How to Benefit from the Holy Liturgy - Pope Kirillos Scientific Family
How to Benefit from the Holy Liturgy - Pope Kirillos Scientific Family
How to Benefit from the Holy Liturgy - Pope Kirillos Scientific Family
- No tags were found...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
word of salvation according <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> commandment of our<br />
good Saviour, "The harvest truly is plentiful but <strong>the</strong><br />
labourers are few" (Mat<strong>the</strong>w 9:37). The priest also pleads<br />
for <strong>the</strong> servants who struggle <strong>to</strong> serve <strong>the</strong> vine of <strong>the</strong> Lord,<br />
whatever <strong>the</strong>ir positions are, so <strong>the</strong> Lord may grant <strong>the</strong>m<br />
strength and help <strong>the</strong>m in this blessed work of service.<br />
Then <strong>the</strong> priest pleads for all those who are living in<br />
virginity, whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y be monks, nuns or those consecrated<br />
for service. He asks for <strong>the</strong>ir purity and <strong>the</strong> angelical life<br />
which <strong>the</strong>y await, in order that <strong>the</strong>y may have a share and<br />
inheritance with <strong>the</strong> one hundred and forty four thousand<br />
virgins standing before <strong>the</strong> Divine Lamb, "And <strong>the</strong>y sang as<br />
if it were a new song before <strong>the</strong> throne, <strong>the</strong> four living<br />
creatures and <strong>the</strong> elders, and no one could learn that song<br />
except <strong>the</strong> hundred and forty four thousand virgins who<br />
were redeemed <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> earth" (Revelation 14:1-3). Then<br />
he requests for <strong>the</strong> purity of all <strong>the</strong> faithful congregation <strong>to</strong><br />
live a pure marital life without betrayal or deviation, so <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
houses may be houses of prayer and purity, and thus houses<br />
of blessing where Christ comes and dwells.<br />
The Apostle specifies <strong>the</strong> purity of matrimony by saying,<br />
"Marriage is honourable among all and <strong>the</strong> bed<br />
undefiled" (Hebrews 13:4), meaning that those married<br />
should not defile <strong>the</strong>ir beds or body through committing<br />
adultery, "But fornica<strong>to</strong>rs and adulterers God will judge"<br />
(Hebrews 13:4).<br />
The Apostle draws <strong>the</strong> evangelical style of matrimonial<br />
purity by saying, "Let each man have his own wife and let<br />
each woman have her own husband. Let <strong>the</strong> husband<br />
render <strong>to</strong> his wife <strong>the</strong> affection due <strong>to</strong> her and likewise<br />
142