The basic pillars of spiritual life are:

1) contemplation of the Last Things – death, judgement, eternity

2) contemplation of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection.

 

At the beginning of the third millennium, mass apostasy from Christianity reaches its peak. Historical-critical theology (HCT) has cast doubt upon the Divinity of Christ, His redemptive sacrifice on the cross, His resurrection, and even upon the inspiration of the Scripture. The Nostra aetate declaration and the apostatical gesture of John Paul II in Assisi in 1986 replaced reverence for God by reverence for demons and paganism. This led to destruction of the Christian identity and true mission. The most powerful means of demonization of the Church is obedience to the apostatical hierarchy. These traitors are in unity of the spirit with Freemasons. Under false obedience, masses of the Catholic believers officially follow the way to eternal damnation.

In the years 2009-2010, the Bishops’ Synod of the Ukrainian orthodox Greek-Catholic Church (UOGCC) appealed to all Catholic hierarchs to confess the true faith and to renounce heresies. They did not do so (with only few exceptions). They have fallen under God’s curse. The sacraments which they administer – Holy Orders, Divine Liturgy, Confession – are valid no longer.

If Pope Benedict XVI promulgates blasphemous beatification of the apostate John Paul II, he himself will bring down God’s anathema upon himself. In fact, by this gesture he will pronounce a posthumous anathema upon John Paul II as well. The beatification will be a public tragicomedy. Through this very gesture, both these Popes will be publicly excommunicated from the Church.

It is God who declares this anathema. It is laid down in the Word of God, in the statement of the Apostle Paul: “Even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema)! As I have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” (Gal 1:8-9)

The sincere priests and believers ask: What shall we do? How are we to discern at this time of utter confusion and betrayal on the part of the Church hierarchy? The Church is one, holy, universal (Catholic), apostolic. These signs of the orthodoxy of the Church are in Jesus Christ, in His Gospel, in the apostles’ teaching and in the tradition of the saints. Traitors and heretics who have the spirit of antichrist, even though they hold high offices, do not belong to this holy Church. Under their rule she has become the harlot of antichrist. Those who have fallen away from Christ and from the Gospel and stubbornly refuse to repent will be eternally condemned. There are no alternative ways to salvation (cf. Acts 4:12).

To the question what we should do there was, is and always will be only one answer by God: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15), and not in the apostatical Church hierarchy. How is one to repent and how to believe in the Gospel? One has to admit one’s sin. To call it by its proper name. To break with it as well as with the heresy of the HCT and with the heretical spirit of Assisi. All this contradicts the orthodox doctrine of the Church. After making this step, it is necessary to receive Jesus as one’s personal Saviour and Lord. And then to follow Him in accordance with the Gospel.

 

The Bishops’ Synod of the UOGCC offers here a spiritual framework of the renewal of believers and of the whole Church.

It contains three points:

A) contemplation of the sufferings of the Lord,

B) celebration of Sunday,

C) the liturgical hours.

 

Ad A) Contemplation of the sufferings of the Lord

It consists of reflections on Gethsemane, the Way of the Cross and the seven last words from the cross.

The optimal time for reflection is from 20:00 to 21:00, the so-called holy hour.

 

On Thursday from 20:00 to 21:00 we contemplate:

a) the Last Supper and Gethsemane,

b) from Gethsemane to Golgotha,

c) the first word from the cross.

 

On Friday from 20:00 to 21:00 we contemplate:

a) the second word from the cross

b) the third word from the cross

c) the fourth word from the cross.

 

On Saturday from 20:00 to 21:00 we contemplate:

a) the fifth word from the cross

b) the sixth word from the cross

c) the seventh word from the cross.

 

Ad B) Celebration of Sunday

On Saturday after 21:00, the night begins when we experience Christ’s resurrection. It is not known exactly at what hour it happened, and therefore the whole night is holy. We begin with one-hour contemplation of the Resurrection of Christ:

a) the reality of Christ’s resurrection,

b) the Mother of Jesus’ resurrection with Christ,

c) our resurrection with Christ.

We pray so from 21:30 to 22:30.

 

We can pray the second hour either during the night or early in the morning:

a) the apparition of angels rolling away the stone,

b) the risen Christ meeting Mary Magdalene,

c) the risen Christ meeting the women.

 

Third hour:

a) the risen Christ meeting with Peter,

b) the meeting by the Lake of Gennesaret,

c) Christ’s Ascension into heaven.

 

Fourth hour from 8:00 to 9:00 – we live in prayer the reality of the descent of the Holy Spirit with faith:

a) baptism with the Holy Spirit,

b) baptism with fire

c) asking for and receiving the gift of prophecy.

 

In the afternoon or during the holy hour from 20:00 to 21:00 we pray the fifth hour:

a) Emmaus,

b) the meeting with the apostles,

c) the meeting with Thomas.

 

The community of believers meets together on Sunday afternoon. In accordance with the Acts of the Apostles 2:42, their meeting includes:

a) prayer,

b) a biblical lecture (one hour)– i.e. the apostles’ teaching

c) time of sharing (one hour) – i.e. fellowship

d) the liturgy (one hour) – unless one attended the liturgy at another time.

 

Ad C) The liturgical hours

Church tradition had it that at regular time intervals the believers, especially the religious, stopped several times a day to pray. (Ps. 119:164) We propose restoration of this well-tried tradition of the Church. This concerns the time when getting up, 9:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 21:00 and before bedtime. We pray a short prayer of perfect contrition and perfect love. At the end of the prayer we repeat a verse from the Holy Scripture, which is given for two weeks. The Word of Life for two weeks can be found on our web pages: www.uogcc.org.ua.