Rough transcript (let me know if there are things to correct): In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen. The purpose of the Divine Liturgy is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the giving of thanks and the reception of Holy Communion, and it's beautiful when the church is full and I see how many people desire and are eager to receive Holy Communion. But it's important that when we approach the Eucharist, we do so appropriately, having prepared ourselves. One of the most difficult things for a priest to do is to tell people that they cannot receive Holy Communion. And one of the most misunderstood teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church is her teaching on what's often referred to as closed communion. Although closed communion has been the norm in the church from Apostolic times, in other words it is nothing new, many non-Orthodox Christians take offense when they're not invited to receive Holy Communion or they're told that they cannot receive it. What most people don't realize is that closed communion has been the norm even in the west until the 1900s, 1910. It wasn't until the rise of the ecumenical movement that closed communion was discarded by Protestant churches in the spirit of so-called unity. Many people mistakenly look at Communion as a means by which unity is achieved. The church has never taught that. Communion is not the means by which a unity of faith is achieved, rather communion is the climax or the seal after a unity of faith has been achieved. The unity of faith is achieved when we are united through baptism and chrismation to the Holy Orthodox Church, the tangible Body of Christ in the world, when we profess and adhere to her teachings. You're baptized and chrismated and then you receive Holy Communion. I want to use marriage as an analogy to further illustrate this point. How is a husband united to his wife in the sacrament of marriage? Can they say that they're married before the sacrament? They cannot. Can they have physical intimacy before they're married? No, they cannot. It does not matter how much they love each other, they are not husband and wife until they are married in the church. And once they're married, then they are able to come together in an intimate way. So the sacrament of marriage unites them, and when they come together after marriage, it is a seal of a unity that already exists. Physical intimacy between a husband and wife does not cause the unity, it is a manifestation of that unity. Using this analogy, baptism is marriage to Christ, communion is the honeymoon, not the other way around. If you put the carriage before the horse, you won't get anywhere and you won't progress in the spiritual life. Brothers and sisters, proper order is important and necessary to maintain the integrity of anything - of any relationship, of any organization, of any entity. And proper order necessitates boundaries. Think about countries without borders or constitutions, cities without laws, schools without proper administration, corporations, organizations without bylaws, a family without rules, or even a marriage without boundaries. Countries would cease to exist, cities would fall into chaos, organizations, families, marriages would fall apart. Unfortunately, we're living in a day and age when boundaries and lines are being pushed and crossed in an effort to erase them all together. This is being done by individuals, groups, organizations, governments, and even so-called churches. We've even reached the point where the powers of darkness are attempting to erase the line between male and female.
Now, if proper order is necessary in every aspect of our life to ensure that things are functional and healthy and strong, how much more should that be the case when it comes to the holy church and our faith in Christ? In fact, St. Paul says in his epistle to the Corinthians, "Let all things be done decently and in order." And when he wrote these words, he wrote them in the context of the worship of the church. And what's more important than Holy Communion, the precious Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? There is nothing more precious in the church than the mystery of the Eucharist. And that which is most precious is most guarded. That which is most precious is most guarded. Think about what's most precious to you - your children, your spouse, whatever is near and dear to your heart. Communion is even more precious. This is why the priest does not give communion haphazardly, nor do people receive it without preparation. We sing at the Liturgy, "The holy gifts are for the holy." So what criteria is used in order to assess who can and who cannot receive Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church? There are two, and they have existed since Apostolic times: Orthodoxia and Orthopraxia, both Greek words. Orthodoxia translates as "correct faith," Orthopraxia translates as "correct practice." In other words, what we believe and how we live are the criteria of Holy Communion. And I want to say a brief word on each. First, Orthodoxia, correct faith. One of the titles Christ gives himself is "the Truth." In the Gospel of John, he says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." What we believe matters because truth matters. And what we believe about Christ matters even more. Christ himself asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" In the same way, truth is not subjective, by necessity it follows that Christian truth is not subjective. But you might say there are churches that teach things that are contradictory, complete opposites. For example, the Orthodox Church teaches that Holy Communion truly becomes the Body and Blood of Christ, while other churches say it's only symbol, it's not even necessary to receive. The Orthodox Church honors the Virgin Mary as the Theotokos, the Mother of God, and calls her blessed, while other churches refuse to call her the Theotokos and some ignore her altogether. The Orthodox Church teaches that Christ is the infallible head of the church, another church says a bishop, a human being, is the infallible head of the church. The Orthodox Church teaches we cannot bless same-sex relationships, while other churches allow it. These contradictory statements cannot all be true. Some are true while others are false. Again, truth is not subjective. Christian truth is not subjective. It's not different for different people. And the reason truth in general and Christian truth in particular is not subjective is because God has chosen to reveal himself to us. St. Paul reminds us that God is not the author of confusion. If truth is not subjective and God has chosen to reveal himself to us, then we must conclude that there is only one true, authentic Christian faith, and that God desires that we come to the knowledge of that truth. When Christ established the church, he established it as the pillar and ground of the truth, to use St. Paul's words in his first epistle to Timothy. We say in the Creed, "I believe in one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church." And this church is the Holy Orthodox Church, which has preserved the faith intact without any additions or subtractions. Our Lord promised that the Spirit of truth will lead us into all truth and that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. So the first prerequisite to receive Holy Communion is to be a baptized and chrismated member of the Holy Orthodox Church. Brothers and sisters, to have Orthodoxia is extremely important, important because false teachings and heresies separate us from God. Today we celebrate the memory of St. Gregory Palamas, the Archbishop of Thessalonica, who is called a "star of Orthodoxy" in his troparion. Along with St. Photius the Great and St. Mark of Ephesus, St. Gregory is considered one of the three pillars of Orthodoxy. He was a staunch defender of the truth and fought against heresy. The holy fathers considered heresy as immoral as murder and fornication. How can one come to a knowledge of the true God if they believe wrong things about him? How can you cultivate a real relationship based on falsehood? Imagine meeting someone, spending time getting to know them, only to find out that everything you know about them is false. What would that do to your relationship with them? False teachings and heresy separate us from God. And this is nothing new. The apostles themselves taught us to stay away from heresy and to stay away from false teachings. St. Paul tells us in his epistle to the Hebrews not to be led away by diverse and strange teachings. He also says in his Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, "We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he has received from us. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him." The Apostle John, in his Second Epistle, goes so far as to say, "Do not receive heretics into your home or even greet them." This is how seriously the apostles and the holy fathers took heresy and false teachings. The second criteria: Orthopraxia, correct practice. In other words, how we live our life. We must live according to the teachings of Christ and his holy church. It means we live a lifestyle in agreement with the teachings of scripture. It means we live a life of prayer, fasting, regular church attendance, repentance, chastity, humility, almsgiving, forgiveness, participating in the sacrament of confession. This is how we prepare ourselves for Holy Communion. This is the second prerequisite: Orthopraxia. How important is it to meet this criteria, to have Orthodoxia and Orthopraxia? According to St. Paul, it can mean the difference between life and death, between salvation and damnation. He says in his first epistle to the Corinthians that anyone who takes Holy Communion in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. "For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason," he continues, "for this reason, many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep." Did you hear that? Unworthy reception of Holy Communion can mean death. Lord have mercy. This is why we pray at the end of our pre-communion prayers, "Not unto judgment nor unto condemnation be my partaking of thy Holy Mysteries, O Lord, but unto the healing of soul and body." So Holy Communion has the power to give you life and to take it from you. In our pre-communion prayers, Holy Communion is called a fire that purifies and deifies, but it burns the unworthy.
Just like the two thieves on both sides of Christ's cross, Christ's body was broken and his blood was shed for both of them, yet one of them was born into life and the other into death. One was lifted up into paradise and the other brought down to hell. Both were sinners, but one repented and the other did not. St. John of Damascus says that Satan often enters us when we receive Holy Communion unworthily. And don't be surprised by this. We read in the gospels that Satan entered into Judas at the Last Supper. I hope you see the seriousness of preparing yourself to receive Holy Communion. How do we know, how do we know if we've met the criteria, that we have Orthodoxia and we have Orthopraxia? How do we know we have to make sure that we're prepared to receive the most holy Body and Blood of our Lord in a manner that will be unto salvation and not unto condemnation? This, my beloved family, is the primary role of your priest. As a steward of the mysteries of God and the spiritual father of the parish, he is the guardian of the chalice. Remember, what is most precious is most guarded. The priest represents the cherubim with a flaming sword guarding the most precious mystery of the Eucharist, ensuring that those who would approach it approach in a way that would be unto life and not unto death. The priest is called to be the guardian of the chalice in order to preserve your life, to save it. As your spiritual father, he loves you and he desires your salvation, the salvation of your soul. His goal is to ensure you have the true faith and that you are living out that true faith, that you believe in the faith once and for all delivered to the saints, the Orthodox faith that has not deviated in any way from the truth, and that you're not living the life of a lukewarm Christian. Do you see why it's so important for you to go to confession, so that the priest can discern if taking Holy Communion will lead to life or destruction? The priest is the guardian of the chalice, your spiritual physician. Not only does he have the authority, he has the responsibility to turn people away when they do not have the Orthodox faith or they are not living the life in Christ. It is in order to save them. We call the priest by the most endearing title of "Father." The mystery of the Eucharist is therefore a family affair. It's a meal served to you by the head of the family. And being a member of this family means that you were spiritually born through the hands of an Orthodox priest in baptism. Traditionally, at the words "The doors, the doors," that we hear every Sunday, at those words, all catechumens, all inquirers, all non-Orthodox leave the church because they could not participate in Holy Communion. Why? Because it's a family meal, a mystery that's not shared with those outside of the church. It's not shared with those who do not have the same faith and do not live the life in Christ. This can only be discerned by the priest. That's why you call him "Father." And if you do not go to confession, you should not be receiving Holy Communion, because it could mean your spiritual death. Finally, I want to expand on the analogy of a family meal for a moment and use this analogy to further explain closed communion. In the same way a family meal isn't open just to anyone, our spiritual family meal, Holy Communion, isn't open just to anyone. There must be a common faith and a common understanding. We must be born of the same baptismal waters. In the same way you know who your parents are, who your siblings are, you know who your spiritual family is through baptism. In a family, you're born of the same blood. In the church, we're born of the same baptismal water. And baptismal water is thicker than blood. However, being born into a family is only step one. To maintain our relationship with our biological family, we must be obedient to our parents, and this allows us to approach the dinner table. If we are disobedient, we might be grounded and asked to go to our room and not have dinner because we've broken communion by rejecting commandments. This is meant for our repentance and correction, and it is our parents who make this judgment call. When we apologize and correct ourselves, we are reinstated to the family, we are brought back to the dinner table. In the same way, obedience to the Holy Church is a prerequisite for a healthy spiritual family. In the church, it is our spiritual father, the priest, who makes the judgment calls. And when we are disobedient or we act contrary to the commandments, he can ground us, so to speak, by preventing us from taking Holy Communion. But through our repentance and confession of our sins, we can be reinstated and communion can be restored with the church, your spiritual family, so that we can be brought back to the spiritual dinner table and receive communion again. Again, brothers and sisters, guarding the chalice in this way is necessary. What would happen to your family if you allowed your children to believe whatever they wanted to believe and to do whatever they wanted to do? What if there were no rules protecting the integrity of the family, protecting what makes your family a family? If it was a free-for-all without rules or order, it would be complete chaos and cause the breakdown of the family. It would take away the sacredness of the family. It would take away the incentive to correct oneself and to repent. The family would eventually become unrecognizable and indistinguishable. Just imagine your child walks in and says, "Where's my dinner? I want this, I don't want that. I deserve this, give me that." And that's how some approach Holy Communion, in a most worldly and selfish way, as if it's a right and not a privilege and a gift. My beloved family, let me end by reminding you of these two words once again: Orthodoxia and Orthopraxia. These are the prerequisites to receive Holy Communion. In order to preserve the Faith, both have to be in place. Parameters have to be established, guidelines and rules must be followed. Otherwise, it's a free-for-all and everything goes. And if everything goes, then nothing really matters. Taking communion with those who don't share the same faith is a deception. It's not real communion. Communion literally means having a common faith. Closed communion safeguards the true faith in a world where truth has become relative, even Christian truth has become relative. This spirit of brotherly love and unity at the expense of the truth is satanic. Open communion takes away the sacredness of this special family meal. The teachings of the Holy Church are set in place out of love, out of a sincere desire for your salvation. The teachings direct us down the narrow path that leads to eternal life in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
thank you father for this great homily
This is GOLD! AMEN!
Rough transcript (let me know if there are things to correct):
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen. The purpose of the Divine Liturgy is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the giving of thanks and the reception of Holy Communion, and it's beautiful when the church is full and I see how many people desire and are eager to receive Holy Communion. But it's important that when we approach the Eucharist, we do so appropriately, having prepared ourselves.
One of the most difficult things for a priest to do is to tell people that they cannot receive Holy Communion. And one of the most misunderstood teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church is her teaching on what's often referred to as closed communion. Although closed communion has been the norm in the church from Apostolic times, in other words it is nothing new, many non-Orthodox Christians take offense when they're not invited to receive Holy Communion or they're told that they cannot receive it.
What most people don't realize is that closed communion has been the norm even in the west until the 1900s, 1910. It wasn't until the rise of the ecumenical movement that closed communion was discarded by Protestant churches in the spirit of so-called unity.
Many people mistakenly look at Communion as a means by which unity is achieved. The church has never taught that. Communion is not the means by which a unity of faith is achieved, rather communion is the climax or the seal after a unity of faith has been achieved. The unity of faith is achieved when we are united through baptism and chrismation to the Holy Orthodox Church, the tangible Body of Christ in the world, when we profess and adhere to her teachings. You're baptized and chrismated and then you receive Holy Communion.
I want to use marriage as an analogy to further illustrate this point. How is a husband united to his wife in the sacrament of marriage? Can they say that they're married before the sacrament? They cannot. Can they have physical intimacy before they're married? No, they cannot. It does not matter how much they love each other, they are not husband and wife until they are married in the church. And once they're married, then they are able to come together in an intimate way.
So the sacrament of marriage unites them, and when they come together after marriage, it is a seal of a unity that already exists. Physical intimacy between a husband and wife does not cause the unity, it is a manifestation of that unity.
Using this analogy, baptism is marriage to Christ, communion is the honeymoon, not the other way around. If you put the carriage before the horse, you won't get anywhere and you won't progress in the spiritual life.
Brothers and sisters, proper order is important and necessary to maintain the integrity of anything - of any relationship, of any organization, of any entity. And proper order necessitates boundaries. Think about countries without borders or constitutions, cities without laws, schools without proper administration, corporations, organizations without bylaws, a family without rules, or even a marriage without boundaries. Countries would cease to exist, cities would fall into chaos, organizations, families, marriages would fall apart.
Unfortunately, we're living in a day and age when boundaries and lines are being pushed and crossed in an effort to erase them all together. This is being done by individuals, groups, organizations, governments, and even so-called churches. We've even reached the point where the powers of darkness are attempting to erase the line between male and female.
Now, if proper order is necessary in every aspect of our life to ensure that things are functional and healthy and strong, how much more should that be the case when it comes to the holy church and our faith in Christ? In fact, St. Paul says in his epistle to the Corinthians, "Let all things be done decently and in order." And when he wrote these words, he wrote them in the context of the worship of the church.
And what's more important than Holy Communion, the precious Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? There is nothing more precious in the church than the mystery of the Eucharist. And that which is most precious is most guarded. That which is most precious is most guarded. Think about what's most precious to you - your children, your spouse, whatever is near and dear to your heart. Communion is even more precious.
This is why the priest does not give communion haphazardly, nor do people receive it without preparation. We sing at the Liturgy, "The holy gifts are for the holy."
So what criteria is used in order to assess who can and who cannot receive Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church? There are two, and they have existed since Apostolic times: Orthodoxia and Orthopraxia, both Greek words. Orthodoxia translates as "correct faith," Orthopraxia translates as "correct practice." In other words, what we believe and how we live are the criteria of Holy Communion.
And I want to say a brief word on each. First, Orthodoxia, correct faith. One of the titles Christ gives himself is "the Truth." In the Gospel of John, he says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." What we believe matters because truth matters. And what we believe about Christ matters even more. Christ himself asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?"
In the same way, truth is not subjective, by necessity it follows that Christian truth is not subjective. But you might say there are churches that teach things that are contradictory, complete opposites. For example, the Orthodox Church teaches that Holy Communion truly becomes the Body and Blood of Christ, while other churches say it's only symbol, it's not even necessary to receive. The Orthodox Church honors the Virgin Mary as the Theotokos, the Mother of God, and calls her blessed, while other churches refuse to call her the Theotokos and some ignore her altogether. The Orthodox Church teaches that Christ is the infallible head of the church, another church says a bishop, a human being, is the infallible head of the church. The Orthodox Church teaches we cannot bless same-sex relationships, while other churches allow it. These contradictory statements cannot all be true. Some are true while others are false.
Again, truth is not subjective. Christian truth is not subjective. It's not different for different people. And the reason truth in general and Christian truth in particular is not subjective is because God has chosen to reveal himself to us. St. Paul reminds us that God is not the author of confusion.
If truth is not subjective and God has chosen to reveal himself to us, then we must conclude that there is only one true, authentic Christian faith, and that God desires that we come to the knowledge of that truth. When Christ established the church, he established it as the pillar and ground of the truth, to use St. Paul's words in his first epistle to Timothy. We say in the Creed, "I believe in one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church." And this church is the Holy Orthodox Church, which has preserved the faith intact without any additions or subtractions. Our Lord promised that the Spirit of truth will lead us into all truth and that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church.
So the first prerequisite to receive Holy Communion is to be a baptized and chrismated member of the Holy Orthodox Church. Brothers and sisters, to have Orthodoxia is extremely important, important because false teachings and heresies separate us from God.
Today we celebrate the memory of St. Gregory Palamas, the Archbishop of Thessalonica, who is called a "star of Orthodoxy" in his troparion. Along with St. Photius the Great and St. Mark of Ephesus, St. Gregory is considered one of the three pillars of Orthodoxy. He was a staunch defender of the truth and fought against heresy. The holy fathers considered heresy as immoral as murder and fornication.
How can one come to a knowledge of the true God if they believe wrong things about him? How can you cultivate a real relationship based on falsehood? Imagine meeting someone, spending time getting to know them, only to find out that everything you know about them is false. What would that do to your relationship with them? False teachings and heresy separate us from God. And this is nothing new.
The apostles themselves taught us to stay away from heresy and to stay away from false teachings. St. Paul tells us in his epistle to the Hebrews not to be led away by diverse and strange teachings. He also says in his Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, "We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he has received from us. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him."
The Apostle John, in his Second Epistle, goes so far as to say, "Do not receive heretics into your home or even greet them." This is how seriously the apostles and the holy fathers took heresy and false teachings.
The second criteria: Orthopraxia, correct practice. In other words, how we live our life. We must live according to the teachings of Christ and his holy church. It means we live a lifestyle in agreement with the teachings of scripture. It means we live a life of prayer, fasting, regular church attendance, repentance, chastity, humility, almsgiving, forgiveness, participating in the sacrament of confession. This is how we prepare ourselves for Holy Communion. This is the second prerequisite: Orthopraxia.
How important is it to meet this criteria, to have Orthodoxia and Orthopraxia? According to St. Paul, it can mean the difference between life and death, between salvation and damnation. He says in his first epistle to the Corinthians that anyone who takes Holy Communion in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. "For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason," he continues, "for this reason, many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep." Did you hear that? Unworthy reception of Holy Communion can mean death. Lord have mercy.
This is why we pray at the end of our pre-communion prayers, "Not unto judgment nor unto condemnation be my partaking of thy Holy Mysteries, O Lord, but unto the healing of soul and body." So Holy Communion has the power to give you life and to take it from you. In our pre-communion prayers, Holy Communion is called a fire that purifies and deifies, but it burns the unworthy.
Just like the two thieves on both sides of Christ's cross, Christ's body was broken and his blood was shed for both of them, yet one of them was born into life and the other into death. One was lifted up into paradise and the other brought down to hell. Both were sinners, but one repented and the other did not.
St. John of Damascus says that Satan often enters us when we receive Holy Communion unworthily. And don't be surprised by this. We read in the gospels that Satan entered into Judas at the Last Supper.
I hope you see the seriousness of preparing yourself to receive Holy Communion. How do we know, how do we know if we've met the criteria, that we have Orthodoxia and we have Orthopraxia? How do we know we have to make sure that we're prepared to receive the most holy Body and Blood of our Lord in a manner that will be unto salvation and not unto condemnation?
This, my beloved family, is the primary role of your priest. As a steward of the mysteries of God and the spiritual father of the parish, he is the guardian of the chalice. Remember, what is most precious is most guarded. The priest represents the cherubim with a flaming sword guarding the most precious mystery of the Eucharist, ensuring that those who would approach it approach in a way that would be unto life and not unto death.
The priest is called to be the guardian of the chalice in order to preserve your life, to save it. As your spiritual father, he loves you and he desires your salvation, the salvation of your soul. His goal is to ensure you have the true faith and that you are living out that true faith, that you believe in the faith once and for all delivered to the saints, the Orthodox faith that has not deviated in any way from the truth, and that you're not living the life of a lukewarm Christian.
Do you see why it's so important for you to go to confession, so that the priest can discern if taking Holy Communion will lead to life or destruction? The priest is the guardian of the chalice, your spiritual physician. Not only does he have the authority, he has the responsibility to turn people away when they do not have the Orthodox faith or they are not living the life in Christ. It is in order to save them.
We call the priest by the most endearing title of "Father." The mystery of the Eucharist is therefore a family affair. It's a meal served to you by the head of the family. And being a member of this family means that you were spiritually born through the hands of an Orthodox priest in baptism.
Traditionally, at the words "The doors, the doors," that we hear every Sunday, at those words, all catechumens, all inquirers, all non-Orthodox leave the church because they could not participate in Holy Communion. Why? Because it's a family meal, a mystery that's not shared with those outside of the church. It's not shared with those who do not have the same faith and do not live the life in Christ. This can only be discerned by the priest. That's why you call him "Father." And if you do not go to confession, you should not be receiving Holy Communion, because it could mean your spiritual death.
Finally, I want to expand on the analogy of a family meal for a moment and use this analogy to further explain closed communion. In the same way a family meal isn't open just to anyone, our spiritual family meal, Holy Communion, isn't open just to anyone. There must be a common faith and a common understanding. We must be born of the same baptismal waters. In the same way you know who your parents are, who your siblings are, you know who your spiritual family is through baptism. In a family, you're born of the same blood. In the church, we're born of the same baptismal water. And baptismal water is thicker than blood.
However, being born into a family is only step one. To maintain our relationship with our biological family, we must be obedient to our parents, and this allows us to approach the dinner table. If we are disobedient, we might be grounded and asked to go to our room and not have dinner because we've broken communion by rejecting commandments. This is meant for our repentance and correction, and it is our parents who make this judgment call. When we apologize and correct ourselves, we are reinstated to the family, we are brought back to the dinner table.
In the same way, obedience to the Holy Church is a prerequisite for a healthy spiritual family. In the church, it is our spiritual father, the priest, who makes the judgment calls. And when we are disobedient or we act contrary to the commandments, he can ground us, so to speak, by preventing us from taking Holy Communion. But through our repentance and confession of our sins, we can be reinstated and communion can be restored with the church, your spiritual family, so that we can be brought back to the spiritual dinner table and receive communion again.
Again, brothers and sisters, guarding the chalice in this way is necessary. What would happen to your family if you allowed your children to believe whatever they wanted to believe and to do whatever they wanted to do? What if there were no rules protecting the integrity of the family, protecting what makes your family a family? If it was a free-for-all without rules or order, it would be complete chaos and cause the breakdown of the family. It would take away the sacredness of the family. It would take away the incentive to correct oneself and to repent. The family would eventually become unrecognizable and indistinguishable.
Just imagine your child walks in and says, "Where's my dinner? I want this, I don't want that. I deserve this, give me that." And that's how some approach Holy Communion, in a most worldly and selfish way, as if it's a right and not a privilege and a gift.
My beloved family, let me end by reminding you of these two words once again: Orthodoxia and Orthopraxia. These are the prerequisites to receive Holy Communion. In order to preserve the Faith, both have to be in place. Parameters have to be established, guidelines and rules must be followed. Otherwise, it's a free-for-all and everything goes. And if everything goes, then nothing really matters.
Taking communion with those who don't share the same faith is a deception. It's not real communion. Communion literally means having a common faith. Closed communion safeguards the true faith in a world where truth has become relative, even Christian truth has become relative. This spirit of brotherly love and unity at the expense of the truth is satanic. Open communion takes away the sacredness of this special family meal.
The teachings of the Holy Church are set in place out of love, out of a sincere desire for your salvation. The teachings direct us down the narrow path that leads to eternal life in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Couldn't wait for this to be up so I could send it to some friends.