The feasts of the Lord’s Nativity and Theophany have now passed and we move with ahead to the unfolding of the Lord’s life and ministry prior to the season of Great Lent. I shutter to think of Lent/Fast but it is our reality; it is also about our relationship with the Lord.
Consider these initial words of January’s reflection from God With Us Online:
Σωτηρία (soteria) is the Greek word for salvation. It means to rescue, to deliver, to save, and in the patristic tradition, to heal from spiritual diseases. The emphasis on healing of spiritual disease has become so prominent in our holy faith there is a word that describes one who is an expert in the eld of spiritual healing; the nosologist, who diagnoses and works towards the healing of spiritual diseases.
As the church grew in her mission she moved from a simple call to “repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins” (cf. Acts 2:38) to a fuller consciousness to develop in the spiritual life, to complete soteria. (from the January 2022 catechetical reflection)
Our spiritual life nourished by the sacred Scripture and the Tradition of the Church is critical for us to be mature Melkites. By “mature” Melkites I mean that we, as adults, form our conscience, confess our sins, act charitably to those in need (children, the elderly, the poor, those invincibly ignorant of the reality in front of them, those living with addictions or cancer, or just plain apathetic). receive the sacraments in worthy manner, and live in relationship with the Lord. In short, attend to the life of your soul.
Here is the gospel reflection for this 12th Sunday after the Holy Cross.