Sirach, Chapter 4, Verse 17-18
17 “I will walk with them in disguise, and at first I
will test them with trials. Fear and dread I will bring upon them and I
will discipline them with my constraints. When their hearts are fully with me, 18 then I will set them again on the straight path and
reveal my secrets to them.
Ask our Lord to reveal to your
soul, His secrets on how to be fully alive to His spirit.
“The Lord has sent me to bring
glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives.” (Lk. 4:18)
Chassidic philosophy demonstrates three
ways in which the body and soul can interact:
·
The soul can try and mitigate the urges of the
body. Things that look good, taste good and feel good are stimulating and
addictive. Most of us live life with our body in the driver’s seat. The soul
just can’t compete. And so the soul tries to negotiate reasonably, and
encourages moderation.
·
Or, the soul can choose to reject the body and
abhor anything associated with materialism. The soul-driven person would then
rebel against society’s shallow and false veneers. Simplicity and ascetism
become the ultimate goals of the soul.
·
The third scenario is not a compromise between
the first two. It is an entirely new approach, where the body and soul learn to
work together. The soul neither leans towards the body nor rejects it. It does not react; it pro-acts. In a
proactive position, the soul directs and channels the body’s inclination in a
constructive way.
In this last approach, instead of
repressing the body’s needs, the soul views them as an opportunity to serve God in a whole new way. [1]
ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS[2]
Well if you have not got
enough of the Christmas Season you can always celebrate with the Orthodox
Catholics.
Some Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on December
25th, but others mark the birth of Jesus on a variety of dates including
January 7th and January 19th. It depends on which calendar the particular
church follows - while western Christendom has adopted the Gregorian calendar, some
Orthodox churches use the older Julian calendar to calculate the dates for holy
feast days. December 25th on the original Julian calendar falls on January 7th
of our calendar.
Most Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on this
date, however some churches, including Armenian orthodox Christians use the
revised Julian calendar and their Christmas falls on January 19th of our
calendar.
While Christmas is a very important religious
celebration for Orthodox Christians, it falls second to Easter which they
consider to be the most important date in the religious calendar.
Religious Observance of Orthodox Christmas
Most believers in the Eastern Orthodox Church prepare
for Christmas with 40 days of fasting, continuing right up until late on
Christmas Eve Jan 6th.
·
Traditionally, when the first star appears on
Christmas Eve Eastern Orthodox Christians will break their fast with a
celebratory meal.
·
Also on Christmas Eve, traditionally Orthodox
Christians will cut a branch from a tree and bring it into their home, as a
symbol that Jesus is entering their house and their hearts.
·
A prayer and blessing will be said before the
Christmas Eve feast begins, and the head of the family will greet each person
present with the traditional Christmas greeting of 'Christ is born' to which the response is 'Glorify him!'. Then the bread will be torn by hand and shared with
all present. Some families will have straw scattered around the table, as a
reminder of Jesus's birth in the manger.
·
On Christmas Day, Orthodox Christians will
attend Divine Liturgy, which will usually be a little longer than usual due to
being an exceptional religious holiday. It is traditional to light candles in
honor of Jesus, as light of the world.
·
Afterwards people walk in procession to a sea,
lake or river. The water will be blessed as part of an outdoor ceremony, and
some people will take the blessed water back to their homes.
Pray for the conversion of Russia!
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