Dear all.
Gospel reading
- “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven.” Thus commenced yesterday’s conflated gospel reading (Matthew 10: 32 – 33; 37 – 38; 19:27 – 30). The reading went on immediately to say ” but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven.” Let us reflect upon what this means.
- Denying Christ before men is something that every Christian would probably be aghast, were such accusation levelled at them. Yet, do we not keep our heads below the parapets when one of our fellow Christians is attacked by the secular world? We may grizzle and moan and sympathise privately with the person being attacked but what do we do about it?
- One man who stands up for the Bible and its teaching – does no more than quote the Bible yet finds himself being reviled and attacked by the world. It appears that we cannot have any view that is contrary to the virulent few who have decided to become our thought police. Our self-appointed censors believe in the right to free speech if it accords with their view and attack any view as bigoted that is contrary to their worldview.
- And what do we do? Do we avert our eyes so we do not see the problem or do we stand up and be counted. If we avert our eyes are we not denying the Bible and its teaching? Are we not saying to Christ that before men that we deny you? What will then the response of Christ be? Would he not say he does not know us? And that is the reality: he will not know us because we have taken ourselves away from him. Now, isn’t that the sad part? By an act of omission in avoiding standing up for what is right we have committed the gravest sin – namely to deny Christ. Put that way perhaps we should revisit our view as to the stand that we should take. After all does not Christ tell us in this reading not only to put our relationships with one another second to him but if we do not then take up our cross and follow him we are not worthy of him. Who said being a Christian was easy!
Around our church
The program for this week is as follows: adult Bible class 6:45 PM tomorrow.
NOTE WELL on Saturday we commemorate the feast day of St Peters and Paul. We will be commencing at 6:15 AM with a view to finishing the divine liturgy which will be in English by 8:45 AM. At 9 AM in the church there will be live streaming the investiture of his Eminence k.k. Macarios. There will be equipment suitable for this purpose installed in the church on Friday. Please attend for this” once-in-a-lifetime ” event..
After the commemorative event from Sydney we will be looking to go to the Hall of Alexander the great to prepare for our luncheon which will be on Sunday the 30th. Many hands make light work so we hope to see as many of you there slicing and dicing.
Thought of the week
There is an old Greek saying: ” I taught you to swim and now you are seeking to drown me”. As a community we recognise the rights of those who do not share conventional views. Parliament gave voice as to how it saw those rights being advanced. Unfortunately, rather than accepting equality those who perceive themselves in the minority now perceive themselves as being “more equal” than others. Now the rights of the majority are beginning to be eroded and we are simply remaining mute under threats of bullying. And who says George Orwell was wrong?
Till next time.
In Christ.
Father John Athanasiou 0411 061 554
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