Moments after Saint Andrew, the First-called Apostle,
encountered Jesus Christ, he ran home and told his brother the Good News. “We
have found the Messiah!” (John 1.41) The news traveled throughout the city as
Simon Peter told Philip, who told Nathanael. Good News is hard to keep quiet.
When Jesus Christ sent His Disciples out share the Good News
(Gospel – Ευαγγέλιον), He
gave a simple commandment. “Go therefore and make disciple of all the nations.”
(Matthew 28.19) Saint Andrew traveled to a small port-town called Byzantium,
which would later become the center of the longest lived empire in world history.
While there, Saint Andrew obeyed the commandment of Jesus Christ and shared the
Good News about the Savior with the city, and made disciples of Christ. And
what did they do? They traveled throughout the known region and shared the Good
News they had received with others, because as we know Good News is hard to
keep quiet.
Just over two hundred years ago, Russian Orthodox
Missionaries arrived on what would become “American soil” and shared the same
Good News with the Native Peoples of Alaska. Around the same time, Greek
Orthodox faithful arrived on the East coast in Florida and later in New Orleans
to continue the history of making disciples of all the nations. Today there are
more than 500,000 Orthodox Christians living as disciples of Jesus Christ. Now it’s
our turn to share the Good News, and bring Orthodoxy to every corner of this
great American Nation. It’s the role of every disciple.
In the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12.16-21) we witness
the result of a life void of peace. Rather than trusting that God would provide
for his family, the rich farmer panicked, tore down his already filled barns
and was about to build new larger barns when God called him. When we are unable
to trust in God’s willingness or abilities to provide for the needs of our
family, we run the risk of living in fear rather than peace. God has given us
numerous reasons to trust Him, even offering us the chance to test our trust in
Him. This week’s episode offers a chance to learn to trust God, and experience
for yourself, that trust leads to peace.
There is a temptation in American politics to separate our
spiritual lives from our political lives. It is growing ever popular to hear self-proclaimed
devout Christian politicians championing policies theoretically in opposition
to their personal spiritual beliefs. There is no limit, politically speaking,
to this trend as it exists “on both sides of the aisle” of Washington, D.C. But
have you ever wondered what would happen if politics DID become spiritual?
Realistically speaking it is impossible for our spiritual
journey NOT to interfere with our politics, but political hypocrisy may not be
as rampant as some may think. Every human struggles with the same fallen
reality, and the temptation to please the self rather than God and others. It
is why Jesus Christ commanded us to deny ourselves if we desired to follow Him.
Until we can stop the focus on ourselves, we cannot begin to focus upon Him.
The “self” is where ALL POLITICS is spiritual.
Politicians are nothing more than a skilled sales force, and
the product they are selling, is power and control. Everyone seems to want it,
and will do anything to get it. So, when a politician offers it, the votes just
come rolling in. Who could blame a sales force for altering the sales pitch if
product isn’t moving off the shelves? And who would blame a manufacturer for
making changes to a product to keep it “fresh” in front of the consumer. Shoe
styles change, so why shouldn’t political styles. Sales is sales.
Over the years certain products “go out of fashion” and are
ultimately removed from the marketplace. When was the last time you saw a LeCar
driving down your street? The consumer is in total control over what product
remain popular. The more the consumer wants to buy, the more items are made.
They call it supply and demand in business school. THAT’s where you and I come
in...
You are I are the consumers of politics. If the sales force
is successful in moving product, it is because we are the ones buying it. Consider
the last the political movement that you purchased. Was it not in some way a
bit of control and power over something or someone? And this is why politics is
spiritual...
Since we continue to struggle with our fallen condition, and
serving our selfish desires, what we “buy” in politics is integral to our
spiritual journey. If we seek power and control, we will purchase more of it
from the “sales force” offering more of it on the ballot. Every candidate is
selling it, so what brand we purchase makes little difference to the sales
force. Of course, every sales pitch comes with incentives. Power and control
with a bit of “cash back” thrown in, and the shelves empty - the trifecta of
politics.
As Orthodox Christians currently in the Nativity Fast, and
with Thanksgiving just a few days away, we should take more seriously our
spiritual struggle of selfish desire. This is the perfect opportunity, through
increased prayer and fasting and serving to poor, to work to defeat our
selfishness rather than sell it to the nearest politician. Something to think
about during the Fast.
In the parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus teaches us the deadly
result of a greedy heart. Faced with full barns and a banner crop, the Rich
Fool panics because he has no place to store his growing wealth. “I will do
this,” he says, “I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will
store all my crops and my goods.” (Luke 12.18) Unfortunately for the Rich Fool,
that was the night he would die and face judgment for the condition of his
heart.
Greed is a cancer that eats away at our heart, one dollar at
a time. Each of us has been blessed with material gifts from God. Each of us is
faced with considering how we will make use of the wealth that God has given
us. Will we panic and attempt to store our wealth for tomorrow thinking we will
enjoy comfort for years to come? This was the mistake of the Rich Fool when he
said, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat,
drink, and be merry.” (Luke 12.19) Will we be grateful for the blessings that
God has given to us and use them for His glory helping and serving others?
Greed is a cancer that turns the heart inward toward
darkness rather than upward toward the Light of God. Once our heart has been affected
by this cancer, it begins to spread to every other part of our body. A greedy
heart fills our minds with hate for our fellow human beings. A greedy heart
recognizes only cold, hard cash rather than the warmth of fellowship. A greedy
heart sends the cancerous poison of selfishness to our minds, hands, feet, and
eventually our very soul dies in darkness.
“So is he who lays up treasures for himself, and is not rich
toward God.” (Luke 12.21) Lucky for us...we still have time to be thankful.
Something to consider this year for Thanksgiving.
The Gospel of Christ is a comfort to sinners but can convict
the righteous. The invitation of Christ for all sinners to join Him at the
Table, is a comfort to when acknowledge our sinfulness, but it is should also
convict us to repentance. Christ has given us His Church as therapy to draw
closer to Jesus Christ, yet many who claim to believe, do not embrace the way
of life in the Church. If you truly desire to draw closer to God, then be
comforted that He has welcomed you to His Table, but be convicted and embrace
the way of life He has given to you for repentance. Draw near to God.
This past Saturday was the first day of the Advent Fast, a
preparation for Christmas. As Orthodox Christians, we prepare for Christmas by
fasting rather than shopping and parties. But that is not what I want to blog
about today. Rather, I want to share a miracle I, along with HUNDREDS of other
Orthodox Christians witnessed this past weekend in Charlotte, NC.
A holy Icon of the Mother of God was brought from Taylor,
PA. to Charlotte, NC. for people to venerate. This particular icon has been
exuding myrrh for three years, and has been directly attributed to numerous
miracle healings. I heard about this Holy Icon this past summer and was
thrilled to hear it would be so close to my home. I encouraged everyone I knew
to travel to Charlotte to witness for themselves the blessed event. The Church
was filled with faithful (and I’m sure some skeptics) from throughout the
region.
While in the Cathedral, the Priest who brought the Holy Icon
share many stories of the healings attributed to this Holy Icon. My eyes, and
the eyes of hundreds in attendance, witnessed myrrh miraculously dripping from
the Holy Icon in the hands of faithful in attendance. The strong sweet
fragrance from the myrrh filled the Church. I couldn’t help but think of the
story in the Gospel of the anointing of Jesus’ feet by the sinful woman.
I was blessed to able to assist in anointing the faithful in
attendance. I am thankful to God and His All-Holy Mother for allowing me to
witness this blessed event at the beginning of my Advent journey. I assure you
that this Advent will be different for me, thanks to God’s grace.
I invite you to make a pilgrimage to venerate this Holy Icon
in Taylor, PA. which resides in the Church of St George. The service of Paraklesis
and anointing is offered each Wednesday
at 6pm.
The Feast of Saint Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist celebrated this coming Sunday offers
an important perspective of the life of the Church. When Jesus called Matthew,
who was a tax collector and sinner, to be one of His Disciples, it opened to
door for all sinners to enter the Church. “Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the
table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat
down with Him and His disciples.” (Matthew 9.10) But the religious elite were
not happy with such riffraff sharing the same table with them.
Seeing their cold hearts, Jesus said, “Those who are well
have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this
means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the
righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9.12-13) The very purpose of
the Jewish Law of sacrifices and prayers and daily offerings were so that the
people of God might grow more loving and more merciful. In the case of the
religious elite, the opposite had occurred. They had grown cold to those who
were not as “holy” as they were.
Jesus was quoting the Prophet Hosea in His response to the
elite. The Prophet was speaking about those who were quite “religious” but
their inner hearts were cold. The full quote says, “I desire mercy rather than sacrifice,
and the knowledge of God rather than whole-burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6.7) If the
Law of Moses was meant to purify their hearts, they had forgotten the purpose
of the sacrifices and offerings in the first place. This is why Jesus said, “Go
and learn what this means.”
The Orthodox way of life is meant to draw us closer to God
and purify our hearts. If we look at the Orthodox way of life as nothing more
than a list of chores we must check off before we die, we will have missed the
entire point. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.
I’ve been giving a great deal of attention to suffering
lately in my sermons and blog posts. I have also referenced miracles within the
context of suffering and healing. It occurred to me today, that many of us use
the terms “healed” and “miracle” interchangeably. Just because we have been
healed from an illness, doesn’t mean we have experienced a miracle.
Webster’s Dictionary defines “miracle” as
A wonder or wonderful thing.
An event or effect contrary to the established constitution
and course of things, or a deviation from the known laws of nature; a
supernatural event, or one transcending the ordinary laws by which the universe
is governed.
I like that the dictionary implies, or least I infer, that
there is a difference between a wonder and an event that deviates from the
known laws of nature. Sometimes, we just don’t understand it, but that doesn’t
make it a miracle in the “God-sense” of the word. I have heard others suggest
that miracles DO conform to the natural laws – God’s laws. I like this vantage
point.
So that brings me to the point I want to make today. With
the countless advances in medicine, including pharmacology and technology,
human beings are being healed by many ailments that just twenty-five years ago,
would have required a “miracle” by God. And yet, today the blind can see, the
lame can walk, the deaf can hear. Are these miracles or a testimony to modern medicine?
That doesn’t mean I believe God has no hand in healing. I
believe He does. It is His Holy Spirit that whispers into the hearts of
researchers who discover the newest cure. It is His Holy Spirit that opens the
eyes of the observer to see the chemical reaction take place. It is His Angels
who guide the hands of the surgeon during organ transplants. But I would not
call these healings, miracles.
An oncologist once said to a priest-friend of mine, “We are
lucky to save 1 out of every 10 cancer patients we see.” He was quite proud of
his accomplishments against such a horrible disease. My friend responded, “I
have news for you. You haven’t saved ANY. They all still died, didn’t they?”
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in miracles, and wanting a
miracles, and feeling upset when we didn’t get a miracle, that we easily forget
we are going to die and THEN God will accomplish the REAL miracle...He will
raise us from the dead to live eternally with Him in Heaven. In the meantime,
let’s be thankful for the healing He does allow so that we have time to repent.
Since we will all die, we should remember the healing we do receive is granted
to us as a gift so that we can repent.
Priestly prayer for the sick in the hospital
O Lord Almighty, the Healer of our souls and bodies, You who
put down and raise up, Who chastise and heal also; do You now, in Your great
mercy, visit our brother(sister) who is sick. Stretch forth Your hand that is
full of healing and health, and get him(her) up from the bed of pain, and cure
him(her) of this illness. Put away from him(her) the spirit of disease and of
every malady, pain and fever to which he(she) is bound; and if he(she) has sins
and transgressions, grant to him(her) remission and forgiveness, in that You
love mankind; yes Lord my God, pity Your creation, through the compassions of
Your Only begotten Son, together with Your All-Holy, Good and Life-Giving
Spirit, with Whom You are blessed, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
Why does God allow suffering? Everyone knows firsthand that
people suffer, but do they have to suffer to be “good” Christians? What’s so
wrong with trying to avoid suffering? Why not strive for a life without
suffering? While everyone experiences suffering, nobody enjoys it, but God
blesses it especially when we endure it patiently with faith and prayer. With
the story of the healing of the woman with the flow of blood and the raising of
Jairus’ daughter as our “backdrop”, this week’s episode of Be Transfigured will
look at suffering and why God allows it and but rarely allows miracles.
I was having a conversation the other day with someone who
asked, “Why does God allow bad things to happen?” The person who asked,
believes in God, but wondered herself why, if as she said, “God is in control
of everything,” why He allowed sickness and death for young people. Death and
sickness is on our “collective” minds lately with the recent suicide of a young
woman who was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. My response to her
might surprise you...God ISN’T in control of everything!
WHAT!? Consider the story of Jairus’ daughter and the women
with the flow of blood, both of whom were healed by Jesus Christ. (read Luke
8.40-56) Both women suffered, one for twelve years, the other only twelve years
of age. Both were allowed by God to suffer, one even unto death; one the
daughter of a powerful leader of the synagogue, the other an unknown woman. Both
healed privately by God, but showed publicly to large crowds. Both received a
miracle from God while thousands of others continue in their suffering,
eventually losing their battles with illness. Why did God heal these two women,
while leaving so many others (down through the ages) to suffer?
The answer is that God has given up His “control over
everything” by allowing us to enjoy free will. The reality of life, so
painfully experienced by so many, and why I was asked this question just the
other day, is that God allows many more to suffer than healing them through
some sort of miracle. That makes EVERY miracle special; otherwise we would not
consider it a miracle. What we can learn about the purpose of miracles is in
what happens after the miracle has been made public. The crowd witnesses the
power of God, and they are given the opportunity to believe in Him.
Nobody can deny that we will all eventually die, so it
should be no surprise that Our Lord has provided many opportunities for us to
better understand what we should expect. One example of how we learn about our
eternal future is through parables. In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
found in the Gospel of Luke 16.19-31, Christ helps us to see that the condition
of our heart will have a direct impact on how we will experience eternity with
Him. If we want to avoid the torment of hell described for the rich man, we must
learn to see others with love and compassion, but time is clicking. We have
only until we die to change our hearts. We must take full advantage of every
opportunity for our hearts to learn to love others by serving the poor with
love and compassion. If we continue with a cold and selfish heart, our eternal
future will be consumed with torment.
In the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16.19-31) the
un-named rich man was in the torment of Hell because he refused to serve the
sick and poor man named Lazarus. Many times we think that it is the poor that
benefit from our charity, but according to Gospel, this is not the case. When
we feed the hungry their stomach might be filled, but it is our soul that fills
with the love of God and enjoys unity with Him. As an alternative, when we
refuse to help the poor, while their stomach might remain empty, their soul is
filled with the comfort and love of God. It is our soul that remains empty of
God’s compassion.
When we serve others, we are expressing our love for God and
our soul is rewarded with comfort and welcomed by God. If that is the case, we
could also say that serving the poor is actually ministering to OUR soul and is
therefore “just as” if not more important the every other parish ministry. Each
ministry our Church offers, from HOPE/JOY/GOYA to Sunday School & Greek
School; from Parish Council & Philoptochos to Church dinners at which WE
eat & serving the poor at which the POOR eat; each of these ministries has
the same effect. Our soul grows closer to Jesus Christ, our Lord God and
Savior.
The next time you are presented with the opportunity to
serve the poor, remember you are preparing your future. Will you serve the poor
and experience the comfort and welcome of God, or will you serve yourself and
experience torment and loneliness in Heaven? Just don’t forget this one urgent
point....the “great chasm” the rests between comfort and torment is created by
the choices you make today.
In a day when our world is frantically searching wealth and honor, Christians are daily called to choose between worldly priorities and a Godly life. Your willingness to live the faith of Christ through the choices of your life reflects the importance of God in your life, and will be a witness of your faith to those around you. You are a living martyr when you allow others to see your commitment to Christ in your choices, and your martyrdom will draw others to Christ in the same way martyrs drew believers to Christ. Are you willing, or even wanting, to allow your choices to be a martyr for Christ?
"It don’t think that means what you think it means." There is a BIG difference between 'I can’t' and 'I won’t' that it makes me believe this quote from one of my favorite movies is
appropriate. Here are some examples...
What you say: “I can’t come to Church.”
What you mean: “I won’t come to Church because I have no
intention making Church a priority. I’m just going to tell you I can’t come and
hope you won’t ask for details.”
What you say: “I can’t read the Bible every day.”
What you mean: “I won’t even try to read the Bible today. I
have too many other important things like posting on Facebook and watching
American Idol.
What you say: “I can’t tithe to the Church.”
What you mean: “I won’t give up anything I am currently
buying just to give more money to the Church. It’s my money, and I can do with
it what I want.”
What you say: “I can’t chair that Church event.”
What you mean: “I won’t chair that event, but I don’ have
the courage to tell you why.”
What you say: “I can’t fast.”
What you mean: “I won’t let the Church tell me what to eat.
It isn’t what goes IN your mouth but what comes OUT that matters.”
The list goes on, but this last one is the point. When you
refuse to be honest by telling someone you can’t do something, when you could
but you won’t, what is coming OUT of your mouth is not the truth. And you know
what not telling the truth is...
My recent sermon "It isn't about doing more, it's about being more" was recently translated into Serbian by a loyal fan. I offer it here for anyone interested! The video in English can be viewed here...
Није у питању "радити више" већ "бити
више"
Поздрав! Добродошли у још једну епизоду серијала
"Преобразите се", којим вас позивамо на нови живот у Христу. Зовем се
отац Атанасије Харос и ја свештеник сам у храму Преображења нашег Спаситеља
Грчке Православне Цркве (Florence, South Carolina). Знате, наши животи понекад
делују претешко, да више не можемо ништа. И баш тада Црква нас позива и каже:
"Уради још мало." Може бити разочаравајуће, зар не? Или бар много
исцрпљујуће, то сигурно знамо. Али када се препустимо Господу и кажемо:
"Без обзира, на Твоју реч учинићу то што тражиш од нас" тада примамо
благослов. Одмах се враћам.
Не знам јесте ли већ схватили или не али сваке седмице у
билтен додам нешто што наговештава о чему ће бити проповед. Не знам јесте ли то
већ приметили. И сваке седмице треба да смислим наслов који би одговарао
проповеди. Некакву фразу која повезује Јеванђеље са поруком, како бисмо нешто
упамтили и били покренути да живимо хришћански. И као што видите, у билтену
стоји "Само још мало", тако сам написао. Мислио сам да
напишем:"О! Не могу више да поднесем!" (^_^) То сам хтео да ставим
јер је то лик какав су имали апостоли у јутрошњем Јеванђељу. И знам да многи од
нас, заједно самном, кад чујемо како Црква тражи од нас да учинимо још мало
кажу: "Још!? Не могу више да поднесем и имам толико обавеза сваког дана.
Оче, молим те, не терај ме да чиним више!" Али то стварно нисам могао
ставити као наслов јер би било лоше. Нећемо да се жалимо на црквени живот, зар
не? Црква је ту да нам да покретачку поруку а не да се жалимо. Али ту слику
утучености сам хтео да уочимо у прочитаном Јеванђељу. Само да се подсетимо
приче. Знам да смо је управо чули али замислите ове околности. Ови рибари су
управо завршили ноћни посао и као у сваком занимању они су се пажљиво трудили
на свом послу целе ноћи али нису уловили ништа, то касније сазнајемо из приче.
Они су ту, јутро је и скупљају своје мреже, ушивају их на местима где су у току
ноћи оштећене, сав тај рад који је важан рибарима. А када се окрену Исус им
каже: "Хајде, имамо још посла!" Чак су рекли: "Господе, трудили
смо се читаве ноћи и не уловисмо ништа." Мора да су били утучени. И баш у
том тренутку Исус им каже: "Хајде, има још посла." Али Симон Петар
одговара: "Без обзира Господе, на твоју реч бацићу мрежу."
Зато желим да овог јутра задржимо пажњу на тој дивној вери
Симона Петра: "Господе, исцрпљен сам. Господе, уморан сам. Господе, све
сам то учинио и не улових ништа. Ипак, на Твоју реч отићи ћу корак даље."
Видите хришћански живот браћо и сестре... Мислим да се ми
понекад збунимо. Јер нам се Црква увек обраћа говорећи да треба постити Црква
нам каже да треба читати Свето Писмо, да идемо на ову службу, ону службу, и још
једну службу па још једну а онда треба да идемо и на веронауку, па да се
бринемо о сиромашнима. Црква нам увек даје нове задатке, док ми само желимо да
одговоримо као Петар:"Нисам ли већ учинио довољно?" Бог зна колико
смо ми заузети. Он зна како смо уморни. А веровали или не то и Црква зна. Зато
бих с надом покушао да вам данас објасним зашто Црква хоће од нас да у својим
животима учинимо мало више.
Црква не смишља те ствари, те праксе, на грчком их зовемо
"ἄσκησις", аскезе у множини... Ове делатности, вежбе за наш живот,
Црква не даје то само да би нас провела кроз гомилу бесмислица... У Хришћанство
није у томе да радимо више ствари већ у томе да будемо више од оног што смо
сад. Хришћанство није у схватању
да смо на неком нивоу и да је то све што можемо. Хришћанство
нам поручује да као свети Петар прихватимо Слово Божје: "Господе, на Твоју
реч тежићу да будем више него што сам сад. Не обавезно да урадим више већ да
БУДЕМ више."
А сад је питање: "Бити више ШТА?" Бити више као
Христос. Хришћански живот није у "радити" већ у "бити".
Тако све од ових делатности, све ове вежбе које нам Црква даје имају за циљ да
више БУДЕМО налик Исусу Христу. Тако, моја браћо и сестре, Хришћански живот
испробаван већ две хиљаде година успостављен самим Господом, објашњен Његовим
светим ученицима и апостолима имамо да бисмо постали сличнији Богу.
У нашој Цркви почиње нови период. Улазимо у недеље светог
Луке. Читаћемо Јеванђеље по Луки до Божића. Па ако се сећате претходних
неколико недеља порука је била о Крсту, порука да се одрекнемо себе, порука да
се уклонимо од земаљског и тражимо небеско. По чему је јутрошње Јеванђеље мање
од тог? Исус нас зове
да у тренутку кад смо најисцрпљенији да дамо још само мало.
И зато нас називају хришћанима. Не будимо задовољни оним где смо данас већ да
све више узрастамо и постајемо као Исус Христо све док смо живи. Зато нам Црква
даје пост. Не желимо ми тек тако да постимо већ постимо да бисмо научили како
да живимо по Божјој вољи. Зато вас ове недеље позивам на пост. Ако до сада
нисте постили покушајте, можда вам се свиди. Као што кажу... Покушај имајући
довољно самоконтроле. Кад се пробудиш средом и петком реци: "Данас ћу да
постим јер желим да будем сличнији Исусу Христу." И сам Христос нас је
учио да постимо.
Ове недеље узмите своје Библије. Ако не знате где су овог
поподнева идите кући и претражите полицу са књигама. Обришите прашину са
корица...
Знам како је то! Не заборавите да ја нисам увек био овде.
Пронађите своје Библије и после мале претраге дозволите да вам Божја Реч
говори. И у том вашем тренутку пуном умора имајте храбрости, сетите се шта смо
рекли о моћи Крста, смогните снаге да кажете Богу: "Без обзира на све, на
Твоју реч...", док својим ушима примате Његову Реч. Припремите се да
примите Свето Причешће јер је дар Евхаристије, моја браћо и сестре то што нас
чини целином, употпуњава нас. Нисмо у потпуности људска бића ако нисмо у
заједници са Богом. И то је тако важно да ћу поновити. Нисмо у потпуности
људска бића ако не живимо у заједници са Богом. Припремите се да примите Свето
Причешће. Сваке недеље дозвољавајте Божјим речима да вам улази у уши кад читате
Библију. И дозволите живом Божјем Слову да уђе у ваша уста и ваш стомак кад
примите драгоцено Тело и Крв нашег Господа Бога и Спаситеља Исуса Христа и
постаћемо више налик Њему. Потражите сиромашне. У данашњем свету нећете морати
да идете далеко. Донесите храну гладнима, одећу нагима. Имамо разна места на
која носимо те ствари, однесите их онима којима су најпотребније. Не онима који
понекад злоупотребљавају систем. У нашем граду имамо агенције са којима Црква
сарађује како би лакше препознала људе који су заиста потребити како би добили
подршку Цркве. Будите више налик Исусу Христу у свакодневном животу браћо и
сестре.
А постоји још један начин како да се уподобимо Исусу Христу.
Доведите своје пријатеље у цркву, чланове породице, доведите суседе у цркву.
Да, суседе! Ова црква није само за Грке, Русе, Румуне, Арапе... Она је за
сваког! Свако људско биће заслужује сусрет са Исусом Христом овде, у нашој
Цркви. И кад је Симон Петар имао толико вере да каже: "На Твоју реч, без
обзира на све..." и спустио мреже ухватио је толико рибе да му је требала
помоћ да их извуче, зар не?
А шта Исус Христос каже њему? "Од сада ћеш ловити
људе." Један од најбољих начина да постанемо налик Христу је да доведемо
своје пријатеље, суседе и породице
да дођу и заиста сретну Исуса Христа овде у Његовој Цркви.
Не можете у потпуности сусрести Бога само читајући о Њему. Не можете у
потпуности сусрести Бога
само говорећи о Њему. То се дешава када примамо Христово
Тело и Крв, кад смо у Његовом стварном физичком присуству, сусрећемо Га на
начин који се не може у потпуности објаснити. Али ако желимо БИТИ више налик
Исусу Христу тада ћемо бити неуморни доводећи људе да Га сусретну. Не мислим да
их вучемо, тучемо по глави, називамо их свакојаким именима... Али ви сви имате
пријатеље који би били благословени сусретом са Исусом Христом. Позовите их.
Начините тај додатни корак. И чак када сте у најтежем тренутку, кад мислите да
не можете постићи више ништа, предајте срце Богу и реците: "Без обзира на
све Господе, на Твоју реч постаћу више него што сам данас." Слава Богу за
све!
Ето, то је био мало другачији приступ, зар не? Гледање на
живот као да смо практично сви превише заузети, сви уморни... Али морамо бити
вољни да предамо живот Христу, имати веру као свети Петар и рећи: "Упркос
свему Господе, на Твоју реч..." и бити вољни да превазиђемо своје
(не)моћи. Не ради се о чињењу нечега већ о томе да будемо нешто. Бити хришћанин
значи бити као Исус Христос, свакодневно све више. Зар не желите да будете као
Бог?
Посетите нашу веб-страницу www.liveanewlifeinchrist.org, где
можете наћи више информација о Православној Хришћанској Цркви, а можете нас
пронаћи и на Православној Хришћанској мрежи myocn.net. Можете нас пратити
средом уживо на часовима веронауке. Средом у 19:00 часова по источном времену.
До следеће недеље Бог вас благословио и не заборавите да живите новим животом у
Христу.
All but one of the Holy
Apostles was martyred for standing up and living the Gospel of Christ. In the
earliest centuries of the Church, thousands of dedicated men and women were
killed in a thousand different ways, by those who refused to embrace the message
of hope that is preached by the Church. In many cases, these holy men and
women, refused even to pretend to deny Christ, in order to show the world that
the Kingdom of God is greater than any kingdom on Earth. The result of these
martyrs was the conversion of the world into Christ’s Holy Church. Their
willingness to die for the Gospel was an inspiration to thousands.
In our current political
environment, it is becoming clear that sooner rather than later, the Church
will again be in the position of standing up for the Gospel of Christ. In doing
so, we must understand that the society at large will work against the Church.
We may not be persecuted with death as in early centuries, but nonetheless we
will be challenged to choose between living the Gospel and pleasing society. Although
we cannot ignore that many are in fact being killed for their Christian Faith in
other parts of the world, already these new martyrs have inspired new converts
in the Middle East.
In America, our martyrdom
will be different. We will be called to give up comforts, tax exempt status,
wealth and other privileges that Churches have enjoyed since the founding of
our nation. In America, our martyrdom will be green rather than blood red. In
America, our martyrdom will include jumping through hoops to get buildings built
and marriages sanctioned. Like the martyrs of old, our willingness to lose
wealth and status and comfort will be an inspiration for others to embrace the
Gospel of Christ. America NEEDS more martyrs. America needs YOU!
Now that cooler weather has settled in and leaves have begun
to fall, many families are looking for activities to gather and enjoy
fellowship now that it’s too cold for beach fun. Among the many long-time
traditions for family fun is building puzzles. Puzzles come in all sizes and
shapes, and made for all ages young and old alike. Puzzles highlight beautiful scenery
and famous landmarks. After an evening of family fun, NOTHING is more
frustrating than have a missing piece to the puzzle. A puzzle with just a
single piece missing will inspire families to search for long periods of time,
overlooking nothing, to find that single missing piece. Everyone cheers when
the missing piece is found; much more than if the family had completed the
puzzle quickly without any missing pieces. Puzzles are great family fun...
We often hear life being compared to a puzzle that needs to
be solved, and our spiritual life and Church are no different. The Orthodox
Christian way of life is like a carefully crafted puzzle in which every piece
is perfectly interconnected. Without EVERY piece, the puzzle just isn’t
complete. It always surprises me that many, unlike game puzzles, have no
difficulty in leaving the pieces of the Orthodox Way of Life puzzle either
missing or not connected.
The pieces of the Orthodox Christian Way of Life puzzle
include:
Receiving Holy Communion
Prayer
Fasting
Caring for the poor
Reading and studying the Holy Scriptures
Reading and studying the Holy Fathers of the Church
Reading and studying books about the Faith and Church
history
Tithing to the Church
Attending Sunday Divine Liturgy EVERY SUNDAY ON TIME
Regular Holy Confession
Regular attendance at special Church blessing services
Regular attendance at special Church prayer services
Serving others (inside and outside the Church Family)
Reaching out to others and inviting them into the Church
Enjoying fellowship with others inside the Church
Like every puzzle, the most important piece is THE MISSING
PIECE, since without it, the puzzle is not complete. As we enter into the
Advent Season, and the Christmas Fast, take a moment and look over the puzzle
you’ve been working on. Is there a missing piece? Have you spent any time
recently working on completing your puzzle?
Like any puzzle, the Orthodox Christian Way of Life puzzle
is best worked on as a family, when each member searches for the next piece and
then rejoicing when each piece is carefully put into place. As a family, we can
only rejoice when the entire family is participating in building the puzzle. Take
it one piece at a time and, with dedication and unity, the entire puzzle will
be complete. Let’s complete the puzzle!
Many people think they don’t need to walk into a Church to encounter God, but you can only touch God in His Church. God could have called down from Heaven and forgiven all sins and welcomed humanity back into Paradise, but He chose instead to take on flesh and touch humanity. There are many ways to call out to God, but only one way to touch Him. When the Precious Body and Blood of Christ touches your lips, your sins are forgiven and you are healed, because the touch of God heals and you live forever.
So many times we struggle with whether or not we should
attend Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning. I’ve heard so many explanations in the
past twenty years about why people don’t need to be in Church to pray and
experience God. The Gospel offers us a different answer with the story of the
raising of the widow’s son in Nain. (Luke 7.11-17) In this story it was the
physical touch of Christ, along with His command, that healed the young man. He
touched the open coffin when He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” (Luke
7.14)
St Cyril of Alexandria said, “Why then did He not work the
miracle by only a word but also touched the bier? It was, my beloved, that you
might learn that the holy Body of Christ is productive for the salvation of
man. The flesh of the Almighty Word is the body of life and was clothed with
might.” Don’t you see? God could have called out from heaven and healed not
only this young man, but all humanity. But He didn’t. He came and lived among
us – in a real body, touching and blessing us.
THIS is why we must attend Divine Liturgy if we wish to be
saved from death. Christ commanded that His Body and Blood be offered in the
Eucharist, as life for the salvation of the world. You can’t receive Holy
Communion on the golf course. If you can’t receive Holy Communion, then you
cannot touch Christ. And the touch of Christ is life and heals all.
We live in a world, much like the Christians of the first
century, in which morality is based not on the teachings of Christ, but the
teachings of darkness. Daily, it seems, our world is stepping further away from
the way of life of Christ and His Church, as is evidenced in the daily news
reports. In a world in which the terminally ill are invited to take their own
lives with “dignity,” or in which there is no longer a distinction between
males and females, we must strive to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We
are encouraged by Saint Paul to coexist peacefully in this world, all the while
never faltering in our commitment to live a life worthy of Christ. Holding
ourselves to a higher standard doesn’t mean abandoning nonbelievers to hell;
rather it means being in a constant state of prayer that their hearts may be
softened. Of course, we understand the Gospel message will fall sometimes on
deaf ears, but that does not give us license to live according to the same fallen
standards of the world. We hold ourselves to a higher standard. “He who has
ears to hear, let him hear.”
