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On the Feast of the Nativity, a sermon by Leo the Great

...d, Christ Jesus. On the Feast of the Nativity, I. I. All share in the joy of Christmas Our Saviour, dearly-beloved, was born today: let us be glad. For there is no proper place for sadness, when we keep the birthday of the Life, which destroys the fear of mortality and brings to us the joy of promised eternity. No one is kept from sharing in this happiness. There is for all one common measure of joy, because as our Lord the destroyer of sin and death finds none free from charge, so is He come to free us all. Let the saint exult in that he draws near to victory. Let the sinner be glad in that he is invited to pardon. Let the gentile take courage in that he is...

Lent Day 34: Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Lectures: Lecture XXIII

...our Lord Jesus Christ:--To whom be glory and honour and might, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and world without end. Amen  ...

Creedal Christians: Introduction

...in Christ Jesus." (Apostle Paul, Gal 3:28) With that of the Greek and Jewish sayings: “There are three blessings for which I am grateful to fortune: First, that I was born a human being and not one of the brutes; Next, that I was born a man and not a woman; Thirdly, a Greek and not a barbarian” (A quote attributed to Socrates or Thales; Diogenes Laertius, Thales 1.33). “Blessed are you, Lord, our God, ruler of the universe who has not created me a woman.” (This appears as part of a sequence of blessings found in the Talmud, which men would recite in their morning prayers) There’s also other examples of early New Testament creeds, of vari...

Power Cuts and the Fear of God

...e warning Jesus gives us about the Father in Matthew 10:28— Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. God is that electricity that can light up our world, protect us and keep up safe when we plug into Him as intended (via following His commands and Laws), but if we go astray or don’t follow the “instructions”, then that power outlet can be something to be feared! I know this isn’t like my usual articles, but I hope that this is helpful to some in garnering a better understanding of the fear of the Lord, framed in a modern context. Let me...

Christians and the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

...words of Jesus: “Love your neighbour” should guide us in this situation in all things, and what’s more loving than not infecting people with a potentially deadly disease? Stay vigilant, wash your hands, and limit physical contact where possible. I’ll close this with the words of St. Teresa of Avila as some inspiration for us during this trying time: “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are t...

When did Christians become so whiny?

...to be, as Jesus instructed us to be, but whether we belong to one of those churches/movements or not, the change begins with us.  When Google's auto-complete ends the sentence, "why are Christians..." with "so loving," then I think we will have begun to make some difference in the world and in the minds of all the onlookers. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.     Sources and further reading: http://www.earlychurch.com/childlike-obedience.php http://jitterbuggingforJesus.com/2009/10/28/see...