“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.” (1Cor 15:20-21) It is written: “The first man Adam became a living soul.” But breaking the commandment, he sinned and became a dead soul. He lost the divine life. All his descendants are born dead souls, deprived of the divine life. “The last Adam – Jesus became a life-giving Spirit.” This is the only solution for a dead soul – to receive a life-giving Spirit. How? By repentance. It means to stand up against the system of lies and pride which manipulates reason and to accept the basic realities and truths concerning earthly and eternal life: the reality of death, the reality of personal sin, the reality of God’s judgment and consequently of just eternal punishment. Another reality is to acknowledge God as the Creator of the whole universe and of all living creatures on earth. To receive the love of God, which is in Christ. He took the just punishment for our sin.

Watch series “The Resurrection of Christ” Season 2 on: 
https://youtu.be/vQaq-kk79jc

Watch the film on YouTube channel: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNGDrQy9W5NI
https://www.youtube.com/@FilmResurrectionofChrist

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Martyrs and Other Saints

+ Elijah – Tuptalo

February

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In suffering, we must stand in the faith and not groan. We must give thanks and praise the Lord, turn our eyes to the suffering Jesus and unite our pain, loneliness, spiritual dryness and all sorts of negative feelings, which are hard to express, with the pain of Jesus. These are the best gifts which God gives us in order to deliver us from the bondage of lies, vanity and deceit of the world and old self and to bring us into the light of His truth.

Saint Henry Suso, in time of the deepest inner pain, heard the voice of Jesus in his soul: “Arise, unite your pain with Mine and you will find true peace!” He obeyed and then practised it until death, which led him to true holiness.

Let us give every thought, every problem or fear to Jesus in faith.

Watch series “The Resurrection of Christ” Season 3 on: 
https://youtu.be/vJ44mjtXMQ4

Watch the film on YouTube channel: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNGDrQy9W5NI
https://www.youtube.com/@FilmResurrectionofChrist

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After Jesus talked about love at the Last Supper, Simon asked Him: “Lord, where are You going?” What did Jesus say? “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow Me later.” Peter finally said: “I will lay down my life for You.” Jesus answered him: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before the cock crows, you will deny Me three times.” What must Peter have felt when Jesus told him this? He didn’t understand: What’s that He is saying about me? How can I deny Him? I am ready to sacrifice my life! Even if all betray Him, I never will! Peter must have looked at Jesus with sadness. Lord, what are You saying? Who do you think I am? Betray You? Never! Not me.

“The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in His name to all the nations.“

The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in His

name to all the nations.

Who said these words and where? Jesus spoke them on Sunday evening when He appeared to the apostles gathered on Mount Zion. It was here that Jesus had celebrated the Last Supper three days earlier, on Thursday evening.

The risen Jesus reminds the astonished apostles that He had foretold several times that He would suffer, but also rise from the dead on the third day. Only when this prophecy was fulfilled were the apostles’ eyes opened.

Jesus goes on to say that repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations.

“All we like sheep have gone astray…”

The first words are “all we”. That is, me, you, each of us. None of us can say: Not me. All we have gone astray. What does it mean? To go astray means not to know the way. When a child gets lost in the forest, they do not know the way back.

Straying is often a way of life for many people. Many people are confused, do not follow God, and may have a university education, yet they are straying. When someone asks them: What is the purpose of your life? Why do you live? To eat, sleep, drink, accumulate possessions, grow old and die? And what you have accumulated, you don’t even know to whom you will leave it. So what is the meaning of your life? All the learned philosophers will present different theories, but they will not give a clear answer. None of them will really answer the most important question: What is the meaning of my life? What is the meaning of my suffering? Only God can answer that. He gives us His Word, which is our light and our way. Jesus Himself is the way.

+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

Contemplating the Lord’s passion is an ancient tradition. It helps you realize more deeply what Jesus suffered for your sake. From this knowledge comes true respect, love and gratitude.

It is recommended to contemplate the Lord’s passion especially on Thursday evening and Friday, the day of Christ’s redemptive suffering and death.

Reflection

(a verse from a Lenten hymn, e.g. Kyrie eleison)

1. Jesus washes the apostles’ feet: On Thursday evening Jesus celebrates the Last Supper with His apostles.

At the beginning, Jesus washed the apostles’ feet. Thus He gave them the example of humility. He warns them against betrayal, behind which is the devil. Only a humble person can overcome the devil. Humility is truth, and truth makes you free. (We sing “Yehoshua” to the melody “You Are Our Peace”)

We are now more than halfway through Lent. Let us make at least a little act of self-denial every day: let us suppress a negative thought or laziness or fear: “Lord, out of love for You! I turn my eyes to Your cross. How much suffering You have endured for my sake – scourging, crowning with thorns, the way of the cross, crucifixion! You shed all Your blood for me, You paid the price for me, You love me! And what am I doing for You and for the salvation of my soul? Lord, give me true zeal and help me to deny myself in particular situations, to take up my cross and to follow You.

“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit;

so you will be My disciples.“

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit;

so you will be My disciples.

By what will the Father be glorified? By our bearing much fruit. But we will not bear much fruit by engaging in many activities independently of God’s will. If we are independent of Jesus in our problems — that is, if we do not remain in Him and He in us, but remain only in our own will, our own ideas, and our own emotions — then we can only produce abundant confusion, which is of no benefit to the Kingdom of God.

We can bear fruit only if we abide in Christ and are Christ’s disciples. But Jesus sets a condition for each of His disciples: “Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” This does not mean that we must rid ourselves of the material means of life and the like. However, it is necessary that in every situation we renounce our own will, which refuses to submit to God’s will, and this is connected with a certain test of faith. The fruit that we then bear — spiritual fruit — remains for all eternity.

Sometimes the Lenten period is a time similar to the time which Jesus spent in the wilderness. He prayed and fasted, and was tempted by the devil. Facing certain trials, we also are exposed to attacks by God’s enemy. The enemy works through lies. He tries to instil hatred towards our closest relatives and friends and ultimately even towards Jesus and the Heavenly Father. He attacks us with all kinds of blasphemous thoughts and seeks to lay the blame on God for evil which he caused himself. God endowed man with free will and respects it. Evil is either caused by the enemy of God or it may be caused by ourselves when we are deceived by our feelings, reason, lusts or pride. God causes this evil to work for good if we humble ourselves before Him and walk in the truth, humility, discipline and love, if we bear one another’s burdens and show mercy to those who hurt us consciously or unconsciously. God is LOVE. He gave His Son for us (Joh 3:16), and in Him we have eternal life. “Whom the Lord loves He chastens” (Heb 12:6) and lays a cross on him.

+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate