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We are obliged to know the basic principles of the life of faith (video)
Post date: 2025-10-11Autor: BCP
We are obliged to know the basic principles of the life of faith. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
The harder the fight, the more humility and self-surrender to Jesus we need
Post date: 2025-10-09Autor: BCP
The Lord shows us that the harder and deeper the fight is, the more humility and self-surrender to Jesus we need. We need to deny ourselves! There is only one rule here: to carry the cross and enter into death with Christ through the Mother of God.
A life of victory (video)
Post date: 2025-10-03Autor: BCP
A life of victory. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
With Mary, in Mary and through Mary
Post date: 2025-09-30Autor: BCP
We need a sound foundation, which is the foundation of humility and faith in relation to God, and this foundation is not stable in the old Eve’s heart. Therefore we should receive a new heart by faith every day, stopping at least once a day for a few seconds. But we should do so more often – e.g. whenever we want to make a decision, we should not do so on our own but we should try to do everything, as Grignion writes: with Mary, in Mary and through Mary.
Reflection on Mk 11:22-23
Post date: 2025-09-28Autor: BCP
What is human faith and what is God’s faith? Human faith is necessary in everyday life. We have to believe people’s testimonies about Antarctica, for example, even though we have never been there ourselves. We believe that there is snow there, even though we have never seen it. This is natural faith, which can be proven materially. What is faith in God or God’s faith? It is faith that is bound to the promises God has given us. It is faith in God’s omnipotence. By His almighty power, God created everything that exists; He created this world and cares for it. He created it for a purpose. We believe in God the Creator. We also believe in God the Saviour; we believe that the Son of God became man and died for our sins, and we also believe God’s word. Furthermore, in order to have God’s faith that works miracles, we need to receive grace so that God will show us that He wants to be glorified in this situation and that He requires us to stand in faith and not doubt. Everyone will face a test of faith, so we must overcome the doubt in our hearts. God’s faith is a gift that we must ask for.
Be aware that you will meet Jesus face to face (video)
Post date: 2025-09-27Autor: BCP
Be aware that you will meet Jesus face to face. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Jesus is waiting for our faith
Post date: 2025-09-17Autor: BCP
We greatly need people who pray, suffer and sacrifice everything. This is all love, and what could be more useful in this short life, where not only our own eternity is decided, but that of others too? Through faith and sacrifice, we can save immortal souls. It is wonderful that Jesus waits for our faith, through which He wants to give grace not only to us, but also to others whom we can influence through our faith and prayers to turn to God, open their hearts to Him and follow Him.
Reflection on Jn 6:29
Post date: 2025-09-16Autor: BCP
A group of people once asked Jesus how they could do the work of God. Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” (Jn 6:29) God desires belief and faith from us, for “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6). The word of life we now repeat during our prayer stops also tells us that if we believe in the One whom the Father has sent, that is, Jesus, in a specific situation or problem, God responds to our faith by acting. The following verses give a deeper insight into this truth related to faith.
Be a warrior of God! (video)
Post date: 2025-09-15Autor: BCP
Be a warrior of God! + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Jesus is with me today and always
Post date: 2025-09-12Autor: BCP
Jesus says: “I am with you all the days of your life.” Jesus is with me today and always, whether I feel it or not. He said so and it is true! He calls us out of our self to fix our eyes of faith on Him. Instead of dwelling on the problems that are weighing us down, we should ask: What does God want now? What is God’s will? Then comes peace.
CLEMENT Disciple of the Apostle Peter. Volume 1
Post date: 2025-09-10Autor: BCP
Clement of Rome was a real person.He lived in the first century.He was a faithful disciple of the Apostle Peter.He came from a patrician familyrelated to the imperial Flavian dynasty.The family’s dramatic fate culminated in theirconversion to Christ. Clement became not onlya disciple of the Apostle Peter and participantin his mission, but also his successor. The book sheds a timely light aon the healthy roots of Christianity,which we need to return to ever anew.
Have salt in yourselves
Post date: 2025-09-09Autor: BCP
The younger generation longs for a great ideal. There is no greater ideal than following Jesus radically. Jesus says: “Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” (Mk 9:49-50) Therefore, we must be persistent in radically following Jesus. We must have salt, the fire of zeal, within us. At the same time, our old self must be crucified in our everyday life; in other words, we must lose “our own” for the sake of Jesus.
Do you have a place for Him? (video)
Post date: 2025-09-07Autor: BCP
Do you have a place for Him? + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Reflection on 1Pe 5:6-7
Post date: 2025-08-30Autor: BCP
Jesus should truly be the Lord of our lives. We should talk to Him in prayer about our problems, seek His will and, if He is truly our Lord, we have not lived our lives in vain, but fruitfully – both for time and, above all, for eternity.
Mary will never abandon us
Post date: 2025-08-27Autor: BCP
Today is a very serious time indeed. The spiritual atmosphere is poisoned. It is hard to discern what is what. New demonic forces are entering the scene and working through people who have power and influence – not only material, but also spiritual. The Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, is literally crucified. Now more than ever, it is crucial to unite with Jesus so that we may persevere and remain faithful to Him. We must also cooperate with the graces God gives us and the Mother of God mediates to us. We are her spiritual children. We must always keep our eyes on her. She will never abandon us.
How to carry our cross
Post date: 2025-08-25Autor: BCP
The enemy of God attacks in order to destroy the work of God, Christianity, to steal Christ – the life of God – from the souls and to lead them to eternal damnation. His attacks are from both without and within and have a meaning. We need to see them as a cross to be borne. The carrying of this cross is the will of God. However, before we can carry this cross, we need to deny ourselves. Jesus first demands: “Deny yourself!” and only then He adds: “Take up your cross!” To deny oneself means to be poor in spirit, to be humble.
Reflection on Jn 13:13
Post date: 2025-08-18Autor: BCP
Jesus Himself says to you: ‘You call Me your Teacher and Lord,’ and He adds: ‘and that is what I am.’ In this short Bible study, we will examine some quotes from Scripture and consider whether Jesus truly is my Lord. If He is not, and if my ego is my god, then I must pray: Jesus, be truly my Lord! Let us call out to Jesus from the depths of our hearts. Only then can we confess with the repentant Thomas: ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus, be truly my Lord and God! Jesus Christ is Saviour and Lord. Of all the titles of Jesus, the title ‘Lord’ became by far the most commonly used, wide-spread and important. It would hardly be going too far to say that the word ‘Lord’ became a synonym for the name of ‘Jesus’. What does Jesus mean to you? Which areas of your life do you feel are subject to His control? Anyone who wishes to be His disciple must carefully consider this often overlooked aspect of Christian practice.
Recourse to the Mother of Jesus
Post date: 2025-08-10Autor: BCP
Even an unbelieving person, when suddenly confronted by a difficult situation, subconsciously cries out like a small child: “Mummy!” We can have recourse to Mary as our Mother. Jesus gave her to us as our Mother. Eve is the mother of the human race. Mary became our spiritual Mother. The task of a mother is not only to give birth to or receive children, but to feed and rear them. Mary accompanied Jesus on His Way of the Cross. None of the people knew Him so intimately, none was in so deep unity with Him as His Mother. And Jesus gave His Mother to us, His children. We have the same Mother: you and I and Jesus.
Reflection on Eph 4:11-12
Post date: 2025-08-04Autor: BCP
We must realize that there are natural gifts and there are spiritual gifts. God gives the natural ones at birth. For example, some people have a good memory, they can learn quickly, others have a natural gift of caution, others of zeal, which is directly connected to their nature, so they do not have to force themselves into it. Some have the gift of mildness, patience, while others have to overcome themselves and deny themselves a lot in order to be patient. However, even these natural gifts are integrated by God through the Holy Spirit after conversion, so that on them, as on a healthy foundation, there is also a special grace that develops these natural gifts. For example, someone has a natural sense of self-criticism, of truthfulness, cannot be inactive when they see that it is necessary to make sacrifices and suffer for the truth, so they also have a natural disposition for the gift of prophecy. If someone recognizes these traits in themselves, it is necessary to pray that God, by His grace, will further confirm the prophetic gift in this disposition. Another has a natural gift to teach others. It is also necessary to pray that the Spirit of God will add to this gift the supernatural gift of being a teacher and explaining the truths of God. But I emphasize again that in order for all gifts to be functional, they must have a common denominator, and that is: denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Christ. If we put into practice the words of Jesus, ‘Repent and believe in the Gospel,’ the gifts develop. Otherwise, they stagnate and are ineffective.
“Lord, let fire come down from heaven!”
Post date: 2025-07-21Autor: BCP
At Elijah’s word: “Lord, let fire come down from heaven”, fire came down and consumed the bull on Mount Carmel, and then it came down twice more and consumed fifty soldiers each time. However, that fire had come down into him first. The Prophet Elijah had experience of the fire of God. This fire had already purified his soul. So this fire should purify us.