Reflection on Jn 16:2-3

Post date:   2015-03-14
Autor:   BCP
Persecution for the sake of Christ is a sign of true discipleship. We should rejoice that we can suffer for Christ’s sake, but we avoid it. We need not desire suffering but we need to be prepared and when it comes, we should give thanks for it. Suffering for the sake of Christ purifies us, obtains new grace and light for us, and, moreover, we can perform a mission by suffering. Suffering can be physical or spiritual. We should unite our suffering with the suffering of Christ rather than suffer alone. During Lent, an example for us to follow is Jesus Himself who was innocent and endured suffering for the sake of each of us. He suffered the just punishment for our iniquities.

What should our life position be like? Lord, Your will be done! (video)

Post date:   2015-03-07
Autor:   BCP
What should our life position be like? Lord, Your will be done! + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

The old self must be judged

Post date:   2015-03-07
Autor:   BCP
The liar and murderer constantly pulls our leg. We have found ourselves betrayed a thousand times and yet we habitually believe and believe and believe him and ourselves, and we do not believe God. Whenever we are to receive something by faith, we immediately get into a bad mood or feel resentment. The spirit of lies simply leads us by the nose in our spiritual life without end. The old self must be judged and condemned; otherwise it is Jesus who is judged and mercilessly condemned by the old self. We need to judge ourselves: “If we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.” (1Cor 11:31)

We live in the time of the Antichrist (video)

Post date:   2015-03-04
Autor:   BCP
We live in the time of the Antichrist. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

Reflection on Jn 15:26

Post date:   2015-02-28
Autor:   BCP
The Holy Spirit will testify, but Jesus also reminds: “And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” (v. 27) This is said about us too. We also should bear witness about Christ at the present time together with the Holy Spirit who is in us and whom Jesus has sent to us from the Father. He is our Counsellor, Comforter and Advocate. He bears witness about Christ through us too! This is an important task: to bear witness about Christ!

Humility

Post date:   2015-02-27
Autor:   BCP
Any virtue without true humility is lost. Why? Because humility is truth. It considers nothing as its own and sees everything in the light. And next, the opposite of humility is pride. Pride leads to disobedience. Pride turned angels into demons. Pride was the source of Eve’s first sin. You must dissociate yourself from Eve and receive the new woman, Mary. Mary is your Mother. She conquered the serpent, the devil, by her obedience and faith.

Mission concerns every one of us (video)

Post date:   2015-02-26
Autor:   BCP
Mission concerns every one of us. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

Remember the Last Things

Post date:   2015-02-26
Autor:   BCP
The saints often encourage us to remember the Last Things especially during Lent: death, judgment, heaven and hell. God knows the day, hour and place of your death. There is nothing more certain than the fact that this earthly pilgrimage will end one day for each of us. And then we shall stand before the judgment seat of God. Jesus says: “There is nothing covered that will not be revealed.” We shall be judged before angels, the whole universe and all mankind. What to do so as not to hear one day the words of Jesus spoken to the foolish virgins: “Amen, I say to you, I do not know you!” What to do to hear the words instead: “Come, you blessed, inherit the kingdom!” What to do? To live by faith, to believe in Jesus and His word, and not to believe the liar and deceiver who leads us away from Jesus and from His programme given to us.

One has to learn sound self-criticism (video)

Post date:   2015-02-24
Autor:   BCP
One has to learn sound self-criticism. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

Who tempts us (video)

Post date:   2015-02-21
Autor:   BCP
Who tempts us. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

The glory of the world is like the flower of grass (video)

Post date:   2015-02-18
Autor:   BCP
The glory of the world is like the flower of grass. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

Post date:   2015-02-18
Autor:   BCP
We should have our treasure in heaven, and our greatest treasure must be Jesus Himself. If it is so, we really give Him the first place in our lives. He is the most precious treasure; in Him are all our treasures. In Him is the fullness of wisdom and knowledge, as God’s Word says. In Him is eternal life: “He who has the Son has eternal life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” And where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

True heroism

Post date:   2015-02-17
Autor:   BCP
Original sin is in every one of us. It is inborn stupidity which deceives us all our life. We must fight against it. That is why Jesus says: “Deny yourself!” Deny that lie in you which wants to harm you, leads you by the nose into self-destruction and finally into hell. If we do not fight, we lose. We are automatically dragged to hell rather than heaven. The way to heaven is no ride on a sleigh. We must take up our cross and swim against the stream – and that’s a fight, that’s true courage. And that’s true heroism!

The hardest fight – the fight against our self

Post date:   2015-02-16
Autor:   BCP
We want to do good but we keep sinning. This is caused by our corrupt nature – the old self in us. And therefore we need to repent time and time again. All things considered, we must have the courage to make mistakes, for otherwise we would do nothing in pursuit of false perfection. Humility is the will to learn.

Reflection on Jn 15:18-19

Post date:   2015-02-14
Autor:   BCP
The term “the world” does not mean the wonderful work of creation but the godless system which hates Christ as well as all who are dedicated to the service of Christ. Jesus speaks about this hatred by the world and warns all of us who desire to follow Jesus in earnest that we must be prepared for hatred and persecution by the world. “Because you are not of the world ... therefore the world hates you.” People of this world have received the spirit of the world and therefore they persecute true Christians. Moreover, if they kill them, they will believe that they offer God service (Jn 16:2). Those who condemned Christ to death – religious hierarchy, the Pharisees and the scribes – believed so, and it is the same today. Why? Because the world lies under the sway of the ruler of this world.

We will be dying only once (video)

Post date:   2015-02-14
Autor:   BCP
We will be dying only once. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

Let us be mindful of death (video)

Post date:   2015-02-12
Autor:   BCP
Let us be mindful of death. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

Every day I have to look into Jesus’ eyes (video)

Post date:   2015-02-11
Autor:   BCP
Every day I have to look into Jesus’ eyes. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

God’s curse will fall on USA

Post date:   2015-02-10
Autor:   BCP
The USA is making a blasphemous film called “Corpus Christi”, where Satanists and perverts play the roles of our Savior Jesus Christ and His Apostles and present them as a gay club. This hideous parody has run in the US theaters for several years. This year a movie shall be released with the purpose of spreading this height of denigration around the world!Every U.S. Christian is obliged to actively raise his/her voice in protest against this heinous blasphemy. Let them do so by signing a petition or holding protest demonstrations. If U.S. Christians remain silent, they will fall under God’s curse!

We prevail with Christ alone

Post date:   2015-02-09
Autor:   BCP
Sin is rebellion against God. Through sin man loses eternal life. However, Jesus paid for us, for all our sins. If we turn to Jesus with faith, we receive the forgiveness of sins. The biggest problem is that we do not want to admit our sin. And so we walk in darkness. If we are not self-critical, we are unable to perceive the truth around us. Unless you are rooted in the truth, in the time of spiritual battle the devil will pull your leg and defeat you. But if you are rooted in the truth and in Christ, if you know that you must not let yourself be caught in a trap and if you cling to Christ, you will conquer the whole hell.