St. Polycarp - A Reminder of need for martyrdom

I stayed up yesterday night watching the movie of St. Polycarp and thought it beneficial to capture some thoughts that came to mind .

The response of St. Polycarp at the time of his martyrdom "I have served my Lord Christ for 86 years and He never harmed me so how can I blaspheme against my King Who saved me?" was very much an inspiration in my Engineering days when within the Church seeing shortcomings of many including priests , I was reminded then that it is not my place to condemn and walk away from Church which served the Lord Jesus Christ for 2000 years and join in like many close to me to join in born again fellowships.  

Even then I could see the parallels in line of St. Polycarp's  with the message of St. Paul to the Church in Ephesians ( Ephesians Chapter 1 and 2) and that it holds to me an everyone within the Church .  For reference just Eph 1:7-14)  

" In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he^[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.¹¹ In him we were also chosen,^[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. "

I could see very clearly  then that these new born again preachers, bible studies without the foundation of the teaching of the Apostles , the Apostolic fathers like St. Polycarp and the Church are the heretics against whom the Church will face martyrdom .

They miss out in not asking  the most crucial question in the teaching of the Church to those who through  Holy Baptism and Chrismation as Orthodox Christians - How have we have served our Lord Jesus Christ in whatever we are faced  and  how worthy by our lives have borne the name as Orthodox Christians as followed by those before us.   By us spending time more with them and pondering on their thoughts , they lead those out from the Church into not reading up learning from the teachings of the Church  and implementing it in our lives- The faith and practice followed by the Apostles , the Apostolic fathers and the Church from first Century.

Now as I grow older, I see that added to them  this heretical teaching and behavior will creep into the mind of the Clergy and  Laity within the Church  . Also, more than any of these -  the short coming and willingly not to ponder within my heart and put to practice what I  should have learned from the Church.

Praying the Lord have Mercy upon us and Help

In Christ

July 9, 2016

A Prayer in trouble and their Prayer of exaltation ( From the Septuagint Daniel 3 : Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago)

23 Then these three men, Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, fell bound into the midst of the burning furnace, and walked in the midst of the flame, singing praise to God, and blessing the Lord.

Song of the Three Children

1 Then Azarias stood up, and prayed on this manner; and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire said,

2 Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: thy name is worthy to be praised and glorified for evermore: 3 For thou art righteous in all the things that thou hast done to us: yea, true are all thy works, thy ways are right, and all thy judgments truth.

4 In all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon the holy city of our fathers, even Jerusalem, thou hast executed true judgment: for according to truth and judgment didst thou bring all these things upon us because of our sins. 

5 For we have sinned and committed iniquity, departing from thee.

6 In all things have we trespassed, and not obeyed thy commandments, nor kept them, neither done as thou hast commanded us, that it might go well with us. 

7 Wherefore all that thou hast brought upon us, and every thing that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true judgment.

8 And thou didst deliver us into the hands of lawless enemies, most hateful forsakers of God, and to an unjust king, and the most wicked in all the world. 

9 And now we cannot open our mouths, we are become a shame and reproach to thy servants; and to them that worship thee.

10 Yet deliver us not up wholly, for thy name’s sake, neither disannul thou thy covenant: 11 And cause not thy mercy to depart from us, for thy beloved Abraham’s sake, for thy servant Isaac’s sake, and for thy holy Israel’s sake;

 12 To whom thou hast spoken and promised, that thou wouldest multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that lieth upon the seashore. 

13 For we, O Lord, are become less than any nation, and be kept under this day in all the world because of our sins. 

14 Neither is there at this time prince, or prophet, or leader, or burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place to sacrifice before thee, and to find mercy.

15 Nevertheless in a contrite heart and an humble spirit let us be accepted. 16 Like as in the burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, and like as in ten thousands of fat lambs: so let our sacrifice be in thy sight this day, and grant that we may wholly go after thee: for they shall not be confounded that put their trust in thee.

17 And now we follow thee with all our heart, we fear thee, and seek thy face. 

18 Put us not to shame: but deal with us after thy lovingkindness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies.

19 Deliver us also according to thy marvellous works, and give glory to thy name, O Lord: and let all them that do thy servants hurt be ashamed; 

20 And let them be confounded in all their power and might, and let their strength be broken; 21 And let them know that thou art God, the only God, and glorious over the whole world.

 22 And the king’s servants, that put them in, ceased not to make the oven hot with rosin, pitch, tow, and small wood; 23 So that the flame streamed forth above the furnace forty and nine cubits. 24 And it passed through, and burned those Chaldeans it found about the furnace.

25 But the angel of the Lord came down into the oven together with Azarias and his fellows, and smote the flame of the fire out of the oven; 26 And made the midst of the furnace as it had been a moist whistling wind, so that the fire touched them not at all, neither hurt nor troubled them.

27 Then the three, as out of one mouth, praised, glorified, and blessed, God in the furnace, saying,

28 Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever. 

29 And blessed is thy glorious and holy name: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.

30 Blessed art thou in the temple of thine holy glory: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever. 

31 Blessed art thou that beholdest the depths, and sittest upon the cherubims: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever. 

32 Blessed art thou on the glorious throne of thy kingdom: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.

 33 Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and above all to be praised and glorified for ever.

34 O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever, 

35 O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 

36 O ye angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 

37 O all ye waters that be above the heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 

38 O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

39 O ye sun and moon, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 

40 O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 41 O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 42 O all ye winds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever, 43 O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 

44 O ye winter and summer, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 

45 O ye dews and storms of snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

46 O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord: bless and exalt him above all for ever.

 47 O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 

48 O ye ice and cold, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 49 O ye frost and snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 50 O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

51 O let the earth bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

 52 O ye mountains and little hills, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 

53 O all ye things that grow in the earth, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 

54 O ye mountains, bless ye the Lord: Praise and exalt him above all for ever.

55 O ye seas and rivers, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 56 O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 

57 O all ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 

58 O all ye beasts and cattle, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

59 O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

60 O Israel, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

61 O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 

62 O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. 

63 O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

64 O ye holy and humble men of heart, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

65 O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever: for he hath delivered us from hell, and saved us from the hand of death, and delivered us out of the midst of the furnace and burning flame: even out of the midst of the fire hath he delivered us.

66 O give thanks unto the Lord, because he is gracious: for his mercy endureth for ever.

67 O all ye that worship the Lord, bless the God of gods, praise him, and give him thanks: for his mercy endureth for ever.

24 And Nabuchodonosor heard them singing praises; and he wondered, and rose up in haste, and said to his nobles, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? and they said to the king, Yes, O king. 25 And the king said, But I see four men loose, and walking in the midst of the fire, and there has no harm happened to them; and the appearance of the fourth is like the Son of God. 26 Then Nabuchodonosor drew near to the door of the burning fiery furnace, and said, Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, ye servants of the most high God, proceed forth, and come hither. So Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, came forth out of the midst of the fire. 27 Then were assembled the satraps, and captains, and heads of provinces, and the royal princes; and they saw the men, and perceived that the fire had not had power against their bodies, and the hair of their head was not burnt, and their coats were not scorched, nor was the smell of fire upon them.

28 And king Nabuchodonosor answered and said, Blessed be the God of Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, who has sent his angel, and delivered his servants, because they trusted in him; and they have changed the king’s word, and delivered their bodies to be burnt, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. 29 Wherefore I publish a decree: Every people, tribe, or language, that shall speak reproachfully against the God of Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago shall be destroyed, and their houses shall be plundered: because there is no other God who shall be able to deliver thus. 30 Then the king promoted Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, in the province of Babylon, and advanced them, and gave them authority to rule over all the Jews who were in his kingdom.

31 King Nabuchodonosor to all nations, tribes, and tongues, who dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied to you. 32 It seemed good to me to declare to you the signs and wonders which the most high God has wrought with me, 33 how great and mighty they are: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his power to all generations.

Source

http://www.ecmarsh.com/lxx/Daniel/index.htm
Presented by The Common Man's Prospective. Copyright© 1999-2012 Ernest C. Marsh

One Christ, Our Lord and God and His Suffering

Very often, the world immortalizes Jesus Christ focusing primarily at the Friday of the Passion on His suffering to bring the penitent to heights of emotional frenzy. However, this is not  the teaching of the Church which is so clearly identified in its Liturgical tradition that developed over the last 2000 years , but  has never deviated from the very basis that it was not in the human suffering our minds and thoughts  should be , but that it is the One Incarnated Lord and God that suffered , died and rose again. In a time when even within the Oriental Orthodox Christian traditions this is not taught so much that the laity had chosen to seek tainted faith from others. Praying that our Lord  transform each of us in this Friday and strengthen us to hold steadfast to this faith that was relevant to St. Dioscoros in 4th Century and yet important now even amidst fruitful discussions on reconciliation with the Chalcedonian Eastern Orthodox.

An old gem of a post by Thomas P. one of the early members of the ICON discussion group that has been very meaningful from the very first time I read in 2001.

There are "many christs" today. We also see many images of christs, some  depicting him as a blonde haired - blue eyed person, with highly  developed neck and shoulder muscles, resembling a wrestler. Such  imagery originates from our need for a physically powerful person to  protect us in our daily life or for prevailing in a highly competitive  world. So the world is creating christs to suite the physical needs.  The Bible also says that there will arise many christs after the  Christ.

Majority of followers of Christ of modern world does not believe in  the "One Christ". They tend to believe in Christ as an exceptional  human being or a "god-man" or "human-god" or one of many "avatArAs"  in history. We also see e-mails circulating in the Internet during  Passion Week explaining the painful experience (as a human experience) of crucifixion. If it was just a human being that  suffered on the Cross, then there are humans suffering even today.
There are those crucifying themselves every year during Holy Week as a  ritual. Even in other religions too, they inflict physical pain for a  religious experience.

In our Church, we do not divide Christ in to "human" and "divine" and  say that when Christ walked over water it was his divine nature  walking or when was hungry it was his human nature that experienced  the hunger. We maintain our faith in "One Christ". Just believing in  his human nature and his divine nature (in a separate manner) is not  enough for a Christian. Few years ago I asked a person who believes in  Chalcedon about his faith. He replied that Christ is "Perfect God and
Perfect Man", kind of "Human-God". This faith is not enough for a  Christian.

Christians must believe that God unified our corruptible humanity with His incorruptible divinity (out of his deep love and great compassion  for us), perfectly preserving the human nature. It is because of this  "Unity" of "His divine nature and our human nature" that we have  salvation through faith in the "One Christ". Thus we talk only about  "One Christ" and "One Church" which believes in Christ in this way.

The Church and the saints remembered in "Tubdeen" (Diptych), especially, St. Kurilose (Alexandria), St. Severios(Anthioc), St.  Diascoros (Alexandria), St. Anthimus (Constantinople), St. Philoxenos
(or Xenias, bishop of Mabug), St. Thimothios (Alexandria), St. Jacob  (Yakub Burdana, Anthioc) suffered a great deal for maintaining this  faith. There is no other way, but through the "One Christ", for the  salvation of human kind as explained by our Bishop Mar Barnabas  (America) through his Sermons and numerous works in English.

Our Passion week prayers (Promion, Sedra etc.) are rich with  explanation and confession of our faith in Christ. It is an  opportunity for us to concentrate on these prayers and meditate  on the content during the Holy Week.

 

Our Bishop Mar Osthathios (Niranam) encouraged the youth about the  writings of Pope Shenouda, some four years ago, in a youth meeting.  Following excerpts from the work "The One Nature and Suffering" will  help us understand our Holy Week prayers.

__________The One Nature and Suffering_____________

Surely, Divinity is not susceptible to suffering, but when the human nature underwent suffering, it was united with the divine nature.
Thus pain was inflicted upon this one Nature. This Explains why the  Creed set by the Holy Council of Nicea says, "The Only-Begotten Son of  God descended from heaven, was Incarnate and became man and was  crucified for our sake in the reign of Pilate, suffered and was buried  and rose from the dead".

There is a great difference between saying that the human nature  alone, apart from the Divine nature, suffered, and that the Incarnate  Only-Begotten Son was crucified, suffered, was buried and rose from
the dead. Thus, here we find the advantage of believing in the One  Nature which provides effective unlimited redemption.

If the first aim of the Incarnation is redemption, and redemption  cannot be fulfilled through the human nature alone, faith in the One  Nature of the Incarnate Logos is an essential and undeniable matter.  Redemption cannot be fulfilled if we say that the human nature alone  underwent suffering, crucifixion, blood-shedding and death.

Turn to the Holy Bible and read what it says about God the Father, "He  that spared not His Own Son but delivered Him up for us all. (Rom.  8:32) and also, "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only  Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish..."  (Jn. 3:16), and "But that He loved us, and sent His One Son to be the  propitiation for our sins. ) (1 Jn. 4:10).

Thus, the One sacrificed by God is the Son, the Only Begotten Son,  that is, the Second Hypostasis (Person) of the Holy Trinity; the  Logos. The Bible did not say that He sacrificed His humanity or
anything of the kind although He died on the cross with His human  body, this is clear proof of the One Nature of God the Logos, and  herein is the importance of this unity for the act of redemption.

But, did the Divinity suffer?

We say that, essentially, the Divine nature is not susceptible to  suffering yet He suffered due to His humanity, and was physically  crucified. Hence we say in the prayer of the None (the sixth hour),
"You Who have tasted death physically in the sixth hour". He, the  man, united with the Godhead, physically died and His death provided  unlimited atonement.

The holy fathers explained this point through the aforementioned clear  example of the red-hot iron, it is the analogy equated for the Divine Nature which became united with the human nature. They explained that when  the blacksmith strikes the red-hot iron, the hammer is actually  striking both the iron and the fire united with it. The iron alone  bends (suffers) whilst the fire is untouched though it bends with the  iron.

As for the crucifixion of Christ, the Holy Bible presents us with a  very beautiful verse; St. Paul the Apostle speaks to the bishops of  Ephesus asking them: "... to feed the Church to God which He has
purchased with His Own Blood" (Acts 20:28); he ascribes, the Blood to  God, although God is Spirit, and the Blood is that of His human  nature. This expression is the most wonderful proof of the One Nature  of the Incarnate Logos; what is related to the human aspect can be  attributed to the Divine nature at the same time without distinction,  as there is no separation between the two natures

 

A resource by our Diocese to make each of us participate more meaningfully

http://ds-wa.org/good-friday.html

 

 

A resource by St. Gregorios Church in Toronto under the guidance of Fr. Lazarus shared through ICON

 

http://www.icon.org.in/misc/FullPassionWeek2.pdf

 

March 25 , 2016

Calgary, Canada

 

 

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Homily Notes and Scripture Readings - 2nd Week after Denaha

The Liturgical readings of the second week after Danaha ( Jan 17, 2016)  were

Evening :St.John1:26-34 , Morning :St.John1:35-42

Before Holy Qurbana

Leviticus22:26-33 , Proverbs9:1-9

Isaiah51:1-8

 

Holy Qurbana

IPeter3:7-15 , Hebrews1:1-2:4

St.John1:43-51

 

The fathers really  prescribed , we spent time trying to read and meditate on the words from Scripture prior to coming to Church and hear attentively from the noble priest the Homily.

 

Through various activities that we have filled our lives , We often neglect this practise and even  when if I listen quite often forget what was preached. In this week  ,  some thoughts that felt  really meaningful

 

( I Peter 3:15)

 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;   ( I Peter 3:15)

 ( Hebrews 1: 14- 2:4)

 

Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation

 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.   For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,   how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,   God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

These words really made sense so much reflecting on the Homily on St. John 1:43-51 given by our priest asking each of us to ask if a Christ centred experience through  whom the Apostle Nathanael whose doubts were cleared that he had to  exclaim out " “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

 Our Priest explained  the experience what led  the Apostle to have the experience. See it here explained in the Coptic synaxarium on the life of the Apostle thereafter ending in Martyrdom.

http://st-takla.org/Full-Free-Coptic-Books/Coptic-Synaxarium-or-Synaxarion_English/09-Bashans/Coptic-Calendar_15-Pashans.html

The key message that I believe that our priest was trying to convey is that each of us  instead of using the lives , piety ,holiness of the others etc. to set up our baselines, We come to realize that we have a Lord who knows all of us and who awaits and knows our inner needs  and to whom we must approach and be changed as the Apostle did first and which he abided through out his life.

In our Church school discussion , we also had opportunity to reiterate this message  by God's grace, as  the topic of discussion was on St. Basil who writes of his own experience with Christ

" I had wasted much time on follies and spent nearly all of my youth in vain labors, and devotion to the teachings of a wisdom that God had made foolish. Suddenly, I awoke as out of a deep sleep. I beheld the wonderful light of the Gospel truth, and I recognized the nothingness of the wisdom of the princes of this world"

Also the words of our Lord came up in our lesson  St. John 12:46  - ^" I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

May the Lord bless and His mercy upon us through the prayers of St. Mary and all the saints

Lord Have Mercy, Amen

Jan 17, 2016










 

Lesson on Lord's Prayer from Anoushka's grade 2 South West Diocese Church School

Lesson 12 - The Lord's Prayer

God wants to hear you talk to Him and He wants to see you pray the way He taught His disciples to pray using the Lord's Prayer

Prayer is talking to God , and God loves when we pray. The disciples, Jesus's closest friends, wanted to learn how to pray. The disciples were with Jesus all the time and they were with Him when He went to pray. Yet, they were still not sure how to pray.

 

Jesus teaches us we should pray with humility. God listens no matters if our prayers are long or short.  God knows what we mean in our heart even when we have trouble finding the right words.

 

Jesus also teaches us that we should not 'show off'' when we pray. God doesn't want us to pray just so people can see us, or pray loudly just so people will know we are praying. He loves when we pray in a quiet place with our own words and for our needs, what we are thankful for, praises, and what we are sorry for.

 

Jesus taught us a special prayer called 'The Lord's Prayer', which we should say often at home and at Church.

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come ,Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day , our daily bread and forgive us our debts and sins as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever .

Amin.

 

 Let us understand each part of this special prayer that Jesus taught us. :

Our Father, who art in heaven

We start the prayer out this way so we know that we're praying to God. He is our heavenly Father , and we are His children.

Hallowed be Thy name

This means Holy is Your name. Even though God wants us to call Him Father, He is still God. It is sometimes really hard to understand who God is and what He is like. How did He

make us? How is He perfect and never makes mistakes? God just wants us to remember that we need to treat Him super special because He is God and when we pray to Him we need to be respectful.

Thy kingdom come ,Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

We should think all the time about living with God. This part means we are praying that people would live in peace and love with one another the way it is in heaven with God. It reminds us that we should be living the way God wants us to everyday.

Give us this day, our daily bread

God provides everything we need to live a life of a Christian. Too often we think about asking God to give us video games and princess dolls ,but forget to thank Him for the food we eat, the water we drink, even the air we breathe. When we ask God for things, that mean we trust Him and we will leave the decision to God.

and forgive us our debts and sins as we also have forgiven our debtors.

The next part of the prayer is asking for forgiveness for our mistakes . Forgiveness means that we are sorry for something we have done and we don't want to do it any more. But we also need to forgive people who have done wrong to us. Sometimes others hurt us very badly, so we need to ask God to help us forgive them because it's really hard or we don't want to . If we forgive others, God will forgive us.

Lead us not into temptation , but deliver us from the evil one.

This part of the prayer is really neat because it asks God to help us know the right thing to do. He will protect us against the evil that is in the world and  keep us away from it. Temptation is the idea that is in our heads, that might lead us to do the wrong thing, and we ask God to give strength to listen to Him and do what is right.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amin

The last part of the prayer is the best part! . We say out loud that God's kingdom will be forever. With God , we will always win !

 

We should not only say the Lord's prayer , but it's so important to think about what we are saying. When we pray, we should think about all the things we have to be thankful for and how God has given us everything we need . When we pray ''forgive us our debts'' ,we ask for forgiveness for those things we did wrong including those that we may have forgotten .

 

Prayer is our special way of talking to God, so remember to pray as many times as you can. God loves you and wants to know everything about you and how you are  doing.

________________________________________________________________________________

Thank You Sunday School Text Book team- South West Diocese

George Varghese

Calgary, Canada

January 3, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

Scripture Readings to January 1, 2016

Christ is Born ! Glorify Him !!

May we ponder with the readings of the Church upon those displaced from their Homes due to conflict in whatever forms , the Murders of  Innocent  around us- including those due to Abortion and Stem cell extraction.

December-27 ,2015: First Sunday after Christmas (The Holy Family flee to Egypt)

 

Evening :St.Matthew10:16-23 , Morning :St.John15:18-21

Before Holy Qurbana
Genesis37:13-28 , Zechariah8:3-8
Isaiah5:20-30

 

Holy Qurbana
Acts16:6-10 , ICorinthians10:1-13
St.Matthew2:9-15,19-23

 

December 27 , 2015 - Memory of slaughter of Holy Innocents

 

Evening: St. Matthew 2:13-18 , Morning : St. Mark 6:1-6

Before Holy Qurbana :
Exodus 1: 1-22 , Isaiah 60: 8-14
Jeremiah 31:15 -20

 

Holy Qurbana
Acts 7: 11-29 , Romans 15:1-7
St. Matthew 2:13 -18

 

January 1, 2016 : New Year's Day, Circumcision of our Lord, Memory of St. Basil and St. Gregory.

 

Evening , St.Luke13:6-9 , Morning :St.John9:4-7

 

Before Holy Qurbana
Genesis12:1-9 , Deuteronomy10:12-11:1
Ezekiel18:21-24

Holy Qurbana
IJohn3:13-18 , Romans2:28-3:8
St.John15:5-19

Egoism and self-love create an inauthentic life.

 This is  a small portion of a greater homily by Archibishop Lazar Puhalo , as transcribed from the  book "Not by Bread alone' on the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew Chapter 18 :1-5
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" Unless you be converted and become as little children , you shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven." Unless you cease being egocentric, living in delusion about yourself, and return to authenticity of life , acknowledging what and who you are in reality, you will not be able to enter heaven ; or perhaps just as correctly, " you will not be able to experience the kingdom of heaven in your heart" ( see Luke 17:21)

Is it not our very delusions about ourselves that prevent us from sincerely repenting? Is it not our failure to reconcile ourselves with our self that generates most of our bitterness and anger ? Perhaps one of the great paradoxes of our fallen nature is our tendency to become egocentric about a false illusion of ourselves rather than seeking to have a realization of our actual self. We spent more time cloaking the reality of our person from our own selves than struggling to perfect the virtues that should be natural to us. Often, our lack of humility stems from the desire to acquire that false sense of self-esteem that depend on the opinion of others - or worse still, on our impression of their opinion.  Yet what greater sense of value could we have, what more perfect source of necessary self -esteem could we draw from the fact that Christ our God loved us enough to give His life for our salvation? God loves us and values us for ourselves , provides the means for our sanctification , and never interferes with our freedom to chose or reject all that He has  given us. This is the key to authenticity of life: we have freedom. And God has provided for us the means of a return to our true being as His own image and likeness, letting us chose between reality and illusion, while guiding us toward the better like a loving parent. We are offered a freedom from desire that allows us to fully experience the pure and unconditional love of God
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