Newsletter November 30, 2024

The Holy Scriptures: Nourishment of the Faithful, Part Two

The Bible is, first and foremost, a theological book, presenting the mystery of God to humanity in a practical, not theoretical, manner. God, whose mystery cannot be comprehended, reveals Himself to humanity little by little, progressively. God accompanies humans with astonishing patience to open their minds to understand Him as He is, not as they imagine Him to be. Often, people misunderstood Him (and still do), attributing their whims and perceptions to Him, distorting and desecrating His image. The perpetual sin of mankind is to restrict God according to its measure, instead of raising itself to the measure of God. Therefore, God chose to reveal Himself by using those whom He designated, those to whom we refer as prophets and apostles. However, He began to practically reveal Himself through accompanying the people to whom He chose to reveal Himself. From Abraham, the father of the fathers and the father of many nations, to Jesus Christ, God patiently waited over eighteen centuries for His image to be truly revealed to humanity – yet people still want to perceive Him in their own image and superimpose onto Him their ideas and interpretations.

Read the entire article: https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/2258

(Part one:) https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/2253

It is time to fast again! The Nativity Fast begins today and continues through Christmas Eve. May God grant you a Good Fast!

Please remember that our full calendar continues to be available at our parish web site. Here is a link:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Calendar/calendar.php

Full schedule:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Prosphora/Docs/prosphora sched 2024 web.pdf
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Prosphora/Docs/prosphora sched 2025 web.pdf

Full schedule:
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Altar/Docs/epistle readers for 2024.pdf
https://stjfc.org/Pages/Ministries/Altar/Docs/epistle readers for 2025.pdf

Epistle: ST. PAUL’S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS 2:4-10

Brethren, God who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God: not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Gospel: LUKE 18:35-43

At that time, as Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me receive my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

A Clear Vision of Eternity

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Eternal life, Jesus says, is to know His Father and to know the Christ Whom He sent (John 17:3). It is to be raised from the dead to life incorruptible (John 5:25-26, 1 Cor. 15:53). It is to become sons of the resurrection, sons of God, and equal to the angels (Luke 20:36). It is to have stewardship of the whole cosmos in the age to come (Heb. 2:5). It is to be put in charge of angels (1 Cor. 6:3). It is to have every evil and selfish thing we have done burned away and every beautiful and holy and good thing we have ever done given eternal reality (1 Cor. 3:12-15). It is to join the ranks of all the angels and saints to be co-enthroned with Christ (Rev. 20:4).

Do you see how small was the vision of the rich young ruler? He wanted this life, and he wanted this life with his wealth, but going on forever.

Only someone who is wealthy in this life could hope for that vision of eternal life. Someone who is poor, who struggles to survive, if you asked him whether he would like this life to go on forever like this, would almost certainly say no.

But here is the great secret: If we have wealth, if we have none, if we are somewhere in between, the path to the Kingdom of Heaven is the same. That path is the path of self-sacrifice, the path of humility, the path of giving and not taking, the path of loving action and expecting nothing in return, the path of worshiping Christ and not ourselves. Everyone can do that.

Read the entire article: https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/asd/2024/11/26/a-clear-vision-of-eternity/