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Union With God

By: H.G. Bishop Moussa

"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I in him." (Jn.6: 56)

Thus said our glorious Lord, but do you allow me, dear reader, to repeat this verse in the negative? "He who does not eat My flesh and does not drink My blood, does not abide in Me and neither do I abide in him!!" Do you not agree with me that this is an alarming version and its result a painful one?!

If you find that you are spiritually weak and not fixed in Christ and that Christ does not abide in you, you will know that the reason is that you do not take Holy Communion regularly or with preparedness.

What is Holy Communion?

It is simply "union with Christ", for we eat and drink of the body and blood of Christ, so the Lord of glory enters into us and unites with us, and we are grafted into him like the branches are grafted in the vine.

The matter is most reasonable, for if the food that a child eats is transformed into blood and flesh and tissues, what is the problem with the same thing happening to the bread and wine which become the body and blood of the Lord? What is important is that:

I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world ... Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life ... for my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in me, and I in him. (Jn. 6: 47 - 58).

The Jews were astonished at those words and the disciples found them hard; who can understand it? (Jn. 6: 60).

The Lord, however, insisted on what He had said although some people went back. He declared the necessity of walking by faith, asserting the truth of the Holy body and blood.

It is He who commanded insistently that we "break the bread" when He said ?Do this in remembrance of Me? (Lk. 22: 20). This is a remembrance in kind, just like the remembrance of the manna from the measure of manna which symbolized the true manna, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord entrusted this same mystery to our teacher, St. Paul:

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread. and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." And the same thing happened with the cup.... "This cup is the new covenant in My blood.? (1 Cor. 11: 23 -25).

Therefore, it is a matter of the Lord entrusting this to the apostles and the apostles to us. So let us keep that with which we have been entrusted.

Not Deserving

Someone might say: "I believe in all that, but I am undeserving. This is both light and fire and I cannot 'preserve the Holy Communion'! Did you not hear what the apostle Paul says: Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. (1 Cor. 11: 27).

Do you want me to become a criminal where the body and blood of the Lord are concerned?... God forbid!!"

But I say to you, dear reader: Continue to read the verse ..... But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. (1 Cor. 11: 28).

This means that you are to examine yourself and to confess any transgression that disturbs your conscience. Struggle against it and you will have victory over it in the strength of the Lord, and in the strength of the body and the blood you will win and be sanctified!

Is it conceivable that we let the disease ravage our body and reject the remedy?! The remedy is present on the altar every day ... given for our salvation and the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life to all who partake of it.

Let go of sin ... and not of Communion!

Let go of dissension ... and not of Communion.

Christ is waiting for you on the altar to grant you forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life, so do not delay and may the Lord be with you.

My Lord Jesus Christ,

In the Eucharist, I see You, I touch You, I talk to You, I unite with You!

Your blood flows in my veins!

Your flesh unites with my weak flesh!

Lasting life and strength are poured into me and the strength that comes from abiding in Your person.

Lord, I neglect to partake of Holy Communion regularly, being prepared, in the fervor of love.

When do I start... and continue?

When do I go to the depth of Your eternal gift of love that is present with us everyday on the altar?!

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Words Of Thanks

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."
Proverbs 31: 8-9

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We wanted to thank all those who attended the lecture given by Fr. Mattias Nasr Mankarious. There was a great turn out. We also want to thank the following:

Fr. Isaac Tanios
St. Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church, Palatine
Fr. Yohanna Nassif
St. Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church, Palatine
Fr. Wilbur David Ellsworth
Holy Transfiguration Antiochian Orthodox Church
Pastor Rev. Raouf Boulos
The Moody Church

We especially want to thank Fr. Mattias for being our speaker. Fr. Mattias was eager to go back to Egypt and, as he said, to be next to his children in their time of need. We want to thank him for being a beam of light for Christianity and standing up for the preservation of Christianity in Egypt. The Bible teaches us in the Book of Matthew: " ...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matt 5:16).

Thank you Fr. Mattias for being the light for us to all see and for being the father teaching your children the love, peace, and mercy of Christ. We know how hard it is for you to see your children murdered, but we know that you are consoled to know that in dying in the name of Christ, they will be saved.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.
(John 16:32-33)

To download the power point presentation, click here.

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