The Christian Way – The Original PDF

PDF is a term most people recognize as a term for a document that has been prepared to share over the internet. Long before computers or even paper and pencil, Jesus Christ established the original PDF when He said, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” He also said, “For whoever desires to save his life with lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8.34-36) The Gospel of Christ is meant to be shared with everyone who desires to know about God and how He wants us to live.

We cannot live in communion with God AND the world. We must make a choice. Either we chase after wealth and prestige which the world teaches, or we follow Christ. The way of the world is selfish and dedicated to pleasing our bodies. The way of Christ is dedicated to pleasing God. The best part is that God doesn’t force us to follow Him. It’s our choice. It’s our freedom. But we must make a choice. Do we choose wealth and prestige now or heaven later?

 If you choose heaven, then it’s easy to remember….PDF

 P – Pick up your cross. Every time you struggle to do the will of God you are picking up your cross. With the cross comes suffering, but the suffering is nothing compared to the joy God has waiting for us in Heaven. We learn to embrace the suffering by prayer.

D – Deny yourself. Every time you give up your will to God and His Church you come closer to understanding that life isn’t about pleasing yourself but pleasing God. We learn this by fasting.

F – Follow Me. Following Christ means ACTION. We cannot just watch Christ if we are following Him. We must be doing as He does and living as He lives. We learn this by treating others as Christ would treat them – with love and respect. This is almsgiving.

 Dear St. Nicholas Cathedral Family,

  This year in our Adult Catechism we will be discussing the topics of our Sunday School Program Curriculum to encourage all in our Parish Family to support our youth in their learning of our faith, and to also continue learning ourselves. This month’s topic for our Adult Catechism class is “I am the Light.”

  In the Gospel of John, Christ says, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Imagine trying to walk around your house at night with the lights off at night time. When we try to do things without sunlight or indoor lights, we can get lost, trip over the kids toys, run into furniture, etc. Same within our spiritual life. When we do things without Christ lighting our path, we can become spiritually lost and disoriented!  What does having the light of Christ in our lives help us see?

  There is a story about a man who was visiting a farm. One dark night, he needed to go to the railroad station. The farmer gave the man a lantern to light his path, as well as the following important instructions: “See that glimmer of light in the distance? That’s the station. Head for that!” These two things gave the man just what he needed. The lamp lit the way for his feet, and the light in the distance assured him he was headed in the right direction. (Daily Vitamins for Spiritual Growth Vol. 2 by Anthony Coniaris)

  St. Paul writes in today’s epistle we heard at Liturgy,  “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) We look to Christ the Light to see the path, but He also lives within our hearts.

  There is also a quotation from St. Porphyrios that really puts this into perspective, “Do not fight to expel the darkness from the chamber of your soul. Open a tiny aperture for light to enter, and the darkness will disappear” I want you to think about how you allow the light of Christ to enter in to challenging situations you experience in your life.

  With Love in the Lord,

 Rev. Fr. Sampson N. Kasapakis

Memorials

9:00 AM Divine Liturgy  

Ioannis Boulafentis - 9 Months

Alexander Bazos - 1 Year

Demetris Tsesmelis - 1 Year

Georgia Papadakos - 3 Years

11:00 AM Divine Liturgy 

Mary Cocoris - 40 Days

 Athanasios Lussos - 1 Year

 Dimitri Hados - 10 Years

  Today's Coffee Hour is being hosted by St. Nicholas Preschool! If any ministries are interested in hosting Coffee Hour, please contact Chris Palaidis at 727-808-3895.

  *THE DEADLINE IS MONDAY 5PM FOR ALL BULLETIN INFORMATION*

  Memorial & Artoklasia Service Planning