Christian Discussion Thread VIII: Augustine's Revenge.

[Luminesa]

Dude, quit this. Stop it right now. Right here. Before you make another post. And listen.

I used to be a very unkind Christian. I would fight with people constantly, I would boast about my knowledge constantly, and I looked at myself as better than other Christians, better than other people. Sophomore year of high school, I had a Godsend of a religion teacher who taught me that winning arguments is not what being a Christian is about. He turned my life around (and is actually becoming a priest in May, praise God.) Sure, if you win an argument, congrats. But it's about loving others and seeking the goodness in them, reaching across a gap to show them the love of Christ.

So don't turn down people who want to speak to you in kindness. Don't turn down those who wish for you to listen and to grow. Don't fight the people who want to help you to be the best you. Because when you fight the people who wish to show you genuine love and kindness, you are hurting them and you are hurting yourself. This person just complimented your intelligence and is trying to challenge you to better yourself. Take the time to listen, not to snap at them like an angry dog because they think a little differently from you.

I believe that Bede sounds tired and lacking the energy to continue the discussion, not angry.

Also, he is asking people not to compliment him because he wants to work on humility, and avoid being tempted by pride. I thought that was obvious.

...Oh. Um...

[Soldati Senza Confini]

Well, at least one of us was having fun.

I might make myself a martini or two now that you mention it. Or drink some wine.

I wouldn't be upholding my bartenders oath if I didn't insist you make that martini with Gin

Always. Dad got me hooked on the Gin after he saw me ordering one with vodka.

I wouldn't be upholding my bartenders oath if I didn't insist you make that martini with Gin

Is there any other way to make a martini?

Plenty. But none of them rival the gin. I prefer mine with a 3:1 vermouth, stirred, not shaken, and straight up so I keep my beverages in the fridge so they are ready to drink cold.

But, we digress.

[Tarsonis Survivors]

I wouldn't be upholding my bartenders oath if I didn't insist you make that martini with Gin

Is there any other way to make a martini?

Thanks to Ian Fleming, most Americans think martinis are made with vodka

[Tarsonis Survivors]

I wouldn't be upholding my bartenders oath if I didn't insist you make that martini with Gin

Always. Dad got me hooked on the Gin after he saw me ordering one with vodka.

Is there any other way to make a martini?

Plenty. But none of them rival the gin. I prefer mine with a 3:1 vermouth, stirred, not shaken, and straight up so I keep my beverages in the fridge so they are ready to drink cold.

But, we digress.

Always stirred. Never shaken.

[Venerable Bede]

Constantinopolis is correct...thank you.

[Salus Maior]

Constantinopolis is correct...thank you.

Sorry Bede :/

[Venerable Bede]

Constantinopolis is correct...thank you.

Sorry Bede :/

You haven't sinned.

[Constantinopolis]

Well, since it is already March 25 in most time zones by now, that means it's time for me to post about today's Great Feast of the Orthodox Church. The date for this Feast (March 25) is, of course, precisely nine months before Christmas. And so, it is the Feast that marks the beginning of the Incarnation...

The Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos



"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
To a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, you that are highly favoured, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women.
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of greeting this should be.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favour with God.
And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David;
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing as I know not a man?
And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you; therefore also that holy child which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.
And, behold, your cousin Elisabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word. And the angel departed from her."
-- Luke 1:26-38

The Annunciation represents a moment of cosmic importance in which Humanity (in the person of Mary) chose to turn back to God. The plan of salvation was revealed to the Blessed Virgin, and she accepted it, saying "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word." Thus, she became the Theotokos, the God-bearer, the Mother of God. She became the New Eve, who undid the ancestral curse of the first Eve, and crushed the head of the serpent as God had foretold.

Mary could have said no. Perhaps there were other suitable candidates before her, who, when confronted with the same visit from Gabriel, when offered the cup of salvation and suffering, chose to reject it. Perhaps there were others who, upon learning what the role of Mother of God would entail, chose a normal life instead, a nice quiet life with a regular family. We will never know. What we do know is that Mary said yes. That is the significance of her words. Mary succeeded where Eve (and Adam) failed. She chose to embrace the will of God where they chose to refuse it.

What began with the first Eve, ended with Mary. The age of the Old Testament is over. The flaming sword no longer guards the door to paradise. Through Mary, the Son of God became the Son of Man, and the age of the New Testament began. No longer is there an inseparable gulf between God and man; in fact, they are united in the person of Jesus Christ, whom Mary carries in her womb.

So this day of the Annunciation marks the beginning of the restoration of the union between God and Humanity. The beginning of the Good News - the Gospel - which was first announced to the Theotokos and first embraced by her, ahead of all other human beings. In Orthodox cultures where some variation of the term "Good News" can be used as a personal name (such as Evangelia and Evangelos in Greek, or Bashar in Arabic), this is the name day for people who bear those names. And the name of the Feast of the Annunciation itself, in many languages, literally means "Good News" and is therefore the same as the word for "Gospel". Mary the Theotokos was the first human being to hear the Good News, the first to receive the Gospel. And she was the first to be united with God - not just in the spirit, but materially, physically, in her body as well.

I see that the OCA website posted a very interesting sermon on the Annunciation by St. Proklos. I highly recommend it!

Now, as the hymn goes, "the Theotokos and Mother of the Light, let us honour and magnify in song!" So, here is some relevant music on YouTube (all in English):

Troparion for the Annunciation ("Today is the beginning of our salvation")
Kontakion of the Annunciation (in a somewhat unusual translation)
Magnificat (Megalynarion) to the Theotokos
Magnification for the Annunciation
Open Unto Us the Doors
To Thee the Champion Leader
Suplicatory Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos
It is Truly Meet to Bless Thee, O Theotokos

Troparion:

Today is the beginning of our salvation,
The revelation of the eternal mystery!
The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin
As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace.
Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos:
Rejoice, O Full of Grace,
The Lord is with You!

Kontakion:

O Victorious Leader of Triumphant Hosts!
We, your servants, delivered from evil, sing our grateful thanks to you, O Theotokos!
As you possess invincible might, set us free from every calamity
So that we may sing: Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!

[Pasong Tirad]

Man , I've gotta work on my timing. I missed pages of dialogue. Though to be fair, I've been sitting at a bar drinking craft beer listening to 80's music, which honestly is almost a religious experience.

If it's almost a religious experience then you're not drinking enough.

[Gim]

Man , I've gotta work on my timing. I missed pages of dialogue. Though to be fair, I've been sitting at a bar drinking craft beer listening to 80's music, which honestly is almost a religious experience.

If it's almost a religious experience then you're not drinking enough.

Well, some people are quite weak to alcohol.

[Coulee Croche]

It can be done without flaming, but that's exactly the point. The CDT is not a safe space. Every summer we get fresh new atheists on the site who want to test their online mettle and stick it to the Christians. We've had, buddhists, muslims, satanists, hell even gnostic nazis come into this place and challenge the beliefs of everybody here. And yet, we remain because we keep scrapping and debating.

For all intents and purposes, this is Thunderdome.

(I realize that i'm way behind)
Thinking about those days when protestants actually put up a fight . Then again, some of them converted to different religions after...

Besides a few casualties, I have to say that the CDT was generally positive by giving me a jump in the faith, and was a good intro to various topics. I should find time to be more active here, i miss it.

[Gim]

It can be done without flaming, but that's exactly the point. The CDT is not a safe space. Every summer we get fresh new atheists on the site who want to test their online mettle and stick it to the Christians. We've had, buddhists, muslims, satanists, hell even gnostic nazis come into this place and challenge the beliefs of everybody here. And yet, we remain because we keep scrapping and debating.

For all intents and purposes, this is Thunderdome.

(I realize that i'm way behind)
Thinking about those days when protestants actually put up a fight . Then again, some of them converted to different religions after...

Besides a few casualties, I have to say that the CDT was generally positive by giving me a jump in the faith, and was a good intro to various topics. I should find time to be more active here, i miss it.

Yeah, having a thicker skin is essential.

[Maineiacs]

So, today is a big day for me. today I have completed my consecration to Blessed Virgin, and have joined the Militia of the Immaculata and the Knights at the Foot of the Cross. A year ago, this hadn't even occurred to me; I had not yet made my return to the Church. I didn't even know there was a way the laity could formally dedicate themselves to Our Lady, but when I heard about Marian consecration, somehow I knew this is what I was supposed to do. I don't know what the Lord has planned for me going forward, but I know he has something planned. Actually looking forward to... well, anything really... is kind of a new experience for me. I just pray that I keep growing in this new relationship with Christ and his Blessed Mother.

[Coulee Croche]

Yeah, having a thicker skin is essential.

“The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” -G.K. Chesterson

[Luminesa]

So, today is a big day for me. today I have completed my consecration to Blessed Virgin, and have joined the Militia of the Immaculata and the Knights at the Foot of the Cross. A year ago, this hadn't even occurred to me; I had not yet made my return to the Church. I didn't even know there was a way the laity could formally dedicate themselves to Our Lady, but when I heard about Marian consecration, somehow I knew this is what I was supposed to do. I don't know what the Lord has planned for me going forward, but I know he has something planned. Actually looking forward to... well, anything really... is kind of a new experience for me. I just pray that I keep growing in this new relationship with Christ and his Blessed Mother.

WOOHOO!!! HAPPINESS!!!

[Maineiacs]

So, today is a big day for me. today I have completed my consecration to Blessed Virgin, and have joined the Militia of the Immaculata and the Knights at the Foot of the Cross. A year ago, this hadn't even occurred to me; I had not yet made my return to the Church. I didn't even know there was a way the laity could formally dedicate themselves to Our Lady, but when I heard about Marian consecration, somehow I knew this is what I was supposed to do. I don't know what the Lord has planned for me going forward, but I know he has something planned. Actually looking forward to... well, anything really... is kind of a new experience for me. I just pray that I keep growing in this new relationship with Christ and his Blessed Mother.

WOOHOO!!! HAPPINESS!!!

Thank you, but I still have a long way to go. Completing the consecration didn't magically make my very painful past not have happened, nor its lasting effects cease to exist. I haven't been cured of clinical depression, the abuse I suffered as a child still occurred, and I think it's probably unlikely that I will suddenly be standing up out of this wheelchair; but I am hopeful that by dedicating myself to Our Lady, I'll have a new tool to help me cope with all of it.

Next step for me: my much-delayed Confirmation in May.

[Luminesa]

WOOHOO!!! HAPPINESS!!!

Thank you, but I still have a long way to go. Completing the consecration didn't magically make my very painful past not have happened, nor its lasting effects cease to exist. I haven't been cured of clinical depression, the abuse I suffered as a child still occurred, and I think it's probably unlikely that I will suddenly be standing up out of this wheelchair; but I am hopeful that by dedicating myself to Our Lady, I'll have a new tool to help me cope with all of it.

Next step for me: my much-delayed Confirmation in May.

I will pray for your recovery and for your health, bruh. And Mamma Mary is good. She takes good care of her babies.

I also pray your Confirmation will go well as well! Excitement! ^w^

[Soldati Senza Confini]

So, today is a big day for me. today I have completed my consecration to Blessed Virgin, and have joined the Militia of the Immaculata and the Knights at the Foot of the Cross. A year ago, this hadn't even occurred to me; I had not yet made my return to the Church. I didn't even know there was a way the laity could formally dedicate themselves to Our Lady, but when I heard about Marian consecration, somehow I knew this is what I was supposed to do. I don't know what the Lord has planned for me going forward, but I know he has something planned. Actually looking forward to... well, anything really... is kind of a new experience for me. I just pray that I keep growing in this new relationship with Christ and his Blessed Mother.

Congratulations!

[Gim]

Thank you, but I still have a long way to go. Completing the consecration didn't magically make my very painful past not have happened, nor its lasting effects cease to exist. I haven't been cured of clinical depression, the abuse I suffered as a child still occurred, and I think it's probably unlikely that I will suddenly be standing up out of this wheelchair; but I am hopeful that by dedicating myself to Our Lady, I'll have a new tool to help me cope with all of it.

Next step for me: my much-delayed Confirmation in May.

I will pray for your recovery and for your health, bruh. And Mamma Mary is good. She takes good care of her babies.

I also pray your Confirmation will go well as well! Excitement! ^w^

I will pray for both of you. May you prosper under God and Jesus.

[Maineiacs]

Thank you all.

[Tarsonis Survivors]

So, today is a big day for me. today I have completed my consecration to Blessed Virgin, and have joined the Militia of the Immaculata and the Knights at the Foot of the Cross. A year ago, this hadn't even occurred to me; I had not yet made my return to the Church. I didn't even know there was a way the laity could formally dedicate themselves to Our Lady, but when I heard about Marian consecration, somehow I knew this is what I was supposed to do. I don't know what the Lord has planned for me going forward, but I know he has something planned. Actually looking forward to... well, anything really... is kind of a new experience for me. I just pray that I keep growing in this new relationship with Christ and his Blessed Mother.

WOOHOO!!! HAPPINESS!!!

Is a warm Gun

[Gim]

Thank you all.

You're welcome and good luck in your life with God!

[The Blaatschapen]

WOOHOO!!! HAPPINESS!!!

Thank you, but I still have a long way to go. Completing the consecration didn't magically make my very painful past not have happened, nor its lasting effects cease to exist. I haven't been cured of clinical depression, the abuse I suffered as a child still occurred, and I think it's probably unlikely that I will suddenly be standing up out of this wheelchair; but I am hopeful that by dedicating myself to Our Lady, I'll have a new tool to help me cope with all of it.

Next step for me: my much-delayed Confirmation in May.

If faith gives you more strength, then congrats to you

[United Muscovite Nations]

Thank you all.

[Gim]

Thank you all.

I should have that as my poster.