sunday sermon for 24 march 2013

7/29/2019 Sunday Sermon for 24 March 2013

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Hebr. 11:24-26, 32-40rethren, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son ofPharaohs daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of Godthan to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered abuse suffered for the Christ tobe greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward.And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson,Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets who through faith conqueredkingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenchedraging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mightyin war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Otherswere tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Otherssuffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned todeath, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins ofsheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented of whom the world was not worthy.They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. Yet allthese, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised,since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be madeperfect.

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ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATEARCHDIOCESE OFTHYATEIRA & GREAT BRITAIN

BBUULLLLEETTIINN OOFF SSPPIIRRIITTUUAALL EEDDIIFFIICCAATTIIOONN1st SUNDAY OF LENT (of Orthodoxy)

24 March 20131st Mode. No. 1276A ()

24 2013. . 1276

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John 1:44-52t that time, Jesus wished to depart for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him,Follow me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philipfound Nathanael and said to him, We have found him about whom Moses in the lawand also the prophets wrote, Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth. Nathanael said tohim, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see.When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, Here is truly an Israelitein whom there is no deceit! Nathanael asked him, From where do you know me? Jesusanswered, I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you. Nathanael answered,Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! Jesus answered, Do youbelieve because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater thingsthan these. And he said to him, Amen, I tell you all, you will see heaven opened andthe angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.AAPPOOLLYYTTIIKKIIOONN OOFF TTHHEE FFEEAASSTT

2nd ModeWe honour your most pure icon, loving Lord, as we ask pardon of our offences, Christ God.For by your own choice you were well-pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh, to deliverfrom the slavery of the enemy those whom you had fashioned; therefore with thanksgivingwe cry to you: You have filled all things with joy, our Saviour, by coming to save the world. EEXXTTRRAACCTTFFRROOMMTTHHEESSYYNNOODDIIKKOONNFFOORRTTHHEESSUUNNDDAAYYOOFFOORRTTHHOODDOOXXYY

s the Prophets saw, as the Apostles taught, as the Church has received, as theTeachers express in dogma, as the inhabited world understands together with them,as grace illumines, as the truth makes clear, as error has been banished, as wisdommakes bold to declare, as Christ has assured, so we think, so we speak, so we preach,honouring Christ our true God, and his Saints, in words, in writings, in thoughts, insacrifices, in churches, in icons, worshipping and revering the One as God and Lord,and honouring them because of their common Lord as those who are close to himand serve him, and making to them relative veneration. This is the faith of theApostles; this is the faith of the Fathers; this is the faith of the Orthodox; this faithmakes fast the inhabited world. These preachers of true religion, we praise asbrothers and as those we long to have as our fathers, to the glory and honour of thetrue religion for which they struggled, and say... May their memory be eternal!

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SSEERRMMOONN OONN TTHHEE GGOOSSPPEELL RREEAADDIINNGG

n todays Gospel we see our Lord at the beginning of his ministry. He had just calledPeter, Andrew, John and James to be his disciples, and was now looking towardsPhilip and Nathanael. Philip was well versed in the Holy Scriptures and had beenlooking for the Messiah his whole life. This is why as soon as he saw him, he recognisedhim and referred to him as him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophetswrote. Being so excited at finding the Messiah, he was unable to contain either himselfor this great discovery. Thus he ran to Nathanael, who had also been studying theScriptures in the hope of discovering the Messiah. However, when Nathanael heardthat Christ was from Nazareth, he was perplexed, because he knew from his studiesthat the Messiah was to come from Bethlehem in Judaea, not Nazareth in Galilee. Whathe did not, of course, know was that Christ was in reality from Bethlehem, having beenborn there, and had only grown up in Nazareth. And so Nathanael asked the question:Can anything good [i.e. the Messiah] come out of Nazareth? Philip responded Comeand see, and thus Nathanael, curious to see this Jesus of Nazareth, followed. WhenChrist saw Nathanael, he described him as being an Israelite indeed, in whom is noguile. He did this because he knew that what Nathanael had said was not out ofcontempt for Christ, but simply out of genuine puzzlement regarding his origin. WhenChrist further added that he saw Nathanael sitting under the fig tree (even though hewas far away), Nathanael was truly amazed because no one knew this except Philip whohad come to get him. Thus Nathanael realised that Christ was clairvoyant. He did not,however, make the further step of recognising him as God, but simply as a man. Thushe described Christ as King of Israel. Christ in return corrected him and told him thatone day he would see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descendingupon the Son of Man. This was in reference to the angel that would appear by the sideof Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane (before the Passion), and at the tomb (followingthe Resurrection).We have much to learn from these events. Philip and Nathanael recognisedChrist as the Messiah only because they had been studying the Scriptures inanticipation of finding him. If, to the contrary, they had lived their lives immersed inworldly cares and pleasures, they would have been unable to recognise him, and thuswould have lost theopportunity of becoming hisdisciples. The same applies tous. If we study the Scripturesand the Prophecies of theSaints, we will be betterprepared to deal with whatcomes, including the endtimes and the Antichrist. If,on the other hand, we ignorethem, we will find ourselvesboth physically andspiritually ill-equipped forthe future.

ArchdioceseofThyateira&GreatBritain,5CravenHill,LondonW23EN

Tel.:02077234787.Fax:02072249301.Email:[email protected]:www.thyateira.org.ukP r i n t e d b y S t P a u l s P r e s s

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sunday sermon for 24 march 2013

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