+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter sets two conditions (Acts 2:38):

1) conversion

2) baptism

Many people have been baptized and confirmed. The Holy Spirit is with them but not in them. Why? Because they were not led to turn to God with all their hearts and to receive Jesus as their personal Lord and God and the only Saviour. As far as conversion is concerned, no one can be converted instead of you, be it your father, mother, godparents, priest or bishop. Conversion allows no substitute!

1) Read carefully the following verses from the New Testament:

2) Asking for the Holy Spirit

Lk 11:9-13: “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” These are practical directions for us! And the result? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (v.13)

This is perhaps the only clearly expressed petition which is said to be answered exactly the way we ask. The Scripture tells us to ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We heard in the Gospel that Jesus cried out: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Jesus was speaking about the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive. Notice the words: “…whom those believing in Him would receive.” So the condition for the receiving of the Holy Spirit is to believe in Jesus.

“He who believes in Me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

God’s Word uses the word believe twice: he who believes and those believing. So it confirms doubly that the condition for us to receive the Holy Spirit is to believe in Jesus: “He who believes in Me…”. The condition is to believe in Him and in His Word given to us.

Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

In verses 24 and 25, Jesus speaks a parable of the grain of wheat, and then He speaks about losing or saving one’s soul for eternity. In verse 27, He speaks about His soul: “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’?” And Jesus Himself answers: “But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” These words are an example for us too. In verse 26, Jesus says: “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.” Jesus did not use the word servant but slave (doulos), as seen in the original Greek version of the New Testament.

Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say?

‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.

“Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying,

“I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies,

it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life

will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life

Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone;

but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it,

and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

After raising Lazarus, on the day when the crowd cried out: “Hosanna!”, Jesus speaks about loving and hating one’s life (or soul), about saving or losing it and about eternity. Chapter 12 describes the reaction to the raising of Lazarus. The reaction was “Hosanna!” shouted in praise of Jesus by people in a procession. “Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.” (v.9-11) During the procession, the crowd that had seen Jesus call Lazarus back to life bore witness to it.

+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

These words were spoken in Bethany before Jesus raised Lazarus who had been dead four days. Lazarus’ death was preceded by an illness. Jesus and the apostles were not in Judaea at the time. Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, sent word to Jesus: “Lord, he whom You love is sick.” When Jesus heard that, He said: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Two days later, Jesus said: “Let us go to Judaea again. Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” Then His disciples said: “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well.” Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought He meant natural sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly: “Lazarus is dead.” When Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about an hour away, and many Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him. Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” This was followed by the words which we are going to repeat seven times a day for a period of two weeks.

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.“

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

Ukraine, 1 May 2014

To bishops, priests, religious and faithful of the Catholic Church

By canonizing two heretical Popes, the Church de facto canonized heretical doctrine – an anti-Gospel, for which reason the Vatican and the apostate hierarchy are under an anathema – God’s curse acc. Gal 1:8-9. The Spirit of God had been gradually expelled from the church organization and the spirit of antichrist was officially canonized and elevated to the altar. Every bishop, priest and believer must decide whom they want to obey, Christ and His Gospel or the aggiornamento and Assisi spirit of antichrist.

At the present time, the true Catholic Church must raise the alarm and send an SOS! To be silent on the satanization of the Christian territory is de facto consent to global satanization associated with the legalization of homosexuality, stealing of children and their demoralization. These are mass crimes against humanity, the responsibility for which falls in the first place on the apostate Vatican. Canonization of two heretics is a shock and a scandalous mockery of the Gospel and apostolic tradition. The Bride of Christ has become the harlot of antichrist. Rome has turned into the spiritual Babylon.

+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate