St. George

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church

2587 W. 14th Street, Cleveland OH 44113

Serving the Orthodox Christian Communityof Greater Cleveland

The Pharisee and Publican

St. George

Antiochian

Orthodox Church

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The mission of St. George

Antiochian Orthodox Church

Is to serve God and the community

by commitment to the Gospel’s

command to grow in the knowledge

of Jesus Christ through faith,

hope, and love. It is a parish of the

Self –Ruled Antiochian Orthodox

Christian Archdiocese of North

America.

The Orthodox Church follows the

faith and practice of the apostles

and disciples of Christ handed

down by the ancient Christian

fathers and twenty centuries of

Church tradition. Genuine Christian

life nurtures and stimulates our

spiritual and moral development.

The liturgical life of the Orthodox

Church has been developing over

the last 2000 years. By taking part

in the mysteries of Christ’s life,

death and resurrection at the

liturgical services, the community

members are drawn to repentance

and the gradual change of their

inner selves.

To join the community of St.

George or to find out more

information, please fill out the

Guest Book in the Narthex. We

hope this day will be spiritually

rewarding for you. Fr John will be

happy to answer any questions.

Join us in the hall after Liturgy for

our Coffee Hour and Fellowship.

V. Rev Father John Ojaimi, Pastor

Office: (216) 781-9020 Fax: (216) 781-9545

Cellular: (440) 665-6724

Archdeacon Yarid Sahley

Subdeacon Sam Elias

www.stgeorgecleveland.com

Pastor’s E-Mail: frjojaimi@msn.com

Parish E-Mail: office@stgeorgecleveland.com

Sunday February 21, 2016

Tone 5/Eothinon 5Sunday of

The Pharisee and Publican

Venerable Timothy of Symbola; Eustathios,Archbishop of Antioch;

Zachariah, patriarch of Jerusalem; George,Bishop of Amastris

WELCOME TO OUR GUESTS

We are glad you are worshiping with us

today. There are Service Books in the pews.

Orthodox Christians must be prepared for

Holy Communion through Confession,

Fasting, Prayer and by being at peace with

others. Please seek and give forgiveness

before receiving Holy Communion. At the

conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, please join

us for coffee hour in the Parish Hall.

UPCOMING DIVINE SERVICES

Sunday February 28, 2016 Matins Service @ 9:30 am, Divine Liturgy @ 10.30 am

Confessions will be heard on Sundays Morning before Liturgy starts or by appointment.

“Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, Howcan this man give us His flesh to eat? So Jesus said to them,Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son ofMan and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He whoeats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I willraise him up on the last day”. John 6:52-54

“With fear of God, faith And love draw near”.Come to Church, Jesus loves you, we love you

we are waiting for you.

Bread of Oblation is offered in memory of Evelyn Baldassari by the Cole Family

Bread of Oblation is offered in memory of Elias Youssef Nader by Therese Nader & Family

Bread of Oblation is offered in memory of Takla Issa Michael (6 months) by Mahdi Shaker Kona andFamily

Candles are offered for the Health, Safety & Spiritual Welfare of:Abraham El-Khoury (Birthday) by Teta Fida & FamilyFamily & Friends by Michele LakisFamily & Friends by George & Joie Haddad

Candles are offered in Beloved Memory of:Anees Rafeedie & all the Deceased of the Rafeedie Family by Nijmeh Rafeedie & FamilyYacoub & Nour Karsheh by Nuha KarshehGeorge & Alice Lakis by Michele LakisMichel Hayek by the Hayek FamilyMy Beloved, Mother Mary, Father Abraham, Brothers Emile and James, Sitteh Zaineh & UncleKaiser by Emilie L. EasaWadia Ameen by his wife Mary & FamilyEdward Haddad by his wife Evelyn & FamilyEdward Fadel by his wife & family

Sign up and take your turn in offering a Coffee Hour.

Pick a birthday, memorial, anniversary etc..

or just a day that no one has sponsored.

Prayers are requested for the sick, sufferings, shut-insneedy, homeless, victims of disasters, war and violence

in the whole universe.

Divine Liturgy Variables on Sunday, February 14, 2016Tone 5/ Eothinon 5; Sunday of The Pharisee and PublicanVenerable Timothy of Symbola; Eustathios, Archbishop of Antioch;

Zachariah, patriarch of Jerusalem; George, Bishop of Amastris

RESERVE THESE DATES ON YOUR CALENDER

* March 20, 2016 Hierarchal Sunday of Orthodoxy Liturgyand Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers

Ύ�D ĂLJ�Ϭϳ ͕ �ϮϬϭϲ��̂ ƚ͘ �' ĞŽƌŐĞ�&ĞĂƐƚ��ĂLJ���ĞůĞďƌĂƟŽŶ

**ATTENTION GRADUATINGHIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS**

The Lebanese Syrian American Junior League will again be awarding scholarships to young menand women of Lebanese and Syrian descent residing in the greater Cleveland area.

The application process begins on January 31st. High school seniors should request applicationsfrom their guidance counselors.

College students can request applications by contacting Scholarship Chair Karen (Haddad) Zitonat LSAJLscholarship@gmail.com or (440) 390-0441.

All applications MUST be received by March 31, 2016.

If you have any questions or would like further information regarding this notice, please feel free tocall me at 440-390-0441.

The Teens GroupMeets everySunday after

ChurchIn The Teens Room

If you’re a TeenJoin us

For fun andEducation

Beginning of the Lenten Triodion , the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee.By Fr. Thomas Hopko

The pre-Lenten season in the Orthodox Church begins with the Sunday of the Pub-lican and the Pharisee. On this particular Sunday the liturgical book calledthe Lenten Triodion begins, and this liturgical book would be used in the OrthodoxChurch all the way through to the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection—the holyPascha—and then from the holy Pascha—from Easter, the resurrection of Christ—to Pentecost another liturgical book is used.Now the Lenten Triodion begins with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee;on this Sunday the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee is read at the DivineLiturgy and on this Sunday also, at the services of vespers and matins, hymns aresung during the services that relate to this Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee.And this hymnology and these Scripture readings are intended to focus the believ-ers’ minds on the approaching Lenten season that will prepare them for thecelebration of the resurrection of Christ, so that the whole journey begins after the reading about theCanaanite woman and Zacchaeus that precedes this Sunday; it begins with the Sunday of the Publicanand the Pharisee. Also on this particular Sunday a penitential hymn is introduced at the Sunday matinsservice after the reading of the resurrection Gospel—because at every Sunday matins service in theOrthodox Church an account of the Lord’s resurrection from the dead is read, because Sunday is alwaysa celebration of the Lord’s resurrection.But on the Publican and the Pharisee Sunday, for the first time—and this is sung all the way up untilPalm Sunday—you have these particular hymns which are sung at the service. They go like this: “Opento me the doors of repentance, O Life-giver, for my spirit rises early to pray toward your holy temple,bearing the temple of my body all defiled, but in your compassion, purify me by the loving-kindness ofyour mercy; lead me on the paths of salvation, O mother of God, for I have profaned my soul withshameful sins and have wasted my life in laziness, but by your intercessions deliver me from all impuri-ty. When I think of the many evil things I have done, wretch that I am, I tremble at the fearful day ofjudgment, but trusting in your loving kindness like David, I cry out to you: have mercy on me, O God,according to your great mercy.”And these hymns are sung together with Psalm 51, the penitential psalm of David, which is actually readat every single matins service, in every compline service, too, and the third hour service, too, atOrthodox services, Psalm 50 (51), the psalm of David repenting after his sin of murder and adulterywhen the prophet Nathan rebuked him; that psalm: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your greatmercy, according to the multitude of your tender mercy.” is read daily in the Orthodox Church rule ofprayer and it’s read at three of the daily services: third hour, matins, and compline.Now this Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee we have this parable being read. And I always recallwhen I was a parish priest how I would discuss this parable with children. Inevitably when you’d askchildren about this parable, they would answer something like this: you’d say, “Children, what do youthink is the meaning of this parable?” and almost inevitably the child would answer and say, “O Father,the Pharisee thought he was a good guy, but really he was bad, but he didn’t know it, he thought wasgood, but the tax collector, the Publican, he thought he was bad, but really he was good, he didn’t knowhe was good, but he thought he was bad.”And that is a kind of an interpretation that I noticed, that even many adults have when they hear this par-able, they think that the Pharisee was really bad and the Publican was really good, and they didn’t knowit, but the Publican was humble and therefore God accepted him because he really was a good guy.But that is not the parable at all; the parable is that this figure symbolizing the Pharisee had done all theexternal rules of uprightness according to the Law properly: he fasted twice a week, he gave tithes ofwhat he possessed, and that he really kept all the rules. And this was true; he really did keep all the rules:he did it externally correctly.

The tax collector, on the other hand, had broken all the rules. In fact, the tax collectors, as we all know,were kind of the paradigmatic sinners at the time of Jesus; they were Jews who betrayed their ownpeople, who worked for the Romans, who extorted money from the people, who collected more moneyfor taxes than they needed to collect, who gave that money to the Roman occupiers and kept the rest forthemselves and basically were considered to be very sinful people.So this tax collector really was a sinner. He did not keep the laws, he did not fast twice a week, he didnot give tithes; on the contrary, he stole money. Nevertheless when he came into the temple, he didn’tdare stand up in front, like the Pharisee did; he didn’t dare thank God that he was not like other people,at least that that moment he knew who he was and what he was because he had had a real encounter withGod and in that encounter with God he knew his sin and he said, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”Now Jesus says that when both these men left the temple, it was the Publican who was justified; it wasthe Publican who was heard and not the Pharisee. And then the interpretation is that if we keep all therules and boast about it and think that in those rules is our merit, is our religious life, is our standingbefore God, then we are greatly deluded and we even, if we dare to boast of these things, we are evenmore deluded.Now the Pharisee’s problem, so to speak, was he had not really had an encounter with the living God, hehad never met the righteous, holy, glorious God, who is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding insteadfast love and mercy. He really thought that by these external regulations and keeping them proper-ly that he was justified before God, but the Lord Jesus said that he was not.And that Publican, who really was a sinner, it seems clear, had an encounter with the living God. Heknew that he was a sinner, and whenever we encounter God we know that we are sinners; whenever weencounter God we know that, however well we keep rules and regulations, that that is not the heart ofthe matter.Now the Orthodox Church tradition following the Bible would be very very firm and strong and affirm-ing that the rules have to be kept. Yes, the rules have to be kept: we should fast; we should say prayersthree times a day, seven times a day; we should tithe, we should more than tithe; we should give whatwe can to the poor and the needy; and we should keep vigils and we should watch and we should do theChurch services and we should keep doing prostrations and we should be careful of our diet; we shouldread the Bible—all of these things are essential, they are absolutely essential. They are what prove thatwe have faith, and they are the ways that we open ourselves to the grace of God and encounter withGod. However, as all of the holy Church Fathers and saints teach, these are means to an end; they arenot an end in themselves. They are means to an end. Now if we neglect these means, our life really willbe sinful, but if we deify these means, idealize these means, think that in these particular actions is lyingour whole righteousness, then we are very far from God; we are actually deluded. In fact, some of theChurch Fathers would say we are even idolaters because we are worshiping the laws and not the Lawgiver.Now no one would justify the behavior of the tax collector; the tax collector has to repent, and it’s veryinteresting that in this parable we don’t know whether he repents or not. We know that Zacchaeus thetax collector did repent when Jesus came to his house, but we don’t know about this publican. Jesusdoesn’t say. He simply said he prayed, “Be merciful to me,” [and] left the temple. Maybe he kept onsinning; how do we know? But in any case at that moment before God, bowing down to the earth in theback of the building, his prayer was heard because his prayer was true. But the Pharisee’s prayer was noteven a prayer; it was just a rehearsal of his own righteousness before his own mind.So as the hymns of the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee say—they say we do not even have therighteousness of the Pharisee and yet we tend still to boast how great we are. And we do sin like thepublican, like the tax collector. And especially if we’re Christians we are told, not only not to steal, weare told to share our goods, and if we don’t share our good then we are crooks, we are stealers ourselvesaccording to the sermon on the mountain, so there is a sense in which we have sinned more than thepublican, or more gravely at least, being Christians, but do not have that same compunction, that samesense of contrition before God.

And here we know that we cannot pray prayers of contrition; we cannot sing hymns like: “Open to me thedoors of repentance. I bear the temple of my body all defiled. I’ve wasted my life in laziness.” We can’tknow these kind of things unless we have had an encounter with the living God, though if we have had anencounter with the living God then we will always repent of our sins. We’ll know that we’re creatures;we’ll know that even if we have kept all the rules we are still unworthy servants, and we will know thatthe rules do not save us. Only God can save us by his grace by faith; yet if we are believers then we willkeep the rules, but we will not deify the rules; we will not idealize the rules; we won’t worship the rules orthe laws in the place of the one who gives us these rules and these laws.There is a popular book in Russian Orthodoxy. It was published in 1867 in Russia. It was by a saint namedIgnatius Brianchaninov; he was a bishop, and he wrote this book for his fellow monks and nuns becausehe was terribly worried that the monastic people of his time were deifying and idealizing all the rules,but were not keeping the commandments of the Gospel and were not really living a deep authentic spiritu-al life, they were just going according to external practices. He said that they were idealizing dried breadand beans and formal readings of prayers and liturgical rituals and so on, and he said the following.He said, “If we think about the parable of the sower we will understand everything.” He said, “In theparable of the sower, God is giving us his words as seeds, and only he can give them; we have no right, nodemand, no deserving that we would have these words; God gives them by sheer grace, just as a gift.” Andthen he also said, “God gives the growth to these seeds in us. He makes them grow up bearing “the fruitworthy of repentance,” to use John the Baptist’s expression, “the fruit of the holy spirit” as St. Paul said:“love and peace and joy and patience and kindness and goodness and gentleness and self-control.”So God gives the seeds, and God makes the seeds grow and this St. Ignatius, this bishop, even said, “Andthe Holy Spirit is like the water that waters these seeds and makes them grow. The Holy Spirit is thepower of this growth, and the Holy Spirit is also a gift; it’s also a grace.We can’t force it; we can’t demand the Holy Spirit. God gives it, so God gives his word and his spirit tous.” But then St. Ignatius said, “We have to receive it; we have to accept it.”And then he said, “In the parable of the sower we are the earth.” In fact, it’s interesting that the name forman is “earth-man,”Adamach. Adam in the Bible means “earth-creature,” “clay-creature.” St. Paul evensaid we have our treasure as clay pots, earthen vessels, dirt, mud, clay. You know that’s what we are, butwe have to prepare that earth. And so in the parable of the sower, St. Ignatius says, “Where the earth ishard and rocky you’ve got to get rid of the rocks; where there’s weeds and thorns, you’ve got to get rid ofthem; where the soil is shallow you’ve got to deepen it, you’ve got to cultivate it, you’ve got to put infertilizer, you’ve got to make it ready to receive the words of God,” and he said, “That is what asceticpractices are, that is what the rules of the law are: fasting, saying prayers, going to church, keeping vigils,doing prostrations, tithing with our money. That is nothing but cultivating the soil.”And then he went on to say: if a farmer would try to plant a field and just take the seeds and just throwthem all over the place without preparing the soil, nothing would grow. Some would be on rocks, somewould be in weeds, some would be in thorns, some would be in shallow earth, but nothing would grow.On the other hand, if a farmer just kept cultivating the soil: digging it deepening it, getting rid of the rocks,getting rid of the weeds, getting rid of the thorns, manuring it, making it really fertile, but never put anyseeds in it, that man would be insane, too, because nothing would grow.”So he says, “We must cultivate the earth, and that’s what ascetical practices are, that’s what the rules are.But we must also receive the seeds, we must receive the word of God and the Holy Spirit by grace, other-wise there is nothing.” And so St. Ignatius said, “If a person puts all their righteousness in these externalactions—like it seems that the Pharisee did—and thinks that they’re really the spiritual life, well, they arejust in the hands of devil.” He said, “On the other hand if people never practice the rules, don’t keep therules, don’t keep the commandments, don’t read the Bible, don’t say their prayers, don’t go to the Church,don’t share their goods, then they are just given over to the crudest sins and passions: gluttony, pornea,sexual unchastity, greed, anger.”So he said, “The narrow path, the royal path, is, yes, to be like that Pharisee and to keep those rules, but tokeep those rules with an encounter with the living God, so that those rules open us to the grace of God in

In the life of the body a man is sometimes sick,

and unless he takes medicine, he will die.

Even so in the spiritual life a man is sick on account of sin.

For that reason he needs medicine so that he may be restored to health;

and this grace is bestowed in the Sacrament of Penance.

humility and gratitude and not thanking God [we] were not like other people, but thanking God that hehas been gracious to us. And then, when we keep those rules, then the strange thing is, no matter howrighteous we are, externally, we will still pray the Publican’s prayer. We will stay pray, “O God, bemerciful to me, a sinner.”So the pre-Lenten season begins when we meditate [on] this parable of the Publican and the Pharisee.So as the hymns of the Church say, “Let us flee from the boastfulness and the pridefulness of thePharisee who just kept the rules externally, and let’s learn from the Publican’s tears.” And even theHoly Fathers say, “Without tears, no one can be saved.” But what’s so interesting is that the morerighteous, the more holy, the more full of grace, the more the fruit of the Holy Spirit is in a person, themore they repent, the more they weep, and the more they pray the Publican’s prayer: “O God, bemerciful to me, a sinner.”

NINE REASONS WHY WE SHOULD TITHE

According to Hebrews 11:6, God says without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he whocomes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarded of those who diligently seekHim. When you tithe to God, you are truly walking by faith and not by sight. Most of us normallydon't have enough money to spare. So when we tithe, we're putting God to the test. We'resaying, "Yes, Lord, I believe you are the God of your Word, and I am giving by faith".

You have to use your faith to please God. As you step out in faith to give your tithes andoffering, you are showing God that you believe him, and great shall be your reward eventually.

Be faithful day in and day out, week in and week out, month in and month out, year in and yearout, and you will see the windows of heaven shower blessings on you and your family that are sogreat, that there will eventually be an overflowing in your life.

What is tithing?

"Tithe" means 10% or "a tenth part". God's Word tells us that the first 10% of everything we earnor receive belongs to Him. God says in Malachi 3:8, if you don't give your tithes and offerings toHim, you are a thief. In verse 9, He says that we bring lots of problems on ourselves if we don'ttithe. The only way God's work will be doing on this earth is if God's people give of theirfinances. Certainly, the world isn't going to finance the end time harvest. It's the responsibility ofthe church, or God's people.

What's the difference between the "Tithe" and "Offerings"?

The tithe is to be the first 10% of everything you receive financially. An offering is any amountyou would give above the tithe.

Well, I thought tithing was Old Testament Jewish Law that's not for today.

No! According to Galatians 3:17, the Law came 430 years after God instituted the promise andtithing with Abraham. If tithing was under the Jewish Law, why did Abraham tithe 430 yearsbefore the Law was given? According to Genesis 14:20, Abraham tithed to the Priest Melchize-dek from the very beginning, hundreds of years before the Law.

I can't afford to tithe!

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, you can't afford not to tithe! You need God's supernaturalhelp if you're ever going to get out of debt. If you wait for your ship to come in before you tithe,you may be waiting a long time. Put your faith into action today by giving Him the first 10% ofeverything you earn or receive, and watch how He helps you get out of debt. I would also en-courage you to teach your children to tithe to God from an early age, so they will be blessed allthe days of their lives.

NINE REASONS WHY WE SHOULD TITHE

1. God commands it. In Malachi 3:10, God says, "bring the whole tithe into the storehouse". The storehouse refers to the place where you worship. The tithe is to be given to your homechurch, the place where you are spiritually fed. When you give to support charities and other

ministries, you should be giving out of your offerings. The whole tithe belongs to the localchurch.

2. Tithing proves God's Word is true. God' says, if you will put Him to the test in tithesand offerings, eventually you will see great blessings overtake your life, even to the point thatyou will see God open the windows of blessing upon you and your family.

3. God will rebuke the devourer. According to Malachi 3:11, you have an enemy that willsteal all your finances, but, when you bring God the whole tithe, and give offerings as He leadsyou, God will rebuke the enemy. When you become a follower of Jesus Christ, the enemytargets you and your finances. You need God's help if you're going to make it financially intoday's world and the tough times that we live in. God actually challenges every believer to"put Him to the test" in their giving, and watch what He does in their lives. It's time to put Godto the test, and watch God's blessings flow toward you. Do it today!

4. Tithing teaches me to put God first. According to Deuteronomy 14:23, the purpose oftithing is to teach you to always put God first in your life. If God has our finances, then weknow He has our hearts. If we refuse to tithe, we prove that He really isn't first in the firstplace.

5. Jesus recognized tithing. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus recognized or commended thePharisees for tithing. Tithing was the only thing they were doing right.

6. Tithing is essential to spiritual growth. God tells us in Luke 16:11, "if therefore youhave not been faithful in the use of money, how can you expect Him to entrust greater richesto you?" Many Christians don't grow spiritually, and remain spiritual babies because they arenot faithful to obey God in the tithes and offering.

7. Tithing proves you love the Lord. In 2 Corinthians 8:8, God says that your giving teststhe sincerity of your love. You say you love the Lord, but you prove you love him when yougive. Talk is cheap, and actions speak louder than words.

8. Tithing is an investment for eternity. In Matthew 6:19, Jesus told us to "store uptreasure in heaven." When you give your tithes and offerings to the Lord's work, you areinvesting your money in souls for the Kingdom, and helping to get people to heaven.

9. You cannot "out-give" God. In Galatians 6:7, God says, "do not be deceived, God isnot mocked, for whatever a man sows that he will also reap." God is watching, and whateveryou give to Him, He will give back to you. Giving unlocks heaven's gates on your behalf. Youcannot out-give God. The more you give to Him, the more He'll give back to you.

Should one make a pledge as an

individual or a couple?

There is no hard and fast rule. Most mar-

ried couples sign one pledge card. Some

people feel strongly about making their own individual pledge. Each young person who

works is invited to make his or her own pledge, even if he or she is living in the family home.

Please Help ZOE for Life! Celebrate its New House

Blessing Followed by an Open Hous

We are deeply honored to invite you to share in the blessing of the new location of

ZOE House, at 5454 State Road in Parma, on March 4th. It will be blessed by His

Eminence, Metropolitan Savas of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh, The

Most Reverend Nathaniel, Archbishop of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate, His

Grace, Bishop Daniel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, His Grace, the

Right Reverend Paul, Bishop of Chicago and the Midwest of the Orthodox Church of

America, and His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Nyssa, Primate of the American

Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA! We are humbled by their love and

encouragement, and invite you to share our joy!

We welcome you from 6:30. The Blessing will be at 7:00. Refreshments will be

served.

What is Orthodoxy?

First of all, Orthodoxy is right faith in God; it is that mighty power which makes each

truly believing Orthodox Christian unwavering on the righteous and pious path of his

life. To be Orthodox means to know correctly with the mind, to believe correctly with

the heart, and to confess correctly with the lips all that God Himself has revealed to us

about Himself, about the world and man, and about the tasks and aims of our life in

the teaching on the attaining of our spiritual union with Him and our eternal

salvation. Without such right faith, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, it is

impossible to please God (Heb 11:6).

Orthodoxy is not only right faith and a right confession of the fundamental truths

and dogmas of the Church of Christ, but also a right and virtuous life, founded on an

unshakable law: the fulfilling of God’s commandments, the permeating of the heart

with humility, meekness and love for one’s neighbor, the rendering of help to the

needy and unfortunate, and the serving of one’s church. The Apostle James teaches:

“Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the future

Judge of the whole world, promises to “reward every man according to his

works” (Matt. 16:27). The Apostle Paul testifies that “every man shall receive his

own reward according to his own labor” (1Cor. 3:8). Here is the Orthodox point of

view. Right faith must be expressed in deeds, and deeds must serve as a manifesta-

tion of faith. One must be closely united with the other indissolubly, like soul and

body. This only, then, is the Orthodox, the correct way leading us to God.

Orthodoxy is not only right faith and a life according to faith, but also correct service

to God. Our Lord Jesus Christ expressed the essence of the right worship of God in

these brief but profound words: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must

worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Only the inspired divine service of the Holy

Orthodox Church, which is permeated by prayer, has realized this sacred worship of

God in truth. Moreover, Orthodoxy is strict proportionality and correctness in the

manifestations of all the powers of soul and body. In Orthodoxy, a proper place is

allotted to everything: to the intellect, to the wants and needs of the heart, to the

manifestations of man’s free will, to labor and prayer, to abstinence and watchfulness,

in a word, to everything of which man’s life consists.