On ConfessionThe main thing in Confession is that the grace of the Holy Spirit is at work there.
“>On Confession
St. Gabriel, Bishop of ImeretiBishop Gabriel (Kikodze) was born November 15, 1825, in the village of Bachvi, in the western Georgian district of Ozurgeti in Guria. His father was the priest Maxime Kikodze.
“>St. Gabriel of Imereti was a nineteenth-century Holy Hierarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church. He generously distributed alms to widows, orphans, and all in need; he clothed the naked and buried beggars, having mercy upon the least of the brethren. St. Gabriel was born on November 15, 1825, and reposed in the Lord on January 25, 1896.
Photo: I.Tkachenko / Pravoslavie.ru
Whoever isn’t in the bosom of the Church isn’t a Christian, because he can’t receive the grace of Jesus Christ. How does the Church grant the grace of Jesus Christ? First through How Do Christians Explain That Baptism Is Vital?Baptism is the first Church sacrament that a person who comes to believe in Christ encounters. A baptized person becomes a Church member and gets the opportunity to be in contact with God and receive His grace. But why is all of this possible only on condition of Baptism?
“>Baptism, then through the teaching and preaching of the Gospel, through the Holy Scriptures; but the main thing is that the Church not only brings us into communion with the grace of Jesus Christ, but also unites us with Him in the Communion of His Flesh and Blood.
The Church never leaves you alone, orphaned. In joy or sorrow, it guides us with prayer, consolation, and teaching. If we fall into sin, the Church doesn’t reject us, but accepts us as a guilty child, and if we repent, it grants forgiveness in the name of the Savior Jesus Christ. When you depart this life, the Church again leads the way and prays to the Lord for mercy for your soul. And finally, if you’re forgotten by all your loved ones, the Church won’t forget you then either, for it remembers the deceased at every service and fervently prays for the blessed repose of all who have died. In a word, from birth to our very death, the Church, like a true mother, takes care of you and tries to raise you as a true believer.
The Church brings us together, teaching love and unity. This world, with its earthly affairs and cares, divides men, distances them from one another, and often turns them into enemies; but the Church, on the contrary, brings us closer, inspiring mutual love and respect. In the Church, we’re all one—the same prayers are offered for all and the same divine service is offered for all; we’re baptized in the same font and we commune from the same chalice. And we must be faithful and obedient to the Church.
The Church is our mother, for it gave birth to us from the holy baptismal font and nourishes us spiritually in the Sacraments. But we should remember that the Church only benefits and gives the light of its teaching and salvation to those who hear its call and follow it. It’s only in the Church that the Word of God and His teaching are fully heard; only the Church is the house of the Lord on earth—there the bloodless sacrifice and prayers and hymns are offered. It’s precisely in the Church that a man should seek solace and draw strength, power, and fortitude. Blessed is he who is firmly attached to the Church, goes to church often, and always yearns for it with all his heart and soul. Such a man is full of the grace of God and never tires of praising the Lord. In church, the heart and soul of such a man are calm and peaceful, but in the world, on the contrary, they’re agitated and worried. The Church is a comfort to the sorrowing and an inspiration for performing various good deeds; it enlightens and spiritually nurtures men, teaching them to have great love for their neighbors, for all that is pure and holy, and to give thanks for everything in a single accord, praising our Heavenly Father and Creator.
To be continued…
