January 22, 2024 • 48 mins
This show topic will examine the parable of the Great Banquet.
All are invited to the Banquet, but only a few will respond to the invitation. What happens to those who decline the invitation?
What are their excuses for not attending?
How will the Master react to their choice of not attending the Great Banquet?
Listen and find out!
O Gladsome Light is broadcast live Mondays at 11AM ET.
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All are invited to the Banquet, but only a few will respond to the invitation. What happens to those who decline the invitation?
What are their excuses for not attending?
How will the Master react to their choice of not attending the Great Banquet?
Listen and find out!
O Gladsome Light is broadcast live Mondays at 11AM ET.
O Gladsome Light TV Show is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).
O Gladsome Light Radio Show is broadcast on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com).
O Gladsome Light Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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The topics and opinions express and thefollowing show are solely those of the hosts
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choosing W FOURCY Radio. Welcome tothe Old Glansome Light Podcast. This program
contains preaching and teaching from an OrthodoxChristian perspective to help you in your walk
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with Jesus Christ and to be victoriousin Him. Well, welcome to the
show eleven o'clock here on W fourC Why it's the Blansome Light Radio Show
eleven o'clock AM Eastern Standard Time.I'm your show host, Doctor L.
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Petros Man's I have a Doctor ofDivinity degree and I'm also known as Father
petros I'm broadcasting from W four cyInternet radio around the world twenty four to
seven, also podcasting on iHeartRadio.I encourage you to visit my website oh
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blassomlight dot org and subscribe to myYouTube channel named al Man's Hit the Bell
and subscribe so he can get thenew shows as their I post them on
YouTube. The show is blessed byMetropolitan Mchiseldeck of the Orthodox Church of ep
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Ross. Our slogan is preparing Soulsfor Heaven, Preparing Souls for Heaven,
and I'm broadcasting from Say Peter andPaul Orthodox Chapel here in sunny West Palm
Beach, Florida. The show topictoday is called It's supper time. Now
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go back, set your way backhere and go back and when your memory
when you were a child, mymom called out on the kitchen, it's
supper time. Go wash your handsand come to the table. No,
I'm not sure if you call itsupper or dinner. I think they're synonymous.
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But whatever, if you're from acertain region at suffer from another region,
it's dinner. The bottom line isfood is set on the table.
And so when I came to thetable, I never knew what my mom
had made for dinner, but Iwas expected to eat it or go to
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bed hungry. There was no choiceon the menu. My mom was not
a short ordered cook. Also,we had dogs, and if the dog
didn't like the food that was onmy plate, I would try to feed
him, and if he didn't likeit, then I was stuck to eat
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that food or go to bed hungry. Now, sometimes when I got up
in the morning and got ready forschool, my mom would have the same
food warmed up sitting on the tablefor me to eat. I go,
ah. I thought I saw thelast of it before going to bed.
But now what do I do?Either eat it or still go hungry.
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My mom was looking out for thebest. I know, when we're children,
we don't like the green stuff,But now since I'm older, I
really enjoy all the greens that weeat. So the parable today I'm going
to talk about. We call itit's supper time. It's the Great Banquet.
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So let's dive into this the GreatBanquet. Inspired by God and led
by the Holy Spirit, the HolyFathers of the Church have placed the reading
of the Parable of the Great Banquetin the season of Advent, two studies
before the Feast of the Holy Nativityof Our Lord in God, our Savior
Jesus Christ. Like a gleaming multifaceteddiamond of imaginable worth. It casts many
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pertinent images upon the reader and thedoer of God's holy word. One who
was in the company of the followersof Christ, having been touched by the
solemn teaching of our Lord, meaningwell, but having not fully comprehended his
teaching teachings, makes the remark,blessed is everyone who shall eat the bread
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in the Kingdom of God. Seeingthis individual, Pharisees who were with him
were implying that to be invited toenter into God's Kingdom is the same as
to be in it. Our Lordbegins this terrible then his intent to teach
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the Jews, and through them,to teach us that those who would pride
themselves as being near the Kingdom,may it, may they are not obedient
to God, fall far short ofit, and maybe excluded from it.
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A certain man was giving a bigdinner, and he invited many. In
the old times, when one prepareda feast in the land of Israel,
the event was announced long beforehand,the invitations were sent out and acknowledge as
accepted. When the day finally cameand all things were in readiness, servants
were sent to summon again already invitedguests. To have accepted the invitation beforehand,
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and then to refuse it when theday arrived was considered a very grave
insult in the parable the master ofGod. Of course, the originally invited
guests were the Jews, and throughouttheir history had awaited the day when God
would summon them through the Messiah.But when God did, they tragically refused
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his invitation. The poor who aregathered from the streets and the lands of
the city, those who are crippledin, blind and lame are the tax
collectors. And the sinners who cameforth and welcome welcomed our Lord in a
manner in which the Jews never haddone. Those who were gathered from the
highways and along the hedges are thegentiles for whom there was still room God's
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peacet It was only when the Jewshad refused God's invitation and had left his
banquet table empty, that the invitationthen went out to the Gentiles. The
command in the parable compelled them tocome in that my house may be filled
only speaks of the great love thatGod has for all of us, and
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that he is willing to do everythingto save his creation. In the Kingdom
of God, there is only onecompulsion, that is the compulsion of His
unceasing love for us. The Parablespoke of a threat to the Jews,
who had refused God's invitation, andit brought on dreamed of glorious joy to
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sinners and outcasts, and to thegentiles who have never imagined receiving such a
gift. And it provoked the Jewsto jealousy. It also reveals the great
truths, which are forever without change, yet always knew and vital for today.
In the Parable, the invited guestsmade their excuses, and the excuses
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of mankind continued to be made withlittle difference even today. Please note,
all the excuses are carnal and areof this creation, But they all alike
began to make excuses. The servantssaw each separately and received their answers individually.
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There is no reason to believe thatthey had ever meant to frame a
plan to collectively insult their host.While not in concert, they had acted
in the same fashion. They wereof one kind, and although they answered
the servants separately, they all answeredin a similar manner. While spoken by
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different individuals and molded by different circumstances, says they were all the same type
of excuses. In an alienated heart, there is an intense unwillingness to be
or to abide near God. Consequently, there is the conception and production of
walls which will shield one's conscience fromthe sight of God's holiness. When the
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poor were invited to the banquet,they hasten to come. When we are
invited to the divine banquet, dowe begin to make excuses? Now?
The first one said, I boughta piece of land, and I need
to go out and look at it. Saint Gregory, the great rites by
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the farm is meant earthly substance,so he goes out to it. Who,
for the purpose of gain, thinksonly of the worldly things. He
allows the claims of business to usurpthe claims of God, indeed of us,
are so immersed in matters of thisworld that we have little time for
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worship or even for prayer. Inseeking to worship, Mammon, we have
forgotten the trying in God. Wehave wandered from the narrow path of righteousness
that leads to salvation. Now thesecond excuse, I have bought five yoke
of oxen. I'm going to trythem out now. Saint Augustine writes,
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the five yoke of Oxen means thefive senses of the body. It is
through these bodily senses that earthly thingsare sought. For he had allowed the
claims of novelty to assert the claimsof our Lord. This is so often
the case when we enter into newpossessions. We become so taken up by
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them that the claims of worship andof God are crowded out of our lives.
We acquire a recreational vehicle called anRV, a boat, or perhaps
a cabin in some remote place.Then we begin to excuse ourselves. We
would love to attend the divine liturgy, but it is so perisly easy for
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a new game, a new hobby, or even a new friendship to ugly
possess us, and it keep usaway from God. I've seen pictures of
snow covered football stadiums, and thepeople are out there shoveling the snow off
the seats for the big game.And I wonder if they would come to
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the church and shovel the walk atthe church and come and worship the Lord
Jesus Christ. Remember that this horseis football is all entertainment. Becoming to
church is the medicine for our soul, for eternal life. Now, the
third one said, even more finalitythan the others, I have married a
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wife. For that reason I cannotcome. One of the merciful laws of
the Old Testament states when a manis newly married, he shall not go
out with the army or be chargedwith any businesses. He shall be free
at home one year to be happywith his wife whom he has taken,
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And that comes out of the TorahDeuterotomy, Chapter twenty four, verse five.
Without doubt, this very law maywell have been in this man's mind.
It is one of life's great tragediesthat we allow good things to crowd
out the claims of God. OurLord use symbols to more precisely convey his
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meaning when it appeared too profound forthe people to comprehend. Many times,
the Lord would come and talk tothe farmers and relate to them through the
harvest and planting, and so forth. He would go to the fisherman,
and he would relate parables and teachingsof the kingdom to the fishermen, so
they would get it. They'd understandit from a frame of reference. The
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symbol of the feast presents us withtwo distinct avenues. It is to be
regarded as the heavenly banquet which awaitsall who are summoned and admitted into the
Kingdom of God, and it isalso to be seen as the mystical Supper,
which is offered to us through holycommunion in this creation. When we
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attend the Divine Liturgy, christ followersknew that God's full coming through the Messiah
had long been portrayed as a feastfor his people, at which they would
proclaim, Behold, this is ourGod for whom we have waited that he
might save us. And Isaiah twentyfive, verse nine, this is the
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Lord for whom we have waited.Let us rejoice and be glad in his
salvation. This invitation is a timewhen God offers us all the joyful opportunity
to become renewed, but at alsoa time during which we are too prone
to make excuses. Our Lord willbe born anew within us, and we
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will be summoned to follow the Starlike the wise men, to offer the
shelter to the Virgin Mary and theChrist Child to take our place with the
shepherds and the animals, and topartake of his mystical supper. He will
invite us, but we must acknowledgeand accept the invitation. There must be
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no excuses. We cannot truly worshiphim unless our adoration finds expression and something
more than words. It reminds meof the Tatuses and the Pharisees. The
Lord says you. You have melip service, but your heart is far
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from me. Now there is anessential truth to an inscription found on the
walls of a mid evil church,and it goes like this, God,
the Lord speaks to you. Youcall me eternal, but you seek me
not. You call me mighty,but you fear me not. You call
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me merciful, but you honor menot. You call me the Light,
but you seek me not. Youcall me the Way, but you walk
me not. You call me theTruth, but you believe me not.
You call me the Life, butyou desire me not. You call me
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lovely, but you love me not. You call me the Master, but
you serve me not. If Icondemn, you reprove me not. And
this is the sheer judgment that thejudgments of God are true and honest and
perfect. We have no excuse.It is often very true, and yet
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it is not a terrible thing thatit should be true. How can there
be such a hideous gap between thewords that comes so easily from our lips
and the actions of our life.Lees consider me excuse. If we truly
worship, then we must answer thecall to serve. Otherwise we'll hear those
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sorrowful yet condemning voice of the Lord. Why do you call me Lord,
Lord? And do not do whatI say? The Gospel of Luke,
chapter six, forty six. Letthere be no excuses. Let us all
come forth to that invitation. SaintJohn Crasso from his past, his past
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Pascal catechetical sermon of during our pPasca time when we celebrate the resurrection of
Christ, he says, this,whosoever is the devout lover of God,
let him enjoy this beautiful, brightfestival. And who and whosoever is a
grateful servant, let him rejoice andenter into the joy of the Lord.
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And that's from that pastoral sermon,the catechetical sermon of Saint John Chrusostan,
which we hear every time we celebratethe Resurrection of Christ. After the forty
day fast and after Holy Week again, I say, let there be no
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excuses. Today we hear it thatparable of the Great Supper and submit that
this sufferer is not the one thatwe eat. It is the one that
we will become. If you understandthe Supper in this way, then you
will understand why it is that peopledidn't want to come to the supper.
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You are what you eat. Thatapplies to today. If you eat a
bunch of candy and stuff like that, you may get diabetes, sick so
forth. If you eat good foodthat nourishes the body, then all is
well. They'll be balanced within thehuman body. You are what you eat.
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Now, very few people are willingto turn down the free meal.
Right, free food, let's go. But this was not a free meal,
because this was a way of lifethat makes us free. Remember enter
by the narrow gate, for whydeis the gate that in broad is the
way that leads to destruction, andthere are many who go by it.
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I remember in the song lyrics there'sa stairway to heaven and also there's a
highway to hell. Interesting, isn'tit those lyrics a stairway to heaven and
a high way to hell? Well, if you get on a highway to
hell, that's that's pretty wide andgoes fast. The stairway to heaven takes
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work one step at a time.Reminds me of the Ladder of Divine of
Sin, written by our church fatherJohn Klemakos. He is called John the
Latter. A certain man, ofcourse is God in this parable, and
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that that great suppers are becoming likehim by eating the right stuff, and
so that we will know him.And that's why Jesus came to give us.
That he came into our reality togive us that beautiful gift of eternal
life. The Supper in the parableis at the end of our life,
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and it also our total life.So it really means two things. In
the end, of course, therewill be the table heavy laden, and
we will be with Christ. Wewill know him and see him face to
face, no longer in the glassdarkly, but face to face, without
fear and without shame. If welive our life now in such a way
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that we will be ready when thingsare already, as the Parable says,
so the supper is our life.The supper is becoming like God. Look
at the people that did not wantto come to the Supper all because they
have their own priorities and their owndesires. The supper is not one that
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we just sit down at. Thesupper is one that we are coming.
Saint Paul's says, when Christ,who is our life, shall appear,
then we shall also appear with himin glory. That's at the supper.
But to appear with Christ in glorymeans we must obey him as and live
as he lives, and do hiscommandments. So this calling to the Supper,
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we can only obey this calling withChrist helping us because Christ became man
and lived a life that he wantsus to live, and made us capable
of living that life to the powerof the Holy Spirit, being baptized in
the name of the Father and theSon and the Holy Spirit, and becoming
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members of the Ampostolic Church. Sobe careful in your life. Take a
look and see what excuses you aregiving that you do not want to come
to the supper. Think sometimes,especially in our Christian society, what passes
for Christianity is this idea that yougo to glory in this glorious thing because
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you believe in Christ without any ofthe substance of what it takes to be
a part of that glory. Rememberthe five foolish virgins, they knew that
Lord. They cried out, LordLord, they didn't have the virtue the
oil in their lamps. And thefive wise versions who did, said,
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why don't you go in the cityand buy some? And while they were
gone, the Lord came as athief and the knight and brought in the
five wise virgins, closed the door, and then the other five foolish versions
showed up, knocked on the door, and they heard a voice the part
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for me, for I never knewyou how sad that situation is. So
what does it take to live asChrist lived? And that is hinted at
the end of this parable, ornearly the end, when the King is
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very upset because so many people havenot come to the supper, and he
says to us, slaves, goout into the streets in the lanes of
the city, quickly compel them tocome in. That's an order not just
to them, it is an orderto all of us. If we are
to be part of this supper,then we have to have the mentality of
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the one who gave the imitation.We should desire to compel others to come
into it. By the way welive our life. It is a very
powerful word, the word compel.If we live or life in Christ,
will people be drawn to us orrepelled from us? It's the question.
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I'm trying to figure this out.This thing is not being nice to me
right now. But I'm back tobe compelled. We should desire to compel
others. It does not abrogate thatwe have free will to choose whether we
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want to do good or ill.And so every man, every person,
we can choose to do good ordo evil. We have that free will.
But if your way of life issuch a person is so attached to
it that they desire to find outand live it, then you have compelled
someone to come into the suffer.You see how that works. You can
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be like a honeybee. They're drawnto the nectar and they go back to
the hive and they make honey.Or he can be a fly, and
we know what the flies like todo, and I'm not going to talk
about what the flies like. Sobe like a honeybee. Same Piasio said
that quote. Be a honeybee.Now everything else dies, Everything else is
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temporary. The only thing that ispermanent is who we become in Christ.
Our soul is eternal. The onlything that matters for a person is he
or she becomes because in becoming likeChrist, then you know you know him.
Then you can be with Him inglory, and then you can be
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unashamed at the end of the age. Remember, God loves those who love
him. He said, well,that doesn't sound right. Well this go
read Proverbs chapter eight, verse seventeen. God loves those who love him.
Why would God waste his time tryingto force somebody to love him? Now
we say, well, what aboutJohn. You know the gospel in John
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chapter three, p. Sixteen thegosbel of the world that He gave us
only begotten son. That's true.It's in the gospel. He's provided a
way of salvation. Remember I talkedabout many are called, but fear are
chosen. All are called. ThatNot everybody's going to choose to follow God.
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And because of that, they're goingto say, do we really love
him? That's all that matters.We should have the mentality such that people
would see it be a zealot forChrist, and it will cost you the
world. Perhaps you haven't heard ofthis turble being spoke of in this such
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a way, but it's really evangelistic, and everything we do in them life
should be evangelistic. We should drawpeople to ourselves because Christ in dwells in
us. Should we be such thatwe are of the light on the lampstand
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now sticking it under a bushel basket. Not what we say, but what
we are. The Supper is aboutbecoming like Christ. This coming to the
supper is actually our life. Yes, there will be a time when we
will sit down with Him. Rightnow is our time for action. Right
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now is the time for effort.The time is to say, there is
nothing in my way Lord from keepingme from coming to thy supper. I
am not going to let any oxen, or any land, or any wife
or any desires keep me from whatis most important, and that is that
you are my life. Remember,Saint Paul, the Lord was not a
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great influence on Paul's life. TheLord was Paul's life because he was a
xulot for the Lord Jesus Christ.It cost you, but he was one
of the great preachers and wrote somany epistles about following the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Now the Apostle further talks about aftersaying that Christ will appear and we
will appear in glory, he givesus the key to how we will appear
in glory. And this is basicallyhow you're going to get to the supper,
because there is a traveling period fromthe time you are bidden to the
supper until you get to it.He is saying, mortify your members that
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are upon the earth, fornication oncleanness, in or affection, evil,
concupiscence, and covetousness. He says, not to lie, not to commit
blasphemy, have no filthy communication outof thy mouth. He is saying to
us, live virtuously. So ifyou want to come to this supper,
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live virtuously. The calling from tellingus live like me. He's made us
capable of this by his birth,from aversion to the death on the cross
to his glorious third day resurrection.The Supper is a calling to virtue,
not just a calling to be withGlory in the end, to be with
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the Lord Glory in the end.It is calling. It is a calling
now to change. Look in ourlife and see what excuses we have.
I could say that each one ofus we could come up with an excuse
in various ways. And be similarto the parable, and certainly the order
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to compel others to come in.I tremble when I think what opportunities I
have not taken advantage of to compelothers to come into the supper. It's
not just the words of the fictionalstory. Obviously this occurrence didn't happen,
and shall we say real life rightthere really wasn't a person who called people
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to a supper and then went outand had his slaves to find others.
It is a picture for us,but in another way, is it truly
is happening? Are we participating init? Are we making excuses? May
God help us to answer the callto be virtuous, to call to live
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as God lives. What an incredibleopportunity, what an incredible privilege it is
to live as a Christian. That'swhat the Lord is saying in this parable.
Come to me and live as Ilive. May God help us to
answer this call, and not onlyjust to come to the supper, because
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there are a lot of people thatare going to come to the supper and
be very surprised because they haven't livedthat life. They have tagged along,
they have considered themselves to be Christian. But let us be traveling to the
upper in such a way that weare causing others to come in. In
Matthew seven, in Matthew chapter seven, verse thirteen through fourteen, enter yee
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at the straight gate, or wideis the gate, and broad is the
way that lead it to destruction.And many there and many there be which
go in threat, because straight isthe gate, and narrow is the way
which leaded to life. And fewthere be that find it. May God
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help us in this? May Godhelp us. I'm going to talk a
little bit about you know, we'retalking about a banquet and so forth,
and it connects right to the lastSupper that Jesus had with his apostles before
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he went to his death on acrop. So that night the Orthodox Church,
you know, Jesus celebrated the LastSupper, but we Orthodox Christians do
not celebrate the Last Supper. Wecall it a mystical supper because the Last
Supper is only one time event.We are in. We are celebrating a
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mystical supper. So stay with me. Jesus Christ took bread blessed and broken
and broke in pieces and giving itto disciples and his apostle said, take
eat. This is my body whichis broken few for the remission, for
the remission of sins, that isfor you. It will be handed It
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will be handed over to suffering anddeath for the forgiveness of sins. He
took a cup of wine, andwhen he had given thanks to God,
he Father draught his mercy to therace of mankind. He gave it to
his disciples and apostles, saying,drink of it, all of you.
But this is my blood of theNew Covenant, which has poured out for
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you and for the remission of sins. These words indicate that under the appearance
of bread and wine, the Saviortaught his disciples that it was his own
body and his own blood, onwhich the next day he gave it up
to suffering and death for our sins. How the bread and wine become the
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body and blood of the Lord isa mystery, incomprehensible even to the angels,
and therefore it is called a mystery. After giving the eucrus to the
apostles, the Lord gave the commandmentto always perform this sacrament, this mysterium.
He said, do this, andremembers of me birth Strinthians, Chapter
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eleven, verse twenty five. Thissacrament is performed by us now and will
continue to be performed until the endof the age in the divine service.
We call it the Divine Liturgy.The Divine Liturgy is a heavenly service upon
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earth, during which God Himself isin a particular, immediate and most close
manner, is present and dwells withmen mankind, being himself the invisible celebrant
of this service, offering and beingoffered. There is nothing upon the earth
holier, higher, grander, moresolemn than the Life giving than the Holy
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Divine Liturgy. The Temple at thisparticular time becomes an earthly heaven. Those
who officiate represent Christ himself, theangels, the Cherubim, and the apostles.
Saint John Crownstand tells us the liturgyis the continual, repeated solemnization of
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God's love to mankind and of hisall powerful mediation for the salvation of the
whole world and of every member separately. The marriage of the Lamb, the
marriage of the King's Son, inwhich the bride of the Son of God
is every faithful soul, and thegiver of the bride, the Holy Spirit
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Saint John Cronstein. Now this medicine, it's really called medicine, the medicine
of eternal life. You know,we all go after medicine and go to
the pharmacy and get a prescription andso forth, or take cough syrup and
all of it's like medicine. Butthere is a true medicine that is free
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from earth born logic. And Iwant to read an article from Avid Tryphon
which was very very appropriate for thisshow today. Eternity is an everlasting banquet,
the divine liturgy that takes place inthe heavenly, heavenly realm. Every
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time we participate in the divine Liturgy, we are transported into a place where
there's neither time nor space, andparticipate in that very banquet as we receive
the holy mysteries Christ's very body andblood. We receive the healing medicine for
that which all of us, forthat which all all ails us. Sorry,
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we receive the healing medicine for thatwhich ails us. Our brokenness in
both body and soul. Are giventhe healing medicine that we so much,
very much need. God is everywhere, President fills all things, and there
is nowhere he is not Hell.Fire is none out of than the fire
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of God, burning those who areloving and unresponsive to his invitation to commune
with him. God does not sendanybody to Hell, or we sentence ourselves.
Eternity with God necessitates a transformation ofour souls, that we be purified
(37:15):
in order to be engulfed by God'suncreated light. Without transformation, the fire
of God burns us, not becauseHe desires we be burned, but because
our fallen nature cannot withstand the presenceof God without having been purified. The
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Eucharist is the very medicine that Goddesigned for this transformation. Our response should
be of one of humble submission tothis invitation to commune with the very God
who created us. Holy communion ismeant to be the very agent that changes
us, making us whole. Theholy mysteries give us life. Frequent confession
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and communion are the means we havefor change. The Eugress is both mystical
and symbolic, and is understood tobe the genuine body and blood of Christ,
precisely because bread and wine are themysteries and symbols of God's true and
genuine presence and his manifation and hismanifestation to us in Christ. The Holy
(38:29):
Euchrest defies analysis, and the explanationis purely rational and logical terms, precisely
because it is a mystery. TheEucharist, as is Christ himself, is
a mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven, which, as Jesus has told us,
it is not of this world.The Euchrest, because it belongs to
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God's kingdom, is truly free fromthe earth born logic of huan, fall
and humanity. Saint John Damascus says, if you inquire how this happens,
it is enough for you to learnthat it is through the Holy Spirit.
We know nothing more than this,that the Word of God is true,
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active and omnipotent in its but inits manner of operation is unsearchable. And
that was Saint John of Damascus,and that was written by Abbot Triphon.
(39:36):
The doctrines of the Holy Eucharists areboth scriptural and affirmed by the Church fathers
in that the Eucharists we partake ofthe body and blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ. The mystery is but true, but it is true nonetheless, no
matter what we do, how wethink, how we believe, denying it
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accepting it. Every time I lookat an icon of an Orthodox saint,
I think about this. They believedin the mystery of the mystical Supper.
They had no problem with it.This logic that we have upon the earth
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now is disputing the actual bodying bloodof Christ, saying it's just it's just
grape juice and crackers. And Ithink about this. What the Lord said,
Well, I find faith when Icome back to the earth. Well,
I find faith. And maybe that'spart of the faith he's talking about.
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And I want to repeat a littlebit of what I did earlier in
the radio show about the Last Supper. And these are contained in the Gospel
of Mark and Luke, and itsays as they were eating, Jesus took
bread, blested and broke it andgave it to the disciples, and apostles
says, take eat, this ismy body. And he took the cup
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and gave thanks and gave it tothem, saying, drink all ye all
of it, for this is myblood of the New Testament, which has
shed for you for many for theremission of sins. Also, and it's
also in the Gospel of Matthew soMatthew, Mark and Luke and Jesus.
Then Jesus said to them, verily, verily, I say to you,
(41:28):
accept you eat the flesh of theSon of Man and drink his blood.
You have no life in you.Isn't that amazing? If you don't do
this, you have no life inyou. And I'm talking about the spiritual
life. But I've been talking aboutthis, this u this supper time and
the great banquet. You are whatyou eat, and because of it,
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because what he said, if youdrink, eat my flesh and drink my
blood, you have eternal life.And here's a promise, and I will
raise you up at the last day. From my flesh is meat, indeed,
and my blood is drink. Indeed, he that eateth my flesh and
drinketh my blood dwelleth in me,and I in him, as a living
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Father has sent me. And Ilive by the Father. So he that
edith me even shall live by me. That is that bread that came down
from heaven. Now as your father'sdid eat mana and they are dead,
He that edith of this bread shalllive forever. At John chapter six,
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Verses fifty three through fifty eight.It's an interesting that in the wilderness God
provided mana, they ate it,but that they died. But now Jesus
comes, He is the new mana, and he tells us in the Gospel
of John, and I eat ofthis mana, you shall live forever.
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Why wouldn't she want to take alie that mystical supper and live forever.
We spend a lot of time inthis world trying to look beautiful and worrying
getting makeup and eating the right foodand going to the gym and exercising and
all those things. But what aboutexercising your soul, your spirit that is
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eternal? Continuing First Corinthians, chaptereleven, verse twenty nine. Wherefore,
who's whoever eat this bread and drinkthis cup of the Lord on worthily shall
be guilty of the body and bloodof the Lord. For he that eateth
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and drinketh on worthily eateth and drinkethdamnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's
body. First Corinthians, chapter eleven, verse twenty nine. There's a warning
of receiving this mystical stuff or thisbody and blood of Christ. There is
a warning that you appropriately and howdo you do that? Confession repentance,
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clean yourself up, clean your soulup, and then come, because the
priests will hold up the Holy chaliceand say holy things to the Holy and
none of us we send daily.But we can prepare ourselves to receive this
life saving cup by confession and repentance. Now the fathers talk about the Gnostics.
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Here from on, the Gnostics havestained from the eupress and from prayer
because they do not believe the eupressto be the flesh of our Lord Savor,
Jesus Christ. Those therefore who speakagainst this gift of God incur death
saint ignacious. And that was ADone oh five. Now another church Father,
(44:58):
we do not receive these as commonbread and common drink. Rather,
Jesus Christ, our Savior, havingbeen made flesh by the word of God,
had both flesh and blood for oursalvation. So likewise we have been
taught that the food which is blessedby the prayer of His word, and
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from which our blood and flesh bytransmutation are nourished, is the flesh and
blood of that Jesus who was madeflesh and was just martyr a d.
One sixty one. More Church Father, Saint Irenaeus, our opinion is in
accordance with the Eucharist, and inturn, the euchreus establishes our opinion.
(45:44):
For we offer up to Him ison announcing consistently the fellowship and union of
flesh and spirit. For the bread, which is produced from the earth,
and when it receives the infocation ofGod, is no longer common bread,
but the euchriss consisting of two realities, earthly and heavenly. So also our
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bodies, when they receive the euchress, are no longer corruptible, having the
hope of the resurrection to eternity.Saint Irenaeus A. D. One eighty.
There are many saints in the churchthat are not corrupted. When they
open the graves and open the casketor the coffin, they look fresh,
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They look like they just are sleeping. Quite amazing. And it talked about
the bread comes from the earth,and then after the prayer it becomes heavenly
bread. To get the bread,we had to grind and we have to
grind it into flour. The seedsthe grain grind it. And then the
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way we get the wine is wehave to crush grapes to make it into
wine, and that there's no there'sno mistake that the Lord used bread and
wine at the Last Supper for usto receive His body and blood as those
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those types, those elements that becomeafter the prayer in the liturgy, the
Epiclesis becomes the body and blood ofChrist. And they are available when the
Pricess in love and faith drawn airand the faith will come forward and receive
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the body of blood for the andwe call it the defocation of the Body.
Remember the scripture Christ, in youthe hope of glory You are which
you eat. May we eat ofthe mystical Supper and be more like Christ
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every time we prepare to receive ofthis mystical Supper in the name of the
Father and the Son and the HolySpirit. Glory be to Jesus Christ.
Thank you for listening to the GlassomeLight podcast. We hope this program has
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encouraged you to fight the good fightof faith and walk in the accordance with
the commandments of our Lord. MayGod bless you on your journey to salvation.
The topics and opinions express and thefollowing show are solely those of the hosts
and their guests, and not thoseof W FOURCY Radio. It's employees are
affiliates. We make no recommendations orendorsements for radio show, programs, services,
or products mentioned on air or onour web. No liability explicitor implied
shall be extended to W four cY Radio or it's employees or affiliates.
Any questions or comments should be directedto those show hosts. Thank you for
(00:20):
choosing W FOURCY Radio. Welcome tothe Old Glansome Light Podcast. This program
contains preaching and teaching from an OrthodoxChristian perspective to help you in your walk
(00:44):
with Jesus Christ and to be victoriousin Him. Well, welcome to the
show eleven o'clock here on W fourC Why it's the Blansome Light Radio Show
eleven o'clock AM Eastern Standard Time.I'm your show host, Doctor L.
(01:07):
Petros Man's I have a Doctor ofDivinity degree and I'm also known as Father
petros I'm broadcasting from W four cyInternet radio around the world twenty four to
seven, also podcasting on iHeartRadio.I encourage you to visit my website oh
(01:30):
blassomlight dot org and subscribe to myYouTube channel named al Man's Hit the Bell
and subscribe so he can get thenew shows as their I post them on
YouTube. The show is blessed byMetropolitan Mchiseldeck of the Orthodox Church of ep
(01:52):
Ross. Our slogan is preparing Soulsfor Heaven, Preparing Souls for Heaven,
and I'm broadcasting from Say Peter andPaul Orthodox Chapel here in sunny West Palm
Beach, Florida. The show topictoday is called It's supper time. Now
(02:14):
go back, set your way backhere and go back and when your memory
when you were a child, mymom called out on the kitchen, it's
supper time. Go wash your handsand come to the table. No,
I'm not sure if you call itsupper or dinner. I think they're synonymous.
(02:34):
But whatever, if you're from acertain region at suffer from another region,
it's dinner. The bottom line isfood is set on the table.
And so when I came to thetable, I never knew what my mom
had made for dinner, but Iwas expected to eat it or go to
(02:55):
bed hungry. There was no choiceon the menu. My mom was not
a short ordered cook. Also,we had dogs, and if the dog
didn't like the food that was onmy plate, I would try to feed
him, and if he didn't likeit, then I was stuck to eat
(03:17):
that food or go to bed hungry. Now, sometimes when I got up
in the morning and got ready forschool, my mom would have the same
food warmed up sitting on the tablefor me to eat. I go,
ah. I thought I saw thelast of it before going to bed.
But now what do I do?Either eat it or still go hungry.
(03:40):
My mom was looking out for thebest. I know, when we're children,
we don't like the green stuff,But now since I'm older, I
really enjoy all the greens that weeat. So the parable today I'm going
to talk about. We call itit's supper time. It's the Great Banquet.
(04:01):
So let's dive into this the GreatBanquet. Inspired by God and led
by the Holy Spirit, the HolyFathers of the Church have placed the reading
of the Parable of the Great Banquetin the season of Advent, two studies
before the Feast of the Holy Nativityof Our Lord in God, our Savior
Jesus Christ. Like a gleaming multifaceteddiamond of imaginable worth. It casts many
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pertinent images upon the reader and thedoer of God's holy word. One who
was in the company of the followersof Christ, having been touched by the
solemn teaching of our Lord, meaningwell, but having not fully comprehended his
teaching teachings, makes the remark,blessed is everyone who shall eat the bread
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in the Kingdom of God. Seeingthis individual, Pharisees who were with him
were implying that to be invited toenter into God's Kingdom is the same as
to be in it. Our Lordbegins this terrible then his intent to teach
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the Jews, and through them,to teach us that those who would pride
themselves as being near the Kingdom,may it, may they are not obedient
to God, fall far short ofit, and maybe excluded from it.
(05:38):
A certain man was giving a bigdinner, and he invited many. In
the old times, when one prepareda feast in the land of Israel,
the event was announced long beforehand,the invitations were sent out and acknowledge as
accepted. When the day finally cameand all things were in readiness, servants
were sent to summon again already invitedguests. To have accepted the invitation beforehand,
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and then to refuse it when theday arrived was considered a very grave
insult in the parable the master ofGod. Of course, the originally invited
guests were the Jews, and throughouttheir history had awaited the day when God
would summon them through the Messiah.But when God did, they tragically refused
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his invitation. The poor who aregathered from the streets and the lands of
the city, those who are crippledin, blind and lame are the tax
collectors. And the sinners who cameforth and welcome welcomed our Lord in a
manner in which the Jews never haddone. Those who were gathered from the
highways and along the hedges are thegentiles for whom there was still room God's
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peacet It was only when the Jewshad refused God's invitation and had left his
banquet table empty, that the invitationthen went out to the Gentiles. The
command in the parable compelled them tocome in that my house may be filled
only speaks of the great love thatGod has for all of us, and
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that he is willing to do everythingto save his creation. In the Kingdom
of God, there is only onecompulsion, that is the compulsion of His
unceasing love for us. The Parablespoke of a threat to the Jews,
who had refused God's invitation, andit brought on dreamed of glorious joy to
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sinners and outcasts, and to thegentiles who have never imagined receiving such a
gift. And it provoked the Jewsto jealousy. It also reveals the great
truths, which are forever without change, yet always knew and vital for today.
In the Parable, the invited guestsmade their excuses, and the excuses
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of mankind continued to be made withlittle difference even today. Please note,
all the excuses are carnal and areof this creation, But they all alike
began to make excuses. The servantssaw each separately and received their answers individually.
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There is no reason to believe thatthey had ever meant to frame a
plan to collectively insult their host.While not in concert, they had acted
in the same fashion. They wereof one kind, and although they answered
the servants separately, they all answeredin a similar manner. While spoken by
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different individuals and molded by different circumstances, says they were all the same type
of excuses. In an alienated heart, there is an intense unwillingness to be
or to abide near God. Consequently, there is the conception and production of
walls which will shield one's conscience fromthe sight of God's holiness. When the
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poor were invited to the banquet,they hasten to come. When we are
invited to the divine banquet, dowe begin to make excuses? Now?
The first one said, I boughta piece of land, and I need
to go out and look at it. Saint Gregory, the great rites by
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the farm is meant earthly substance,so he goes out to it. Who,
for the purpose of gain, thinksonly of the worldly things. He
allows the claims of business to usurpthe claims of God, indeed of us,
are so immersed in matters of thisworld that we have little time for
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worship or even for prayer. Inseeking to worship, Mammon, we have
forgotten the trying in God. Wehave wandered from the narrow path of righteousness
that leads to salvation. Now thesecond excuse, I have bought five yoke
of oxen. I'm going to trythem out now. Saint Augustine writes,
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the five yoke of Oxen means thefive senses of the body. It is
through these bodily senses that earthly thingsare sought. For he had allowed the
claims of novelty to assert the claimsof our Lord. This is so often
the case when we enter into newpossessions. We become so taken up by
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them that the claims of worship andof God are crowded out of our lives.
We acquire a recreational vehicle called anRV, a boat, or perhaps
a cabin in some remote place.Then we begin to excuse ourselves. We
would love to attend the divine liturgy, but it is so perisly easy for
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a new game, a new hobby, or even a new friendship to ugly
possess us, and it keep usaway from God. I've seen pictures of
snow covered football stadiums, and thepeople are out there shoveling the snow off
the seats for the big game.And I wonder if they would come to
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the church and shovel the walk atthe church and come and worship the Lord
Jesus Christ. Remember that this horseis football is all entertainment. Becoming to
church is the medicine for our soul, for eternal life. Now, the
third one said, even more finalitythan the others, I have married a
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wife. For that reason I cannotcome. One of the merciful laws of
the Old Testament states when a manis newly married, he shall not go
out with the army or be chargedwith any businesses. He shall be free
at home one year to be happywith his wife whom he has taken,
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And that comes out of the TorahDeuterotomy, Chapter twenty four, verse five.
Without doubt, this very law maywell have been in this man's mind.
It is one of life's great tragediesthat we allow good things to crowd
out the claims of God. OurLord use symbols to more precisely convey his
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meaning when it appeared too profound forthe people to comprehend. Many times,
the Lord would come and talk tothe farmers and relate to them through the
harvest and planting, and so forth. He would go to the fisherman,
and he would relate parables and teachingsof the kingdom to the fishermen, so
they would get it. They'd understandit from a frame of reference. The
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symbol of the feast presents us withtwo distinct avenues. It is to be
regarded as the heavenly banquet which awaitsall who are summoned and admitted into the
Kingdom of God, and it isalso to be seen as the mystical Supper,
which is offered to us through holycommunion in this creation. When we
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attend the Divine Liturgy, christ followersknew that God's full coming through the Messiah
had long been portrayed as a feastfor his people, at which they would
proclaim, Behold, this is ourGod for whom we have waited that he
might save us. And Isaiah twentyfive, verse nine, this is the
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Lord for whom we have waited.Let us rejoice and be glad in his
salvation. This invitation is a timewhen God offers us all the joyful opportunity
to become renewed, but at alsoa time during which we are too prone
to make excuses. Our Lord willbe born anew within us, and we
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will be summoned to follow the Starlike the wise men, to offer the
shelter to the Virgin Mary and theChrist Child to take our place with the
shepherds and the animals, and topartake of his mystical supper. He will
invite us, but we must acknowledgeand accept the invitation. There must be
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no excuses. We cannot truly worshiphim unless our adoration finds expression and something
more than words. It reminds meof the Tatuses and the Pharisees. The
Lord says you. You have melip service, but your heart is far
(15:03):
from me. Now there is anessential truth to an inscription found on the
walls of a mid evil church,and it goes like this, God,
the Lord speaks to you. Youcall me eternal, but you seek me
not. You call me mighty,but you fear me not. You call
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me merciful, but you honor menot. You call me the Light,
but you seek me not. Youcall me the Way, but you walk
me not. You call me theTruth, but you believe me not.
You call me the Life, butyou desire me not. You call me
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lovely, but you love me not. You call me the Master, but
you serve me not. If Icondemn, you reprove me not. And
this is the sheer judgment that thejudgments of God are true and honest and
perfect. We have no excuse.It is often very true, and yet
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it is not a terrible thing thatit should be true. How can there
be such a hideous gap between thewords that comes so easily from our lips
and the actions of our life.Lees consider me excuse. If we truly
worship, then we must answer thecall to serve. Otherwise we'll hear those
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sorrowful yet condemning voice of the Lord. Why do you call me Lord,
Lord? And do not do whatI say? The Gospel of Luke,
chapter six, forty six. Letthere be no excuses. Let us all
come forth to that invitation. SaintJohn Crasso from his past, his past
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Pascal catechetical sermon of during our pPasca time when we celebrate the resurrection of
Christ, he says, this,whosoever is the devout lover of God,
let him enjoy this beautiful, brightfestival. And who and whosoever is a
grateful servant, let him rejoice andenter into the joy of the Lord.
(17:27):
And that's from that pastoral sermon,the catechetical sermon of Saint John Chrusostan,
which we hear every time we celebratethe Resurrection of Christ. After the forty
day fast and after Holy Week again, I say, let there be no
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excuses. Today we hear it thatparable of the Great Supper and submit that
this sufferer is not the one thatwe eat. It is the one that
we will become. If you understandthe Supper in this way, then you
will understand why it is that peopledidn't want to come to the supper.
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You are what you eat. Thatapplies to today. If you eat a
bunch of candy and stuff like that, you may get diabetes, sick so
forth. If you eat good foodthat nourishes the body, then all is
well. They'll be balanced within thehuman body. You are what you eat.
(18:34):
Now, very few people are willingto turn down the free meal.
Right, free food, let's go. But this was not a free meal,
because this was a way of lifethat makes us free. Remember enter
by the narrow gate, for whydeis the gate that in broad is the
way that leads to destruction, andthere are many who go by it.
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I remember in the song lyrics there'sa stairway to heaven and also there's a
highway to hell. Interesting, isn'tit those lyrics a stairway to heaven and
a high way to hell? Well, if you get on a highway to
hell, that's that's pretty wide andgoes fast. The stairway to heaven takes
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work one step at a time.Reminds me of the Ladder of Divine of
Sin, written by our church fatherJohn Klemakos. He is called John the
Latter. A certain man, ofcourse is God in this parable, and
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that that great suppers are becoming likehim by eating the right stuff, and
so that we will know him.And that's why Jesus came to give us.
That he came into our reality togive us that beautiful gift of eternal
life. The Supper in the parableis at the end of our life,
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and it also our total life.So it really means two things. In
the end, of course, therewill be the table heavy laden, and
we will be with Christ. Wewill know him and see him face to
face, no longer in the glassdarkly, but face to face, without
fear and without shame. If welive our life now in such a way
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that we will be ready when thingsare already, as the Parable says,
so the supper is our life.The supper is becoming like God. Look
at the people that did not wantto come to the Supper all because they
have their own priorities and their owndesires. The supper is not one that
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we just sit down at. Thesupper is one that we are coming.
Saint Paul's says, when Christ,who is our life, shall appear,
then we shall also appear with himin glory. That's at the supper.
But to appear with Christ in glorymeans we must obey him as and live
as he lives, and do hiscommandments. So this calling to the Supper,
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we can only obey this calling withChrist helping us because Christ became man
and lived a life that he wantsus to live, and made us capable
of living that life to the powerof the Holy Spirit, being baptized in
the name of the Father and theSon and the Holy Spirit, and becoming
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members of the Ampostolic Church. Sobe careful in your life. Take a
look and see what excuses you aregiving that you do not want to come
to the supper. Think sometimes,especially in our Christian society, what passes
for Christianity is this idea that yougo to glory in this glorious thing because
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you believe in Christ without any ofthe substance of what it takes to be
a part of that glory. Rememberthe five foolish virgins, they knew that
Lord. They cried out, LordLord, they didn't have the virtue the
oil in their lamps. And thefive wise versions who did, said,
(22:30):
why don't you go in the cityand buy some? And while they were
gone, the Lord came as athief and the knight and brought in the
five wise virgins, closed the door, and then the other five foolish versions
showed up, knocked on the door, and they heard a voice the part
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for me, for I never knewyou how sad that situation is. So
what does it take to live asChrist lived? And that is hinted at
the end of this parable, ornearly the end, when the King is
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very upset because so many people havenot come to the supper, and he
says to us, slaves, goout into the streets in the lanes of
the city, quickly compel them tocome in. That's an order not just
to them, it is an orderto all of us. If we are
to be part of this supper,then we have to have the mentality of
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the one who gave the imitation.We should desire to compel others to come
into it. By the way welive our life. It is a very
powerful word, the word compel.If we live or life in Christ,
will people be drawn to us orrepelled from us? It's the question.
(24:03):
I'm trying to figure this out.This thing is not being nice to me
right now. But I'm back tobe compelled. We should desire to compel
others. It does not abrogate thatwe have free will to choose whether we
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want to do good or ill.And so every man, every person,
we can choose to do good ordo evil. We have that free will.
But if your way of life issuch a person is so attached to
it that they desire to find outand live it, then you have compelled
someone to come into the suffer.You see how that works. You can
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be like a honeybee. They're drawnto the nectar and they go back to
the hive and they make honey.Or he can be a fly, and
we know what the flies like todo, and I'm not going to talk
about what the flies like. Sobe like a honeybee. Same Piasio said
that quote. Be a honeybee.Now everything else dies, Everything else is
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temporary. The only thing that ispermanent is who we become in Christ.
Our soul is eternal. The onlything that matters for a person is he
or she becomes because in becoming likeChrist, then you know you know him.
Then you can be with Him inglory, and then you can be
(25:37):
unashamed at the end of the age. Remember, God loves those who love
him. He said, well,that doesn't sound right. Well this go
read Proverbs chapter eight, verse seventeen. God loves those who love him.
Why would God waste his time tryingto force somebody to love him? Now
we say, well, what aboutJohn. You know the gospel in John
(25:57):
chapter three, p. Sixteen thegosbel of the world that He gave us
only begotten son. That's true.It's in the gospel. He's provided a
way of salvation. Remember I talkedabout many are called, but fear are
chosen. All are called. ThatNot everybody's going to choose to follow God.
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And because of that, they're goingto say, do we really love
him? That's all that matters.We should have the mentality such that people
would see it be a zealot forChrist, and it will cost you the
world. Perhaps you haven't heard ofthis turble being spoke of in this such
(26:38):
a way, but it's really evangelistic, and everything we do in them life
should be evangelistic. We should drawpeople to ourselves because Christ in dwells in
us. Should we be such thatwe are of the light on the lampstand
(26:59):
now sticking it under a bushel basket. Not what we say, but what
we are. The Supper is aboutbecoming like Christ. This coming to the
supper is actually our life. Yes, there will be a time when we
will sit down with Him. Rightnow is our time for action. Right
(27:21):
now is the time for effort.The time is to say, there is
nothing in my way Lord from keepingme from coming to thy supper. I
am not going to let any oxen, or any land, or any wife
or any desires keep me from whatis most important, and that is that
you are my life. Remember,Saint Paul, the Lord was not a
(27:48):
great influence on Paul's life. TheLord was Paul's life because he was a
xulot for the Lord Jesus Christ.It cost you, but he was one
of the great preachers and wrote somany epistles about following the Lord Jesus Christ.
(28:11):
Now the Apostle further talks about aftersaying that Christ will appear and we
will appear in glory, he givesus the key to how we will appear
in glory. And this is basicallyhow you're going to get to the supper,
because there is a traveling period fromthe time you are bidden to the
supper until you get to it.He is saying, mortify your members that
(28:33):
are upon the earth, fornication oncleanness, in or affection, evil,
concupiscence, and covetousness. He says, not to lie, not to commit
blasphemy, have no filthy communication outof thy mouth. He is saying to
us, live virtuously. So ifyou want to come to this supper,
(28:56):
live virtuously. The calling from tellingus live like me. He's made us
capable of this by his birth,from aversion to the death on the cross
to his glorious third day resurrection.The Supper is a calling to virtue,
not just a calling to be withGlory in the end, to be with
(29:18):
the Lord Glory in the end.It is calling. It is a calling
now to change. Look in ourlife and see what excuses we have.
I could say that each one ofus we could come up with an excuse
in various ways. And be similarto the parable, and certainly the order
(29:38):
to compel others to come in.I tremble when I think what opportunities I
have not taken advantage of to compelothers to come into the supper. It's
not just the words of the fictionalstory. Obviously this occurrence didn't happen,
and shall we say real life rightthere really wasn't a person who called people
(30:02):
to a supper and then went outand had his slaves to find others.
It is a picture for us,but in another way, is it truly
is happening? Are we participating init? Are we making excuses? May
God help us to answer the callto be virtuous, to call to live
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as God lives. What an incredibleopportunity, what an incredible privilege it is
to live as a Christian. That'swhat the Lord is saying in this parable.
Come to me and live as Ilive. May God help us to
answer this call, and not onlyjust to come to the supper, because
(30:44):
there are a lot of people thatare going to come to the supper and
be very surprised because they haven't livedthat life. They have tagged along,
they have considered themselves to be Christian. But let us be traveling to the
upper in such a way that weare causing others to come in. In
Matthew seven, in Matthew chapter seven, verse thirteen through fourteen, enter yee
(31:12):
at the straight gate, or wideis the gate, and broad is the
way that lead it to destruction.And many there and many there be which
go in threat, because straight isthe gate, and narrow is the way
which leaded to life. And fewthere be that find it. May God
(31:34):
help us in this? May Godhelp us. I'm going to talk a
little bit about you know, we'retalking about a banquet and so forth,
and it connects right to the lastSupper that Jesus had with his apostles before
(31:56):
he went to his death on acrop. So that night the Orthodox Church,
you know, Jesus celebrated the LastSupper, but we Orthodox Christians do
not celebrate the Last Supper. Wecall it a mystical supper because the Last
Supper is only one time event.We are in. We are celebrating a
(32:19):
mystical supper. So stay with me. Jesus Christ took bread blessed and broken
and broke in pieces and giving itto disciples and his apostle said, take
eat. This is my body whichis broken few for the remission, for
the remission of sins, that isfor you. It will be handed It
(32:40):
will be handed over to suffering anddeath for the forgiveness of sins. He
took a cup of wine, andwhen he had given thanks to God,
he Father draught his mercy to therace of mankind. He gave it to
his disciples and apostles, saying,drink of it, all of you.
But this is my blood of theNew Covenant, which has poured out for
(33:00):
you and for the remission of sins. These words indicate that under the appearance
of bread and wine, the Saviortaught his disciples that it was his own
body and his own blood, onwhich the next day he gave it up
to suffering and death for our sins. How the bread and wine become the
(33:20):
body and blood of the Lord isa mystery, incomprehensible even to the angels,
and therefore it is called a mystery. After giving the eucrus to the
apostles, the Lord gave the commandmentto always perform this sacrament, this mysterium.
He said, do this, andremembers of me birth Strinthians, Chapter
(33:43):
eleven, verse twenty five. Thissacrament is performed by us now and will
continue to be performed until the endof the age in the divine service.
We call it the Divine Liturgy.The Divine Liturgy is a heavenly service upon
(34:07):
earth, during which God Himself isin a particular, immediate and most close
manner, is present and dwells withmen mankind, being himself the invisible celebrant
of this service, offering and beingoffered. There is nothing upon the earth
holier, higher, grander, moresolemn than the Life giving than the Holy
(34:34):
Divine Liturgy. The Temple at thisparticular time becomes an earthly heaven. Those
who officiate represent Christ himself, theangels, the Cherubim, and the apostles.
Saint John Crownstand tells us the liturgyis the continual, repeated solemnization of
(34:55):
God's love to mankind and of hisall powerful mediation for the salvation of the
whole world and of every member separately. The marriage of the Lamb, the
marriage of the King's Son, inwhich the bride of the Son of God
is every faithful soul, and thegiver of the bride, the Holy Spirit
(35:20):
Saint John Cronstein. Now this medicine, it's really called medicine, the medicine
of eternal life. You know,we all go after medicine and go to
the pharmacy and get a prescription andso forth, or take cough syrup and
all of it's like medicine. Butthere is a true medicine that is free
(35:44):
from earth born logic. And Iwant to read an article from Avid Tryphon
which was very very appropriate for thisshow today. Eternity is an everlasting banquet,
the divine liturgy that takes place inthe heavenly, heavenly realm. Every
(36:07):
time we participate in the divine Liturgy, we are transported into a place where
there's neither time nor space, andparticipate in that very banquet as we receive
the holy mysteries Christ's very body andblood. We receive the healing medicine for
that which all of us, forthat which all all ails us. Sorry,
(36:31):
we receive the healing medicine for thatwhich ails us. Our brokenness in
both body and soul. Are giventhe healing medicine that we so much,
very much need. God is everywhere, President fills all things, and there
is nowhere he is not Hell.Fire is none out of than the fire
(36:53):
of God, burning those who areloving and unresponsive to his invitation to commune
with him. God does not sendanybody to Hell, or we sentence ourselves.
Eternity with God necessitates a transformation ofour souls, that we be purified
(37:15):
in order to be engulfed by God'suncreated light. Without transformation, the fire
of God burns us, not becauseHe desires we be burned, but because
our fallen nature cannot withstand the presenceof God without having been purified. The
(37:36):
Eucharist is the very medicine that Goddesigned for this transformation. Our response should
be of one of humble submission tothis invitation to commune with the very God
who created us. Holy communion ismeant to be the very agent that changes
us, making us whole. Theholy mysteries give us life. Frequent confession
(38:00):
and communion are the means we havefor change. The Eugress is both mystical
and symbolic, and is understood tobe the genuine body and blood of Christ,
precisely because bread and wine are themysteries and symbols of God's true and
genuine presence and his manifation and hismanifestation to us in Christ. The Holy
(38:29):
Euchrest defies analysis, and the explanationis purely rational and logical terms, precisely
because it is a mystery. TheEucharist, as is Christ himself, is
a mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven, which, as Jesus has told us,
it is not of this world.The Euchrest, because it belongs to
(38:52):
God's kingdom, is truly free fromthe earth born logic of huan, fall
and humanity. Saint John Damascus says, if you inquire how this happens,
it is enough for you to learnthat it is through the Holy Spirit.
We know nothing more than this,that the Word of God is true,
(39:15):
active and omnipotent in its but inits manner of operation is unsearchable. And
that was Saint John of Damascus,and that was written by Abbot Triphon.
(39:36):
The doctrines of the Holy Eucharists areboth scriptural and affirmed by the Church fathers
in that the Eucharists we partake ofthe body and blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ. The mystery is but true, but it is true nonetheless, no
matter what we do, how wethink, how we believe, denying it
(39:57):
accepting it. Every time I lookat an icon of an Orthodox saint,
I think about this. They believedin the mystery of the mystical Supper.
They had no problem with it.This logic that we have upon the earth
(40:22):
now is disputing the actual bodying bloodof Christ, saying it's just it's just
grape juice and crackers. And Ithink about this. What the Lord said,
Well, I find faith when Icome back to the earth. Well,
I find faith. And maybe that'spart of the faith he's talking about.
(40:46):
And I want to repeat a littlebit of what I did earlier in
the radio show about the Last Supper. And these are contained in the Gospel
of Mark and Luke, and itsays as they were eating, Jesus took
bread, blested and broke it andgave it to the disciples, and apostles
says, take eat, this ismy body. And he took the cup
(41:06):
and gave thanks and gave it tothem, saying, drink all ye all
of it, for this is myblood of the New Testament, which has
shed for you for many for theremission of sins. Also, and it's
also in the Gospel of Matthew soMatthew, Mark and Luke and Jesus.
Then Jesus said to them, verily, verily, I say to you,
(41:28):
accept you eat the flesh of theSon of Man and drink his blood.
You have no life in you.Isn't that amazing? If you don't do
this, you have no life inyou. And I'm talking about the spiritual
life. But I've been talking aboutthis, this u this supper time and
the great banquet. You are whatyou eat, and because of it,
(41:49):
because what he said, if youdrink, eat my flesh and drink my
blood, you have eternal life.And here's a promise, and I will
raise you up at the last day. From my flesh is meat, indeed,
and my blood is drink. Indeed, he that eateth my flesh and
drinketh my blood dwelleth in me,and I in him, as a living
(42:10):
Father has sent me. And Ilive by the Father. So he that
edith me even shall live by me. That is that bread that came down
from heaven. Now as your father'sdid eat mana and they are dead,
He that edith of this bread shalllive forever. At John chapter six,
(42:34):
Verses fifty three through fifty eight.It's an interesting that in the wilderness God
provided mana, they ate it,but that they died. But now Jesus
comes, He is the new mana, and he tells us in the Gospel
of John, and I eat ofthis mana, you shall live forever.
(42:57):
Why wouldn't she want to take alie that mystical supper and live forever.
We spend a lot of time inthis world trying to look beautiful and worrying
getting makeup and eating the right foodand going to the gym and exercising and
all those things. But what aboutexercising your soul, your spirit that is
(43:22):
eternal? Continuing First Corinthians, chaptereleven, verse twenty nine. Wherefore,
who's whoever eat this bread and drinkthis cup of the Lord on worthily shall
be guilty of the body and bloodof the Lord. For he that eateth
(43:43):
and drinketh on worthily eateth and drinkethdamnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's
body. First Corinthians, chapter eleven, verse twenty nine. There's a warning
of receiving this mystical stuff or thisbody and blood of Christ. There is
a warning that you appropriately and howdo you do that? Confession repentance,
(44:05):
clean yourself up, clean your soulup, and then come, because the
priests will hold up the Holy chaliceand say holy things to the Holy and
none of us we send daily.But we can prepare ourselves to receive this
life saving cup by confession and repentance. Now the fathers talk about the Gnostics.
(44:35):
Here from on, the Gnostics havestained from the eupress and from prayer
because they do not believe the eupressto be the flesh of our Lord Savor,
Jesus Christ. Those therefore who speakagainst this gift of God incur death
saint ignacious. And that was ADone oh five. Now another church Father,
(44:58):
we do not receive these as commonbread and common drink. Rather,
Jesus Christ, our Savior, havingbeen made flesh by the word of God,
had both flesh and blood for oursalvation. So likewise we have been
taught that the food which is blessedby the prayer of His word, and
(45:19):
from which our blood and flesh bytransmutation are nourished, is the flesh and
blood of that Jesus who was madeflesh and was just martyr a d.
One sixty one. More Church Father, Saint Irenaeus, our opinion is in
accordance with the Eucharist, and inturn, the euchreus establishes our opinion.
(45:44):
For we offer up to Him ison announcing consistently the fellowship and union of
flesh and spirit. For the bread, which is produced from the earth,
and when it receives the infocation ofGod, is no longer common bread,
but the euchriss consisting of two realities, earthly and heavenly. So also our
(46:07):
bodies, when they receive the euchress, are no longer corruptible, having the
hope of the resurrection to eternity.Saint Irenaeus A. D. One eighty.
There are many saints in the churchthat are not corrupted. When they
open the graves and open the casketor the coffin, they look fresh,
(46:37):
They look like they just are sleeping. Quite amazing. And it talked about
the bread comes from the earth,and then after the prayer it becomes heavenly
bread. To get the bread,we had to grind and we have to
grind it into flour. The seedsthe grain grind it. And then the
(47:00):
way we get the wine is wehave to crush grapes to make it into
wine, and that there's no there'sno mistake that the Lord used bread and
wine at the Last Supper for usto receive His body and blood as those
(47:23):
those types, those elements that becomeafter the prayer in the liturgy, the
Epiclesis becomes the body and blood ofChrist. And they are available when the
Pricess in love and faith drawn airand the faith will come forward and receive
(47:44):
the body of blood for the andwe call it the defocation of the Body.
Remember the scripture Christ, in youthe hope of glory You are which
you eat. May we eat ofthe mystical Supper and be more like Christ
(48:05):
every time we prepare to receive ofthis mystical Supper in the name of the
Father and the Son and the HolySpirit. Glory be to Jesus Christ.
Thank you for listening to the GlassomeLight podcast. We hope this program has
(48:30):
encouraged you to fight the good fightof faith and walk in the accordance with
the commandments of our Lord. MayGod bless you on your journey to salvation.
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