The Word became human in all ways like us, except for sin, so that we might receive the Holy Spirit, who makes us gods, fully similar to Him, except for the uncreated nature. The world in all its diversity is called into the One Church, to become god (to exist hypostatically as God – V.A.) in all its manifestations in the Kingdom of Heaven. From whence comes the very name of the Church ECLESIA – assembly, gathering (from the verb “kalo” – to call, to invite, to summon). The Church is the gathering of those called (“You did not choose Me, but I chose you”) by the Holy Spirit to the Eucharist, the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, the Mystery of eternal life (the knowledge of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Logos of the Father, does not cease to call into the Church: “Whoever is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him”; “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock…”; “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Learn from Me… and you will find rest”… The Lord calls directly every person, but only a few hear His voice, and usually through apostles, missionaries – through a person, through proclamation. Even when the Holy Spirit touches the strings of the soul – God sends to people (e.g., Apostle Paul (then still – persecutor Saul) on the road to Damascus, the Roman centurion). “Who hears His voice – follows Him and in Him we find the pasture of the Holy Spirit”. Christ – the Door, through (in) which we enter to the Father. All who have heard the voice and responded with the word “yes” and followed Jesus, – form the Church, the Eucharistic community, which in this Mystery abides in Christ (“who in the Eucharist, eats Me – is in Me”). The parable of those invited to the supper – Calls to the Eucharist (to the supper, the feast) everyone (“Many are called”), but only those who have chosen themselves (responded) and said “yes” with their lives.
Those belong to the Church who have experienced the Holy Spirit and are faithful to this grace. Those who have not experienced the Holy Spirit, but fulfill God’s commandments – they are righteous, who are in the pre-faith area (see below) – they are proclaimed and are preparing to enter the Church. (Among the proclaimed are formally baptized, and those who have become unfaithful – fallen from the Church. They by repentance – a second baptism – enter the Church, return to It, reconcile and unite with the Body of the Church).
In the Church are only those who live a Eucharistic life (the rhythm of their spiritual life is set by the Eucharist, that is, members of the Body of Christ live from Eucharist to Eucharist!).
Let me remind you that the members of the Church (Christians) testify that they know what they call the word “Church”. Whether it is so or not?! – listeners of the sermon need to verify. My task – so that you understand what Christians testify about, what they call for, what they offer and preach, what they understand by this or that word (what reality they indicate by this or that word). But let’s not forget that “words” are the area of pre-faith, not of faith, knowledge, hypostatic knowing (which is the real thing).
Who in the Church? In phase II of existence (which primarily interests us) – those who have joined the community of those who believed before him (were baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ) and together with them (all saints, in whatever form of existence they may be: in phase II or III) live Church, that is, Eucharistic life (eat and drink the Hypostasis of Christ not less than once a week and according to the rhythm of the spiritual (eucharistic) life of the community). Who is not in the Eucharist – is not in the Church! Because to be in the Church – is to live the Eucharistic life of the community of the faithful!
In the Symbol of Faith the Church, through the mouth of each member of the Body of Christ, confessing witnesses: “I believe in the One, Holy,
Universal, Apostolic Church”. One – because there is one Theanthropic reality, to which they join, commune (or fall away) hypostatic beings. Holy – because everything in the Church exists divinely (in the Divine Hypostasis of the Logos, Jesus Christ). God is Holy, and everything that is God’s, separated for God, given to God, everything that is hypostasized by God, exists as God – is holy. Universal (Catholic) – a holistic hypostatic reality, such that has no flaw, incompleteness, or lack of something. Everything in the Church exists in a holistic (all-encompassing) hypostatic way of being, everything in It exists hypostatically, lives the life of the Most Holy Trinity. All who join the Church are healed in the unity and holiness of Theanthropic Life. Apostolic – the very nature of the Church is apostolic (missionary; apostle – messenger): “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you… Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you… I command you, as the Father has commanded me – the Kingdom, that you may eat and drink at My table (that is, the Eucharist was commanded to us by the Lord, the Life of the Most Holy Trinity)…”. The first eucharistic community (church) consisted of the apostles (those in the Body of Christ had an apostolic ministry as a specific: apostles, prophets, teachers, presbyters…) – they first believed and before everyone else. Therefore, all who entered (were baptized, were born) into the Church, – entered the community of the apostles. All who enter the Church always join those who believed before them. Apostles (all Christians are apostles, but we are now talking about the specific ministry of apostolic-missionary) first believed, so all who joined the Church in phase II, joined the community-church of the apostles, after the transition of the apostles to phase III – to the disciples (those whose eucharistic gathering was led by a bishop or presbyter, ordained by one of the apostles) of the apostles, after their departure – to the disciples of the disciples of the apostles, and so on. Every Christian (member of the Church, the Body of Christ) can point to an apostle, from whom, through a chain of bishops (episcopal ordinations, which originate from one of the apostles), he received ordination to the royal priesthood, to membership in the assembly of those who recline with Christ at the Eucharistic Table of the Kingdom. Anyone who cannot do this in principle, – is not in the Church, does not belong to the Apostolic Church, does not belong to the apostolic community – “with them does not walk in the pasture of Eternal Life”. Therefore, nothing certain can be said about this person44. But who experienced the Holy Spirit45 necessarily in phase II joins the community of the apostles and their disciples. Apostolic – indicates the continuity presence in the history of the Church of a community of people who know the Church, are partakers of the Life of the Most Holy Trinity. One of the important features of the identity of the Church – is the continuity46 of episcopal ordinations. Every bishop (presbyter) of the Church, who heads the Eucharistic community at the Table of the Kingdom, has the continuity of ministry from a certain apostle (can indicate a chain of bishops who connect him with one of the apostles). Christianity – is Love, an unbridled Divine Eros (desire) of salvation for all creatures, that all may be one, Happy in the depths of the Holy Trinity. Therefore, this apostolic nature – thirst (eros) of salvation for all creatures (people and angels, and all creation) – with the fire of Divine Love “burns” Christians, not allowing them to rest, while there are still creatures who do not know the Father – the fullness of Being. “We cannot but preach” – such is the property of Love, which wants (eros – unrestrainedly, insatiably Desires), “that all might be saved and come to the knowledge of truth”.