I  TRUST...

My friend, today, it is an indisputable fact that reality is not only what our five senses can conceive. In other words, we have come to the definition of faith that the Bible itself gave over  twenty centuries ago: «Faith is the act of  believing in things not seen.» (Hebrews 11,1).

That is why we today consider that there is no point in wavering between faith and non-faith. So,  we  courageously  take  the  responsibilities  that  arise  out  of  the commands of our faith and state defiantly that we believe not just that there is vaguely a supreme being  that rules everything but that there is specifically one God, real, alive, almighty who  takes care of everything in creation and especially of  all  of  us,  His  own  children,  with  infinite  love  and  wisdom;  and  He  is  the  one  we  trust.

However, every man is free to accept Him or not. His decision is based thoroughly on the clarity of  his mind and heart.

 «Blessed  are  they  who  are  clear  in  heart  for  they  will  see  God.» (Matthew 5,8)

emphasizes Christ; that is to say, only with our heart free from egoism and its subsequent distrust,  or  refusal,  can  we  accept  God,  trust  Him entirely, love Him completely, communicate with Him, and, finally, feel the absolute fulfillment and real happiness which is found only in the arms of our Creator.

                     I truly believe that God exists, so, I trust Him. 

***

I  LOVE...

My friend, I love my Lord and chant: «God  the  father,  God  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  the Holy Trinity in one Unit». One God, three persons, three  aspects  of one God, one essence... endless  questions are raised. However,  I love means I trust, even this mystery which my human reason cannot  accept; so, I am tranquil, at peace.

Therefore,  I  push aside  my  egoism and  my  demand  for  omniscience,  which  were  responsible  for my being expelled  from Paradise, where I knew  face-to-face  communication  with  God, who is Himself  the absolute happiness. For us, dear friend, life  near  God  is Happiness whilst life away from Him, the God of Love, is the  cause  of  every  misfortune.

Our  Creator - the  father  of  love - who  loves  his  disobedient  child  (like  the  prodigal  son of the parable ), sends to us His own Son, the second person of the  Holy Trinity, to become a human being,  both  human  and  God  so  as  to  bring  the  Gospel  and  the  happiness to  all of us who have chosen to live a life without God. Christ  came  down to  Earth  and revealed to us the real purpose of our life and its  fundamental  meaning.  He showed us the way to achieve this fulfillment, following His  own  steps  and  will. He  is  the  one  who  supports  us  in  the  difficulties  on  our  life. He  is  the  one who, reassures us firmly about our final victory over evil, misery and death as He was the first that proved so with His Resurrection.

That is why we call Him Our Saviour and await the Day of Judgment,  His  second  coming  on  Earth  which  will  take  place  whenever  He  wishes  so,  in  order  to judge us all- whether we are worthy or not; and thus, to live with Him in His Paradise for  ever.

We love Him and we feel happy, content. He loves us so much that we can barely imagine it. And this bond of love enables a dream of a community of love amongst all the human beings and Earth.

So, I love without asking for explanations for everything.  

I love with my heart and not with my mind. This is the mystery of Divine L o v e.

I COMMUNICATE...                                 

My friend, if you are in love, you really want to see, to hear and to  be  with   your beloved one all the time. In the same way, our friend, just because we love our God, we want to show our love to Him by communicating with Him constantly.

We communicate with God in various ways:

Firstly, through our prayers which are to us as vital as our breath. We pray to God and leave our heart free to hear His Voice.

In addition, by making the sign of the cross in which we take great pride and which shows to us how far God is love for us can go.

By honouring the Blessed Virgin Mary, His Mother who, in contrast to Eve, obeyed God's will modestly and thus gave birth to Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

By honouring our Saints, ordinary men and women, like you and me, who by their holy living on Earth and their love and obedience to God have won a place in heaven near Him and who stand by us in every difficulty.

By building churches and decorating them in the best possible way in order to honour our Dearest God and the Saints.

By honouring the icons of Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the holy persons that have lived in our world and whom we have been able to portray so as to remember them and strive to imitate their exemplary lives.

By being baptized in water in order to emerge bearing God's seal.

By  confessing  face-to-face  with  our  confessor  as  our  Lord  defined  in  order  to  have our sins and errors pardoned.

By studying His Word, the Holy Scriptures, and following the Holy  Orthodox Tradition.

And  above  all, by participating, after we have been prepared by fasting and  confession,  in  the  “common  cup" of   the Holy Communion, the greatest of the Holy Sacraments, which Jesus Christ gave to us and which is performed during the common prayer, the liturgy thereby receiving  the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

Thus, our communication with God is complete. 

Well,  my friend, we trust, love and communicate with God, our Father.

What about you?

***

This is the Holy Orthodox Church

     The Holy Orthodox Church is the Church founded by Jesus Christ and described in the pages of the New Testament. The history of the Orthodox Church can be traced back to the time of the disciples. For almost 2,000 years, this Church has not changed its faith or its tradition. The doctrine, worship and structures have remained intact since the early centuries of Christianity...

     In the modern world there is a desperate search for meaning and spiritual experience. Growing numbers of people find what they are searching for in the Orthodox Church.

    The Holy Orthodox Church extends a warm welcome to all those who wish to embrace the Christian faith and live a life close to God.

     If you want to contact us for information, please consult my website www.zoiforos.gr  for contact details.

    May God be with you.

Panayiotis Tsagaris

I Believe...,

I believe in one God the Father Almighty,

Maker of Heaven and Earth,

And of all things visible and  invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

The only-begotten Son of God,

Begotten of the Father before all worlds,

Light of Light, Very God of Very God,

Begotten, non made,

Being of one substance with the Father,

By whom all things were made :

Who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven,

And was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary,

And was made man,

And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

He suffered and was buried,

And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures,

And ascended into Heaven,

And sitteth on the right hand of the Father.

And he shall come again with glory to judge both the alive and The dead;

Whose kingdom shall have no end.

And in the Holy Ghost,

The Lord and giver of life,

Who proceedeth from the Father,

Who spake by the Prophets.

And in one Holy, Catholic  and Apostolic Church.

I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.

And I look for the Resurrection of the dead,

And the life of the world to come.

Amen.

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