Palestine Cry

The Truth of God and Our Lord Jesus Christ

Special Palestine Cry Blog articles: The Catholic Creed: The meaning of the Pasch of Christians.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY AND TRUTH AND LIFE - NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT BY HIM.

For as it was not possible that the man who had once for all been conquered, and who had been destroyed through disobedience, could reform himself, and obtain the prize of victory; and as it was also impossible that he could attain to salvation who had fallen under the power of sin,-the Son effected both these things, being the Word of God, descending from the Father, becoming incarnate, stooping low, even to death, and consummating the arranged plan of our salvation, upon whom [Paul], exhorting us unhesitatingly to believe, again says, "Who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to bring down Christ; or who shall descend into the deep? that is, to liberate Christ again from the dead." Then he continues, "If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved." And he renders the reason why the Son of God did these things, saying, "For to this end Christ both lived, and died, and revived, that He might rule over the living and the dead." And again, writing to the Corinthians, he declares, "But we preach Christ Jesus crucified; "and adds, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? " - St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book III, Chapter XVIII, Section 2.

The Crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, Mary and John and the women at the foot of the Cross

Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour, there was darkness over all the earth, until the ninth hour.

Origen tell us this darkness was only in Palestine, and the neighbouring countries: for as to the words, over the whole earth, or over the whole land, we find one kingdom or empire, by a common way of speaking, called the whole earth, or the whole world. As to the cause of the obscuration of the sun; and secondly, as to the extent of its darkness. Origen tells us that the darkness was partial, and confined to Judea and the neighbouring countries, as the darkness of Egypt was only perceived in that country, and not in Gessen, where the children of Israel were. Saint Jerome tells us that the obscurity was caused by the rays of the sun being suddenly withdrawn by divine power, as was the case in Egypt. The darkness in Egypt during the Passover of Moses was due to God's protection withdrawn from that land at that time. The darkness when Christ was Crucified for us is the judgement of God upon His Son Jesus Christ, in our place. For Jesus Christ knew NO sin. He never sinned, nor could He ever.

The meaning of the Pasch of Christians.

The Book of Wisdom, Chapter 17, describes the devils and demons thrown back upon the Egyptians when the Israelites under Moses were brought out of Egypt by God for God’s purposes (to prepare a place for the Crucifixion of Our Lord for the Redemption of the whole world of those who are saved). In the same way the same false gods and goddesses that the Egyptians served and which in so doing were the reason the Egyptians sacrificed their sons and daughters to the devils and demons behind the false gods/goddesses were the spirits that killed the Egyptian children that perished when the Israelites were brought out of Egypt. God does not murder children, period. The angel of death which destroyed in Egypt was one of the fallen spirits. God did not cause any of the fallen spirits to hurt anyone. God allowed the fallen spirits to do what it is their nature do to when He brought the Israelites out of the gates of hell which was Egypt. The children below the age of reason that died went to be with God for eternity, they will be resurrected with the just at the Second Coming of Christ. This principle of God allowing the innocent to be afflicted along with guilty finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ’s singular and only salvific Kenosis. Jesus Christ committed no sin, not ever nor could He, and was and is and only could be utterly and absolutely and completely innocent of any and all wrongdoing and sin by His very nature as the Holy and True God. The guiltless sacrificed by His own will for the guilty. Even when the innocent are afflicted by the actions and evils instigated by the fallen spirits in the world, the innocent are not possessed by those fallen spirits. The principle of all being afflicted by the evil set loose upon the world for its unrepentant sin will occur when the universal plagues are let loose upon the world. See Apocalypse 16

The principle of our always, for our part, protecting children is given us by Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 18

1 At *that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Who, thinkest thou, is the greater in the kingdom of heaven?

2 *And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them,

3 And said: Amen I say unto you, *unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven.

5 And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me.

10 Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, *that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

The principle of our ONLY worshipping the True God, the Father and the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is given first in the historical truth of the Garden of Eden when Christ, who is the Tree of Life commands the first man and his wife, Adam and Eve to not have anything to do with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which is Satan, the first fallen angel, nor with any of the fallen angels with Satan. Assisi of Babylon/Vatican/Rome is absolute and complete violation of that principle and is the Great Apostasy in full blown Satanic evil. Have nothing to do with the Vatican or suffer its eternal damnation in hell with it. The devil and demon worshipping pagans and the perfidious deicidal Jews are not ever any part of the Salvific action of Christ upon Golgotha/Calvary. Individual pagans and Jews if they repent of their not confessing Jesus Christ as the Immortal Son of God become flesh for our sake and sacrificed for our salvation and who confess publicly their sin of devil and demon worshipping and perfidy and deicide and who beg the Lord of all, the Lord God, the Father and the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit for forgiveness of their horrid and abominable sins, can and will be forgiven if they do so now in this life and will enter into the only path of salvation there is as dictated by God Himself. The Church, all the faithful – there is no other meaning acceptable to God for the word Church, is commanded by God to not have anything to do with the Apostasy.

Book of Wisdom, Chapter 17

1 For thy judgments, O Lord, are great, and thy words cannot be expressed: therefore undisciplined souls have erred.

2 For while the wicked thought to be able to have dominion over the holy nation, they themselves being fettered with the bonds of darkness, and a long night, shut up in their houses, lay there exiled from the eternal providence.

3 And while they thought to lie hid in their obscure sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly afraid and troubled with exceeding great astonishment.

4 For neither did the den that held them, keep them from fear: for noises coming down troubled them, and sad visions appearing to them, affrighted them.

5 And no power of fire could give them light, neither could the bright flames of the stars enlighten that horrible night.

6 But there appeared to them a sudden fire, very dreadful: and being struck with the fear of that face, which was not seen, they thought the things which they saw to be worse:

7 And the delusions of their magic art were put down, and their boasting of wisdom was reproachfully rebuked.

8 For they who promised to drive away fears and troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of a fear worthy to be laughed at.

9 For though no terrible thing disturbed them: yet being scared with the passing by of beasts, and hissing of serpents, they died for fear: and denying that they saw the air, which could by no means be avoided.

10 For whereas wickedness is fearful, it beareth witness of its condemnation: for a troubled conscience always forecasteth grievous things.

11 For fear is nothing else but a yielding up of the succours from thought.

12 And while there is less expectation from within, the greater doth it count the ignorance of that cause which bringeth the torment.

13 But they that during that night, in which nothing could be done, and which came upon them from the lowest and deepest hell, slept the same sleep.

14 Were sometimes molested with the fear of monsters, sometimes fainted away, their soul failing them: for a sudden and unlooked for fear was come upon them.

15 Moreover if any of them had fallen down, he was kept shut up in prison without irons.

16 For if any one were a husbandman, or a shepherd, or a labourer in the field, and was suddenly overtaken, he endured a necessity from which he could not fly.

17 For they were all bound together with one chain of darkness. Whether it were a whistling wind, or the melodious voice of birds, among the spreading branches of trees, or a fall of water running down with violence,

18 Or the mighty noise of stones tumbling down, or the running that could not be seen of beasts playing together, or the roaring voice of wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the highest mountains: these things made them to swoon for fear.

19 For the whole world was enlightened with a clear light, and none were hindered in their labours.

20 But over them only was spread a heavy night, an image of that darkness which was to come upon them. But they were to themselves more grievous than the darkness.

The Catholic Creed: The Final Trial: Traditional Catholic Prayers: Baptism

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Parousia of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Tech_Journal: Meteors Against Nukes

Syria: The Parousia of 'Isa al-Maseeh

ACERBO NIMIS - ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS X ON TEACHING CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE versus Benedict's WORLD DAY OF PEACE 1 JANUARY 2013

Be Prepared


Traditional Catholic Prayers: Baptism


MATTHEW 28 
CHAPTER XXVIII.


The resurrection of Christ. His commission to his disciples.

1 And *in the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week,

18 And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. 
19 *Going, therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; 
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.

"Consummation of the world," - the end of this age of grace and the beginning of the eternal ages with Christ reigning visibly. This is the end of the eschaton and the beginning of the eternal recreated heavens and the earth and will begin when Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ returns from heaven in the same flesh He rose with and ascended into the third heaven with, seated at the right hand of the Father. His return will be with all of His elect angels. He will raise and judge all men in the flesh and then recreate the heavens and the earth, which in that state will last that way for eternity. There will NOT be any sin in the new heavens and earth, so prepare now by confessing the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and be baptized as commanded above and shown how to baptize below and live Holy and Godly lives in sincerity and humility and meekness waiting for the Lord when He returns so that we are not like the five foolish virgins but are like the five wise virgins.
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1: A.D. 30.; Mark xvi. 1.; John xx. 1.
19: Mark xvi. 15.

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Method of Baptism


From the Didache (49 A.D. Council of Jerusalem):


Chapter 7. Concerning Baptism. 

And concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize the one to be baptized into Jesus Christ in "the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," in running water. But if you have no running water, baptize into other water [still water]; and if you cannot do so in cold water, do so in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times upon the head onto the one to be baptized saying at that time "in the name of Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." But before the baptism, if possible, let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whoever else can; but you shall order the baptized [when there is time] to fast one or two days before.


Baptism can and should always be performed immediately when there is danger of death of the one to be baptized. For instance, impending martyrdom or possible death causing illness.


Omar Khayyam: The Lord's Eucharist


THE LORD'S EUCHARIST - CLICK ON PICTURE TO GO TO HOW TO CELEBRATE THE EUCHARIST

The Lord's Eucharist - Click on picture to go to how to celebrate the Eucharist
St. John 21:14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to his disciples, after he was risen from the dead.

The Great tribulation is ever increasing in its proximity to us, though the exact time is known by God alone. The Church Fathers said that the faithful at that time would withdraw to private places to preserve the Eucharist in its purity. Below is the original house Church.


In the ancient Church there was no term such as "confect" the Eucharist. The Eucharist is present in the bread and in the wine and water (wine and water mixed approximately half and half) by the power of the Holy Spirit.


From the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles below:


Acts:2:
41 They therefore that received his word were 
baptized: and there were added in that day about three thousand souls.
42 ¶ And they were persevering in the 
doctrine of the apostles and in thecommunication of the breaking of bread and in prayers.

Notice what is the practice of the faith in Christ as per the preaching of the Gospel by St. Peter himself and the Apostles on the day of Pentecost, which is when Christ told them to wait for and then preach the Gospel, when they would be guided to do so by the Holy Spirit.


Acts

4 And eating together with them, he (Jesus) commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard (saith he) by my mouth.
5 For John indeed baptized with water: but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit, not many days hence.


Christians, read Catholics, are to be baptized


Mt:28:19:
19 Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.


(that is done with the above formula that Our Lord gave us and with water at that time, once in your life, with the proper intent, so that the Holy Spirit bestows actual baptism of the blood of Christ upon you)


Christians, read Catholics, are to persevere in the doctrine of the apostles

Christians, read Catholics, are to persevere in the communication of the breaking of bread (holy communion of the Eucharist)

Christians, read Catholics, are to be in prayers

Notice it is done house to house - in house churches:


Acts:2:

44 And all they that believed were together and had all things in common.
45 Their possessions and goods they sold and divided them to all, according as every one had need.
46 And continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they took their meat with gladness and simplicity of heart:


When you use the Didache, written by the Apostles in 49 A.D. at the council of Jerusalem, for the Eucharist, it would be proper to use the words of Institution and the Epiclesis (calling down of the Holy Spirit to bless gifts and make them into the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) which were written by St. James the lesser of Jerusalem in his liturgy, he is the same person as the author of the Epistle of St. James (Jms:1:1: James, the servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ,...). See the attached file, "Original Eucharist", for complete Eucharist celebration for house Church.

Acts:2:
1 ¶ And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place:
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming: and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were of fire: and it sat upon every one of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit: and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Spirit gave them to speak.
5 ¶ Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue.
7 And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying: Behold, are not all these that speak Galilean?
8 And how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were born?
9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome,
11 Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.
12 And they were all astonished, and wondered, saying one to another: What meaneth this?
13 But others mocking, said: These men are full of new wine.
14 ¶ But Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke to them: Ye men of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you and with your ears receive my words.
15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day:
16 But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel:
17 And it shall come to pass, in the last days, (saith the Lord), I will pour out of my Spiritupon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And upon my servants indeed and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my spirit: and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will shew wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood and fire, and vapour of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord to come.
21 And it shalt come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him, in the midst of you, as you also know:
23 This same being delivered up, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you by the hands of wicked men have crucified and slain.
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the sorrows of death, as it was impossible that he should be holden by it.
25 For David saith concerning him: I foresaw the Lord before my face: because he is at my right hand, that I may not be moved.
26 For this my heart hath been glad, and my tongue hath rejoiced: moreover my flesh also shall rest in hope.
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hades: nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life: thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Ye men, brethren, let me freely speak to you of the patriarch David: that he died and was buried; and his sepulchre is with us to this present say.
30 Whereas therefore he was a prophet and knew that God hath sworn to him with an oath, that of the fruit of his loins one should sit upon his throne.
31 Foreseeing this, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ. For neither was he left in hell: neither did his flesh see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised again, whereof all we are witnesses.
33 Being exalted therefore by the right hand of God and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath poured forth this which you see and hear.
34 For David ascended not into heaven; but he himself said: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy enemies thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know most certainly that God hath made both Lord and Christ, this same Jesus, whom you have crucified.
37 ¶ Now when they had heard these things, they had compunction in their heart and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles: What shall we do, men and brethren?
38 But Peter said to them: Do penance: and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, whomsoever the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with very many other words did he testify and exhort them, saying: Save yourselves from this perverse generation.
41 They therefore that received his word were baptized: and there were added in that day about three thousand souls.
42 ¶ And they were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles and in the communication of the breaking of bread and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul. Many wonders also and signs were done by the apostles in Jerusalem: and there was great fervor in all.
44 And all they that believed were together and had all things common.
45 Their possessions and goods they sold and divided them to all, according as every one had need.
46 And continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they took their meat with gladness and simplicity of heart:
47 Praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord increased daily together such as should be saved.


Attached file Original Eucharist



Words in dark red are instructions and not to be said out loud. Words in light red and black are to be said out loud.

Mix the cup half and half with water and red wine, the hosts can be purchased from stores that sell Christian supplies. The people are those of the house Church there with the celebrant. The house Church selects the celebrant from among their own. The celebrant appoints the deacons in a house Church large enough to have them, otherwise their part is done by the people. If you are celebrating alone then you do the part of the celebrant and the people and the deacons.

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In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.


Our Father Who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.



(2) First, concerning the cup:


We give you thanks, our Father,

for the holy vine of David your servant, which you have made known to us through Jesus, your servant;

to you be the glory unto the endless ages of ages to come.



(3) And concerning the broken bread:


We give you thanks, our Father,

for the life and knowledge

which you have made known to us through Jesus; your servant;

to you be the glory unto the endless ages of ages to come.



Just as this broken bread was scattered

upon the mountains and then was

gathered together and became one,

so may your church be gathered together

from the ends of the earth into your kingdom;

for yours is the glory and the power unto the endless ages of ages to come.


The People: It is becoming and right.

Then the celebrant prays: Verily it is becoming and right, proper and due to praise Thee, to sing of Thee, to bless Thee, to worship Thee, to glorify Thee, to give Thee thanks, Maker of every creature visible and invisible, the treasure of eternal good things, the fountain of life and immortality, God and Lord of all:
Whom the heavens of heavens praise, and all the host of them; the sun, and the moon, and all the choir of the stars; earth, sea, and all that is in them; Jerusalem, the heavenly assembly, and church of the first-born that are written in heaven; spirits of just men and of prophets; souls of martyrs and of apostles; the six-winged seraphim, which cover their faces with two wings, their feet with two, and with two they fly, crying one to another with unresting lips and the many-eyed cherubim, dominions, archangels, especially St. Michael and St. Gabriel, authorities, powers and angels with unceasing praises: Holy, holy, holy, O Lord God Pantocrator

(Aloud.) With loud voice singing the victorious hymn of Thy majestic glory, crying aloud, praising, shouting, and saying:-

The People: Holy, holy, holy, O Lord of Sabaoth, the heaven and the earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest; blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

The celebrant, making the sign of the cross on the gifts , says: Holy art Thou, King of eternity, and Lord and giver of all holiness; holy also Thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom Thou hast made all things; holy also Thy Holy Spirit, which searches all things, even Thy deep things, O God: holy art Thou, almighty, all-powerful, good, dread, merciful, most compassionate to Thy creatures; who didst make man from earth after Thine own image and likeness; who didst give him the joy of paradise; and when he transgressed Thy commandment, and fell away, didst not disregard nor desert him, O Good One, but didst chasten him as at merciful father, call him by the law, instruct him by the prophets; and afterwards didst send forth Thine only-begotten Son Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, into the world, that He by His coming might renew and restore Thy image;
Who, having descended from heaven, and become flesh of the Holy Spirit and Virgin Godmother Mary, and having sojourned among men, fulfilled the dispensation for the salvation of our race; and being about to endure His voluntary and life-giving death by the cross, He the sinless for us the sinners, in the night in which He was betrayed, nay, rather delivered Himself up for the life and salvation of the world,

Then the celebrant holds the bread in his hand, and says: Having taken the bread in His holy and pure and blameless and immortal hands, lifting up His eyes to heaven, and showing it to Thee, His God and Father, He gave thanks, and hallowed, and brake, and gave it to us, His disciples and apostles, saying:-

(here break the bread and set back down on the plate)The Deacons say: For the remission of sins and life everlasting.

Then he says aloud: Take, eat: this is my body, broken for you, and given for remission of sins.

The People: Amen.

Then he takes the cup, and says: In like manner, after supper, He took the cup, and having mixed wine and water, lifting up His eyes to heaven, and presenting it to Thee, His God and Father, He gave thanks, and hallowed and blessed it, and filled it with the Holy Spirit, and gave it to us His disciples, saying, Drink ye all of it; this is my blood of the new testament shed for you and many, and distributed for the remission of sins.

The People: Amen.



(set cup back down)
The celebrant: This do in remembrance of me; for as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show forth the Lord's death, and confess His resurrection, till He come.

The Deacons say: We believe and confess:

The People: We show forth Thy death, O Lord, and confess Thy resurrection.

The celebrant (Oblation): Remembering, therefore, His life-giving sufferings, His saving cross, His death and His burial, and resurrection from the dead on the third day, and His ascension into heaven, and sitting at the right hand of Thee, our God and Father, and His second glorious and awful appearing, when He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead, and render to every one according to His works; even we, sinful men, offer unto Thee, O Lord, this dread and bloodless sacrifice, praying that Thou wilt not deal with us after our sins, nor reward us according to our iniquities;
But that Thou, according to Thy mercy and Thy unspeakable loving-kindness, passing by and blotting out the handwriting against us Thy suppliants, wilt grant to us Thy heavenly and eternal gifts (which eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man) that thou hast prepared, O God, for those who love Thee; and reject not, O loving Lord, the people for my sake, or for my sin's sake:

Then he says, thrice: For Thy people and Thy Church supplicate Thee.

The People: Have mercy on us, O Lord our God, Father Almighty.

Again the celebrant says (Invocation): Have mercy upon us, O God Almighty. Have mercy upon us, O God our Saviour Jesus Christ Our Lord. Have mercy upon us, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and send forth on us, and on these offered gifts, Thy all-holy Spirit.

Then, bowing his neck, he says: The sovereign and quickening Spirit, that sits upon the throne with Thee, our God and Father, and with Thy only-begotten Son, reigning with Thee; the consubstantial and co-eternal; that spoke in the law and in the prophets, and in Thy New Testament; that descended in the form of a dove on our Lord Jesus Christ at the river Jordan, and abode on Him; that descended on Thy apostles in the form of tongues of fire in the upper room of the holy and glorious Zion on the day of Pentecost: this Thine all-holy Spirit, send down, O Lord, upon us, and upon these offered holy gifts;

And rising up, he says aloud: That coming, by His holy and good and glorious appearing, He may sanctify this bread, and make it the holy body of Thy Christ.

The People: Amen.

The celebrant: And this cup the precious blood of Thy Christ.

The People: Amen.



Here receive Communion. Receive the host and say first "the Body of Christ" and then the cup and say first "the Blood of Christ".



We give you thanks, Holy Father,

for your holy name which you

have caused to dwell in our hearts,

and for the knowledge and faith and immortality

which you have made known to us

through Jesus your servant;

to you be the glory unto the endless ages of ages to come.



You, almighty Master, created all things for your

name's sake,

and gave food and drink to men, Adam and Eve, to enjoy,

that they might give you thanks

but to us, from the first Adam to the last Saint, you have graciously given

spiritual food and drink,

and eternal life through your servant Christ Jesus Our Only Lord and Saviour.



Above all we give thanks because you are mighty

to you be the glory unto the endless ages of ages to come.



Remember your church Lord,

to deliver it from all evil

and to make it perfect in your love

and gather it, the one that has been sanctified,

from the four winds into your kingdom,

which you have prepared for it

for yours is the power and the glory unto the endless ages of ages to come.



May grace come, and may this age pass away.

Hosanna to the God of David.

If anyone is holy, let him come;

anyone is not, let him repent. Maranatha!



We give You thanks, Father, for the fragrant ointment Your Holy Spirit our Paraclete which You have made known to us through Jesus Your servant; to you be the glory unto the endless ages of ages to come. Amen.



In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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The Apocalypse, the Book of the Revelation: 11.

All the good in the world that you pretend to do, if you do not confess Jesus Christ from the heart with the mouth and do it in Him and for Him, with NO false gods, is less than meaningless. It only adds to your condemnation.

Have nothing to do with Apostate Rome (second beast of Apocalypse 13). Have nothing to do with the Apostate New World Order with Jerusalem as its head (first beast of Apocalypse 13). 

Pray and watch and wait. God's Holy Prophets Enoch and Elijah will return and witness and fight against the Antichrist. Then Our Only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will return from heaven, in the same flesh with which He Ascended two thousand years ago, with all His elect angels and resurrect all men on earth that ever lived, here on earth in the flesh, and judge all men - each individual, for eternity.

The Apocalypse, the Book of the Revelation: 11.

1 … Scripture reference – Ezek.: 40:5
2 … Scripture reference – Lk.: 21:24!
3 … Scripture reference –
4 … Scripture reference – Zach.: 4:14
5 … Scripture reference –
6 … Scripture reference – 3 Rg. (1 Kings): 17:1; Exod. 7:20!
7 … Scripture reference – Rev.: 12:17; 13:1!, 7; 17:8; 19:19; Dan.: 7:21
8 … Scripture reference –
9 … Scripture reference –
10 … Scripture reference – Jn.: 16:20
11 … Scripture reference – Ezek.: 37:10!; Acts:5:5!
12 … Scripture reference –
13 … Scripture reference – Rev.:16:18!; Acts: 16: 26!
14 … Scripture reference – Rev.: 9:12
15 … Scripture reference – Rev.: 8:7!; 12:10!; Dan.2:44!; Mic.: 4:7!
16 … Scripture reference – Rev.: 4:4; 4:10!
17 … Scripture reference – Rev.: 1:4, 8; 4:8; 19:16
18 … Scripture reference –
19 … Scripture reference – Rev.: 15:5; 8:5!; 16:18!

The Measuring of the Temple

Rv:11:
1 ¶ And there was given me a reed, like unto a rod. And it was said to me: Arise, and measure the temple of God and the altar and them that adore therein. … Scripture reference – Ezek.: 40:5
2 But the court which is without the temple, cast out and measure it not: because it is given unto the Gentiles. And the holy city they shall tread under foot, two and forty months: [1] … Scripture reference – Lk.: 21:24!
3 ¶ And I will give unto my two witnesses: [2] and they shall prophesy, a thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. … Scripture reference –

The Two Witnesses

4 These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks that stand before the Lord of the earth. … Scripture reference – Zach.: 4:14
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire shall come out of their mouths and shall devour their enemies. And if any man will hurt them, in this manner must he be slain.
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: And they have power over waters, to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. … Scripture reference – 3 Rg. (1 Kings): 17:1; Exod. 7:20!
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast [3] that ascendeth out of the abyss shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them. 7 … Scripture reference – Rev.: 12:17; 13:1!, 7; 17:8; 19:19; Dan.: 7:21
8 And their bodies shall lie in the streets of the great city which is called spiritually, Sodom and Egypt: where their Lord also was crucified.
9 And they of the tribes and peoples and tongues and nations shall see their bodies for three days and a half: and they shall not suffer their bodies to be laid in sepulchres.
10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and make merry: and shall send gifts one to another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the earth. … Scripture reference – Jn.: 16:20
11 And after three days and a half, [4] the spirit of life from God entered into them. And they stood upon their feet: and great fear fell upon them that saw them. … Scripture reference – Ezek.: 37:10!; Acts:5:5!
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying to them: Come up hither. And they went up to heaven in a cloud: and their enemies saw them. … Scripture reference –
13 And at that hour there was made a great earthquake: and the tenth part of the city fell. And there were slain in the earthquake, names of men, seven thousand: and the rest were cast into a fear and gave glory to the God of heaven. … Scripture reference – Rev.:16:18!;
Acts: 16: 26!

14 ¶ The second woe is past: and behold the third woe will come quickly. … Scripture reference – Rev.: 9:12

The Seventh Trumpet

15 And the seventh angel sounded the trumpet: and there were great voices in heaven, saying: The kingdom of this world is become our Lord’s and his Christ’s, and he shall reign for ever and ever. Amen. … Scripture reference – Rev.: 8:7!; 12:10!; Dan.2:44!; Mic.: 4:7!
16 And the four and twenty ancients who sit on their seats in the sight of God, fell on their faces and adored God, saying: … Scripture reference – Rev.: 4:4; 4:10!
17 We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who art and who wast and who art to come: because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and thou hast reigned. … Scripture reference – Rev.: 1:4, 8; 4:8; 19:16
18 And the nations were angry: and thy wrath is come. And the time of the dead, that they should be judged and that thou shouldest render reward to thy servants the prophets and the saints, and to them that fear thy name, little and great: and shouldest destroy them who have corrupted the earth.
19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven: and the ark of his testament was seen in his temple. And there were lightnings and voices and an earthquake and great hail.
(DRV) … Scripture reference – Rev.: 15:5; 8:5!; 16:18!

[1] -Ver. 2. Forty-two months: three years and a half. The forty two months of thirty days each correspond to the twelve hundred and sixty days of the prophesying of the two witnesses and to the three years and a half of the woman in the wilderness. The period of forty-two months is the symbol of a period, limited in length, and under the control of Him who governs all things. Since we are given no reason to see it otherwise, and the Church Fathers teach that it is a literal length of time at the end of this age in the final fulfillment of this prophecy, we must believe that it is.
[2] -Ver. 3. Two witnesses: Elias and. Enoch, according to the Church Fathers and Doctors.
[3] -Ver. 7. Beast: no beast as yet has been mentioned. This beast symbolizes Antichrist.
[4] -Ver. 11. Three days and a half: this refers to the resurrection of the witnesses.


Palestine Cry: Christ is Risen

Palestine Cry: Christ is Risen!

The ever Perfidious and Deicidal chief priests and the Pharisees and Pontius Pilate of that time and now try in vain to prevent the Truth of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's Resurrection from being proclaimed. It is impossible to prevent it. The heavens and the earth proclaim His Resurrection in the flesh!

Psalm, Zabin 84




For the End, a Psalm of the Resurrection





Truth is sprung up out of the earth, and righteousness hath looked down from heaven. 
Thou hast been gracious, O Lord, unto Thy land; Thou hast turned back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquities of Thy people, Thou hast covered all their sins. Thou hast made all Thy wrath to cease, Thou hast turned back from the wrath of Thine anger. Turn us back, O God of our salvation, and turn away Thine anger from us. Wilt Thou be wroth with us unto the ages? Or wilt Thou draw out Thy wrath from generation to generation? O God, Thou wilt turn and quicken us, and Thy people shall be glad in Thee. Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy, and Thy salvation do Thou give unto us. I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me; for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints and to them that turn their heart unto Him. Surely nigh unto them that fear Him is His salvation, that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth is sprung up out of the earth, and righteousness hath looked down from heaven. Yea, for the Lord will give goodness, and our land shall yield her fruit. Righteousness shall go before Him and shall set His footsteps in the way.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son Jesus Christ and to the Holy Spirit as it was before all time and creation and now and always unto the endless ages of ages to come.

MATTHEW 27

CHAPTER XXVII.



51 *And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent.
52 And the graves were opened: and many bodies of the saints that had slept arose:
53 And coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, came into the holy city and appeared to many.
54 Now the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake and the things that were done, were greatly afraid, saying: Indeed this was the Son of God.
55 And there were there many women afar off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
56 Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
57 *And when it was evening, there came a certain rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was a disciple of Jesus.
58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded that the body should be delivered.
59 And Joseph taking the body wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth,
60 And laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewed out in a rock.  And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument, and went his way.
61 And there was there Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary sitting over-against the sepulchre.
62 And the next day, which followed the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate,
63 Saying: Sir, we have remembered, that that seducer said, while he was yet alive: After three days I will rise again.
64 Command, therefore, the sepulchre to be guarded until the third day: lest his disciples come, and steal him away, and say to the people: He is risen from the dead; and the last error shall be worse than the first.
65 Pilate saith to them: You have a guard: go, guard it as you know.
66 And they departing, made the sepulchre sure, with guards, sealing the stone.

MATTHEW 28
CHAPTER XXVIII.

The resurrection of Christ.  His commission to his disciples.

1 And *in the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre.


2 And behold there was a great earthquake.  For an Angel of the Lord descended from heaven: and coming, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.

3 And his countenance was as lightning, and his raiment as snow.
4 And for fear of him, the guards were struck with terror, and became as dead men.
5 And the angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you: for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified:
6 He is not here; for he is risen, as he said.  Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid.
7 And going quickly, tell ye his disciples that he is risen: and behold he will go before you into Galilee: there you shall see him.  Lo, I have foretold it to you.
8 And they went out quickly from the sepulchre, with fear and great joy, running to tell his disciples.
9 And behold Jesus met them, saying: All hail.  But they came up and took hold of his feet, and worshipped him.
10 Then Jesus said to them: Be not afraid.  Go, tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, there they shall see me.
11 Now when they were departed, behold some of the guards came into the city, and told the chief priests all things that had been done.
12 And they being assembled together with the ancients, having taken counsel, they gave a great sum of money to the soldiers;
13 Saying: Say you, that his disciples came by night, and stole him away when we were asleep.
14 And if the governor shall hear this, we will persuade him, and secure you.
15 So they, taking the money, did as they were taught.  And this word was spread abroad among the Jews even unto this day.
16 And the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
17 And seeing him, they adored: but some doubted.
18 And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.
19 *Going, therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.
____________________
*
1:  A.D. 33.; Mark xvi. 1.; John xx. 1.
19:  Mark xvi. 15.
====================


ACTS 10

CHAPTER X.



36 God sent the word to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all).

37 You know the word which hath been published through all Judea: *for it began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached,
38 Jesus, of Nazareth: how God anointed him with the Holy Ghost, and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by the devil: for God was with him.
39 And we are witnesses of all things, which he did in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem, whom they killed, hanging him upon a tree.
40 Him God raised up the third day, and gave him to be made manifest,
41 Not to all the people, but to witnesses preordained by God, even to us, who eat and drank with him, after he arose again from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is he who hath been appointed by God to be judge of the living and of the dead.
43 *To him all the prophets give testimony, that through his name all receive remission of sins, who believe in him.


El Maseeh Qam!





click on picture




























Cross and Resurrection




Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!


El Maseeh Qam! Haqan Qam!

Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti!

Ghyamta d'maran hoya brikhta!

Kristos Ame Fu Fuka! Kweli Ame Fu Fuka!

Khristos amafafouka! Kwaeli amafafouka!

Joyeuses Pâques!

Christos Voskrese! - Voistino Voskrese!

Ha-Mashiah qom! - Be-emet qom!

Ha Mashiyach qam! - Ken hoo qam!

Harisutosu Fukkatsu! - Jitsu Ni Fukkatsu!

IPhasika elijabulayo! IPhasika elithokozayo!


Haqan Qam!


Palestine Cry: Resurrection of Christ. St. Sabas, Abbot



Palestine Cry: Resurrection of Christ. St. Sabas, Abbot



Mar Saba Monastery near Bethlehem

Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). Volume XII: December.

The Lives of the Saints. 1866.

December 5

St. Sabas, Abbot

From his life excellently written by Cyril, monk of Palestine, in 557, author of the life of St. John the Silent, of that of St. Euthymius, and of this of St. Sabas, which is correctly published by Bollandus, 20th of January, and in Greek by Cotelerius Monum. Gr. t. 3. pp. 220, 574. These acts in Metaphrastes are adulterated by certain counterfeit additions. See Assemani, t. 5, p. 410.

A.D. 532.


ST. SABAS, one of the most renowned patriarchs of the monks of Palestine, was born at Mutalasca, in Cappadocia, not far from Cæsarea, the capital, in 439. The name of his father was John, and that of his mother, Sophia: both were pious, and of illustrious families. The father was an officer in the army, and being obliged to go to Alexandria in Egypt, took his wife with him, and recommended his son Sabas, with the care of his estate, to Hermias, the brother of his wife. This uncle’s wife used the child so harshly that, three years after, he went to an uncle called Gregory, brother to his father, hoping there to live in peace. Gregory having the care of the child, demanded also the administration of his estate, whence great law suits and animosities arose between the two uncles. Sabas, who was of a mild disposition, took great offence at these discords about so contemptible a thing as earthly riches, and, the grace of God working powerfully in his heart, he resolved to renounce for ever what was a source of so great evils among men. He retired to a monastery called Flavinia, three miles from Mutalasca, and the abbot received him with open arms, and took great care to see him instructed in the science of the saints, and in the rules of a monastic profession. His uncles, blinded by avarice and mutual animosity, were some years without opening their eyes; but at last, ashamed of their conduct towards a nephew, they agreed together to take him out of his monastery, restore to him his estate, and persuade him to marry. In vain they employed all means to gain their point. Sabas had tasted the bitterness of the world, and the sweetness of the yoke of Christ, and his heart was so united to God, that nothing could draw him from his good purpose. He applied himself with great fervour to the practice of all virtues, especially humility, mortification, and prayer, as the means to attain all others. One day, whilst he was at work in the garden, he saw a tree loaded with fair and beautiful apples, and gathered one with an intention to eat it. But reflecting that this was a temptation of the devil, he threw the apple on the ground, and trod upon it. Moreover, to punish himself, and more perfectly to overcome the enemy, he made a vow never to eat any apples as long as he lived. By this victory over himself, he made great progress in all other virtues, exercising himself by day in labour, accompanied with prayer, and by night in watching in devotions, always flying idleness as the root of all evils, sleeping only as much as was absolutely necessary to support nature, and never interrupting his labours but to lift up his hands to God. Though he was the youngest in the house he soon surpassed all the rest in fervour and virtue. So tender was his charity and compassion, that once when he was serving the baker, who had put his wet clothes into the oven to dry, and, forgetting them, had put in fire, seeing him much troubled for his clothes, he went into the oven and fetched them out through the flames without hurt. When Sabas had been ten years in this monastery, being eighteen years old, with the leave of his abbot, he went to Jerusalem to visit the holy places, and to edify himself by the examples of the eminent solitaries of that country. He passed the winter in the monastery of Passarion, governed at that time by the holy abbot Elpidius. All the brethren were charmed with his virtue, and desired earnestly that he would fix his abode among them: but his great love of silence and retirement made him prefer the manner of life practised by St. Euthymius. He cast himself at the feet of that holy abbot, conjuring him with many tears to receive him among his disciples. St. Euthymius judged him too young to continue in his laura with the anchorets; so extreme a solitude being only proper for the most perfect; for a laura consisted of a cluster of separate cells or hermitages in a desert. Euthymius, therefore, recommended him to the monastery below the hill, which was under the conduct of Theoctistus and a kind of noviceship to the laura, from which it lay about three miles distant, the laura itself being twelve miles from Jerusalem. 1

Sabas consecrated himself to God with new fervour, working all day, and watching in prayer a good part of the night. As he was very lusty and strong, he assisted all his brethren in their offices, and prepared himself the wood and water for the house with extraordinary care and cheerfulness. He served the sick with singular diligence and affection; and was always the first and the last at the divine office, and in every regular duty. A temptation put his virtue to the trial. He was sent by his abbot as companion to another monk on certain affairs to Alexandria. There his parents knew him and desired to engage him to accept his father’s post and estate in the world; but he gave them to understand that would be to apostatize from the service of God which he had chosen. They pressed him at least to accept a large sum of money for his necessaries; but he would only take three pieces of gold, and those he gave all to his abbot on his return. When he was thirty years of age he obtained leave of St. Euthymius to spend five days a-week in a remote cave, which time he passed without eating any thing, in prayer and manual labour. He left his monastery on Sunday evening, carrying with him palm-twigs, and came back on Saturday morning with fifty baskets which he had made, imposing upon himself a task of ten a-day. Thus he had lived five years, till St. Euthymius chose him and one Domitian for his companions in his great yearly retreat in the deserts of Rouban, in which Christ is said to have performed his forty days’ fast. They entered this solitude together on the 14th of January, and returned to their monastery on Palm-Sunday. In the first retreat Sabas fell down in the wilderness, almost dead with thirst. St. Euthymius, moved with compassion, addressed a prayer to Christ, that he would take pity on his young fervent soldier, and, striking his staff into the earth, a spring gushed forth; of which Sabas drinking a little, recovered his strength so as to be enabled to bear the fatigues of his retreat. 2

After the death of St. Euthymius a relaxation of discipline crept into that monastery: on which account Sabas, sensible that a religious house in such a condition is like a general shipwreck, in which every one must save himself as he can, retired into a desert toward the East, in which St. Gerasimus lived. The devil here endeavoured to affright him by appearing in divers shapes of serpents and beasts: but the servant of God, armed with prayer and faith, surmounted all his assaults. Four years the saint had spent in his wilderness in a total separation from all commerce with men, when, directed by an admonition of heaven, he chose his dwelling in a cave on the top of a high mountain, at the bottom of which ran the brook Cedron. The water of that torrent not being there drinkable, he fetched what he used from a spring, five miles off, through a very rough and steep way. He was obliged to hang a cord down the descent to hold himself by in mounting it. Wild herbs which grew on the rocks were his food, till some countrymen who found him by this cord, brought him on certain days a little bread, cheese, dates, and other little things which he might want. 3

After he had lived here five years, several resorted to them, desiring to serve God under his direction. He was at first unwilling to consent; but charity overcoming the resistance which his humility raised, he founded a new laura, which at first consisted of seventy persons, all desirous to devote themselves to praise and serve God without interruption. He marked to each the place to build their cell; and, having prayed to God that that they might find water, caused a pit to be dug at the foot of the mountain, where a spring was discovered which subsisted in succeeding ages. He built also a little chapel with an altar. The number of his disciples was shortly increased to one hundred and fifty; which obliged him to extend his laura on the other side of the torrent. He watched over all, and provided for their necessities with an incredible attention. He taught them to overcome their passions, to discover and defeat the artifices of the devil, and to pray with fruit and holy perseverance. To cut off all necessities and pretexts of ever leaving their solitude, by the help of certain charitable persons, he supplied them with all things in a manner suitable to persons dead to the world. He had no priest in his community, and he thought no religious man could aspire to that dignity without presumption. He grieved, however, to depend upon the opportunity of some strange priest for the celebration of the divine mysteries. Certain factious spirits in the community formed a schism against their holy abbot, and accused him to Sallust, then lately made bishop of Jerusalem. The prelate found their invectives groundless, except that the want of a priest was a real defect in the community. He therefore compelled Sabas to receive that sacred character at his hands. The abbot was then fifty-three years old. The reputation of his sanctity drew persons from very remote countries to his laura. Our saint assigned a particular chapel for the Armenian monks, where they performed the first part of the divine office, which consists of prayers and instructions in their own tongue: but met in the great church to finish it, and to make the oblation and receive the communion with the rest. After the death of the saint’s father, his mother came to him, and served God under his direction. With the money which she brought he built two hospitals, one for strangers, and another for the sick; also an hospital at Jericho, and a monastery on a neighbouring hill, called Castel; and another small one a mile distant, for the young, where they learned the psalter and religious exercises. When they were perfect in these, and ripe in years, he translated them to the house of Castel; and drew out of this nursery those that were most perfect into his laura. Sallust, patriarch of Jerusalem, established St. Sabas exarch or superior-general over all the monks of Palestine, who lived in several cells, and St. Theodosius over all who lived in community, or the Cenobites. St. Sabas, after the example of St. Euthymius, left his disciples every year after the octave of the Epiphany, and passed the whole Lent without being seen by any one, eating nothing all that time, except that he received the holy eucharist every Saturday and Sunday, which he always took with him for that purpose. If any of his disciples accompanied him, he caused them to carry with them some dried bread for their subsistence. In one of these retreats he found a holy hermit who had lived on wild herbs, without seeing any man thirty-eight years. He had with him very edifying discourses; but the next year he found him dead and buried him. The patriarch Sallust dying in 493, the rebellious monks above-mentioned went to his successor Elias, hoping that he would hear their complaints. Sabas was informed of their cabals, and, not to be an occasion of others’ malice, withdrew himself privately, saying, that we must resist the devils, but yield to men, for the sake of peace. 4

He went into the desert of Scythopolis, near the river Gadara, where he went into a great cave to pray. It happened to be the den of a huge lion. At midnight the beast came in, and finding this guest, dared not to touch him, but taking him gently by his garments, plucked him as if it had been to draw him out. The saint was no ways affrighted or troubled, but began leisurely and with much devotion to recite aloud the midnight psalms. The lion went out, and when the holy man had finished matins, came in again, and pulled him by the skirts of his clothes as he had done before. The saint spoke to the beast and said, the place was big enough to hold them both. The lion at those words departed, and returned thither no more. Certain thieves found St. Sabas in his cave, and were so moved by his example and discourses, that they all embraced a penitential life. Many persons here, again, put themselves under his conduct; but, finding himself distracted by their direction, and by a number of visitants who resorted thither, he abandoned his cell to them; and this place grew into a monastery. He enjoyed the sweetness of perfect solitude some time, when, moved with tender charity and compassion, he went to visit his former rebellious monks, who continued hardened in their iniquity, and were joined by twenty others. The saint was pierced with grief to see them thus give death to their own souls, and draw others into the same perdition. It seemed to him that he felt his own limbs torn from his body whilst he saw his monks separated from him. In order to soften their hatred and malice, he gave them every token of the greatest sweetness, tenderness, and goodness; but they were not yet to be gained. He left them a second time, to ask their conversion with greater fervour of the Father of mercies. He retired near Nicopolis, living some time under the boughs of a shady tree, the fruit of which furnished him with food till the master of the field built him a cell and afforded him his scanty diet. Elias, the patriarch, ordered Sabas to appoint a superior for the disciples whom he had gathered at Nicopolis, and to return to his great laura, to which he sent his orders to receive him. The factious monks, in a rage, threw down a building which he had raised, and, after many disorders, left that place, and settled in certain old ruinous cells near the brook Theon. The great laura was freed from their scandals, and Sabas soon renewed in it the spirit of fervour and charity. His zeal and compassion for the seditious apostates made him still weep for them. He even procured and sent them seventy pieces of gold to build them a church and furnish them with necessaries. This excess of goodness made them enter into themselves, confess their crime, and submit themselves to their abbot. St. Sabas nominated a superior to govern them; and, under his direction, this became a new and very regular monastery. The saint founded several others after the same model. 5

The eastern churches were then in great confusion. The Emperor Anastasius supported the Eutychian heresy, and banished many Catholic bishops. The patriarch Elias sent to him as deputies St. Sabas, with other famous abbots, to endeavour to stop the fury of this persecution. Sabas was seventy years old when he undertook this journey to Constantinople. As he was dressed like some poor beggar, the officers at the gate of the imperial palace admitted the rest, but stopped him. Sabas made no reply, but withdrew into a corner to employ his time in prayer. When the emperor had read the letter of the patriarch, in which great commendations were bestowed on Sabas, he asked where he was? The saint was sought, and at length found in a corner reciting the psalms. Anastasius gave the abbots liberty to ask what they wanted or desired for themselves; the rest presented their petitions, but Sabas had no request to make in his own name. Being pressed by the emperor to ask some favour, he only begged that his majesty would restore peace to the church, and not disturb the clergy. The emperor gave him a thousand pieces of gold to employ in charities. Sabas staid all the winter in Constantinople, and often visited the emperor to gain his point. The prince had caused a heretical council at Sidon to condemn the general council of Chalcedon, and required the bishops to subscribe his decree, banishing many who refused to do it. However, he spared Elias, patriarch of Jerusalem, at the repeated entreaties of Sabas, and dismissed the holy abbot with honour, giving him a thousand pieces of gold more to be distributed among the poor in his country. The saint returned to his solitude, and the emperor dying, according to what our holy abbot had foretold, Justin, his successor, favoured the true faith. St. Sabas, laying hold of that opportunity, went to Cæsarea, Scythopolis, and other places, preaching the Catholic faith, and bringing back many monks and seculars into its fold. A drought which had continued five years, produced a famine in Palestine. The prayers of the saint obtained supplies for his seven monasteries in their extreme necessity, and at last rain, to the universal joy of the whole country. 6

In the ninety-first year of his age, at the request of Peter, patriarch of Jerusalem, he undertook a second journey to Constantinople, in favour of the Christians of Palestine, who had been calumniated at court. Justinian, who had then occupied the imperial throne, received him with great honour, granted him all his requests, and offered to settle annual revenues for the maintenance of all his monasteries. The holy abbot thanked his majesty, but said they stood not in need of such revenues, as long as the monks should serve God. However, he begged a remission of all taxes in favour of the people of Palestine for a certain term, in consideration of what they had suffered by the plunders of the Samaritans: that his majesty would build an hospital at Jerusalem for the pilgrims, and a fortress for the protection of the hermits and monks against the inroads of barbarians: that he would bestow some ornaments on the church of our Lady which was lately built, and would afford his protection to the Catholics. All which things were granted. It happened one day that the emperor being busy in council in despatching certain affairs of the saint, who was himself present, when it was the hour of tierce, the abbot went out to recite his prayers. His companion, called Jeremy, said it was not well done to leave the emperor on such an occasion. “My son,” replied Sabas, “the emperor does his duty, and we must do ours;” so exact was he in all the rules of his state. St. Sabas returned into Palestine with the imperial orders, which he delivered to the magistrates of Jerusalem, Scythopolis, and Cæsarea, and saw everywhere put in execution. Soon after his return to his laura he fell sick: the patriarch persuaded him to suffer himself to be conveyed to a neighbouring church, where he served him with his own hands. The pains of the saint were very sharp, but God supported him under them in perfect sentiments of patience and resignation. Finding his last hour approach, he begged the patriarch that he might be carried back to his laura. He appointed Melitas of Berytus his successor, gave him excellent instructions, and then lay four days in silence, without seeing any one, that he might entertain himself with God alone. On the 5th of December, in the evening, having received the holy communion, he departed to our Lord, in 532 (not 531, as Jos. Assemani demonstrates against Baronius, &c.), being ninety-four years old. He is commemorated on this day both in the Greek and Latin Calendars. 7

St. Sabas met with persecutors among the monks, to whom his virtue seemed too scrupulous a severity; and these men were long insensible to his mild remonstrances, and holy instructions, animated by the example of his admirable sanctity. How easily do men blind themselves in their passions, and excuse to themselves, nay canonize, their more subtle vices! And how difficult is it for such sinners to be reclaimed! It is much easier to convert a notorious sinner, than one who is falsely just. The one feels his miseries, the other crowns himself with his own hands, and, like the proud Pharisee, makes his own panegyric or apology. This dreadful blindness is a frequent case: men every day study by a false conscience to palliate crimes, and allow themselves many unjustifiable liberties under false pretences. As St. Austin complains, what our passions strongly incline us to, we often call holy. Not to perish by such illusions, we must banish out of our hearts all self-conceit, learn perfectly to die to ourselves, especially in regard to our darling or ruling passions, and never take our passions for our counsellors or guides, as we shall be sure to do if we rely too much on ourselves. We must often suspect and narrowly examine our own hearts, which are frequently the greatest cheats with which we can have to deal. We are often imposed upon by other men: but a thousand times oftener by ourselves. 8

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Christ is Risen! Yes! He is risen!


and





JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY AND TRUTH AND LIFE - NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT BY HIM.

For as it was not possible that the man who had once for all been conquered, and who had been destroyed through disobedience, could reform himself, and obtain the prize of victory; and as it was also impossible that he could attain to salvation who had fallen under the power of sin,-the Son effected both these things, being the Word of God, descending from the Father, becoming incarnate, stooping low, even to death, and consummating the arranged plan of our salvation, upon whom [Paul], exhorting us unhesitatingly to believe, again says, "Who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to bring down Christ; or who shall descend into the deep? that is, to liberate Christ again from the dead." Then he continues, "If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved." And he renders the reason why the Son of God did these things, saying, "For to this end Christ both lived, and died, and revived, that He might rule over the living and the dead." And again, writing to the Corinthians, he declares, "But we preach Christ Jesus crucified; "and adds, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? " - St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book III, Chapter XVIII, Section 2.



From the: CATHOLIC DICTIONARY The Catholic Press, Inc. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Imprimatur + Samuel Cardinal Stritch Archbishop of Chicago - Chicago, August 5, 1950
Resurrection of Christ. The greatest of all Christ's miracles and the proof of His divine mission. For although He worked many other wonders, yet without His Resurrection, as Saint Paul states (1 Cor. 15:17), our faith would be vain and we would still be in our sins. The reason for this is that resurrection from the dead was the sign which Christ Himself promised as the proof of His divine mission (Matt. 12:38 - 41; John 2:19), and had He failed to return to life on the third day He would have been convicted of being an imposter. His enemies, the priests and Pharisees, understood full well the importance of this sign, and therefore took precautions to seal the tomb and post guards (Matt. 27:62 - 66). Since these arrangements excluded the possibility of fraud, they thereby increased for posterity the certainty of the miracle. The Resurrection was not an apparent return or a mere hallucination of the Apostles, but resumption by Christ of His human body. It is a historical fact attested by witnesses who could neither deceive, wish to deceive, nor be deceived. Those whom the Bible mentions as having seen the Risen Christ include: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome; the Apostles; Cleophas and another disciple at Emmaus; Saint Paul; more than 500 disciples. Of the fact of Christ's Resurrec­tion, therefore, there can be no doubt (Matt. 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20). The Apostles bore witness to it constantly; in fact, it formed the basis of their entire preaching (e.g., Acts 2:24-32; 2 Cor. 5:15; 2 Tim. 2:8). Not only is it the foundation of our faith; it is also the pledge and example of our own resurrection. Easter Sunday is the Feast of the Resurrection. Resurrection of the Body. The doctrine that the souls of all men, both good and bad, will be reunited to their bodies at the second coming of Christ. Just as the body shares in the good acts or in the sins of the soul in this life, so it will share in its reward or in its punishment in eternity. Each soul will be reunited, by the power of God, to identically the same body which it inhabited in this life. The risen body, will be without any defect of human nature and will be invested with the special qualities of the glorified body. This doctrine is the 11th article of the Creed, and one of the principal doctrines of our Faith. This consoling truth was known to the orthodox Jews of the Old Testament (2 Mach. 7:9-11) and was more clearly and emphatically taught by Our Lord on various occasions (Matt. 22:23-32; John 5: 28-29). Indeed, by Himself rising from the dead, Christ gave us a pattern and a pledge of our own resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20-23; 1 Thess. 4:13); for at His command on the last day our bodies will be restored to us in a condition like to His own glorified body: subject to our souls, and immune from decay, suffering, and death (1 Cor. 15:42-44).

The Catholic Creed: The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ




The Resurrection of Christ, the Son of God

THE resurrection of the dead is one of the most consoling truths of Christianity. To die forever would be the most terrible of all destinies. The plant and the animal, unendowed with reason, die, never to live again; but they have not, at least, any apprehension as to what death is. To die is to them one of the thousand accidents bound up with life; to the plant it is as nothing, and for the animal without reason a merely transitory pang, death itself being but the affair of a moment. For man, on the contrary, death has terrors which precede it, anguish accompanying it, and apprehensions consequent upon it. The most strongly attempered spirit shudders on reflecting that it must incur death; the most selfish man has attachments which he with difficulty severs; the most determined unbeliever experiences doubts as to the shadowy Tomorrow of death. Man would then be the most pitiable among all beings were Religion not at hand to say to him, "The grave is a place of momentary rest; you will come forth thence one day. The God that gave being to your limbs will restore them; the Resurrection of Jesus Christ gives thereof an assured pledge."

This confidence in the future resurrection is a subject of the greatest joy to the children of God, the groundwork of their faith, the mainspring of their hope, and the most lasting comfort amid the evils of this life. For if Christ had not risen, says the apostle St. Paul, in vain would we believe in Him. He would be convicted of having been an impostor, and His apostles of being mad; His death would not have availed us anything, and we should still be dwelling in the bonds of sin. Those dying in Jesus Christ would perish, and, our hope in Him not extending beyond the present life, we should be the most unfortunate of men, inasmuch as, after having had, as our portion in this life, sufferings and afflictions, we should not be able to console ourselves with the expectation of future good. But Jesus Christ having come forth living from the tomb, His doctrine is confirmed by His Resurrection; it establishes the certitude of His mission in His character as Son of God, the efficacy of the sacrifice He offered on the cross, the divinity of His priesthood, the rewards of the other life, and the glorified resurrection of the flesh.


Reflection.— We shall one day rise again; but let us range by the side of such a consoling expectation that terrible warning of the prophet Daniel, "Many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some unto life everlasting, and others unto reproach eternal."


above from - Butler's lives of the saints. Moveable feasts.

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