Faith in Our Lord, Savior and God, Jesus Christ

My beloved spiritual children in the Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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FAITH IN OUR LORD, SAVIOR AND GOD JESUS CHRIST

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread" (1 Corinthians 10:15-17).

My beloved spiritual children, we are indeed engaged daily in spiritual warfare. It is, therefore, necessary and most important to always remain vigilant. The evil one pursues us constantly and deliberately to separate us from the Almighty God and our Creator. He is our adversary, arch-liar, and the antichrist. It is he who "creates defective reasoning and confusion of thought." It is he who leads the unbelievers to everlasting darkness and condemnation. He is the source of every evil in the world. "...Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:9, 21).

When we speak of saints, we imagine astonishing servants of God, who have received spiritual gifts from the Lord: miracle workers, healers. When we open the New Testament we see that every Christian is a saint. All Christians must be holy. "...but as He Who called you is Holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I Am Holy" (1 Peter 1:15-16). Christians are called to holiness in every area of their lives. When a priest serves a Divine Liturgy to God in the Altar, before Holy Communion he intones "Holy things are for the Holy." Holy means the Precious Blood and Body of our Lord. To be given 'only' to the holy, all of us.

People confuse particular gifts from God, which He Himself bestows upon a believer when He so wills, and the Holiness which is in the Gospel, which is our life's purpose. We must constantly strive toward Christian holiness. The Christian understands that nothing can be accomplished without God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides, bestows His gifts to us, inspires us, and directs us to the knowledge of truth. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are the following: "love, joy, peace, patience, grace, charity, faith, gentleness, and abstinence" (Galatians 5:22-23).

The holy Apostle Paul says, "Let him who thinks he stands take care lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). Also, in his holy Epistle to the Hebrews, he warns, "take heed, brethren, lest there be any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, departing from the living God" (Hebrews 3:12). Our Eternal salvation depends upon our perseverance in Christ: "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end" (Hebrews 3:14).

Consequently, for Orthodox Christians, salvation does not depend on one experience of faith; it requires a daily walk of repentance and continuing trust in Christ. Otherwise, it will be for us as it was for those whom the Holy Apostle Peter addressed: "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter and is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them" (2 Peter 2:20-21).

Evidently then, it is always possible to fall away even after having known Christ, and that applies to everyone. The only safeguard against it is continual, daily, trust in our Risen Lord, and to struggle against sin. Let us, my brothers and sisters in Christ, remember that the gate which leads to life and salvation is a narrow and the way to heaven difficult, and there are few who find it. As members of the Holy Orthodox Church, we have our God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter (Parakletos), to lead us to all truth. And not only that we have the sacred writings of the Holy Fathers of the Church, in which the interpretation has been preserved intact. Again, Saint John Chrysostom reveals to us "Never separate yourself from the Church. For nothing is stronger than the Church. Your hope is the Church alone; your salvation is inside the Church only; your refuge is the Church, she is higher than the heavens and wider than the whole earth. She never grows old, but is always full of vigor and vitality. Holy Scripture (which would not exist were it not for the Church), when pointing to her strength and stability, calls her the unshakeable mountain."

Do not listen to those who are attempting to drive you away from your Church. Do not listen to those who attempt to convince you not to receive Holy Communion. Our loyalty is only to Christ our God and Savior. Evil will always attempt to deceive you and to frighten you. The Christian never fears evil, for evil has no power to force you to do evil things. Our Lord Christ destroyed the power of the devil. Evil will tempt you and whisper in your ear to reject Christ and to deprive you of salvation but you must never obey him. Your immediate response to the evil one must be 'get thee behind me Satan'. Our obedience is only to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The one who betrays Christ brings upon himself or herself condemnation and eternal damnation.

I have been informed recently that a member of our parish is telling some of our fellow Christians not to attend the Divine Liturgy and not to receive Holy Communion. If that is true then that person has abandoned Christ and his/her place in the Church. If what is said is true, that person is committing a grave sin. What I find even more disturbing and most alarming is that few people of our church have already listened to this person and are staying away from the church and Holy Communion. This type of influence and persuasion is very dangerous. However, the immediate question, if true; is the faith of our brothers and sisters in Christ so weak so as to abandon the Lord? Is our loyalty to our Lord so superficial and hollow? Why would any true Christian listen to this unholy advice?  

All of us should pray for this person and supplicate God to forgive this 'lost' sheep and soul. We can clearly see how any one person, with weak faith, can easily lose his/her path and fall away. We must always act with compassion and love to turn this soul around and save it from destruction. It is up to us, as children of God, to be willing to take up our cross and follow Him and be His instrument of love, goodness, and kindness in the world, and not to be instruments of hatred and division. Jesus said: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).

We have only one Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, Christ our Savior. "I am the good shepherd, and I know My sheep, and am known by My own" (John 10:14). We, as Orthodox Christian believers follow Him who gave His life so that we might be saved  We follow Him who is the Only True God and Whose love for us is unconditional. 

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

The Beginning of the Apostles' Fast (June 15-June29)

My beloved spiritual children in Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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THE APOSTLES' FAST (June 15 - June 29th)

Today begins the Apostles Fast for Orthodox Christians throughout the world. The fast of the Holy Apostles is very ancient, dating back to the first centuries of Christianity. The oldest testimony regarding the Apostles Fast is given to us by Athanasius the Great (+373 A.D.).

This summer fast, which we now call the Apostles Fast, was earlier called the Fast of Pentecost or of the Holy Spirit. Our Holy Orthodox Church calls us to keep this fast, according to the example of the Holy Apostles, who, having received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, prepared themselves to preach the Gospels to the whole world.

After the extended feast of Pentecost, the fast is particularly needed in order to cleanse our mind by ascetic labors and to make us worthy of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. This fast has been given to us in order to preserve us from slackness, for it is very early to become slack due to the long period in which we were allowed to eat various foods. If we do not cultivate the field of our flesh continually, thorns and thistles will easily grow there and produce fruits suitable only for burning, and not for the harvest storehouse. Therefore, we are obligated now, as Orthodox Christian believers, to scrupulously preserve those seeds that we received in our hearts from the Heavenly Sower, Christ, and take precautions so that the envious enemy (Satan) might not spoil what God has given us, and so that the thorns of vice should not grow in the Paradise of virtues. We can only avoid such evil through almsgiving, prayer, and fasting.

The asceticism of the Holy Apostles Fast is less austere than the forty days of Holy and Great Lent.

During the Apostle's Fast, the Church rubrics prescribe for three days of each week -- Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays -- abstinence from fish, wine, and olive oil. The duration of the Apostle's Fast this year is for 14 days or two weeks.

Depending on the day of Pascha, the Apostles Fast can begin as early as May 18th or as late as June 21st. Thus, it may be as short as a few days or as long as a month or more in duration.

In His Holy Diakonia,

+Father George

The Lord Christ said "One thing is needful..."

My beloved spiritual children in Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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THE LORD SAID, "ONE THING IS NEEDFUL" (LUKE 10:42).

Our Savior Jesus Christ said this saying, "One thing is needful" (Luke 10:42) to us all, O Christians! Many Christians trouble themselves and take care of one thing or another, but they themselves often do not know for what they trouble themselves. The Lord warns us of this useless care and says to all, "One thing is needful." What is it? Eternal salvation.

This is the foremost task of a Christian. With Christians, the foremost care ought to be for this. We need food, clothing, a house, and other things necessary for this life, and we also pray for this to our Heavenly Father, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). But eternal salvation is so necessary that without it everything else is as nothing. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). There is no profit, truly none, where there is no salvation.

What use is it to us if, though we gain the whole world, we lose our soul? We protect our temporal life above all things. How much more ought we to protect our eternal life, which is more precious than the whole world! Then just as for each man, his main task is his calling -- as for a judge, it is to judge, for a farmer it is to farm, for a merchant it is to ply his merchandise, for a herdsman it is to her his cattle, for a teacher it is to teach, for students it is to learn, and so on -- so for the Christian his foremost task should be to please God, Whom he confesses and reveres, in faith and in truth, and so to hope for and await eternal life from Him.

This is the Christian's foremost task, care, and labor. This is the one thing needful.

Beloved Christians! We are created for not temporal but for eternal life. We are renewed unto eternal life through Holy Baptism. We are called to eternal life y the word of God. Christ the Son of God came into the world, suffered and died for the sake of our eternal life.  Do you see how dear God held our eternal salvation? He created everything for the sake of it, and for the sake of it He Himself came into the world. Our foremost care and labor, then, should be for this.

Satan endeavors to steal it from us and to destroy us eternally. Then we ought not to slumber, but we should protect this priceless treasure.

But we see and sigh, that many Christians neglect this foremost task. Fornicators, adulterers, and defilers neglect it. Blasphemers and revilers neglect it. Drinkers and lovers of pleasure neglect it. Robbers, thieves, and brigands neglect. Liars, flatterers, and hypocrites neglect it. slanderers and accusers neglect it. All that please the world and their whims, but not God, neglect it.

All these and others like them set at naught the treasure of eternal salvation obtained by the labors, pains, suffering, and death, even death on the Cross, of Christ, the Son of God, and so they dishonor the very One Who suffered and died. Among present-day Christians, it is held to be a great thing and dear to be in honor, glory, riches, and luxury, but they hold their eternal salvation as the least of their concerns, which these other concerns should follow. Eternal salvation is "the one thing needful," according to the words of Christ, but it is either gained or lost here. It is gained by repentance and faith; it is lost by an unrepentant life.

Listen, you sinners, and you blessed Christians, eternal salvation is for us "the one thing needful," and it is either gained or lost here on earth. Beloved, let us deepen this in our memory. Sinners! Let us remember the vows which we mace at Baptism, and let us repent, lest we appear slothful before God.

Let us remember the hour of death and repent, lest we depart this world without hope of salvation. Let us remember the Dread Judgment of Christ and repent, lest we appear there with our sins. Let us remember the sweetness of eternal life and the bitterness of eternal death, and turn to God, and propitiate Him with tears and repentance, that He open to us the doors of His loving kindness and His Eternal Kingdom.

Lord of Hosts convert us and make Thy face to shine on us and we shall be saved! (Source: Journey to Heaven by Saint Tikhon of Zandosk)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

June 13 - The Apodosis (Leavetaking) of Pentecost

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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13th JUNE - SATURDAY OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHURCH CELEBRATES THE APODOSIS, OR LEAVETAKING, OF PENTECOST

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Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn of Pentecost
Plagal of the Fourth Tone

Blessed are Thee, O Christ our God, Who made fishermen all-wise, sending upon them the Holy Spirit and, through them, netting the world. O Loving One, glory To Thee.

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Kontakion
Plagal of the Fourth Tone

When the Most High came down and confounded tongues of men (Tower of Babel), He divided the Nations. When He dispensed the Tongues of Fire, He called all to to unity, and with one voice we glorify the Most Holy Spirit.

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Some years ago, Orthodox blogger, John Sanidopoulos, had a wonderful reflection on the reason for an Apodosis or Leavetaking:

Every major feast has its Apodosis (Leavetaking). Why? The main reason is that the Church once again gives us the opportunity to celebrate the beauty of the feast. When we see or experience something beautiful, it is human nature to desire to have that experienced again. The feasts of Christ and the Theotokos are a sweetness to the soul which arouses the desire to celebrate more than once.

The beauty and richness of the Paschal Canon and the Paschal Stichera, the joy of the chants on Sunday morning are so marvelous that the Orthodox Christian believer is glad to repeat them every day of the Pentecostal season. But there is a special delight on this day of Pentecost in being able to re-pray all of the services one last time, fifty days later. It is like an anniversary party for a happily married couple, hosted at the same time as the original celebration.

At the same time, in every remembrance there is a sense of incompleteness, a yearning, for a future that more perfectly embodies that original greatness and solemnity. And so on Saturday, June 13th, the Apodosis of Pentecost is celebrated.

After today's end, we cease chanting the Pentecostal hymns, apolytikion, kontakion, and other celebratory hymns of Pentecost.

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DIVINE LITURGY AT 10:00 A.M. specifically for all of our seniors over the age of 65 or those with underlying risk factors. The Metropolis Clergy of Chicago were informed this morning by His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael that he is giving the option for those 65 years old and over to return to regular services on Sundays. It is now a personal choice.

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

June 11 - Holy Apostle Bartholomew

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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ON JUNE 11th OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH CELEBRATES THE FEAST DAY OF THE HOLY APOSTLE BARTHOLOMEW

The Holy Apostle Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Great Apostles. It is generally agreed that Bartholomew and Nathaniel are one and the same person. He was a companion of the Holy Apostle Philip and his sister, the virgin Mariamna -- and for some time of Saint John the Theologian -- preaching the Gospel in Asia, then in India and finally in Armenia, where he died a martyr. In Hierapolis, the Holy Apostles by their prayers killed a great snake that had been kept in a temple and deified by the pagans. In this same town, they restored the sight of one Stachius, who had been blind for 40 years. This roused the mob against them, and Philip and Bartholomew were crucified, Bartholomew upside-down. At this, there was an earthquake, in which the evil judges and many of the people perished. Seeing this as a punishment from God, many ran to take the Apostles down from their crosses, but Philip was already dead although Bartholomew was still alive. After that, Bartholomew went to India, where he preached and translated the Gospel of Matthew into the Indian language. After that, he moved to Armenia, where he cured the king's daughter of madness. But the king's envious brother, Astyages, took the Apostle of God and crucified him, then had him flayed and beheaded in the Armenian town of Ourbanopolis. His body was buried by Christians in a leaden coffin. When many miracles had been wrought over his holy relics, pagans took the coffin and threw it into the sea. But the sea carried the coffin to the island of Lipara, where the bishop, Agathon, who had been warned by revelation in a dream, was waiting for it and buried it in the church. Saint Bartholomew appeared to Saint Joseph the Hymnographer in church one day, robed in white, and blessed him with the Gospels to sing spiritual hymns, saying: "Let streams of heavenly wisdom flow from thy tongue!" He also appeared to the Emperor Anastasios (491-418 A.D.), and told him that he would protect the newly-built town of Dara. Later, the holy relics of the Apostle were translated to Benevento, and then to Rome. Great and wondrous miracles have been wrought over them.

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THE HOLY APOSTLE BARNABAS

One of the Seventy secret Apostles, he was born in Cyprus, of wealthy parents of the tribe of Levi, and studied with Gamaliel together with Saul (Paul). He was first named Joseph, but the Holy Apostles called him Barnabas, Son of Consolation, because he had a rare gift for comforting men's souls. After Saul's (Paul's) conversion, Barnabas was the first to welcome him among the Apostles. After that, with Paul and Mark, he preached the Gospel in Antioch and other places. All accounts agree that he was the first to preach in Rome and in Milan. He suffered at the hands of the Jews on the island of Cyprus and was buried by Mark at the Western gate of the city of Salamis, holding a copy of the Gospel of Matthew which he had transcribed with his own hand. His grave remained unknown for several centuries, but when many people had been healed of sickness in that place, it became known as "the place of healing". In the time of Emperor Zeno, the Holy Apostle appeared three times, on three successive nights, to Archbishop Anthemius of Cyprus, and revealed the whereabouts of his grave. This revelation by the Holy Apostle took place just at the time when Peter, the power-hungry Patriarch of Antioch, was seeking to bring the Cypriot Church under his jurisdiction. After the revealing and finding of the miraculous holy relics of the Holy Apostle Barnabas, it was established that the Cypriot Church, as an Apostolic foundation, should be independent, and thus the autocephaly of the Church of Cyprus was finally confirmed.

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The Feast of the holy Icon: 'It is meet...', and the miracle that was wrought in front of it in the time of Patriarch Nicolas Chrysoverges. This miracle came about thus: One night a monk was reading the Canon of the Mother of God and chanting: "More Honorable than the Cherubim..." in his cell in the Monastery of the Pantokrator (now called after the holy icon). His elder (Geronda) had gone to Karyes. Suddenly a man appeared in the church and began to chant: "It is meet...", ("Axion Esti..."), a hymn which till that time had been unknown in the Church. The monk, hearing this hymn, was greatly struck both by the words and the heavenly singing.  The stranger turned to the monk and said: "we sing it like this at home." The monk desired to have it written down, and brought a marble tablet, onto which the stranger wrote the hymn with his finger as though the tablet were made of wax, and then suddenly disappeared. This stranger was the Archangel Gabriel. The tablet was taken to Constantinople, and the hymn is chanted to this day in the Church.

(For those who are not familiar with the text, it is as follows: (The Axion Esti )  

'It is meet to bless thee, who didst bring forth God; Ever-blessed and Most Pure, and the Mother of our God. More Honorable than the Cherubim, and incomparably more glorious then the Seraphim; Thou who inviolate didst bring forth God the Logos/Word, and art indeed Mother of God, Thee do we magnify."

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The two young men, Barnabas and Paul, were friends and went together to Gamaliel's school. When Barnabas became a Christian, he persistently and with tears prayed to God that He would enlighten Paul's understanding and turn his heart, that he too might become a Christian. Barnabas often spoke to Paul about Christ the Lord, but Paul mocked him and thought him misguided. But the Gracious Lord did not leave Barnabas's prayer unfruitful. He appeared to Saint Paul, turned him from the false way and set him on the way of Truth. The converted Paul fell at the feet of his friend and cried: 'O Barnabas, teacher of the truth, now I am convinced of the Truth of what you said to me about Christ!' Barnabas wept for joy and embraced his friend. The friend saved his friend's soul by his fervent prayers. If Barnabas had succeeded in making Paul Emperor of Rome, he would have done less than he in fact did by bringing him to the Truth by his prayers. (Source: The Prologue from Ochrid)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George

Resuming Worship and Sacramental Life

My beloved spiritual children in Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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RESUMING WORSHIP AND SACRAMENTAL (MYSTERIAKI) LIFE

A young lady revealed to me recently the impact the church lockdown had on her and how very happy she is that worship is open again. A feeling that all of our fellow parishioners share. It is in our church that we feel the presence of our Lord and it is in the church that we are able to connect and are united with Him through the sacraments of the Church. It is in our church divine services that we are assured of His Love and we are comforted and strengthened. It is there that we are renewed and sanctified.

According to the Church, a priest cannot conduct a Divine Liturgy for himself without anyone else present. In ancient times the word "Liturgy" (in Gk. λειτουργία from the words λείτος = and 'εργον=work) meant a work for the benefit of the people. In the Old Testament, it denotes the worship which the people offered through priests of the Mosaic Law. Since New Testament times the word "Liturgy", preceded usually by the adjective "Divine", has signified that Church service which is filled with memories of our Lord's Life and teachings from His Nativity (Birth) to His Ascension into Heaven. The Divine Liturgy is the great central act of Christian worship, offered to God for the benefit of the members of the Church, the Orthodox Christians.

In the Divine Liturgy our Lord is present: first in the Person of His priest, secondly, in His Logos/Word which is read in the Church, and thirdly, according to His promise: "where two or three are gathered in My name, there Am I in the midst of them" (Saint Matthew 18:20). Lastly, He is really and truly present upon the Holy Altar under the appearances of the consecrated Bread and Wine.

The belief that our Lord is really present upon the Holy Altar under the appearance of the consecrated Bread and Wine, is based upon the word of God Himself. Let us return to the days when our Lord dwelt on the earth.

He had fed five thousand men in the desert by a miraculous multiplication of five loaves and two fish. The next day He was in Capernaum, where the people asked for more of that wonderful bread. Instead of fulfilling their desire, Jesus said unto them: "I Am the Bread of Life...I Am the Living Bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever, and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the Life of the world...Verily, verily, I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh My Blood, hath Eternal Life; and I will raise him up at the Last Day...He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My Blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him" (Saint John 6:34-56).

With these words, our Lord promised to give His flesh and blood to be the food and drink of the world. But He did not explain at that time how His Body and Blood would serve as food and drink for spiritual nourishment of the world.

A year passed since our Lord said these words. The Jewish Passover (Pascha or Gk. Πάσχα) was at hand. Jesus knew that he had to journey from that feast to the Sacrifice on the Cross. He knew that His body had to be broken, and His blood had to be shed for the salvation of the world. He knew, too, that His Disciples would grieve Him that night, and that one of them would even betray Him, and yet He said to them: "With desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer..." (Saint Luke 22:15).

Knowing what was to come, our Lord, on the night before his crucifixion, gathered with His Disciples in the Upper Room of a house in Jerusalem for the Mystical ("Last") Supper with them. As they were seated before a long white banquet table, their eyes were upon Jesus. He took one of the loaves of bread, blessed it and broke it, so that each of His Disciples might have a portion. Then distributing it to them, He said:  

"Take eat; this is My Body which is broken for you".

Obediently, eagerly, the Holy Apostles accepted the Bread of Life.

Then, taking a chalice Jesus pouring into it some red wine of Palestine, rendered thanks to His Father and gave it to His Disciples, saying:

"Drink ye all of it; for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

The chalice was then passed from one to another, and they all drank of it. Thus, in the simplest and most sublime manner, Christ fulfilled His earlier promise to give His Flesh as food and His Blood as drink. It was not until the after the Crucifixion and Resurrection, though, that the Disciples understood this. We see then that at the Mystical "Last" Supper, the very night when our Lord was betrayed, He instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice.

In order to perpetuate the memory of this Sacrifice for subsequent centuries until He should come again, He commanded His Apostles: "This do in remembrance of Me" (Saint Luke 22:19). With these words our Lord gave them the power to do what He had done -- change bread and wine into His Body and Blood -- namely, to consecrate the Holy Eucharist, which is the highest form of Thanksgiving to God that man has in his power to render. Indeed, God enjoins man to render this Thanksgiving (Eucharist) in the form of the Divine Liturgy.

The Holy Eucharist is the repetition of the Mystical Supper. It is also the self-same Sacrifice of the Cross, repeated sacramentally. ("Repeated") does not mean "begun all over again" but once "once again made actual and present to us living made actual and present to us living today.

The Holy Apostles and the first Christians, obeying the Lord's Commandment "this do in remembrance of Me", gathered together every day in private homes and celebrated the Breaking of Bread, or what we know as the Sacrament (Mysterion) of Holy Eucharist. (Source: The Divine Liturgy Explained)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George