My Church Is Spirit And Life

My Church Is Spirit And Life
Our Coptic Orthodox Church is:
• A Church of Theologians: St. Athanasius, St. Dioscorus, and St. Cyril.
• A Church of Monasticism: St. Anthony, St. Macarius, St. Shenouda, and St. Bakhoumios.
• A Church of the Martyrs: The only Christian church that has, besides the Gregorian calendar, the Calendar of Martyrs because of the large number of martyrs in its long history, and continues to have martyrs until today.
• An Evangelic Church: preached throughout the world. For example, St. Maurice and St. Verena have many churches, monasteries, institutions, and cities in Europe after their names. The church is still spreading today in all the continents of the world, yet the church is one body in Christ, with the same faith, rites, and history.
• In the Divine Liturgy, we hear the deacon say: “Pray for the peace of the One, only, Holy, Catholic, and apostolic Orthodox Church, the Church of God.”
1. One: There is only one church in the mind of God from eternity. The body of Christ is one. The bride of Christ (the church) is one.
2. Only: “unique in its kind”, nothing else is similar to it. It is the holy place where God meets with His people, where Heaven and earth unite.
3. Holy: The Holy Spirit of God is the essence of the holiness of its members. It is He who dwells in each one making us the temple of the Holy Spirit, sanctifying our thoughts, conscience and behavior.
4. Catholic (Catholic meaning Universal): If the Old Testament focused on one group of people, the children of Israel, the New Testament expanded to include the whole world, from all nations, all peoples, tribes, and tongues. “For God so loved the world” John 3:16 and “ desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” 1Timothy 2:4
5. Apostolic: The Church has “been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” Ephesians 2:20. The Church is an extension of the Apostles, in its faith, its teachings, and its preaching.
6. Orthodox: Orthodox means sound or correct in opinion or doctrine, especially theological or religious doctrine. The life of the Church is straightforward and glorifies God at all time. There is no opposition between our faith and our life.
7. The Church of God: The Church is not the property of anyone, not even itself, but rather a pure property of God, who loved her, redeemed her with His blood, and acquired her as a pure bride for Himself. “For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” 2Corinthians 11:2 – “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” Song of Solomon 6:3
The Church is the community of the believers gathered in the consecrated house of God, led by the clergy in the presence of the angels and the saints around the Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus.
1. The community of believers: The word “ecclesia” means “congregation,” and the church - according to the Bible - is “the body of Christ”, as St. Paul says: “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” 1Corinthians 12:27
2. Gathered in the consecrated house of God: The church is “the house of God, the door to heaven” the altar has become like heaven because of the presence of the Lord of Glory in it with His angels and the saints. “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” Acts 2:47
3. The leadership of the clergy: When the Lord established the sacrament of the priesthood after His glorious resurrection, “He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any they are retained” John 20:22-23. He then sent them to minister.
4. In the presence of angels and saints: When we put icons of saints and angels in the church, we feel their presence in the house of God, the house of the angels. Therefore the priest prays saying: “ Before Whom stand the angels, the authorities, the thrones, the dominions, and the powers”
5. Around the Holy Body and Blood of the Lord: The Eucharist is the foundation of the whole church. It is the Body and Blood of Emmanuel our God, the head and the bridegroom of the church. As our Lord Jesus said “I am the Bread of life” John 6:35 which is why we receive the gift of eternal life when we partake of the Holy Communion.
What are the blessings of communion?
1. We abide in Christ: Man is weak before sin and Satan and before the world, but when he partakes in Communion as our Lord Jesus said, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” John 6:56, he becomes stronger with God’s grace.
2. We become united with the heavenly: angels and saints are present in the church. They pray and intercede on our behalf before God. We are in unity with them as we are all members of the Body of Christ, the Church.
3. We become united with each other: We all partake in the Body and Blood of Christ. As St. Paul said “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” 1Corinthians 10:16-17
4. We receive forgiveness: During the liturgy, the priest holds the Holy Body saying: “Salvation, remission of sins and eternal life to those who partake of Him”. As long as we repent from our heart and faithfully confess our sins, our sins are forgiven.
5. Salvation: It is not merely forgiveness, but purification and sanctification from sin, freedom from slavery and the acceptance of the dwelling of the Lord of glorywithin us so we may abide in Him and He in us.
6. Eternal life: The Lord said: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” John 6:54
7. We proclaim His death, confess His resurrection and remember Him until he comes
The work of the Holy Spirit in the church: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 8:14
After the Lord’s ascension, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles on the day of the Pentecost. They established the Church and Christianity spread throughout the world and many churches were built.
The Holy Spirit and his work in Church Sacraments:
The Seven Sacraments of the Church were instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ. They are visible signs by which we receive invisible grace.
1. The Sacrament of Baptism: With it we are born a second birth by immersing in water three times in the name of the Holy Trinity. It is the door of all the sacraments by which we enter the kingdom of grace. “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5
2. The Sacrament of Confirmation: By which we receive the seal of the Holy Spirit, 36 anointments to sanctify the whole person “But you have an anointing from the Holy One” 1John 2:20
3. The Eucharist: We receive the Body and Blood of the Lord to unite with Him and abide in Him and He in us. (John 6:53-56)
4. Sacrament of Repentance and Confession: It is the return of the sinner to God and the reconciliation with Him by confessing his sins before the priest. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1John 1:9
5. The Sacrament of Unction of the sick: In it, the priest anoints the sick with oil and prays for him that through God’s grace they obtain recovery from the spiritual and physical illness. “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” James 5:14-15
6. The Sacrament of Matrimony: Marriage is a natural law that God established first from the beginning with Adam and Eve. The Lord Jesus blessed it by attending the wedding of Cana of Galilee and sanctified it and said: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matthew 19-5-6
7. The Sacrament of Priesthood: The Holy Spirit comes upon the person when the bishop lays his hand on him and gives him the grace of the priesthood. “He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22