-Σαν νυχτώσει, μην αποκοιμηθείς, έχουμε μια μεγάλη δουλειά εσύ κι εγώ. Α, μην το ξεχάσω, κι ως που να έρθω, σου έχω επάνω στο σοφρά καθαρή, μοσχοβολιστή, την καλή σου φορεσιά. Να βάλεις την καινούρια φουστανέλα σου μα και το χρυσοκέντητο γιλέκο σου, του είπε η μάνα και βάζοντας στον ντορβά ένα αγιοκέρι και λίγο λάδι, έκλεισε την πόρτα πίσω της.
   Ο Χρήστος, ήταν ένα ψηλό, όμορφο, καστανόξανθο παλικάρι. Ήταν γιος του περίφημου, σ’ όλα τα περίχωρα, καπετάν-Βαγγέλη, του οπλαρχηγού. Ο καπετάν-Βαγγέλης, ήταν ατρόμητος αρματολός. Είχε οργανώσει και το δικό του λημέρι εκεί πάνω στην αετοφωλιά, του βουνό, όπως την έλεγαν. Μα πάνε χρόνια πολλά που μια μέρα στη μάχη τον χτύπησε το βόλι στο στήθος, στο μέρος της καρδιάς. Από τότε ο μικρός Χρηστάκης, είχε μόνο τη μητέρα του σ’ αυτόν τον κόσμο, την κυρά-Λενιώ.
   Η κυρά-Λενιώ από τότε, εδώ και 18 χρόνια, κάθε μέρα, σούρουπο, κοντά στο απόβραδο, πηγαίνει στα μνήματα και ανάβει το καντήλι του άντρα της. Ήταν όμορφη και νέα κοπέλα όταν έμεινε έγκυος στο μικρό Χρηστάκη, πριν φύγει ο «καπετάνιος» ,όπως τον έλεγε, για το ταμπούρι του. Μα ο χαμός του, σαν να την γέρασε πρόωρα. Από τότε, τα μαύρα δεν τα έβγαλε από πάνω της, το πρόσωπό της έσπασε ,ρυτίδωσε το μέτωπό της. Μα η καρδιά της έμεινε ζωντανή, δυνατή, για να μπορέσει να μεγαλώσει το μοναχογιό της και να τον καμαρώσει ελεύθερο Έλληνα, όπως θα τον ήθελε κι εκείνος, και όχι προσκυνημένο ραγιά.
   Ο Χρήστος μην ξέροντας τι και πως, περιμένοντας όπως τον ειχε πει η μητέρα του, καθόταν μπροστά στο τζάκι και βυθισμένος στις σκέψεις του ανακάτωνε τα κάρβουνα.
   -Καπετάνιε μου, ήρθε η ώρα. Δε νομίζεις; Ο γιός μας, έφτασε τα 18. Το προσωπάκι του γέμισε με γένια, ίδια με τα δικά σου. Αυτό, αυτό δεν μου είπες θα είναι το σημάδι; Καπετάνιε, ήρθε η ώρα να τον καμαρώσεις από κει ψηλά, άξιο αρματολό στο ποδάρι σου. ‘Ήρθε η ώρα το σπλάχνο μας να τιμήσει τούτο το ιερό μας χώμα, που με το αίμα σου, καπετάνιε, το πότισες για να ανθίσει το νιο βλαστάρι. Συντρόφευέ τον και υποσχέσου με πως ποτέ μονάχο στο ταμπούρι και στο γιουρούσι δεν θα τον αφήσεις. Άξιο, να τον δω να ελευθερώσει την πατρίδα μας που τόσο βαριανασαίνει και άλλο δεν μπορεί να αντέξει, είπε και τρέμοντας από τους λυγμούς της, γονάτισε στον τάφο του άντρα της, έσκυψε και φίλησε το μουσκεμένο από τα δάκρυά της χώμα.
   Η πόρτα έτριξε και η μαυροφορεμένη μάνα μπήκε μέσα στο σπίτι, αποφασισμένη, συλλογισμένη μα και χαρούμενη.
   -Πάμε, πάμε γιέ μου. Έλα, σήκω από εκεί χάμω. Σήκω, να σε δω, να σε καμαρώσω. Έλα, έλα, ήρθε η ώρα γιέ μου, κι έπεσε στην αγκαλιά του απορημένου Χρήστου, που τώρα πιά την περνούσε ένα κεφάλι.
   Με βήματα αργά και σταθερά, σαν να πηγαίνουν σε πομπή, σε ιεροτελεστία, μάνα και γιος βγήκαν στο φως του φεγγαριού. Δυο σκιές γυρτές, μην τις πάρει κανένα μάτι, μα ελεύθερες, αδούλωτες στο πνεύμα, κινούσαν για τον στάβλο τους, εκεί, λίγο παρακάτω.
   Σαν έφτασαν στην πόρτα του στάβλου η κυρά-Λενιώ πήρε μια βαθιά ανάσα, και κοίταξε το γιό της γεμάτη περηφάνια. Άναψε την γκαζόλαμπα που έστεκε κρεμασμένη στον τοίχο. Είπε το Χρήστο και πήραν από ένα δικράνι και άρχισαν να μετακινούν τον μεγάλο σορό με τ’ άχυρα από τη γωνία του στάβλου, παραδίπλα.
   - Μάνα, γιατί ήρθαμε εδώ τέτοια ώρα; Γιατί μεταφέρουμε τα άχυρα αφού τόσα χρόνια εδώ τα έχουμε και από εδώ παίρνουμε για να ταΐσουμε τα ζώα; Γιατί είσαι βουρκωμένη; Μήπως έγινε τίποτε στα μνήματα; Γιατί δε με άφησες να έρθω μαζί σου; Τούρκοι ήταν; Πες μου, είπε και θέριεψε το παλικάρι και μόνο στην ιδέα.
   - Όχι, όχι παιδί μου, ησύχασε τίποτε από όλα αυτά. Θα σου εξηγήσω, θα σου πω και θα καταλάβεις και μάλιστα πολύ σύντομα. Μόνο φέρε μου τη σκούπα να συγυρίσω το πάτωμα και σύρε να αμπαρώσεις καλά την πόρτα, από μέσα, μην τύχει κάνα κακό.
   Η κυρά-Λενιώ με ακράτητα δάκρυα στα μάτια, άρχισε να σκουπίζει το πάτωμα. Τότε, φάνηκαν καθαρά τα σανίδια του.
   - Γονάτισε γιέ μου, γονάτισε κι έχω να σου πω μια ιστορία.
   Αφού του ξαναμίλησε, όπως σχεδόν κάθε βράδυ, για τη θωριά την ανδρεία, το θάρρος αλλά και τον θάνατο του πατέρα του έσκυψε στο πάτωμα. Μέτρησε από τη γωνία του τοίχου δέκα σανίδια και ψηλάφησε με τα λεπτά της δάχτυλα τους αρμούς τους. Εκεί, κάπου ανάμεσα στο δέκατο και στο εντέκατο σανίδι, το δάχτυλό της, σαν να έπεσε σε ένα βαθούλωμα. Τότε, μπροστά στα μάτια του έκπληκτου Χρήστου, άνοιξε μια μικρή καταπακτή.
   - Εδώ, εδώ γιέ μου, μου είχε αφήσει παραγγελιά ο καπετάν-Βαγγέλης, ο πατέρας σου, να κρύψω τ’ άρματά του... Μου είπε πως όταν δεις τον γιο μας, Λενιώ μου, να έχει γεμάτο το πρόσωπό του με γένια, τότε, τότε θα του αποκαλύψεις το μυστικό μας και τότε, με την ευχή μου και τη δική σου, να τον στείλεις στο ταμπούρι μου, να πάρει τη θέση μου, αυτήν που άφησα κενή και…ξεψύχησε, είπε και πλαντάζοντας στο κλάμα, αγκάλιασε το αγόρι της που κατάματα την κοιτούσε με δέος.
   Αμέσως, έβγαλε από την καταπακτή το καριοφίλι, την κουμπούρα και το σπαθί του ξακουστού, αθάνατου αρματολού καπετάν-Βαγγέλη, που είχε δώσει στην Τουρκιά, καλά, να καταλάβει, πως ο Έλληνας, σαν του βεβηλώσουν τα ιδανικά γίνεται θεριό.
   - Γιέ μου, παλικάρι μου, ήρθε λοιπόν η ώρα. Ήρθε η ώρα να τιμήσεις τον νεκρό πατέρα σου, να πολεμήσεις δίπλα στο φλάμπουρο που αγέρωχα κυματίζει, μόνο, κει ψηλά στο λημέρι. Ήρθε η ώρα, τούτα τ’ άρματα, που ο πατέρας σου, σου τα άφησε κληρονομιά, να ξαναπάρουν φωτιά ώστε να λευθερώσεις τον πονεμένο τόπο μας. ‘Ήρθε η ώρα του ξεσηκωμού, γιέ μου. Με την ευχή μου και με την ευχή τη δική του, έλεγε σκουπίζοντας ξανά και ξανά τα μάτια της.
   -Να, πάρε κι αυτό, συνέχισε. Είναι το εικόνισμα της Παναγιάς μας. Είναι του πατέρα σου. Το είχε πάντα στο ζωνάρι του από τότε που χωριστήκαμε και κίνησε για το βουνό. Μα, και σε κάθε μάχη πάντα στην μέση του το είχε να τον σκεπάζει και να τον φυλάει η Παναγιά μας η Γοργοϋπηκοος

   Σήκωσε τότε το βλέμμα της και κοίταξε ίσια, στα μάτια τον μονάκριβό γιο της. Έτσι, δεν τον είχε ματαδεί. Το στήθος του είχε φουσκώσει από περηφάνια και τιμή. Οι φλέβες του τινάζονταν πότε, πότε σαν να μην μπορούσαν να βαστάξουν το αίμα που κυλούσε μέσα τους. Τα μάτια του… τα μάτια του γυάλισαν σπινθηροβόλα μέσα στο λυκόφως της γκαζόλαμπας, σαν αντίκρυσαν το βλέμμα της, ηρωϊδας, μάνας…δεν άντεξαν ένα δάκρυ ατίθασο, που τόση ώρα αγωνιζόταν να το καταπιεί, ξεπήδησε στα αναψοκοκκινισμένα ,από το πάθος για τη λευτεριά, μάγουλά του.
   -Και ποτέ, ποτέ σου μην ξεχάσεις… ποτέ σου μην κιοτέψεις, μην λιγοψυχήσεις. Μάχου υπέρ πίστεως και πατρίδος, γιέ μου. Κι εγώ θα είμαι μαζί σου, με τις προσευχές μου. Ο Κύριός μας, θα σε φυλάει και η Παναγιά μας, θα σε σκεπάζει μέσα στην αντάρα της μάχης. Μαζί σου ακόμα φύλακας άγγελος θα είναι ο πατέρας σου ,βοηθός και προστάτης σε κάθε δυσκολία. Για του Χριστού την πίστη την αγία και της πατρίδος την ελευθερία, παιδί μου. Γιατί, χαλάλι της πατρίδος, μια φορά κανείς πεθαίνει, είπε κι ένας ήχος ,σαν από αγριοπούλι, ήρθε να τους αναστατώσει, να τους σηκώσει.
   Ήταν το συνθηματικό. Είχε έρθει και η ορισμένη ώρα να κινήσουν για το βουνό, όπου θα περίμενε ένα από τα παλικάρια να πάρει τον Χρήστο, και σαν αετοί να πετάξουν εκεί, πάνω στην αετοφωλιά. Εκεί που πόδι Τούρκου δεν μπόρεσε να ανέβει. Εκεί για να αναπνεύσουν και να χαρούν τον αγνό αέρα της ελεύθερης πατρίδος, της Ελλάδας.

Π.Τ.

μαθητής Γ΄Λυκείου

Γιά τίς παραγγελίες βιβλίων, CDs, DVDs
ἀπευθύνεσθε στό Βιβλιοπωλεῖο μας «Ἀπολύτρωσις» (τηλ. 2310 274518)
ἤ μπεῖτε στό Ἠλεκτρονικό Βιβλιοπωλεῖο μας.

Lucky you! Chocolate for you!

Equipment:
a dice,
a large bar of chocolate,
a napkin and plastic gloves for each player.

Preparation:
Put the chocolate on a small table.
Players sit in a circle at some distance around the table, each one with the napkin and the gloves.

Playing:
Each player takes turns to throw the dice.
When someone throws a three or a six, they run to the table and start eating the chocolate, one square at a time, with the napkin around their necks and their hands in the gloves.
Meanwhile, the others carry on rolling the dice. The next person to throw a three or a six runs to the table and taps the other person on the shoulder who must stop eating as they have been replaced. The next one starts eating the chocolate and so on.

Pot Shots

Equipment: Ten yoghurt pots and one table tennis ball are required.

Preparation: Build a yogurt pot pyramid, by placing four pots on the table and placing three on top of them, then two on top of those and then one.

Playing: Each player (or team) is given a table tennis ball and throws it in turn at the pyramid from an agreed distance. The aim is to knock down all the pots or as many pots as possible.

Winning: This game can be played just for fun; otherwise score one point for each pot knocked off the pyramid. The team or player with the highest score wins.

One chair for each player

  We arrange the chairs in a circle in the middle of the room.
  One player volunteers to stand in the centre of the circle because there is no spare chair for them.
  As soon as someone says ‘now’ you move trying to find another place available to sit.
  Please try to do this fairly and not by pushing or shoving somebody else out of their seat.
  When the player in the middle manages to sit on a chair, their place in the middle of the circle is taken by another one.
  This game is fun to play but there is no winner.

Translation from the Book

Ὁ Θεός στήν Καινή Διαθήκη, Βοήθημα Κατωτέρου Κατηχητικοῦ Β΄,

ἐκδ. «Χριστιανική Ἐλπίς» Ὀρθόδοξη Ἀδελφότητα, Θεσσαλονίκη 2015, σσ. 61-66

The parable of the Good Samaritan

Lk 10:30-37

  Have you ever heard of climbers? Climbers love to climb high mountains and conquering the highest of them! It must be very tiring to climb these mountains, however, the view they can enjoy at the top of them is very rewarding! 

  Maybe some of you are dreaming to become climbers when you grow up. You can, though, climb on the highest mountain and reach the top of it NOW! You‘ll have to work a lot on it and surely it won’t be easy, but the joy you‘ll feel in the end, can be priceless!
  Can you guess what is this high mountain and the peak of it, that we ’re talking about?
  And what is the path we need to follow, so we can climb this mountain? We ‘ll be able to find it out today, by listening to the parable of the Good Samaritan that Jesus told us.
  A man was travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho. There was only one way connecting these two towns. The distance between them was quite long. And the road was not always busy, as it was quite rough and dangerous to walk on. Sometimes, bandits preferred to hide there and ambush the passengers. This man had the bad luck to get ambushed while walking. He tried to resist the robbers, but they beat him up very hard and left him half–dead along the road!
  The poor man was in such pain! He suffered so much and was so upset for what the robbers had done to him. And at that very moment, he felt so hopeless, that almost gave up on his life. He thought “I ‘ll probably die here, all alone in this desert!”.
  It was not long after that a priest came along. He was probably going home after the service he had in Jerusalem. He soon realised there was a wounded man on the ground. What would we expect him to do in such a case? To stop and help the robbed man, right? However, he went to the other side of the road so to avoid him and quickly went on his journey.
Soon, a second person, a Levite (a priest’s assistant and Temple worker) came by. He came nearer, saw the injured man and thought “He must have been ambushed… That means I am in danger to be attacked by the robbers, too!”. So, the Levite kept on going without helping the man.
  The pain became greater for the injured man. Not only he was hurting in his body, but also his heart was broken by the bad behaviour of the first two passengers. They just left him there to die. He lost all his hopes. He was sure no more people would pass by the road. And probably even if they did, they would not care for him enough to stop and save him. He thought “I’ll die here alone”.
  A third man appeared walking on the road. He was a Samaritan. Jewish people did not really like people from Samaria. To the point that they refused to even talk to them! But when the Samaritan saw the injured man, he felt very sorry for the beat-up Jewish man! Love moved him towards the man and immediately decided to help him! He selflessly tried to aid the injured man with the oil and wine he was carrying with him. He took care of his wounds, treating them with oil to soften the pain and with wine to disinfect them (as they used to do back then). The Samaritan ripped his clothes to make bandages to cover the wounds. And after that, he lifted the man and sat him on his own animal, and he walked beside them. Soon they arrived at a small inn. The Samaritan stayed up all night looking after the wounded man. The next day before leaving, he paid the innkeeper in advance with two denarii enough for some more days. He asked from him to make sure that the injured man will be taken care of. “I’ll be back after a couple of days to pay you, should the man need something extra.”

The characteristics of true love

  Such a moving story! Isn’t it? We can find the attributes of true and pure love in the Good Samaritan’s behaviour. Genuine love can lift us to heaven. It is like a staircase we can climb and reach the sky! There are five steps to take. Count them in your five fingers and make sure you learn them by heart:
  a) Love towards everyone. The Samaritan showed love to the Jew, even if he was an enemy to him. Love is not selective. And we need to learn to love all the people the same!
  b) Love through actions. The Samaritan didn’t only think about helping the injured man, but he put his thinking into practise. He didn’t just say to him “Bless you! You need help!”, but he took good care of him. He tried to minimize his pain and then carried him to an inn. He even paid more the innkeeper to specially look after him. We show love through our actions. It’s not just words. Being nice to someone, running an errand for someone or visiting somebody when they’re ill, surely are actions of love. (We ask the children to suggest ideas of love actions). So, love is helping my classmates with their homework, visiting someone when they’re in hospital or maybe they’re just lonely at home. Love is lending stuff to people they need them, helping our parents with the chores. Love is to be happy with the others’ success. There are so many ways to show our love!
  c) Selfless love. Did the Samaritan ask for something back when he helped the Jew? Of course not! He was expecting nothing. When we do something out of love, we shouldn’t expect anything in return. Selfless love doesn’t work like that!
  d) Secret love. Did the Samaritan help the injured man, so other people would see this and admire him? No. He hid well the good deed he did. This means that whatever good we may do to someone should stay secret, between us and them. All our good deeds are recorded in the book of our life. God sees and knows about them and that’s more than enough. He will award us.
  e) Love with sacrifices. If we think of love being a staircase, the very last step and at the top of it, is sacrifice! What sacrifices the Good Samaritan did? He sacrificed his time, his money… He even put his life in danger! Loving one’s neighbor was risky and economically costly in this story. What about us? You think we can sacrifice something for others? Our time, some of our playtime, some of our pocket money maybe? When we are willing to give something that is ours or share it, people can feel our kindness. Would you, like to show our love to others? (Charity actions suggestions, i.e., visit to a hospital or a charity home, contributing into a petty cash, collecting food for a poor family. It would be an extraordinary experience for the children to try participating in any of those good deeds).
  Love is a ladder that can lead us to heaven! Also, heaven can come down to us through it! If we show our love to other people with our actions, selflessly and in secret, then we create a small Heaven on earth! We make people around us happy and that subsequently creates happiness in our souls, too!

Copyright © 2021 by Orthodox Christian Association «ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΙΚΗ ΕΛΠΙΣ» ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΑΔΕΛΦΟΤΗΤΑ. All rights reserved.

Translation from the book:

Στεργίου Ν. Σάκκου, ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ ἡ ἀναστάσιμη ἡμέρα, 

ἐκδ. «ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΙΚΗ ΕΛΠΙΣ» ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΑΔΕΛΦΟΤΗΤΑ, ἔκδ. 4η, Θεσ/νίκη 2020, σσ. 27-32

(Stergios N. Sakkos [Read CV], SUNDAY: The Day of Resurrection, pp. 27-32)

Part 3
Sunday: its gifts to believers

  Sunday is by itself God’s free gift and offering to His children. We might think that God orders to dedicate a day to His worship, but in fact God gives us His day to be blessed and sanctified. Sunday provides us with its valuable treasures, which fill us with spiritual wealth. This offer is multiplied and covers almost every aspect of human life.
  In terms of history, it attests the most fundamental fact in our faith: Christ’s Resurrection and it is indeed an everlasting monument of the Resurrection and constant evidence that Christ has risen.
  In terms of theology, the Sacrament of the Eucharist in the Orthodox Church brings God on earth with his body and blood.
  In terms of ecclesiology, it helps us realize the notion of Church as a whole body: the visible part and the invisible, through the worship and preaching to the congregation.
  Spiritually, it increases and renews our faith as it gives us the chance to be fed with the flesh of God, to quench our thirst with His divine words, to talk to Him through prayers, to live in his holy family by communicating with the other members of the Church.
  Ethically, it helps us abstain from sin throughout the week. The sanctifying power that Sunday offers, as well as our pious desire to accept its blessings again and again, allow us not to fall victims to our desires.
  Psychologically, it is a celebration, a happy break from the six-day labor, which every tired person comes across weekly.
  Moreover, socially it helps to develop our relationships in the most wonderful way. People with numerous diversities (political-educational-financial) with only one common point, the same faith, with the same petitions meet in a peaceful congregation around the same table. We visit each other joyfully, but at the same time we take part in the pain, the poverty and the misery of our fellow humans. Is there another day, indeed, which has the social features we find on Sunday?
  These are not the only presents that Sunday offers. We could enumerate many more but the list would not be exhausted. That is because what is offered by Sunday is multiplied, as it spreads in the life of every believer. So, something amazing takes place: Sunday is not just an extraordinary day during which we get the power to live through the rest of the days, but its grace penetrates throughout the week. Therefore, every time we open our arms to embrace Sunday fully, we move upwards in the scale of our relationship with God and this is certainly not diminished during the rest of the days, but we stay there the whole week, since our heart beats on the rhythm of Sunday. Next Sunday we move one step forward and stay there during the whole week and then we go on in the same way.
  However, we are in danger of losing this invaluable day, because we do not appreciate it and we leave it exposed to be violated by sacrilegious people. Sunday, like every divine issue, is targeted by every power opposed to God threatening to replace or extinguish it. This attack against Sunday is, indeed, an attempt against God. Since God can’t be discounted the only thing to be achieved for humans is to hurt themselves, both spiritually and physically. If we lose Sunday, we lose our Lord and consequently we lose ourselves because this day we surrender ourselves to Him and take them back sanctified, transformed and resurrected.
  Every Sunday is an Easter and a Resurrection. When we experience it and wait for it in this way, we can celebrate Easter every week and every Easter we can rejoice a unique Sunday. With this kind of experiences, our life is brightened and Sunday becomes the most desirable day. “This is the chosen and Holy Day, the first of the Sabbaths, the Queen and the Sovereign, the Feast of Feasts, and the Festival of Festivals” that makes our life beautiful and refreshes our soul. It is the day that our Lord offers us to be happy and rejoice with Him.

Copyright © 2021 by Orthodox Christian Association «ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΙΚΗ ΕΛΠΙΣ» ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΑΔΕΛΦΟΤΗΤΑ. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Translation from the Book

Ὁ Θεός στήν Καινή Διαθήκη, Βοήθημα Κατωτέρου Κατηχητικοῦ Β΄,

ἐκδ. «Χριστιανική Ἐλπίς» Ὀρθόδοξη Ἀδελφότητα, Θεσσαλονίκη 2015, σσ. 40-45

The Parable of the Great Banquet
Lk 14:16-24

  Do you know what is the biggest celebration in our church? We do not celebrate this just once a year, but every single week! And this celebration is the day of Sunday. But is it a celebration day every Sunday? Yes! This day belongs to God. In Greek the name of Sunday, which is “Kiriaki”, means that it belongs to the Lord. We do know that all days belong to God, because He's the one that gave them to us. But Sunday is a really special day. It is the Lord’s day, that he marked it with His name.
  I believe that all of you have written your names on your notebooks, is that right? In this way you make clear that you own them. Even when we travel, we usually write our names on the bag tag, just in case we lose it, people can find the owner. This is the same about Sunday. Our Lord has given his name to this day of the week, so we all know, that this day is dedicated to him.
  When did God give his name to this day? A long time ago it used to be called the first day of the week, just like Monday means the second day of the week in Greek and Tuesday means the third one and so on. So, Sunday got its name Kiriaki, right after the resurrection of Jesus, which took place on this very day. That is why every Sunday is like a small Easter, because we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
  Every Sunday is a feast!
  Christ is risen on this day; let us all celebrate!
  On this very important day something very sacred and holy takes place. Who knows what is happening every Sunday morning? Yes, the Divine liturgy. During the first years of Christianity the divine liturgy took place every single day. Even when the Christians, old and young, faced many difficulties to participate in the divine liturgy, their enthusiasm and excitement was great. Sometimes they risked even their lives! The government arrested the Christians, threw them in jail and even tortured them. And some of them ended up becoming Martyrs. For the ones imprisoned, though, their Christian brothers and sisters found ways to bring the Holy Communion to them. What about us? Do we have to face such dangerous situations? Do we feel the same excitement every Sunday morning, when we hear the church bells? Do we accept the invitation to the Sunday service?
  I'm going to tell you a story now. (Lk 14:16-24) There was a rich man who wanted to invite over for a lovely dinner some important people. So, he did all the preparations for the big night. When everything was ready, he sent out his servants to announce that he was expecting all of them to attend! But the servants were quite surprised, as all of the dinner guests refused to go. Unfortunately, they all pretended to be busy for different reasons. One of them said “I’ve just bought some new land and I need to go there”. The other one said “I do apologise, but I can’t accept the invitation, as I have just bought 5 pairs of oxen and I need to see how they work at the farm”. The last one, also, had an excuse and said that “I have just been married and I can’t come, please, forgive me”.
  When the servants returned home, they let the lord know all of the invited guests replies. They did not appreciate and accept the rich landlord’s invitation. Then, the lord got really frustrated because of all the bad excuses of his guests. So, he ordered his servants to go out and look everywhere in town for all the poor and disabled people and invite them over instead. These people may have been embarrassed to allow themselves near the rich man’s house. But how surprising, all of them thought that it was a great honour to receive such an invitation and they all decided to accept it! But the dinner hall was that big, that there was still left space for more guests. So, the lord asked the servants to find more people in need and the homeless to fill the banquet hall. As for the invited ones that didn’t attend, they chose to miss out on their own salvation.
  This story is one of the parables that Jesus said when teaching the people. Do you know what a “parable” is? A parable is a story that usually comes from everyday life situations, but behind the human reality there are usually divine messages expressed by holy wisdom. Picture them as handmade pots that are filled with God’s truths.
  What do you think about this parable? What is aiming to teach us?
  The Landlord that sends out the invitations for the dinner is our God. The dinner that He’s inviting us all to, is the Divine Liturgy. The Church is big enough for everyone to join in! But it’s a pity that some people refuse the invitation. Every Sunday we are all guests to the dinner that God has prepared for us. And it is the richest and most significant dinner in the whole world! Joining this dinner means that we take care of our immortal soul, we feed it with the Holy Communion, which is Jesus’ flesh and blood, for our salvation.
  Although, this is such an important moment in Church many people do not appreciate the value of it. They are missing out without realising how much it is worth! And they replace God’s dinner with junk food. In this way they offend God and they cause such damage to themselves.
  What kind of excuses did the guests express in the parable? What about these days? What do people pretend to be busy for, so they can skip Sunday’s service? It was not a bad thing for the first guest to attend to his new farm, nor for the other one to work his new animals, or the last one to stay at home with his newly married wife. Why though the rich landlord was disappointed? Because the time they chose to be occupied with personal duties was the same with his dinner. They offended the landlord, by refusing to be there.
  That is how some people behave in our days. They ignore the ringing of the church bells, which is God’s invitation, calling them to join in the liturgy. However, our God does not get frustrated with them, but he feels sad for these people. Isn’t He our dearest Father? Aren’t we His children? All the Saints and the Mother of God are there waiting for us. All the Angels are present along with our personal guard Angel during the Divine Liturgy. Christians all over the world attend and join in this big feast, even in the mud huts in Africa, but in the big cities of America, too.
  Why miss the Divine Liturgy for trivial reasons? We can overcome the obstacles and temptations that don’t allow us to be in Church on Sunday. There are some children that have become a good example for their parents and friends. When they saw their excitement, willingness, love and determination not to miss out on any Sunday service, they got inspired by them and did the same. These children were so happy and strong to fight for the good, they made others’ hearts to follow and join in with them. Even when they would go on vacation, they would not miss the Sunday service! Do we have children among us that would do that? So, today let’s all decide together:

When the church bell calls us
to God’s home,
we’ll all be there!

Copyright © 2021 by Orthodox Christian Association «ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΙΚΗ ΕΛΠΙΣ» ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΑΔΕΛΦΟΤΗΤΑ. All rights reserved.