C.S. Lewis
These are some quotes from C.S. Lewis. While not an Orthodox Christian, Lewis was thoroughly Orthodox in his thinking and experience with God.
He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only.”
“At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendors we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Some day, God willing, we shall get in.”
“To enter heaven is to become more human than you ever succeeded in being on earth; to enter hell, is to be banished from humanity.”
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”
St. Paul Founder’s Weekend
St. Paul’s Antiochian Church is celebrating their founders weekend on March 8-10, 2013. More information is available on their website.
Of special interest is the Vesper Service on Friday, March 8. Time will be announced. Bp. Anthony will be the celebrant and offer a talk afterwards. Refreshments will be provided. Some of you may remember Bp. Anthony who gave the outstanding sermon during the consecration service of St. Paul’s.
Bible Study Tuesday at 7pm at the Hansens
Bible studiy resumes this Tuesday, February 19 at John and Frieda Hansen’s home starting and 7pm (get map). We will continue our study of the book of John. Mark you calendars and bring your questions. If you have a friend who would like to attend bring them along!
Sunday Scripture Readings
Epistle
I Corinthians 6:12 – 20 (Sunday of the Prodigal Son)
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous
The readings is from Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.
BRETHREN, “all things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food” and God will destroy both one and the other.
The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, an d the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two shall become one flesh.” But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body.
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body and in your spirit which belong to God.
Gospel
Luke 15:11 – 32 (Sunday of the Prodigal Son)
The Reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke
The Lord told this parable: “There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divi ded his living between them.
Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he sqandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, an d he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything.
But when he came to hi mself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will rise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”‘ And he arose and came to his father.
But while he was still at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I ha ve sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to the servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him and put a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry.
Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near the house, he heard music and dancing. And h e called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!’
And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'”