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Melchizedek to Jesus: The Divine Thread of Bread and Wine

...lood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day” (John 6:54). These statements caused confusion and controversy among His listeners, yet they hint towards the spiritual reality of the Eucharist as a true participation in the body and blood of Christ and affirm the belief that the Eucharist is not merely symbolic, but a real and mysterious participation in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is also something that was recognised by a number of Early Church Fathers in their commentary and interpretations of John 6. Credit: @DefenseofSanity The Eucharist Today The Eucharist (from the Greek meaning “thanksgiving”)...

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?

...Today we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! What a wonderful day to remember and praise, but not just because Jesus was raised to new life, but because in that moment it sealed the promise of our own hope in God. Through Jesus' death and resurrection, we can now be partakers in that new, eternal life! 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” "Where, O death, is your sting?" Paul write...

Before The Pumpkins: Faith In The Flames

...y rise to eternal life in both body and soul, made incorruptible by the power of the Holy Spirit. As the fire was lit, the witnesses recorded something extraordinary! The flames, they said, curved around him like the sail of a ship filled by the wind, refusing to touch his body. Those nearby claimed his flesh glowed like bronze in a furnace, and a sweet scent — like incense or baking bread — filled the air. Finally, when a soldier pierced him with a sword, such a rush of blood poured out that it extinguished the fire. The fire of faith burns hotter than any earthly flame. Polycarp’s calm in the midst of terror testifies that death could not defea...

Raised in the Heavenlies!

...Easter is upon us once again! Lent is over, Good Friday has passed and now the time for mourning and fasting is complete. It's a time to feast, a time to remember and celebrate the resurrection of Christ as we look forward to our own final resurrection!But what really is the resurrection? How will we be resurrected, and what does it mean for us that Jesus rose again? Let’s explore what this means for us as Christians, and see what the Scriptures say. The resurrection is spiritual! That heading may cause some reading this to question me, but do read on – this is actually what the New Testament teaches us (though not only this type of resurrection). Many ti...

Lent Day 24: Athanasius: life of Anthony: Chaps. 31-40

...Day Twenty-four: St. Athanasius: life of Anthony: Chaps. 31-40 Who: Bishop of Alexandria; Confessor and Doctor of the Church; born c. 296; died 2 May, 373 AD. He was the main defender of orthodoxy in the 4th-century battle against the Arianism heresy. Certain writers received the title “Doctor” on account of the great advantage their doctrine had on the whole Church, Athanasius especially for his doctrine on the incarnation. What: The biography of Anthony the Great’s life, which helped to spread the concept of Christian monasticism, particularly in Western Europe. Why: From the letter’s own prologue: “The life and conversation of our holy Father,...

My new book, available now! Take a journey through the first 400 years of Church History in only 40 days!

...Take a journey through the first 400 years of Church History in only 40 days! "40 Days with the Fathers" is a daily reading plan/devotional spread out over forty days; and over the course of this reading plan you will read extracts and commentary on 23 different early Church texts from a selection of some of the most influential Church Fathers, such as: Didache, Diognetus, Polycarp, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Cyprian, Athanasius, Cyril of Jerusalem, Ambrose of Milan, and Leo the Great. These people who came before us, those great men of faith, many of whom suffered persecution and martyrdom to preserve the Church and Christ's mission, bridge the gap between th...