| In the prayer which our Lord Himself taught us, we say: ‘Give us today the Bread we need’ (MT 6:11). We aren’t asking for ‘daily bread’ for our dining room tables, or for ‘Wonder Bread’ in the red, white and blue wrapper. We are asking for a Wonderful Bread, the Bread which is truly a wonder of God’s mercy, the Bread which will go far beyond feeding us for a day, the Bread which will feed us now and forever, the Bread which will sustain us until the dawn of the never-ending day of Christ’s reign. On this day it is also our custom to prepare the reserved Holy Gifts, from which particles may be taken to the sick and dying, the shut-ins and others who are unable to attend the Divine Liturgy and receive Holy Communion in the congregation. The reserved Holy Gifts may, of course, be prepared whenever local needs require, but there is a special connection on this day with the eucharistic banquet (‘thanksgiving’) shared by our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles on that first Holy Thursday so long ago. And, in commemoration of our Lord’s example of humility, it is also the custom in cathedrals and monasteries to reenact His washing of His disciples’ feet: ‘You also ought to wash one another’s feet, for I have set you an example, that you should do just what I have done for you….Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them’ (JN 13:3-17). Our bishops and clergy of every rank might find it salutary to ask themselves, ‘Whose feet have I washed lately?’ — literally or figuratively — before the laity hold them to account. Our Lord said that He came to serve, not to be served. Let us all follow His example. There is a healthy interest in returning this ancient and instructive observance even to the parishes, where it has largely fallen into disuse. Although the orthodox practice the washing of feet only on Holy Thursday, there are heterodox Christians, notably the Seventh-Day Adventists and certain Baptist associations, who repeat this rite each time they observe the ‘Lord’s Supper’, perhaps rightly interpreting the Lord’s directive to ‘do this in memory of Me’ as including more than the offering of bread and wine. |
| It parallels another passage of the five wise and five foolish virgins. By virginity, we can understand it to mean those who kept themselves pure from the ways of the world. When “the door was shut,” they knocked but were not allowed entry. They cry out, “Lord, Lord, open to us!” Then the dreadful words are spoken, “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you” (Matt. 25:1-13). Apparently, even being rigorous about purity is not enough. About those who are saved in the end, the Apostle John wrote, “It has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn. 3:2). We shall be like Him… Tying the First and Last Together God made humanity in His image and likeness (Gen. 1:26) – humanity was like Him . At the creation, He pronounced the First Judgment, calling this humanity-in-His-image “very good.” When we fell into sin and marred the image of Him within us, He provided a way to restore it in Jesus Christ. Because of the work of Christ, the path to being “very good” in God’s sight is once again opened. At the Last Judgment, God will look upon us to see if His image has been restored within us. Did we trust in Him to make us very good once again? Or did we form ourselves in the image of sin, selfish desires, or our own will? He will look upon us and say one of two things. Either, “Yes, I see my image restored in you. I know you. Well done, good and faithful servant. You are washed, you are pure, you are beautiful. Enter into my joy.” Or He will say, “Who are you? I look upon you and see the image of sin; I see the image of self-will and selfishness. I do not recognize you as the thing I called ‘very good’ at the First Judgment in the Garden. Depart from me, for I know you not.” The Same Judgment The First and Last Judgments will be the same in some sense. God will look upon us to see if we are what He created us to be. Will He look at me and see His image and likeness? Or will He see something He doesn’t recognize (since sin is something wholly other than God)? |
| I hope that we will continue to ardently pray together and diligently labour to “do what we ought to have done” (Lk 17:10) and bring forth fruit a hundredfold. And may God Almighty help us in this. In placing my firm hope in the mercy of the Creator and the intercession of the Queen of Heaven, I will henceforth, should the chief Shepherd permit it, with humility and patience carry the cross of Patriarchal ministry which has been placed upon me. God alone knows how difficult this labour is, what strength, exertion of mind and willpower are demanded by this ministry, how aches the heart of the Patriarch who takes upon himself responsibility for the Church, “which the Lord has purchased through his precious blood.” Yet at the same time I would like to assure you that for me, as for the apostle and evangelist John, there is “no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 Jn 1:4). Therefore, I exhort you all with the words of the apostle: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity” (1 Cor 16:13-14). The pledge of our unshakeable hope in bringing forth the fruit of our joint endeavours is the true promise of the Saviour to abide in the Church “even unto the end of the world” (Mt 28:20.) “The name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess1:12). Amen. Patriarchal Press Service/ DECR Communication Service Share the post " Address delivered by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at the Christ the Saviour Cathedral on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his Patriarchal enthronement " Календарь ← 20 апреля 2024 г. (7 апреля ст.ст.) суббота Похвала Пресвятой Богородицы (Суббота Акафиста). Прп. Георгия исп., митр. Митиленского (после 820). Прп. Даниила Переяславского (1540). Мч. Каллиопия (304). Мчч. Руфина диакона, Акилины и с ними 200 воинов (ок. 310). Прп. Серапиона монаха. Сщмч. Аркадия Добронравова пресвитера (1933); прмц. Евдокии Павловой (1939). |
| Jesus, the Perfect Image of Human Life Christ is the incarnate Word of God. He is the Teacher and Master sent by God to the world. He is the embodiment of God Himself in human form. He is “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1.15). In Him “the fullness of divinity dwells bodily” (Col 2.9). The person who sees Jesus sees God the Father ( Jn 14.9 ). He is the “reflection of the glory of God and the express image of His person” (Heb 1.3). He is the “light of the world” who “enlightens every man .?.?. coming into the world” ( Jn 8.12, 1.9 ). To be saved by Jesus Christ is first of all to be enlightened by Him; to see Him as the Light, and to see all things in the light of Him. It is to know Him as “the Truth” ( Jn 14.6 ); and to know the truth in Him. And you will know the truth and the truth will make you free (Jn?8.31). When one is saved by God in Christ one comes to the knowledge of the truth, fulfilling God’s desire for His creatures, for “God our Saviour .?.?. desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” ( 1Tim 2.4 ). In saving God’s world, Jesus Christ enlightens God’s creatures by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God who is the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father and is sent into the world through Christ. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; you know Him, for He dwells with you, and will be in you ( Jn 14.15–17 ). But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you .?.?. ( Jn 15.26 ). When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth .?.?. ( Jn 16.13 ). The first aspect of salvation in Christ, therefore, is to be enlightened by Him and to know the truth about God and man by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, which God gives through Him to those who believe. This is witnessed to in the apostolic writings of Saints John and Paul: |
| La muerte no tendrá poder en el reino de gloria. Y el último enemigo que será destruido es la muerte... entonces se cumplirá la palabra de la Escritura: La muerte ha sido vencida ( 1Cor. 15:26, 54 ). «El tiempo no será más» (Ap. 10:6). De manera metafórica es representada la eterna vida bienaventurada en el capítulo 21 del Apocalipsis 21. Vi un cielo nuevo y una tierra nueva, porque el primer cielo y la primera tierra pasaron, y el mar ya no existe más. En el reino futuro todo será espiritual, inmaterial y Santo. Lo más importante de todo es que quienes alcancen la bienaventurada vida futura y se hagan «participantes de la naturaleza Divina» (2 Ped. 1:4), serán miembros de aquella vida perfecta, cuya fuente está sólo en Dios. En particular, los futuros miembros del Reino de Dios se harán dignos, como los ángeles, de « ver a Dios » (Mat. 5:8), van a contemplar su gloria, no como a través de un vidrio opaco, ni haciendo conjeturas, sino cara a cara, Y no solamente lo contemplarán, sino que participarán, resplandeciendo como el sol en el reino de su Padre (Mat. 13:43), como «herederos con Cristo,» participando del trono con Cristo y compartiendo con Él Su majestuosa grandeza (Ap. 3:32; 2Tim. 2:11–12 ). En forma simbólica se representa en el Apocalipsis: «Ya no tendrán hambre ni sed, y el sol no caerá más sobre ellos, ni calor alguno; porque el Cordero que está en medio del trono los pastoreará, y los guiará a fuentes de agua de vida; y Dios enjugará toda lágrima de sus ojos» (Ap. 7:16–17). Como dice el profeta Isaías: «lo que nadie vio ni oyó y ni siquiera pudo pensar, aquello que Dios ha preparado para los que le aman» (Isaías 64:4; 1Cor. 2:9 ). La bienaventuranza en Dios será tanto más placentera ya que será interminablemente eterna «e irán los justos a la vida eterna.» Sin embargo, según la reflexión de los Santos Padres, esta gloria en Dios va a tener sus grados, conforme a la dignidad de cada uno, lo cual podemos concluir de las palabras de las Sagradas Escrituras: «En la casa de mi Padre muchas moradas hay» ( Jn. 14:2 ); «y entonces dará a cada uno conforme a sus obras» (San Mateo 16:27), «cada uno recibirá su recompensa conforme a su labor» ( 1Cor. 3:8 ), «una estrella es diferente de otra en la gloria» ( 1Cor. 15:41 ). |
| Of course, our passing from earthly life is always a great mystery. We do not choose when to be born into this world or when to depart it. Any believer understands that this earthly life is temporal and quite short. We honor as heroes couples who celebrate their golden wedding anniversary, while very few live to celebrate their diamond (seventy-fifth) anniversary and other similar jubilees. Well, they have celebrated the silver, golden wedding anniversaries (raised a son, built a house, planted a tree)… and what next? Our family life on Earth is only a preparation for the everlasting one. In a Christian family we gather for salvation and love. The task of family as “the little church” is the same as that of the universal Church—to enter into the Kingdom of God the Father together. It is not without reason that the apostle Paul says: Charity never faileth (1 Cor. 13:8). An attribute of true love is that it lasts forever. And if people have lived a long life through affection, joy and grief, if both of them have believed in God and labored for the salvation of their souls, then, undoubtedly, they desire to meet each other in the Heavenly Kingdom, even if they depart this life at different times. Saints Peter and Febronia of Murom. Painting by Alexander Trostev. A wedding, a church wedding ceremony is always a happy event—not only for the groom and the bride but also for everyone present. A wedding guest shares the joy of the newlyweds and this makes him feel happy as well. As the Gospel of John reads: He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice (Jn. 3:29). But the happiest and most moving church wedding I’ve seen, that touched me to tears, was not the wedding of a young couple but that of a very old couple. During that sacrament I came in contact with eternity, with that very eternal love that “faileth not”. I was invited to give Communion to an old man who was dying of cancer. He was in his final days, very weak, unable to walk, and could only lie and sit a little. His wife was also so feeble that she could not leave the flat. I confessed her and gave her Communion as well. During the confession the woman shared her sorrow with me: It grieved her that she had not had time to be married to her husband in church; and then, she thought, it was too late because her husband was dying. “Better late than never,” I thought about it and took the liberty of performing this sacrament over them right in their home. |
| Patriarch Bartholomew closed his address again quoting from the Relations document, expressing the conviction that there is as yet not one flock of the Lord, and the hope that the ecumenical movement will create this unity which we confess daily in the Nicene Creed: “This is why the Holy and Great Council prayed ‘that all Christians may work together so that the day may soon come when the Lord will fulfill the hope of the Orthodox Churches and there will be one flock and one shepherd (Jn 10:16) (Relations, 24).” 26 апреля 2017 г. Рейтинг: 4 Голосов: 7 Оценка: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 скрыть способы оплаты скрыть способы оплаты Смотри также Комментарии Foma Dobrov 27 апреля 2017, 18:03 I agree with all comments above. Bartholomew is under the influence of something alien. It IS hypocritical to call this " Ecumenical " and kick out the OCA. Nice work. It is important to note that ROC opposes this Council too. Good! This " We are the World " business is rot. I remember Christ saying " I am not of this World " Thus....Let us keep it clean. " Nothing New. Nothin Novel " THUS! Gregory 27 апреля 2017, 00:20 We Orthodox brethren do live now and have lived since apostolic times in unity of faith and the One Body of Christ (the Orthodox Church) is catholic (whole,complete, universal). I am unable to understand therefore, what exactly his holiness believes the Body of Christ lacks?? Other christian societies are certainly welcome to embrace the true faith and accept the One Baptism. Athanasius the American 26 апреля 2017, 22:13 So we must cease being Orthodox to embrace this fantasy? Fascinating that the USA is not recognized by a man held as prisoner by the Turks in an Islamic city. Greece returns to paganism while Russia grows the Church exponentially. Rome has always been welcomed back to the table, and dividing and alienating Orthodoxy is not the way to get them back. J Clivas 26 апреля 2017, 17:50 If Bartholemew thinks the Catholics will ever let some Greek be the " one shepherd " , he " s whistling Dixie. |
| Porque cuando los que presiden a los santos pueblos, desempeñan la legación que les ha sido encomendada, representan ante la divina clemencia la causa del género humano y gimiendo a par con ellos toda la Iglesia, piden y suplican que se conceda la fe a los infieles, que los idólatras se vean libres de los errores de su impiedad, que a los judíos, quitado el velo de su corazón, les aparezca la luz de la verdad, que los herejes, por la comprensión de la fe católica, vuelvan en sí, que los cismáticos reciban el espíritu de la caridad rediviva, que a los caídos se les confieran los remedios de la penitencia y que, finalmente, a los catecúmenos, después de llevados al sacramento de la regeneración, se les abra el palacio de la celeste misericordia. Y que todo esto no se pida al Señor vanamente, lo muestra la experiencia misma, pues efectivamente Dios se digna atraer a muchísimos de todo género de errores y, sacándolos del poder de las tinieblas, los traslada al reino del Hijo de su amor ( Col. 1:13 ) y de vasos de ira los hace vasos de misericordia ( Rom. 9:22 s). Todo lo cual hasta punto tal se siente ser obra divina que siempre se tributa a Dios que lo hace esta acción de gracias y esta confesión de alabanza por la iluminación o por la corrección de los tales. Cap. 9. Tampoco contemplamos con ociosa mirada lo que en todo el mundo practica la Santa Iglesia con los que han de ser bautizados. Cuando lo mismo párvulos que jóvenes se acercan al sacramento de la regeneración, no llegan a la fuente de la vida sin que antes por los exorcismos e insuflaciones de los clérigos sea expulsado de ellos el espíritu inmundo, a fin de que entonces aparezca verdaderamente cómo es echado fuera el príncipe de este mundo ( Jn. 12:31 ) y cómo primero es atado el fuerte ( Mt. 12:29 ) y luego son arrebatados sus instrumentos (Mc. 3:27) que pasan a posesión del vencedor, de aquel que lleva cautiva la cautividad ( Eph. 4:8 ) y da dones a los hombres ( Ps. 67:19 ). En conclusión, por estas reglas de la Iglesia, y por los documentos tomados de la divina autoridad, de tal modo con la ayuda del Señor hemos sido confirmados, que confesamos a Dios por autor de todos los buenos efectos y obras y de todos los esfuerzos y virtudes por los que desde el inicio de la fe se tiende a Dios, y no dudamos que todos los merecimientos del hombre son prevenidos por la gracia de Aquel, por quien sucede que empecemos tanto a querer como a hacer algún bien (cf. |
| St. John Chrysostom was right: we fear 1) poverty; 2) illness; and 3) death. We can call this (fallen) human nature or the human condition. Any such terms are applicable. If our anxieties and fears have been heightened to a greater of lesser degree during this coronavirus pandemic, it need not cause us further anxiety concerning our faith, or a debilitating discouragement that we are not being faithful enough. To see our weaknesses is not meant to discourage us. In fact, it should encourage us to be honest about ourselves, so as to face and wrestle with our fears. Perhaps like the patriarch Jacob in that mysterious event when he wrestled with an angel, that is how we can overcome them.We know our weaknesses, now we need to avail ourselves of those “tools” from within the Church which, when humbly turned to, can build up our faith – prayer, the Scriptures, Repentance, Confession and the Eucharist (when available again!). Otherwise, our social isolation will only create spiritual fatigue and emptiness. We cannot afford to wait until life returns to normal to then resume our “religious lives” in church. On the contrary, St. Paul exhorts us: “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold now is the day of salvation” (II Cor. 6:2). And elsewhere: “I can do all things in Christ Who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). I believe being brought face-to-face with our fears is a painful lesson in humility. The French Orthodox theologian, Jean-Claude Larchet says this with great insight: “Illness is an opportunity for each person to experience his ontological fragility, his dependence, and to turn to God as the one who can help overcome it: if not physically (for there do occur, in response to prayer, miraculous healings), then at least spiritually, and give it a meaning by which one builds oneself up, and without which one only allows oneself to be destroyed.” To be humbled is not to be discouraged. To put that another way: I do not believe that God works through discouragement. But I do believe that strengthened by the grace of God, we can work through discouragement in any form that it may assail us. Realizing our dependence on Christ – “For apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5) – teaches us to be humble. We therefore cannot judge anyone else – including all of those “unbelievers” who live in our midst. |
| " Todo lo que el Padre hace, eso lo hace igualmente el Hijo» ( Jn 5:19 ). «Así como el Padre resucita a los muertos y les da vida, del mismo modo el Hijo da vida al que Él quiere» ( Jn 5:21 ). «Porque como el Padre tiene vida en sí mismo, así también ha dado al Hijo el tener vida en sí mismo» ( Jn 5:26 ). »Para que todos honren al Hijo como honran al Padre» ( Jn 5:23 ). Consubstancialidad del Hijo con el Padre: «Yo y el Padre somos uno» ( Jn 10:30 ). »Yo soy en el Padre, y el Padre en mí» ( Jn 14:11 y 10:38). «Y todo lo mío es tuyo, y lo tuyo mío» ( Jn 17:10 ). La palabra de Dios también habla sobre la eternidad del Hijo de Dios . »Yo soy el Alfa y la Omega, el principio y el fin, dice el Señor, Él que es y que era y que ha de venir, el Todopoderoso» (Apoc. 1:8). «Ahora pues, Padre, glorifícame junto a Ti, con aquella gloria que tuve contigo antes que el mundo fuese» ( Jn 17:5 ). Sobre su Omnipresencia: »Nadie subió al cielo, sino el que descendió del cielo, el Hijo del Hombre que está en el cielo» ( Jn 3:13 ). «Donde están dos o tres congregados en mi nombre, allí estoy yo en medio de ellos» ( Mat. 18:20). Sobre el Hijo de Dios, como Creador del mundo : " Todas las cosas por Él fueron hechas, y sin Él nada de lo que ha sido hecho, fue hecho» ( Jn. 1:3 ). «En Él fueron creadas todas las cosas, las que hay en los cielos y las que hay en la tierra, visibles e invisibles, Tronos, Dominaciones, Principados, Potestades; todo fue creado por medio de Él y para Él. Y Él es antes de todas las cosas y todas las cosas en Él subsisten» ( Col. 1:16–17 ). Del mismo modo, la Palabra de Dios habla y de otras Divinos atributos de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo. En cuanto a la Sagrada Tradición, ella tiene un claro testimonio de la común fe cristiana de los primeros siglos en la Divinidad de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo. La universalidad de esta fe la encontramos en: Los símbolos de la fe, utilizados en cada iglesia local antes del concilio de Nicea. Las confesiones de fe, compuestas por los concilios o en nombre de los Padres de la Iglesia hasta el siglo IV Los escritos de los hombres apostólicos y maestros de los primeros siglos. |
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