#2nd apostle of the blood god

[rainynightmareengineer]

Breaking out of nodraw jail

[orthodoxadventure]

Who are the martyrs?

Derived from the Greek word meaning "witness," a martyr is someone who suffers persecution and death for their faith in Christ. Saint Gregory the Theologian, the 4th Century Patriarch of Constantinople, once said that "it is mere rashness to seek death, but it is cowardly to refuse it" in witnessing to our faith in Christ. Over the past two millennia martyrs have been a symbol of strength for the faithful, a sign that God is more powerful than death. All of the Apostles, who experienced the Risen Jesus, except for St. John the Evangelist, were put to death for their faith in Christ. That so many Christians who knew Jesus were willing to die for their claim that "Jesus is Lord" (1 Corinthians 12:3) gives a powerful witness to us about who Jesus is. As St. Justin the Martyr wrote in the 2nd century just before his own execution in Rome for the faith circa 155AD: "for it is plain that, though beheaded, and crucified, and thrown to wild beasts, and chains, and fire, and all other kinds of torture, we do not give up our confession of faith; but, the more these things happen, the more others, in even larger numbers, become faithful." This persecution of Christianity has continued through the centuries. To this day, Orthodox Christians continue to be persecuted under Communism, various dictatorships, and other religions. In fact, more Orthodox Christians died for their faith in the 20th century under Communism in the former Soviet bloc countries than in all the persecutions carried out by the Roman Empire during the first 300 years of Christian history.

St. Stephen (In Greek, stephanos means 'crown') was the first person in history to be executed for being a Christian. His story is told in the New Testament by Luke the Evangelist in the Acts of the Apostles (6:1-7:60). A "man full of the Holy Spirit," he was one of the seven deacons chosen by the Apostles to minister to the Greek-speaking Christians of the first community in Jerusalem. Arrested for his public preaching of Jesus Christ, he was -- like his Master before him -- brought before the Sanhedrin. For his witness before the Sanhedrin to Jesus as the crucified and risen Messiah, he was condemned to death by stoning. Taken outside the city walls, he was brutally stoned to death by an angry mob. Stephen was the first of a long line of many, many men and women who have paid the full price in blood for their faith in Jesus Christ.

[Source of text: The Divine Liturgy of our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom (with Commentary and Notes)]

[pastortomsteers]

The Bible Study –

Our reading for Wednesday, August 28 is 2nd Corinthians 6:1-18.

The Church at Corinth was afflicted by false teachers whose un-Godly goal was to divide and destroy this early Christian community.

These false ‘apostles’ attacked Christ’s true Apostle, Paul.

Paul reminds the Corinthians of his devoted Christian missionary life, of the hardships and persecution he’s suffered willingly for the sake of the Gospel, and of his truthful witness to our Saviour.

Today there are those who attack the Christian Church with false teachings and accusations.

Their goal is the same: to divide people from the grace, mercy, and salvation found only in Christ.

Contrary to God’s Word in the Bible, many suggest we can be saved in whole or part by our own ‘good works.’

Others deny that infants need, and should receive, the Sacrament of Baptism.

Still others contradict the teaching of Holy Scripture that the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper contains the true presence of the body and blood of Christ.

Paul gives Pastoral advice as relevant today as when it was written:

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” (2 Cor. 6:14)

We should not be involved in any way with religious organizations or ‘spiritual’ groups that deny the Word of God, who refuse to accept Jesus as our sole Redeemer.

Nor should we, in our personal life, either marry or have close friendships with those who reject our Saviour.

Paul rightly asks, “What accord has Christ with the devil? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?”

The choices the Apostle made in his life positively affected his Christian witness.

The choices we make, and our associations reflect our faith and impact our Christian witness.

There’s much at stake.

Believers are Christ’s disciples of today to spread the Good News.

As Paul wrote, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2b)

Pastor Tom Steers

Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto

[crossoverglobaloutreach]

OUR BETTER PROCESSION

Let’s consider how blessed we are in the better covenant of Jesus Christ by comparing and contrasting two remarkably similar passages of scripture, one from the Old Testament, the other from the New.

2nd Samuel 6 opens with King David bringing the Ark of God's Presence back to Jerusalem. He gathers not just any crowd, but "all the chosen men of Israel" (verse 1). He leads the illustrious procession as they set out with the ark, rejoicing and celebrating as they go (verses 2 through 5). But disaster strikes suddenly in verses 6 and 7, bringing the procession to a crashing halt:

"Then they came to the threshing floor of Nacon. And Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen nearly upset it. And the anger of Yahweh burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God."

Someone dared to touch the ark and a surge like lightning struck him dead. That thunderclap of power shattered the happy mood and ended the procession. We're told David was angered by the intrusion of tragedy into his joyous plans (verse 8), but also frightened that the Intruder was God Himself (verse 9). The parade melted away in sorrow and confusion, stranding the Ark far from its intended destination.

Now, consider another procession, one found in the gospel of Mark. In chapter 5, we see the Living Ark of God's Presence, Jesus Christ, surrounded by a large crowd, as they escorted Him to His intended destination - the home of a synagogue ruler. That ruler's daughter was deathly ill and he had begged Jesus to come and heal her. Jesus had graciously consented. We're told a large crowd - more likely a "rabble" than "the leading men of Jerusalem" - pressed in on Him as He walked with Jairus (verse 24).

The Uzzah of this procession was a woman with an issue of blood. That made her ceremonially unclean, but she was still determined to dart in among the crowd and touch Jesus. And when she did, "power flowed out from Him" (verse 30).

The stories follow the same arc right up through the unplanned touch. In each case, a surge of power struck the toucher. But the stories diverge sharply there: The woman didn't die; she was miraculously healed! Jesus' procession wasn't broken up, it continued, after pausing to bless her. She probably joined the crowd as they moved on. Nor was Jesus kept from His intended destination. He arrived at Jairus' home and healed his daughter, raising her from the dead.

The crowd in Mark 5 wasn't better than the one in 2nd Samuel, it was likely rougher and coarser. The "toucher" wasn't better - the bleeding woman was "unclean," while Uzzah was a man of standing. So, what accounts for the drastically different outcomes? What was better in Mark 5 vs. 2 Samuel 6? The Ark at the heart of the procession was better, as was the crowd's access to that Ark.

The ark Moses built was not to be touched (Num 4:15), nor even looked into (Num 4:20, 1 Sam 16:19). But the Apostle John opened his first letter with these words, "That which was from the beginning... what we beheld and touched with our hands" (1 Jn 1:1). Perhaps that's why God declared through the prophet Jeremiah the first ark would no longer come to mind nor be sought after (Jer 3:16). Why should it, when it was merely a type and shadow of the better Ark, Jesus Christ?

Moses' ark passed away with his covenant. Both have been replaced, supplanted, by something, Someone, superior. Our Ark can be touched. Life giving power flows from ours, not death dealing. In Mark 5, not only was Christ touched, He also touched the dead little girl. We have come to One who touches and is touched, with blessing flowing out from Him either way.

Now we have joined the greater procession of the Present One. It stretches back to Jesus Christ walking among us twenty centuries ago and reaches beyond today to His glorious return. Like the procession to Jairus' house, this one also ends in resurrection - ours! Let's not shy away from touching Him along the way and letting Him touch us. As Hebrews 10:22 exhorts us, "Let us draw near to Him with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith".

"And a highway is there, and a way. The 'Way of Holiness' it is called. The unclean do not pass over it. And He Himself is by them, those going in the way, so that even fools shall not err therein" (Is 35:8).

  - Matt Schilling

[leonbloder]

That All You Got?

One of my favorite singer/songwriters is the British artist Luke Sital-Singh. If you have never heard of him, you must look him up, download his music, and listen!

This morning, I was listening to one of his songs, "Nothing Stays The Same," and these lines absolutely struck me:

We all believe in something that'll rip us into shreds We all know why it stings to open up your chest We all show signs of greatness that we hope that someone sees Our broken teeth are scattered but we're smiling underneath A thousand bruising muscles still we're running on and on We all know names that ring like thunder rattling our walls Everyone is yearning for a reason for a cause Somewhere deep inside, we're holding on for dear life Oh dear life.

These words really spoke to me today. And they reminded me of another kind of lyricist from the New Testament, the Apostle Paul. (smooth segue, right?)

In Paul's 2nd Letter to the Corinthians, he writes this:

8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

Based on the semi-religious but absolutely spiritual themes in many of Luke Sital-Singh's songs, he might have drawn upon this passage for the above lyrics. It's uncanny how similar they are.

What I take away from all this today is a sense of triumph, even amid tragedy. Whatever assails us doesn't get the last word. Sometimes, we might get the stuffing beaten out of us, but whatever (or whoever) delivers it doesn't get to win.

Both Sital-Singh's song and the Apostle Paul's declaration contain a certain kind of defiant hope.

In my imagination, this is kind of like the hero in a movie getting beaten up by some villain and his henchmen, and then she looks up from the ground as she slowly rises, wipes the blood from her mouth, and asks, "That all you got, boys?"

Come on! Somebody out there has got to feel this!

There's also a sense of resurrection in both of these passages. In Sital-Singh's words, we hear this: "Somewhere deep inside, we are holding on for dear life."

This resonates with me so profoundly. No matter what may be happening on the outside, we have something within us that still can cling to the defiant hope that life is genuinely "dear" and that restoration and resurrection are possible if we don't let go.

The Apostle Paul more clearly points to it by saying, "We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."

In other words, our unbreakable connection with Jesus is permeated with the eternal rhythm of dying and rising. We are walking, talking examples of resurrection, even if we don't fully comprehend it.

And nothing can break us, truly break us.

We might feel broken, but there's no way for whatever did the breaking to keep us that way. We might feel like God has abandoned us, but God is literally inside of us. We might struggle to get up, but we still have strength if we are willing to tap into it.

So, if you have been feeling like you have gone ten rounds with something in your life that seems to have the better of you, know that it doesn't. It never will.

Rise. Get up off the ground. And say this mantra until you feel it so deeply it aches:

"That all you got, boys?"

May it be so, and may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

2nd May >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Saint Athanasius, Bishop, Doctor 

on

Thursday, Fifth Week of Eastertide.

Thursday, Fifth Week of Eastertide

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

(Readings for the feria (Thursday))

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Thursday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading Acts of the Apostles 15:7-21 I rule that we do not make things more difficult for the pagans who turn to God.

After the discussion had gone on a long time, Peter stood up and addressed the apostles and the elders. ‘My brothers,’ he said ‘you know perfectly well that in the early days God made his choice among you: the pagans were to learn the Good News from me and so become believers. In fact God, who can read everyone’s heart, showed his approval of them by giving the Holy Spirit to them just as he had to us. God made no distinction between them and us, since he purified their hearts by faith. It would only provoke God’s anger now, surely, if you imposed on the disciples the very burden that neither we nor our ancestors were strong enough to support? Remember, we believe that we are saved in the same way as they are: through the grace of the Lord Jesus.’ This silenced the entire assembly, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had worked through them among the pagans. When they had finished it was James who spoke. ‘My brothers,’ he said ‘listen to me. Simeon has described how God first arranged to enlist a people for his name out of the pagans. This is entirely in harmony with the words of the prophets, since the scriptures say:

After that I shall return and rebuild the fallen House of David; I shall rebuild it from its ruins and restore it. Then the rest of mankind, all the pagans who are consecrated to my name, will look for the Lord, says the Lord who made this known so long ago.

‘I rule, then, that instead of making things more difficult for pagans who turn to God, we send them a letter telling them merely to abstain from anything polluted by idols, from fornication, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has always had his preachers in every town, and is read aloud in the synagogues every sabbath.’

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 95(96):1-3,10

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples. or R/ Alleluia!

O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth. O sing to the Lord, bless his name.

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples. or R/ Alleluia!

Proclaim his help day by day, tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the peoples.

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples. or R/ Alleluia!

Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’ The world he made firm in its place; he will judge the peoples in fairness.

R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples. or R/ Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia! Christ has risen, he who created all things, and has granted his mercy to men. Alleluia!

Or: John 10:27

Alleluia, alleluia! The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, says the Lord, I know them and they follow me. Alleluia!

Gospel John 15:9-11 Remain in my love.

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

---------------------------------

Saint Athanasius, Bishop, Doctor 

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Thursday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading 1 John 5:1-5 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has already overcome the world.

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten by God; and whoever loves the Father that begot him loves the child whom he begets. We can be sure that we love God’s children if we love God himself and do what he has commanded us; this is what loving God is – keeping his commandments; and his commandments are not difficult, because anyone who has been begotten by God has already overcome the world; this is the victory over the world – our faith.

Who can overcome the world? Only the man who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 36(37):3-6,30-31

R/ The just man’s mouth utters wisdom.

If you trust in the Lord and do good, then you will live in the land and be secure. If you find your delight in the Lord, he will grant your heart’s desire.

R/ The just man’s mouth utters wisdom.

Commit your life to the Lord, trust in him and he will act, so that your justice breaks forth like the light, your cause like the noon-day sun.

R/ The just man’s mouth utters wisdom.

The just man’s mouth utters wisdom and his lips speak what is right; the law of his God is in his heart, his steps shall be saved from stumbling.

R/ The just man’s mouth utters wisdom.

Gospel Acclamation Matthew 5:10

Alleluia, alleluia! Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Alleluia!

Gospel Matthew 10:22-25 The disciple is not superior to his teacher.

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved. If they persecute you in one town, take refuge in the next; and if they persecute you in that, take refuge in another. I tell you solemnly, you will not have gone the round of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. ‘The disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor the slave to his master. It is enough for the disciple that he should grow to be like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, what will they not say of his household?’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[ramrodd]

One Hour. One Book: Hebrews

COMMENTARY:

Hebrews is an intelligence finding by Theophilus, who was the Bishop of the Roman Christian Fellowship of the Italian Cohort of the Praetorian Guard. Luke's research for the Gospel of Lke and the amicus brief for the defense of Paul, the Acts of the Apostles, along with the Quelle archive maintained by Cornelius, led to  Hebrews as the manifesto of the clandestine Roman Christian Fellowship through the Roman legions, which was created by the spread of the vision of the Talking Cross in the Gospel of Peter, which I propose reflects the content of Pilate's original euangelion to Tiberius forwarded before Pentecost. The New Covenant was between The One and the centurions of the Italian Cohort.and represented by Cornelius.

Hebrews is the manifesto of the Roman Christian Church and is based on the triangulation of Melchizedek, Jesus and the faith of the centurion in Matthew 8"13, in contrast to the theology of Peter, Paul and James, which is based on the triangulation of Abraham, Moses and JEsus. and represents Pual's effort to fit the new material of Jesus to the old material of the Law of Moses. : Hebrews is the New Wine Skin Theophilus fashioned from the Gospels and Acts for the New Wine of Jesus. "All the Italians" in Hebrews 12:24 are the Roman Christians throughout in the Legions throughout the Roman Empire. Where ever there is a cult of Mitra, there is the Roman Christian Fellow whip  in the closet.

Romans 13:1 - 7 is the 4th Gift of the Magi that Paul brought to the Praetorian Guards which validates the Roman Republic as structure of the Roman secular rule of law. The centurions were a unique military innovation and were creatures of the rule of law just like the modern US Army NCO. A purpose of Jesus's sacrifice was to validate Socrates submission to the secular rule of law that anchors a democratic society.

The cross and the cup of hemlock are both instruments of the secular rul of law. 'In fact When Jesus implores His Father to let the cup pass Him buy, He was referring to Socrates and his cup of hemlock, although Jerimiah and Psalms are likewise referenced.

The Talking Cross in the Gospel of Peter is the ratification of a covenant cutting ceremony between God and the centurions and is perfectly analogous to the smoking pot of fire in the covenant cutting ceremony between God and Abraham in Genesis 15, the difference being that Jesus was spilt along with the other critters in a military ceremony recognized by the Pagan Romans who were servants of Yaweh, Queen of Battle, just like Jesus. It is the nature of the profession of arms.

I know Yaweh, Queen of Battle: I am a combat veteran and She is Duty in the Duty, Honor, Country motto of West Point, why Pallas Athena's Helm is on the Coat of Arms. It is why the 2nd Amendment is the boundary between the Bill of Rights and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It is why "FOllow ME" is the motto of the US Army Infantry School.

For I am Yaweh, Queen of Battle! I am the Infantry, Follow Me.

JEsus was trying to transform Israel from a nation of priests of Temple Worship and Blood Sacrifice, to the priesthood of the servant leader. And then he discovered that the Roman centurions represented a military guild organize by the servant leadership ethos of Mission, Men, Self and quit trying to reinvent the wheel. As I say, Christianity began with Matthew 8:10  and the Talking Cross of the Gospel of Peter leads directly to the Letter  to the Hebrews.

[princeofgod-2021]

LIGHT OF LIFE 352

John 1:4

TOO LATE 15 – AGENTS OF CHANGE? 7

Eze 14:19-20 “Or SUPPOSE I WERE TO SEND A PLAGUE INTO THAT LAND, AND POUR OUT MY RAGE ON IT WITH BLOODSHED, killing both people and animals. EVEN IF NOAH, DANIEL, AND JOB WERE IN IT, AS SURELY AS I LIVE, DECLARES THE SOVEREIGN LORD, THEY COULD NOT SAVE THEIR OWN SON OR DAUGHTER; THEY WOULD SAVE ONLY THEIR OWN LIVES BY THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS. NET

We are still focusing on the depth of Josiah’s reaction and its importance in ministry, right?

2Ki 22:13 Go and get directions from the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah, ABOUT THE WORDS OF THIS BOOK WHICH HAS COME TO LIGHT; FOR GREAT IS THE WRATH OF THE LORD WHICH IS BURNING AGAINST US, because our fathers have not given ear to the words of this book, to do all the things which are recorded in it. BBE

Many still read the Bible and only see the “Letter” (Logos), but only a few see the “Spirit” (Rhema).

2Co 3:6 He alone makes us adequate ministers who are focused on an entirely new covenant. OUR MINISTRY IS NOT BASED ON THE LETTER OF THE LAW BUT THROUGH THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT. THE LETTER OF THE LAW KILLS, BUT THE SPIRIT POURS OUT LIFE. TPT

The problem always is that God speaks the Spirit, but if you are not in the right frame of mind; if you are “full of flesh”, you will not perceive the “LIFE” behind the word, but only the plain texts.

And indeed, the people who must make definite changes in the Church must connect with that LIFE.

Jn 6:63 The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don’t make anything happen. EVERY WORD I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU IS A SPIRIT-WORD, AND SO IT IS LIFE-MAKING. MSG

Jesus spoke these words to the multitude, telling them that except they eat His flesh and drink His blood, they have no life in them (Vs 53).

They got offended and left, not seeing any danger in rejecting Jesus, nor seeing the “life” in what He just spoke.

That’s the “state” of many with the Bible.

Before going further with Josiah, let’s see reactions of another set of people, shall we?

2Ki 22:8,10 Shaphan delivered the king's order to Hilkiah, and Hilkiah told him that he had found the book of the Law in the Temple. Hilkiah gave him the book, AND SHAPHAN READ IT… And then he said, "I have here a book that Hilkiah gave me." And HE READ IT ALOUD TO THE KING. GNB

Let’s leave the unserious Priests, who probably never read the “deep” scriptures but only make noise about their own formulated philosophies.

Is that not how they “survive” without the Bible?

Mat 15:9 Their worship of me is pointless, because THEIR TEACHINGS ARE RULES MADE BY HUMANS.'" GW

The secretary (scribe) collected the Book and read but felt nothing.

He was reading it aloud the 2nd time yet seeing nothing, while the King was demonstrating like a “madman” in his session.

Now if High Priests didn’t read the book and [at least] give the Secretary a “lead” in positive reactions, why should we expect the secretary to even know the weight of what he was carrying?

Isa 29:11-12 TO YOU MY WORDS ARE LIKE THE WORDS IN A BOOK THAT IS CLOSED AND SEALED. You can give the book to someone who can read and tell that person to read it. But that person will say, "I CANNOT READ THE BOOK. IT IS CLOSED AND I CANNOT OPEN IT." Or you can give the book to someone who cannot read and tell that person to read it. That person will say, "I CANNOT READ THE BOOK BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO READ." ERV

We have so many called Pastors, Apostles, Bishops etc, who are on the Altar and are given Bibles they don’t know how to read or understand.

They never “connect” with the prospects of God, and if there’s danger looming over the church, they can’t see it; they only care about pleasures.

Indeed, God could be angry enough to “blind” leaders to His intentions or impending judgment at times.

Isa 29:9-10 You will be shocked and amazed! YOU ARE TOTALLY BLIND! THEY ARE DRUNK, BUT NOT BECAUSE OF WINE; they stagger, but not because of beer. FOR THE LORD HAS POURED OUT ON YOU A STRONG URGE TO SLEEP DEEPLY. HE HAS SHUT YOUR EYES (THE PROPHETS), AND COVERED YOUR HEADS (THE SEERS). NET

But no matter how angry God could be at any space in time, there are persons close to Him and serious enough to connect with His “mind” and intents.

Pro 25:2 God conceals the revelation of his word in the hiding place of his glory. But THE HONOR OF KINGS IS REVEALED BY HOW THEY THOROUGHLY SEARCH OUT THE DEEPER MEANING OF ALL THAT GOD SAYS. TPT

Somebody may now say: “aha! Only Josiah could have discovered what God hid because he is a King”.

Then I will ask you: who is not a King please; are you not a King, Prophet & Priest?

Rev 5:10 AND MADE US KINGS AND PRIESTS TO OUR GOD, and we will reign on the earth.” WEB

There were numerous Priests & Kings before Josiah, but they were blinded by their sinfulness.

NEH 9:34-35 OUR KINGS, LEADERS, AND PRIESTS HAVE NEVER OBEYED YOUR COMMANDS OR HEEDED YOUR WARNINGS. You blessed them with a kingdom and with an abundance of rich, fertile land, but they refused to worship you or turn from their evil. CEV

The serious point is that judgement exists and people are being “served” periodically, with no one to foresee coming events.

Even before things get beyond remedy, no one is really conscious of the possibility that time could run out on us.

We love senseless “positive confessions” without profoundly perusing the state of our lives before God.

What will happen to us for real?

Rom 3:10-12 as it is written: "There is none righteous, no not one; THERE IS NONE THAT UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE THAT SEEKS AFTER GOD." "They are all gone out of the way, they have together become unprofitable, there is none that does good, no, not one." MKJV

May we not be caught as “sitting ducks” in the flood of God’s angry judgment, IN JESUS NAME.

Join us on Monday as we proceed with this thought-provoking Subtopic.

Keep Shinning!

Brother Prince

Friday, May 12, 2023

08055125517; 08023904307

[noeticprayer]

May 2, 2021

St Athanasios the Great, patriarch of Alexandria (373); Holy Martyrs Hesperos, his wife Zoe, and their children Kyriakos and Theodoulos of Pamphylia (2nd); Transfer of the Relics of the Holy Passion-bearers Boris (1072) and Gleb (1115), in Holy Baptism Roman and David; St Boris (in Holy Baptism Michael), Equal to the Apostles, Prince and Baptizer of Bulgaria (c908)

Holy Pascha; The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; Trans. Rel. Boris and Gleb

Acts 1.1-8 (Epistle)

The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

John 1.1-17 (Gospel)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ “ And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

[seekfirst-community]

The martyrs shed their blood for the Lamb of God. We glorify Jesus Christ when we honor them, especially on their feast days.

"Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him.

"He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons:

"He appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him." (Mark 3: 13 - 19).

Friday 20th January 2023 in the 2nd Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of Pope St Fabian (+ 250). Italian.

* Fabian divided the diocese of Rome into seven diaconates. This facilitated aid to the poor. He suffered martyrdom under Emperor Decius.

* St Sebastian (+ 288). Italian from Milan. Officer in the Imperial Guard under Emperor Diocletian. Martyred when he converted to Christianity.

* Blessed Cyprian Michael Tansi (1903 - 1964). Nigerian. Trappist monk and priest. Beatified in Nigeria by Pope St John Paul II in 1998.

Why do we honor the saints? Jesus is glorified when we honor His saints. Their intercession is powerful.

Our Gospel today from Mark 3: 13 - 19 deals with one theme: the Choice, the Call and the Anointing of the Twelve to be close friends and companions of Jesus Christ. Jesus sent them out as Apostles to continue His ministry until He return. In the representing of this Gospel today, Jesus is renewing His call to you and me. The Original Twelve are dead. The Gospel still needs to be proclaimed.

Lord Jesus, I have heard Your Call. Grant me the grace to respond generously. Amen.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

[stpaullutheranchurch]

october 23 2022

October 23rd 2022

Old Testament: Genesis 4:1-15 “Am I my brother’s keeper”?

Psalm: Psalm 5 “Evil may not dwell with You”

Epistle: 2nd Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 “I have fought the good fight … kept the faith”

Gospel: Luke 18:9-17 “God, I thank You … I am not like other men”

Sermon Text: 2nd Timothy 4 and Luke 18:9-17

Sermon Title: “I Have Kept the Faith”

Grace to you and peace, from God the Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

As we have been talking about for several weeks now; the Apostle Paul is very near the end of his life as he writes this letter to Tomothy. These are his last recorded words, and he makes that very clear in our text this morning saying; “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, (meaning, he is already suffering for Christ, for he is comparing his life to one of the sacrificial offerings of the Old Testament) and the time of my departure (meaning his death/martyrdom) has come”. (2nd Timothy 4:6)

Paul speaks quite openly about how things are coming to an end. He knows his blood will soon be shed like so many of the saints and prophets of God over the centuries; past and present. He has nothing in himself in which to boast, but can only cling to Christ in faith. Yet Paul also is certain of eternal life, confident that nothing, not even death, “will be able to separate him/us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”. (Romans 8:39b)

“The time of his departure”, his death, is all in God’s good timing, for He is the One who determines such matters. We too have the same certainty and comfort from God as Paul did; by faith in God’s promises; for the Psalmist declared, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints”. (Psalm 116:15)

Paul wrote that it is only by the grace of God that, “I have fought the good (beautiful) fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith”. (2nd Timothy 4:7) Since his call into the ministry, Paul has been faithful to preach the Gospel wherever God called him to go; and rebuking those who taught falsely about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; but his race is almost over. Interestingly, the word “good” here could also be translated “beautiful”; as in “the beautiful fight”.

This “beautiful” fight is the Christian’s daily struggle with sin, the new creation in us, that wants to do what is right, fighting with the old sinful nature that clings so tightly to us. Paul spoke of this at length in the book of Romans confessing, “I do not do the good that I want, but the evil I do not want to do, I keep on doing … Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord”. (Romans 7:19, 24-25a)

One of our Lutheran church fathers, Martin Chemnitz, who wrote part of our Formula of Concord, put it this way; “we fight against sin with repentance”. This “beautiful fight” continues in the life of the Christian until the day of their death, which is why Luther urged us to remember our baptism; “by daily contrition and repentance”. We find the strength to fight this daily battle, only by the grace and mercy of God; received in Word and Sacrament; here in this place. This is where God has promised to be with His gifts.

“Henceforth, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, (eternal life) which the Lord, the righteous judge will award me on that day; and not only to me, but to all who have loved His appearing”. (2nd Timothy 4:8) Paul and all Christians received this crown by grace, when we were justified through faith; knowing that God has promised to be with His people, until we die or until He comes again in glory.

Therefore, we are awarded this crown “not because of our merits, but because of God’s promise”. (Apology IV, par. 363) He will give eternal life to Paul and to all who have trusted in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. As Jesus promised to His disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you”. (John 14:3a)

The missing verses in our text today (verses 9-15) include some personal instructions to Timothy as well as recounting many who had done him wrong or had deserted him. Paul also wrote about this earlier in the letter; as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. Here he recounts how, “At my first trial/defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me”. (2nd Timothy 4:16a)

Paul does not dismiss the sin of those who opposed him or deserted him, but he also does not have any ill will towards them either saying; “may it not be charged against them!” (2nd Timothy 4:16b) Here we are reminded of Christ’s own words from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”. (Luke 23:34) If Christ had not died to atone for our sins, or if He continued to hold our sins against us, we would all be lost eternally.

So, we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”. (Matthew 6:12) We do not hold grudges against those who have sinned against us, refusing to forgive as we have been forgiven. Or do we? If you think about it, if you are refusing to forgive someone and pray the Lord’s Prayer, you are actually asking God NOT to forgive your sins, since you have refused to forgive others.

Even though he was abandoned by almost everyone, by the grace and mercy of God working through the Word, Paul remained firm in his faith saying, “the Lord stood by me and strengthened me”. (2nd Timothy 4:17a) The Lord promised to His disciples before His ascension, “I am with you always”. (Matthew 28:20b) He certainly was with the Apostle, even though nearly every human rejected him. By the way, this was also true of the other Apostles, all of whom died as martyrs or in prison.

Why did the Lord stay with Paul? First, because of His promise which we just mentioned, but also for the sake of the Gospel; “So that through me, the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it”. (2nd Timothy 4:17b) Paul knew that he had been called by God to preach the Gospel and that He was working through him, “chief of sinners” though he was. In the same way, God works even today through pastors who are poor, miserable, sinners; just like their hearers. For, we all alike confess our sins and receive absolution at the beginning of the service.

Therefore, the Word and the Sacraments are effective, on account of Christ, not on account of the worthiness of the minister/pastor. According to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, which all pastors in our denomination pledge faithfulness to at their ordination, “every pastor has the power to preach the Gospel, forgive sins, and administer the sacraments … in addition it confers on them what Walther calls, “the power of spiritual judgment”; the power to judge doctrine. This spiritual judgment involves not just proclaiming correct doctrine, but also condemning and refuting the false doctrine. As Paul said to Titus, “give instruction in sound doctrine and rebuke those who contradict it”. (Titus 1:9) Please do not ever tell a pastor, they need to spend less time in God’s Word.

Walther also declared, “It involves warning against the wolves in sheep’s clothing … and unmasking them … (he wrote, the pastor who does not do these things) is not a faithful steward of God’s mysteries (His Word), nor a faithful shepherd of the sheep entrusted to him”. Luther also states; “true shepherds are to do both; to feed the sheep and to ward off wolves”. (F of C; Solid Declaration Introduction, paragraph 14) Contrary to popular opinion, which seeks to compromise God’s Word in many and various ways, Christ tells us to avoid all who teach anything contrary to His (perfect, inerrant) Word.

St. Paul continues, “So, I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom”. (2nd Timothy 4:17c-18a) The Lord will continue to be with Paul until the end, just as He has promised to be with all of His servants; pastors as well as everyday saints; until the end of their lives. Therefore, our trust is in the Lord Jesus Christ alone; “who redeemed us from the curse of (keeping) the law, by becoming a curse for us”. (Galatians 3:13) He conquered sin, death, and the devil for us by His atoning death on the cross and bodily resurrection.

But, Jesus warns us in the parable from the Gospel reading about arrogance and pride. We dare not “trust in ourselves, that we are righteous and so treat others with contempt”. (Luke 18:9) What the Pharisee did was not even really a prayer to God, for he was taking credit for what he thought were his own righteous deeds. These (kinds of) words should never be on the lips of any professing Christian; “I thank You God, that I am not like other men” (Luke 18:11b). Even if we can’t think of anything that we have done wrong (which is highly unlikely), the Scriptures still declare, “Who can discern his errors, declare me innocent from hidden faults”. (Psalm 19:12b)

Therefore, we should humbly confess with the tax collector and with Paul; “God be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13b) for it is then we will go “down to our house justified”. (Luke 18:14a) “For if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all righteousness”. (1st John 1:9) Knowing this, you can be sure that our gracious and merciful God will deliver you (and me) from every evil when our “time of departure draws near”. (2nd Timothy 4:6b) “To Him be the glory, forever and ever. Amen”. (2nd Timothy 4:18b)

The peace of God …

[walkswithmyfather]

“Never give up on God because He never gives up on you.”

—Woodrow Kroll

“3 Reasons God Doesn’t Give Up On Us” By Jack Wellman:

1. He is Faithful to His Word.

In the very last letter of the Apostle Paul’s life, he wrote, “I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me” (2nd Tim 1:12) and in glorifying God, Jude wrote: “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (Jude 1:24). God is faithful to His Word and Paul knew that nothing at all could separate him from God (Rom 8:38-39), no, not even death.

2. You’ve been bought with a Price.

Speaking of all Christians everywhere and in all time, Paul tells us that “you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1st Cor 6:20) and since “You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men” (1st Cor 7:23). Jesus shed His blood for us so do you think He made a mistake in saving us? No, Jesus as God is perfect in every way, so don’t give up on God because He never gave up on us, even willing to go to the cross and die for us.

3. Never give up on Him.

What does it look like when you give up on God? You stop praying, you stop reading your Bible. You stop worshiping and fellowshipping with the church, and you become isolated. That’s makes you more vulnerable to the enemy who is roaming around like a lion, seeking whom he may devour (1st Pet 5:8). There truly is safety in numbers but more than that, there’s safety under the care of the Good Shepherd Who Himself protects those of His fold. It’s not good to be outside the fold. It’s a bit dangerous out there.

Conclusion

Whenever you feel like giving up on God, think about your eternity, when you will finally see God, face to face (Rev 21:3, 22:4) and enter into the New Jerusalem. By then, Romans 8:18 will make a lot more sense, which says “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

[michaeljopetro]

Fire and Redemption

We are living in the time of “the great falling away,” which means to defect from the truth. It’s not just about us learning the truth - it’s about us walking it out to become that truth. This is why in the early church everyone was required to fast at least twice a week, as a discipline in denying fleshly desires. Some may scoff at that, thinking we don’t need works, but didn’t Jesus say He will know you by your works? (Matt. 7:16). It should be in all of our hearts to walk out the Word like the early Christians did. 

The miracles the early church did were because of the price they were willing to pay to walk in that kind of power. Nothing is free. This is why the wise virgins told the foolish virgins to go buy the oil, which is symbolic of the teaching (Matt. 25:9). We live in a time where most of the church expects things to just be given to them for free. The false belief that Jesus did it all at the cross creates entitled Christians. 

There are also those who think there are no more mysteries in the Word and that everything has been revealed. In the New Testament alone the word “mystery” is mentioned twenty-two times. When you read the various Bible dictionaries, it’s easy to see that the number of mysteries are vast and that these mysteries cannot be understood by natural reasoning but must be divinely revealed. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals these mysteries (1 Cor. 2:10). Those who cannot understand them in the church are those who have human wisdom. 

The mark of the beast is for those who do not understand the mysteries of the Scripture. The beastly nature is also known as the carnal man. Those who are carnal oppose the deep things of God - these deep things are foolishness to them (1 Cor. 2:14). Paul was talking about people in the church, not just those in the world. That is why he could not teach the church in Corinth the mysteries of God because they were still carnal (1 Cor. 3:2). 

The mysteries of Word are released by the offices of the Apostles and Prophets. Paul prayed that there would be an open door to preach the mystery of Christ (Col. 4:3). 

The Sacraments, which comes from the Latin word “sacramentum” and the Greek word “musterion,” was not speaking of just communion. It was speaking about the mysteries of the kingdom. All the mysteries of the Word are sacraments, the body of Christ, also known as communion. When someone says that there are no more mysteries, they are denying the body of Christ and are unable to take part in true communion.

The sacraments speak of something that is holy and set apart. Without the mysteries of the kingdom, you cannot be set apart and made holy. Tertullian, an early church father from the 2nd century, compared taking the sacrament after baptism to a soldier who has just enlisted. Once it was time for war, that soldier was required to leave everything, including his wife and children. Jesus said that if you were not willing to leave your mother, father, brother, sister, husband, wife or children you were not worthy to follow Him (Luke 14:26). Once you decided to learn the mystery of the kingdom, you were required to leave your old life behind, and that standard is still in place today.

The Protestants continued the practice of the sacraments after the reformation. So, how can those who call themselves part of the Protestant church say that the mysteries, or the sacraments, are done away with? According to the faith the sacraments are necessary for salvation which means that the mysteries are necessary for salvation. Jesus said that if we eat his body and drink his blood, the sacraments, then we will have eternal life (John 6:53-57). It is not about eating a little wafer and drinking some wine; it is about learning the secrets of the kingdom. The understanding of the mystery of the sacrament was a sign of divine grace. Paul said that the grace was given to him to give to the church so that they would understand his knowledge of the mystery, or sacrament, of Christ (Eph. 3:2). 

As far as receiving the grace, or mystery of the kingdom, the receiver’s disposition is very important. If they are in sin, not serious about the Word they’re receiving, or are too caught up with the cares of the world, then they are preventing the mystery of Christ from having the ability to transform them. The people who don’t change are those who don’t believe and those who aren’t dealing with things in their life. If we’re not in the right place spiritually, we can miss that fire that is meant to purify us. 

So many denominations hold core doctrine that believe in the sacraments but have lost the meaning and understanding of how the sacraments operate in the Spirit. The Orthodox and Coptic churches know that the sacraments are an understanding of the mysteries but for the most part these churches don’t hold true to their foundations. We need to remember that there is power in the sacraments to transform us. There is no other way for us to be redeemed but by the mystery of the Word, which is the body and blood of Christ. Amen.

Sincerely, Apostle Michael Petro

[pastortomsteers]

The Bible Study –

Our readings for Tuesday, Jan. 30 are Zechariah 9:1-17 & 2nd Timothy 2:1-26.

Zechariah describes the Lord’s work of salvation for all people through Christ using Old Testament history.

In Chapter 9, verse 9 of Zechariah, we have a prophetic description of Jesus’ triumphal Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem, where He will pay for the sins of the world:

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!     Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you;     righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey,     on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

God reassures us through the prophet:

“As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,     I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.” (v. 11)

The Lord saves those who would otherwise be consigned to hell because of our sins.

Through the blood of the cross Jesus has made a new covenant: through God’s grace alone, through faith in Christ alone, we are saved.

In our New Testament reading, Paul encourages young Timothy to be strengthened by the grace that is in Jesus, and to share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ.

It is in and through our Saviour that we find strength, not within ourselves.

The Apostle urges his protégé to be a worker approved by God, explaining that, “the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. . . .”

Today we pray for all Pastors and missionaries, that God give them strength, discernment, and patient endurance as they perform the Lord’s work of spreading the Good News.

Pastor Tom Steers,

Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto

[lawrenceop]

HOMILY for 11th Sunday after Pentecost (Dominican rite)

1 Cor 15:1-10; Mark 7:31-37

What is the essence, the kernel of the Gospel of salvation? What is it that we must believe and act upon if we’re to be saved? The earliest record of this is found in the passage we heard today in the epistle, and it was written around 56 AD, less than thirty years (or one generation) after Christ’s ascension, about a decade before the first Gospel was written. In his letter to the Christians in Corinth, St Paul affirms the astonishing truth that is the core of the Good News of Jesus Christ, namely that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he was raised from the dead, and that this same Risen Lord Jesus was seen by hundred of people, many of whom are still alive and who can thus testify to this earth-shattering truth.

St Paul’s main concern, therefore, is to affirm the truth of the bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. So, for us to be counted as Christians, we have to believe, first of all, that Jesus really died, that is to say that his human body and soul were separated in death. This might seem obvious, but nevertheless, in the 2nd century AD, a heresy arose that supposed that Jesus, being divine, only appeared to have a human body, and so he only appeared to suffer and die on the Cross. The Docetists, therefore, denied that the God-Man Jesus Christ died on the Cross. One version of Docetism thought that Jesus was a real man who was possessed by a spiritual being called Christ, and that this Christ gave Jesus power to perform miracles, but eventually abandoned Jesus to die on the Cross. Lest we think that Docetism is a long-gone heresy, we should recall that the British author Philip Pullman revived this idea in a novel published in 2010 called ‘The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ’, and, more pertinently, the Quran asserts that “they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the semblance of Isa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man).” Muslims, therefore, if they follow the Quran, do not believe that Jesus truly died on the Cross.

But St Paul affirms this essential Christian truth: Jesus Christ “died for our sins”. For if Christ has not truly died, then humanity remain in a state of unforgiven sin, and we have no remedy for death itself. So, as St Paul put it: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” (1 Cor 15:17)

Hence, at the core of our central Christian act of worship, namely, the Holy Mass, is the making present of Christ’s saving death. Hence St Paul says to the Corinthians: “As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” (1 Cor 11:26) So, it is in the sacrifice of the Mass, and particularly through the separate two-fold consecrations of bread and wine that the death of Christ is signified and made present for our salvation. As St Thomas Aquinas says: “in this sacrament, which is the memorial of our Lord's Passion, the bread is received apart as the sacrament of the body, and the wine as the sacrament of the blood.” Following this teaching of the Angelic Doctor, Pope Pius XII thus said: “by the "transubstantiation" of bread into the body of Christ and of wine into His blood, His body and blood are both really present: now the eucharistic species under which He is present symbolize the actual separation of His body and blood. Thus the commemorative representation of His death, which actually took place on Calvary, is repeated in every sacrifice of the altar, seeing that Jesus Christ is symbolically shown by separate symbols to be in a state of victimhood.” (Mediator Dei, 70)

The second aspect we Christians have to believe, then, is that Christ truly rose bodily from the dead. The Gospel accounts of the risen Lord stress that he is not a ghost, nor an apparition, nor even, as certain heresies claim, a mass hallucination or wish-fulfilling delusion of the apostles. The whole of the Christian Faith, all our hopes of eternal life, all that we stand for as Christians depends on this central truth of Christ’s actual bodily Resurrection. As St Paul says: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Cor 15:14). The Catechism of the Catholic Church therefore states: “The Resurrection above all constitutes the confirmation of all Christ's works and teachings. All truths, even those most inaccessible to human reason, find their justification if Christ by his Resurrection has given the definitive proof of his divine authority, which he had promised.” (CCC 651) Hence St Paul insists that various peoples, both individuals and groups, at different times and places, have truly seen Jesus risen from the dead. And then he says that many of these eye-witnesses are still alive, as a challenge to anyone in the 1st century who might want to interrogate them personally.

But the Scriptures also tell us how we, who live in subsequent centuries and outside of the Holy Land, might encounter the Risen Christ. In St Luke’s Gospel, the two disciples who meet the Risen Lord on Easter Sunday at first do not recognise the Lord, but then, “when he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him”. (Luke 24:30-31) This clearly liturgical action tells us down the ages that the reason we gather for the Holy Mass, and the reason it is the “source and summit” of the Christian life is because it is here that we stand at the foot of Calvary, and more importantly, it is here that we recognise the Risen Christ, alive and active and present among us, in his Mystical Body, the Church. For as St Thomas says, Christ’s resurrection completes the work of our salvation, and so it is in the Mass that the Paschal Mystery of Christ, his passion, death, and resurrection, is re-presented. Hence, from the earliest centuries, the first Christians gathered for worship not on the Sabbath day but on Sunday because, as Pope Innocent I said: “We celebrate Sunday because of the venerable Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we do so not only at Easter but also at each turning of the week.” From the beginning, therefore, whenever the Church gathered for divine worship, they did so on a Sunday in order to stress that in the Mass they were commemorating the Lord’s Resurrection from the dead. The Sunday Mass, therefore, is our communal and Ecclesial act of faith in the Resurrection, and hence, gathered into the unity of the Church’s living Faith, we shall indeed recognise the Risen Lord present and active in the Holy Mass. Thus, every Sunday and holy day, we profess our belief in the words of the Creed, dating to the 4th century, and that contains at its core that which St Paul proclaims to the Corinthians: “Passus et sepúltus est, et resurréxit tértia die, secúndum Scriptúras”; ‘he suffered death and was buried and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.’ Concerning these articles of faith, St Paul says in today’s epistle that through this good news which have we received and in which we stand, we shall be saved if we remain steadfast (cf 1 Cor 15:1-2).

The final point that St Paul makes and that we have to believe, therefore, is that Christ’s death and resurrection is promised to us through the prophets: they happen “in accordance with the scriptures”, that is to say, in accordance with the Jewish sacred writings. Why is this important?

Firstly, it grounds our faith in a community and in public revelation that has been discerned as authentic by the people of God. For throughout the history of the Church, there has been a temptation to seek private revelations and arcane wisdom. The Gnostic heresy, which emphasises personal spiritual knowledge over and above the authority and publicly recognised teachings of the Church, is a heresy against which we must always be vigilant. In the 1st century, Jewish and Christian communities battled Gnostic ideas, and it was resurgent in a new form the 13th-century when the Dominicans were founded by St Dominic to combat Albigensianism, and it is very much present again in our times when people assemble their own spiritualities and religious ideas based on their feelings and fears. Hence St Irenaeus stressed the Ecclesial nature of our Faith, centred once more on the Sacred Liturgy and the Sacraments which are the actions of the totus Christus the whole Church. Thus he said: “It is not necessary to seek truth among others which it is easy to obtain from the Church.” As such, the Church must clearly and boldly and plainly teach the Truth of the Gospel, just as St Paul did in these few words to the Corinthians.

Finally, St Paul stresses that Christ’s actual bodily death and resurrection are a fulfilment of prophecies because it is vital that we believe that God’s word is dependable, that his truth endures for ever, and that his providence guides human history and provides for our needs, but always according to God’s wisdom and his good time. St Paul thus reminds us that, even for one so sinful as himself, God’s grace provided for his conversion and his mission: “his grace toward me was not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:10) Or as we hear in the Gospel today: “He has done all things well” (Mk 7:37). Indeed, God does all things well, in the fullness of time, and the Death and Resurrection of Christ demonstrates this perfectly. So as we profess our faith in the Gospel, we’re called to believe and act as people who have truly received this good news, truths that change how we view our human living and even our dying.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Tue., May 18, 2021

May 5/May19

The Holy Great-Martyr Irene  (1st-2nd c.)

     The Holy Great-Martyr Irene lived during the I Century and until baptism had the name Penelope. She was daughter of the pagan Licinius, governor of the city of Migdonia (in Macedonia, or Thrace). Licinius built for his daughter a separate splendid palace, where she lived with her governess Karia, surrounded by her peers and her servants. Daily there came to Penelope a tutor by the name of Apelian, who taught her the sciences. Apelian was a Christian, and during the time of study he told the maiden about Christ the Saviour and taught her the Christian teaching and the Christian virtues.      When Penelope became an adolescent, her parents began to think about her marriage. During this period of her life the Lord instructed her in a miraculous manner: to her at the window there flew one after the other of three birds – a dove with an olive twig, an eagle with a garland, and a raven with a snake. Penelope's teacher Apelian explained to her the meaning of these signs: the Dove, symbolising the virtues of the maiden, – humility, meekness and chasteness, – bearing an olive twig, – the grace of God received in Baptism; the Eagle, – symbol of sublimity of spirit, attained through meditation upon God, – bearing a garland for victory over the invisible enemy as a reward from the Lord. The Raven, however, bearing the snake was a sign that the devil would rise up against her and would cause her grief, sorrow and persecution. At the end of the conversation Apelian said, that the Lord wished to betroth her to Himself and that Penelope would undergo much suffering for her Heavenly Bridegroom. After this Penelope refused marriage, accepted Baptism from the hands of the Disciple Timothy, – who was a disciple of the holy Apostle Paul, and she was named Irene. She began even to urge her own parents to accept the Christian faith. The mother was pleased with the conversion of her daughter to Christ; the father at first did not hinder his daughter, but then he began to demand of her the worship to the pagan gods. When however Saint Irene firmly and decisively refused, the enraged Licinius then gave orders to tie up his daughter and throw her beneathe the hooves of frenzied horses. The horses remained motionless. But one of them got loose from its harness, threw itself at Licinius, seized him by the right hand and tore it from his arm, then knocked Licinius down and began to trample him. They then untied the holy maiden, and through her prayer Licinius in the presence of eye‑witnesses rose up unharmed, with his hand intact. Seeing such a miracle, Licinius with his wife and many of the people, in number about 3000 men, believed in Christ and refrained from the pagan gods. Resigning the governance of the city, Licinius settled into the palace of his daughter, intending to devote himself to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. Saint Irene however began to preach the teaching of Christ among the pagans and she converted them to the path of salvation. She lived in the house of her teacher Apelian.

     Having learned of this, Sedecius, – the new governor of the city, summoned Apelian and questioned him about the manner of life of Irene. Apelian answered that Irene, just like other Christians, lived in strict temperance, in constant prayer and reading of holy books. Sedecius summoned the saint to him and began to urge her to cease preaching about Christ and to offer sacrifice to the gods. Saint Irene staunchly confessed her faith before the governor, not fearing his wrath, and prepared to undergo suffering for Christ. By order of Sedecius she was thrown into a pit, filled with vipers and serpents. The saint spent 10 days in the pit and remained unharmed, since an Angel of the Lord protected her and brought her food. Sedecius ascribed this miracle to sorcery and he subjected the saint to a cruel torture: he gave orders to saw her with an iron saw. But the saws broke one after the other and caused no harm to the body of the holy virgin. Finally, a fourth saw reddened the body of the holy martyress with blood. Sedecius with derision said to the martyress: "Where then is thy God? If He be powerful, let Him help thee!" Suddenly a whirlwind shot up, gave forth a blinding lightning-flash, striking down many of the torturers, thunder crashed, and a strong rain poured down. Beholding such a sign from Heaven, many believed in Christ the Saviour. Sedecius did not understand the obvious display of the power of God and he subjected the saint to new torments, but the Lord preserved her unharmed. Finally the people rebelled having to look upon the sufferings of the innocent virgin, and they rose up against Sedecius and expelled him from the city.      Having replaced Sedecius as governor, they still subjected Saint Irene to various cruel torments, during which while by the power of God she continued to remain unharmed, and the people under the influence of her preaching and accomplishing of miracles all the more in number were converted to Christ, having turned away from the worship of soul-less idols. Over 10,000 pagans were converted by Saint Irene.      The saint went from her native city Migdonia to Kallipolis, and there she continued to preach about Christ. The governor of the city by the name of Babadonos subjected the martyress to new punishments, but seeing that the saint remained unharmed, he came to his senses and believed in Christ. A large number of pagans believed together with him, all whom received holy Baptism from the Disciple Timothy.      After this Saint Irene settled in other cities of Thrace – Konstantinos and then Mesembros, preaching about Christ and working miracles, healing the sick and undergoing suffering for Christ.      In the city of Ephesus the Lord revealed to her, that the time of her end was approaching. Then Saint Irene in the company of her teacher the elder Apelian and other Christians went out from the city to an hilly cave and, having signed herself with the sign of the cross, she went into it, having directed her companions to close the entrance to the cave with a large stone, which they did. Four days after this, when Christians visited the cave, they did not find the body of the saint in it. Thus reposed the holy Great-Martyr Irene.

Saint Hillary, bishop of Arles (449)

St. Hilary of Arles, Latin Hilarius, (born 401, probably northern Gaul—died May 5, 449, Arles; feast day May 5), Gallo-Roman bishop of Arles who is often regarded as providing the occasion for extending papal authority in Gaul.

While young, Hilary entered the Abbey of Lérins that was presided over by his kinsman Honoratus, who later became bishop of Arles. In 429 Hilary succeeded Honoratus as bishop and vigorously promoted reforms through several councils, including that of Orange (441). His enthusiasm led him to interfere with provinces outside his metropolitan jurisdiction: in 443–444 he deposed Bishop Chelidonius of Besançon, irregularly replacing him with another bishop, Projectus. This act was quashed by Pope St. Leo I, who deprived Hilary of all metropolitan rights but did not remove him from his see. These measures, to which Hilary submitted, were endorsed by a decree of the Western Roman emperor Valentinian III.

John 6:27-33

27Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him. 28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." 30 Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' 32 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

Acts 8:5-17

5Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city. 9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, 10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the great power of God." 11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. 14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.