and touch Saint Nicholas. They have myrrh that comes out of his tomb that they collect once a year. It's beautifully smelling white myrrh that they mix with water to give to pilgrims.

Encountering this powerful intercessor, I am reminded of the universality of our Church and the importance of encountering our faith in a very real way. What is the center of our faith if not the Eucharist? We taste and see that the Lord is good. The Church addresses every sense. Every part of us is engaged by the Church if we allow it to be. The Church wants to sanctify every single part of us, every single molecule.

An incorrupt Saint is by the by-product of that sanctification process. The Holy Spirit dwells in people so much that even their body doesn't decay anymore. Our body is a very important part of the whole process of salvation. It's a reality that we need the body to actualize our works of repentance. Not all Saints are incorrupt, but it is a sign of the indwelling of the All-Holy Spirit which keeps us together, not only in soul and body, sometimes in so much superabundance that these Saints remain incorrupt, awaiting the Second Coming of Christ.

I was just reading the words of Christ this morning that, "And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die" (St. John 11:26). "Never die." That's the main enemy, as Saint Paul says. He says that that last great enemy to be conquered is death. That's what Christ comes to address, that we might have life, and more abundantly. Superabundant life it says in the Greece, and so these Saints who are so filled with that life don't decay.

Reliquary of Saint Spyridon, Across from Bari is Corfu (Kerkyra), where are the incorrupt holy relics of Saint Spyridon, which are not just incorrupt in the typical way. They say that they actually have to change his worn-out shoes every few months because he's out and about doing things. You may kind of laugh and think that's very strange, but once Archbishop Benjamin (Orthodox Church in America) was telling stories about Alaska, and he told us that when they canonized Saint Herman (Germanos) in 1970, many of the natives did not know that he had died, because he was still active. He's still working. If they die in the Lord they never see death. (On Facing Ourselves )

The Holy Fathers of the Church say that when we die the only thing we can take with us is that which we have given away, and even more importantly we take the disposition of our heart. Was it oriented towards God and the good things of life and love, or was it oriented towards ourselves, which is, in a way, death? What was the principal movement of repentance in the parable of the prodigal son? "He came to himself." He had forgotten himself. There is no movement towards God that doesn't start with moving back to myself. Spiritual life is always a movement to the heart and then to God because I can only speak to God "from the heart."

Our prayers are sometimes not answered because we pray like a talking head disconnected from our heart: "I want this, I want that, please help me, help me..." and therefore He doesn't hear them. We have to come to ourselves every time we go to pray. The reality of the Fall is this: a movement away from ourselves out to the created world--cars, family, boat, worries about jobs, even about good things like Church. This movement away from the heart gets us so distracted and scattered that we have nothing of true content to offer, and we feel so frazzled sometimes.

One of the most important things we can do in this life is to make time for God which is really time to come back to ourselves, to our heart, because this is the first movement and if we don't realize the first movement then the second movement, back to God, cannot happen. The movement back to the heart is a movement to my own self, and sometimes we don't want to face this because it's so difficult, ugly and scary. Me.

The hardest thing to face is the truth about ourselves. It's really hard. We pay entertainers hundreds of thousands of dollars every year to distract us from ourselves, and from the reality that this world is dying. It's sad but true. It's because we don't want to face the reality of ourselves and by extension our lives, which might be dysfunctional or have problems. It's much easier to run to pseudo supports instead of real support.

As we get older, the tendency is to continue receding away from people, back into ourselves, becoming more isolated. It's weird but that's the reality because we don't like pain. It's a very difficult reality to face sometimes. But how do we cope with pain? Unfortunately, we go the wrong direction--we go back to pleasure. And then we get stuck in this vicious cycle of pain and pleasures, and it's this never-ending wheel that we're stuck in like a hamster until our last days.

The most important component of Orthodox Christianity is that Jesus Christ is the Logos/Word made flesh, and this Logos/Word is eternal. There was never a time when Jesus Christ was not. We live in time, and therefore we have a sense of past, present, and future, but in God there only is. God just is. Jesus Christ is God and He always was and He always will be. Saint John says in his epistle (letter), "this is the victory that overcomes the world"--by your faith, by the power of the Holy Spirit working in your heart you understand that Jesus Christ really is Who He said He was. 

(To be continued)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

Turning to the Holy Scripture for Inspiration

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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TURNING TO THE HOLY SCRIPTURE FOR INSPIRATION

The Holy Scripture is divinely inspired. The Holy Scripture is the word of God and every Orthodox Christian ought to turn to it to begin his/her dialogue with Him. Our Lord speaks to us directly when we approach the Holy Scripture with faith and with an open and humble heart.

The holy Apostle of Nations, Saint Paul speaking to the Corinthians says, "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

Offend No Man, Glorify God

"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being" (1 Corinthians 10:23-24).

Seeing the Unseen

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

The Source of Faith Is Christ

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the words of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loves me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:16-20).

Live in Unity

"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:1-6).

Children of God

"Therefore, putting away lying, Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (4:25-32).

Walk in Christ the Light

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light for whatever makes manifest is light" (Ephesians 5: 8-13).

Exhortation for Daily Living

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses al understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--mediate on these things" (Philippians 4:4-8).

Spirituality in the Church

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:1-5).

Stand Fast in the Faith

"Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work" (2 Thessalonians 2:13-17).

Pursue Spirituality Instead

"But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until the Lord Jesus Christ's appearing which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen." (1 Timothy 6:11-16)

Warning to Wealthy Christians

"Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give willingly to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life" (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

Proper Behavior Supports Sound Doctrine

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you" (Titus 2:11-15).

(To be continued)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

Is it Necessary for an Orthodox Christian to Attend Weekday Divine Services?

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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IS IT NECESSARY FOR AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN TO ATTEND WEEKDAY DIVINE SERVICES?

Despite the popular misinterpretation of Christianity (that is, that it is sort of a Sunday morning assembly), Orthodox Christianity does not fit this popular rumor. Orthodox Christianity is a way of life, a worshipping community, and not just something we do on Sunday morning. Worship in general and the Mysteries (Sacraments) in particular introduce us to the future age and Kingdom. The Risen Christ is made manifest. We participate in the saving acts of His life, so that our life may be continuously renewed and refashioned in the likeness of Him Who created us.

Each day and year can be the fitting and decisive year to e a year of the Lord. By this I mean, that each day and year can be the fitting and decisive moment both to remember God and all He did and continues to do for us, and to anticipate with joy the riches that He has prepared for us who love Him (2 Corinthians 2:9). For a devout Christian each day can and must be a shared existence with eternity, with Christ.

The daily non-sacramental worship of our Holy Orthodox Church consists mainly of the Evening Service of the Vespers (Esperinos) and Morning Service of Matins (Orthros), which are the longest and the most elaborate of the Orthodox Services. In addition to them, the daily cycle contains the following Services:

1. the four services of the Hours (Hores);

2. the Compline Service (Apodeipnon);

3. the Midnight Service (Mesonyktikon).

Each Hour has a set of psalms, hymns and a distinctive prayer for that Hour. Each Hour has a particular theme, and sometimes even a sub-theme, based upon some aspect of the Christ-event and salvation history. The general themes of each of the Hours are: the coming of the True Light (First Hour); the Descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Third Hour); the Crucifixion and Passion of the Lord (Sixth Hour); the death and burial of the Lord (Ninth Hour).

Compline (Apotheipnon) is a service that is recited after supper and before retiring for sleep. It focuses on three things: thanksgiving for the day that has passed; protection for the ensuing night; and forgiveness of wrongs committed during the day.  

The Midnight (Mesonyktikon) Service, as its name indicates, is a service for the middle of the night. The "middle" of the night is an important hour in Holy Scripture; among the significant events that have occurred in the deep of night is the Resurrection of Our Lord. Holy Scripture also alludes to the occurrence of the Second Coming (Paousia) as an event that will take place in the middle of the night (St. Matthew 25:26; 1 Thessalonians 5:24).

The Lord's Day (Kyriaki or the Day of the Lord) is a Christian institution. It is the Christian festival, founded upon Christ's Resurrection. It is "the day which the Lord has made" (Psalm 117:24). It is a day of rejoicing and holy convocation, when no one is permitted to fast or kneel in sorrow or in penance. The principal activity of the Church on the Lord's Day is to assemble for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. There has never been a Sunday when the Divine Eucharist has not been celebrated. In and through the Divine Eucharistic action the Risen and Reigning Christ offers and distributes Himself in Word and Sacrament to every believer; and the miracle and the mystery of the New Life lived in community is continuously revealed and built up.

Because the celebration of the Divine Eucharist introduces us to the "Final Day" (eschata), the Lord's Day is also known as the "Eighth Day," i.e., the day which will have "no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light and its lamp is the Lamb" (Revelation 21:23). The "eighth day" is a term which indicates the final age, when the New Creation, already begun by the Resurrection of Christ, will be fulfilled and completed; when the new world will be ushered in by the General Resurrection.

There is evidence, too, that the Primitive (Early) Church set aside other days of the week for special consideration. Saturday (Sabbath) was regarded as the memorial of the creation narrative: "So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all His work which He had done in creation" (Genesis 2:3). In the liturgical tradition of the Church Saturday continues to be a festival. It recounts the creative act of God, Who brought all things into being out of nothing and reminds us of the opportunity we have to share in God's perpetual Sabbath, i.e., His creative life. Hence, the Church never fasts on a Saturday, except on the one Great and Holy Sabbath (Saturday), when the Church annually commemorates The burial of God in the flesh.

From the Apostolic times the Church observed Wednesday and Friday as fast days. From an early date, the Wednesday fast was connected with the betrayal of Christ by Judas, while the Friday fast was connected with the death of the Lord on the Cross. Both events manifest the terrible darkness and evil of this world, and the tragic and dreadful circumstance of human sin and apostasy. Monday (Deftera hemera or Second day) is dedicated to the Angels. Tuesday (Trite hemera or Third day) is dedicated to the Holy Apostles and to Saint Nicholas, who stands as a model for all the great hierarchs, the successors of the Holy Apostles and the Teachers of the Church. On Saturday, the Church commemorates the Holy Martyrs, the Ascetics, and all those who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection.

On Wednesday and Friday the Church brings into special focus the combined mystery of the Cross and the Person of the Ever-Virgin Mary, the Theotokos (Mother of God). Both days proclaim two things: 

1. The immeasurable love of God, "Who so loved the world that He gave His Only-Begotten Son" (St. John 3:16) and

2. The only possible, saving human response to this love through the free, humble and joyous acceptance of his will and purpose: "Behold, let it be done to me according to your word" (St. Luke 1:38; cf. St. Mark 14:36; see also Phil. 2:8).

In actuality, these "optional" services are important for us as Orthodox Christians. Attending these divine services helps us to live in an atmosphere of grace, or as Saint Paul says, to live in Christ. Instead of living as if we have two distinct lives -- "religious life" while all other activities belong to regular "real" life.  

The Liturgical Worship of our Church is not a magic pill. We must live in a way that opens us to the grace that is available there and then incorporate it into all of life. Our life outside the church service should become a liturgy, an offering of praise and a means of communion with God. (Source: Orthodox Worship by Father Alciviadis C. Calivas )

All the divine services are offered for the edification and inspiration of all of our Christian believers and not just for the priest. No Orthodox Christian church can exist without providing divine daily services to its members. No Orthodox church can function without the divine services and the Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Church.

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostomos 

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

The Apostles' Fast Begins

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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ON JUNE 24 OUR HOLY ORTHOODX CHRISTIAN CHURCH BEGINS THE ANNUAL APOSTLES' FAST

Patristic Testimony Concerning the Fast

The fast of the Holy Apostles is very ancient, dating back to the first centuries of Christianity. We have the testimony of Saint Athanasius the Great, Saint Ambrose of Milan, Saint Leo the Great and Theodoret of Cyrrhus regarding it. The oldest testimony regarding the Apostles Fast is given to us by Saint Athanasius the Great (+373 A.D.). In his letter to Emperor Constance, in speaking of the persecution by the heretic Arians, he writes: "During the week following Pentecost, the people, who observed the fast went out to the cemetery to pray". "The Lord so ordained it," says Saint Ambrose (+397 A.D.) "that as we have participated in His sufferings during the Forty Days, so we should also rejoice in His Resurrection during the season of Pentecost. We do not fast during the season of Pentecost, since our Lord Himself was present amongst us during those days...Christ's presence was like nourishing food for the Christians. So too, during Pentecost, we feed on the Lord Who is present among us. On the days following His Ascension into Heaven, however, we again fast" (Sermon 61). Saint Ambrose bases this practice on the words of Jesus concerning His Disciples in the Gospel of Saint Matthew 9:14-15): "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast."

Saint Leo the Great (+461 A.D.) says: "After the long feast of Pentecost, fasting is especially necessary to purify our thoughts and render us worthy to receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit...Therefore, the salutary custom was established of fasting after the joyful days during which we celebrated the Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord, and the coming of the Holy Spirit."

The pilgrim Egeria in her diary (4th century) records that on the day following the feast of Pentecost, a period of fasting began. The Apostolic Constitutions, a work no later than the 4th century, prescribes: "After the feast of Pentecost, celebrate one week, then observe a fast, for justice demands rejoicing after the reception of the Gifts of God and lasting after the body has been refreshed."

From the testimonies of the 4th century we ascertain that in Alexandria, Jerusalem and Antioch the fast of the Holy Apostles was connected with Pentecost and not with the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul on June 29th. In the first centuries, after Pentecost there was one week of rejoicing, that is Privileged Days, followed by about one week of fasting.

The canons of Nicephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople (806-816 A.D.), mention the Apostle's Fast. The Typicon of Saint Theodore the Studite for the Monastery of Studios in Constantinople speaks of the Forty Days Fast of the Holy Apostles. Saint Symeon of Thessaloniki (+ 1429) explains the purpose of this fast in this manner. "The Fast of the Apostles is justly established in their honor, for through them we have received numerous benefits and for us are exemplars and teachers of the fast...For one week after the descent of the Holy Spirit, in accordance with the Apostolic Constitution composed by Clement, we celebrate, and then during the following week, We fast in honor of the Apostles."

Duration of the Fast

The Fast of the Apostles came into practice in the Church through custom rather than law. For this reason there was no uniformity for a long time, either in the observance or its duration. Some fasted twelve days, others six, still others four, and others only one day. Theodore Balsamon, Patriarch of Antioch (+ 1204), regarding the Apostle's Fast, said: "All the faithful, that is the laity and the monks, are obligated to fast seven days and more, and whoever refuses to do so, let him be excommunicated from the Christian community."

In the Orthodox Church the Fast of the Holy Apostles lasts from the day after the Sunday of All Saints to the 29th of June, the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. This fast may be of longer or shorter duration depending upon which day Pascha is celebrated. According to the Old Calendar it could last from as little as 8 days to as many as 42 days depending on the date of Pascha, but this is shortened by the New Calendar which sometimes obliterates the Fast altogether. If the feast of Pascha occurs sooner, then the Apostle's Fast is longer; if Pascha comes later, then the Apostle's Fast is shorter.

The Holy Apostles Fast is not as severe as Great Lent of the Koimisis (Dormition) of the Theotokos (August 1-14) Fast, but entails fasting from red meat, poultry, meat products, dairy products, fish, oil, and wine. For many Orthodox, fish, wine and olive oil are allowed on all days except Wednesdays and Fridays.  

As with the three other fasting seasons of the Church year, there is a Great Fast that falls during the Holy Apostles Fast; in this case, the Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist and Forerunner (June 24th).

For us the Holy Apostles Fast began June24 and will end on the feast of Saint Peter and Paul on June 29th. Of course, as with all fasting seasons, there are exceptions and allowances for Orthodox Christians who are ill, seniors (65+), infants, pregnant women, men and women serving in the military, people who must follow a special diet for health issues, etc. (References: The Weblog of John Sanidopoulos, Wikipedia)

In His Service,

+Father George

The Holy Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist and Forerunner (June 24)

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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ON JUNE 24th OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES THE HOLY NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE FORERUNNER AND BAPTIST OF CHRIST

"As the departed, Jesus began to say to the multitude concerning John: 'What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'

Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (St. Matthew 11:7-11).

Six months before his appearing to the Most Holy Virgin Mary in Nazareth, the Great Gabriel, Archangel of the Lord, appeared to Zacharias the High Priest in the Temple in Jerusalem. Before he revealed the miraculous conception by a virgin who has not known a man, the Archangel revealed the wondrous conceiving by an old and barren woman. Zacharias was unable at once to believe the words of God's Herald, and for this his tongue was bound in dumbness and remained thus until the eighth day after John's birth. The kinsfolk of Zacharias and Elizabeth gathered together on that day for the infant's circumcision and naming. When they enquired of the father how he wished the child to be called, he, being still dumb, wrote on a slate: 'John'. At that moment his tongue was loosed and he began to speak. Zacharias's house was on the heights between Bethlehem and Hebron. The news of the Angel's appearing to Zacharias, of his dumbness and of the loosening of his tongue at the exact moment that he wrote 'John', was carried throughout all Israel, coming to Herod's ears. So, when he sent men to kill all the infants around Bethlehem, he sent men off to Zacharias's family house in the hills, to slay John also. But Elizabeth hid the child in good time. The king was enraged at this, and sent an executioner to the Temple to kill Zacharias (for it was then his turn to serve in the Temple again). Zacharias was killed between the court and the Temple, and his blood clotted and solidified on the paving slabs, and remained as an enduring witness against Herod. Elizabeth hid herself and the child in a cave, where she soon died. The young John remained in the wilderness alone, in the care of God and His Angels.  (Source" The Prologue from Ochrid)

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As an adult Saint John the Baptist and Forerunner started to preach in public, and people from "every quarter" were attracted to his message. The essence of his preaching was the necessity of repentance and turning away from selfish pursuits. He denounced the Sadducees and Pharisees as a "generation of vipers," and warned then not to assume their heritage gave them special privilege (St. Luke 3:8). He warned tax collectors and soldiers against extortion and plunder. His doctrine and manner of life stirred interest, bringing people from all parts to see him on the banks of the Jordan River. There he baptized thousands unto repentance.

The fame of Saint John reached the ears of Jesus in Nazareth (St. Matthew 3:5), and he came from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized by Saint John, on the special ground that it became him to 'fulfill all righteousness" (St. Matthew 3:15). Saint John's special office ceased with the baptism of Jesus, who must now "increase" as the King come to His Kingdom. He continued, however, for a while to bear testimony to the Messiahship of Jesus. He pointed Him to his disciples, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God". His Public Ministry was suddenly (after six months probably) brought to a close by his being cast into prison by Herod the king, whom he had reproved for the sin of having taken to himself the wife of his brother Philip (St. Luke 3:19). He was shut up in the castle of Machaerus, a fortress on the Southern extremity of Peraea, 9 miles East of the Dead Sea, and here he was beheaded at the instigation of Herodias.

Saint John the Baptist is a reminder that we won't be transformed by following business as usual. We need a radical change, a spiritual rebirth, a new dependence on and openness to the power of a God who does not operate according to our preferences and agendas. Instead of coming up with the usual excuses as to why we can't believe and live as Christ taught, it's time to be shaken out of our complacency. It's time to recognize that what has brought us weakness, despair, and sorrow will simply continue to make more of the same. A little bit of convenient religion on the margins of our lives may produce socially respectable people, but not those who manifest the heavenly kingdom even as they live in corrupt world. (Eastern Christian insights)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

On the Departure of the Soul According to the Teaching of the Orthodox Christian Church (Part III)

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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ON THE DEPARTURE OF THE SOUL ACCORDING TO THE TEACHING OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH (Part III)

"Death must find us ready."
By Elder Ephraim of Arizona

After death, eternity follows. Every person at a certain moment will abandon his body on the earth and proceed with his soul to eternity, to the life that has no end. Man's soul will remain without the body until the Second Coming of Christ, at which time the bodies of both the righteous and the unrighteous will be resurrected in order to be judged. It is a fact that after death, man's soul is separated from the body and lives in a unique state.

For this reason, we should--and I first--seriously take into account this reality and regulate our life accordingly. Let us correct our lives in order to avoid eternal Hell and instead acquire (through God's mercy and compassion) the Kingdom of Heaven. We must take a long, hard look at our salvation and realize that it is not a game; it is not something we can ignore; it is not a joke.

Let us stare our salvation straight in the eyes, no matter how alarming or disconcerting it is. Let us correct our life. Let us thank God from the depth of our heart, and let us offer Him praise and doxology because we are still alive and we can amend the matters related to our soul and prepare ourselves. We do not know, as we see in practice, the day, the hour, or the moment of our departure from the world. Let us do our prayer rule. Let us not neglect our vigil. Let us not be sluggish when it comes to attending church and the Divine Liturgy. Let us love one another, because love is God, and "he who abides in love, abides in God and God in him" (1 John 4:16). Who loves God? He who keeps His Commandments. The first and foremost Commandment of God is to love God: the second, to love our neighbor and brother.

Let us condemn and humble ourselves before God. Let us humble ourselves before our Crucified Christ and beseech Him for forgiveness. Let us correct ourselves so that our petition for His Divine Blood to wash and cleanse us, and for His death to become life for us may be fulfilled. We must thank God from the depth of our heart for keeping us alive until now and granting us time to correct ourselves.

We leave from this world and we go to the other world. The afflictions of this world, because they are temporary and short-lived, are insignificant compared to the reward for these pains which is given in the other world. However, they frequently appear to us as very heavy, unbearable, and never-ending. This reveals our human weakness and also the work of the devil, who presents things to us in a different way to surely lead us to despair and the hopeless thought that the torments will never end. But they do end, and often in a moment of time. And immediately, with the closing of our eyes, in front of us opens the theoria, the reality of the spiritual world. While before we were seeing people, immediately now, in a moment, we see spirits either bright or dark, either Angels or demons.

As soon as the eyes of the flesh close, the eyes of the soul open instantly and the person sees those things that he could not see previously with the eyes of the body. Death is the bridge that transports us from this world to the other.

We must undertake the right struggle, the correct confronting of this reality that we are here temporarily and we are departing to the other world for eternity. Here we perceive Christ with the feeling of our soul. There, if the mercy of God saves us, we will see Him face to face.

The soul that struggles, that persists, that believes with unshakable faith in the existence of God, in the other life, in the days of grace, feels that she is armed with the weapons of the Light, of grace, of Divine eros. She feels as if she is standing before the Throne of God ready to do battle against those who oppose Him Whom she worships and champions. Sometimes she also feels dressed as the bride of the Heavenly Bridegroom, adorned with the beauty of Heaven and possessed of the love and the yearning for when she will be united eternally with the Heavenly Bridegroom.

May our Good God enlighten each one of us and give us the strength to settle and arrange any outstanding debts. Let us exert ourselves; let us not be negligent. The present life is not a time for negligence and procrastination.

No one is sinless except Our Holy God. No holy person left the earth without some small sin; however, this did not impede their salvation and holiness. This is why only God is sinless. The great Fathers advise us to depart having committed as few sins as possible. Insignificant sins do not hinder our salvation. For when the scale pan is full of virtue, it will tip the scale, and these small sins will be tossed into the air.

May God, through His infinite mercy, permit all of us to be found together in the joy and bliss of His eternal Kingdom. (Source: Elder Ephraim, The Art of Salvation)

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Glory Be To GOD For All Things!"-- Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George