Sources of Christian Doctrine

^{By Fr. Thomas Hopko}

Revelation

Every morning at its Matins Service the Orthodox Church proclaims: “God is the Lord and has revealed Himself unto us; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” ^{(Ps 117[118]:26-27)}. The first foundation of Christian doctrine is found in this biblical line: God has revealed Himself to us.

God has shown Himself to His creatures. He has not disclosed His very innermost being, for this innermost essence of God cannot be grasped by creatures. But God has truly shown what men can see and understand of His divine nature and will.

The fullness and perfection of God’s self-revelation is found in His Son Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of the gradual and partial revelation of God in the Old Testament. Jesus is the one truly “blessed… who comes in the name of the Lord.”

The Ascension of the Lord

When the day of the Jewish Pentecost drew near, the disciples of Christ returned from Galilee to Jerusalem.

On the fortieth day after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they were all together in one house. Jesus Christ appeared to them and spoke with them saying, "Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation. He, who believes and is baptized, will be saved, but he, who does not believe, will be condemned. And these signs accompanies those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Icon of the Ascension of Our Lord

This Icon of the Ascension of Our Lord, is found on the Iconostas of our church, in the row of great feasts.

The Ascension

^{by Archbishop Dmitri}

Holy Scripture contains abundant evidence of the final event in the earthly life of the Saviour, the As­cension. It was foretold in the Old Testament: "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men..." ^{(Psalm 67/68:18)}. St. Paul -specifically refers this prophecy to Christ's ascension, and explains the second part of the verse as an allusion to His descent into "the lower parts of the earth," to free those held in captivity. ^{(Eph. 4:8-10)}

The Lord Himself told His disciples before the Passion that He would return to the Father, and that this return would prepare the way for their ascension. "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you. I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." ^{(Jn. 14:2,3)} And further. He says: "Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more..." ^{(v. 19)} "Now I go my way to Him that sent me..." ^(16:5) "I leave the world, and go to the Father." ^(16:28) Finally, in the high priestly prayer, He says to the Father: "I come to thee." ^(17:11,13)

(the Icon of the Mother of God "the Joy of All the Sorrowful"  is Commemorated on October 24)

About the Patron of our Parish

Excerpted from an address given March 23, 1996.

Deep within the heart of the Church, in the place where sorrow and joy meet and where our bitter tears are kissed away by a mother's love, we encounter the Most Holy Mother of God. The Church in its devotion to the Ever-Virgin Mary has always known that she is a mystery and a gift given to us by God. The Theotokos is a mystery that can be experienced and encountered, and yet never explained or described in words of logic and science, and she is a gift that brings radiant joy and comfort in the midst of darkness and need. Through the centuries the Church has expressed its love for her through countless hymns, has praised her in its most exquisite poetry and song, and has portrayed her in its most beautiful and beloved icons. No other saint is the subject of so much devotion, and no other saint has so many miracles attributed him or her.

Purpose

As the local community of the Church of the Mother of God, this parish, exists for the purpose of worshiping God according to the Holy Scriptures and Tradition of the Holy Orthodox Church, to encourage union with God among the members of the parish, to seek out the lost, the searching, and the un-churched and to strive to bring them into union with the Church, to provide religious education to its members and potential members, provide charitable aid, and to defend, promote, and witness to the Orthodox Christian Faith in southern New Jersey.

This website is a tool to help in this purpose. Primarily to publicize our existence in southern New Jersey, and hopefully, encourage people to "come and see".  

The many pages on this website contain information we hope is helpful.