Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism. 

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written. 

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.



July 3, 2022

Homily on the Third Sunday of Matthew (Archpriest Rodion Putyatin)


 Third Sunday of Matthew

Matthew 6:22-33

By Archpriest Rodion Putyatin

"Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).

Christian Listeners! Why do we have so many dissatisfied people today? A lot of dissatisfied! Dissatisfaction becomes almost a common disease. Who is happy now? The peasants are mostly dissatisfied; the burghers, merchants are also dissatisfied, and the richest of them are dissatisfied; nobles, officials and all employees are mostly dissatisfied; even we who are spiritual are not always satisfied. But how many conveniences for life are now, all sorts of improvements, transformations for the better in all parts!

So, why do we live no better than before, despite all the improvements in life? This is why, listeners: we forget the main thing. What? God, God's kingdom, God's truth. Yes, what do we want for ourselves, what do we care about, what are we looking for? Just so that we have a place to live, what to eat, what to drink, what to wear and how to have fun. But about God, about attaining His Kingdom, about justification before Him, about this main thing, we don’t consider and don’t think about even a little, as if we are born and baptized in order to live to have fun only. The Kingdom of God is within us, that is, our peace, our contentment is in our soul, and in it we do not have peace, contentment, because we do not have enough of it. Our real, true food, which really nourishes us, is spiritual food: God, His Kingdom and justification before Him, and we mostly feed on earthly, sensual food. Yes, yes.

Why, it seems, should rich, noble people not be satisfied? They have all the conveniences for life, but they are very, very dissatisfied - more dissatisfied than us poor people, sometimes more dissatisfied than the poorest of us. This is precisely because their soul, these rich and noble ones, is not satisfied, because their soul is not full, they do not give it spiritual food, that is, they do not think about God, they do not seek the Kingdom of God, they do not seek justification for their predicament. God cares. Jesus Christ said for all people, for all times: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you," that is, mainly seek the Kingdom of God, desire to be right before God, try, take care - and you will always be full, calm and happy with everything in life. Without it, never.

Yes, the reason for our dissatisfaction with life is in ourselves. From all the current improvements, we are no better than before, because in our souls we do not improve, we do not become better.

Therefore, first of all, seek the Kingdom of God, and primarily live in the right before God, then you will be satisfied with your earthly kingdom; then you will not be upset by human untruth. Our discontent is a sickness of our soul, and nothing else. Amen.
 
 
Labels: , ,

BECOME A PATREON OR PAYPAL SUBSCRIBER


Patreon!