Exploring the path to our Passover, Christ
The sacred task which is now in front of Orthodoxy and especially its youth that often detach liberalism of past generations, is to rediscover the paschal victory in the daily life of the Church . Common faith and worship of the Apostles and the Fathers remain essentially unchanged in our liturgical and canonical books, but in practice, in the spirit of the clergy and the faithful, much confusion, no doubt due to a lack of spiritual understanding the nature of the work of Christ in the Church.
So many people who claim to be Orthodox and who sincerely want to be, the design life of the Church according to vague feelings and not the spirit of the Apostles and Fathers the Church. What is lacking is an acceptance of living that presupposes the sacramental life of the Church.
This lack of understanding explains to a large extent the weaknesses of the Church in the Western world and especially that characterized his attitude toward the different variants of schism and heresy. Those who can not understand that "the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God" (Rom . 8,16) can not preach the truth, but must ask the question: are they not themselves outside the Truth and, therefore, dead members of the Church?
1. Presupposition of the sacramental life
Unlike most denominations Western, which generally accept death as a normal phenomenon, or even consider the consequence of a legal decision of God to punish the sinner, Patristic Tradition of Orthodoxy takes very seriously the fact that death is related intrinsically sin (1 Cor. 15.56) and it belongs to the power of the Devil (Heb. 2:14). The Orthodox Fathers rejected the idea that God is the author of death, that the world is "normal" in its current situation and that man can live a "normal" subject only to follow the natural laws which are assumed to govern the universe. The Orthodox concept of the universe is incompatible with a static system of natural moral laws. The world is instead designed as a field of action and struggle of living persons. A living and personal God is the source of all Creation. His omnipresence does not exclude other wills, established themselves by Him with the same power to reject the will of their Creator. Thus the Devil is not only able to exist, but also to aspire to the destruction of God's works. He is trying to attract the Creation to the nothingness from which it comes. Death, a "nil return" ( St. Athanasius, De incarnatio Verbi , 4-5), constitutes the essence of the evil power of creation (Rom. 8.19 to 22). The Resurrection of Christ in the reality of His flesh and His bones (Luke 24.39) not only is the evidence of "abnormal" of death, but designates it as the real enemy (1 Cor. 15:26) . But if death is an abnormal phenomenon, there can be no such thing as a "moral law" inherent in the universe. The Bible, at least, do not know (Rom. 8.19 to 22).
Otherwise, the Lord Jesus Christ gave in vain "For our sins to rescue us from the present age is evil" (Gal. 1.4).
The destiny of man was perfect and the origin must now become perfect as God is perfect (Eph. 5.1, 4.13). This achievement was the perfection rendered impossible by the advent of death in the world (Rom. 5:12) because "the sting of death is sin" (1 Cor. 15.56). Once submitted to the power of death, man can only look smugly at his flesh (Rom. 7.14 to 25). His instinct for self-preservation saturates everyday life and often leads to be unfair to others for personal profit (1 Thess. 4.4). A man subjected to the fear of death (Heb. 2.15) can live a life of creative love and be imitators of God (Eph. 5:1).
Death and the instinct of self-preservation are at the root of sin that separates man from unity in love, life and divine truth. From St. Cyril of Alexandria , death is the enemy that prevents man to love God and neighbor without anxiety or concern for his own safety and comfort of his own. For fear of losing himself in value, all meaning, man seeks to demonstrate to himself and to others that he is really something.
He is then forced to stand outside as superior to others, in some respects at least. He loves those who flatter and hate those who insulted him. A striking deep insult a man who is afraid of becoming insignificant! What the world considers a "natural man" lived almost a life of lies and deceptions partial. He can only love her friends who provide a sense of security when her instinct for self-preservation moral and physical calls to hate their enemies (Matt. 5.46 to 48, Luke 6.32-36).
Death is the source of individualism: it is she who has the power to completely enslave the free will of man to the "body of death" (Rom. 7 18). Is death by reducing mankind to self-centeredness and selfishness, blind man to the truth. And the truth is rejected by many because it is too difficult to accept. The man still prefers to accept truth which satisfies his personal desires. Mankind research rather safety and happiness that the suffering of love which gives itself (Phil. 1.27 to 29). The natural man seeks a religion of emotional security and moral precepts of simple rules that generate feelings of comfort, but do not require any effort on his self-denial in "death with Christ to the rudiments of the world" (Col . 2.20). The Apostles and the Fathers do not send us a faith made of "feelings of piety or" comfort ".
They throw the contrary, each page a cry of victory over death and corruption. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? ... Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ "(1 Cor. 15, 55-57).
The victory of Christ over the devil has destroyed the power of death that separates man from God and neighbor (Eph.2, 13-22). This victory over death and corruption has been accomplished in the flesh of Christ (Eph. 2.15), as well as among who died just before (1 Pet. 3.19). "Christ is risen from the dead, by death He conquered death, to those in the tombs he has given life" (Easter Hymn). The Kingdom of God is already established, both beyond the grave on this side of it (Eph. 2:19). The gates of Hell can not prevail on the Body of Christ (Matt. 16:18). The power of death can not invade the Kingdom of Life. Every day the Devil and his kingdom approach a little more of their final defeat (1 Cor. 15:26) which is provided in the Body of Christ.
2 .- SACRAMENTAL PARTICIPATION IN THE VICTORY OF THE CROSS
Participation in the victory of the Cross is not only a hope for the future but a present reality (Eph. 2.13 to 22). It is given to those who are baptized (Rom. 6.3 to 4) and grafted into the Body of Christ (Jn 15.1-8). Yet there is no guarantee of magical Hi and continued participation in the life of Christ (Rom. 9.19 to 2). Christ came to destroy the power of disunity, uniting those who believe in him, inside his own body. The sign outside the Church is unity in love (Jn 17:21), while the center and source This unity is the Eucharist: "Because there is one bread, we who are many form one body, because we all partake of one bread" (1 Cor. 6.19 to 20). Baptism and Confirmation we are grafted into the Body of Christ, while the Eucharist keeps us alive in Christ and united with one another by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our bodies (1 Cor. 6.19 to 20) .
Faith is insufficient for the Hi. Catechumens who were already "believers" should ensure, before receiving Baptism to reject everything that the world considers "normal life" dying in the body of sin and death to revive the unity of the Spirit is to say, be united with other members of a community in Christ and living together in love. Orthodoxy knows nothing like a sentimental love for humanity. It is with actual people that we must be united in Christ to live. The only way that leads to the love of Christ is to love the reality posed by other Christians. " I tell you the truth, whenever you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, is to Me that ye have done " (Matt. 15, 20).
Love in the Body of Christ does not consist of vague abstractions about the need to serve ideologies or human causes. Love, according to the image of Christ is to be crucified for the world and, freeing themselves of all vague ideas, to live all the complexities of community life, trying to love Christ in the body of brothers have a very real existence. It is easy to talk of love and kindness, but it is very difficult to get in intimate and sincere with people from diverse backgrounds. That, however, that the death and
Resurrection in Christ established: a community of saints who do not think to themselves, or their own opinions, but continually express their love for Christ and other men, seeking to humiliate as Christ humbled himself. This was not possible under the law of death, became the unity of the Spirit of Life.
3. HOW TO REALIZE THE VICTORY TODAY ON THE CROSS
Throughout its history the Church had to fight sin and corruption among its own members, and often within the clergy. However, at all times, she knew how to apply appropriate means, for she was able to recognize the enemy. The Church is in truth not because all its members are without sin, but because the sacramental life is always present in it and against it the devil is helpless. "When you come together often in one place (epi to auto ), the power of Satan is destroyed" ( St. Ignatius of Antioch , Ephesians , 13).
Whenever members of a community gather to celebrate the Eucharist and are sincerely ready to exchange the kiss of peace to commune together in the Body and Blood of Christ, the Devil is defeated.
However, when a member of the Body of Christ Communion unworthily, eats and drinks damnation (1 Cor. 11:29). When a Christian does not receive communion in the Body and Blood of Christ at every Eucharist, he is spiritually dead (Jn 6.53).
The Church has steadfastly refused to endorse the practice whereby a large number of Christians attending the Eucharist, so that only a few communes. Assistance, participation in prayer and communion are inseparable (7th Apostolic Canon; Chrysostom , third homily on Eph .).
"Let no one be deceived: if someone is not inside the sanctuary, he is deprived of the Bread of God ... He who does not assemble with Church has proven thus even his pride and was himself condemned "(St. Ignatius of Antioch , Eph. 5).
biblical and patristic tradition is unanimous on one point: Can be living member of the Body of Christ as one who died in the power of death and living in the renewal of the Spirit of life. For this reason, those who denied Christ during the persecution after hours of torture were considered excommunicated.
Once a Christian died with Christ in Baptism, we waited him to be ready to die at any moment in the Name of Christ. "Whoever denies me before men, I also deny before My Father Who is in Heaven" (Matt. 10:33). The 10th Canon of the First Ecumenical Council does not merely prohibit the ordination of those who denied Christ during the persecution, but declare the automatic invalidation of any such ordination, even if it took place in the dark the computer. Whoever had done this ordination was himself deprived of the priesthood. How much more serious is the offense against the wishes of the Baptism of those who are lazy to go to church. The approval of our clergy today gives our sacramental practice is still more impossible! If Chretien was excommunicated for having denied Christ after hours of physical torture, who week after week s'excommunient themselves are even more reprehensible.
The quality and methods of the Devil has not changed. He himself remained similar to himself, as Paul described, capable of "turning into an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11,15). The power of death in the world remained the same. Means of Hi, by the death of Baptism and the Eucharist are living together remained the same (at least in the liturgical books of the Church).
Canons of the Church have not changed. We always read the same scriptures approved by the Fathers. How then can we explain our modern weaknesses? They have never been so obvious. There can be only one answer to this question. Members of the Church no longer fighting the evil in the spirit of the Bible. Too many Christians use the church in their own interests and interpret the doctrine of
Christ according to their own feelings. The central task of youth today must consist Orthodox to return to the truth of the Apostles and the Fathers, no longer walking according to the laws of the prince of darkness and the rudiments of this world. Because that is why Christ died. Deny this is to deny His cross and blood of the martyrs.
Before criticizing the "rigidity" of patristic doctrine, the modern Orthodox should return to the presuppositions of life in Christ in Scripture and be careful not to pervert the doctrine of Christ.
http://users.edpnet.be/orthodoxes/revue/voile2006-01.pdf
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