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Lent Day 31: Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Lectures: Lecture XX

..., Son and Holy Spirit. Three times in the water as Christ was three days in the grave. Though we don't really die, nor get buried, nor get resurrected in that moment physically, “our imitation was in a figure, and our salvation in reality”. Like many other early church writers, Cyril views baptism as a way in which our sins are washed away, probably due to passages like Acts 2:38 (“...so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”) and 2 Peter 3:21 (“And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience…). So Cyril writes that...

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

...n, in the Holy Spirit , Who for His great mercy, wherewith He has loved us, has had pity on us: and when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5), that we might be in Him a new creation and a new production. Let us put off then the old man with his deeds: and having obtained a share in the birth of Christ let us renounce the works of the flesh. Christian, acknowledge your dignity, and becoming a partner in the Divine nature, refuse to return to the old baseness by degenerate conduct. Remember the Head and the Body of which you are a member. Recollect that you were rescued from the power of darkness and brought out into God's li...

The Temptations of Jesus: Testing God

...that the Holy Spirit gives (1 Corinthians 12:10) so we can go forth in the full armour of God under the protection that God actually promised us (Ephesians 6:10-18).   Further reading: Josephus: Antiquities, 15.11,5 (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/josephus/ant-15.html#b19) https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/pinnacle/ http://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/4-5.htm  ...

Unveiling the Trinity: Exploring the Nature of Jesus and the Incarnation

...on of the Holy Spirit as God, rather than a separate or lesser being (John 14:15-31). The New Testament further clarifies these theological concepts, especially regarding the incarnation: John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." Philippians 2:6-7 "[Jesus], who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men." So, when Jesus was praying, He was communicating with the F...

Is Halloween a Pagan Holiday?

...It's that time of year when you begin to see various articles and debates online about Hallowe'en, and whether it's entirely pagan in origin and the Church "stole it"; or if it's something that Christians should even have any part in. Table of Contents Origins of the holiday Aren’t there pagan roots? What about “Trick or Treat”, costumes and pumpkins? In conclusion To some people, the answer is a straightforward “no”, while others say it falls into the realm of Christian freedom and personal discernment. But what about if you're unsure or somewhere in the middle of those two positions, how should you decide what is the right thing to do?...

Lent Day 36: Ambrose of Milan: Concerning the Mysteries: 5-9

...Day Thirty-six: St. Ambrose of Milan: Concerning the Mysteries: 5-9 Who: Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397; born probably 340, at Trier, Arles, or Lyons; died 4 April, 397. He was one of the most illustrious Fathers and Doctors of the Church. What: The treatise was composed for use during the latter part of Lent, for the benefit of those about to be baptised, the rites and meaning of that Sacrament, as well as of Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist. For all these matters were treated with the greatest reserve in the Early Church, for fear of being misused by unbelievers. Why: Ambrose states that after the explanations he has already given of Holy living (in pre...