The Meaning of Worthiness Orthodox

👉 The Meaning of Worthiness Orthodox Faith: The person who approaches the Eucharist must be an Orthodox Christian having no doubt concerning the bread & wine being the true body and precious blood of Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance & Confession: The person must be practicing the Sacrament of Repentance and Confession on regular basis as St. Paul said, “let a man examine himself” (1 Cor 11:28) Reconciliation With Others: Lord Jesus Christ said, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come offer your gift” (Mt 5:23-24) True Worthiness is Feeling Unworthy: St. Paul, the meek and humble apostle said, “I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this” (1 Cor 4:4) Obeying The Church Rules: concerning food abstinence before communion, physical cleanliness, and early attendance of the liturgy. 👉 The Eucharist as a Sacrifice The Orthodox Church believes and confesses that the Eucharist is a sacrifice and an offering to God in addition to being a Sacrament. The following supports this belief: The words of Lord Jesus Christ Himself, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many” (Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24) – “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Lk 22:20) – “This is My body which is broken for you” (1 Cor 11:24) – “This is My body which is given for you” (Lk 22:19). Undoubtedly, the terms “broken body” and “shed blood” refer to a sacrifice. The presence of an altar in the Church confirms that the Eucharist is a sacrifice. St. Paul said, “We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle (Jews) have no right to eat” (Heb 13:10). Isaiah the Prophet said, “In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt” (Is 19:19), this is a specific prophecy about the Coptic (Egyptian) Church which proves the presence of altars in the Christian era and consequently the presence of a sacrifice (the Eucharist). Malachi the Prophet prophesied about the New Testament offering saying, “I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, nor will I accept an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts” (Mal 1:10-11). This “pure offering” is nothing but the Eucharistic offering that Christians offer on their altars, for at which point in history did the Gentiles “in every place” offer an offering to the Lord? St. Paul said, “Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idol is anything (else)? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and the table of demons” (1 Cor 10:18-21). The apostle is comparing the table (altar) of the Lord to the altar of the pagans upon which unacceptable demonic sacrifices were offered, which proves that the Eucharist that is offered on the Christian altar is indeed a sacrifice. May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every tongue that He has created, today and always. May the blessings of God's mother, the virgin, and the cross be upon us. Amen. © John's Repentance Reach out to us on our social media platforms and share it with your friends: https://linktr.ee/johnsrepentance