The Life of the World

 Orthodox Serbia

Sunday of All Saints

(Commemorated on the first Sunday after the Feast of Holy Pentecost)

The first Sunday after the Feast of Holy Pentecost is observed by the Orthodox Church as the Sunday of All Saints. This day has been designated as a commemoration of all of the Saints, all the Righteous, the Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Shepherds, Teachers, and Holy Monastics, both men and women alike, known and unknown, who have been added to the choirs of the Saints and shall be added, from the time of Adam until the end of the world, who have been perfected in piety and have glorified God by their holy lives.

Background

On the Parable of the Prodigal Son

St. Cyril of Alexandria ca. 376-444

I hear one of the holy prophets trying to win unto repentance those who are far from God, and saying, “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God: for you have become weak in your iniquity. Take with you words, and return to the Lord our God.” What sort of words then did he, under the influence of the Spirit, command them to take with them? Or were they not such as become those who wish to repent; such namely, as would appease God, Who is gentle, and loves mercy. For He even said by one of the holy prophets, “Return you returning children, and I will heal your breaches.” And yet again by the voice of Ezekiel, “Return you altogether from your wickednesses, O house of Israel. Cast away from you all your iniquities which you have committed, that they be not to you for a punishment of iniquity. For I have no pleasure in the death of the sinner, as that he should turn from his evil way and live.” And the same truth Christ here also teaches us, by this most beautifully composed parable, which I will now to the best of my ability endeavour to discuss, briefly gathering up its broad statements, and explaining and defending the ideas which it contains.

Christ is born! Glorify Him!

His hand is stretched out still

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, as when at first He lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles.

The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

Were the United States, Civilized Society Founded on 'The Seven NoahideLaws'?

According to U.S. Public Law,  102-104 they were.

The text reads:

H.J.Res.104

One Hundred Second Congress of the United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday, the third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-one

Joint Resolution

To designate March 26, 1991, as `Education Day, U.S.A.'.

Whereas Congress recognizes the historical tradition of ethical values and principles which are the basis of civilized society and upon which our great Nation was founded;

Whereas these ethical values and principles have been the bedrock of society from the dawn of civilization, when they were known as the Seven Noahide Laws;

An Orthodox Perspective on Christian Zionism

By Father Daniel Swires

---

In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

There is an ancient belief among some people known as “millenarianism” or “chiliasm.” This is the belief that Christ will set up an earthly kingdom and will rule it for a thousand years, usually referred to as the “Millenium.”

This belief actually has its origin in post-exilic Judaism. An anticipation that survived the Babylonian exile was that one day God would restore the kingdom of David under a model anointed king, the Messiah. Even though idealized, this would be an earthly, historical kingdom, and most often its relation to the end-time was not specified.

Another expectation that developed, especially in apocalyptic writings, was that God would directly intervene in the end-time, without any mention of a restoration of the Davidic kingdom.

One way of combining the two expectations was to see two divine interventions: (1) a restoration of an earthly kingdom or period of blissful prosperity to be followed by (2) God’s end-time victory and judgment. Many writers speculated about these two events. They are found in 1^st Enoch, in 4^th Ezra, in 2^nd Baruch, in the Ascension of Isaiah. It is interesting, though, that each of these writers sees a different time frame for these events. It is quite probable, in fact, that most of them never intended to convey exact times. Rather, they were symbolic ways of predicting divine victory over evil forces that are an obstacle to God’s Kingdom or rule.

St. John, then, in writing the Apocalypse, also used the idea of a thousand-year reign of Christ, not to describe a historical, earthly kingdom, but as a way of saying that ultimately, in His own time, God will have the victory. (It is worth reminding ourselves that only one passage in the Apocalypse, consisting of two verses, mentions a thousand-year reign: from this one small passage has come a lot of exaggerated speculation.)

Benjamin Freedman Speaks on Zionism and the So-called 'Jews'

Introductory Note  -- Benjamin H. Freedman was one of the most intriguing and amazing individuals of the 20th century.

     Mr. Freedman, born in 1890, was a successful Jewish businessman of New York City who was at one time the principal owner of the Woodbury Soap Company. He broke with organized Jewry after the Judeo-Communist victory of 1945, and spent the remainder of his life and the great preponderance of his considerable fortune, at least 2.5 million dollars, exposing the Jewish tyranny which has enveloped the United States.

     Mr. Freedman knew what he was talking about because he had been an insider at the highest levels of Jewish organizations and Jewish machinations to gain power over our nation. Mr. Freedman was personally acquainted with Bernard Baruch, Samuel Untermyer, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Joseph Kennedy, and John F. Kennedy, and many more movers and shakers of our times.

This speech was given before a patriotic audience in 1961 at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., on behalf of Conde McGinley's patriotic newspaper of that time, Common Sense.  Though in some minor ways this wide-ranging and extemporaneous speech has become dated, Mr. Freedman's essential message to us -- his warning to the West -- is more urgent than ever before.

The Orthodox Christian Church Is...

The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Christian Church is:




(a) The Body of Christ

(b) The community of believers and followers of Jesus Christ since Pentecost — that point in time at which that community has been guided by The Holy Spirit, as had been promised by Our Lord prior to His Crucifixion and Resurrection:

[John 16:13: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” Matthew 16:18: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”]

(c) The same yesterday, today and forever, just as Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever [Hebrews 13:8]

(d) One, as Jesus Christ Himself is One and Indivisible

(e) Holy; sacramental; liturgical - as opposed to being merely some sort of club for social networking, or activism, or community organizing, or debating, or …. whatever is the trend of the week

(f) Catholic; universal; The Church for all of humanity in all places at all times, and also with each “Church” — each place of Orthodox worship, and each Autocephalous Church — complete in itself as the nexus between time and eternity, between Heaven and Earth.

(g) Apostolic; in continuity — both temporally and in terms of teachings and tradition — with the Apostles, who themselves were guided by Our Lord and Saviour, and who were in continuity with the teachings and traditions of the Israelite people prior to the temporal ministry of Jesus, the Messiah

(h) Orthodox; of correct teachings, correct worship, correct glorification.  Lex orandi, lex credendi.

The Orthodox Christian Church Is...

The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Christian Church is:

(a) The Body of Christ

(b) The community of believers and followers of Jesus Christ since Pentecost — that point in time at which that community has been guided by The Holy Spirit, as had been promised by Our Lord prior to His Crucifixion and Resurrection:

[John 16:13: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” Matthew 16:18: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”]

(c) The same yesterday, today and forever, just as Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever [Hebrews 13:8]

(d) One, as Jesus Christ Himself is One and Indivisible

(e) Holy; sacramental; liturgical - as opposed to being merely some sort of club for social networking, or activism, or community organizing, or debating, or …. whatever is the trend of the week

(f) Catholic; universal; The Church for all of humanity in all places at all times, and also with each “Church” — each place of Orthodox worship, and each Autocephalous Church — complete in itself as the nexus between time and eternity, between Heaven and Earth.

(g) Apostolic; in continuity — both temporally and in terms of teachings and tradition — with the Apostles, who themselves were guided by Our Lord and Saviour, and who were in continuity with the teachings and traditions of the Israelite people prior to the temporal ministry of Jesus, the Messiah

(h) Orthodox; of correct teachings, correct worship, correct glorification.  Lex orandi, lex credendi.

The Prodigal Son

Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."

So He spoke this parable to them, saying: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'

I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

~~~ ~ † ~ ~~~

Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood.

And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." ' And he arose and came to his father.

But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.

Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.

So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "

- Luke 15

~~~ ~ † ~ ~~~

†IC XC†

†NI KA†

God With Us... Christ Is Born!

[caption id="attachment_507" align="aligncenter" width="425" caption=""For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given"... Book of Isaiah, ca 700BC"][/caption]

"And you, O Bethelehem, House of Ephrathah, though you are fewest in number among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the One to be ruler of Israel.

His goings forth were from the beginning, even from everlasting."

- Book of Micah, Chapter 5 (LXX)

~~~ ~ † ~ ~~~

The Nativity according to the Flesh of Our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The Adoration of the Magi: Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar.
Commemoration of the Shepherds in Bethlehem who were watching their flocks, and went to see the Lord.

MATINS

Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with Child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call his name Salvation: for He shall save His people from their sins.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, "Behold, a virgin shall be with Child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel," which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn Son: and she called His name JESUS.

LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

Galatians 4:4-7

But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman,made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Matthew 2:1-12

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, "Where is He that is born King of Judah? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him." When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, "In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 'And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.'"

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young Child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.  And when they were come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.



http://orthodoxchristian.blogspot.com

Truly, He is born!

†IC XC†

†NI KA†

Who Is Your Neighbor?

In old Israel, burial of the dead was considered as a holy task and every Israelite was obliged to actively seek to do kindness by burying the dead. If one found a body it had to be buried before sunset.

The great paradox, however is that by touching a dead body one became unholy and impure. This state prevented him from participating in activities involved in serving the Lord, such as eating from the Passover sacrifice or entering the holy Temple.

This situation meant that in order for a person to perform the holy rite of burying the dead one made oneself unclean. This however didn’t detract faithful Israelites from performing the custom.

In fact it caused the act of burying the dead to be a highly respected act. The idea being that a person should be so eager to perform a good deed, like burying the dead and doing other activities of kindness that he was prepared to make himself unclean was to be admired.

The readiness to become unclean was considered a blessed and holy act.

Once one became unclean one could cleanse oneself by immersing in rainwater or other natural water like a sea or a river. At sunset, one would be certain that all ritual defilement would be gone for the start of the new day. This demonstrated the ritual power of water and faith in God.

The Parable of the Compassionate Samaritan underscores the superior faithfulness, obedience to the Law of Moses, oriental hospitality and charity given from the good character of one of the Samaritan people beyond what the Law required.

More, Jesus Christ’s parable serves to dramatically highlight the completely distorted and impious condition that Pharisaism and “the traditions of men” had set up in their vanity that perverted and twisted the written Law of Moses, and that had worked ruin on Jerusalem, the culture and society, and the people.

A people with no shepherds, were the lost sheep of Israel as our Lord Jesus pointed out time and again. Bad shepherds were the same as having no shepherds at all.

The Samaritans were not only fully despised by the Judeans, there was always an ongoing level of hostility. They were excommunicated by the Great Sanhedrin about AD9 for having distributed dead men’s bones throughout the cloisters of the temple compound (not the temple itself.)

Up until that time, Samaritans worshipped YHWH at the temple in Jerusalem after their own on Mt. Gerazim had been destroyed during Hasmonean rule.

Indeed, the Talmud records the words of the Rabbis who were forced to admit not only that the Samaritans adhered only to the Five Books of Moses, and none of the others, but also that the Samaritans kept the Law even more strictly, piously and obediently than the Judean Pharisees and the Rabbis themselves.

More ironic, Jesus tells the parable to a Scribe, a Sage, a Sopher in order to instruct the “lawyer” in the Great Commandment found in his own written Law of God as given to Moses he was so proud to be an expounder of.

The contentious “lawyer” tests Jesus with the question of “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers with Scripture conveying the essential spirit of the Law (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18): “‘Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength, and with all thy mind,’ and ‘thy neighbor as thyself.’

The question was put by the expert of the law with a bit of benign contempt of the Galilean implied by his use of the title “Teacher” in addressing Jesus. The Judean heirarchy had no love for either Galileans or a Teacher not of their own ordination.



The lawyer is a Sopher of the Rabbinate, considered the wisest of the wise men of Jerusalem and Judaea. People must call him ‘Master’ and ‘My Great One’ with all due reverence as being next to God Himself in holiness, wearing the prophetic mantle of the Holy Spirit, or risk being beaten by his school of disciples.

The Sopher demanded the principal place in everything, honor for his vast knowledge of the intricacies of the Oral Law. Nothing less than a covey of disciples of his own worshipping at his feet would do.

The Sopher pushed his way to the forefront of every crowd, and was superior to even anointed kings; nay, even superior to King David himself, because David had things to repent for, and did so until his death.

Jesus’ parable describes the robbery victim as being left half-dead by the side of the road. In other words, in such a beaten and unconscious condition, that the only way to determine if he was alive was to touch him — check for breathing or a heartbeat by hand.

But that was to risk becoming unclean in case he was dead. And of course there was the Scriptural, time-honored commandment and case law that would compel any Israelite, including a priest or Levite, to immediately see to the burial of an unattended corpse as it was found.

The Samaritan exceeded the minimum legal requirements — he had compassion on the victim, and a very generous purse opened up for the victim’s care and restoration to full health after taking the man to the nearest caravanseri.

The parable highlights the level of sanctimonious and self-righteous concern of the high priest and the Levite in the parable over their own holy skins, and anxiety to avoid ritual defilement at all cost to themselves whatsoever, especially because of the very temporary inconvenience it might cause.

The priest, seeing the body, immediately moves to the side of the road. The Levite does more. He comes even closer to the victim and looks, then moves to the OTHER SIDE of the road altogether to avoid the victim.

Moreover, the parable is silent on whether the victim was an Israelite or not, yet the Law is very clear that it applies to ANY unattended corpse.

Lawlessness in the guise of law, the spirit of the Law of God made null and void, the chance to save a life and make a friend for life canceled. The opportunity avoided to perform a paradoxical holy deed of great merit in burying the dead, simply because it was inconvenient for the priest and the Levite to wash, and then wait until sundown when the defilement would be made clean again.

Whitewashed sepulchres full of hidden corruption, indeed.

And, as Jesus Christ drew all of His parables from every day life, He surely saw something like this actually occur.

The Sopher, the expert in the law, was hoisted on his own test and convicted of not embracing the spirit of the Law of Moses, and upholding God’s mercy and compassion, and Holy Name.

When Christ asked him, “So which of these three do you think was the neighbor to him who fell among thieves?” And the question also implied another: “Which of these three loved God more?”

And the Sopher, the Great One, had to answer “He who showed mercy on him.”

Meaning the Samaritan. Having a compassion and charitable spirit that would either care for the living neighbor as the parable played out, or care for the dead neighbor, still considered a mercy of great merit.

And a heart that revealed that the Samaritan was a friend of God, like Abraham the Hebrew.

Then Jesus said to the great rabbi, the Sopher, the wise guy, “Go and do likewise.”

~~~ ~ † ~ ~~~

From a comment by KathJuliane (via Real Zionist News), January 4, 2011

†IC XC†

†NI KA†

A Conversation With A Protestant...

Here's a quote from a website I visited:

"The Gospel-

Sound complicated? It’s not, really. It is simply a matter of believing that Jesus is God’s only begotten Son, and that He came to Earth, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died to remove your sin — that original sin you inherited from Adam — then rose again on the third day to assure your future resurrection.

Here is what it takes to be “born again.” It is as simple as ABC:

A – Admit you are a sinner.

B – Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died and rose again to give you eternal life.

C – Call upon Him in prayer and ask for salvation."

(...)

So... I ask you - is that  the true Gospel? Or is it a lie invented in the 16th century which only serves to fool people and keep them from the knowledge of the truth and the salvation found in His Church?

Jesus The Christ Is The Fulfillment Of The Old Testament

Mathematical Verification Through The Science Of Probability That Jesus Has Fulfilled All Of The Old Testament Prophecies Concerning His Coming...

 

There are hundreds of fulfilled prophecies in the Old Testament relating to Jesus being Christ (at least 456). What are the chances that one man (Who was born and died where and when the prophets said He would be) could fulfill them all to become the Saviour of the world?

In the late sixties, a man named Peter Stoner who was Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmont College in Santa Barbara California, calculated the probability of one man fulfilling the major prophecies made concerning the Christ. The estimates were worked out by himself and twelve different classes under his supervision representing some 600 university students.

Evidence For The Historical Jesus of Nazareth Pt. II - The Star Of Bethlehem

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

The firmament shows the creation of His hands.

Day to night utters speech,

And night to night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech nor language

Where their voices are not heard.

Their proclamation went forth into all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world.

Psalm 18 (Septuagint)

 

For the second part on the evidence for Jesus' existence, I'm going to examine the story of the Star of Bethlehem... Many people (including Christians) don't seem to think much about the Star... or even know about it at all. This Star is mentioned clearly in the Bible - in the book of Matthew, Chapter 2, but for some reason - no one really talks about it much. I don't understand why, because to me - the Star of Bethlehem is one of the best ways to prove the reality of Jesus the Christ to skeptics.

Does Jesus the Christ Really Exist? – Evidence For the Historical Jesusof Nazareth

Many people these days are woefully ignorant and terribly steeped in 'Jewish' (Pharisaic) anti-Christian Soviet-style atheist propaganda. They think that they're clever, educated and wise... but in reality they barely know their left hand from their right! They walk in darkness - having yet to receive the love of the truth... the truth being that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world; that Christ IS THE TRUTH!

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard someone say, "Jesus never even EXISTED!