When the Divine Liturgy is celebrated, Christ Himself officiates, borrowing the mouth and body of each priest!

 “When the Divine Liturgy is celebrated, Christ Himself officiates, borrowing the mouth and body of each priest!

Christ is the Offerer and the Offered.

The priest does not sacrifice Christ, but Christ sacrifices Himself.

The priest does not officiate with the help of Christ, but Christ officiates with the help of the priest.

The Divine Liturgy is celebrated in memory of the Nativity, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension of the Lord!

First the Soul receives Communion, and then the Body….

Without Divine Communion we cannot become dispassionate.

If someone does not receive Communion continuously and regularly, he cannot defeat the enemies (Demons) and of course he will not be able to progress spiritually.

I hear some say:

I have received Communion and I do not feel anything….

The changes that take place within us are slow and secret, because our faith is small.

The first thought that we will have, immediately after Holy Communion, will reveal what Grace we have received, and what is the fruit of this great Gift on earth.

If the first thought that will sprout in the intellect is humble, is the acquisition of self-reproach, is the fruit of self-knowledge, then we have Communed well.

Otherwise, someone can Commune, but Christ can immediately come out of him.

When we Commune, Holy Communion, that is, Christ, does not go to the stomach, He goes to the soul.

Holy Communion, although it is bread and wine, is transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Christ, which is spirit, it does not contain material ingredients, therefore it goes directly to the soul.

It nourishes the soul, which is graced, sanctified and deified.

This Grace of the Holy Spirit is then transmitted to all the cells of the body.

Thus, first the soul communes, and then the body.

That is, it sanctifies both the body and the soul!

+Elder Ephraim, of the Holy Skete of the Apostle Andrew, Mount Athos.

The greatest harm of our time is not that people do not go to Church.

 “The greatest harm of our time is not that people do not go to Church. It is that they want to go on their own terms. They want a Christ who fits into their schedule, a Divine Liturgy tailored to their needs, and a Holy Communion without effort, without waiting, without preparation. But this is not an ecclesiastical mentality, it is the worldly spirit that has entered the spiritual life. The Church does not adapt to our convenience. We are called to adapt our lives to the rhythm of the Church.

And do you know what is the saddest thing? They call parishes and monasteries and ask us: “What time does Holy Communion come out?” What question is that, my child? What kind of person who truly loves Christ can ask this question? It is as if they were saying: “Tell me when to come, so that I may miss as much of the Divine Liturgy as possible and keep only what serves me.” If someone loves a person, he does not ask when the meeting will end, he asks when it begins, so as not to lose a single minute. But when the heart grows cold, then he always seeks the minimum. How long should I stay? When will it end? How long will it last? These are not questions of love. They are questions of a heart that has not yet tasted the sweetness of God’s presence.

From “Blessed is the Kingdom” the entrance to Heaven begins. It is not a phrase that precedes the Liturgy because it is the very beginning of the Kingdom. Saint John Chrysostom says that during the Divine Liturgy the earth becomes Heaven and the angels concelebrate with people. Saint Nicholas Kavasilas teaches that every part of the Divine Liturgy prepares the soul for union with Christ. So who dares to despise this course and only come at the end? The Divine Liturgy is not cut into pieces. We do not take only what we like. Whoever cuts the Liturgy to his own measure will slowly cut the Gospel to his own measure.

Let me tell you something that hurts. For a theatrical performance we arrive half an hour early. For a cinema we sit patiently until the credits have even finished. For a flight we are at the airport an hour or two early. Let us not lose our seat. Let us not miss the beginning. Let us not miss anything. But in front of Christ we do not have the same sensitivity. There we are content with catching the line for Holy Communion. This shows that the problem is not time. It is love. Where love is, time is also found.

Saint Symeon of Thessaloniki writes that every act of the Divine Liturgy has a theological meaning and leads man to participation in the Divine Mysteries. Nothing is superfluous. No utterance, no supplication, no “Lord, have mercy.” Everything educates the heart. Everything purifies the mind. Everything prepares man to stand before the Terrible Mystery. So when we despise the principle, in reality we despise the pedagogy of the Church. And then we risk getting used to even the most Holy things.

Let us pay attention to this. Holy Communion is not a right that we must seize. It is a gift that we must deserve. And no one deserves it because he was in the Church at the right time, but because he let the Divine Liturgy work within him from the first blessing to the last “For the sake of the Lord.” The saints did not seek the minimum. They did not ask “how much should I do?” They asked “how can I love Christ more?” That is where true Church life begins. All the rest are conveniences that comfort the conscience, but do not heal the soul.”

Monk Theoktistos of Kris

What do you do when your child doesn't listen to you?

"Parents should respect their children's freedom. If they have any objections and resistances, parents should tell their child once, twice, three times. That's enough, no more. Because they can be wrong. There are cases where parents' prejudices turned out to be wrong. Sometimes they turn out to be true, but even if they are true, the child has the right to make a mistake. His freedom is absolute. You as a parent will state your objection, the logical arguments you have, but that's enough. You won't do anything more. If the child is going down dangerous paths, you should cover him more with your prayer and beg God to help him. Not to turn a blind eye and make his life a torture and medicate the child and then he doesn't know what to do."

 

Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol

The Holy Spirit is not visible.

 The Holy Spirit is not visible.

He is Light!

He came into the world and did not leave. He moves with a great noise, but no one hears it! He passes by everyone constantly, but he sets up camp where there is repentance.

Divine things are fragrant.

They bring peace, tranquility and paradise to the soul and control for our messes. I see in the Light that God is everything and I am nothing…”

“Oh, oh! Light! Light! Other than this light.

Angels sing. Joy, exultation, a festival. As if you were in a blooming orchard.

 The poor in hell see the joys of the righteous and languish even more.”

These, my child, are the sweets that God gives to old people like me so that we may turn to repentance.

May you have the blessing of the Holy Trinity, the God of Lights, the only true God.

“The Holy Elder Galaktia of Crete”, “Theomorphou” publications of the Holy Metropolis of Morphou.. (p. 86)(p. 134).

The humble person takes all the faults upon himself.

 The humble person takes all the faults upon himself.

The proud person passes them on to others.

The humble person glorifies and thanks God for everything!

The proud person is never happy and everything bothers him...

Saint Evmenios of Saridakis