Anyone who aspires to union with Christ must share in His flesh and
in His divinity, as also in His death and resurrection. We associate
ourselves with His death and resurrection by our baptism, we share in
the royal unction He received and in his Godhead by our chrismation,
and we have communion with the flesh and blood assumed by the Savior
when we eat the consecrated bread and drink the most holy cup. In
this way we are united to Him who for our sake became flesh, imparted
to the flesh His divinity, and who died and rose again.
But why do we reverse the order and begin where He ended and end
where He began? It is because the reason for His descent to earth was
to make possible our ascent to heaven. We have to go by the same road
as He did, and as He descended, so we have to ascend. The very
circumstances of the case make this order inevitable. Baptism is a
birth, chrism is a source of energy and activity, the bread of life
and the cup of the Eucharist are real food and drink. To be able to
act or receive nourishment one first has to be born. Moreover, the
waters of baptism reconcile us to God, chrism endows us with the
supernatural gifts, the holy table communicates to the initiated, the
body and blood of Christ.
St. Nicolas Cabasilas
<*}}}>< <http://halfthekingdom.mofuse.mobi/>Half the Kingdom!
on your Mobile <*}}}><
<*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/wordpress/>Half the Kingdom!
Blog <*}}}><
<*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Half the Kingdom! Main Site
<*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/by-the-by/>Half the
Kingdom! By the by <*}}}><
Lord, may everything we do begin with Your inspiration and continue
with Your help,
so that all our prayers and works may begin in You and by You be happily ended.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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