It is now time to discuss the most important sacrament of the Christian Church, the Holy Eucharist. The Holy Eucharist is the pinnacle of our faith and its importance and significance is exemplified in the Bible and in the writings of the Early Church Fathers. The Holy Eucharist cleanses, renews, rejuvenates and through faith it heals and destroys the sin that dwells within us, as it is written in Matthew 26 -
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins
Our Lord Jesus specifically states that His body and blood are broken and poured out for many and for the forgiveness of sins. Some may object and state that Jesus was speaking figuratively and that He never implied that the bread and wine were actually His body and blood, but rather that they represented His sacrifice in a symbolic sense. This could not be further from the truth and we will discover the truth by delving into the Holy Scriptures, we read in John 6 -
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.
Jesus, whilst conversing with the Jewish authorities, explicitly stated that He is living bread and in order to live we must consume this bread. This event took place prior to the institution of the Eucharist in the above mentioned verse (Matthew 26) and therefore the Apostles would have immediately recalled these words during the last supper where Jesus states "This is My body, this is My blood". The Apostles had come to a realisation that Christ's flesh, which is to be eaten, was contained within the bread that He was distributing amongst them. To further solidify this theological aspect of the real presence of the Eucharist, we also read in John 6 -
52 Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”
Jesus reiterates that without His body and blood, we have no life within us and it is through the consumption of His body and blood that eternal life is granted to us. Jesus also states that His body is true food and His blood is true drink, the plain reading of this verse is required to grasp the message that Christ was conveying, although at the time many were perplexed and many more walked away, Christ was explicit in that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood in order to live. The question that must be asked is, how do we do this? The answer is to be found in Matthew 26, Jesus makes known to the Apostles that His Body and Blood are within the bread and wine that He distributed amongst them, and this same body and blood is distributed to the faithful every Sunday throughout the Apostolic Churches across the globe. This is done in remembrance of His life, death, burial and resurrection.
St Paul discusses the significance of this Holy Sacrament and he also confirms that Christ's body and blood are present within the bread and wine -
1 Cor 10:16 "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ?" St. Paul continued, 1 Cor 11:27 "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the Body and Blood of the Lord." St. Paul added, 1 Cor 11:29 "For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the Body eats and drinks judgement upon himself."
These words carry a weight of significance, we participate in the Blood and Body of Christ when we partake of the Holy Eucharist and that we are to partake of it in a worthy manner, lest we bring judgement upon ourselves. St Paul states, "we will be guilty of PROFANING the Body and Blood of the Lord", implying that there are severe consequences for those who wish to cast aside the importance of the Eucharist and partake of it in a casual manner. As Orthodox Christians we should always approach the Paten and chalice with fear and trembling knowing that the body of the creator is being distributed for our salvation, what we consume the angels in heaven dare not gaze upon.
The reverence for the Holy Sacrament was known by the early church and church fathers who were acquainted with the Apostles, St Ignatius in the first century writes -
"Consider how contrary to the mind of God are the heterodox in regard to the grace of God which has come to us. They have no regard for charity, none for the widow, the orphan, the oppressed, none for the man in prison, the hungry or the thirsty. They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not admit that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, the flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in His graciousness, raised from the dead."
And again the blessed Saint states -
"Come together in common, one and all without exception in charity, in one faith and in one Jesus Christ, who is of the race of David according to the flesh, the son of man, and the Son of God, so that with undivided mind you may obey the bishop and the priests, and break one Bread which is the medicine of immortality and the antidote against death, enabling us to live forever in Jesus Christ."
It is immediatley clear that heretics who denied the real presense of the body within the Eucharist were not a part of the Church that Christ established.
For us to claim that Christ dwells within us without having His body and blood co-mingling with our body and blood means that we are deceived, as we have learnt together we must have communion with our Lord in order for us to proceed from this life to the next. It is of great spiritual significance that we draw near to these mysteries with prayer and reverance for the pardon of our faults and to ensure that we do not bring condemnation upon ourselves. Our salvation is dependant upon the mysteries that our Lord and savior Jesus Christ established for our benefit.
In the next part of this series, we will discuss our ongoing commitment to Christ by discussing the topic of faith and good deeds.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Apologies
I wish to apologise for not updating the blog recently, I have been extremely busy the last few weeks and have been unable to find the appropriate time to do so. Be sure however that it will be updated by the end of the week with part 3 of the topic "I know Jesus".
God Bless.
God Bless.
Friday, 3 February 2012
I know Jesus, His body and blood dwell within me, Part 2
Continuing on from the previous post where we discussed that the first step of being counted as a part of God's kingdom is ensuring that we have been baptised. This is done in faith on our behalf as infants, but for adult believers this first step must take place after a period of time where the believer is to attend Church ministries and learn about the faith of which he or she wishes to enter. The priest will then decide if the believer is ready to be baptised based on the spiritual growth and commitment of the believer.
The Apostolic Church, and in particular, our very own Church of the East, believes that the grace of our Lord centres around the sacraments, these being the physical manifestation of His grace that are given unto us for our benefit, edification and forgiveness of sins. We partake of these sacraments in order to participate in God's grace, we have also been commanded to do certain things i.e. Baptism, and as believers in God we willingly subject ourselves to the Lord and King of kings Jesus Christ in faith through the mysteries that He has bestowed upon us.
So what are the subsequent steps for a believer who joyfully wishes to worship the Lord and offer themselves as a pleasing sacrifice to do, to ensure that they are walking on the narrow path that leads to life? As is always the case, our Lord provides the answers for us!
We read in Luke 13:1-5
1 Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? 3 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Our Lord Jesus specifically states that we are to repent, repentance is the commitment made by a believer to turn away from their life of sin and sacrifice their lusts and desires wholly to serve God almighty. It is an act of contrition and humility that enables God to work through us and cleanse us of our sin, it is not however, an act that is to be performed once for we are called to continual repentance. We will all, at one time or another, fall into sin whether knowingly, unknowingly, willingly or unwillingly, therefore we must always beseech the Lord for His forgiveness and mercy.
Repentance plays a key role in our salvation and as we read in Luke 15:11-24
11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. 17 But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ 20 So he got up and came to [f]his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’
The story of the prodigal son exemplifies the love that God has for us and the joy that He feels when we return to Him. Upon our return, we are not condemned nor chastised but rather the Father runs towards us and embraces us, what a wonderful Lord we have! Although we may reach a point in our lives where we feel down and out (in a spiritual sense) God is waiting for us to repent and seek for Him so that He may restore us.
Our Lord Jesus commanded us to repent and be baptised, this does not imply that a chronological order must be adhered to regarding baptism and repentance but that these are important acts that a believer must adhere to. An example of a believer being baptised without having repented is found in Acts 8:34-40
34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptised?” 37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptised him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.
It is quite obvious that the eunuch did not repent or confess his sins prior to being baptised, repentance then, would be the next step of this man's spiritual commitment and journey.
Amen.
Part three will be posted up within the week and it will discuss the sacrament of the Eucharist and the absolute necessity of this central facet of Christian theology.
The Apostolic Church, and in particular, our very own Church of the East, believes that the grace of our Lord centres around the sacraments, these being the physical manifestation of His grace that are given unto us for our benefit, edification and forgiveness of sins. We partake of these sacraments in order to participate in God's grace, we have also been commanded to do certain things i.e. Baptism, and as believers in God we willingly subject ourselves to the Lord and King of kings Jesus Christ in faith through the mysteries that He has bestowed upon us.
So what are the subsequent steps for a believer who joyfully wishes to worship the Lord and offer themselves as a pleasing sacrifice to do, to ensure that they are walking on the narrow path that leads to life? As is always the case, our Lord provides the answers for us!
We read in Luke 13:1-5
1 Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? 3 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Our Lord Jesus specifically states that we are to repent, repentance is the commitment made by a believer to turn away from their life of sin and sacrifice their lusts and desires wholly to serve God almighty. It is an act of contrition and humility that enables God to work through us and cleanse us of our sin, it is not however, an act that is to be performed once for we are called to continual repentance. We will all, at one time or another, fall into sin whether knowingly, unknowingly, willingly or unwillingly, therefore we must always beseech the Lord for His forgiveness and mercy.
Repentance plays a key role in our salvation and as we read in Luke 15:11-24
11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. 17 But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ 20 So he got up and came to [f]his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’
The story of the prodigal son exemplifies the love that God has for us and the joy that He feels when we return to Him. Upon our return, we are not condemned nor chastised but rather the Father runs towards us and embraces us, what a wonderful Lord we have! Although we may reach a point in our lives where we feel down and out (in a spiritual sense) God is waiting for us to repent and seek for Him so that He may restore us.
Our Lord Jesus commanded us to repent and be baptised, this does not imply that a chronological order must be adhered to regarding baptism and repentance but that these are important acts that a believer must adhere to. An example of a believer being baptised without having repented is found in Acts 8:34-40
34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptised?” 37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptised him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.
It is quite obvious that the eunuch did not repent or confess his sins prior to being baptised, repentance then, would be the next step of this man's spiritual commitment and journey.
Amen.
Part three will be posted up within the week and it will discuss the sacrament of the Eucharist and the absolute necessity of this central facet of Christian theology.
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