English > UOGCC Publications
Reflection on Rom 6:6
Post date: 2018-09-24Autor: BCP
The Word of God says that our old self was crucified with Christ so that the body of sin (soma hamartiás) might be done away with (katargéthé) or paralysed, or, in other words, so that the source of evil in us or our old self might be inactive – crucified. And the Scripture says that as a result we should no longer be slaves (dúleuzin) to sin. We are not even aware that we are slaves to sin, that we serve a master who is called sin and who holds us in bondage. We think we are free but we are not; we are slaves to sin. Only the one who is in unity with Christ is free. Jesus won true freedom for us through His death on the cross. And we can taste this freedom at the very moment when we are united to Christ.
Word of Life – Rom 6:4 (9/9/2018 – 23/9/2018)
Post date: 2018-09-08Autor: BCP
“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Reflection on Rom 6:4
Post date: 2018-09-08Autor: BCP
In this verse, the word of life emphasizes the word “buried”. When someone is buried, it means that it was preceded by an absolute death. So if we are united to Christ’s death by faith at the present moment, sin in us, our old self, i.e. the source of evil, is dead, inactive. And right here the second mystery reveals itself to us concerning baptism – a new life begins to work in us. It is not the life of angels or something like our past life but it is the life of God, the life of Jesus Christ in us! Through faith and unity with Christ’s death, we allow God, Jesus Christ, to live in us. And this is our greatest dignity!
Reflection on Rom 6:3
Post date: 2018-08-25Autor: BCP
It is said that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized – immersed – into His death. Let us realize that by dying on the cross, Jesus overcame sin which is in us, i.e. the source of evil and lies, as well as the devil. At the moment when He said, It is finished, the devil and sin was overcome, and the narrow way to eternal glory was opened for us. Finally, He added, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit, and died. So we need to realize the essence of baptism as well as the essence of Christianity – through baptism we are united to Christ, to His supreme sacrifice on the cross – i.e. death. Let us live this mystery by faith.
Word of Life – Rom 6:3 (26/8/2018 – 9/9/2018)
Post date: 2018-08-25Autor: BCP
“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?”
One for all, all for one (+german version)
Post date: 2018-08-24Autor: BCP
Although the four musketeers were fighters of the world, fighting in unity against evil and against church hierarchy, there was a lot of sense in their motto, if correctly understood: One for all, all for one. Jesus is the One because He has already died for us, and He wants to build this unity in us all.
Forsake everything! (+german version)
Post date: 2018-08-20Autor: BCP
Our programme is the words of Jesus: “Launch out into the deep!” “Forsake everything!” “Follow Me!” We should put the word “forsake” into practice every day. Forsake your pleasure or your plan and accept My (Jesus’) plan and will.
Word of Life – Rom 5:18 (12/8/2018 – 26/8/2018)
Post date: 2018-08-11Autor: BCP
“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.”
Reflection on Rom 5:18
Post date: 2018-08-11Autor: BCP
It is emphasized here again: Adam’s one trespass led to condemnation for all his descendants. On the other hand, one act of righteousness of the second Adam, Jesus Christ, leads to justification and life for all men. But there is one problem. Christ died for all people, but not all people will be saved. To be saved they must admit their sin both to themselves and to God, and accept by faith justification and life given us through Christ’s act of righteousness.
Reflection on Rom 5:15
Post date: 2018-07-28Autor: BCP
This Word of life points out again the relation to Adam, through whom sin entered human nature, and it points out our relation to Christ, through whom we have been justified by grace. For two weeks we are going to recite verse 15, which says, “But the free gift is not like the offense. By the one man’s offense many died.” For example, we know that if someone practises occultism, the curse for this offence is passed on through three to four generations. Naturally, its manifestation is not the same with all the offspring. For example, when the father is a chronic alcoholic, his children, mostly boys, are strongly predisposed to alcoholism. Of course, if they become conscious of the sins of their parents and pray with perseverance for the grace of God, they can overcome these consequences and are not affected by them.
Word of Life – Rom 5:15 (29/7/2018 – 12/8/2018)
Post date: 2018-07-28Autor: BCP
"But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many."
PRAYER OF UNITY AND POWER /second modified version/
Post date: 2018-07-22Autor: BCP
Mk 11:23: "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says." The name of Jesus comes from the Hebrew name Yehoshua*, which means: The Lord is salvation. This is the name of God, a holy name, and the Word of God says that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom 10:13). In this name the sick were healed and demons cast out (Mk 16:17; Acts 3:16; Acts 4:10). In this prayer of “unity and power”, pronounce slowly and quietly “Ye-ho-shu-” and then breathe out the lengthened vowel “aaa” three times. This helps to abide in God and His Word at the present moment (cf. Joh 15:7)
Christian Prayer – the Opposite of Mantras and Meditations (+video)
Post date: 2018-07-21Autor: BCP
When you will be dying, the most important thing will be to make an act of perfect contrition. This means to admit your sin and sinfulness and to call on the name of God. “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”(Rom 10:13). In the hour of your death, your eternity will be decided. Therefore, prepare for it in interior prayer. True life wisdom is to be mindful of death and eternity!
Word of Life – Gal 5:16-17 (15/7/2018 – 29/7/2018)
Post date: 2018-07-14Autor: BCP
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”
Reflection on Gal 5:16-17
Post date: 2018-07-14Autor: BCP
Walking in the Spirit is a stimulus to self-sacrificing love, as Jesus says: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My words.” And He continues: “We will come to him,” – the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus – “and make Our home with him” (Jn 14:23). The keeping of Jesus’ words entails little sacrifices, a kind of self-discipline, without which self-sacrificing love of God and man is impossible. And this sacrifice indeed is our spiritual act of worship. Whenever we lose, for God’s sake, the evil desires that tempt us, this our sacrifice in which the Holy Spirit strengthens us brings us true freedom and, moreover, we bear the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace. This spiritual act of worship involves short moments of a living faith and inner self-denial – that is a sacrifice which brings us peace and joy.
Word of Life – Gal 4:18-19 (1/7/2018 – 15/7/2018)
Post date: 2018-06-30Autor: BCP
“It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.”
Reflection on Gal 4:18-19
Post date: 2018-06-30Autor: BCP
Let us focus, in this Word of life, on the depth of the words: “I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.”The word formed is of great importance here. It is the Greek verb “morfoó” which means “to morph, or to form” or in the passive voice “to assume a form, or to be formed”. “Metamorphosis” is a familiar word which means transformation. The Apostle is zealous for one thing: that Christians become mature, that they be truly rooted in Christ, and he literally says, that Christ be formed in them. And he himself not only prays for them, not only instructs them in God’s Word, but he himself undergoes this process of change spiritually. He literally says: “I am in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” The Apostle undergoes this process and endures this pain practically until the end of his life. It culminates in his martyr’s death in Rome, which again is a sacrifice for his spiritual children, won by him for Christ, who became children of God, heirs of God’s kingdom.
Let us live this day, this very moment, by faith (+german version)
Post date: 2018-06-28Autor: BCP
Someone can say: “I will live a lukewarm life, which will not cost me much effort, and then I will go to purgatory.” But this is foolish. What costs pennies here on earth will cost thousands or millions in eternity. Only a fool would miss a chance to escape purgatory. We have a precious thing here on earth, which is called time. Let us redeem the time, transform it by faith.
Word of Life – Gal 3:26-27 (17/6/2018 – 1/7/2018)
Post date: 2018-06-16Autor: BCP
“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
Reflection on Gal 3:26-27
Post date: 2018-06-16Autor: BCP
Let us be aware that we are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus rather than through works. We are in Him spiritually; not only through baptism – as it is written that being baptized into Christ we have clothed ourselves with Christ – but also through faith and through the holy sacraments we should be aware of this deep truth, draw strength from it for spiritual struggle and rejoice that Jesus is with us, that we are in Him, and He is in us. As Jesus said: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.” And this happens during Holy Communion in the Divine Liturgy.